bombing.”
“ Which it did because the
people on that ship who did the bombing were not my people. We were
somewhere else. That ship was not the Black Swan. It was another
ship, made in secret, designed to the exact specifications as my
ship. Meant in every way to seem like my ship. To make any observer
believe they are looking at my ship. But if we were ever in the
same place, trust me you’d be seeing double.”
“ I want to believe you,”
said Calvin. “But I need proof.”
“ And a lot of it,” added
Summers.
Kalila nodded. “As you should. And the
evidence that I have with me is complete and convincing. It has
taken some time to collect, but it will acquit me not only in your
eyes but in the eyes of the Assembly and the Imperial public.”
“ That’s a bold claim,” said
Summers.
“ A bold truth,” said Kalila.
“I intend to go to the Assembly floor and acquit myself, my House,
and my crew before the entire Empire. That will frustrate our
enemies’ plans, and hopefully buy us enough time to identify them
and expose them. We
will root out their festering influence and excise it from the
military, the government, and the Empire. Then all will again be as
it should.” Her dark eyes shimmered in the office lighting and
Calvin was taken in by them. They were unflinching, unyielding, and
uncompromising. Calvin had zero doubt that Kalila spoke her words
sincerely.
“ That sounds like a pretty
good plan to me,” said Calvin. To strike against the enemy in their
own house, and purge the Empire once and for all of the Phoenix
Ring and all the corrupt elements that had taken hold, that was a
worthy goal if ever Calvin had heard one. And it would also mean a
chance to find out what had happened to Rafael and, hopefully, come
to his aid.
“ I’d like to see this
evidence that is so convincing,” said Summers.
“ And see it you shall,” said
Kalila. She reached into the pocket of her civilian clothing and
withdrew a tiny data disc. “This disc is the key. On it is
everything we need to make our case before the Assembly. It must be
kept safe at all costs.”
“ Before you start planning
your case before the Assembly, perhaps you’d better first make your
case here,” said Summers.
Kalila ignored Summers and looked deeply
into Calvin’s eyes. “Here, Calvin,” she handed him the disc. He
took it from her gingerly and held it. It was so tiny and yet it
represented so much, if it could do what Kalila claimed it would.
“I want you to hold onto it,” she said. She reached out and placed
a hand on his wrist. He felt a spark at her touch. “Calvin I am
trusting you with this. In your hand you hold my fate, my family’s
fate, and the fate of the Empire.”
Suddenly the tiny disc felt very heavy.
“ Can I trust you?” she
asked.
He nodded. Too stunned to speak.
“ Enough dramatics, let’s see
this evidence,” said Summers. “If it is as strong as you claim,
then you have my full support. I am ever a servant of the Empire.
But if it is not, if there is room for even a shred of doubt, then
I will not be able to trust you. And I think it is only fair that
you know that I intend to advise Calvin, in such a case, not to
trust you either.”
Kalila smiled. “Then I have nothing to worry
about. And I look forward to counting you among my strongest
supporters.”
With a surprising amount of reluctance,
Calvin pulled his hand away from Kalila’s tender touch and inserted
the disc into his computer terminal. The princess got up from her
chair and walked around the desk so all three of them could get a
good look at Calvin’s display.
On the disc were several file groups. Kalila
coached him through the different screens. “This is the one that
took the longest to obtain,” she said as Calvin pulled up documents
ostensibly taken from the Secure Polarian Archives. It was a
network of military and other secrets within the Confederacy that
even high-ranking political leaders had no access to, it
“ Which it did because the
people on that ship who did the bombing were not my people. We were
somewhere else. That ship was not the Black Swan. It was another
ship, made in secret, designed to the exact specifications as my
ship. Meant in every way to seem like my ship. To make any observer
believe they are looking at my ship. But if we were ever in the
same place, trust me you’d be seeing double.”
“ I want to believe you,”
said Calvin. “But I need proof.”
“ And a lot of it,” added
Summers.
Kalila nodded. “As you should. And the
evidence that I have with me is complete and convincing. It has
taken some time to collect, but it will acquit me not only in your
eyes but in the eyes of the Assembly and the Imperial public.”
“ That’s a bold claim,” said
Summers.
“ A bold truth,” said Kalila.
“I intend to go to the Assembly floor and acquit myself, my House,
and my crew before the entire Empire. That will frustrate our
enemies’ plans, and hopefully buy us enough time to identify them
and expose them. We
will root out their festering influence and excise it from the
military, the government, and the Empire. Then all will again be as
it should.” Her dark eyes shimmered in the office lighting and
Calvin was taken in by them. They were unflinching, unyielding, and
uncompromising. Calvin had zero doubt that Kalila spoke her words
sincerely.
“ That sounds like a pretty
good plan to me,” said Calvin. To strike against the enemy in their
own house, and purge the Empire once and for all of the Phoenix
Ring and all the corrupt elements that had taken hold, that was a
worthy goal if ever Calvin had heard one. And it would also mean a
chance to find out what had happened to Rafael and, hopefully, come
to his aid.
“ I’d like to see this
evidence that is so convincing,” said Summers.
“ And see it you shall,” said
Kalila. She reached into the pocket of her civilian clothing and
withdrew a tiny data disc. “This disc is the key. On it is
everything we need to make our case before the Assembly. It must be
kept safe at all costs.”
“ Before you start planning
your case before the Assembly, perhaps you’d better first make your
case here,” said Summers.
Kalila ignored Summers and looked deeply
into Calvin’s eyes. “Here, Calvin,” she handed him the disc. He
took it from her gingerly and held it. It was so tiny and yet it
represented so much, if it could do what Kalila claimed it would.
“I want you to hold onto it,” she said. She reached out and placed
a hand on his wrist. He felt a spark at her touch. “Calvin I am
trusting you with this. In your hand you hold my fate, my family’s
fate, and the fate of the Empire.”
Suddenly the tiny disc felt very heavy.
“ Can I trust you?” she
asked.
He nodded. Too stunned to speak.
“ Enough dramatics, let’s see
this evidence,” said Summers. “If it is as strong as you claim,
then you have my full support. I am ever a servant of the Empire.
But if it is not, if there is room for even a shred of doubt, then
I will not be able to trust you. And I think it is only fair that
you know that I intend to advise Calvin, in such a case, not to
trust you either.”
Kalila smiled. “Then I have nothing to worry
about. And I look forward to counting you among my strongest
supporters.”
With a surprising amount of reluctance,
Calvin pulled his hand away from Kalila’s tender touch and inserted
the disc into his computer terminal. The princess got up from her
chair and walked around the desk so all three of them could get a
good look at Calvin’s display.
On the disc were several file groups. Kalila
coached him through the different screens. “This is the one that
took the longest to obtain,” she said as Calvin pulled up documents
ostensibly taken from the Secure Polarian Archives. It was a
network of military and other secrets within the Confederacy that
even high-ranking political leaders had no access to, it
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