Sacrifice

Chapter 43 - The Ones Left Behind

Adir stood in the crowd, looking at the body of the girl he loved. He hadn't gotten to the square in time to do anything but to watch her die. He heard the sound of soldiers approaching from behind.

"Captain Doran, you're under arrest for crimes against the Emperor."

Adir ignored the voice. If he took his eyes away from Kalli's body, it would be the last that he saw of her. The butt of a plasma rifle hit him in the low back, and he dropped to his knees. He kept watching Kalli's limp form until the butt of a rifle hit him in the temple and his world went dark.

# # #

As soon as Bhirdan was able to stand, he ordered the medical staff out of his way and headed to his father's office. He was out of sorts because he now had a guard detail beside him around the clock, because no one would tell him what had happened with his Princely Project and, worse of all, because his calls to Kalli refused to connect.

The Emperor looked up as Bhirdan let himself into the office. "You're on your feet. What's the latest from the doctors?"

"I'll recover fully," Bhirdan assured his father impatiently. "What of my project? The window lapsed two days ago. Did the ships launch?"

The harsh lines of the Emperor's face tightened as he grimaced.

"Sit," he ordered his son. "As you know, I and several of my courtiers had debts held by the Cirt Council of Elder."

"Of course." Bhirdan helped himself to a glass of water and tried to hide his impatience.

"I had planned to use the poisonous gasses produced by the colony ships to flood the Cirt's compound and be rid of them."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow as Bhirdan choked on a mouthful of water.

"I assume your fondness for the Cirts has waned in the light of recent events. You are my only son, I will not have the Empire see us at odds."

Bhirdan felt a chill run through him. "The Cirts have never been known to use plasma rifles." He said, laying out his thoughts deliberately. "Yet the shot looks like it was placed by an expert marksman intent on doing the least amount of damage possible."

The Emperor didn't respond.

"What happened with my project?" repeated Bhirdan, drawing the conversation away from such a dangerous cliff.

Grimacing, the Emperor stood and moved to the liquor cabinet, his back to his son.

"The Cirts managed to hijack your ships and flee the planet on them. They were assisted by a noble woman and a captain of the North Gate."

Bhirdan felt his blood run cold.

"We're going to have to come up with a statement from you now that you're on your feet."

"Father," Bhirdan interrupted, "the noble woman and the guard, what happened to them?"

The Emperor finally glanced over his shoulder at his son. "The girl has been taken care of and the captain is in custody."

The Emperor poured himself a glass of liquor.

"I need you to get started on the press release. You'll find the transcripts for the girl's trial and execution on your desk. I leave how to punish the captain in your capable hands."

Bhirdan's ears were ringing as he left his father's presence. Once in the hall, he ran for his office at full tilt, forcing his bodyguards to scramble to keep up. When he reached his office, he staggered slightly at the threshold, still not completely recovered from the blood loss.