David W. Baumgardner
Begun 1967
Completed 1983
Chapter 1.
The lone man, one Dyan VunDoerf, Captain, Reagency Armed Forces, could appreciate the guards' emotional state; he felt somewhat nervous himself. The sound of Dyans' father berating an individual did that to those hearing the man. And, right now, Charl VunDoerf was loudly berating his superior, the Planetary Reagent Roelf.
The Vice-reagents' voice carried clearly into the anteroom through the heavy, closed doors of Roelfs' office. The four people in the waiting area could hear every word Charl VunDoerf said. Most of what he said was very unpleasant, very uncomplimentary, and very direct.
"You fool!" Charl roared, "You great idiot! You do not have the faintest idea of what you would bring down on us all!"
"I know exactly what I have done, VunDoerf!" Roelf screeched back in his whiney voice. "I've set in motion the wheels that will grind your friends into the dust of every world they infest! And there is not a thing you can do to thwart me this time! I have beaten you, and them, at last!"
"Imbecile!" Charl bellowed. "You have started a war that the Reagency cannot hope to win! One the Reagency may be fortunate just to survive!"
"Ha!" barked Roelf. "So you have claimed all these years, you and your pet, Gundersen! But this time the Council listened to me instead of falling for your lies! Why, even now, the fleet is gathering for the slaughter! Once the Deltas arrive your precious friends and their miserable city will cease to be a thorn in my side! Indeed, they will cease to exist altogether in another few days!"
Suddenly, the polished, wooden doors of Roelfs' office burst open and Charl VunDoerf stormed out into the anteroom. With barely a glance from his father, Dyan fell into stride beside the Vice-reagent and they left the secretary and the two guards staring after them. The two men strode the corridors of the Administration building, Charl fuming and beating out his anger with his bootheels. Dyan matched his fathers' pace and remained silent, guessing too much from the conversation heard through the Reagents' door. In minutes they had reached the other end of the floor and Charl burst into the private office of the Commander of the Guard, Olaf Gundersun.
The grey-haired officer looked up, glad to see his old friend again. But the beginnings of his smile were wiped away when he saw Charl Vun Doerf's face.
" What has happened, Charl? " Olaf asked in alarm.
" That fool Roelf has ordered an all-out attack on Etharnal! The forces are already deployed and are awaiting the arrival of the new Delta battle group. Two days, at the most, before war breaks out! "
" How did he do this without us knowing! He has no idea what he has done! "
" So I told him! But the fleet has its' orders from the Council, and we do not have enough time to prevent this from beginning. "
" Etharnal must be warned, you know that. " Olaf sighed.
" Yes, I know. But neither of us will be able to do it. I'm sure Roelf knows our part by now. "
" I hate to do this to him, " Olaf sighed again, " We both wanted to avoid his involvement, but there is no choice now my friend. And you know as well as I that Dave will take care of him. "
" Yes. You are right, my old friend. It is the only way." Charl sighed heavily.
Turning to his son, the elder Vun Doerf spoke.
" Dyan, it is time for you to learn a painful secret. The reasons behind it, you will have to learn for yourself, we have no time for that now. But you must do something for us all that I cannot order you to do. Roelf is going to attack the UHR city of Etharnal. The war that will follow this action will be short and terrible. And war will follow. Roelf believes that the UHR is but a small pest to be swatted.
Olaf and I, having been a part of the UHR since our academy days, know that it is a slumbering giant, best left to rest in peace, and we know just how swift and how vast their vengeance will be. Roelf would never believe the truth of that. You, my son, must betray your oath to the Reagency for the greater good of the people you have sworn to protect, and warn Etharnal of the coming attack! "
" You're talking treason, Father! I cannot believe this of you! " Dyan replied in surprise.
" You do not understand all you know, my boy. " Olaf interjected. " The UHR is not the enemy of the Reagency. And your father and I have spent our lives, in the service of both at once, to insure their peaceful coexistence. Our duty is done. Now we must depend on you to carry on that duty for us. You must do this, boy. What Roelf does is treason in its' vilest form. What we have done, what you must now do, is to serve the greater good of all mankind.
The UHR is mighty beyond your knowing, their resources and fleets are vastly greater than the Reagency knows. They will be merciful if they are warned of what Roelf does. If not, their vengeance will destroy the Reagency completely. "
Before Dyan could answer Olaf, a voice sounded at the open door of the outer office.
" Commander Gundersun! The Vice-Reagent and yourself will please surrender peacefully and come with me, sir! " the voice called out.
Dyan stepped into the outer office. He found a Sergeant and a squad of armed soldiers waiting.
" What is this about, Sergeant? " the young officer demanded.
" I have orders to arrest these two on charges of High Treason, sir. " the Sergeant replied.
" On whose authority! " Dyan barked.
" The Reagents', sir! "
" You have the proper documents from the Judge Advocate, I presume! "
" No, sir. I have my orders from the Reagent himself, lieutenant. " the Sergeant retorted.
" That is unfortunate, Sergeant. Since the Reagent is not authorized, under the laws of the Reagency, to command its' military, I am afraid that I must order you to produce proper warrants from the Advocates' Office before I will allow you to arrest these men. " Dyan said.
As he spoke, the Captain saw one of the Sergeants' men raise his weapon. Dyan casually placed his hand on the butt of his well-worn service pistol.
" Sergeant, " Dyan said quietly, " you will order that man to lower his weapon immediately. "
Before the non-com could react, the soldier shouldered his rifle and fired at Dyan. Dyan dove into the inner office, drawing and firing as he went down. The soldier fell dead and gunfire instantly tore into the thin office walls as both groups scattered, hunting cover. Charl kicked the office door closed and dropped to the floor, while Olaf threw his heavy, oaken desk over. Charl and Dyan quickly crawled to the relative safety afforded by the solid desk.
The thin partition walls splintered with the gunfire ripping through them. In but a moment the door sagged and fell in. The three men returned fire through the burst doorway. With only the light seretary's desk for cover, the Sergeant ordered his men to cease fire and withdraw to the corridor. But the three men were still pinned down in Olaf's office. In the tense silence that reigned, Olaf spoke quietly to Charl.
" My friend, we must get Dyan out of here and away. He has got to warn the Commander. "
" We cannot hope to win the hallway, Olaf. I'm afraid he must share our fate. " Charl replied sadly.
" Not so, Charl. I have been prepared for this eventuality for many years. But only one may use that way. It must be him and it must be now! "
" Then get him out, Ollie. "
