Chapter 5
Show of Force
12th of Fifthmoon, 6 Charles 9
Engelmark Islands, North Sea
The King stood on the quarterdeck of the air cruiser Courageous along with the Chiefs of Staff and a selection of MPs representing the leading parties in both houses of Parliament. They were about half a kilometer from the Engelmark Islands, a small chain of uninhabited islands with nothing but an emergency supply station and an abandoned listening post that had not been occupied since the Second League War. The islands were technically in international waters and withdrawing military assets was one of the conditions of the armistice. Byrandia didn't entirely stick to the terms of the agreement, but neither did Palatinia or her allies, so both sides turned a blind eye to the other's infractions.
The Navy had done a sweep to ensure there were no squatters on the islands and once they confirmed the islands were uninhabited, the demonstration could begin. General Adeen stood before them, using a little box on his collar to amplify his voice as if he were using a bullhorn.
"You can thank your king that we are conducting this demonstration in a place of his choosing rather than on one of your cities. Were the decision entirely in your king's hands, we may not have even needed to do this, but I understand that some of you need convincing in order to see reason. We are going to give you but a small taste of our power, so you will return to your fellows and tell them exactly what you have seen with your own eyes and why you must accede to our demands.
"When you see the light, either close your eyes or look away until I tell you it is safe if you value your eyesight, though perhaps something could be said of a blind prophet or two being sent back to your capital. Let us begin."
He nodded to the officer at his right, who said something in their language. The King looked at the faces of those gathered around him. Many had the look of roosters who had had their feathers ruffled, wounded pride and surly defiance. Some looked scared, like they knew how dreadful the thing that was coming. And a few betrayed no emotion, maintaining a brave, stony resolve. The ones who could not hide their fear were the ones who understood the situation rightly.
King Charles saw the narrow beam of light come down from the heavens and looked away. Even factoring in the hearing protection he was wearing to muffle the noise of the airship's rotors, the sound of the destruction that followed was disturbingly quiet. You might have easily mistaken it for some light mortar fire, though it was one sound sustained over several seconds rather than multiple quick explosions.
The light faded and the King looked back to see one of the islands completely gone and the water swirling around to fill the void left behind. He could hear assorted mutterings among the witnesses, but quite a few of them simply looked on in stunned silence.
After waiting a moment for the sight to have its effect, General Adeen spoke up again.
"That was a mere 30% output from the main cannon of one of our light cruisers. We have twelve such ships, ten more of larger classes and many others besides. If we so chose, we could subjugate this planet by force in a matter of weeks or destroy it in an instant. You have your king to thank that a diplomatic solution is even being offered to you. Consider this well when you return to your capital to tell your fellows of what you have seen this day."
Although she normally remained silent in deference to the General, the senior female officer in his entourage—Captain Tsai—attached one of those little boxes to her collar and spoke up.
"We do not only offer threats. We are offering you a place at our sides as fellow citizens of the Empire. You will have a share in our prosperity. Within a generation or two we will have this planet fully integrated into the Empire. Imagine your children and grandchildren travelling among the stars, health and long life. All the wonders of the modern age that were lost to you will be restored. The Father of Humanity is kind. All he demands of you is your fealty and his blessings will be poured out to you as freely as water."
King Charles idly thought that her speech would not play so well in arid lands like Barsouk and Kasshu, where it is said that men will kill for a mouthful of water. General Adeen had a neutral expression that did not betray whether this was a calculated act or a spontaneous move by Captain Tsai. The classic good cop/bad cop routine was likely to be somewhat effective.
Sir Kelvin Merrow, a representative for the Conservatives in the Council of Commons, who was standing by the King, leaned in and said in a low voice, barely audible between the hearing protection and the sound of the airship's rotors, "I say, Your Majesty, did you know they could do a thing like this?"
"No, but I imagined it, Sir Kelvin," the King replied. "Can I count on the Conservatives' vote?"
"There wouldn't be anything left to conserve if we oppose these people," Sir Kelvin said. "There may be a maverick or two, but surely the Party will see reason."
While he was fairly confident he could rely on the dominant Conservative-Royalist coalition, the King wanted to be sure of their support. It would not be enough, though. He also needed to reach across the aisle to the Liberal-Labor coalition as well. The Republicans would never agree to trading a king for an emperor and the Social Workers' Party could not be counted on for much of anything useful. The handful of Manifest Destiny MPs that were still around were not really worth considering unless the vote came down to a razor-thin margin. He had to get a two-thirds vote in both the Commons and Peers for the resolution to pass. If he could not get the votes, he doubted the Imperials would have the patience to negotiate more amenable terms.
The demonstration would do its work, he told himself. You would have to be mad to think you could stand against such power. Running the numbers in his head, a blast from one of their light cruisers at full power could completely obliterate over five thousand square meters. Who knew how much that output scaled up for the larger classes of warship? Of course, they no doubt had other, more terrible weapons for wreaking widespread destruction. General Adeen did say that they could destroy the world in an instant and there was no reason to think he was exaggerating.
There was not much more he could do. He would talk with the MPs more, surely, and would likely give another address to each house, but it was not likely to change much. Those who were convinced were convinced and those who were not would not change their minds even as they watch the world be incinerated around them. To think that a couple weeks ago his greatest concern was the threat of renewed hostilities with the League of Six. Their world had grown so much smaller in such a short time...