The Price of Conquest

Captain Betz wiped sweating palms on his uniform trousers and glanced around the office where he waited.

Panels of exotic wood inlays covered the walls in artful patterns that took advantage of the material's varied colors and textures to form suns and starbursts, as well as more indefinite but visually pleasing shapes. Plush carpet in various shades of blue and silver traced out Admiral Gaunis's fleet insignia underfoot. The shelves behind the massive wood desk held an assortment of small sculptures, artifacts, and awards. Abstract paintings of an almost brooding nature dotted the walls.

So this is how the admirals live, Betz thought with an appraising nod. Nice. Too bad I'll never make it this far. At least Gaunis had given him time to clear his head of the effects of the sleep gas and that wicked little weapon of Bryant's before calling him here. Not that it would make much difference. So far, he'd come up with no way to convince the admiral that Bryant's escape was not his fault. After all, a captain was responsible for everything that happened aboard his ship.

What had convinced him to return to Vsuna, anyway? He knew the world held nothing for him but bad luck. His last assignment there had cost him a rank. This one, he feared, would cost him his career.

The door behind him opened. Betz cleared his expression and turned to meet his fate.

Admiral Gaunis stood in the doorway, his features relaxed, a slight smile on his lips. Betz snapped out a perfect salute. Gaunis returned it with a casual wave.

"Good day, Olun," the admiral said, and then brushed past Betz toward his desk.

Betz stared after him, dumbfounded. What does it mean when an admiral uses your first name?

"Have a seat." Gaunis motioned to the comfortable-looking chairs in front of his desk, then settled into his own chair and glanced at Betz. "Or remain standing. Whatever's most comfortable."

And what does it mean when he's inordinately polite? Softening you up for the blow, perhaps?

Betz shoved the bitter thoughts aside. "Thank you, sir." He remained on his feet, but soon regretted the decision as Gaunis took several minutes to go through a stack of flexprints and study a list flowing from the computer screen set into his desktop.

Finally, the admiral ran a hand through his close-cropped white hair and eyed Betz. "Do you have the report on the Vsunan forces, Captain?"

Betz felt his stoic expression falter. "The report…?" He reached into his breast pocket. "Yes, sir, I do." He handed the data card to the admiral.

Gaunis held it up. "Do I need to review this?"

"No, sir. The Vsunan forces were just as you suspected. Between the ships you have here and the th'Maran vessels under my command, we should have little trouble recapturing the world."

"That's good news," Gaunis said, "since what you see here at Eminence is all my fellow admirals found it possible to lend our cause." He set the card aside. "I hear you had a prisoner for us."

"Yes, sir," Betz said with a quaver. "It was Kressa Bryant. I thought Admiral Shaw would want her brought here…" At the mention of Shaw, something flickered across Gaunis's expression too fast for Betz to read, and he quickly amended his statement, "Or maybe you could use the information she had."

"Perhaps I could have," Gaunis said, his voice a study in quiet control. "Bryant seems quite popular these days. Last time I was at Terra, a bounty hunter made a great deal of fuss to get the opportunity to tell me about her. And about Shaw."

"A bounty hunter?" Betz fought to keep his distaste from his voice.

Gaunis flashed him a tight smile. "More of a freelancer, actually. The sort who'll do anything for a price. You know the type, I'm sure. His name's Tyler. He did some work for me several years ago, but lately he's been working for Shaw. He's back on my payroll now," Gaunis finished with a pleased look.

"I see," Betz said, not completely sure he did.

"According to Mister Tyler, Shaw is rather interested in Bryant." The admiral's gray eyes bored into Betz. "Too interested, if you ask me. I think it best that such an obsession remain unfulfilled. I trust you agree."

"Uh… yes, sir," Betz said. Could this Tyler fellow be the source of the recent rumors about Shaw and Bryant's relationship?

"So, tell me," Gaunis's voice interrupted Betz's musings, "how did Bryant escape?"

