The Shattered Empire (The Shadow Space Chronicles Book 2) (49 page)

Lucius's first thought was that the ship had come out of shadow space dangerously close, but there were none of the indicators, no energy discharge and certainly no emission burst.  For that matter, as close as it was, if it had come out of shadow space it probably would have caused damage to the station in it's emergence.  Instead it was as if the ship had simply appeared.

And it was a ship, Lucius saw, as sensors from the station and in orbit over Faraday started to report.  A massive ship, so close that it blotted out a vast swath of their sensors on that side of the station.

“Attention, Skydock Station,” a cultured, pleasant voice said.  “This is the warship
Baramis
.  We have come here with peaceful intentions and merely wish to talk.”

Lucius moved over to the communications station.  He could hear frantic chatter on the Nova Roma net, but the lack of hostile action and the ship's proximity to the station prevented them from firing.  “Attention,
Baramis,
this is Baron Lucius Giovanni.  You picked an odd way to introduce yourself if you have peaceful intentions.”

“Well,” the voice responded, “I wanted to let you know how important it is for me to speak with you and I wanted you to take me seriously.  I think this avoids the whole debate over finding time in schedules, don't you think?”  There was an edge of good humor in the voice, one that Lucius couldn't help but smile at. 
Likable bastard, whoever he is,
Lucius thought.

“I suppose,” Lucius said.  “Who are you and how did you penetrate our security?”

“As for the latter, my ship possesses a very advanced cloaking system, a benefit for slipping through defenses unknown.  For the former... I am Shadow Lord Invictus.”

“I see,” Lucius said.  He closed his eyes, “Well, I suppose I should clear some time to meet with you directly.  Would this evening work?”  Two of the three Shadow Lords who had leveraged Emperor Romulus I were involved here at Faraday now.  Lucius wasn't sure why... but he knew that he needed to know more.

“Absolutely,” Invictus said.  “That would be fine.  You are more than welcome to come aboard, with whatever escort you feel appropriate. You and your escort will be honored guests and I assure you that no harm shall come to you.”

“Thank you,” Lucius said, even as he wondered how much he could trust the psychic. 
Kandergain said that their word is law,
Lucius thought,
but would they keep it to a non-psychic?
  He turned to the communications tech, “Patch me through to the planet.  I need to make a call.” He only had one real resource to call on, and he hoped that Reginald would finally provide some answers.

***

Faraday

United Colonies

October 13, 2403

Reginald took a seat across from Lucius.  His face was composed, but Lucius could see the man tap nervously at the hilt of his sword.  “You called, my Lord?”

“I need to know more about the people I'm dealing with,” Lucius said, his voice calm.  “The Centauri Confederation, I've dealt with them before, I know their motivations and can guess at their goals.  The Chxor I can handle, especially their rank and file.  The Shadow Lords...  I feel like I'm grasping in the dark.  I don't know anything beyond rumor and superstition.  I don't know their capabilities, their alliances, their motivations... I have to know what I'm dealing with to effectively fight them.”

Reginald looked away, “Baron... this is dangerous information.  I can give you some of the details you seek... but know that the Shadow Lords have killed people to keep themselves mysterious.  Half the superstitions and rumors are spread by them as disinformation.  Ignorance is as much their ally as their abilities, so they spread it where they can and enforce it where they must.”

“So tell me, starting with the ones we're dealing with,” Lucius said.  “Start with Imperious and Invictus.”  He watched the other man's face, saw the worry, yet also the determination.  This was a man who had opposed the Shadow Lords and what they stood for and had obviously paid for it.

“Very well,” Reginald said.  “There are five Shadow Lords: Sanctus, Imperious, Gargant, Invictus, and Lachesis.   You are uniquely blessed in that you have thus far dealt with four of them and survived.”  He sighed, “Imperious is generally thought to be one of the most powerful, both in psychic ability, intellect, and in ships and troops.  He is a skilled manipulator and his preferred tactics are to subvert and control potential allies until they become his subjects.  The main weakness in his people, that we've seen so far, is that they have little initiative of their own, they do what he commands them to, no more, no less.  Imperious seems driven by the idea that he, alone, should unite and rule humanity.”

