28 Loose Lips #3
“Have they not already? They’ve already found a schism in the Imperial ranks and exploited it to end the war on their terms, or do you think a truly unified Empire would have stopped advancing on the eve of victory?
” Zukov did not respond, either verbally or violently, so I took that as leave to continue convincing him.
“Tell me this, if the Emperor destroyed the Commonwealth outright, could the Federation defeat her armies? Could they even last another ten years? Maybe, but I doubt they would last two. Your armed forces would grind the Federation to powder, just like the Commonwealth. The only ones who benefit from the Federation’s deal are the Federation themselves and those Imperials who will use it to advance up the Imperial ladder.
How stable do you think that ladder will stay when the Federation breaks your treaty? ”
“I suppose you’re here to stop me,” Zukov asked, his face still blank.
I had to choose my words carefully, but somehow, I felt in total control. I knew what to say.
“I’m not going to stop you. I’m going to speak, you will listen, and when I am done speaking, you will stop yourself.”
Count Zukov’s hand relaxed ever so slightly, moving a minute distance away from the hilt of his zeroblade dirk. “Speak, then.”
I took a step forwards, establishing my authority by forcing him back a step to sit on his firing stool.
“It is no secret I wish to end the war. The fate of my nation depends on it. It seems you wish to end the war as well. I can see why – if the Emperor wins the war outright, there will be no controlling her, and if some damned desperate Allied idiot trips a second Fall, then everything is lost. End the war now, though, and there are still many opportunities for a clever man like you to mold the Empire. So you grasp at the Federation’s imbecilic opportunity, not realizing it’s a trap.
You are agreeing to a twenty-year truce if that, not a permanent peace.
When the Federation feels ready, they will peel systems from the Empire like the layers of an onion.
If you don’t stop them now, then by your life’s end, the heart of your Empire will be at risk, and your people will remember you made the deal leading to your great nation’s ignominious end.
“But, if you leave the Commonwealth intact, we will rebuild our military might and serve as a natural counterweight to Federation ambitions. We’ve kept them out of your space for a long, long time and can continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
There is more to gain by ending this war with a strong Commonwealth to oppose the Federation than there is to an armistice with an unimpeded Federation destabilizing the sector along your border. ”
I stopped speaking, waiting for Count Zukov’s reply. When it came, I was disappointed.
The count spoke slowly, with deliberation.
“I fail to see how Federation occupation of Commonwealth colonies would threaten us. Yes, the Federation will gain by annexing them, but those Fallspace systems are far from Imperial space. Even after they annex their occupied Urgan systems, the Federation would only share a small border with the Empire. The Royal Commonwealth’s remnant will still lie between us. ”
I parried immediately, hoping the violence of my counter would overcome the weight of his arguments.
“And how long do you expect that to last? If you cripple the Commonwealth, the Federation will surely dominate it, or annex it altogether, and nothing will stand between you and the Federation’s boundless ambitions. ”
The count took another moment to consider my words before saying, “You only argue this way because you wish to save the Commonwealth.”
He was changing tactics. Perhaps he knew his previous arguments were less than solid.
I took a gamble and attacked his weak spot.
“Of course I’m trying to save my beloved homeland, but does it matter?
I thought you Imperials mixed personal and public ambitions as a matter of course. I’m just trying to fit in.”
Zukov laughed. “I doubt the Emperor will see it that way.”
And now, for the finishing blow. I stepped in and punched him on the arm in a comradely manner, implying we were allies in this.
“That’s why you need to help me convince her.
She’s about to make a horrible mistake, and I refuse to let anything harm my Emperor, even her own ignorance.
Now is your chance to change your path and save the Empire. ”
Count Zukov gave me a strange, appraising look. I couldn’t read it. It held several emotions – confusion in the furrowed eyebrows, approval in the gently grinning lips, distaste in the wrinkled nose. Was he in league with me, or not?
Finally, the count spoke. “I will see what I can do. Tonight, we determine the Empire’s future.”
I held out my hand, and the demon lord took it, engulfing it in his paw without crushing it. Surely, that must be a good sign, I thought as I pumped his fist. “For the Empire.”
“For the Empire,” Zukov repeated. Then he stood and once more gave me his conflicted look before leaving me in the shooting range, alone with my thoughts.
What was that look about? I wished Boleslaw had been with me – I was certain the colonel could tell me every detail of Count Zukov’s inner monologue, but as it was, I only had my vague impressions. We would see this evening if I had read the Imperial count correctly.