Princess Rescue Inc 3 Snippet 1

 So, I got this back from Rea yesterday and just finished the edits to send it to Goodlifeguide.

FYI: Look for the maps inside!

In other news, Juggernaut and Pantheon are still in the hands of the Betas. I'm hip deep in Christmas projects. Most of the decorations are up (6,000+ lights!) and we're working on 3D print projects while I paint in the evenings. :)

On to the snippet!

Chapter 1

 

Ianna Imperium Capital City

 

Sydney Heart chuckled softly to himself as he walked the battlements in the evening. Things were returning to normal, such as it was in the Imperium. He was glad he had returned with the others. He rather regretted leaving. His life, his purpose was on this new world.

He didn't regret for an instant taking on Eugene's call for adventure on an alien planet. Everyone thought they were insane, but it had paid off. Well, for most of us, we've lost some people along the way he reminded himself with a pang.

He looked over to the lights of the drum tower in the keep. The windows were lit, and he could see movement inside. He also saw guards outside on the battlements and nodded.

He could have crashed the cabinet meeting but he didn't really have a purpose there other than to take notes for historians to write about this time period. He frowned thoughtfully.

He had his fill of fame and fortune when he'd returned to Earth. Also skepticism that they'd gone anywhere. He was busy since his return, but not as busy as he'd expected.

Deidra had carved out a title for him, chief historian, and he was a history professor at the capital university. In fact, he was chief of the department. He also helped a few of the local media out. That was starting to be his new passion, to start up a healthy media to keep the populace informed and the power mad lords of the lands in check.

It was tough though, but it might be worth investing more of his time into it he thought as he finished another lap. He needed investors though, and that was tricky.

^^^^^^

“So, they are sticking to the Caliope mountain slopes this season?” Eugene Ryans asked. He was a Terran like some of the others in the room. He had gone from running his own multi-billion dollar company to an adventurer through the wormhole on this world.

He'd rescued and married the local king's daughter during a war and had negotiated to apply Terran tech to help the kingdom survive. When the king and queen had died, he'd stayed and married his beautiful wife. They now had two beautiful children.

Two beautiful children but also problems. It seemed like every time they solved one, two more sprang out of the bushes and threatened to overwhelm the careful balance they were patiently trying to forge.

“Yes. The science expedition wants to do a comparison of the flora and fauna in the mountains there and compare it to what they found in the north,” Charlie Therman said.

Eugene nodded. Charlie was one of their two premier chemists. She preferred biochemistry over general or industrial chemistry like Wanda did. She was in with Nate Billings and Mary Delouses, their two prime biologists and botanists.

“We're still arguing over the size of this place,” Charlie sniffed. “I still think this place isn't much bigger than Great Britain,” she said.

Eugene nodded. “And we know there are islands around it. What's beyond it?” he echoed as he looked at the large map that dominated the wall in the conference room.

“What do you mean?” Deidra, his lovely wife and Impertrix of the land, asked.

“Just what I said.” Eugene got up and walked over to the map. He looked at it and then pointed to it. “What's beyond these islands? Is there a larger continent? More than one?”

Deidra shook her head. “Always exploring?” She smiled to her mate. It was that sense of curiosity and desire to explore that had brought him and his people to her.

“Why not?” Eugene asked as he cocked his head.

She pursed her lips. “I'd like a little security here for us and our people before we spend a lot of energy and resources exploring.” Over the years, she had grown more comfortable in her role as Impertrix. Eugene rarely interfered with her decisions. He did want to be consulted though, and he was an excellent sounding board.

He frowned thoughtfully. “There isn't anything more about Duluth? What about these islands?” he pointed to the islands in the northeast above Duluth.

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. He could see her look of concern though.

“The grand duchy? Do we know what is within their borders? What about beyond them?” They had the coastline mapped from the sailors who plied the planet's oceans as well as the aircraft and balloons that had gone up to improve their maps.

“Which one?” Ivara, the kingdom's spymaster asked. She was a recent addition to the cabinet and didn't like being exposed to the others in it.

“Caliope?” he asked.

“Yes, we have maps but they are old. We have Caliope in the southeast, the Grand Duchy of Medicini in the northwest, the Nuevo Imperium in the south, and pirates off our west coast,” the spymaster stated.

Eugene nodded thoughtfully as he resumed his seat.

“The Frumentarii have managed to penetrate Medicini and the Nuevo Imperium,” Deidra said as she got up and went over and sat down in his lap. He didn't protest her pregnant form; he knew better. Besides, she knew he liked it. His arm went up to support her like a lap belt. She stroked his hand gently.

The others in the room smiled slightly. There were just the few there, not the full cabinet to scandalize anyway.

