What War Had Wrought (Rise of the Empire Book 7) Read online

  “The Empire can give you defensive platforms and scouts. But the Empire and the Erasi are still in talks; if we give you direct military aid right now, there will be no hope of resolving this peacefully.”

  “Peacefully?” Dai Sha Horaas asked. “The Erasi need to pay for the lives they took, and for daring to attack the Shara Daim!”

  “You think that your Legions can do that, against those numbers?” Adrian asked calmly.

  “He won’t like that,” Iris chimed in in his head.

  Dai Sha Horaas took a step towards Adrian, towering over him, but before he could do anything, Sora and Akash both growled.

  “Told you.”

  “Enough!” Anessa said, glaring at Horaas, who after a moment bowed his head and took a step back. “We can’t defeat those numbers,” Anessa continued. “Not without losing a lot of territory and people.” She then turned to Adrian. “The Erasi have already attacked your Empire; you must realize that they are stalling your talks to get that force ready to attack. They don’t plan on accepting your Emperor’s demands.”

  “I know, but in stalling us they are giving us time. If my people attacked with yours now, they would send those fleets whether they are ready or not. Time they take to dissuade the Empire from providing you with military aid is time that we can use to build more fleets that can help you against them,” Adrian said.

  “The best course of action would be for us to attack now,” Anessa started. “Take back as much of our territory as possible and fortify it for that fleet. Unless they split it up, they will be forced to move through hyperspace, which will give us some more time than if they go through trans-space. If they do split them up, we will be able to ambush them, provided that we know where they are going. You should order your stealth ships to that system to monitor them.”

  “If you plan on restarting the fighting, you should do so only after we have eyes on them and after my people speak with the Erasi government, because they will certainly speed up their preparations once they get word that you attacked them,” Adrian said. “I will send messages to Tarabat for our people to put more pressure on the Erasi government and tell them that you won’t wait for them to deliberate and that you will stop the hostilities only if they agree to serious talks. Perhaps we can get more information out of them, if nothing else. But once that fleet starts to move, you will have my ships.”

  “That is acceptable,” Anessa said.

  ***

  Two hours later, Anessa and Adrian were in their quarters with Sora and Akash lying down in a corner of the room that had been refurnished for them.

  “You promised us aid against the Erasi; I can’t understand why you are hesitating now. We planned to attack once your fleets arrived,” Anessa said.

  “Yes, but that was before we opened a diplomatic dialogue with them, and before we knew about those reinforcements. My six fleets will not make much difference,” Adrian said.

  “You know that they are stalling you. They will never bow to your demands,” Anessa argued.

  “I know, but they think that they are stalling us, when they are in fact giving us time. Time for your people to start using technologies that my people gave you.”

  “It will take more time for all my Legions to be retrofitted with your ‘skim’ drives than what they will give us,” Anessa said, and then sat down on a Shara Daim-style backless sofa.

  “You already have one Legion with the skim drives; others will be retrofitted, and even one of your Legions with skim ability is an asset,” Adrian said. “Your shipyards are constructing ships as fast they can, and our fabricators—once they arrive—will speed up your ship construction considerably.”

  Anessa remained silent, thinking. Adrian could tell that there was something else bothering her.

  “What is it?” Adrian asked.

  She turned to look at him with her white eyes, her face expressionless. “My people don’t like it when you challenge me, argue with me. Especially when in the presence of other Dai Sha,” Anessa said.

  Adrian nodded and knelt at her side. “I know. You are the ruler of Shara Daim, but I am the Lord Sentinel of the Empire. When you speak to me as Kar Daim of Shara Daim, I can only speak as the voice of the Emperor. I cannot answer you any other way.”

  “I understand that, it is they who do not,” Anessa said, her expression turning grim. “I think that the Dai Sha’s fear of me is lessening,” she added. “Not all of them, but a few of the more powerful ones, the ones that were away when I killed the Elders and when you killed Farran. The stories that those present spoke are losing their effectiveness. There are even rumors that I bested Farran and gave the credit to you.”

  Adrian remained quiet. He could see that she was not finished.

  Finally she spoke again. “I was trained to lead a Legion, and I believed that one day I would guide the Shara Daim as a respected Elder. But now I have taken the power for myself, and I forced my people to follow me. I did not inherit the title that was respected and owed fealty—I created a new one. Many followed simply because we had the Erasi threatening our people, and I was strong. Now that we haven’t had anything more than a small skirmish with the Erasi in months, the other Dai Sha have had time to think, and as I am very aware now, not many of them liked me all that much. How does your Emperor keep his power?”

  Adrian sighed. “Tomas is a very different ruler than you, and the people of the Empire are a very different people than the Shara Daim. Tomas has very little personal power; all his power comes from the people. Those of us from Earth followed him because he promised us something better than what Earth at the time was. Those who were born into the Empire follow him because his legend has grown; Tomas had saved the people of Earth, he gave us a new start. Now, all follow him because he has given us equality. He has made sure that all, no matter who they were, can become whoever they wish to be. All have had equal opportunities, equal access to knowledge, and equal life standard at the beginning.”

