Vindicta II
Posted on Mon Mar 4th, 2024 @ 7:00am by Giuseppe Orsini & Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Major Sacha Lavigne & Crown Prince Paolo Orsini
Mission:
Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Axanar
Timeline: Date 2371-09-05 at 1300
6443 words - 12.9 OF Standard Post Measure
Runabout
The cockpit of the runabout steamed as the lights flickered off. The landing had been a rough one, and a lightly forested area had been their final resting place. Sacha had piloted competently, but the attitude controls gave out at the last minute, leaving them with little more to do than to brace for impact. Now Sacha and Paolo were lying on the deck piled on top of each other.
Paolo blinked, moving his hand to his aching head as he rolled off of Sacha. He groaned, checking himself slowly for injuries.
“You okay, kid?” Sacha asked, sitting up himself.
“I think so.“Paolo asked, a concerned look on his face. “How about you?”
“I’m fine; don’t worry about me. I’m too tough to die.” Sacha said with a groan as he lifted himself back into his feet and offered Paolo a hand. “Now, we’ll be rescued. By whom is the real question. Giana…or Giuseppe…”
Paolo’s eyes went wide as he realized the possibility of Giuseppe getting his hands on them. If so, they would be dead men for sure. He let out a squeak involuntarily, but said nothing besides.
It was about ten minutes later that the sound of men approaching could be heard by the duo in the runabout. They came into view from the forest, armed and ready for a fight. They wore their fleet uniforms and moved quickly though with obvious caution. Several approached the bow of the ship and looked in while others moved to the back hatch. Finding it ajar, one called inside. “Imperial Highness?!”
Sacha put a hand on Paolo’s arm, letting him know, silently, that he wanted to do the talking. Paolo acquiesced tk that desire, knowing that the older former marine knew what he was doing.
“That depends who you are.” Sacha said, lifting his phaser rifle and standing pulling Paolo behind a nearby wall for cover. “Identify yourselves soldiers. Who sent you? What’s your name?”
“Marine Captain Fitzpatrick. We are here from the Imperator on order of Princess Giana.” Came the reply and an armored, uniformed man peered around the corner but didn’t enter the runabout. “We need to get you back at once.”
“You do, but take another step into this cabin, mon ami, and you will be vapor in the air.” Sacha said in a Still-suave bark. His eyes were darkened and suspicious, but he cut them at Paolo. He didn’t know enough about the current situation to verify the man’s identity.
Paolo’s lips parted as if to speak, his eyes locked with Sacha’s seeming to draw strength from him. The prospect of danger wasn’t something which had been presented to him often; he was the gentle prince, the thinker. His heart pounded wildly in his chest.
“If you’re from Imperator, you will know the command. Who is in charge of the marine contingent there, Captain?” He asked, his voice shaky.
There was a moment of silence that followed Paolo’s question. It was tense and palpable and then suddenly broken by a metallic bounce and rolling sound which was followed by a short, high pitched whine and finally the last thing they would hear would be a loud bang as the stun grenade went off.
As black filled their minds and all present fear and pain gave way to dark silence, the two of them fell to the deck with a thud, and the whole unfortunate scene had come to an end.
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ISS Imperator: Bridge
The tension on the bridge of the Imperator was like a physical weight on the shoulders of everyone present, but none more so than Princess-Regent Giana Orsini’s. She sat in the golden throne positioned toward the back center of the bridge where she could oversee all that was happening which was, at the moment, nothing but waiting for word on if their marine forces had been successful in locating Sacha and Paolo. Her beautiful face was a mask of royal neutrality; putting on a face was after all at the forefront of her skills. Though she had displayed anger and anxiety earlier, she did no such thing now when circumstances were at their most dire. She had to be strong whether she felt it or not.
The sound of an incoming communication forced her out of her near trance-like state and she blinked, the mask wavering to concern for a split second and then returned to serenity as she waited for Akamu to deal with it.
“Sir, incoming message from the Marine Team.” Sounded the man at the Ops terminal.
“Let’s hear it.” Akamu said with a sigh.
“Imperator, this is Captain Lee.” The voice said, heavy and clearly full of stress barely restrained by professionalism. “We’re too late, sir. The Prince, Major Lavigne. They’re already gone.”
