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  “I told my children to stay on Phykor.”

  Ichiro licked his lips. “I am afraid they are here at my request.”

  “Are they?” Baron LeRoux’s eyes narrowed. He could feel the anger seething behind them like a hot brand.

  “If their presence offends, it is my fault, but Phykor is my colony and they were forced to come with me by my will.”

  LeRoux shifted his focus with visible reluctance. “And why would you ask them to accompany you after they explained the circumstances of their assignment?”

  Ichiro realized he was outmaneuvered. He hadn’t asked the twins about the circumstances, though now it was obvious that they were there in some kind of paternal-imposed exile. He could not reply without exposing his ignorance and could not afford to offend the man he was about to ask for help.

  “Ichi has chosen to—” Enéas started.

  “Boy, this is Baron Mitsugawa. You will address him properly,” LeRoux thundered. His son shrank back, leaving Europa to pick up the explanation.

  “Baron Mitsugawa is interested in the Gemini.”

  Baron LeRoux’s eyes flickered back and forth for a moment. “Are you?”

  “Hai[1], that is correct,” he said.

  The baron’s eyes swept over his retinue again, and Ichiro felt the man’s mood shift to one that was more amiable. “Did they demonstrate it for you?”

  He nodded once, thinking of their contribution on board the Kageryū-maru. It hadn’t been a formal demonstration, but their personal stealth and combat abilities impressed him.

  “And you’re interested? What about your father’s objections?”

  “Things have changed for Shiragawa,” he said.

  Baron LeRoux gave the barest nod. “You have my condolences.”

  He accepted them in silence.

  “Leave us.”

  The twins slumped their shoulders and headed upstairs. The baron moved his gaze to Armstrong. His lips tightened against each other.

  “Stay here,” Ichiro said.

  “Sir?” Armstrong raised a honey-colored eyebrow.

  He cleared his throat.

  Baron LeRoux turned and proceeded into his house without warning. Ichiro was forced take two strides for each of his one to keep up. It took him a moment to realize that Tengu was trotting along beside him, but as LeRoux made no comment about the cerberai’s presence he chose not to dismiss his canine companion.

  “My disobedient children…” LeRoux sighed. “No matter how old they get they never seem to grow up. Of course, it doesn’t help that they were denied a true childhood in the rush to prepare them for your father.”

  “Excuse me? I don’t understand.”

  LeRoux cocked a smile as they passed into a broad, white corridor lined with old-looking marble statues and large oil paintings hanging on the walls. Beyond it was a marble rotunda with narrow, two-story windows spaced evenly around the curving wall of the chamber. Through each Ichiro could see a slice of the cytherean landscape. They cast long lines of golden light across the floor that intersected on a round, crystal table big enough for eight to sit comfortably. Standing beside it were two humanoid sentient beings with large, yellow-green eyes dominating the upper part of their faces. They had thick brow ridges, and a curiously wet-looking, pinkish protrusion in the center of their foreheads. A narrow arch of scaly, skin-covered bone descended from the thick brow with tapered nostrils on either side just visible beneath the breather membranes that covered them. They looked out of place in the three-piece black suits artificial servants usually wore, and were of a height that placed the crown of their hairless heads above that of the baron.

  Ichiro’s implant identified them as “Utona” as they pulled back the tall chairs when the two barons approached and tucked them in when they sat down.

  Tengu sniffed around the floor and sat down on his right side, staring at LeRoux.

  “I expected you to have an army of artificial servants,” Ichiro said.

  “Call it nostalgia for a lost age, but I prefer to employ the living. They have something more of an appreciation for their position than artificials do.” LeRoux stated with some amusement. “Which is not to say I don’t have an army; it’s just not made entirely of silicon and steel.”

  He pressed his lips together, wondering what LeRoux was getting at as he tried to read his emotions. In some ways it was like trying to read Armstrong’s; the baron had tight control over them.