“So that's probably his goal here?” Lucius asked.

“Maybe,” Reginald said.  “But he's a devious one.  He has a number of powerful followers, so his emissary here may be present to sow discord while he strikes elsewhere or just to scout out the potential weaknesses in your defense.”  Reginald grimaced, “It is not unusual for one of the Shadow Lords to have a fleet setting in shadow, ready to pounce upon a system after their scouts have finished their evaluations.”

Lucius felt his stomach clench.  That kind of assault would be almost impossible to defend against, particularly if they had real time information on their targets.  “How likely is that?”

“Well, it's difficult,” Reginald said.  “They still need supplies and fuel, just like anyone else.  Time spent in one area is time they aren't being used to enrich themselves elsewhere or at least defray the cost of operations.  I would say that the longer we go without an attack makes it more likely that they won't... except they may be gathering their forces in preparation and not have even set out yet.”

Lucius sighed.  “Very well, what about the others?”

“You've dealt with Lachesis.  She's generally considered the weakest, both in ships and troops and also psychic abilities.  She's been at a disadvantage since Invictus betrayed her thirty years back in a battle with Imperious.  Lachesis is a schemer and a manipulator.  While Imperious will try to subvert an ally's will and turn them into a tool, Lachesis will provoke allies into turning on one another and enemies into alliances to their detriment.  She makes use of assassins and turns political leaders into puppets.”  He shrugged, “She has no loyalty to anyone but herself.”

“That matches what I remember,” Lucius said.  He shivered a bit.  “Though, she said something to Kandergain, 'there's more than one Giovanni...' do you think she knew my father lived?  Do you think she might know more?”

Reginald grimaced.  “I'm not sure.  I do know that you can't trust her to tell the complete truth, not when a half-truth will do.  Like the others, she's good for her word, but she'll do her best to bend that around backwards.”

“Right,” Lucius said.  Still, he filed the knowledge that Lachesis might know more about his father... and that she somehow knew something of importance about his family.   “The others?”

“Invictus...” Reginald grimaced, “He's the most mysterious of the lot.  Everyone had him pegged as a schemer, like Lachesis, relatively weak in power and troops, yet he's been the most successful, particularly since the fall of Earth.  You've seen his flagship.  What makes him truly unique is how hands-on he has been, particularly in the past few decades.  He's almost impossible to figure out and even when it seems like we've foiled his main thrust, he has a dozen alternatives figured out.”  Reginald sighed, “He's also a likable bastard, friendly, charming, charismatic.  He uses non-psychics and psychics alike, with the only consideration being that they are loyal to him.  From what I understand, he treats them with respect and care, we've seen none of the plotting that is standard to Imperious's and Lachesis's courts, with underlings killing one another for the chance to rise a bit in status or power.”

“Sounds like an interesting fellow, for a bloodthirsty pirate,” Lucius said.

“He's the hardest to tie to anything, also.  Half the time, we only know that an attack was him because none of the other Shadow Lords knew about it.  He cultivates mystery, we don't have a good image of him and most of the audio transmissions he sends are heavily distorted.  We also suspect that he has some of his followers pretend to be him to make it harder to pin down where he actually is.  He doesn't make use of thralls, either, all his people are either intrinsically loyal or paid well enough that they might as well be.  We don't know his endgame, but I wouldn't doubt it has him in charge of things,” Reginald grimaced.

“Right, I'll keep that in mind,” Lucius said.  He tried not to think about just how close the Shadow Lord's battleship was in orbit and how easily it had penetrated their sensors. 
If he wanted,
Lucius thought,
he could have wiped out the entire planet before we even knew he was here and then escaped to shadow before we could return fire.

