As Mike listened to them talk, it dawned on him that their plan ignored a vital component. He waited, sure it would come up, but it did not. As the meeting wound down and chairs scraped back preparatory to everyone leaving, he held up a hand.
“Wait. We’re not done.”
He looked to each of them as he considered his next words. Reba nodded encouragement, knowing his concern. Val looked worried, clearly understanding that Chandrajuski’s plan was flawed, but he had no solution to the flaw. Jeffers raised an eyebrow to his First Knight and waited for him to speak. Mike’s gaze ended up on Chandrajuski, a creature he barely knew. The wise old eyes of the Gamordian that so reminded Mike of Albert Einstein stared back at him, expectant and patient. Mike studied those eyes, wondering what was going through the Admiral’s mind.
There was no question in Mike’s mind that, with Chandrajuski aboard, his own responsibilities, the responsibilities of the Queen’s First Knight, were changed. Not diminished, just changed. The rebuilding of Empire military forces would be accomplished by Chandrajuski, and Mike had no doubt that the job was in good hands. His own responsibility in that regard had metamorphosed to one of oversight. Chandrajuski’s presence did not push him to the sidelines – there were no sidelines for the First Knight. Instead, he was free to focus in other directions, and his immediate focus was on the big picture: what good were Chandrajuski’s forces going to be against the Chessori mind weapon?
“Your plan is exactly what the Queen had in mind, Admiral, and I hope you can pull it off. She believes that you can.”
“You don’t?”
“I do, so far as it goes.”
“It’s already well underway.”
“It is?”
Chandrajuski considered him for a time. He knew almost nothing about the new Queen’s First Knight, but after what Mike had done to save her, he held no doubts concerning his loyalty.
“I have not revealed every detail of my plan, to you or to Captain Jeffers.” His gaze went to Jeffers. “There was too much risk in informing you, my friend.”
Jeffers nodded, and Chandrajuski’s steady gaze moved to Val. “I told you in our first meeting that your sister was out on assignment. I did not tell you what that assignment was.”
Val nodded grimly, and Chandrajuski’s head swung back to Mike.
“The Queen’s Seer revealed to me that one Chosen still lived after the Rebel strike on the Palace. She had no idea where Daughter was, but she knew that Daughter lived. That was enough for me to act. She is on a mission to inform certain other individuals that the Empire is not dead. Sire, if she is successful, a limited number of senior military leaders are, even now, awaiting word from the Queen.”
Chandrajuski paused, then added, “There’s more. These leaders have been instructed to hold as long as they can. When holding becomes untenable, they are to retreat with as many forces as they can muster and wait for further instructions.”
Mike stared at Chandrajuski in awe, his mind attempting to grasp the concept of serious military forces already at the beck and call of the Queen. For so long they had been just one ship, then a few more damaged ships from Admiral Jon’s squadron. Suddenly, there might be fleets in the wings just waiting to be commanded.
“A masterful stroke, Admiral. The Queen chose well in you.”
“Perhaps. I have heard nothing back from the Queen’s Seer. I have no idea if she has been successful or not.”
“Do the Rebels know of this plan?”
“They don’t from me. During my incarceration, I was subjected to questioning under the influence of certain drugs that force truth, but these drugs do not make one forget the questions.” His mouth opened to display many tiny, wickedly sharp teeth, and Mike leaned away from him, suddenly reminded that this creature was a warrior.
The mouth closed abruptly. “Sorry, First Knight. I did not mean to frighten you. It is my equivalent of your smile.”
“And what is there to smile about?”
“They failed to ask the right questions, Sire.” Again, the mouth opened, and Mike recognized the smile this time.
“They might not have learned about it from you, sir,” Val said softly, “but there are others.”
“Too true, Sire. Krys is as frightened as she is determined. I believe that, in her own mind, she has accepted the same call to duty that you did as a child when you saved Daughter from assassination.”
Val’s look of horror was not lost on Chandrajuski.
“We covered her tracks thoroughly on Centauri III. She has a civilian ship with a number of military upgrades, and she has a military crew. Her captain is a Rress, and her pilot is a Schect.”
Val nodded grimly. “Not all her contacts will be successful. Her purpose will become known.”
“It will, Sire. Let us hope it is not too soon. Her contacts were carefully chosen.”
“Admiral,” Mike said, “you’ve been held prisoner and might not be aware of all the issues. Our concern is not just the Rebels. They have partnered with the Chessori.”
Chandrajuski’s eyes blinked, then blinked again. “You’re certain of this, Sire?”
“Pretty certain, and the consequences are staggering. Only one ship survived Daughter’s treaty mission to the Chessori, one ship out of two squadrons. As well, the Rebels, with the help of the Chessori, nearly took Resolve on Earth and again in space on a number of occasions. A limited number of Chessori observers took over Val’s squadron from within, allowing Rebels to take command. I was mortally wounded by a Chessori aboard that ship, surviving only because of my Rider. The Chessori were moments away from killing the Queen in your home when Reba and I gunned them down, and you personally experienced the effect of their mind weapon, even if it was only for a few moments.
“According to Jessie, the Chessori mind weapon was the cause of the lone gleason escaping the Great Cats outside your home, giving it the opportunity to mortally wound the Queen.
“In hindsight, we should have known better than to let the Queen come to Centauri III at all, not so much because of the Rebels, but because we failed to factor the Chessori into the equation.”
Chandrajuski’s gaze remained on him, but Mike sensed that he was not the focus of Chandrajuski’s thoughts. Wheels were turning within that great mind.
When he sensed those wise eyes focused on him again, Mike said softly, “The Chessori are out to get the Queen, and they’ve come within a hair’s breadth of succeeding on too many occasions. Furthermore, they’ve partnered with the Rebels. In every case, so far as I know, everyone but Reba and I, and to some extent the Great Cats, are completely powerless against this mind weapon.”
Chandrajuski backed away from the table and turned sideways to them, a long, delicate leg moving gracefully, then freezing in position while another leg moved, one after another, the pattern repeating itself. He stared at the far end of the room, then swung his long neck back toward Mike. “That explains what happened to the ships I sent to Dorwall to rescue Daughter.”
“You tried to rescue her? How did you know?”
“Krys knew. She accompanied the rescue party and was the sole survivor. She returned with an unbelievable story of a small number of Chessori ships destroying my three squadrons with barely a shot fired. I considered it an exterior threat, and my focus remained on the internal issues of trying to hold the Empire together. I see now that I was short-sighted.”
“She was there?” Val asked in alarm.
“She was. She observed events from afar, from aboard a small fighter. It was the only ship to return.” He moved back to the table, his eyes on Jeffers. “What do you know of these Chessori?”
“Chessori traders show up from time to time, as they have been doing for a long time. Their presence has increased since the coup, but I paid them no mind. To the best of my knowledge, they’re just trading.”
“There were three Chessori with Admiral Vorst,” Mike corrected him.
Jeffers’ lips compressed. “They’re our enemy, and I paid them no heed. I’m sorry, Sire.”
“There’s no fault here, but you’re right: they’re our enemy just as much as the Rebels are our enemy. And if they were invisible to you, they’re probably invisible to any other forces you’ve cobbled together.”
