ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE
STAR BLAZERS---TREACHERY
Being the second part of THE NEW COMET--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz
This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---Freddo
ACT ONE: (RE) ENTER DESSLOK
I. THE PRESENT
The Small Magellenic Cloud
Planet Ashura Five
The City of Carondus
Earth Date: Thursday, July 11, 2205
2345 Hours: Earth Time
"Leader Desslok," said Dekal Varanda, the President of Planet Ashura. "I am pleased to inform you that my councilors have found that the evidence you have presented to us is persuasive."
"And?"
asked the tall Leader of the new, reborn Gamilon-Garuman Empire. "I mean no
disrespect, but we have been patient while your councilors bandied about the
point for which you asked us to come here for three of our weeks. We know that
some of you have had misgivings about again establishing bonds of friendship
and protection with my Empire. However, it tries my patience to be asked for
our protection and then to have to wait upon the will of your
politicians."
"He speaks for me, too," said Queen Astrena of the Pellian Federation; the woman who was now Desslok's Consort. "Do we have an agreement today, or do we leave?"
"I am pleased to inform you that my councilors have agreed to my request that Ashura again rejoin the Gamilon Empire. We would again like to sign a new treaty and again be at your service, Lord."
Desslok liked this. "Excellent, President Varanda. Although we learned long ago that the biological and geophysical conditions here would not allow us to settle here, we were able to use your world as a great military base for the replenishment of my fleets. I am again pleased to inform you that Ashura will be so honored."
"And, we are again ready to join forces with your people Desslok; especially in light of the invasions we endured in the past few years. Invasions by the Cometines, followed by a mass invasion by the R'Khell fanatics some years after that. We found life under your peoples' protection to be better than life under the protection of Zordar or the protection of the R'Khell priests."
"We are very glad to hear that," said General Talan, Desslok's long-time aide. "When can we begin to rebuild our old bases?"
"In three local days' time, after the treaty is signed."
"We don't have time for such niceties," said Desslok. "I have intelligence that a Cometine fleet may be on its way here as we speak. I need to be going. I would prefer that we leave here on the morrow, and that I leave a garrison behind to begin construction."
"Excuse me, please," said Varanda with a bow. "I will be back in a moment."
"Do not let that moment be too long," said Desslok. "The wait tries my patience when speed is called for. In fact, with all respect, we have waited too long already."
"Please...our ways," said Varanda.
"Have at your local ways, then," said Desslok. "Be advised that my patience runs thin."
Varanda bowed and left. "Leader Desslok, we don't have time for this!" said Talan. "Their forces are smaller by far than ours. If they will not give us an unqualified yes, then the word is no. And, in that case, I stand ready to invade this stiff-necked world. These people are worse by far than the Terrans. At least those inferiors can see reason."
"I have advised you, Desslok, to attempt diplomacy," said Astrena.
"Lady, the time
for diplomacy is running out," said Talan. "Permit me to leave and
give the order. We can have this planet interdicted with a mine field within
hours. Then, we can begin with our carrier forces."
"Astrena, I listened to your council," said Desslok. "I agreed with you that our new Empire should be different than in the old times."
"You did not allow me to finish, either of you!" said Astrena. "There is a time to make peace, and a time to make war. In wartime, even I see that there are times when one must be forceful. I am even now probing the mind of their President. There is duplicity there. The man is hiding something."
"And you would advise?" said Desslok.
"Give him a chance to see if he makes good. If there is further delay," said Astrena, "Then, act as you see fit."
"We wait upon your orders, sir," said Talan.
"I shall give diplomacy one last chance," said Desslok. "But, Talan."
"Yes?"
"Ready the fleet to move upon my word. Return to the Gamilstadt now and ready our captains."
"As you wish,
sir," said Talan. He motioned to four of his guardsmen. "You come
with me. The rest of you, guard the Emperor and Empress."
"Interesting," said Desslok. "What do you suspect?"
"The same thing I do," said Astrena as she turned sharply to Desslok, with her blond locks gleaming in the dim light.
"Treachery, Leader Desslok," said Talan. "The sooner you are out of here, the better we will be. I hope you will return to the Fleet tonight. We can send our lesser ministers to deal with the paperwork. I will ready the landing force. Whether they return here in war, or in peace, is your command, sir." At that, Talan saluted. Desslok returned the salute, and Talan left.
