Chapter Nine

The two men stood immobile, staring straight ahead. They did not move, dared not move, as they awaited a response.

The first man was the messenger, instructed to escort the second man, an Imperial Squad officer, to the audience room. They had imparted their knowledge and now waited for an answer.

The Prime Lord just sat with a dark expression clouding his face. He stared at an ornament on his desk, a strange glass construct that resembled some kind of flying creature attacking a rodent. It reflected the light haphazardly, and it was the swirling colours the Prime Lord was looking into.

The Prime Lord’s advisors sat around the table also, looking at the two men with a mixture of concern and worry. They cast glances at each other and their Prime Lord, wondering whether to voice an opinion or remain quiet until something was said.

The Prime Lord looked up at the officer.

“Do you know how she died?” he asked in a small voice.

The officer returned the stare. “No, sire. From what my sergeant told me the Lord Verid was brief. He did say that Janos and Lordmind Estoor were involved.”

“But Verid did say he was under the influence of some form of mind control. Could he have been lying?”

“The captain of the Keeper of the Secret corroborates the story, saying that Lord Verid was escorted to his ship by Janos troops and a Mind. It leads me to believe...”

“Your beliefs are not what I want to hear.”

The officer looked away from the Prime Lord, staring straight ahead again. He gritted his teeth and let the comment pass. Not that he had a choice but to let it pass.

“How can this captain be trusted with his word?” the Prime Lord asked the second man.

“He was quite willing to impart the information under the threat of persuasion by other means. He was very co-operative.”

“Where is he now?”

“He has been released. His testimony has been recorded.”

The Prime Lord fell quiet again, rubbing his chin with a gnarled hand. He then leaned forward to support his head in his hands and rub his temples fiercely.

Again silence descended upon the hall.

“You may go,” the Prime Lord said, waving slightly to dismiss the two men. They both turned on their heels and marched to the opening door.

The advisors sat back, waiting for something that would indicate their Prime Lord’s next move. They did not look at one another and just watched the Prime Lord with patience.

Finally, the Prime Lord looked up.

“My daughter is dead, apparently killed by the same Baron who right now is conducting a search for her and her husband in the mountains of Chinngard. Lordmind Estoor also appears to be part of the lie.”

One of the advisors suddenly became bold and interjected. “I cannot believe Estoor would do that. He already had the help of the throne in the acquisition of the child.”

“Yes, but he knew that his access to the child would be limited. Maybe he could have just taken the child completely if he used Janos aid to locate her. Not only that, but Janos was being supplied by a Setnin War Marshall,” said another.

“With Setnin sanction?” Another mused.

“The Lord Verid story fits in with that, he was obviously luring the Familee children into a trap with him. I’ve heard about these ‘suggestions’ that Minds can put in a man’s mind.”

“What do the Minds hope to gain with this? I can’t see...”

“My daughter is dead!” the Prime Lord roared, standing with a slam of his fist on the table. The glass ornament rocked and threatened to topple.

“My daughter is dead, killed by that bastard Janite! He lied to me! He lied to me of her escape!” One of the advisors stood to calm the Prime Lord down but sat quickly when the Prime Lord turned on him with rage filled eyes.

“We all know that Janos has been waiting for a chance to invade Chinngard, and he obviously thought now was a good time. And it just so happens that there is a Setnin War Marshall arming the Janites? Do they take me for a fool? They didn’t want Chinngard to separate from the Setnin Sector and now they’re taking it back by underhanded measures!”

“But, sire, Janos declared war on the Setnin Sector...”

The Prime Lord wasn’t listening. “Can’t you see? It was a ploy. A ruse. To make the Ki-Ki Sector believe that Janos acted without Setnin approval. I knew there was something wrong with all of this, but all I wanted was my family safe. And now I find that all these days I have been waiting on a report of her location, and all these days she has been dead!” He shouted his words at each advisor in turn, forcing them to listen to his pain, grief and anger. They shrunk in their seats. They had never seen their Prime Lord lose his temper like this.

“This an absolute disgrace, Sire,” said one quickly, “We should call an emergency meeting of the Chambers and decide on the best course of...”

“What?” the Prime Lord almost screamed, spinning around and pointing at the speaker. “What did you say?”

“An... an emergency meeting...”

“An emergency meeting? My daughter is dead! Murdered! And you want to call a meeting? How have I put up with such slow-witted fools! I want no meeting! The Setnin Sector and the Mindmoon will burn for what they have taken from me!”

“Sire, it has not been proven that Setnin sanctioned the War Marshall...”

“Shut up! All of you! Shut up!”

They did so. Not even a murmur came from them all, and they continued to watch the Prime Lord walk backwards and forwards without the courage to even breath.

“I will hold no meeting. There will be no gathering of ordered minds to decide on a best course of action. I have already decided.”

There was genuine fear throughout the advisors, and they stared at one another with apprehension. They could feel what was coming next, could almost taste it. They all straightened in their seats, knowing the Prime Lord’s next words were going to be spoken in anger and not as the ruler of the Ki-Ki Sector. Even so, they would not agree or disagree with his decision. They would bide their time and hope he calmed enough to see reason.

If he didn’t think his next action through, it would inevitably lead to war.

Another pause.

Strained silence.

The Prime Lord turned, a strange expression of calculated intent on his face.

“The decision is made. I want all tactical officers to prepare their troops and ships and meet with me in an hour. The target world is Chinngard.”

More silence.

“The Mindmoon will be the secondary target. It will be blockaded and all Minds banned from travelling to or from it. Any ships leaving the Mindmoon will be destroyed. All Minds on other worlds will be arrested and held.

“All Setnin, Mindmoon and Janos transports and support vessels are viable targets. The Strike Squads are given full permission to attack with extreme prejudice. An invasion force will be mobilised and despatched for Chinngard and overthrow the Janos rule. The other Houses will be informed that this has taken place due to new evidence against Janos. Anyone opposing this will be branded an ally of Janos and become viable targets. Chinngard will be the staging area for our push into the Setnin Sector. I’ll teach them all to support religious fanatics.

“I shall have my revenge.”

The advisors were shocked beyond comprehension. A few moments ago the Prime Lord had been a figure of intense rage, but this was being planned with a sense of brutal afterthought. He listed his requirements so casually the advisors thought he might have become mentally unbalanced.

But still they held their silence.

The Prime Lord leaned forward.

“Tell the scribes to prepare for an urgent message with the holonet transmitter we have to the Setnin Sector Council. Tell them to make a draft for a formal declaration of war.”