Giana’s fingers curled around the arms of the throne. If anything was said after Lee’s report, she didn’t hear it. The only thing she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding and the blood rushing in her ears. Her breathing became shallow and more rapid and her blue eyes widened just slightly. She had been sure of the abilities of the men around her - Royal Guard or Fleet - and yet both had failed. Now, her little brother and fiance were with a man who would undoubtedly kill them within moments of receiving them.
“Signal to pursue. Now.” She ordered.
“We can have our soldiers try and track them, but it may take a few minutes.” Akamu said, knowing they likely didn’t even have that. “I’ll get our reconnaissance teams to coordinate the effort, Your Highness. I doubt Prince Giuseepe was foolish enough to leave footprints where anyone could find them.”
“You know which ship is Giuseppe’s, do you not? That is where they will be going. Advance on it and attack, send a team to recover Prince Paolo and Major Lavigne,” she hesitated a moment and then gave the smallest of sighs, “and another to recover Jessica and her child Antonio, if they are alive.”
“Ma’am there’s no indication any of them will be aboard. We could be going in the wrong direction.” Akamu warned, his brow furrowing. He wasn’t questioning her orders so much as warning her that her decision could have very serious consequences for her loved ones and for the future of the Empire.
Giana shook her head slightly, her expression indicating understanding of his concern but resolve of her own. “They will be there, Colonel. I, unfortunately, know my brother and his arrogance well.”
He watched her for a few seconds before nodding and turning to relay her orders. Within the next few seconds, the Imperator was turning from its position at the rear of the battle group and approaching Giuseppe’s flagship - the ISS Justicar - which appeared on the massive window-like viewscreen. It was obviously a heavily modified Sovereign class which while dwarfed by the Imperator, it had teeth.
Giana knew she could do nothing here but will them forward and to victory. She had no knowledge of military tactical maneuvers after all and could contribute nothing strategically to what was happening. Perhaps Akamu thought this was reckless, but she knew in her core this was the only choice they had even if it also put her in harm's way.
Maybe they’d see Empress Elana yet.
Giana rolled her eyes even considering the possibility.
----------
ISS Justicar
The room was quiet when Paolo’s eyes fluttered open. He was laying down on a simple metal bed in a large space. It was dimly lit by blue light coming from inlaid sources in a nearby wall. The smell of the stun grenade still stuck in his nose as his mind started to sift through the fog to figure out what was going on.
He looked around and immediately saw Sacha laying on a bed across from him. The strong man was limp, and clearly still unconscious. His heart started to beat wildly in his chest as it dawned on him he was in Troy le even before he understood just what had happened to them. He saw a door across the room, metal and clearly locked.
“Sacha?” He asked, turning his frightened gaze to the former marine again. When no sound came in return, he stood and walked over to the opposite bed. “Sacha, wake up.”
He shook him gently at first, and then quite roughly, until the man shook and shot up in his bed, his hands balled into competent and hard firsts.
“What the-“ he started, but interrupted himself with the raging of his own thoughts. He looked at Paolo and frowned. “Where are we, Paolo?”
“I don’t think we’re on the Imperator..” The boy said in return.
Sacha looked around, his brows knitted together in obvious but unspoken worry. If they weren’t on Imperator, it could only mean one thing.
“I think you’re right.” He said in a distant voice.
There was the sound of a click followed by a quiet, persistent hiss. Nothing followed immediately, but soon there came a metallic scent in the air. Paolo of course wouldn’t be able to identify it, but Sacha may have been able to identify the scent of the neurazine gas as it was pumped into the room. There would be no fighting it or escaping. Perhaps this would be how they died - defenseless and sleeping.
“They're putting us to sleep, Paolo.” He said, looking at his fiancé’s little brother with sad eyes. “I think…I think the wrong side got to us first.”
Paolo opened his mouth to respond, but all that came from him was a quiet hiss of his own.
The room was small with a single metal table bolted to the floor with two metal chairs on either side of the table which were set into tracks so they could slide back and forth, but not be moved out to the sides. It was cold, impersonal, with lights slightly too bright and a temperature of just a bit too cold. Paolo and Sacha sat side by side on one side of the table, their arms attached to the same table by magnetic shackles.
Across from them sat Giuseppe Angelo.
His brown eyes watched them as they sagged awkwardly in their forced sleep. His gaze was sharp, cruel. The boy-emperor had thought himself man enough to come and face his older brother and he had brought his sister’s pet along. That part had been mildly surprising. He wondered why Giana had allowed these two off the Imperator; stupid girl. The battle was not going well, but they had regrouped at Axanar proper where their defenses were strongest. The day wasn’t lost.
