Chapter Three
Send nehrcom messages to the best research and development people on the Hibbil Cluster Worlds, and tell them we need faster-than-light spaceships to replace podships. Such a new invention is a matter of utmost priority. The entire Merchant Prince Alliance depends upon it.
—Private wordcom, Doge del Velli
to his Royal Attaché
“Our prisoner was right,” the uniformed officer announced. He stood stiffly at the center of the richly appointed office while the old nobleman, Doge Lorenzo del Velli, paced along a window wall.
They were in the Doge’s new headquarters on Canopa, established as the capital world of the Merchant Prince Alliance after the Mutatis had destroyed Timian One. Francella Watanabe had leased him the top three floors of her own CorpOne headquarters building—for a steep fee, of course.
“Oh?” Lorenzo said. He paused and faced his subordinate, Captain Sheff Uki. In his tailored military garb the young officer had the appearance of a fashion model, but he was tougher than he looked. He was also irritatingly sycophantic at times.
Off to one side, the Doge’s Royal Attaché, Pimyt, looked on sternly. The furry little Hibbil stood motionless, his red-eyed gaze fixed on the officer.
“Well, one-third right, Sire,” Uki said. “The lab just gave me a report. One out of the three pods carried a deadly explosive device with Mutati markings on it. Some sort of mega-bomb, our people are saying; a massively powerful torpedo.”
“It might be the technology the Mutatis used to destroy Earth, Mars, Plevin Four, and Timian One,” Pimyt suggested. The little alien scowled, scrunching his salt-and-pepper beard.
Lorenzo the Magnificent nodded, said, “I want the remains analyzed from every direction, turned inside out. Maybe we can build our own planet-buster and turn it on the slimy shapeshifters.”
“That might be possible,” Uki said, “but it would take time. We’d have to ramp up, with only bits of information available right now. There would be a big learning curve.”
“What about the other pod stations where we set up sensor-guns? Any useful information there?”
“No reports of activity yet. We’re getting a steady stream of nehrcom reports from all seven hundred ninety-two of them, orbiting the same number of worlds. No additional MPA planets have been lost, and no more podships have appeared.”
The Doge rubbed his projecting chin. “So, Noah wasn’t crazy after all. Thank the stars I moved quickly, instead of turning his recommendation over to the Council of Forty for study. Those noblemen would have set up committees and wasted a lot of time.”
The officer flicked something off his own lapel. “You made the intelligent decision, Sire. If you hadn’t moved quickly during the crisis, I daresay we would not be having this conversation at all.”
“Most insightful of you to say that, Captain Uki.”
“With your permission, Sire,” Uki said, bowing, “I’d like to be excused to order the investigation you desire.”
Doge Lorenzo nodded.
After Uki left, Pimyt said, “He’s too smooth to be an officer. I don’t trust the man, so I’ve arranged to replace him. In my customary fashion.”
“Kill him, then. But wait until he completes the assignment.”
The Royal Attaché smiled, and thought back. It was not the first time Lorenzo had authorized him to get rid of someone, particularly the sniveling sycophants who were drawn to the Doge like iron particles to a magnet. At times like this, whenever he felt respect for the merchant prince leader, Pimyt almost regretted what was about to happen.
Soon, he and his allies would make their move, and it would reverberate across the galaxy.
***