  “How can they all be equal? Some must have more talent, some are smarter, others stronger than others,” Anessa said.

  “You misunderstood. Of course not everyone is equal in ability; what they are equal at is opportunity. Basic needs of everyone are always met; you don’t need to work in order to have the basics of what is required for survival. Anyone can learn whatever he or she wants to learn, anyone can try to become whatever they want to become. There are no requirements for getting knowledge, but there are requirements necessary for getting a position. A person that is naturally more talented at something will pass those requirements much faster than someone who isn’t, and even if the less talented person fails to meet those requirements, they will have a second chance,” Adrian said.

  “Does that not breed people who abuse your system, who fail constantly?” Anessa asked.

  “Our people are raised to believe that their purpose in life is to seek to improve themselves and others in the Empire, through whatever path they decide on. But of course there are laws that prevent constant failing. If someone fails to meet requirements for their desired post twice, they will not be allowed to take those tests for a period of ten years, and for every next failure, another ten years are added to the wait time. In that time, they might decide to pursue other paths, or they might choose to survive on the bare minimum and prepare for the test. But we have the luxury of having that kind of system, as our people don’t age.”

  “I still don’t understand how your Emperor keeps his power,” Anessa said.

  “His way will not work for your people, not unless they change drastically. Tomas has power because people gave it to him willingly. The Empire’s founders trusted him to lead them because of many things, but the most important one was that they knew that he would never abuse their trust. That he would never work for personal gain. The generations that came after had inherited that trust from the older generations. He doesn’t really rule like you do, he delegates between the Clan Leaders, who in turn rule their smaller territ
ories. Each Clan has a different set of laws and customs, without breaching the broader Codes of the Empire. But the title of Emperor has power. He can order anyone to do anything, and he keeps that power because people trust that when he gives an order, it is for the good of all,” Adrian said. “Tomas is a ruler that rules by the grace of his subjects; without the power they gave to him, he would have nothing. You need to decide what kind of a ruler you want to be. Will your people follow you if you appear weak? Will they accept your rule if you delegate it to others? How long will they follow you if they fear that you will kill anyone who doesn’t agree with your rule?”

  “Shara Daim are raised to follow strength,” Anessa answered.

  “But is them fearing you the same as them knowing that you are strong?” Adrian asked.

  “I don’t know any other way,” Anessa said.

  “You need to find one.”

  Anessa looked unsure, but Adrian could see that she had understood what he meant.

  “Now, let’s talk about something more pleasant,” Adrian said, and walked over to the other side of the room where two large crates were placed against a wall. He picked up the one on the left. The crate was heavy, but with Adrian’s enhanced strength it was relatively easy to lift, and he carried it over to Anessa, who stood and looked at him askance. “I have a gift for you,” Adrian said with a smile.

  “I wonder if she will like it,” Iris said in Adrian’s head.

  “I think that she will,” Adrian responded.

  Anessa looked with interest at the crate, and yet Adrian could see a part of her hesitate.

  “What is it?” Anessa asked.

  Adrian just smiled and motioned for her to open it. Anessa knelt and slowly opened the top of the crate, revealing its contents.

  “Is this…?” Anessa trailed off, confused.

  “The Sentinel armor, an upgraded version to replace my old one. And that one was made for you,” Adrian said, gesturing at the armor in the case.

  Anessa looked at the contents of the crate, and Adrian saw that she was hesitant. “I know that you have your Shur At, which doubles as your combat armor,” Adrian said, making Anessa turn her attention back to him. “But the Shur At was never intended to be a combat armor; you copied it directly from the sphere, and the People used it as an EVA suit that could survive most any environment.”

  “It has served us well,” Anessa said defensively.

  “I know, but it wasn’t designed for combat. Its weapons are tools that the People used to cut samples. The only reason they are useful as weapons is because they are so advanced. The Sentinel armor, on the other hand, was designed as a combat suit. It has many features intended for combat.”

  He could see Anessa thinking as she slowly reached with her hand to touch the torso plate.

  “Let’s go to the training room and you can try it on,” Adrian said, hoping that she would see why the Sentinel armor was better once she put it on.

  ***

  Anessa entered the training room carrying the crate in her hands, with Adrian following close behind her with his crate. She didn’t know how to react; she had never been given a gift before. She could see that Adrian was excited for her to have it, but she frankly wasn’t sure how useful the gift would be. She was used to the Shur At; it had been used by her people for a long time with much success. And yet, the warrior part of her was intrigued. The Empire had proven itself capable of devising many ingenious weapons.

  Adrian put down his crate and walked over to her, gesturing for her to open her crate. Once she did, he reached down and pulled out the large chestplate.

  “Let’s get this on you,” he said, and helped her put it over her head and over her upper torso. It took a bit of maneuvering with Anessa’s height, but they managed. She was forced to change her Shur At slightly so that it was completely skintight in order to put the armor on. Adrian then pulled out two pieces that were intended for her lower legs, and after them two pieces for her hands and forearms. The pieces over her hands were strange. On top of her hand there were hard metal plates, and on her palm some kind of malleable material. After they finished putting all the pieces in place, Adrian pulled out a small rectangular box and inserted it into a small slot beneath her arm.