He caught movement that brought him out of his daydream and he sat up a bit straighter.
“I was wondering when you’d finally wake up.”
Paolo was the first to wake while Sacha was still quietly fighting the sleeping agent. He winced at the brightness of the light and tried to reach his hand up to block the brightness, but the chain stopped him. Despite the sense of panic this caused in him, he still couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes to the light which seemed to him to be as bright as a sun. After several seconds of trial, his eyes fluttered open slightly and he saw his brother.
Panicking, he tried to get up right away, standing with his arms awkwardly bound to the table.
“Giuseppe?” He asked, dazed and aloof. “What’s…what’s going on?”
“And here father always prided himself about you being the intelligent one.” Giuseppe scoffed, his deep voice holding an edge of cruelty. “Sit down, boy. You look ridiculous.”
He himself moved to stand, crossing his strong arms over his broad chest and staring down at his little brother as he awkwardly stood hunched with his arms serving as anchors. “You’re here to die.”
Paolo sat, seeing there was no point in standing. As Giuseppe spoke his threats, he frowned, but for some reason, he found himself more disgusted than afraid. He sighed, and kept those feelings to himself. Silently, he looked to Sacha who was only just starting to stir.
He turned back to Giuseppe, his eyes searching those of his older brother. He had been no kinder to him than Giana had, and he knew how terribly he had treated her as well.
“I never wanted to be Emperor, Giuseppe.” He said clearly, the fog of his sleep having faded away. “I was content to be the second son; to learn, and marry, and have children as a prince. I was happy to serve you.”
“I know you were.” Giuseppe replied, simple and plain. “Unfortunately for you, father loved you the most and decided to show it.”
He gestured with his hand slightly. “Really this is all his fault. Many have died. Many more will; including you and our sisters. It didn’t need to be this way, but here we are.”
“And you would slaughter your innocent brother.” Paolo said, clearly offering a statement rather than a question.
Sacha’s eyes opened and landed, at once, on Giuseppe. They had never liked each other, and the current situation did nothing to improve their relationship.
“What, no wine?”
“I see you’ve inherited father’s penchant for the dramatic.” Giuseppe replied dryly and then shifted his focus to Sacha. “You know, I didn’t think about that. I probably do owe you a drink for offering my little brother up on a silver platter to me. That was very thoughtful of you, Sacha.”
“Anything for you, my Prince.” Sacha said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Unlike Paolo, he didn’t test his bonds. Either they worked, and there was no point, or they didn’t and he would risk Giuseppe discovering that fact. “Are you here to gloat before you kill us?”
“Yes.” Paolo answered for his older brother, his brow furrowed. “He wants us to know he’s won; that we are completely under his power. I just have a hard time believing he’s winning this battle. His navy is in tatters and Imperial troops have landed on the planet.”
Giuseppe just chuckled and shook his head, sitting back and regarding the man and boy across from him. “You’ve been asleep for a while, little brother. You don’t need to worry, everything is going just as I planned it.”
“What does that mean?” Paolo asked, his worry laced with more curiosity than he had intended.
“I knew someone would have to come for me and they would bring the fleet - granted I didn’t anticipate it being our dear Gigi, that was quite the welcome surprise and something I am very curious to know how that came to be, but I’ll be fine never knowing.” Giuseppe paused and mused on it for a moment, every facet of him radiating cruelty as he did so. “We were prepared for that, losses were factored in as was the retreat to Axanar. The troops that had landed on the planet? All dead. Ambushed of course. The fleet is in shambles. No one is coming for you.”
“Well, what Can I say, when you lose, you lose.” Sacha said with a shrug, checking in Paolo silently to see how the boy was taking the news. His royal counterpart darkened, silent, any light that remained in his eyes going out.
“My fault.” He thought to himself, shifting his gaze down to the table. He thought he would be the one to bring Giuseppe to Justice for all that he had done to their family; to the Empire. It seemed he was wrong.
Giuseppe’s eyes fell on his brother. They were brown like their mother’s eyes, but Giuseppe’s had always had a strange grayness to them as if they were under-saturated. He looked over to Sacha then and sat back. “You’re taking this rather gracefully.”