“Gargant and Sanctus are two of the most powerful and neither of them deal with non-psychics, though a couple of their people make use of them,” Reginald said.  “Gargant is all about brute force and raw power.  He's the largest fleet and the most numbers of troops.  We still don't know where he produces ships, but his fleet continues to expand, with classes we haven't seen anywhere else.  His flagship is an Amalgamated Worlds Ki-Lung-class super-dreadnought, the
Nebuchadnezzar,
almost as big as one of the Crusaders in the Dreyfus Fleet.”  Reginald crossed his feet as he considered his next words and Lucius could see that something about Gargant bothered him more than the others.  “He considers non-psychics as weak, inferior... barely sentient.  Psychics who don't agree with him are morally weak, unable to separate animals from people, in his mind.  I'd call him a fascist, but that doesn't really capture his mentality.”

“Psychic supremacist?” Lucius asked.

“That describes most of the Shadow Lords and their people,” Reginald said.  “No, he takes it a step further.  Non-psychics are vermin, to be used as cattle when necessary and exterminated when possible.  He seeks to prove his superiority against any challenger and he won't hesitate to throw himself, his ships, and his troops into the fray to prove it.”  Reginald met Lucius's gaze with one of sadness, “Unfortunately, he's proven himself right every time so far.”  There was some element of loss, in Reginald's words, as if he had taken some personal blow from Shadow Lord Gargant.

“And Sanctus?” Lucius asked.

“She's absolutely insane,” Reginald said sadly.  “She genuinely feels terrible about the war, bloodshed, and depravity of the others... but she manages to exceed it in every way.”  Reginald shivered a bit, “You can't reason with her.  In her mind, she is trying to save humanity from it's most dangerous scourge: free will.”

Lucius frowned, “How exactly does she intend to do that?”

“Sanctus makes heavy use of thralls, far heavier than even Gargant” Reginald said.  “Imagine, if you will, taking a person and ripping away their personality, their free will, and replacing that with a desire to do the will of their master.  Thralls aren't really human anymore.  They lack any spark or direction beyond the will of the psychics who control them.  They're biological robots, who will blindly charge into gunfire or man stations on a warship even while they burn alive.  Most of them are so broken that they harm themselves, few live more than a decade in that state and she does it to men, women, and children that she captures.”

Lucius choked at that thought, “That's horrific!”

“That's what Sanctus sees as the future.  Even some of her psychics are bent to her will, either through dedication or by force.  They are all fanatical and they think they are saving humanity from itself.  As such, they'll accept any depravity, all in the name of saving us from ourselves,” Reginald had a look of disgust on his face, but Lucius could tell there was a certain level of obscene fascination there, too.  Reginald didn't understand what drove them but he, perhaps, envied them their dedication.

Reginald took a deep breath.  “If you would like, I could give you a more detailed brief on them and their personnel.  We don't know much about some of them, but what we do I can make available.  I just ask that you keep a close hold on it.  These are secrets that people have died to uncover... and that they will kill entire worlds to keep out of circulation.”

“Understood,” Lucius said softly.  He would think long and hard before he told anyone else what Reginald had shared with him.  The main thing he took away from the discussion was that, as he had suspected, he could not trust Imperious.  The information about Invictus, however, made him feel even more confused.  Why had the scheming Shadow Lord come to Faraday and what was his true intention with the United Colonies?

***

Chapter X

Faraday System

United Colonies

October 13, 2403

Lucius stepped off his shuttle followed by Sergeant Timorksy and Lance Namori and flanked by Reginald and Kate Bueller.  He had decided against a larger entourage in part because he wanted only people he could trust present and in part because he wanted to give the Shadow Lord fewer targets to manipulate.

The shuttle bay of the
Baramis
was similar in many ways to Shadow Lord Lachesis's shuttle bay.  Luxurious carpets made pathways around the bare decking occupied by shuttles.  Potted plants and artwork hung on the bulkheads.  Yet there was an almost mocking edge to the opulence.  Lucius wondered at that as he took it all in.

