To See the Red Blood Flow

Posted on Fri Nov 3rd, 2023 @ 12:03am by Duchess Aurelia Orsini & Emperor Antonius VI

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: The Pyramid
Timeline: Date 2371-09-02 at 1030
3483 words - 7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON


Two weeks had flown by in the hustle of the war and Giuseppe’s coup. The royals had been made to stay in the Pyramid for three days until there was reasonable certainty their normal details could protect them with additional resources. Antonius had then let them go home to their various residences and to relatively normal lives. He, on the other hand, kept his core family close, and had demanded that they return to the Pyramid to live until further notice. Though they could leave and come back as they pleased, he was keeping a particularly close eye on Giana and Sacha, two young people with a rebellious streak he was finding particularly unendearing.

The Secretariat Room was still being treated as a makeshift command center where he could coordinate every arm of the crisis, so it was always active except during the hours when people went home or to their offices to get sleep. The pace of work had relaxed considerably and now their hours had become sustainable for another few weeks. They were still very busy, and his Secretaries, Ministers, and other agents were missing their children’s baseball games and skipping important family events. All of this weighed on him, but none of it more than the hardheaded mess of his adult children.

Giuseppe was a traitor who was trying to kill his family and take the throne for himself by force; Giana was a volatile runaway who's moods were unpredictable; Elana had requested out of the political core of the family into-which she had been invited and now took in residence in the Martian Compound to be closer to her new boyfriend; even Paolo had been a handful, quietly doubting all his most important decisions. Was he a cursed man? Did he deserve this?

The herald went before him, walking along the wood-laden corridor which ended in the brightly sunny Secretariat Room.

“The Emperor Approaches!” He said to silence the room, as he said every morning when Antonius made his way into the lion’s den. Silence fell quickly upon the gathered officials and those who were sitting stood. When the old Emperor strode into the room wearing a blue button-up, and a gray suit with no tie, they nodded respectfully.

“Long Live the Empire.” He said somewhat lazily as he made his way to his chair, and the throng responded in kind. When he sad down, others did too, but all eyes and ears remained with him. “Let’s hear it.”

With the squeaking of a chair, the lanky figure directly to the left of the Emperor angled himself toward Antonius more directly. Above any other man, Richard Ramsay could be considered his best friend. They had been coworkers in governing the Empire for years, and before that, he had always been Antonius’ man on the inside in government. Now they faced their greatest trail, and the graying man looked both tired and resolute. He pushed a report toward Antonius.

“I’ll start with finance. The markets are finally stabilizing a bit, as you can see, but people are still a bit skittish considering the political realities of our situation. Honestly, you can’t blame a man for pinching a penny during two concurrent wars. The Central Bank is considering recommending lowering the interest rate in order to stimulate growth.”

“And what do we think about that?” Antonius asked Richard who, in turn, looked toward Contessa Pennington, the Imperial Treasurer dressed with unusual modesty in a dark blue shirt dress. The woman was full of a regal energy, as always, and was taking her own weariness in stride.

“I think they should stop thinking about recommending it and recommend it.” she said, her eyes peering at the Emperor pointedly. “A bit of a scare is nothing to worry about in the long run, but we want to encourage people to continue business as usual so we don’t stagnate.”

“The trade negotiations with the Ferengi are going well as a result of how much closer our borders and ships are with theirs. They are not, however, feeling confident about our political situation and are concerned about a potential change in leadership.”. Richard continued without waiting for additional conversation on the topic. He liked to keep things moving, especially considering how much they had all been seeing of each other the past weeks.

“They think my son might win and they might have better luck negotiating with them.” Antonius said with a slight grin.

“I’d say that’s an accurate assessment, sir.” said Tom O’Hara, the Foreign Secretary looking smart in a blue suit with a matching tie. “They’re trying to use it to drive down the price of our goods. It’s a sneaky trick, nothing more.”

“Send them a herald.” Antonius said, looking at Tom, “a member of the Senate. Make sure they are properly educated on the insistent, entitled, and indignant attitude expected of a direct representative of the Terran Emperor. If they won’t bend at that, then we will play dirty as well. “And Tessa,” he said, turning back to the Treasurer, “the Bank has my blessing to lower the rate. Just be reasonable and make sure they don’t go too far. I would like our currency to have some value when this is all done.”

