Crimson Fire (The Kurgan War Book 8) Read online

  “You’ve been to a formal dinner at the Sergeant’s Club before, haven’t you?”

  “Sure, lots of them.”

  “This will be no different. Don’t sit until Prince Kobak does, and don’t eat before he does either. The utensils are laid out from the outside to the inside, so just use the proper utensil with the course you are eating, and you’ll be okay. And if you get stuck, just look over at me and follow my lead.”

  “What do you think they’ll be serving?”

  “Why do you care? I’ve seen you eat just about everything.”

  “True, but I do have some standards. I hope there aren’t too many raw meat dishes.”

  “Just smile and try not to think too much about what you’re eating and the evening should pass pleasantly enough.”

  “We’re coming up on Admiral Kaar’s ship, sir,” announced the shuttle pilot.

  “Thanks,” said Sheridan. “Follow their docking procedures to the letter, and you should have no problems.”

  “I’ve flown Admiral Sheridan over here dozens of times. I know the Kurgan landing SOPs inside and out, sir.”

  Cole grinned. “He summed you up pretty good.”

  “How was I to know that he’d flown over here before tonight?” said Sheridan. “Better safe than sorry.”

  “Yeah, whatever, Major.”

  The shuttle came to a smooth landing next to a larger Kurgan shuttlecraft. Once the pressure in the bay equalized, the pilot opened the side door on the shuttle. Sheridan and Cole stepped out onto the hangar floor and waited. A door on the far wall slid open, and a Kurgan colonel strode toward them. He wore a crimson sash with his rank emblem of three stars on it along with several badges earned in combat. The colonel’s tan face was scarred in several places, showing the man was a warrior and not a political appointee.

  Sheridan came to attention before bowing slightly to the colonel.

  The Kurgan returned the bow. “Gentlemen, my name is Colonel Keyl,” said the officer in understandable English. “I have been asked by Admiral Kaar to escort you to and from Prince Kobak’s ship. As many Kurgan customs and practices are unknown to your species, please feel free to ask me anything that crosses your minds.”

  “Is Admiral Kaar coming to see us off?” asked Sheridan.

  “No, he is far too busy ensuring that the prince’s ship is not attacked by hostile forces during his visit.”

  “You’re not expecting trouble, are you, Colonel?”

  “No, but the smoother the visit goes, the better. Would you not agree?”

  “Most assuredly.”

  Keyl pointed toward a nearby shuttle. “Shall we get going?”

  “After you, sir,” replied Sheridan with another respectful bow.

  Colonel Keyl led them onto the waiting Kurgan craft. Sheridan was surprised to see a squad of well-armed Kurgan soldiers sitting quietly at the back of the shuttle.

  “For security once we’re aboard the Kuzma,” explained Keyl.

  “I don’t understand,” said Cole. “Isn’t Kobak’s ship a super-dreadnought? There must be at least a couple companies, if not a battalion, of Kurgan Marines onboard. Why would you need a squad of soldiers to guard your shuttlecraft?”

  Keyl ushered them to a row of seats near the front of the shuttle. He lowered his voice. “The admiral has made many enemies during his long and illustrious career. It has become standard practice to send a detachment to watch over the admiral’s shuttle wherever it goes.”

  “How come I’ve never seen them guarding Kaar’s shuttle when he visits my father?” said Sheridan.

  “Your father is not a Kurgan, nor is he a rival for the position of Kurgan Grand Fleet Admiral, is he?”

  Sheridan chuckled. “No, I guess he’s not.”

  Cole leaned over and tapped Sheridan on the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me there was this much skullduggery going on among the Kurgan elite?”

  “I didn’t know it was this common until today,” he replied.

  “Shuttle departing in two minutes,” said a woman’s voice in Kurgan over the ship’s intercom. It was immediately followed by a computerized version of the message in English.

  Sheridan raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware there were female pilots in the Kurgan military.”

  “There aren’t,” replied Keyl. “That was just a recording. Admiral Kaar greatly misses his granddaughter. He had her voice added to his shuttle’s computer system.”

