28 Loose Lips
LOOSE LIPS
I FOUND BOLESLAW and the prince in the Commonwealth suites.
Pulling them aside, I quickly laid out the nature of d’Lyre’s information and the details of the deal between the Emperor and the Federation senator.
Both listened patiently as I explained, but Boleslaw blanched further with every word, and the prince sagged beneath the weight of my report.
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
Boleslaw spoke. “First, we’ll try to confirm the veracity of the Federation’s claim. If these are Federation lies, then this deal is null and void. In the meantime, we need a plan to counter the Federation’s seizures.”
The prince sighed heavily, deflating further.
“If what Lady d’Lyre says is true, then there is very little we can do to stop the Federation’s machinations.
While I will not mourn the loss of the Despotate’s government, we can’t argue for the Urgan people if they detonated a Fall device, and we cannot defend ourselves from occupation.
Our armies are depleted, and our remaining allies cannot offer sufficient support to take on the Federation. ”
“Then what can we do?” I asked.
“Look for other allies,” Boleslaw replied, giving me a significant look.
I scoffed. “What, the Empire? The Emperor made it clear she won’t defend the Commonwealth against the Federation. There must be another option. What about the nations on the Federation’s far border?”
Boleslaw shook her head. “Small, disjointed, squabbling states always at war with one another. The Federation dominates the politics of that region, appointing and overthrowing rulers as they see fit. The puppet kings are kept in a constant state of conflict by Federation merchants, who sell arms and aid to whomever has more money to pay. None of them will bear arms against their benefactor – the Federation would simply overthrow their government and replace them with a sympathetic dictator who would gratefully buy Federation goods, fueling the economic engine.”
“Beyond them, then,” I insisted, but Boleslaw raised her hand.
“There’s no one strong enough to take on the Federation until you reach the far side of the next quadrant.
Ten years ago, we could have taken them down, but we had no reason to.
Given time, we could recover and fight them again, but if the Federation takes the Fallspace colonies and the Empire takes the League frontier systems, then we will lose much of our manufacturing capability.
I fear this will save us in the meantime, but set the stage for the Royal Commonwealth’s inevitable partition and elimination. ”
I gasped. “Surely, it can’t be that bad.”
Prince Aureli glowered over his brandy. “You know how the Federation is. They never stop unless they are forced to stop. If we are weak, they will destroy us, or turn us into another dependent puppet state, a vassal in all but name.”
I clenched my fists and declared, “I won’t let that happen.”
Prince Aureli chuckled ruefully. “You? A mere sky captain? What do you think you can do which the Commonwealth’s combined forces cannot?”
“As Captain, little. As Consort, much,” I replied.
“You just said the Emperor is unwilling to help us,” Boleslaw reminded me.
“True, but she is not the only faction in play,” I said. “What about Yezhidia?”
“Yezhidia’s a minor nation,” Prince Aureli said, his voice thick with contempt.
“Yezhidia was a minor nation. Now, it’s a major regional power. They more than doubled their territory in the war, and their soldiers are tough, disciplined, and well-equipped.”
“Why would Yezhidia help us, their enemies?” the prince asked, but Boleslaw stroked her jawline.
“If what Captain Boylan says is true, Yezhidia will share a border with the Federation. With the Despotate and the League dissolved, Yezhidia would likely be the Federation’s next most appetizing neighbor.”
“Won’t the Empire defend Yezhidia?” the prince asked. Both he and Boleslaw turned to me.
“Possibly,” I replied. “If the Federation attacks militarily, yes, but if they slowly establish economic hegemony, I doubt the Empire will care until it’s too late.”
A thought came to me. “We might not count the Empire out entirely.”
“How so?” Boleslaw asked.
“There are factions in the Emperor’s court.
Some are more… sensible than others,” I said.
“As Consort, I have access to the princes at court. I can speak to them. If I can convince them that a strengthened Federation would upset the balance of power on their border, they might intercede on our behalf with the Emperor. I doubt we can save the Despotate, but we might save our Fallspace colonies and frontier territories if the demons realize a pair of competing powers benefits the Empire more than a single superpower at their gates.”
“What do you need from us?” Boleslaw asked.
“Your permission to try,” I answered.
The prince stood. “I never liked you, Boylan, and I still think you are too inexperienced to trust with a mission of such grave importance, but it seems we have little choice. If you save our nation, I will be forever in your debt.”