  “I find the first people of extra-terrestrial origin humanity encountered to have a particular sense of gratitude in this regard. If not for us they would still be running around in their primitive, combustion-fueled society as the subjects of a Fumeni theocracy.”

  “I’m not sure they appreciate what we did to them in the process. One might even claim that from the moment our ancestors scared the wits out of theirs when they appeared in their skies it’s been a struggle for them to assimilate into our culture. If I remember my Tri-Terra Republic history correctly, I’m also not so certain their Fumeni neighbors would have succeeded in conquering them,” Ichiro said.

  LeRoux waved his hand in the air. The servants bowed and left the chamber.

  “It was a closer thing than the history texts would have you believe. But the point is they’ve had almost two-hundred years to get used to us. Assuredly, you don’t believe the tabloid streams about their alleged economic disenfranchisement?”

  “The tabloids do tend to make things up, don’t they?” He knew the Confederation well enough to believe the stories about the Utona’s poverty and its causes. That LeRoux didn’t see it was upsetting.

  “Just so.” LeRoux scratched his chin with shiny, manicured fingernails. “I hope you don’t mind the humble reception. As I stated earlier, I was not expecting you.”

  “This reception is more than sufficient. Your home is quite impressive, and the view is spectacular.” He wondered if he was being too polite. His father told him to be ingratiating when in another’s home, but tipping into overabundance, particularly when it came to compliments, was an easy thing in the world of Barony etiquette.

  LeRoux chuckled. “The view may be but this place isn’t. Venus is EpiGenome’s corporate headquarters, but I chose a more remote place to reside. I’m in the business of life, and for all the wonder of converting Venus from a hell into a desert it is still relatively sterile by comparison to where I choose to be. If it wasn’t for the need to check in on things I wouldn’t come here at all.”

  Ichiro cocked his head to the side. “It is dry for my tastes, so I can see your point.”

  “I knew you would understand.” His host nodded. “I cannot imagine the biological diversity that was lost in the attack on your home world. Care for tea?”

  “Please do not trouble yourself.” He flinched.

  LeRoux leaned back. He felt the man’s concentration shift for a moment. “There’s no need to stand on your usual Taiumikai ceremony of self-denial before acceptance. Let us skip ahead. You’re my guest. Tea is on the way.”

  He shifted in his seat, starting to wonder how his father tolerated this man’s bravado for so many years.

  LeRoux grew amused. “Just how much of your father is there in you? We knew each other fairly well, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

  “I am aware.”

  “I will miss him. I’ve encountered more people than most in my days, and he was one of the few who could tell you nothing and everything at the same time. I think the other barons found it vexing, but I relished it. To be challenged is such a rarity.” LeRoux paused. “Will you do the same? Challenge me?”

  He sensed the servants re-enter the room. Their hard-soled shoes clicked on the floor. One held a silver tray with handles resembling folded leaves. The other worked quickly over it and served them small cups of a steamy, yellow liquid.

  “Green tea? You didn’t have to go through the trouble,” he said.

  “It’s no trouble at all. I like to please my guests.” LeRoux raised his cup, cocked
a half smile, and took a sip.

  “It is very good,” he said after taking one of his own. “Are there tea growers on Venus?”

  “I’ve had this preserved for a while now,” the baron answered. “Your father gave it to me.”

  “You honor him.”

  LeRoux seemed to be amused by the comment. He didn’t know what to make of that.

  “So, is it true? Are you really interested in the Gemini?”

  He took another sip to give him time to choose his words.

  “Your children were enthusiastic about introducing me to it. I was impressed with their capabilities.”

  LeRoux’s eyes gleamed. “What sort of demonstration did they give you?”

  “They helped bring an end to some trouble.”

  LeRoux scoffed. “I would guess that you mean it was some minor situation?”

  “Minor is a relative term. I saw them work together before. They move with a single will.”

  “So, you haven’t really seen it.” The baron’s eyes narrowed. “The Gemini System is a trade secret, of course, but there is no harm in showing you if you are serious about doing business.”