  “I would never have taken the old war horse for a sentimental old man,” said Cole.

  “He has many layers to his soul,” said Keyl. “He is one of the greatest living Kurgans and I am proud to be serving under his command.”

  Sheridan heard the respect in Keyl’s voice. “You admire him, don’t you?”

  “Like I said, Major, he’s a great Kurgan. I hope he lives long enough to command all of the empire’s armed forces.”

  “And so do I,” said Sheridan under his breath as the door closed and the shuttle made ready to depart.

  The butterflies in Sheridan’s stomach grew worse as the Kurgan shuttlecraft landed inside the massive super-dreadnaught’s port shuttle bay.

  Keyl stood up and moved to the back of the ship to brief his men before coming back to open the side door. “If you will follow me,” said Keyl to the two Marines.

  Sheridan stood, glanced out at the hangar floor, and started to brush out the wrinkles on his uniform.

  “Quit acting nervous, or you’ll make me nervous too,” said Cole, unbuckling himself from his chair.

  “I’m not nervous, I’m just trying to put my best foot forward,” replied Sheridan.

  “Whatever. After you, sir.”

  Keyl led everyone onto the hangar deck where a Kurgan lieutenant waited to greet them. The young officer bowed to Keyl and the Terran Marines. He dug out a card from his pocket, and looked down at it. In halting English, he read aloud, “Welcome onboard the Kuzma. My name is Lieutenant Khat. I am to be your liaison officer while you are here.”

  “Thank you,” said Keyl in Kurgan. “Will anyone else be joining us?”

  “No, sir. I was asked to escort you and your guests to your quarters where you can relax until dinner.”

  “Very well, Lieutenant, please take us there.”

  Sheridan felt Cole nudge him in the ribs. He turned his head to see what his friend wanted and spotted three other shuttlecrafts being watched by armed guards. Two of the detachments were Kurgan while a heavily armed Chosen squad stood at attention around the third. The Chosen soldiers wore a uniform Sheridan had never seen before. It was a tan, black, and gray camouflage pattern. All the soldiers wore body armor and helmets. Darkened visors attached to their helmets hid their faces. Only their chins were showing.

  “I wonder who those buggers work for?” said Cole.

  “I don’t know, and to be honest, I’m not sure I even want to know,” replied Sheridan.

  “This way,” said Keyl.

  Sheridan and Cole walked behind the broad-shouldered colonel and their youthful liaison officer. Every Kurgan they passed stopped what they were doing and stared at them. For many, it was a novelty seeing a Terran for the first time, but for others, he could see the animosity in their golden eyes.

  “This will be your quarters,” said Khat, opening the door to a spacious room.

  “When will the first bell for supper be rung?” asked Sheridan.

  “At precisely 1830 hours,” replied Khat.

  “Will you be coming back for us at that time?” inquired Keyl.

  The young officer nodded. “I will, sir.”

  The three dinner guests stepped into the room and looked around.

  “Say, this place isn’t too bad,” said Cole. “I’d always imagined the inside of a Kurgan ship to be quite utilitarian and uncomfortable.”

  Keyl nonchalantly handed Sheridan a note.

  Sheridan bent over pretending to tie his boot laces and read the message. This room will be bugged. Watch what you do and say. As ca
sual as he could, Sheridan stood up and slipped the note into Cole’s hand.

  “Figures,” said Cole under his breath.

  “Gentlemen, we have an hour until the lieutenant returns,” said Keyl, “is there anything you would like to discuss?”

  “I’d like to know about the succession process,” said Sheridan. “How long will it take for the Prince Regent to assume power if the emperor passes on?”

  “The interregnum is usually very short.”

  Cole raised a hand. “Infantry smart, not Kurgan-court smart. What’s an interegenthingy?”

  “An interregnum is a period of time between one ruler and his or her successor,” explained Sheridan. “However, in the Kurgan Empire, women cannot become the emperor under any circumstances.”

  “Why can’t women assume the throne?” asked Cole.

  “Because the Lord Kurgan was a man, that’s why,” said Keyl.