A tall, Asian man awaited them.  He had long dark hair, which hung loosely across his face and down past his shoulders.  “Reginald, good to see you, any news from my sister?”

Reginald looked rather like he had swallowed a frog, “Aromata.”  He managed something like a polite smile.  “Myanna is doing quite well, I understand, though I haven't talked with her in some time.”

“Well, I'm sure she keeps herself busy,” Aromata said.  He turned to Lucius.  “Welcome aboard, Baron Giovanni.  Shadow Lord Invictus greets you and has sent me, in his name, to escort you to his court.”

“Thank you for the welcome,” Lucius said.  “By all means, lead on.”

“Of course, just this way,” the younger man said.  He wore a black leather jacket, Lucius noticed, with dark gray pants.  He led them into one of the odd-shaped hexagonal hatches and down a short corridor towards a lift that awaited them.  “Shadow Lord Invictus wondered if you would like a tour of the
Baramis
before you meet with him?”

Lucius smiled politely, “Tempting, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline.”  He didn't have time to be taunted or provoked as Lachesis had.

“Are you certain?  The
Baramis
is rather unique, it is a Miniarai alien artifact, recovered intact.  Shadow Lord Invictus took it from Amalgamated Worlds,”  Aromata said.

“That would be when he sacked Earth and helped to kill billions of people,” Reginald said as they all stepped aboard the lift, “What a splendid fellow.”

Lucius winced, but Aromata just gave a chuckle, “Reginald, you still hold a grudge about my decision to work for him?  Or is it just that you're still sweet on my sister?”  As Reginald failed to answer, Aromata's chuckle became a laugh, “Oh, please, you have to admit, it was well played.  Me, the poor captive, Myanna desperate to save me.  Quite the adventure to be had on Port Klast.  I'm grateful, in a way, that your side values Myanna enough to go through such risks.  It comforts me a bit in that she'll have effective support against the other Shadow Lords.”

Reginald didn't answer.  Lucius filed the information away for later.

The lift opened up on another corridor.  This one had darker tones, with dark alcoves and dim lighting.  Aromata led the way confidently despite the gloom.  Between his dark hair and clothing, his pale face almost seemed to hover as he looked back at them.  “Not to worry,” he said, “we are almost there.”

Lucius looked over at Reginald.  The other man's hand tightened on the hilt of his saber, but he met Lucius's gaze and gave a slight nod.  A glance behind showed Sergeant Timorsky and Lance Namori looked tense, but the sergeant gave Lucius a nod as well.

He stepped out of the lift.  As Lucius followed Aromata, he saw that each of the dimly lit alcoves held a pedestal, each with a mask or bust.  Each was dimly lit, so Lucius couldn't make out the details of the features, but between the lighting and what he could make out, each conveyed a sense of emotion.  It was an odd feeling to stroll past them, each one presenting a subtle shift of emotion.

At last, they came to the end of the corridor and Aromata led them into the chamber beyond.  The high ceiling vanished somewhere in the gloom above.  Like Lachesis's court, an elaborate, almost Gothic, throne sat at the end of the chamber, though its features were hard to make out, as was the features of the man seated upon it.  Lighting from behind and above silhouetted the figure on the throne and mixed with the dim lighting of the court to cast odd shadows.  His face seemed just on the edge of the shadows, with just enough light to catch his eyes and make them glitter, but not enough for Lucius to even tell the shade of his irises.  Other men and women stood around the edges of the room, though Lucius thought he saw others in alcoves around the edges as well.  Like their leader, their faces were often in shadow, though here and there the light would expose one or another as they shifted and murmured.

At the center of the chamber was a large statue.  Arranged lights played over it and as Aromata led Lucius past it, he couldn't help but stare.  From one angle, it appeared to be a man, yet from another a woman, but as he passed it closer it had bestial features.  Lucius shook his head, the entire place had an uncanny feel to it.

“Shadow Lord Invictus,” Aromata said, his voice pitched to carry throughout the chamber, “I present Baron Lucius Giovanni, leader of the United Colonies and a champion of humanity.”  The man gave a graceful bow and moved to stand out of the way.

