A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that getting back to Aurie’s innate aggression was the key to this story. Turns out I was correct.

The investigation and running the different terror cells to ground would turn this into a novella. I’m not saying that will not happen, but it is not happening here.

I’m still playing with some ideas about getting Ildi and Lem apart and hope to put some words down tomorrow. That will make for a Wednesday post. But, things are complicated in that story: not just the science part of science fiction, but the politics between the imperium, the rump state of Chu, and Dorina’s involvement, recalling that Dorina is of tribe Tohsaka – coded in Japan – which makes the Chinese not at all comfortable. 

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The night was for intelligence.  Not sure if there were any more traitors, much of the Hartmann family, as well as her two guest androids, and now one more, were in a hardened bunker just south of Madkin Mountain.  While some of the humans mixed drinks for themselves, the demis had water.  They stared at one another.

You’re empress now, Faustina thought.  Lead us.

“Besides the initial suicide bomber,” Aurelia spoke aloud for the benefit of the humans, you never know when they have a good idea, “Ivan thought there were only two more.  My former tribune was certainly a surprise.  And then he and my legionaries found two more in the fleeing crowd.”

“Six men, three of whom were under the colors,” she spat, hating the betrayal of trust.  “One legionary and two subjects are dead thanks to Ivan’s, ah, enhanced interrogation.”

I shan’t bother with the normies, the boy who was not a boy smirked.  For once, dressed as his mother often did, as an officer of the Cheka, his clothes were appropriate.  You, Empress, were quite correct:  they have three-man cells, two of which were deployed today.  Which is why I said what I said.  I was in error and jeopardized many lives.  You have my formal apology.  Like my venerable colleague here, he reached up to put his right hand onto Nichole’s shoulder, my family owes yours a favor.

Aurelia stifled a sigh.

Thank you.  But to the point of what you found out?

“They think you an abomination,” he surprised her by speaking out loud.  “While there are several different factions – liberty, democracy, pro-human, and the like – they were not united, as that while Fussy was tolerable, what you are is not.”

“What I am…” for a moment, Aurelia glanced at her mother.

“Setting that aside, what do you have on a coordinating body or person?  Human or otherwise?” she asked.

Still smiling, Ivan shook his head.  “Nothing.  Each cell only knows what they know.  I’ve taken some looks into their transmissions for the last year and think there are clues.  Step-sis Tay’s genius with language will help with signals analysis, as will my kid brother’s bend toward stupid details.”

“’Stupid details’ might have spared lives today, Ivan.” She took a deep breath.  “Right.  There is one more whose mind I’d like you to look into.  Can you do it without killing him?  Consider that the favor you owe us.”

“Of course, Empress,” the lad said, bowing his head nearly to the ground.

Aurelia rolled her eyes and made a gesture with her left.  Former Tribune Hoyt was brought in, now wearing a gray tunic and pants, not his legionary uniform.  His two-man guard stopped him before the new empress.  She gave a look to Ivan.

“I’m short and can’t reach his head.  Do you have a stool?” he asked.

“Make him kneel,” she ordered the two men.  When Hoyt tried to resist, Nichole stepped out from behind them and kicked his legs out from under him.  With her hand on his shoulder, the traitor could not move.

“I’ll tell you nothing, freak!” he shouted.

“You do not have to.  Ivan?” she replied calmly.

He stepped over and put his hand on either side of Hoyt’s face, smiled, and stepped back.

“I think his tablet will give you lots of leads, New Empress,” he laughed.

“Thank you.  Now please move.” Aurelia took two steps and pulled a pistol from a holster under her left arm.  “Do you recognize this?  It’s yours.  You used it to try to assassinate your empress.  The penalty for that is death.”

She raised it and blew the top of Hoyt’s head off, showering Nichole with gore.  Sorry, she thought to her.

I clean up easy, was the android’s humorous reply.  She had seen much death in service of her duties.

Lowering his gun, Aurelia spoke to the room and for the record.

“The establishment of the imperium was a hard thing.  Yet, in the last generation, we have been at peace and it has been former Empress Faustina’s policy to be clement.”

Aurelia turned in a full circle, looking at them all.

“It shall not be mine.”