“That is the point, isn’t it, Brother?” Paolo said with a frown. “I won’t beg for my life or cry in front of you. I know you have no love for me or for anyone else. I learned that when you were arrested.”
The boy’s eyes grew sadder, and he wrung his hands silently for several beats.
“I used to look up to you before I heard what you did to Jessica…and Giana. Now I know what you are, and I understand why everything has happened the way it did.”
“Jessica needed to be disciplined for defying her husband and Giana needed to learn her place. I’m sure you’d have run into the same situation with your own wife and as for Giana,” he shrugged, “well, you’d have figured that out too. I’m surprised you hadn’t already; Sacha had, I’m sure.”
“I would like to pop your head off your shoulders. If the gods exist, I’ll get my chance.” Sacha said, smiling as if he had told an amiable joke the whole group could enjoy.
“She had to be raped?” Paolo said, exhaling more heavily than before, “is that how you show people their place?”
“It is a method men have used for centuries, why should I do any differently when it’s proven effective?” Giuseppe quirked a brow. “You should have expanded your mind more, little brother.”
“I should bend you over and fuck you then, eh?” Sacha said, snapping the restraints and sneering a bit at Giuseppe. He seemed controlled, but his anger was becoming obvious, “you might like that, actually.”
Paolo winced at both the words of his brother and those of Sacha. The succession of offensive ideas seemed to calm him to darkened silence again. He could think of nothing to say to this man he had called a brother.
“See?” Giuseppe gestured toward Sacha while looking at Paolo. “He knows.”
He sat up straighter then and looked Sacha in the eye. “I’d do you the favor, Sacha, but I’m afraid there simply isn’t time. I’ll tell you what, though, I’ll remind little Gigi how it feels to be fucked by a real man before I kill her.”
All joking aside, at this point,the powerful man sitting in restraints was an Imperial Marine, and that fact became abundantly clear as all the mirth and the jocularity fell from his face as if a switch had been flipped. He looked at Guiseppe with cold eyes, and there was murder in them.
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ISS Imperator: Bridge
Before the weapons of the Imperator started to fire, several enemy ships broke off from the battle with the other ships of the Admiral’s fleet and started hammering her shields with phaser fire. The Imperator was a tough ship, but catching the fire of twelve vessels at once was no small matter. The deck buffeted under them as Akamu turned to the tactical console.
“Focus fire on the ships turning to attack us.” He ordered crisply. He then looked into the operations pit and gestured at one of the NCOs. “Signal the nearest of our ships. Tell them to belay their current orders and form up around us to draw fire.”
It wouldn’t be a popular move with Leyton, but their mission had to be paramount. After all, he had the Princess to protect.
“Aye, sir.” A woman’s voice replied and she relayed the orders. Some of the ships turned to obey without hesitation, but others did not.
The ship dipped again from another impact, but the blasts eventually waned to almost nothing. For the next several minutes, the Imperator assisted the ships that had come at their call and disabled one ship after another.
“Easy. We want these ships back when the war is over.” Akamu said. “Knock their systems offline, blow up their bridges, but avoid their warp cores.”
Keeping those ships intact took effort and prolonged the battle by several minutes. Eventually, however, the resistance to their approach evaporated and they had a clear path to Giuseppe’s ship.
“Take down those shields and disable her engines. Marine Strike Teams, prepare to beam out.”
A few seconds later, the shields of Giuseppe’s ship shimmered once more before disappearing. Her engines blew and she began to stray slowly in space.
“Strike Team contact!” Came a voice over the comms. Whether Giana’s hunch was right or wrong would be known by all soon enough.
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ISS Justicar
Suddenly, the room shook. Metal creaked on metal and before the vibrations cleared it shook again. Giuseppe frowned and planted his hands on the table to keep himself stable while he looked around at nothing.
The sound of phaser fire became immediately evident from outside the room. However it happened, it seemed that the fight had been brought directly to their location. The lights flickered several times in quick succession, and Sacha felt his restraints slacken and detach from the table. They were still bound together, but he was clearly free. Immediately, he surged toward Giuseppe, his hard fist making contact with the man’s jaw.