“Ah,” the Shadow Lord said, “You can't know how long I've waited to finally meet, you, Baron Giovanni.”  The Shadow Lord had a surprisingly soft voice, though it still carried well in the chamber.

“I can imagine,” Lucius said as he remembered, once again, Kandergain's discussion of precognitives and John Mira's prophesies.

“Perhaps,” Invictus said, as he leaned forward.  The light seemed to edge his features a bit more, but they remained in shadow.  “You are a particularly lucky man, you know?”

“I think so often enough,” Lucius responded, “Though I don't hesitate to count my blessings, either.”  He narrowed his eyes, “What brings you to the Faraday system?”

“Ah, straight to business, even though I see that my mysteries intrigue you, somewhat, don't they?” Invictus said with a chuckle.  “You're the type of person who wants to know, wants to understand.  I can respect that... but I think that life without secrets is rather boring.  Take the the statue you passed.  What do you think of it?”

Lucius glanced back over his shoulder at it.  At this angle, with the lighting, it almost looked like a mother cradling her child.  “It's interesting.  Beautiful even, but hard to pin down as to what it really is.”

Someone flipped a switch and lights came up to show the statue in full.  Under the cold, white light, it was a simple thing, roughly carved, lifeless, and even ugly.  The lights dropped back down, once again giving the impression of the mother and child.  Lucius turned back as Invictus spoke, “See, Baron, sometimes, things aren't nearly so pretty without the mystery.”

“Be that as it may,” Lucius said, “I would still like to know why you are here.”

Invictus nodded, “Fair enough.  This is, after all, your place, you defended it against the Balor and the Chxor, so I should not deny you the knowledge of why
I
have come... and as a bonus, I'll tell you some of why my brethren are here as well.”

Before Lucius could ask what he meant by that, Invictus stood.  The back-lighting caught on the rings he wore on his hands, one on each, but still didn't, quite, show his face.  One looked to be a wedding band, the other a class ring, like from a university or academy.  “I've come here, Baron, much like the other Shadow Lords, to take your measure.  To find out what kind of man you are... what kind of
threat
you are.  You control the Dreyfus Fleet.  You've defeated the Balor and the Chxor... and you have defied Shadow Lord Lachesis in your very survival.”

Lucius cocked his head, “Other Shadow Lords?”

“Yes,” Invictus nodded, “Even as we speak, all five of our fleets are in shadow space near this system.  I have to admit, your defense tactics here are quite brilliant, you know.  In using the Nova Romans to defend your station and solar array, you put three of us in quite an awkward situation.”

Lucius's eyes widened as he realized what Invictus meant.  The Nova Roma agreement with Invictus, Imperious and Lachesis bound them not to attack them.  No doubt, that did
not
protect the United Colonies... but the presence of the Nova Roma ships protecting the United Colonies made it so that the Shadow Lords could not attack. 
Invictus wanted me to know that,
Lucius realized,
it wasn't a slip of the tongue or him not realizing I didn't know... for some reason he wanted me to have that information.

“Well,” Lucius said, “It does seem to do the trick nicely.”

“Quite,” Invictus said, his voice droll.  “And since Gargant and Sanctus can't trust that we won't become involved if they attack... well, it's quite the situation.  Honestly, Gargant doesn't believe you could think of that on your own.  He insists that Kandergain must have keyed you into it.  Though, I must admit, Reginald's presence puts lie to that.  Reginald is far to prim and proper for that level of manipulation.”

“Thank you,” Reginald said with a gracious nod.

“I'm afraid that wasn't a compliment,” Invictus said.  “While I appreciate your dedication and determination, you've been playing well out of your league for years.  I'd say it was pity that has spared you thus far, but let's be honest, it's more likely the ineptitude of your actions.  It's really a good thing that my fellow Shadow Lords are less scheming than I or they'd use you to their own purposes more often.”

