Richard Tuttle - 13 Day War

“Perhaps you should join the Badgers then,” taunted the general. “You seem to have the same questions as they do.”

Colonel Taerin sighed in frustration. He sat down on one of the bunks and stared at the general. He was unsure how to get the information that he was certain the general had.

“This is a serious matter, General,” the colonel said. “I have reason to believe that the women may be members of the emperor’s family. If that is true, I demand to know where they are.”

“Do you think the emperor’s family has the only women worth kidnapping in all of Zara?” the general asked with a slight smile. “What makes you think that these women that the Badgers are searching for have anything to do with the emperor? Colonel Donil did not report such a conversation, and I am positive that his recounting is accurate.”

“I heard the conversation,” scowled the colonel. “The difference between Donil and me is that I know who Colonel Jurgon is, or was.”

“And how do you know of Colonel Jurgon?”

“I manage the official archives for the emperor,” stated the colonel. “I am privy to most everything that goes on in the Imperial Palace. And yes, I even know about your appointment as the first Imperial General. Let us stop playing games. Tell me what I need to know.”

“The less you know the better,” replied the general. “The first thing that I would like to point out to you is that Colonel Jurgon would not be mentioned in the archives of the emperor’s papers. I do not take Jaar for a fool and neither should you. The real question to be answered here is how you learned of Colonel Jurgon, so let me ask it. How exactly do you know the name of the colonel in question?”

“That is no concern of yours, General. You have information that is vital to the Federation. I suggest that you tell me what I need to know, or I will be forced to compel you to answer.”

General Forshire chuckled. “You have pluck, my young friend. I’ll give you that. What shall we do about this impasse? Should we both go before Emperor Jaar and ask him to settle this dispute?”

“No,” Colonel Taerin said much too quickly.

Clint raised an eyebrow at the response. “Why not? Is the emperor not quite feeling himself today?”

The colonel’s eyes widened in alarm. He was not sure if the general’s words were meant literally or not. He did not know how to answer, but he needed desperately to know what had happened to the women.

“Tell me what happened to the women,” the colonel pleaded.

Clint sighed and nodded sympathetically. “The estate was attacked by Badgers. We counted one-hundred bodies, none of them female. Do you remember the day we sat on the bench and I showed you the golden badger pin?”

Colonel Taerin nodded. “I accused you of stealing it from the emperor’s office.”

“I found the pin on the body of a headless colonel.”

“Colonel Jurgon.” Taerin nodded in understanding. “How is it that you even knew where the emperor’s secret estate was located?”

“The emperor gave me instructions,” answered Clint. “You thought that the emperor was acting strangely during the festival. You were correct. Grand General Kyrga was holding him captive. Colonel Jurgon’s head was delivered to him to ensure his cooperation.”

“Why you?” frowned the colonel.

“The emperor could not trust anyone else. He had no idea who was aligned with the Grand General. I was not only an outsider, but I had already completed a sensitive investigation against the Grand General. His choice was logical.”

“I can see that,” the colonel replied with disappointment evident in his voice. “If the Badgers stole the women, then why are they now looking for them?”

“Because the A Corps ambushed them and liberated the women.”

“You attacked the Badgers?” gasped Colonel Taerin. “I would have thought that they would have guarded the emperor’s family better than that.”

“Oh, they did guard them well,” retorted General Forshire. “They had one-hundred Badgers guarding the women, but they made a foolish mistake. They split into two groups. That is when the A Corps struck.”

“I am confused,” admitted the colonel. “The A Corps is supposed to be in Olansk. The estate was surely within the Empire of Barouk. Your telling makes no sense.”

“I have kept a small detachment of A Corps to the west of the city,” explained the general. “We attacked fifty of the Badgers with one-hundred-fifty men. Our losses were minimal, but that did not last long. The other half of the Badgers caught us asleep and extracted their revenge. Only two of us survived along with the women.”

“Do you have the women now?”

“They are safe.” The general nodded. “But do not ask where they are. I am not prepared to answer that question at this time. Right now, I need to determine what is going on in the emperor’s life. What can you tell me about his relationship with Grand General Kyrga?”

“What game are you playing, General?” frowned the colonel. “You know enough from our talks that the key to dethroning an emperor is through his family, and you now claim to hold those women captive. I cannot discuss the emperor with someone who might be trying to overthrow the empire. You could be in league with the plotters.”

The general sighed and walked to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of ashes and returned to the center of the building. He sat on the bunk opposite the colonel and threw the ashes onto the floor.

“What are you doing?” questioned the colonel.

“We both need answers, Taerin, but we are both afraid of the responses we might receive from the other. I intend to show you that I mean you no harm. Take off your uniform.”

“I will not,” frowned the colonel. “Have you gone mad?”

“Perhaps,” smiled Clint as he bent forward and poked the pile of ashes with his finger.

His finger moved swiftly through the ashes and he leaned back and stared at the colonel’s face. The expression of shock and fear was as clear as the moon on a cloudless night.

“You know, Taerin, you have your mother’s eyes.”

The colonel was speechless. The most closely guarded secret in the entire Federation was laid out on the floor for all to see. The colonel moved his foot to the ashes and scattered them.

“Your mother and sisters are perfectly safe,” declared the general. “Your father I am not too sure about. That is why I need answers from you.”

“Why would you care about him? Is it to help him or overthrow him?”

“I have an agreement with him,” answered the general. “I need to know if he will still honor it.”

“What is the agreement?” asked Colonel Taerin.

“This is not how the game is supposed to be played,” frowned the general. “We are both supposed to be open and honest with one another, but you have not volunteered anything yet. Do you consider me a threat?”

“I do,” admitted the colonel. “There has always been something mysterious about you, and I do not like unsolved mysteries. Now you claim to hold some rather high cards and are raising the stakes. Do you truly expect me to show you my hand?”

“I am showing you mine,” countered the general.

“Not all of it.” The colonel shook his head vigorously. “You are becoming more mysterious by the moment. How could you possibly know that mark?”

“I saw your father’s mark the night he proclaimed me the Imperial General.”

“With your sword at his throat, no doubt,” spat the colonel.

“Actually,” replied General Forshire, “my sword was stuck in the chest of a demonic priest who had just stolen your father’s memories. That demonkin had just learned your identity when I killed him. Your father and I are not friends, but we do have an agreement that satisfies both of our concerns. I merely need to be sure that nothing has changed since I left Despair. Will the emperor honor our agreement?”