The Ashes of Worlds - Kevin J. Anderson [228]
Cain positioned himself at the stairs leading up to the throne dais, between the Chairman and the King. “Sir, I urge you to reconsider.”
Basil ignored the compy and showed only contempt for his deputy. “You think I don’t know how you and Sarein plotted against me, Cain, subverting my authority at every turn? I’m the only one with vision, the only one who can lead the human race where it needs to go. You are such a disappointment.” He swept his gaze around the sealed room. “All of you — complete failures! Peter, Fitzpatrick — even you, Colonel Andez!”
General Brindle’s response over the communicator interrupted his rant. “Guillotine codes are confirmed, sir. As you ordered.” He sounded stiff and displeased. “The Confederation ships have been shut down, weapons and shields are inactive. Except for the Roamer vessels among them, all are dead in space.” The man’s voice wavered, distorted by static. “I fail to see, however, what you intend to accomplish here. I still need their help to retrieve the escape pods from my wrecked fleet.”
Basil lifted the communicator again. “General Brindle, I issued an order for you to open fire on the Confederation ships. Have you destroyed the enemy fleet yet?”
Peter spoke loudly enough to cut through the Chairman’s words. “General, this is your King. The Chairman has been deposed, and I command you not to listen to him. Queen Estarra is aboard the Jupiter.”
“Actually,” Brindle said dryly, “she is in a small trader ship directly off my bow and directly in my line of fire. She and Ambassador Sarein have made quite a compelling case for me to switch my allegiance to the Confederation.”
Basil clutched the communicator and shouted so loudly that flecks of spittle flew out of his mouth. “Are you threatening a mutiny, General? Your entire lifetime of honorable service speaks against it. I gave you an order — ”
Brindle’s response overlapped the Chairman’s words in the brief transmission lag. “I do not believe this attack is warranted. Circumstances have quite plainly changed.”
“I didn’t ask your opinion, General. Destroy the Confederation ships!”
The EDF commander’s turmoil boiled up in his words. “I cannot open fire on a sovereign leader.”
Basil blinked as if he had never expected the General to defy him. “Don’t be ridiculous. The Confederation is not a legitimate government. They are a clear threat to the entire Hansa. Open fire!”
After a hesitation longer than the time lag required, Brindle replied, “I will not.”
His eyes flared, and his voice was like acid. “Your wife currently serves on an EDF base. I have had her watched, and now I will order her to be taken into custody. I never dreamed I would have to use strong-arm tactics to get you to follow simple commands, General.”
Conrad’s voice was brittle. “And I never dreamed that a real leader would resort to taking innocent hostages or threatening loyal citizens. I have made a grave error in not realizing sooner that King Peter is my true commander-in-chief. I won’t let you use Natalie as a pawn.”
Basil turned as pale as curdled milk. He shouted, “If you do not do as you’re told, I will order you and your bridge crew executed as mutineers!”
Only a crackle of static came from the communicator. The EDF commander had cut off the transmission.
Basil spun to Andez, whose four guards stood close together in the sealed room. They seemed deeply unsettled now that General Brindle had abandoned the Chairman. Several of them seemed ready to throw down their weapons.
Basil, somehow, didn’t see it. “Colonel Andez, it is time to end this. I order Peter’s execution. Shoot him down for usurping King Rory’s throne.”
“He can have the throne!” the boy cried.
“You shut your mouth!”
Foreseeing a threat to Peter, OX immediately placed himself in front of the throne, using his hard polymer-and-metal body as a barricade. “I cannot allow you to harm the King. My programming prevents it. You will have to shoot through me.”
Andez’s hand twitched, but she did not draw her firearm