“On the subject of defense and procurement, the Fleetyards Directorate reports completion of ship frames of 104 warships. The rest of the ships are being built in modules at planet-side installations. Duchess Aurelia’s model is expected to speed up the process and make the most use of our resources. Defense is asking for a budget increase to feed the massive number of Klingon and Cardassian slaves being used.” Richard said, turning his eyes to Malik Ansley and Duchess Aurelia who had been asked to attend the briefing.

Aurelia stood with the poise and grace befitting her bloodline. A small, pleasant smile rested on her beautiful face and she nodded respectfully to Richard. She was of course dressed modestly but fashionably in a dark red sheath dress with an asymmetrical neckline that added interest and was accented with a shining gold band belt inlaid with filigree that surrounded the Imperial Seal in the middle. She had the right to wear such a thing and did so from time to time; she was proud of the line she came from and made a point to show it though not necessarily to lord it over those who would be lesser.

“The first fifty ships of our fleet expansion are set to be completed ahead of schedule in approximately a month’s time if our slave labor force remains intact. Basic nutritional supplements are all that is required for them to be properly cared for in relation to their life expectancies with the work they have been tasked. Incentive programs have been well received and quality of work is impeccable; I am determined to keep it that way. Mr. Ansley and I have also drafted a proposal to double our current number of construction shipyards to further heighten productivity and more evenly distribute the burden. Their locations have been strategically chosen for both that reason and to better serve our active fleet.”

Her eyes moved to Ansley as he stood to continue his side of things.

Malik stood easily, standing tall and proud though never arrogant. He had his reservations to begin with about the Duchess and her capabilities to perform the task the Emperor had laid on her shoulders, but he had been quite pleasantly surprised. She was quite suited to the role and had been willing to work with him and the military both. It was proving to be a fruitful choice the Emperor had made to trust his lost cousin with such a task. He gave a respectful nod to her and then looked forward toward Antonius and Richard. He tapped the panel in front of him and a holographic representation of the Terran and surrounding sectors appeared.

“We are proposing the restoration of the Luna and Daran V Fleetyards as well as the re-establishment of Terran presence on the Beta Antares Shipyards.” As he spoke, each location lit up in green while their current shipyards were represented in yellow. “As the Duchess indicated, a redistribution of resources and priorities will enhance productivity of construction as well as expediency of repairs to the fleet fighting on the front lines.”

Over the map appeared a list of their current functioning shipyards as well as numbers indicating their current construction and repair outputs. “These are the current output statistics of our shipyards.”

He paused and a second list appeared next to the first, longer and with a different distribution of statistics.

“Here are the new statistics should the proposal be approved.” Aurelia chimed in again with a smile.

“Quite a sizable increase.” Richard said, watching the display without surprise as he looked down at the report which had been put in government boxes several days before. “Have you had the occasion to consider this plan, Your Majesty?”

“I have.” Antonius said, not looking down at his notes, but instead offering an amiable smile to his cousin. She had successfully entered her role and hadn’t resorted to the dick measuring contests which tended to exist between independent agencies and the Secretariat. The Civil Service was a massive, spire-spanning organization with several independent branches such as the Fleetyards Directorate and the agencies of the security apparatus. They didn’t always play nicely with each other, and they certainly didn’t always play nicely with the regular departments.

“I think this plan will make the Empire stronger and more combat ready, especially considering the strains on our stability. I will sign the degree today.”

Both Aurelia and Malik nodded at Antonius’ approval and resumed their seats. It was short and to the point, there was no need for anything else to be said.

Ramsay listened intently, and when the back and forth between the emperor and the other two had concluded, he spoke up again.

“As far as background concerns like the famine on B’Saari II, the epidemic on Mazar, education integration, and dilithium mining, you’ll find that in your report to peruse at your leisure.”