“Whatever we can do to help, we will,” Boleslaw promised.
“Finding out whether d’Lyre’s information is real or not is the best thing you can do right now. Meanwhile, I need a fresh outfit. I’ve got some diplomacy to do.” I bowed and was dismissed.
Wiktor was waiting for me in my room, professional as always. “Good morning, Captain. Your shower is prepared, and I’ve taken the liberty of laying out a day uniform I think will serve nicely.”
I stripped off my rumpled uniform and looked at the flying leathers, thick gloves, and long scarf he had ready for me. “A little informal, don’t you think?”
“The day’s entertainment involves a terrain race around the mountain’s base,” Wiktor explained. “I thought a more utilitarian outfit would suit your skills on a hoversteed better than a courtly tunic.”
“Regardless, please prepare my dress greens,” I ordered.
Wiktor paused, nonplussed by my request for my most formal uniform. “But, Captain, won’t you be cold?”
“I doubt it, since I won’t be racing,” I replied, examining my shirt cuffs, wishing I owned better cufflinks.
“The Emperor will be most displeased, sir,” Wiktor said, still holding my leather flying jacket.
“The Emperor will have to learn to live with disappointment. I have other things to attend to today,” I said snappishly. “Now, are you going to get my parade uniform, or will I have to call for another manservant?”
“Of course, sir,” Wiktor replied with a hint of reproach. I found I didn’t care. I had bigger things to worry about.
“And have my white tie evening dress ready for dinner,” I ordered. If things went well, everything would culminate this evening, and if things did not go well, then at least I would die well-dressed.
I had chosen formalwear to make a statement, and my message was not lost on the assembled notables. The racers were obvious in their thick flying leathers, and those not inclined to race wore undress day uniforms. I was the only person in formal parade dress.
Archduke Darius laughed when he saw me. “Good heavens, what are you wearing?”
“Do you like it? I felt like looking pretty today,” I said flirtatiously, then I hooked my arm around his and walked, forcefully directing him towards a private side room.
“I know I may dance the female side of the ball, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to propose,” the archduke chided me, but his eyes were serious above his amused smile as he silently asked me for an explanation.
I shut the door behind us and released his arm. “I’m not looking to screw you today, Darius, not after the Federation reamed me out last night, and you wouldn’t want me to since they’re planning to screw you rough soon enough.”
Darius frowned. “The Federation is supposed to want to screw me over. We are enemies, you know.”
“As are we, but the Federation is making moves to end this conflict in such a way as we’ll both be crushed in the next war.
” I quickly explained the post-war quadrant Lady d’Lyre had laid out for me this morning.
The archduke listened politely, his face calm, but slowly grew more and more rigid.
When I finished with my predictions for the next war, he sighed, exasperated.
“Well, that sounds about right,” he said.
I grabbed the archduke by the shoulders and shook him. “Damn it, man, muster a fuck to give! This is the end of both our nations I’m talking about.”
Darius shoved me away. “You think I don’t know that? I do, but what do you expect me to do about it? I’m a minor Imperial ally. The Emperor only supports me as long as I fight alongside her forces. If the Federation gives her a better deal, I’m certain the Empire will sell Yezhidia down the river.”
“I expect you to get a grip and help me stop the Federation,” I snarled.
“And how are we going to do that?” Darius asked.
I held up two fingers. “Two ways. First, we confirm the Federation’s intel is correct.
If they’re lying or even just wrong, the whole deal is off, and we can negotiate a better one.
Two, even if the Federation is right that the Despotate detonated the Fall device to deny the Emperor another planetary conquest, we still have a chance if we convince enough Imperial nobles that a strong Commonwealth and Yezhidia are necessary for the balance of power in the quadrant.
Even if the demon lords don’t give a shit about which nations survive, they don’t want to lose everything they just won because they let one of their enemies get too much at the peace treaty. ”
“That’s not a miserable idea,” Darius decided after a moment’s thought.
“I’m buoyed by your vote of confidence,” I said flatly.
“Easy on, you know it’s a long shot as much as I do. Sadly, it’s the only shot we’ve got,” Darius said. “Do you want to tell Princess Marie?”
“I will if I find her before the race,” I said. “At least, I assume she’s racing.”
“She is. I’ll find her and fill her in somewhere on the mountainside,” Darius promised.