Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

able to return home and take up his old life again as a minor historian of no real importance to anyone but himself. But he’d changed so much, in so many ways, till he wasn’t sure, he recognized himself anymore. And given the reports he’d seen of the utter devastation awaiting him below, he wasn’t even sure there was a home left to return to.
    “Run sensor scan,” he subvocalized to his AI. “Locate my old Standing and see what kind of force they’ve got protecting it.”
    “Way ahead of you as usual,” sniffed the AI. “There’s a fair-sized army surrounding the castle, which according to the comm traffic I’m picking up, Valentine and his associates are currently occupying.
    Typical. Nothing but the best for dear Valentine. And according to the information we were given before we left Golgotha, which I’ll wager good money you haven’t even looked at, there’s also a hell of a lot of scientific equipment down there, along with scientists to run it. Though no one seems to know what or why.” “Don’t get uppity, Oz. Just tell me what I need to know.”
    “Bully.”
    Owen wasn’t quite sure where he stood with Oz. The original Ozymandius had been the Family AI, handed down to Owen from his deceased father. It turned out to contain hidden Empire programming, and had acted as a spy for Lionstone before finally turning on Owen and trying to enslave him with control words it had placed in his subconscious. Owen had had no choice but to use his Maze-given powers to destroy the AI. Only sometime later Oz came back. Or a voice in his head that only he could hear, claiming to be the AI Ozymandius. Certainly it was just as knowledgeable and irritating as the original. Owen had accepted the situation for the time being, for as long as the AI remained useful. And because he hadn’t the faintest idea how to get rid of the voice anyway. Besides, he’d missed Oz.
    “So, do I start the descent or not?” said Oz briskly. “We’re fully cloaked, but there’s no telling how long even Hadenman shields will hold up against the security systems Valentine’s installed here. What used to be standard weather-control satellites have been upgraded with really heavy-duty sensors and more weaponry than your average Fleet cruiser. When the Wolfe says Do Not Disturb, he means it.”
    “Maintain orbit,” Owen said firmly. “I want a really good idea of what to expect dirtside before I commit us to a landing. Scan the area surrounding the Standing, ten-mile radius, and report on the local population’s situation.” “Owen… I’ve already done that. There is no local population anymore.”
    “What?”
    “I’ve scanned the surrounding areas to the limit of my sensors. There isn’t a single living soul outside of the Standing for hundreds of miles. I’m sorry, Owen.”
    Owen shook his head slowly. He’d read the reports on Valentine’s destruction of Virimonde, watched Toby Shreck’s filmed coverage, seen interviews with the few survivors to get off-planet, but he’d always assumed they were exaggerated. No one could oversee the murder of a whole planet’s population just for the fun of it. Not even Valentine Wolfe. Deep down, part of him had desperately wanted to return home to the cheers of his people, overjoyed to have their rightful Lord back at last. He’d wanted to apologize for not being there to protect them. Wanted to promise them that things would be different now he was back. He’d keep them safe, protect them, guard them from all harm. They’d never be hurt again because he was off somewhere else being a hero of the rebellion. There was so much he’d wanted, needed, to say. He hadn’t wanted to believe that all his people were dead.
    “What’s the matter?” said Hazel. “Is there a problem?”
    “No,” said Owen. “I was just thinking. About the way things used to be here.” “Don’t,” said Hazel.
    “That’s always been your problem, Deathstalker. Always living in the past.”
    “I understand the past,” said Owen. “Things were simpler then. I understood my world and my Empire and my place in it. Or I thought I did. Since then I’ve seen the destruction of everything I ever believed in, lost everything I ever cared for, and now to top it all, I find I can’t go home again. Because Valentine Wolfe burned it all down and pissed on the ashes. Virimonde is dead.” “We can’t know that for sure till
    we get down there and check for ourselves,” said Hazel.