“So, now that you've met me and taken my full measure, what other business do you have here?” Lucius asked, hopeful that Reginald wouldn't do anything foolish.  The psychic seemed at a loss for words, but the white-knuckled grip he had on his saber suggested his emotions were barely under control.

“Oh, my evaluation is far from complete, Baron Giovanni,” Invictus said.  “I think you are a very complex person.  Were I to truly want to know your full measure, I would have my servant Madrigal Boetha drag you away to torture for a few decades.  You only really know a man when you've found his breaking point, I must say.”

Lucius's eyes narrowed, “We came here as guests.”

“Guests you are,” Invictus said.  “And I'll not harm any one of you so long as you behave as proper guests... and as long as you look to fit my goals.”  He chuckled a bit, “But I digress.  No, I don't wish to take your full measure, Baron.  I cultivate mystery... and where would the pleasure be in not leaving you your secrets?”

“I think we're done here,” Lucius said. He was frustrated at the games the man played.  Everything he said seemed to have more than one meaning and more than one goal.

“Not quite,” Invictus said.  “You have questions, questions about the two men who claim to be your father.”  His voice had a hard edge, one that suggested he disapproved of the whole charade.

“Do you have the answers?” Lucius asked.

“I do... but I'm afraid I cannot give them,” Invictus said.  “However, should you contact your old Captain, you may find the answers you seek.”  Lucius stared at the man, trying to figure out what he'd meant.  Most of Lucius's former commanders were dead, either killed in battle with the Chxor or in other actions.  The only exception was Admiral Mannetti, but what would she... 
She mentioned my father,
Lucius remembered,
insinuated that she worked for him. 
“Well, it has been a pleasure,” Invictus said.  “This little waiting game out in shadow space grew so very tiresome.  But, should you find the answer you seek, well, think a bit about why it really matters before you make your decision.”

“That's it?” Lucius asked.  “No offers of alliance, no favors demanded?”

“That's far to cumbersome and open for my tastes,” Invictus said.  He smiled and his teeth glittered in the shadows, “Far more enjoyable to set a traveler's feet upon a path and to see them follow their course to it's appointed end.  Farewell, Baron Giovanni.”

***

Halcyon, Garris Major System

Contested

October 14, 2403

Garret caught the Commodore in his quarters before breakfast.  “Good morning, sir,” Garret said.  He had wanted to get him earlier, but rumors about Captain Stavros's call and the ensuing argument had spread throughout the War Dogs and word was that the Commodore had been in a vile mood for the past few days as a result.  Garret had figured that he should let the Commodore have some time to regain his composure.

Commodore Pierce stared at him with bleary eyes, “Good morning, Captain Penwaithe, is that coffee you have in your hands?”

Garret offered up the cup.  The Commodore sniffed at it and sighed with pleasure, “One of these days you'll have to tell me who your suppliers are.  Every system we go to you have delicious coffee, uninterrupted no matter how thin our supply situation is.”  He peered at Garret with a gimlet eye, “Maybe I should have made you my quartermaster.”

“Maybe, sir,” Garret said with a smile.  Then again, Garret would have hated working as a quartermaster.  He understood logistics, just as he'd understood his father's political agendas, that didn't mean he liked either one of them.  Garret glanced at the Commodore's private quarters while the Commodore sniffed appreciatively.  Like most of the ship's quarters, it was tiny and cramped.  The Commodore had a single bed, hinged to fold up against the wall and provide more room.  He had a narrow desk with an archaic, built-in computer with minimal holographic capabilities.  A handful of plaques and trophies hung on the walls, all of them from his time as the commander of the War Dogs.  These things were familiar from the other times he had spoken with the Commodore, but Garret remembered the feud that the other man had with the pirate Stavros, and he wondered at the lack of history beyond the War Dogs.  His eye caught on a single item on the wall, near the desk.  It was a icon or perhaps a family crest, with a motto of some sort written in Latin.  Garret couldn't quite make out the details at a glance and he didn't want to stare.