Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [13]
The mentalist instructor could not control his gasp of surprise. “Ildiran has killed Ildiran!”
Udru’h kept his focus on the special children. “The Mage-Imperator has stripped Thor’h of his title, and Adar Zan’nh was dispatched with a maniple of warliners to quell the revolt.” Though clearly disturbed, he composed himself. “The Ildiran Empire faces many unexpected enemies. We must use every weapon and tool available to us. Therefore, Osira’h, the Mage-Imperator has commanded me to deliver you to Mijistra as soon as possible.”
Osira’h took a step away from the other children, standing ready. She had always known this moment would come. Looking at her, Udru’h seemed to swell with pride. “I promised Jora’h that you would not disappoint him—and I know you will not disappoint me.”
He took her small hand and led her out of the training chamber. Turning back for the briefest moment, she offered a look of farewell to her younger brothers and sisters. Udru’h, though, did not give them a second glance.
Chapter 5—ADAR ZAN’NH
After exhaustive preparations, the forty-seven intact ships in Zan’nh’s maniple departed for rebellious Hyrillka. Mage-Imperator Jora’h had issued his command, and the Adar would follow those instructions precisely. Even so, the Solar Navy crewmembers aboard the warliners felt more uneasy than when they had recently faced the hydrogues at Hrel-oro.
A rebellion—especially by a Designate—was inconceivable to them. Ildirans were one unified empire bound together by a telepathic network of thism, under the benevolent rule of the Mage-Imperator. The Solar Navy had never been called upon to overwhelm and impose order on another Ildiran colony. Yet Adar Zan’nh was leading a maniple of warliners to do exactly that.
Distinctly uneasy, he stood in the command nucleus, maintaining a determined expression as he looked at the Horizon Cluster’s tiara of stars. On the edge of that cluster glimmered the Hyrillka system, whose colonized planet was like a patch of disease that would have to be excised before the rot spread.
“Raise Qul Fan’nh and tell him to be prepared for precision maneuvers to give an impressive and overwhelming show of force. The Hyrillka Designate has to see reason and surrender.”
Zan’nh tried to be stoic, as his hero Adar Kori’nh would have been. As a boy, he had sat within the Prism Palace’s strategy dome, analyzing traditional spaceship maneuvers, practicing with Ildiran weapons. He grew up fascinated with the Solar Navy, studying every section of the Saga that related to the military. Kori’nh had taken him under his wing, guided him, named Zan’nh as his successor.
But the old Adar had never faced a situation like this. The rebellious Designate had murdered Zan’nh’s brother Pery’h. Ildiran had killed Ildiran! In order to end the bloodshed and rebellion, Rusa’h and Thor’h must both be taken captive and brought back to stand before the Mage-Imperator. There was no other way.
Hyrillka grew large before them as the group of ornate battleships descended into the system. The bridge sensor operator looked up from his station. “They have detected us, Adar.”
“Good. This will be over soon.” He truly hoped for a logical solution, though he knew that was unlikely. Zan’nh had no desire to assume the role of acting Prime Designate. He had been trained as a military officer and was a talented tactician and commander in the Solar Navy. The responsibility of being Adar was overwhelming enough, but becoming the surrogate Prime Designate as well seemed too much. Since Zan’nh was not even a purebred noble kithman, the very idea went against the grain of his personality, against tradition.
Yet knowing what Prime Designate Thor’h had done, how could he possibly say no?
“Open a channel.” Zan’nh stood against the rail that encircled the command nucleus’s raised platform, calling up the words he had rehearsed en route. “I come in the name of the Mage-Imperator, with