In the confusion, Giuseppe took the full hit on the jaw after being caught unawares. He stumbled out of the chair but caught himself before he fell on the floor. He surged up to his feet. Giuseppe was quite lacking in height for a man, but he was quite stocky with large, thickly corded muscles that gave him an imposing presence despite the obvious deficit; it also kept things even in a fight. A trained security officer himself, Giuseppe squared himself to Sacha and returned the strike with his considerable strength, though immediately followed it up with a jab to the man’s gut. Sacha may have been free, but he was at a severe disadvantage with his hands still bound together.
Sacha shot back a bit at the strike to his face and reacted to the punch to his gut as one might expect, but he took them in stride, his anger manifesting itself in the intensity of his movements. He head butted Giuseppe, feeling the crunch of the man’s nose and the coarseness of his beard, then brought his knee up to return the strike Giuseppe had made to his stomach.
“I came here to kill you, connard. For Giana. Your death is my wedding gift.”
Paolo had slid away from the table and up against the far wall, standing and spending his moments watching half, panicked, not sure what might happen next.
With Sacha not having much leverage with his hands bound, the knee to the stomach did little but drive Giuseppe back slightly. The disgraced Prince simply planted his feet and shifted his momentum to deliver another vicious strike to Sacha’s face, this time focusing on his nose which he heard give a satisfying snap. He didn’t relent and brought his off hand around for another strike to Sacha’s square jaw - it was a weaker strike yes, but still notably forceful.
The two men continued to exchange blows, blood dripping from each of their noses. They dodged some and blocked others, but in the end it was a scramble for life itself. It was unclear who would end up on top until Sacha, having been tripped, fell onto his back. Paolo stood up taller, but did nothing. There was nothing he could do.
Giuseppe, angry with his chest heaving, kicked the side of Sacha’s head and then brought his boot down on the younger man’s face several times. Finally, he stopped and just stared down at Sacha barely moving and spit on the man. “Fuck you.”
Paolo’s eyes went wide as the already violent fight became decidedly more violent and potentially deadly. Against every impulse which had compelled him to stay put, he moved to the lightweight metal chair he had been sitting in. He knew, if he did nothing, Giuseppe might kill Sacha. More than that, if the man wasn’t stopped, they would all die. He picked up the chair and surged toward Giuseppe, holding it falteringly over his head.
Though Giuseppe’s attention was mostly on Sacha, he caught out of the corner of his eye Paolo coming at him with the chair. His anger boiling, he whirled and caught the chair with one hand, ripping it out of Paolo’s adolescent grip easily and then swinging it back around to hit his little brother across the head. “You stupid fucking child.”
Paolo reeled and spun back, collapsing on the ground with a strangled yelp. He’d never experienced anything like that, having lived a comfortable life of study, social interaction, and business meetings. The reality of a fight had laid him out without any real resistance. He looked with panicked eyes, his hand going to the side of his head where he felt warm wetness.
Giuseppe considered the chair in his hand and then roughly tossed it aside - it was too impersonal. He advanced on Paolo again and reached down to grab his little brother by the throat and hoisted him first back to his feet and then lifted him off his feet to hold him against the wall. Giuseppe’s fingers dug into the sides of Paolo’s neck while his palm crushed into the boy’s windpipe. His second hand joined the first soon after, and his eyes glittered with a dark, triumphant rage that simply added to the terrifying visage of his blood soaked face. “A boy trying to play a man… you’re nothing and you never were.”
Paolo’s hands found Giuseppe’s and tried in vain to pull his fingers from around his throat. He gurgled and kicked, trying in his own panicked way to free himself. His eyes were wide, and the fourteen year old found his brother’s hatred-filled gaze and marveled at their callousness. It was an image he would never get out of his mind; it was how he would remember Giuseppe for the rest of his life.
Behind them, Sacha silently made his way back into his feet and approached the pair from behind the oldest brother. With bared teeth, he put his bound hands over Giuseppe’s head and pulled back so that the binding was tight against Giuseppe’s throat.
Giuseppe made a slight sound of surprise when he felt Sacha’s arms go around his shoulders and the bindings being pulled taut against his own neck. He did not, however, drop Paolo. Instead, he only squeezed the boy’s neck with more force while also throwing his own head back to try and hit Sacha in his mangled, bloodied face. Paolo had to die. Now. He was done biding his time to reclaim what was rightfully his - and soon he would have more.
Sacha grunted and twisted his arms, wrenching Giuseppe away from Paolo and causing the boy to fall down to the ground. The two men careened back as Sacha grunted and dug into Giuseppe’s neck with the binding. As they backed up, they stumbled over something and fell back onto the ground. Despite this change, Sacha grunted and pulled even tighter, coming close to Giuseppe’s ear and whispering.
