II
For the Imperial Navy, the physical shock of this event paled in comparison to the psychological one. They had allowed enemy soldiers to board the fleet flagship and infiltrate Imperial Headquarters itself. After a moment of stunned regret, however, the imperial forces exploded with fury, vowing that not a single one of these lawless rebels would leave the battlefield alive.
Amid urgently blaring sirens, Brünhild’s crew armored themselves for hand-to-hand combat, snatching up carbon-crystal tomahawks and ion beam rifles. Some even ran through the bridge with hand cannons until they caught the eye of Brünhild’s captain, Commodore Seidlitz.
“Idiots!” he roared. “This is the flagship. No heavy arms are to be used!”
He then turned to his second-in-command, also in charge of defense, Commander Matthäfer, and ordered him to repel the intruders.
Some confusion was apparent in the imperial chain of command at that point. This was due to the overlap of organizational structure between Brünhild as a warship and the Imperial Headquarters she carried. For a short but crucial period, debate raged over whether combat within Brünhild should be commanded by headquarters or by the ship’s own command structure. Glancing at the internal monitors, Müller noticed Julian Mintz among the fearless intruders. He gasped in shock. The youthful commander of the Iserlohn Revolutionary Army had made himself part of the boarding party? Müller quickly conveyed this to Mittermeier, who stormed off to take action. But, just as he was about to leave the room—
“Wait!”
The fierce admonition from the kaiser’s finely wrought lips froze Mittermeier and Müller where they stood. Even from his sickbed, Reinhard’s intensity could overwhelm these accomplished military men.
“Neither of you are to intervene. Leave things as they are.”
“Mein Kaiser, if I may, there can be no doubt that this assault is an attempt on Your Majesty’s person. Admiral Müller has confirmed that the commander of Iserlohn’s military is among the intruders. We cannot simply ignore them.”
But the kaiser only shook his golden-haired head a fraction. “Any man worthy to inherit the mantle of Yang Wen-li will have remarkable courage to show, even if his wisdom does not match that of his predecessor. What was his name?”
“Julian Mintz, Your Majesty,” said Müller.
“If this Mintz can overcome the resistance of my soldiers and reach me, it would only be fair to recognize his valor and accept his demands on equal footing.”
“Mein Kaiser, in that case—”
“If, on the other hand, Mintz cannot make his way here without relying on the mercy of the autocrat or the assistance of his ministers, he will have no right to demand anything. Nothing shall begin until he shows himself in my presence.”
Reinhard closed his eyes and mouth, seemingly exhausted. His porcelain-white visage was tinged with blue, like alabaster in starlight. It did not diminish his beauty in the slightest; it only revealed his lack of vitality.
Mittermeier and Müller exchanged a wordless look. Mecklinger let out a small sigh. The kaiser’s position seemed self-indulgent to them. If he wished to meet Mintz, what need was there for bloodshed first?
“What should we do, Marshal Mittermeier?”
“Well, Admiral Mecklinger, I see no choice but to obey His Majesty’s orders. We remain, after all, his subjects.”
“But that may mean shedding needless blood in the hours to come.”
“We can only pray that Admiral Müller’s republican acquaintance reaches the kaiser soon enough to prevent that. However unusual the circumstances surrounding this meeting, if it takes place it might eliminate the need to shed blood ever again.”
If that were so, the violence that had preceded it would have at least some meaning. Bloodshed was a tragedy, but, apparently, an unavoidable one—only blood had been able to wash away the poison and pus that had built up over the five centuries of Goldenbaum rule.
Perhaps, Mittermeier thought suddenly, the kaiser demanded blood as proof that the republicans truly valued what they sought. If so, he surely would not accept any less ferocity of spirit than he had always shown himself.
Another small explosion reverberated, and guards hurried off. Perhaps a crowd of enemy soldiers would kick down the door of Reinhard’s sickroom and force their way in. If that happened, Mittermeier would do whatever was necessary to protect the kaiser, even using his own body as a shield if it came to that. He had not forgotten the words of his old friend Oskar von Reuentahl the previous year: Take care of the kaiser.