“We know Medicini and Caliope aren't happy about our sudden tech advance. They've been talking with each other. What we can only guess, our spies can't penetrate that high up the … what did you call it?” Ivara stated.

“Chain of command,” he said as he thought about the problem.

“Right.”

“You think they might form an alliance?” Eugene asked after a moment of thought.

“It is possible. They probably feel threatened by our rapid advances,” Ivara explained.

“You and I both know that they can't stand against our army,” Charlie replied with a sniff.

“And I think they know too. But both countries are well known for their scheming. They have been traced in such acts as destabilizing our people more than once,” Deidra said with a scowl.

Eugene frowned thoughtfully. “Asymmetrical warfare,” he murmured.

“What?”

“When one can't stand against a more powerful enemy you get crafty. In this case, you fight a different form of war—with spies, economics, sabotage, assassination, terrorism, or sponsoring conflict and division.”

Deidra winced.

“At the moment, most of the dominus are focused on their own domains and getting their tech levels in parity with each other. They aren't interested in going to war against each other,” the spymaster stated quietly.

“Not directly. That is always another threat, their scheming too,” Deidra sighed.

He squeezed her gently. She patted his hand as he slowly let up.

“So, enemies above, below, and to the either side. Yeah, I get your point about not getting too involved with exploring,” he said with a grimace.

“Sometime, love,” she murmured, stroking his hand gently. “Let's make sure our home is safe for our children first.”

He nodded. He'd never forgive himself if he went off gallivanting and something happened at home while he was away. He winced internally. Speaking of gallivanting, he was about to take another state trip. “Okay,” he murmured.

“With Duluth under our command, the others might feel even more threatened. I am unsure as to how to handle them,” Deidra admitted, looking from him to the map. She bit her lower lip slightly.

“Talk,” Charlie stated.

“Talk?” Deidra and the others turned to her.

The biochemist shrugged. “Talk to them. Diplomacy. As long as we're talking, we're not shooting at each other.”

She turned to look at Charlie and then to Eugene. He nodded and then shrugged.

“Sorry, something I picked up from my reading,” Charlie murmured.

“No, you are right,” Eugene said, returning his wife's look.

She studied him and then nodded slowly.

“It won't work with the pirates,” he said as he considered the problem. “Nuevo Imperium?”

“They are trading with us and show no interest in war. Far from it,” Ivara supplied. “They are eager to trade.”

“Good. So, the duchies?”

“Medicini is scheming but hasn't reached out to us. Caliope …,” Ivara shook her head.

“Sent spies. Pity we can't return the favor,” Eugene said as he eyed her.

She blinked and then her eyes narrowed at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he paused and then shrugged. “One of the covers for spies is diplomats. By sending in people to talk, they need to get to know each other, which means gathering information. That information allows you,” he nodded to Deidra, “to make informed decisions better.”

Deidra pursed her lips thoughtfully.

“The trick is to not be blatant about it and get caught,” Charlie slipped in helpfully. “A little bit here and there, just enough to get a clearer picture of the players and what motivates them.”

Eugene nodded.

“What do we know about them?” Charlie asked as she indicated the map and Caliope.

“Very little. It has been many, many Annus since we sent a delegation there. They have forts at the passes and turn away independent traders. Anyone who climbs over the mountains do not return,” the spymaster said.

Eugene winced. That statement told him what he needed to know, that she had tried to send spies and they hadn't returned.

“Ah.”

“I wanted to send more spies over the mountains but all of the passes are covered,” Ivara admitted. “Trappers …,” she shrugged. “They have to survive the basilisks and living in the bush and get over the mountains, and then look around, then back.” She shook her head.

“Then they are … wait, they are isolationist yet sent traders to you?” Charlie asked. “I mean us?”

“I believe you know why. As cover for spies and thieves,” Ivara said.

Eugene nodded. “And to sow discord. To keep the Imperium fighting itself or others like Duluth instead of paying attention to them. That is how they keep things going for them.”

“Yes,” Ivara replied.

Deidra looked annoyed at the idea. “Well, we'll have to change that.”

“How?” Ivara asked.

“By demonstrating we aren't interested in conquering them,” Eugene shrugged. She nodded. “But it's all moot until they reach out again. We have to bargain from a position of strength.” Deidra nodded.

Ivara nodded as well. “So, that leaves last on the subjects for the month …”

“The gate,” Charlie supplied, looking to the image on the map.

“And we did something about that too,” Eugene said.

“For now. I think it was hasty though,” Ivara said.

“Hindsight. But I agree. I'll talk to Max and see if we can do something else. Open negotiations or at least make sure they can't invade through the portal. If they really are under threat of destruction, they could get desperate and bad things could happen. Bad things for us I mean.”

Deidra shuddered. He hugged her again. She patted his hand. “Yes, please do that.”

^^^^^^