  “What is that?” Anessa asked.

  “That is a cartridge containing NX-02; it is a formula devised by the People that contains concentrated energy. Injecting it will boost your strength and speed for a short while, and also replenish your energy supplies,” Adrian said.

  “It replenishes your energy?” Anessa asked, surprised.

  “Yes, but it can’t be used often. It isn’t as good as what your body produces on its own, so it will drain quicker when you use it. But the most important reason is that using it often or for longer periods of time will cripple you, damage your organs and Sha. That is why there is only this small dose in the suit,” Adrian answered.

  Anessa looked at him one part disgusted and other impressed. The Shara Daim had been trying to figure out a way to artificially replenish the energy they used to manipulate the Sha for a long time, but never with any success. It was an impressive feat, but the fact that using it risked her crippling herself made her feel uneasy.

  “I don’t know if I want to risk using it,” Anessa said.

  “I don’t blame you, but it is relatively safe as long as you don’t use it often. I used it only once,” Adrian said, and glanced at her with a guilty look. “When I fought against you on Tarabat.”

  Anessa’s eyes narrowed. “I knew that I felt something strange then. You were defeated, and then you retaliated with far more strength that you should’ve had left.”

  “I had depleted my reserves, yes,” Adrian said. “I had no choice but to use the drug.”

  Anessa looked at him incredulously. “You cheated!”

  “Is there really anything that can be considered cheating when you are fighting for your life?” Adrian answered smugly. “Let’s get the armor activated,” he added before she had a chance to say anything else. “Your armor has a telepathic interface, since you don’t have an implant. It’s based on the tech that you shared with us, so it should be easy for you to use. But Iris has the manual for yours, so she should be the one to explain.”

  As soon as he said the name of the AI, a hologram of a small woman on fire appeared over his shoulder. Anessa had accepted the fact that Adrian had an AI in his implant, but seeing her just appear as a hologram was still strange, just like the fact that she saw and heard everything that Adrian did.

  “Alright!” Iris exclaimed as she moved to float in front of Anessa. The holographic projector had a short range of around two meters around Adrian where Iris could be projected. “First, the telepathic interface isn’t locked right now, but as soon as you make a connection, it will lock to your telepathic signature so that no one else can use it. So make a connection now.”

  Anessa did as the AI asked, and searched for an interface with her mind. Once she found it, she made a connection. Immediately, her mind was filled with several triggers and words attributed to each one. “I’ve made the connection,” Anessa said.

  “Great. Now, you should feel several triggers, one of which is attributed the Shara Daim word for engage. Activate it, please,” Iris said.

  “I feel it,” Anessa said, and mentally pressed the trigger. Suddenly, small diamond-shaped scales started cascading over her body from the five solid parts of the armor, quickly covering her entire body. As soon as her face was covered, she noticed that she could see right through the plates now covering her face just like she could through Shur At, only then symbols started appearing over her vision. She looked in front of her to see that Adrian had put on his own new armor and was walking towards her. Above him, overlaid on her vision, was his name.

  “I can see your name above you. What is this?” Anessa asked, her voice projected outside of the armor.

  “Your suit has a small computer chip similar to the implants that everyone in the
Empire uses. It is projecting the same thing on your HUD—or your vision—as every person in the Empire sees. Each implant can read the signature of another and display nonprivate information. We call this augmented reality, and everyone in the Empire always has something overlaid on their vision,” Iris said.

  Anessa looked at Adrian in surprise. “You always see these letters and symbols?”

  “Most of the time. Not as much here, as they only work with those who have implants and objects that have our computers, and you don’t. I don’t know what you are seeing now, but my HUD is customized to show information important to me, and I can of course always turn it off and clear my vision,” Adrian responded.

  Anessa was amazed that after several months of living together there was still a thing about Adrian and the Empire that she wasn’t aware of. She could immediately see the benefits of being able to overlay information over her vision.

  Iris flew into her vision and spoke again. “Your HUD is just a standard one. The symbols to the side are a message queue—your suit can receive messages—and a time display. Since you don’t have an implant, you can’t modify your HUD with mental commands, but you can remove the computer chip and access it on any console and then modify it through there.”

  “This version of the armor also has a lot more features more suited for combat,” Adrian said. “For example, last time we fought, you damaged my visual sensors, so I lost half of my vision and was forced to remove my helmet during the battle. This helm”—Adrian tapped his head—“is much sturdier, and there is another feature that can help with vision in case the outside nano-cameras are damaged.” Anessa saw several somethings move fast from his back and then fly over his head. Whatever those were, they were too small to be easily seen by eye, and as she tried to focus her eyes on one of the objects, a portion of her vision split and a small rectangle-shaped window appeared showing the object she was looking at, only much bigger, and Anessa took a step back.