Sulla Is Inevitable - Chapter 11

 Sulla Is Inevitable

By David Billiot

Copyright 2026: All rights reserved

Chapter 11

Two of the attackers had been captured.  They were being interrogated for information at the station in orbit around the star Lopetua. The governor was a man in his fifties. His world was allied to the Republic and had not participated in the War of the Allies. He had been collecting reports of what had been happening and sending them to the capital. Because of FTL, the fastest way to send a message was to just go there and say it. Radio was only good for communications in one system.  It also meant that there could be little or no word ahead of time of an important dignitary arriving. 

White had arrived with the task force of only fifteen ships and the governor hurried to provide a proper welcome. However, White did not care for pleasantries. 

“What do we know?” White asked matter of fact as soon as he was brought into the headquarters. 

“They targeted the needles. These are massive subsurface structures in planets. They were likely used during the construction process to keep the planetoid hot and the core molten while the planet was being created. They also help to regulate the magnetic field.  The crust is a bit thinner at the points where the needles touch the crust.” the inspector explained. 

“Who sent these ships?” White asked. 

“We don’t know. We’ve never seen anything like them. We were able to capture two of the attackers but so far they haven’t given us anything.”

“All they say is Devin over and over again.  They are acting very odd. I don’t understand this.” the governor said. 

“The two prisoners look identical. They might be twins.”

“Are they human?” White inquired. 

“Yes, but something has been done to them. And if they are not twins it means cloning.”

“Our enemy is destroying planets. Cloning humans is the least of their crimes.  I want to hear from the witnesses who saw what happened with their own eyes.”

“We recovered as many people as we could. Some of them were … prisoners.”

“I don’t care about that right now.” White stressed. “I want to hear from an eye witness.”

“There was one young man who might be a bit more articulate than the others. I’ll have him brought.”

Darkness was in handcuffs as he was brought before White.  He had no idea what was about to happen. 

“You no longer need those.” White said. The guard removed the handcuffs and Darkness brought his left hand to his right wrist to care for it. 

“Thank you. … Sir.”

“Do you know who I am?”

Darkness shook his head. “No, sir.”

“What did you see? What happened at Javin?”

“There was some kind of beam. It stretched off into space like it was coming from the sun. It was cutting Javin. Just cutting it like butter.”  Darkness lost his composure. He looked down and started to cry. 

“Did you lose family?” White asked. 

Darkness nodded but didn’t look up. 

“Governor Valens, what is his crime?”

“He was off world without a license. He was on an administrative hold.”

“Well, you can’t put him back, can you?”

“We’ll drop the charges.”

White nodded. 

“Sir, I don’t have any money. I need work.” Darkness said. 

“First, rest.” the governor said. 

“The Atolian fleet is coming.” White mentioned. “I’ll ask them to give you a spot, boy. Governor, let’s draw up documents so he doesn’t get arrested again.”

… 

Pulcher’s transport ship dropped out of FTL in the Brundisi system.  Pulcher himself was on the bridge and waited for the ship’s communication’s officer to make contact with White’s task force. The communication’s officer announced to the captain of the ship that the local authorities were saying White was not there. Pulcher overheard this and felt his anger rise. 

“If they are harboring the fugitive there will be penalties.”

“They say that word has come that White’s ships went to Lopetua.” the comm officer said. 

“Navigation, prepare for jump.” the captain commanded. 

Pulcher sat again in his seat and again endured the ship going into FTL.  He would be sure to tighten the cuffs around White’s wrists for this.  Pulcher got up and went to the restroom to relieve himself. When finished he looked at himself in his uniform.  He was going to arrest the vice president. He smiled. His name would be remembered for his. 

The light changing color indicated the ship was going to drop out of FTL. Pulcher rushed to get back to his seat so he could be buckled in for the moment. He got buckled just in time. Once the ship did come out of FTL it was confronted with a battle happening at that very moment. 

Pulcher’s ship was fired on by the black ships of the invading armada and the captain ordered evasive maneuvers. 

“Is White here?” Pulcher demanded. 

“We’re a bit busy.”

Pulcher was blind to the details of the battle happening.  He didn’t know what was going on. He had to hold on as the ship spun this way and that to avoid fire. Several blasts hit the ship and rocked the interior. 

“Captain, we are receiving word from White’s flagship on regroup coordinates.”

“Patch me through to White.” Pulcher demanded. 

“You’ll have to wait, sir.” the captain said. 

“If you have communications then patch me through now!”

The captain grimaced but complied. The secondary communications officer was ordered to get Pulcher on a direct line to White. 

“This is Captain Luculus.”

“By order of the Republic Senate and People’s Assembly, I demand to speak to Lucius White.” Pulcher said into the radio. 

“This is not a good time. Leave your message.”

“I will take you into custody as a traitor unless you put White on right this moment.”

Pulcher waited. The voice of Luculus did not come back. Instead the voice of the vice president himself came. “What is this?”

“Open your docking ports. My ship will dock. You are commanded by the senate to receive me.”

“Not going to happen.”

“This is a legal order from the senate.”

“I am in the middle of a evacuating a planet. Do you not see the battle?”

“Then I demand you take a shuttle to my ship.”

“On what authority?”

“The senate. They have relieve you of command. Your task force is ordered to return to the capital to be placed under the direct command of Senator Narius. You are to be taken into custody to answer for your crimes. Now acknowledge this order and obey it. You are under arrest. I will take you into custody.”

The line was silent for a moment. Then White’s voice came over. “Good luck.”