Antonius nodded, and pushed the Secretariat report aside. Those things, though important, were certainly not at the forefront of his mind and could wait until this meeting was concluded. As Richard nodded at the next reporter, the Emperor’s tension mounted.

Nolan Nazar was in his typical pin-stripe suit and red tie. Leaning back in his chair, he seemed somehow more intense and still more at ease than everyone else in the room. He was unreadable as usual, and his attention drifted from the tablet in front of him to the eyes of the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, the Imperial Intelligence Service has confirmed that Giuseppe Angelo and his cabal are putting down roots on Axanar. Our initial hypothesis was that they were simply passing through, trying to stay mobile to prevent blockade or battle. Instead, they have exiled the Lords of Axanar who refused to join them; almost all of them, it seems, and though they’re having a difficult time establishing governance over the world, they have sufficient military might to hold it and more if we allow them to.”

“Then what are we doing to remove them?” Antonius asked, putting a stylus to his lips and tapping his fingers on the table impatiently.

“Unless you’re willing to consider more covert solutions-”

“I am not. No one is to kill my son outside of due process.” Antonius said, raising his voice at the old master spy. “I have been crystal clear on that. Do not mention it to me again.”

As Nolan blinked ever-so-slightly and returned to his previous statement, Paolo’s eyes drifted to his father. Saying that he found this irritating would have been an understatement. He knew enough to keep his mouth shut, however, and drew his attention back to Nolan.

“Of course, sir. Forgive me.” he said dryly. “If not that, then the solution lies with the military and overwhelming force. We don’t fight, sir. We are designed for surgery.”

“More than half of our Home Fleet has joined Giuseppe’s side.” Grand Admiral Janeway said, twirling her own stylus in the air. “I believe the rest have been deemed loyal. We can spare them and several ships from the 3rd Fleet which is on cleanup duty to our east. We could blockade Axanar and proceed from there.”

“Who would you recommend to command this Task Force?” Malik asked in his notable and profound voice.

“Admiral Leyton has remained on our side and I think he’s confirmed his worthiness as Home Fleet Commander. I would suggest we send him.” Janeway said in a conversational tone.

“Do it.” Antonius said, and then turned to the Director of the Internal Security Service. He would be next.

Silas stood and bowed his head respectfully before he spoke, “The ISS has been conducting mass interrogations over the past two weeks of anyone who has been found connected to even the lowest who are a part of Giuseppe’s rebellion. Anything of substance is being shared with Intelligence; reports have been submitted daily on progress. In addition we have enforced a lockdown of both Terra and Luna preventing any unauthorized travel on or off either destination.”

“We have also been complying with the Compliance Authority.” His report was short, though that didn’t necessarily come as a surprise in this particular situation. His ability to do his work had been crippled and purloined by the Compliance Authority. ISS was spending more time being obstructed than getting anything done. He would see this mess to its end, but Silas was rather sure of his resignation after the fact. His tired eyes moved over to Annika.

As everyone there knew, the Compliance Authority was an anti-corruption organization which had been tasked with policing the organs of the Empire. The CA didn’t do its policing among the average citizens of the Empire, but instead directed their attention to the Senate, the military, the intelligence community, the propaganda apparatus, and state-run corporations. They were the investigators of the investigators and the police of the police. A system that seemed bureaucratic and inefficient prevented all but the most productive kind of corruption.

Annika Hansen stood, her notable shapely figure filling out her white blouse and powder-blue pants-suit. Her short blonde hair brought out a subtle bugginess in her face, one that rarely indicated emotion beyond subtle hints. She was feared not because she was one of the most dangerous people in the government, since the CA never killed, but rather because she had more power than most others to ruin careers with firings and prison sentences.

“Your Majesty, we have a tried and tested method of ensuring the loyalty of government officials, and we have applied that method consistently on military officials of officer rank. I can confidently say there aren’t any likely double agents among them. The enlisted officials remain a mystery, however, as their numbers prevent an efficient search.” Annika said. “Our investigation met some serious roadblocks in the Imperial Intelligence Service as many of their operations are so highly classified that relevant documents are too heavily redacted to be useful. I invoked Empress Hoshi II’s decree “Secreta Civitatis”, which gives officials level three and up access to select documents related to their purview. I’m fairly confident I have enough information to complete our process.”

