The image flickered in the air, the woman’s face fading in and out as the sound of her voice crackled.
“The body of minister Stavros Marquel was found early this morning locked in his bedroom. A suicide note on his wristpad sent the government into turmoil. The High Seat announced this unfortunate event couldn’t have happened at a worse time and that his replacement may have to wait until this alien invasion crisis is over.
“Speaking of the aliens, their sudden disappearance has unsettled our military who...”
Athissia’s voice drifted off, leaving the anchor’s floating form moving her lips into the empty air.
“Unsettled?” Val snorted. “Understatement of the year. I’ll bet they’re in a panic now. And what’s with the poor reception, Nim?”
“I’m not sure, Val. I detect no nearby radiations and we haven’t gone through any—”
“It’s the aliens,” cut in the old AI’s voice.
“What?”
“They are disrupting communications. It’s part of their strategy.”
She squinted at the dashboard. “And you know everything about their strategy, do you?”
“I do not, but I can calculate probabilities.”
“And why would they want to disrupt our communications?”
“To sow chaos and panic,” said Mrill. “Enemies are easier to subdue when they are confused. They become more vulnerable.”
Val thought about that for a moment and nodded. It made sense, didn’t it? It’s harder to focus on anything when you have no clue what’s going on.
“We are approaching Rimzana,” called out Nim. A pause. “Qevahri forces are hailing us.”
“So it’s true,” muttered Val. “They’ve taken over. This is nuts.” She shook her head and straightened in her seat. Looked around at the stars. “No more battles, at least. That’s an improvement over last time.” She glanced back at the controls. “Alright, AI, I suppose you’ve got this all figured out?”
“I am sending them your credentials even as we speak.”
“Val...” Nim’s voice sounded confused. “The ship is telling them we are Sobranite merchants.”
“Sobranite?”
“Sobranis,” started the AI, “is a small, independent Republic in the Vaxorin Quadrant. They remain on good terms with both the Imperium and Qevahr. Because they are so small, no one has bothered to ask them to take sides in the current conflict. I calculated our best chances to be let through would be to pose as merchants from this world.”
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Val grunted. “Fine. I just wish you would consult us before making these calls. There are human beings on this ship, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“I assure you I am very aware of this, Val. Do not worry, I always factor you all into my calculations.”
“Not the point. I—”
“Our request to land has just been approved,” said Nim.
She sighed. “Alright. Let’s just get down there and find Kaine. Do we know where to look?”
“We can start with the warehouse where his ship was impounded. But we have likely arrived before him.”
“You can’t know that.”
“He’d have to use a gateway to get here first, but because of the invasion all gateways have been repurposed by the military to help evacuate endangered worlds. There is only a 9% chance of him already being here.”
“So, what do we do in the meantime?” asked Mrill as Starrider began its descent toward the surface of the planet.
“And how will we even know when he’s arrived?” added Nim.
“Our best chance,” said the AI, “is to monitor his ship. I’ve already hacked into warehouse security and will know whenever someone boards his vessel.”
Val rubbed her face as she shook her head.
“I think I’ll go into the city while we wait for him to show up,” she said with a sigh. “Want to get a sense of how the local population is dealing with the change of administration.”
“I’ll come with you,” said Mrill.
The two women headed out as soon as Starrider landed.
At first glance, the city did not look any different from what she remembered. Walking tubes sprung from the ground, shooting through the sky to carry their load of pedestrians, while gliders sped by, all under a translucent dome that reflected the light of the sun. Even the guards she spotted looked just as bored as those she had met before. But this time, the green and red uniforms of the Impies were nowhere to be seen.
She frowned. “I’m not seeing any Qevahri troops.”
“I don’t think they have soldiers,” said Mrill.
“How could they have won this battle without soldiers?”
“Technology.”
“Still, they’d need people to handle those ships.”
“Scientists.”
Val grimaced. “We haven’t had any of those in the Imperium for over a hundred years.”
“That we know of.”
They headed to a transit station and boarded a shuttle as they chatted.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
The Vron looked at Val with her usual blank expression.
“Despite being a part of the Imperium, some worlds are so cut off that we know little of what is going on there. Not to mention, those ships had to come from somewhere.” A pause. “Though with proper training, anyone could fly a ship. It does not require a scientist or a soldier.”
“Fair enough.” Val looked through the window at the crowded tubes as they flew by. “Still, wouldn’t they need soldiers to keep the peace? You can’t just overtake a world and expect the population to be happy about it.”
“There is little love for the Imperials in the rim.”
“True. But of all the rimworlds, Rimzana is the one closest to the heart. There used to be hundreds of troops posted here.”
“Just because it had a strong Imperial presence doesn’t mean the people were happy about it.” The blue-skinned woman glanced out the window. “Look. There is no unrest.”
Val had noticed as much and, for some reason, it troubled her. How could a brutal takeover end with such a smooth transition? It didn’t feel right.
And what had happened to the Imperials who had been here, on the ground? Wouldn’t the Qevahri have needed soldiers to deal with them? Were those Impies all dead now or locked up in some cages?
There’d be some justice in that, at least.