“I don’t recognize either of you. Where did you get that Nexus uniform, woman?”
“On Neu Schweitz, in the capitol distribution center,” she replied smartly.
That caused the man to blink in confusion. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be placed under arrest. Entering this region without proper-”
“That will be quite enough,” Aldo said. The man had been reaching for his sidearm, but he found the tip of Aldo’s sword under his nose before he could draw it from its holster.
The man sputtered, but Aldo tsked at him. “You are now our guide. Please turn around, and take us to your commanding officer.”
As they walked, the man became increasingly concerned. “Are you really from Neu Schweitz?”
“We said as much.”
“Then-is this about the coming ship?”
“Naturally.”
“Why would you choose such an approach?”
“I don’t like standing in lines.”
“If you are who you say you are, you should have been taken into the graces of the lords and escorted to the lords’ entrance.”
Aldo and Joelle exchanged glances. “Perhaps we made an error. We attempted the commoners’ entrance-is that the case?”
The man seemed relieved. “Yes. That must be it. You behave like a lord and handle that sword like one- perhaps things are different on Neu Schweitz.”
“Bureaucracies are everywhere. Perhaps you would like to examine our documentation.”
They produced their IDs and the Captain scanned them. He seemed relieved at the results. Without further comment, he led them to an ornate door of blond wood spotted with dark, circular knots. He threw it open, and Aldo stepped inside.
A group of three Nexus officers stood around a computer tableau depicting the star system. The oldest sat behind the desk with a large tureen of soup resting on the screen. The red glow of their sun glimmered from beneath the dish, and a few oily drops of soup had stained the table like tiny moons nearby.
The three officers halted their discussion as Aldo swept inside. “Gentlemen,” Aldo said, “I’ve come from the Nexus to review the defensive situation here, and to offer firsthand advice on defeating this enemy.”
There was a period of confusion, but soon the Nexus people were convinced they should listen to him. They heard out his thoughts about the enemy strength and resiliency, but dismissed them.
The old man behind the desk stopped eating his soup at last and waved away Aldo’s concerns. They’d learned he was Vice Admiral Gaffe, an aging but firm commander.
“We are talking about a single large cargo vessel, Mr. Moreno. Gladius has been here before, we have every inch of the ship mapped out. As she enters the system, a force of thirty patrol boats will be on hand to meet her. The matter will be quickly settled. A few disabling shots will be required, and we doubt the crew has survived. But destroying the ship without dire need is out of the question, she is irreplaceable.”
Aldo and Joelle exchanged glances. Aldo drew in a deep breath, before launching into a lecture concerning the alien behaviors and capabilities. Why was it human beings did not do well when meeting forces outside their experience? He imagined it had always been so. When Europeans had arrived at the Americas, no doubt the village hetmen of the native peoples had assured their wives they would go out and clear the beach of the invaders in the morning, promising to employ their Stone Age weaponry to good effect.
“This is precisely why the Nexus government sent us out here. What is it you did not understand about my explanation of our experiences? Gladius sent out an assault ship, which overtook our vessel and boarded her. Clearly, the aliens have built supporting craft. Do you have the records from our own ship available?”
Frowning, the Nexus officials accessed the information with difficulty. There were many menus to traverse, and queries made. Finally, vid data was available. External shots of the invasion ship were displayed for them all to marvel at.
“An unusual design. The whole ship looks like a buddle-nut. Are those veins on the hull?”
“Probably,” Aldo said. “The aliens use organic technology as deftly as we machine our spacecraft. This ship looks like a hybrid of the two designs.”
Aldo played several vids of the crew being eviscerated. The officers still were not terribly impressed.
“Certainly, they are superior when in close. But space is very big. All we have to do is keep them at a distance.”
Aldo stared at the men in turn. “And what if you fail to do so? What if they get down here, onto the surface of Ignis Glace? What is your backup plan, sirs, if that situation arises?”
They glanced at one another uneasily. “We have no forces to speak of on the planet.”
“How then, is order maintained?”
The Vice Admiral shrugged. “The people here live in independent organizations. They maintain private armies. All ground defense is localized. There is no real central government, other than their ruling Council of Lords.”
“Ah,” said Aldo, “I’ve met Duchess Embrak.”
The Vice Admiral winced at the mention of her name. “She is the most powerful member of that organization.”
“Who runs their military arm?”
The Vice Admiral threw up his hands. “They have a warden of sorts now, she’s been designated the commander of a small army. But her forces have the purpose of putting down a mech rebellion that’s been troubling people near Sunside. There is no central military authority.”
“And who is this warden?”
“Baroness Nina Droad.”
“Ah,” said Aldo, nodding.
“You know of her?”
“Indeed he does,” said Joelle sarcastically.
Aldo ignored the comment. Instead, he tugged at his mustache and weighed his options.
Eighteen
Nina Droad left Aldo’s hotel room and returned to her own. She wondered, with every step she took, what had come over her. She was not normally a woman who slept with men she had only just met. In fact, she generally slept alone. But something about Aldo had fascinated her. Unfortunately, she suspected he had fascinated dozens like her before. Perhaps hundreds.
Wondering about herself and Aldo, she dressed in her normal riding garb, strapped her twin swords at her sides, and headed down the street to meet old Hans at a cafe. They’d arranged the meeting days earlier. She’d given her mounted escort of knights the rest of the ten-day off, and they’d dispersed to enjoy the sights of Lavender City.
Hans was late, but when he arrived, he appeared uncharacteristically distraught. “Milady, have you been out of contact?”
“Yes, I suppose I have,” Nina admitted. She’d turned off her com-link for ninth-day, not wanting to be disturbed. “What’s the matter?”
“The mechs, madam. They’ve been seen entering Twilight not far from here. They march while we dally here in this somber canyon.”
Nina jumped to her feet. She did not apologize to Hans, it would be unseemly to do so. “Summon my riders. We must take the field.”
“Should I call for air support?”
“No. We will handle this. It is our charge to do so. No one else is to get the credit for stopping this assault.”
Hans looked doubtful, but he did as she asked. His wrinkled hands were soon tapping at his com-link.