"One of the th'Maran pilot-navigators helped her. A young woman named Saunorel."

"A th'Maran?" The admiral breathed a curse. "I knew this would happen sooner or later."

"What's that, sir?"

"The th'Maran are not to be trusted!" Gaunis snapped. "As I have been trying to tell the others since those damned aliens first arrived." He paused to draw a deep breath and then continued, his voice returned to its original composed timbre but his expression dark. "I knew we would get some of the th'Maran sympathizing with the Free World cause. That's why I opposed the idea to start those temples on Arecia. But the other fools didn't see it. No, they thought it was a splendid idea, the perfect way to turn the Free World citizens to our side."

"But the temples are working, sir," Betz said before he thought to stop himself, then hurried on to qualify his statement, "I read a report indicating…" The cold look on Gaunis's face froze the rest of Betz's statement in his throat.

"What you fail to realize, Captain," Gaunis said slowly, "is the fact that the th'Maran believe they are helping us unite with the Free Worlds, not take control of them. If—when they discover the truth and turn against us, they'll have the backing, as well as the sympathy, of all those citizens."

Betz started to reply, but the admiral continued.

"You've spent time with the th'Maran, Betz. Haven't you noticed how they always seem to know what you're thinking, what you're planning to do next? Why do you think I avoid them? Why do you think I've forbidden their presence near our top command personnel? They're mind readers, Betz. You'd do well to remember that."

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Betz nodded slowly, taken aback by the admiral's vehemence. Gaunis's distrust of the th'Maran was no secret, but Betz had never imagined that fear might be behind the aversion.

Fear the th'Maran? Betz almost laughed at the thought. Sure, Ciroen could get a bit unruly at times, but for the most part, th'Maran made good soldiers. They took orders well and rarely questioned authority. Sometimes he felt they had lived so long following the commands of their Om-Mar that they could no longer think for themselves. As for Gaunis's claim that they were mind readers, stories about the th'Maran Triad's abilities were the closest he'd heard about that.

"Did you get any information from Bryant before she escaped?" Gaunis asked, all signs of his momentary tirade vanished.

"No, sir," Betz admitted with a frown. "I was going to let the Triad get it from her."

"A wise decision, I suppose." The admiral paused for a moment, lips pursed thoughtfully, then he met Betz's eyes. "This th'Maran girl who helped Bryant, did she know you were at Vsuna to scout the system?"

Betz nodded.

"Do you think she told Bryant?" Gaunis asked, his voice tinged with an oddly hopeful lilt.

What was the admiral getting at? "It's possible, sir."

"Excellent. I'm glad I let her escape."

Betz gaped in astonishment. "You let Bryant escape?" He felt behind himself for a chair and collapsed into it.

The corners of Gaunis's mouth twitched into a cold smile. "You don't honestly believe a single damaged freighter could escape from Eminence, do you? Especially with the forces gathered here now."

"No, sir, I suppose not. But… why let her go?"

The admiral gave Betz a patronizing look. "You didn't happen to see which way she— No, of course not, you slept through her escape." Gaunis paused to adjust the fit of his tunic. "After leaving your ship, Bryant headed straight for Arecia. Do you know what's at Arecia, Captain Betz? The black ship. What do you think they will do when Bryant reports her little adventure to them?"

Betz considered the admiral's words, and a smile spread slowly across his face. "Yes, sir, I see. Then you're—uh…" He fought to retain control of his voice. "I'm not to be…"

"No, no, Captain. Do not fear. I have no intention of punishing you for what happened. After all, it was the th'Maran woman who did the deed, was it not?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then she is the one to be punished." He gave Betz another cold smile. "Let's get her in here."

Gaunis's eager expression sent a chill through Betz. "I'll have her brought here at once." He removed his commlink from his belt, ordered Saunorel escorted to Gaunis's office immediately, and returned the link to its clip. He met the admiral's eyes. "What are you going to do to her?"