  “I am,” he said. His heart was racing. LeRoux seemed on the hook, but would he do what was needed to save Shiragawa?

  “Good. And now we can talk about why you’re really here.”

  “Why I’m really here?” Ichiro was taken off guard.

  LeRoux smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. “Your world and your barony suffer an immeasurable catastrophe before you come here with two of my offspring and expect me not to think you’re looking for an ally? I’ll have your honesty if we’re going to do business.”

  His mouth was dry. “All right. I do need an ally. Recent events have left Shiragawa particularly vulnerable to attack from Revenant and others.”

  “Why should I get involved?” LeRoux folded his hands on the table.

  “Zalor Revenant may be leaving you alone for now, but it won’t last. He has a reputation for gobbling up smaller baronies. Though I’m sure EpiGenome is quite large—”

  “I’m not concerned about him even trying to nibble away at what I have. You’re boring me.” LeRoux shook his head.

  He dry-swallowed. How could this man not be afraid of Revenant? And wasn’t House LeRoux friendly towards his own?

  “Revenant’s new travel network is going to connect the Confederation in a wholly different way. With instant travel a reality, the systems with a Cephalon sphere will eventually lose the relative autonomy they enjoy. If Sumon Rega manages to replicate the technology, perhaps all systems in the Confederation will. Revenant will be able to leverage control over your interests directly.”

  “What makes you think he’d be interested in going against me?”

  “Zalor does not tolerate rivals for long. After he’s done with Baron Keltan, me, and my mother, you’re the next largest of the human baronies. Don’t you see a pattern?”

  “The universe is full of them.” LeRoux yawned.

  His eyes bulged and he suppressed the urge to scowl at the man. Was he this dense? No, that couldn’t be it. LeRoux had led a prosperous barony for decades. He must be testing him to make sure he was a worthy ally. That had to be it.

  “With the War Funding Bill passed Zalor will soon be in effective control of the Confederation. He will make it easier to take over his rivals. You and I are on the top of his list. I have no doubt he intends to crush us.”

  LeRoux chuckled. “That would be quite a feat.”

  “He’s doing it.” Why wouldn’t this man see reason? He could sense only mild amusement coming off him like he was playing with a barely-entertaining toy.

  His host took a long sip from his tea and nodded towards Ichiro’s cup. He hesitated but nodded back and drank.

  “Let us speak plainly. You are more your mother’s child than your father’s.”

  This time the scowl reached his face.

  “It’s not exactly an insult. She does have some worthwhile qualities.”

  He trembled inside. Was saving Shiragawa worth suffering this man’s taunts?

  He gritted his teeth.

  “Ah, to be young again as you are. So much passion lies beneath that mask of civility, doesn’t it? Don’t you just want to let the animal side of yourself out to play? Isn’t that what someone of your age should be doing?”

  He cleared his throat. The pressure was building inside him. Was he trying to get him to crack?

  “Ah, I can see it behind your eyes.” LeRoux leaned forward, staring hard. The amused expression vanished from his face. Ichiro saw and sensed the baron’s surprise, but it was quickly covered by the shroud of his control. He continued to show small signs of being disturbed, though—a curl of his lip on the left side and a line in his face on the right. What did he see to disturb him so?

  My eyes are glowing, Ichiro realized. Faintly, but he must have seen that. Plenty of beings in the Confederation had cybernetic eyes, and most of them had software to run little trick shows. The glow alone shouldn’t have disturbed LeRoux. The implication of what that meant sent a chill down his spine. What does this man know about the Cephalon?

  “There is only one thing, other than a challenge, that can assuage my boredom.”

  “That is?” He clenched his hands.

  “Shiragawa will crumble in short order if you do not receive aid. Bids will be placed on its holdings as soon as the capital is fully alerted to its state of affairs. Here on Sol there are some that have expressed interest already. You need an alliance between our Houses to survive.”

  “Do I?” It was true, but the man’s words stung. He could not help the swell of wounded pride in his chest. LeRoux was toying with him. He was flushed hot and ready for a fight.