"So, you heard that, Mister President?" said Mehrvis, one of the Ashuran President's Councilors. Unknown to Desslok, but suspected by him, the President's office was bugged as the Ashuran Council listened from another room. "I would advise you to delay no further. They are serious."
"They are just as evil as they were in the past, Mister President," said Gavna, another Councilor. "I advise you to rip up the treaty and order them off-world posthaste."
"No. That is madness," said Mhervis, another one of Varanda's Councilors. "They outgun us three to one. Give them what they want; assent to the treaty. We can make money off the trade. And it would improve the local economy."
"To be enslaved?" asked Gavna. "That would improve the economy?"
"We were through worse with the Gatlantians and the R'Khells," said a female Councilor named Prada. "At least Gamilon was equitable in the past. Come, President. See reason and give them what they want. Better to bow the knee a bit now than to deal with war later. Although they are changed, they are still dangerous if provoked. And you do recall his father's war, do you not?"
"Desslok's father," said Brickna, yet another Councilor. "A pompous madman, bringing the boy to negotiations to be his stick. Now, we have the son to deal with. He was dangerous then, and he is dangerous now."
The other two Councilors sat in silence. One of them, another woman named Katrina, said, "I am with Prada, President. Not with Gavna and Brickna. Mehrvis, tell them they get what they want, as you propose."
"President, I would advise the same," said Mehrvis.
"Well, Enda?" asked the President. "We haven't heard from you, yet."
Enda, the eldest of all, said, "I am with the others in favor of the alliance. But do not execute it today. Tell them that they will receive what they want if they but remain here until tomorrow. Tell them we need time to at least secure the rest of the Palace and give Desslok and Astrena the protocol they deserve."
"Four to two," said Varanda. "Come out with me, then. We tell the Gamilons that they will have their treaty executed on the morrow. Then, they shall commence the landings to re-open the bases."
"Not what I want, but I guess I have to accept it," snapped Brickna.
"And that is
the word of the Council," said President Varanda to Desslok a few minutes
later after he smoothed his mustache and braids of office. "We shall
conclude the treaty with a ceremony in the morning tomorrow."
"I would have preferred your word tonight," said Desslok. "But, I think our troops can ready more supplies in the meantime. Have the bases cleared as soon as possible. The troops will begin to land as soon as the treaty is signified by both of us. And then, I will have to leave. Affairs on the rebuilt Gamilon require my attention. I am sure you understand."
"I give my word," said Varanda. He extended his hand as some of the Council bowed their heads in thanks, and others glared at Desslok. Astrena noticed the glares.
Desslok took Varanda's hand. "Your word, then, is your oath?"
"It is," said Varanda.
"You are aware, of course, of what we do to oath-breakers," said Desslok with a sly smile.
"I shall not perform as such," said Varanda.
Desslok nodded, and the two men shook hands.
"Let us return to our quarters," said Desslok. "I am in need of refreshment."
"Let us feed you, Desslok," said Brickna.
Astrena looked at Desslok and shook her head. "No," she whispered. "We have our food. I will cook for you myself tonight"
"If you don't mind," said Desslok. "I prefer my Consort's cooking tonight as our feast. We have our supplies. Good night."
Desslok bowed to Varanda and turned with a sharp snap of his cloak. He motioned, and Astrena and the guards followed in lockstep. At that, they left the conference room in Varanda's ornate Presidential Palace.
"Let us celebrate," said Varanda to his Councilors. "I think we have just averted war at last."
"Have we?"
said Brickna as he gritted his teeth. "There are others who can guarantee
our safety, if you like. You know what they are like."
"Brickna, may the rest of your hair fall out if you keep this up," said Varanda. "Your father was executed by the Gamilons? He was a rebel..."
"A patriot," said Brickna.
"Who would you have protect us?" said Enda.
"The strongest. There are others out there stronger than the arrogant Gamilons."
"Whom?"
"That is my perogative to reveal," said Brickna. "Perhaps tonight, things will change? And then you will be ready to listen to me on the morrow? Hmh? Good night."
Brickna left.
"Enda?" asked the President.
"Yes?"
"Have him watched," said Varanda. "Just like we've been watching the Gamilons. Tell me at once if he does anything amiss. I will not sleep tonight."
Carondus was a crowded city, teeming with races from at least twelve worlds once again. It had once been a place of trade and exchange with Gamilon before the Empire had been weakened, withdrawn, and the Cometines had occupied the world in their place. Now, with the Cometines, and their successors, the R'Khells off the planet, Carondus was again opening up to trade.