“Die, you sick bastard.”
“NO!” Giuseppe half roared, half choked out. He didn’t even try to fight Sacha, too blinded with rage and singular determination of his goal to apply any logical thought to the situation. He struggled, yes, but only with the goal of reaching out toward his brother on the floor and not for his own life.
Sacha pulled tighter, emboldened by Giuseppe’s lack of focus. He was determined to end this here and now. As he felt Giuseppe’s pulse speed and the red of the man’s blood on his hands, he involuntarily imagined the fear and pain Giana had experienced with this monster on top of her; inside here. Then Sacha screamed and pulled as hard as he could.
For an astonishingly long moment, Giuseppe continued to froth and rage, his body so fueled by adrenaline it seemed nothing would stop him. As Sacha screamed, Giuseppe also let out one last defiant roar, but it was abruptly cut off with a visceral crunching sound. The disgraced prince’s body went slack, and Sacha’s bindings felt a bit looser with the flesh and bone of Giuseppe’s neck having forced them apart. The ship shook again.
As the two men screamed, Paolo involuntarily joined them, his face scrunching into one of physical and emotional agony. He had just witnessed death for the first time as it took over the slackening body of his brother. None of Paolo’s pain was for him.
The two of them laid there, Sacha grunting victoriously, Paolo holding back tears, until the door to the room burst open and Imperial Marines moved in, phasers raised. Seeing the scene before them, they went to the three of them.
“Lee to Imperator. We’ve got them. Both the Crown Prince and Major Lavigne are injured. Giuseppe is dead.”
“Transport them all to your sickbay - Giuseppe included and get your men back here.” Giana’s voice replied over the commline. Paolo, Sacha, Jessica and Antonio had all been secured now and she even had the bonus of her older brother’s body to toss at his father’s feet.
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ISS Imperator: Bridge
On the bridge of the Imperator, Giana’s expression darkened. “Destroy his ship once our men have returned.”
“Ma’am?” Akamu said, looking back at the younger woman, looking like a Goddess seated in the golden throne. “If we inform them the Prince is dead, they would likely signal a general surrender and the battle would be won. At this point, it would be an execution, not a fight.”
“Transport complete.” Came a voice from the operations pit nearby. “The doctors indicate the Crown Prince and the Major are stable and conscious, though they both have superficial injuries. Princess Jessica and Grand Duke Antonio are safely aboard as well.”
“Destroy his ship.” Giana repeated. Her voice wasn’t cold, but there was a grave determination within it. “It is one thing for it to be said the prince is dead but another to see with their own eyes his ship shattered. Once it is done, signal to their fleet that they are to surrender unconditionally.”
“Yes, Highness.” He said with a grave frown. He understood what she was going for in this, and was determined to follow her orders. In the back of his mind, however, he wondered what might happen when her father woke.
The weapons of the Imperator lashed out furiously with beams, blasts, and bursts smashing against Giuseppe’s ship in a hazy flash of impressive energy. Truly, she was the cornerstone of modern Imperial technology, and anyone could see why the ship was a prize.
Within seconds, the shields were down and the ship began to crack open like an egg, fire and bodies spraying out into the void of space.
“All ships and all military installations, hear this.” Akamu said, his martial voice ringing over the air, “Prince Giuseppe is dead. This battle is over. The Princess Regent, Giana, requires your immediate and unconditional surrender.”
Giana remained seated where she was, her expression one of focus and her body held with the slightest amount of tension. The air was heavy with suspense; would they continue to fight or would they surrender? Finally, a chime sounded and another voice from the operations pit spoke up.
“Enemy fleet acknowledges and is standing down.”
“Confirmed.” Said another.
Giana’s shoulders lowered just slightly. “Colonel, come here.”
David relayed an order to his XO quickly before turning and walking down the catwalk back toward Giana. He stopped in front of the throne and nodded reverently.
“Ma’am. We got them.”
“Yes…” Giana nodded but didn’t seem enthusiastic at all. Her blue eyes moved up to the man’s face as if she were studying him.
“What happens now, Colonel?” She asked, her voice quiet enough that only he and the guards standing at her side could hear. “I would think it necessary to take control of Giuseppe’s ships ourselves and incarcerate the rest of his supporters. Do we have the ability to do that? Is that… what should be done?”