  “And that ends this part of the discussion,” said Cole, sitting back in his chair.

  “As for the Prince Regent, he has spent his entire life preparing to become emperor,” explained Keyl. “Undoubtedly, during these past few weeks, he has been brought into the emperor’s inner circle and briefed on everything from the status of the peace talks with Terra to the ongoing civil war against the rebels.”

  “What can you tell us about his son?” asked Sheridan.

  “He’s about thirteen in your Terran years and has been privately tutored by his elder stepsister for the past five years.”

  Sheridan scrunched up his face. “This makes no sense. Why did the Prince Regent decide to send a thirteen-year-old boy on a line tour to gather information about the peace talks when he could have sent one of his more experienced ministers?”

  “When it comes to the affairs of the court, things aren’t always as they seem, Major. Trust me, it will all become apparent when you meet Prince Kobak and Princess Katin.”

  Chapter 4

  Three bells chimed over the ship’s intercom. A split second later the door to the guest room slid open. Lieutenant Khat walked in and bowed.

  “Gentlemen, if you would follow me,” said Khat.

  The nervous tension returned. Sheridan took one last sip of water from his cup, placed it on the table, and fell in line behind Colonel Keyl. They walked into the corridor and joined a long row of Kurgans walking toward a hangar recently converted into a banquet hall for the evening’s festivities. The Kurgans wore their traditional segmented body armor; however, they were also wearing crimson sashes indicating their family heritage, military rank, and any honors they had earned.

  The line slowed as they approached the reception line. Colonel Keyl looked over his shoulder and said, “Just watch what I do and do the same, and this will go smoothly.”

  Sheridan passed on the colonel’s directions to Cole. His palms became sweaty. Sheridan was happy the Kurgans preferred to bow rather than shake hands. As they got closer, Sheridan could see Prince Kobak and Princess Katin. On either side of them were a pair of tall, bull-necked guards, carrying curved scimitars. Kobak looked to be a head shorter than his sister. He wore a suit of polished armor along with an ornate gold and crimson sash. Katin had on a crimson dress from her neck to the floor. She wore a pair of decorative golden bracelets on her wrists as a symbol of her position as Kobak’s tutor and protector.

  Sheridan took a deep breath as Keyl bowed politely at the royal siblings. He prepared himself to follow suit when Prince Kobak locked eyes with him. “Excuse me, are you Major Sheridan?” asked the prince in Kurgan.

  Sheridan bowed. “Yes, I am, your Highness.”

  “Admiral Kaar spoke very highly of you,” said Kobak. “He called you a fine soldier. One of Terra’s best.”

  Sheridan stood upright. “I am honored that such a great warrior would think so.”

  “Major, you’re the first Terran I have ever met face to face. I thought, after reading your file, that you’d be taller.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m of average height for males among my species.”

  “There is so much I need to learn about you and your people. That’s why you and your colleague will be sitting at my table this evening.”

  Sheridan’s stomach dropped. The last place he wanted to be tonight was anywhere near the prince or his sister in case anything bad happened and he was left with the blame. He forced a smile, bowed, and turned to continue down the line.

  “Forgive me for asking,” said Katin in English, “but why do you outrank your colleague when he is quite clearly older than you?”

  “Captain Cole was a sergeant before receiving a battlefield commission for extreme bravery in the face of the enemy,” explained Sheridan, instantly regretting using the term enemy in front of the prince.

  Katin canted her head. “Our sergeants never receive such an honor. You must have done something quite exceptional to be elevated out of the ranks to become an officer.”

  Cole bowed. “I did my duty, your Highness. Nothing more.”

  “Captain, I think you’re being overly modest.”

  Cole stood with his back as straight as an ironing board. “I’m not the first, nor will I be the last Marine sergeant to be commissioned from the ranks.”

  “I see you’re not wearing a ring on your left hand like your friend. I take it that means you’re not married?”

  “That’s right, ma’am.”

  Katin held out her left hand with her palm facing up.

  “Sister, please, this is neither the place nor the time to be making a statement,” said Kobak as quiet as he could.