Brickna and Gavna were currently dirtying their robes of office as they drank in a sleazy tavern off a narrow side street; not the sort of place one would expect to find two members of the Presidential cabinet. Still, the strange place had a magnificent view of the city visible through several large windows. They nodded as two cowled figures in black robes sat down beside them and ordered drinks.
One of the visitors smiled and cast back a cowl at a signal from the other one.
"We meet at last," whispered the first figure. She was a figure seen previously in this tale; namely, our "friend" Colonel Schaza of the Cometines. "Have you arranged it?"
"You'll have to move tonight," said Gavna. "We only got him to stall and remain here for one more night. If your agents want him, it'll have to be tonight. And you'd better get our Council, too. I want to be the new President tomorrow morning. Then, we shall have your friend on the podium beside us signing a new non-aggression pact instead of Desslok. And the Gamilon Fleet will be free for him to blast into space trash with him Dreadnought."
"I pray so," said General Gernitz of the Comet Empire, the other visitor. "I want Desslok incapacitated, but alive. Kill him, and our new occupation will not go that well."
"Why do you want Desslok alive?" said Brickna. "I want his body dishonored here on this planet. Just as he had my father's corpse dishonored!"
"You're sure he did that?" asked Schaza. "That doesn't sound like Desslok. To him, dead is dead. At any rate, we have our orders. Princess Invidia wants him alive so that she can deal with him for previous crimes against the Empire. He is a rebel and oath-breaker as far as we're concerned."
"We'll give you his wife," said Gernitz. "You can have her and hang her up for the birds after our agents finish with her."
"You know she is a witch?" said Gavna. "A mind-witch?"
"We have made peace with our own 'mind-witches'," said Schaza with a sneaky grin. "Have your agents incapacitate him. Our chief mind-witch of our own will deal with Astrena herself."
"And who is that?" asked Gavna viciously.
Schaza and Gernitz looked at each other and smiled. Gernitz whistled a certain way, and a third figure cowled in black got up from a side table in the back of the room. From the way the figure moved, Gavna could tell they were dealing with another woman. She had been sitting by in the back by herself with a big tankard of ale.
The woman sat gracefully upon another bar stool. All of her was cloaked in a distinct black robe trimmed in scarlet save for her hands and sandalled feet, which were light-skinned like the skins of the Ashurans. In fact, she was dressed in the habit of an Ashuran nun; the order to which she ostensibly belonged practiced poverty.
The "nun" cast back her hood and smiled. She looked very young, with brown hair that curled up in two small curls at her cheekbones. Her lashes were dark, and so were her hard eyes.
"It's good to live again," she said softly. "I was too long in the clone tank they birthed me out of."
"You are a clone?" said Gavna.
"A clone, and a ruler in exile, myself," she said in a low, mocking voice. "I have a lot of scores to settle. A lot of people mocked my Lord and his authority and killed me. Or, they thought they did. They didn't know about my own little escape plan. Not even Ekogaru himself knew of it. He was blind in the end. Better for him."
"You know of Ekogaru the accursed?" whispered Gavna. "By the Heavens, Brickna, by the Heavens, Gernitz, what sort of mind-witch is this?"
The stranger stood and raised her hand. Gavna began to choke. His hand went to his throat.
"Pray do not
slur me in that manner again," she said as she stood dramatically before
the skyline. Others in the bar began to make moves, but Schaza and Gernitz
stood and backed up the stranger with their blasters near the two Councilors.
"I am a Priestess and Vicar of an honorable religious order. I am
Ekogaru's Hand. He still lives in me."
"Where are you from?" said Brickna. "Let him go!"
"All in due time," said the stranger, who ignored anxious glances from Schaza and Gernitz. "He will live. As for your question, I am from Earth. I mean to kill my so-called relatives in due time. But, humbling Desslok and killing Astrena will do for now. I have agents at the ready for Desslok. Astrena is mine."
"And what is your name? Mercy, let him go!" begged Brickna as Gavna began to turn blue.
The woman raised her hand and let Gavna collapse onto the bar. She glared at everyone else in the bar, who gave her a wide berth as she sat back down again.
"My name," said the woman. "Is Yvona. And the rumors of my death have been rather exaggerated, hmmh?"
TO BE CONTINUED....
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