“By the book, ma’am?” He asked, rhetorically, his strong jaw rotating as he contemplated the next few days, weeks, and months. “Every one of the people in this group is entitled to a trial before a military tribunal. They can be gathered on ships and ferried back to Terran, but considering how large the group of rebels is, more than 680 thousand souls, it’s fair to say we would need several trips.”
He considered it, scrunching his face slightly as he meditated on the logistics for a space of time before continuing.
“The senior officers; the Grand Admiral along with his other military flag officers, and the senior civil servants might be best taken back. After all, this was the end of a war and you would qualify for a Triumph.”
The words he spoke had a special meaning, and the Empire hadn’t seen a Triumph since Hoshi III in 2256. The ceremony, the height of military honors, harkened back to the Roman Republic. A General who had won an important war was granted the right to a grand parade where their soldiers marched, sang songs of them, and displayed images of their victory. Festivities would continue throughout the Empire for the next week, all in honor of the conquering General. Unlike in Ancient Rome, the parade took place in space as well as on land.
“They could legally be sacrificed before the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. A fitting end. For the rest..the trials would take months. Hopefully it will be resolved before the new year. Of course, his Majesty may favor clemency when he wakes up, and prefer a deal which allows these soldiers to return to their duties forgiven.”
“Oh yes, I’m sure that is exactly what the people would want… to see Princess Gigi rolling around in a chariot in the middle of a military parade.” Giana’s voice was dripping in sarcasm, but there was no venom behind it directed at Akamu. Sighing, she shook her head.
“I don’t know what my father would do, truthfully. He’s shown little remorse in killing those who would oppose him in the past, but he has also shown mercy; I’m sure he has his reasons for all of it, or maybe he’s just mercurial. He’d never share something like that with me.” She shrugged then and a small, strangely disappointed smile appeared on her face.
“I do know whatever I choose will be wrong in his eyes though.” Was she baring too much to Akamu? Probably. Who else did she have to share these burdens with though? “What do you think would be best for the spirits of your men and Terrans all?”
He listened without interrupting, seeming completely unbothered by what she was saying. They were the Imperial Guard, and they knew more than most how human royals were. He saw the daughter underneath the Princess, and he didn’t get this job because of his indifference about their system of government. In his own small way, he loved her, because she represented everything he believed in.
“The people need Justice, and they need to see the authority of the State restored.” He said with tension in his brow. “Lengthy trials make people doubt the resolve of those in command. If I were you, ma’am, I might look for a speedier conclusion.”
Giana listened with seeming interest and as she sat there, turned her hands over so her palms were up.
“Death to some, mercy for most.” She said, opening the palm of her right hand and looking into it. “Or death to all.” Her eyes moved to her left hand which closed into a fist.
“Gather the leaders of Giuseppe’s forces; anyone above the rank of Lieutenant and the civil servants.” She paused and considered a moment, then seemed to decide against whatever she had been about to say with a small shake of her head. “Do we have facilities to hold them here safely?”
“Yes, ma’am. It will be in relatively luxury though. On this ship, that can’t be avoided with few exceptions.” he said with a nod. He was curious what she was planning, but decided against asking. “I can relay your orders to the military and have them gathered. And..the rest of them, ma’am?”
“Fine as long as they can be held safely.” She gave a slight wave of her hand and moved to stand. She had been sitting there for hours now and her body protested, but she didn’t betray that on her face. “I haven’t decided yet. Six hundred and eighty thousand souls… that isn’t a decision I can make on a whim.”
She could, of course, but she wanted time to consider the right decision to make for the good of the Empire. “Have all of their ships' shields and weapons disabled. If any resistance is given, kill those who do.”
Akamu confirmed he’d heard her orders, and then turned to carry them out. The operation of shutting down those ships and gathering the personnel she had commanded him to gather would take hours. As he and the crew of Imperator leaned on the Leyton and his Fleet, a hundred internal squabbles would take place. But, eventually, the job would be done.
Giana stood then and spoke, her voice carrying but not directed at anyone in particular. “I have some other business to attend to now. If there is anything that requires my immediate attention, you may have one of my attendants contact me.”
Without waiting for a response, Giana turned with her guards and headed to the turbolift. She should have felt happy, but still she felt nothing.
END
