America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 3: Silent Invasion by Walter Knight

delegates to the convention. That led to even more arrests.
Nothing came of initial reports that there was a second sniper in
the park. However, the trail of suspects and evidence eventually
led investigators across the galaxy to New Colorado. It was just as
the Fleet Commander had suspected.
    By acclamation, the Fleet Commander, himself
having some royal blood, was elected Emperor by the Assembly. With
blood still wet on his uniform, the Fleet Commander accepted the
ceremonial crown and scepter. His first executive order was a
general mobilization of the military. The fleets and army were
ordered to New Colorado.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Special Forces Commander #1 summoned all
negotiators for a special emergency meeting. General Kalipetsis
could not make it, so I filled in.
    “Have you arrested the mass murderer Carlos
Bonanno yet?” asked the Special Forces Commander, getting right to
the point.
    “No,” I replied. “We have been through this
before. Your arrest warrants have to be approved by General
Kalipetsis, and he says there is a question of sovereignty at stake
that must be resolved.”
    “I now have two more Imperial Arrest
Warrants,” announced the Special Forces Commander, waving the
paperwork. “They will be served immediately!”
    I read the warrants. They included another
warrant for Bonanno and a warrant for someone named Louis Gotti.
Both warrants were for murder. “What is this all about?” I asked.
“Who got killed this time?”
    “Bonanno and Gotti conspired to murder the
Emperor,” replied the Special Forces Commander. “More arrest
warrants will be issued soon, as the investigation expands.”
    “The Emperor was assassinated?” I asked. I
was stunned. “That is terrible. Surely you do not think the Legion
or any part of our government had anything to do with a conspiracy
to murder the Emperor, or had any advance knowledge of a
conspiracy.”
    “That very possibility is being looked in
to,” said the Special Forces Commander, staring at Lieutenant
Lopez. “Your involvement would not surprise me.”
    “Who do you think you are looking at?” yelled
Lieutenant Lopez. Rising from his seat, he gave the Special Forces
Commander a shove. Aides had to pull the two apart. “Are you
accusing me of something, punk?”
    “This meeting is over,” said the Special
Forces Commander. “The Fleet Commander will return soon. Serve
those arrest warrants before the Fleet Commander gets back, or he
will serve the warrants himself.”
    “Are you trying to start a war?” I asked.
“That is where this is headed. It will take time to sort this out.
Is this just a pretext for war?”
    “Soldiers do not want to start wars,”
explained the Special Forces Commander. “Wars are started by
politicians. Our military is being mobilized. The momentum for war
may be bigger than any of us. As much as I hate you human
pestilence, I do not want war. Serve those warrants and find those
responsible for the murder of the Emperor, and we might yet avert
another war.
     
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Contents

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 9
     
    Air-raid shelters and extensive escape
tunnels had been dug under all Mafioso residences and businesses in
New Memphis since the last dispute between the Legion and the Mob.
Simply bombing the Mafia from space, as tempting as that might
sound, was not an option this time around. Besides, I wanted to
capture as many thugs as I could so that they could be interrogated
or turned over to the spiders. I declared martial law and signed
arrest warrants for most of the organized crime members of New
Memphis. I put up roadblocks so no one could leave town. Top on the
list of names were Bonanno, Gotti, and Battaglia.
    Legion strike teams stormed all known Mafioso
residences, businesses, and properties, with no luck. As expected,
Mafia family and associates were able to escape through the
tunnels. They knew we were coming, anyway. Frustrated, I had their
property burned to the ground. Anonymous tips