Empire in Crisis Read Online Free Page B

transports in orbit with the Capital Fleet. The threat of calling
them down to take control of the Imperial Palace and replace him as Emperor
with someone else, maybe Hiakawa himself, was quite clear. While this wasn’t
the first time Hiakawa had referred obliquely to that threat, he hadn’t stated
it quite so forcefully before. The problem that DeChastelaine had was that,
strictly speaking, the admiral was right. The Emperor’s threat to overrule the
two Boards would be a violation of tradition and an exercise in micro-management.
However, DeChastelaine had understated the counter-argument in the minority
report. No rational person in his or her right mind would agree with the joint
report recommendation after reading the minority report. The joint report was
as clear an example of blatant cronyism as DeChastelaine had ever seen or heard
of. The Empire was surrounded by increasingly hostile alien races that could
collectively devote more resources to military assets than the Empire could.
For the Empire to waste a significant percentage of its shipbuilding budget on
the wrong ships was tantamount to inviting disaster, but he had to tread
carefully. Those ten marine battalions were still orbiting over his head, and
his plans to neutralize them weren’t ready yet.
     
    “I’m pleased that you’ve acknowledged my right
as Emperor to set Space Force’s budget parameters, Admiral Hiakawa. I was not
threatening to overrule the recommendations of the joint report; however, when
I read both the majority and the minority report, I read the notes as well. In
the minority report, one of the notes points out that even if you decide to go
ahead with construction of the Conqueror class ships, the next budget cycle
will start, and the budget will be set before the detailed design work has been
completed. Given our other shipbuilding programs that have already started and
require multi-year budget allocations to avoid a disruption in the delivery
schedule, it would be difficult to re-allocate existing funding if I should
decide to slash the uncommitted portion of next year’s shipbuilding budget. Now
I’m prepared to offer a compromise. If you agree to divide new shipbuilding
funding equally between the Conqueror class and the Valkyrie class ships, I
will endeavor to give Space Force as much new funding as I can find in the next
budget cycle. And whatever uncommitted funding in this year’s budget can be put
to use on Valkyrie class ships will be counted towards super-dreadnought
construction in next year’s budget. If that’s not acceptable, then I’m sure I can
find other uses for next year’s uncommitted shipbuilding funding.”
     
    When Hiakawa agreed almost immediately to the
compromise, DeChastelaine wondered if he could have gotten a better deal, but
the one he had in hand was good enough, and a lot could happen between now and
next year’s budget cycle.
     
    As Hiakawa started talking about the next
agenda item, DeChastelaine heard a sudden surge in background chatter and
looked around the holographic table. Admiral Remington was now looking agitated
and was clearly speaking to someone, but he must have shifted his station from
conference-wide to private because DeChastelaine couldn’t hear what he was
saying. When other admirals started speaking privately, the Emperor’s first
impulse was to demand a halt to all private conversations while the meeting was
still in progress, but then he noticed something strange. All the admirals now
talking privately were senior to the one who had started it, and all of them
looked…worried.
     
    “Just a second, Admiral Hiakawa. I believe
something has just happened,” said DeChastelaine.
     
    Hiakawa stopped talking and looked around. He
manipulated a control on his station, and then he too started talking
privately. DeChastelaine waited patiently. This was clearly something serious,
and he was sure that they would tell him what it was shortly. As he waited, he
noticed that