FTS -VII- The Summons - Part A

Part VII - The Summons - Section A

Location: Slipstream 5A, Argula System, Antarean Space, United League of Planets Territory - District 2, Sub-District 5.

10 minutes after the death of the First Sward.

Sivon watched with amusement as the Chamber of Assembly in Central Church exploded into chaos. Roderis would no doubt be furious if he knew Sivon had planted a spy-eye on him, but Sivon would be dammed if he did otherwise. He had watched the previous proceedings with something approaching satisfaction. Roderis had done an excellent job inserting doubt into the opposition and quickly gaining allies.

Now the entire chamber rushed to the First Swards chambers, but Roderis stopped them. He grabbed Jona by the shoulders and shouted. "Wait, we cannot delay."

"What- what are you talking about?" Jona said in distracted confusion.

"Every minute that this Church is headless increases our vulnerability! You are the highest ranking Sward here. You must broadcast The Summons to recall all off-world Cardinals!" Roderis shook Jona to grab his attention. Around them there were murmurs of agreement.

"Yes-, yes, of course." Jona shook his head clear and ran towards the comm room.

It took Sivon five minutes to reconfigure the communication equipment on his ship. It took another five for the signal to jump through subspace and reach his transceiver. At the same time all over Antarean Space (known to the ULP as Districts 2 and 6) Cardinals of the Church of Ios were receiving identical messages. They were voice-only communications informing the faithful that the First Sward was dead and that all Swards ranked two through four (the Cardinals) were summoned to the Central Church for an election. Also listed at the end of the message were the Cardinals who were attempting to gain the post of First Sward: Third Sward, Cardinal Adam Serra, Third Sward, Cardinal Antony Roderis, Second Sward, Cardinal Phil Gremith and Second Sward, Cardinal Jona.

Sivon recalled from his data-links, a list of Cardinals. He crossed off the ones already on-site and crossed off the lowest ranking Cardinals. The remaining list was still huge. He categorized them by location and rank. He had already been on his way to pay a "visit" to the highest off-site Cardinal, Third Sward Breg. Besides him there were a few others in the sector that needed to be intercepted before they reached Planet Nilux. Even while Sivon traveled he had spread word of the return of Roderis all over the Newslogs and leaked it to all the right people. Sivon's agents were in place, now it was time for action.

A modified newslink beeped and switched on. Sivon turned to watch it, his contacts in the Galactic News and Information Network had fulfilled their duties and the fruit of their labors was about to go on live subspace broadcast.

The distinctive three trumpet salute played before flashing to the distinctive curve and lettering logo of the GNIN.

Onscreen was the handsome face of Information Gathering Artificial Intelligence (or just GAI, pronounced Guy) Theta who intoned in a beautifully engineered voice, "Now, a special report. We now go to on-site to human reporter Han Printon."

The screen cut to a tall blond human standing in front of a burning building. "Thank You Theta!" He had to shout to be heard over the background crackling and explosions. "I'm on Planet Depa in ULP District 6 and a huge planet wide riot has broken out."

Along the bottom of the screen voice-links with extra information scrolled along. A notice on the ULP and District 6 rolled past. Then a small but important note on Planet Depa: "Planet Depa is one of the few worlds under ULP rule that almost unanimously subscribes to the religion known as Ios, or Emperor Worship."

"Currently," Printon continued, "the capital, Lucan, is in total rebellion from the government. The government is led by Church of Ios' Cardinal E'pagu Haft." He paused for a second chocking on smoke with a hacking cough. "Cardinal Haft is a strong supporter of the ascension of Cardinal Jona to the head of The Church. The population of Depa however, is in support of dark horse Candidate Cardinal Antony Roderis. Roderis has appeared out of nowhere in the last week and gained the admiration and support of millions of Ios Faithful with his hard line and aggressive policies. Many of the faithful have come out of hading on worlds with smaller populations or under heavier ULP control to show support for Roderis in hope of influencing the Cardinals, most of whose identities are unknown to non-believers, to vote for Roderis in an upcoming election of unknown proportions." As the Printon gave his report the screen cut to views of huge riots of people holding up signs with Roderis's name scrawled over them. Another scene showed men and women lighting an explosive beside a ULP government building and then a huge conflagration of plasta-steel and titanium as the bomb exploded. A third scene panned across the bloody lines of injured and dying in a hospital. A forth showed a mass of people charging at ULP Troops while screaming Roderis's name. "The United League of Planets has dispatched five ships from the 6th District Protectorate Fleet to attempt to calm things down, but they have been met with an angry population."

The screen cut to the face of a rioter holding a Roderis sign at his side, the protesters name superimposed across the bottom. "Listen," screamed the protester, "The ULP treats us like a lower class. We're sick of their preening Generals and oppressive troops. We're sick of not having seen a single support ship in over a year. We don't want to hear another excuse from the District Administrator about why medical aid has again been diverted from us to the ULP core worlds! We're sick of it and we throw our weight behind the one entity that has shown us respect, the Church of Ios. Yet even they don't want to act. Except for Cardinal Roderis, he wants to help us. He wants to return us to our place as people of an Empire, as people with respect."

The camera flashed back to Printon and his background of flames. "The ULP is treating these riots and outbreaks of violence as rebellion and sending troops to quell any and all violent riots. Yet as the ULP sends in more troops it creates more outrage and the Faithful of Ios become more angry. This is Han Printon, of GNIN, signing off."

The screen cut back to Theta who gazed steadily at the camera. "We have breaking news on Planet Depa. In response to worldwide riots the Planetary Governor, Cardinal Epagu Haft, has declared that he will back Cardinal Roderis." The AI gave a polite (and programmed) cough, "In associated news, riots are breaking out all over the ULP 2nd and 6th districts. These riots are breaking out suddenly and without warning. GNIN would advise all peoples to avoid those districts until further notice."

Sivon smiled at the report. He had given it's script to the GNIN along with a tip. Then, just before the GNIN reporter had arrived, Sivon's planted men had provoked riots on different spots all over the planet and now the districts. His men had done it expertly and he made a mental note to commend any of those who were left alive. A quick scan of the newscasts revealed that every other channel was modifying and broadcasting their own version of the GNIN report, each putting their own spin on it and all magnifying it. By manipulating the press to focus on the unrest, Sivon had made sure that the news would spread and create even more riots and protests. Support for Roderis was bursting out all over.

Sivon however was not one to leave things to a finicky and unpredictable (if malleable) public. He exited his room and walked to the bridge of the ship.

"Commander," The young women at operations turned to him. "We're preparing to depolarize the ships hull."

"Do it." Sivon ordered. The stars, which were streaming by outside the slipstream, began to slow. In seconds they were still. "Charge weapons. When the Cardinal's Blessing comes through, fire to depolarize and bring it out of the slipstream."

The crew, all mercenaries, nodded. He could see the sharp silver shape of the Cardinal's Blessing flying through at an enormous speed, each slipgate it passed through accelerating the ship to a higher speed. The floor under Sivon's feet shook slightly as his vessel loosed an energy beam. The beam, a bright almost blinding white, shot true and intercepted the silver ship, which immediately shuddered to a stop.

On the screen in front of Sivon a startled man wearing the robes of a Third Sward appeared. "What is it, what do you want?!" He cried in a panicked tone.

"Cardinal Breg, I want to talk about your vote for First Sward."