Christopher Nuttall - Barbarians at the Gates

Marius stared at his former commander.

“I don’t know her,” he pointed out. “I couldn’t marry Amy because she knew I’d always put the Navy before her. I certainly couldn’t offer Lady Tiffany anything more solid, or personal. And I don’t love her.”

“You’re from a society where couples are encouraged to marry for love,” Professor Kratman said evenly. “High Society, on the other hand, doesn’t frown on pre-marital sex, but only allows actual alliances between couples when the marriage benefits the overall families. You don’t have anything to offer them—family-wise—but you are in a position where they need a great deal of influence over you personally.”

He paused. “As I’m sure I have told you before, you’re old enough to know that the Senate can be very cold-blooded at times. And they’re scared.”

Marius nodded in understanding. Admiral Justinian was only the first of many warlords who’d declared their independence and had set up their own fiefdoms. If they ever allied together, they might be able to bring down the Federation—but fortunately, most of them only seemed to want to hold on to what they had. But ONI’s long-term predictions were not hopeful. If Admiral Justinian wasn’t beaten within five years, nothing could save the Federation from collapse. And that would be the end of humanity’s unity.

Marius had asked Arunika, in private, what would follow the end of the Federation. She had tried to project it out, but the results hadn’t been precise. She thought there would be clumps of human worlds that would inherit much of the remaining military force, alien worlds declaring independence and attempting to build up their own starships, the Outsiders pushing into the Rim and setting up their own empires…it would spark an endless series of galactic wars before some new authority managed to reunite humanity.

But the worst-case projection showed humanity being exterminated or enslaved by alien overlords.

“Scared?” he asked Kratman after a long pause. “Maybe they should be. But why be scared of me?”

Professor Kratman grinned.

“Think of this marriage as a gesture of their faith in you. They lost control of Admiral Justinian when he went rogue because he wasn’t really bound to them. You, on the other hand, will be offered the chance to add your genes to High Society. Your long-term interests will be united with theirs.”

“Right,” Marius said. “And if the marriage isn’t a happy one?”

“You do realize that all you are really being called upon to produce is children, which you could grow in an artificial womb if you wish,” the Professor pointed out. “There’s no reason for you to spend any more time with her after the wedding, even if they insist on her going back with you to your command. High Society might even expect that, because many of their marriages are in name only.”

“That’s heartless,” Marius protested without energy. “Why…?”

“They’ve been the lords and masters of all of known space for centuries,” the Professor reminded him tartly. “They know that their methods work. It’s quite natural for them to stick with something they know has worked in the past. What’s the happiness of one young girl—who will have a chance to find happiness later, perhaps in the arms of a lover—compared to ruling the galaxy?”

Marius closed his eyes for a long moment.

“I assume that I don’t have much choice in the matter,” he said finally.

Professor Kratman nodded.

“Very well, then.” Marius switched topics. “I want to know why the Brotherhood is so interested in me.”

The Professor said nothing for a long moment. “And have you agreed to join?” he finally wondered.

“You made a very convincing offer,” Marius said flatly. “As I told Arunika, I have agreed to join the Brotherhood. She sent me to you.”

The Professor looked at him for a long moment.

“It goes without saying, I hope, that the Brotherhood values its secrecy very highly. Disclosure of anything relating to the Brotherhood without permission will result in your termination, along with anyone you might have shared any information with. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Marius said. “I won’t betray you.”

“You have secure implants already,” the Professor said. “You won’t betray us willingly, but you understand that we are more than a little paranoid with new members. You are unusual because you already possessed a high rank when we contacted you, one that you don’t owe to us—well, not directly.”

“Your messenger claimed that you orchestrated the press campaign in my favor,” Marius pointed out.

“We did,” Professor Kratman admitted. “It was fairly easy, to be honest. We’ve controlled many of Earth’s foremost media outlets for centuries. We use them to make sure that the Brotherhood’s agenda is put forward at all times, helping to ensure that the Federation doesn’t follow us, but walks in the direction we want it to go. We constantly remind people of how aliens can never be trusted, ensuring that the idealists who intend to revoke the anti-alien laws never get a chance at a fair hearing. We also bolster the position of the Senate to some extent, ensuring that wild cards are rarely elected into power.”

Marius considered it. Wouldn’t that have played a role in the Senate’s corruption?

“The Brotherhood sees the rise of the warlords as the greatest threat to human unity and supremacy since the Inheritance Wars,” Kratman went on. “If they succeed in shattering the Federation, the human race will be weakened, leaving us vulnerable to the Outsiders. Worse, if the Senate succeeds in clamping down and pushing the entire Federation into lockdown, the Federation will rot apart from within. There will be yet another round of Inheritance Wars as the colonies strive to break away from the dying center of human civilization. We cannot allow such an outcome, Marius, and you are in a good position to assist us in deflecting it.”

Marius considered for a long moment. He knew that the Professor was right, at least to some extent. The Core Worlds had been draining the colonies for a long time, while making it harder for their citizens to get a decent education and therefore crippling themselves in the long run. The Federation had been quietly discouraging innovation and scientific research for centuries, turning universities and research labs into places where the status quo was maintained and nothing else. The Federation had been stagnating for a very long time and stagnation meant eventual death. There was no hope of reinvigorating the Federation without something to help force through the reforms.

“Maybe we should act to limit the primacy of Earth,” he offered after a long pause. “If we could break down the voting system…”

“We might cause a civil war,” the Professor said. “Do you think that everyone who has vested interests based on the current system would accept its collapse without a fight?”

“We already have a civil war,” Marius pointed out. He turned and focused on the professor. “What does the Brotherhood want from me?”

“We want you to win the war,” Professor Kratman said. “The longer the current stalemate lasts, the greater the possibility of the Federation tottering and falling apart. Admiral Justinian may win by default.”

Marius snorted.

“I have been trying to win the war since it was declared,” he said sarcastically. “We’re not going to be able to beat him without breaking through into Jefferson and then into Harmony—and doing that requires a far greater commitment of mobile firepower than I have. Can the Brotherhood convince the Senate to cut loose half of Home Fleet and allow me to use it on an extended mission?”