  “Why else are you here? I will tell you. You cannot trust any other baron in the sector. Those who would be your allies are too far away or compromised in their own right. You need my power to protect what your ancestors have built or your barony will diminish and die. Cosmos Corp will buy out what is left of it after, and your magnificent new drive system will vanish from the stars or will emerge from its production factories with the words ‘Yulong Gongsi’ imprinted on its side. Wasn’t it your uncle who betrayed you and brought them a prototype drive system? Am I wrong?” It was clear from his expression, the baron did not think so.

  It vexed Ichiro that the man knew so much and was so right about the situation. It was no secret that barons spied on each other, but for this level of knowledge LeRoux would have to have access to Shiragawa’s most protected files. He had no idea the man was capable of that.

  “You are remarkably well informed, but I don’t see that you are fully correct.” Each word felt like sandpaper on his skin..

  “Then you are being a fool. It is the defining trait of a young man your age I suppose—but you are more than a young man. You are a leader of a wounded people in need of the power you could wield. You do not have the luxury of being a fool. You ask me for an alliance, you ask me for the protection I can offer you, and I have decided to sell you both if you will buy it.”

  “Selling?” He pressed his lips together.

  “An alliance with me sounds like a gift in your ears. In fairness, I ask you to consider that I am a business man first and foremost. I have not built my empire on charity. In exchange for my help, and considering you cannot pay the price your father should have, I want a fifty-percent share of Shiragawa.”

  Ichiro choked on air.

  “You retain control, you run the barony as you wish, but I will have my pound of flesh and more for saving it. Out of respect to your family, I’ll pay you what fifty-percent of Shiragawa was worth before the catastrophe at Taiumikai. You know you’ll get no better deal from anyone else.”

  He swallowed hard, finding the power of speech beyond him.

  Fifty-percent… Half the legacy I was entrusted with when my father fell. How could I betray him like this?

  “Your new drive system will cha
nge the Confederation if it has the chance, and give you the edge in the war you and I both know may result from an attack on Baron Revenant. Your father knew it might come, we talked of it, and by your presence here I can only assume you know it too. Perhaps Zalor Revenant is the one behind the murder of your home world. Pre-emptive strikes are his style, but the Wolf will not fall so easily to an attack, legal or otherwise. You need me to win and prevent your relatives from taking what’s yours and giving it away.”

  Ichiro felt his chest constrict. Fifty-percent? It was outrageous. He shook his head as waves of denial threatened to overwhelm him. He opened his mouth to answer “no,” but the abrupt sight of Setha standing behind Baron LeRoux petrified the words before they could escape. Her green eyes captivated him and her hair flowed around her pale form like sinewy black tentacles. He felt his chest heat up and he knew in that moment she was still alive and hadn’t been vaporized in the attack on his home. She wasn’t really here, of course, but the vision meant she was trying to reach him. His heart raced, beating so loud that he failed to hear what else LeRoux might have said.

  He blinked and she was gone.

  She is alive! He knew it had to be true. Why else would he see her image? The stress of the moment left him, and he felt a calm settle in his gut.

  “I have already lost a great deal. Though my uncle is missing and a fugitive from my people he is after my position and my life. My sister’s claim is strong on Shiragawa as long as I am dead, but tenuous on my people. As the leader of the Taiumijin my worth goes beyond my barony. My sister’s claim will crumble when I am revealed to have survived the attack, as will my uncle’s. You ask too much.” He almost smiled at his own words.

  LeRoux grinned. “Your uncle is a fugitive from you and you alone. Sophiathena Cronus is the acknowledged baroness of Shiragawa. You were already declared dead, and he has named you an impostor once already. His claim is good on your people. What will you do if they split the spoils of your empire between them? Do you think either one of them will cede control back to you if you just stroll into the capital and announce yourself?”

  Ichiro’s elation faded as he swallowed the acid truth of the man’s words.