“The results will be highly classified as well, is that correct?” Nolan Nazar asked with a slight lift of his eyebrow. “A leak of classified names, operatives, or projects would be absolutely unacceptable.”

“Of course, Director Nazar.” Annika said with an unadorned tone. “Your secrets will be respected as the law demands.”

While the invocation of the decree wasn’t overly surprising, it had left more than a few brows raised with concern of what other decrees of the past might surface in uncertain times.

Following Annika’s report, Antonius concluded the meeting and the rest of the table stood up. While some of them left, others went to desks which had been set aside in the room or stopped to talk to each other. Antonius, on the other hand, simply pulled the reports to him and went through them with a quiet interest. Paolo stood and left the room, planning to tend to his own government boxes in private. All was relatively quiet in the room for the next several minutes as some reports and documents were exchanged.

The door opened at the back of the room as it did so often and a half-Trill marine sergeant walked down the stairs of the gallery with a government tablet in his hands. When he got to the floor, he walked around a crowd of officials and broke protocol, approaching the Emperor directly rather than handing his message to an aide. This drew the eye of several people, including a few guards. They stepped forward but hesitated, seeing that he was only sliding a tablet onto the table.

“I have a message, Your Majesty, from your son.” he said in a low voice so that only those who were nearby could hear him.

Antonius turned from his own work and looked at the marine, at his tablet, and then back.

“Why would Paolo send you as a messenger?” he asked with an annoyed curiosity in his voice as he reached for the device.

“Not that son, sir.” the marine said, and as Antonius’ face shifted to one of even greater confusion, he reached into his waistband and pulled a shining dagger. With a grunt, he surged forward and plunged the metal into the stomach of the Emperor. As Antonius gasped and the rest of the room took notice. He pulled it out and plunged it in again several times. The violent display ended as the Imperial Guards reached him and yanked him off of the Emperor. As they tackled him, and started savagely beating him, Antonius collapsed to his knees alone and then fell in a massive pool of his own blood. There was one scream and then a series of others as people surged forward toward him.

“Stand back, people! Stand back!” Richard Ramsay bellowed, moving forward himself. “Gods, My GODS, SOMEBODY GET A DAMN DOCTOR IN HERE!”

Despite Ramsay’s insistence on everyone staying back, Aurelia moved forward toward Antonius and appeared beside herself with shock and fear. The guards were still too busy dealing with the assailant to stop her, so she collapsed to her knees next to him and tried to staunch the blood flow with her hands. “Gods… please…”

Colleen stood, a deep scowl on her attractive face, and turned toward the unoccupied guards who were too dumbstruck to do anything. She snapped at them to get their attention from where she was. “Secure the family. Now. Get Princess Giana back to the Pyramid immediately.”

The guards were shaken from their stupor by Colleen’s command. Though she had little authority to tell them what to do, it served as a reminder of their duty which was much needed. They sprung into action, turning on their heels and radioing out. Within the next few seconds, the family would be swept back to the Pyramid by Imperial Guardsmen, very much against their will.

Aurelia remained with Antonius on the floor, her hands and dress covered in his blood which she did her very best to staunch the flow as best she could. It was only when the medical personnel came rushing in did she finally move away and back onto her feet. She looked distraught though wasn’t crying actual tears. Her eyes found Richard, bearing a thousand questions in her gaze.

“He’s still with us.” Ramsay said, answering the questions before they could even be asked. “Which means we just need to do our best to maintain the status quo while we get him help.”

“How did this happen?” She questioned though it was aimed at no one in particular. She watched as Antonius was transported away to be treated, and then looked back to Richard. “What can I do?”

“His contingency plans…” he started to respond, but paused when he noticed his hands were shaking, “they’re in his office in the safe on the wall behind his portrait. It will tell us what he wants done in the case of his incapacitation. Get it and bring it here.”

Aurelia nodded, her eyes going to his hands but she didn’t point it out. Instead she quickly swept out of the room to do as she had been asked while her mind continued to race over the implications of what had just happened.

END