  “I disagree, my dear brother. I couldn’t think of a more perfect time.”

  Cole stood there confused.

  “Place your hand over the top of mine,” instructed Katin.

  “Captain, it’s a symbol of trust,” explained Keyl.

  “Unless you wish to upset our hosts, I’d do as she asks,” said Sheridan.

  Cole reached over and placed his right hand on Katin’s. A loud murmur raced through the banquet hall.

  “Come, Captain, let us take our seats at the head table,” said Katin, leading Cole away.

  Kobak shook his head. “I love her with all my heart, but my sister can be quite stubborn when she wants to be. Tonight, her game is to see who among my guests cannot be trusted.”

  “Your Highness?” said Sheridan.

  “By taking the hand of a Terran warrior and not that of a Kurgan officer from one of the rival families, my dear sister has deliberately broken with an age-old tradition.”

  “I take it that’s not a good thing?”

  “No, she’s using herself and your friend to draw out any assassins who may be hidden among the crowd.”

  “Jesus,” muttered Sheridan, reaching for a pistol that wasn’t there. Unarmed, he and Cole were at the mercy of their Kurgan hosts.

  “We had best keep moving,” said Keyl as two bodyguards stepped in front of Kobak, blocking him from sight, and replaced their ceremonial swords with pistols.

  “Where did you learn to speak such good English?” Cole asked Katin as they walked past a group of Kurgans who were staring at him in disbelief.

  “I’m fluent in numerous languages,” she replied. “As a child, I was taught by some of the best scholars in the empire. It also helps that I have what you would call an eidetic memory. I never forget anything I see or hear.”

  “Well, my Kurgan is really rusty, but the words I’m hearing coming from some of the tables aren’t the politest ones in your language.”

  “Tune them out, Captain. Watch with your eyes, and you’ll see trouble coming long before it strikes.”

  “I take it we’re expecting trouble?”

  “Why else would we be taking the long way to the head table?”

  “You do realize that I’m unarmed?”

  “I have agents spread throughout the hall. If anyone tries anything, they’ll be dead before they know it.”

  Cole’s pulse began to race. He didn�
�t mind being used to spring a trap; he just wished he had known about it before boarding the ship. Cole studied the faces of the Kurgans they walked past. Most shook their heads or glared at Katin. Out of the corner of his eye, Cole saw what she had warned him about when a Kurgan captain with a calm look on his face jumped out of his seat and leaped toward them with a knife in his hand.

  A shot rang out.

  The Kurgan dropped to the floor at Katin’s feet, dead, with half his head missing.

  Two more killers charged from the crowd.

  More shots tore through the hall.

  The assassin closest to Cole tumbled to one side with a hole through his neck; the surviving killer, hit in the arm, kept coming. His eyes brimmed with fire and hate.

  Cole spun on his heel, pushed Katin behind him, and brought up his hands. The attacker lunged forward with his blade, trying to hit Cole. The move was clumsy. Cole knocked the man’s arm to one side and smashed his right hand as hard as he could into the Kurgan’s throat, crushing it.

  The stunned attacker’s eyes widened as he reached for his throat.

  Cole raised his hand to finish him off when a guard stepped from the crowd and thrust a knife into the assassin’s back, killing him.

  A swarm of agents ran to the princess and formed a cordon around her and Cole.

  “Are you all right?” Cole asked Katin.

  “Praise the Lord Kurgan for your lightning-fast reflexes, Captain,” said Katin.

  “I’m not sure he had anything to do with my fighting skills, but I share your sentiment.”

  The excitement in the hall died down to a dull roar when the dinner guests saw the princess was still alive.

  “Watch and learn,” said Katin in Cole’s ear.

  An aged Kurgan general stood up from a nearby table and walked toward Kobak.

  “That’s General Krotz,” explained Katin. “He’s the commander of the Kurgan Old Guard. Or at least he was. Right now, he’s offering his unswerving allegiance to my brother and our family. However, once our father hears of this outrage, Krotz will most likely be stripped of his command and made to retire in disgrace.”