"The th'Maran need an example of what will happen if they cross us," Gaunis said. "I plan to have her executed, but I'd like to talk with her first."

"Executed?" Betz asked, unable to keep the concern from his voice.

The admiral studied him, eyebrows raised. "Do I sense some sentimentality, Olun?"

"No, sir," he said, his voice resolute. "But… kill a th'Maran?" What would the other th'Maran do?

"What could they do?" Gaunis asked, as if he had read Betz's thoughts.

His commlink beeped. Betz frowned and answered it. "Betz. Go ahead."

"Sir, the prisoner—Saunorel…" The voice coming over the link hesitated. "She's, uh… missing, sir."

"What?!" Betz rose to his feet and glared at the link, wishing his gaze could burn through it to the soldier beyond. "What happened?"

"I called down to her quarters, sir. The guard checked in her room, and she was gone."

"Who was on duty?"

"Lieutenant Arells, sir, as you ordered. He swears he never left his post."

Betz struggled to consider the information calmly. He had worked with Arells for years and knew he could be trusted. If the lieutenant said he hadn't left his post, then he hadn't, or he believed he hadn't.

"Organize a search. I'll be right there." He glanced at the admiral.

Gaunis's eyes were hooded. "You're dismissed, Captain. Search your ship, and then get back to your assignment."

Betz hurried from the admiral's office, wondering who had let this happen. Whoever it was would pay dearly!

As he neared the station pod where the Enforcers were docked, he noticed a th'Maran woman moving toward him. He increased his pace, but slowed when he realized it wasn't Saunorel. Taller and more mature, the woman wore the silver uniform of a th'Maran engineer. She met his eyes as they passed and an enigmatic smile danced across her face.

Startled by her reaction, Betz watched her progress down the corridor, noticing how the tips of her long pewter hair lightened to become lost in the glint of her uniform.

* * *

Gaunis considered his recently departed visitor with a scowl. Captain Betz had come expecting some form of punishment for what had occurred. The admiral did not intend to disappoint him.

"Get me a report on every ship that's left Eminence within the past hour," he said into his desk comm. "Search the station and all ships. I want to know where that girl's got to."

Betz had said the th'Maran was a pilot-navigator. Common sense suggested she would try to get a ship and run for Marasyn. She would not get far; Gaunis's own vessels guarded the th'Maran gate. But after another moment's consideration, he realized this th'Maran might be different; she might not run for home. She had helped Bryant; that suggested she believed in the Free World cause and might want to help them.

The report that scrolled onto his screen a moment later supported his conclusion. Third on the list of ships that had left Eminence in the past hour was a one-man courier, its registered destination: Arecia.

A renegade th'Maran on Arecia, he mused, a pleased smile on his face. She would most likely run straight for one of the temples; his men would need to go after her. If a few th'Maran got in the way, they'd need to be dealt with. As a precautionary measure, his people would have to search all the temples, maybe even shut them down for a while. And the men he sent could keep an eye on Shaw and report back about his actions. Perfect.

Gaunis got on the comm. "I know where the girl is. She took a courier." He read the designation number from the report. "Send men after it. They are to allow her to make it through to Arecia. Don't let Shaw interfere. The men are to follow her. She'll run to one of the temples. I want those temples shut down using whatever methods it takes."

"Acknowledged, Admiral," a voice said from the comm's other end, the voice of a man who understood Gaunis's wishes and would take care of all the details.

Gaunis gave a grim smile. Now to round up the bastards who helped the girl escape.

He read through the courier's launch authorization. All appeared as it should be, but there had to be an authorizing officer. He scrolled to the next page, and there it was, glowing from the bottom of the screen, the name of the person who'd authorized the courier's orders to Arecia. Gaunis glanced at it, eager for a name to attach to the crime.

Incredulous, he stared at the screen and spat a bitter curse.

Glaring up at him from the authorization box were the words: C. GAUNIS, ADMIRAL.