Fall
© 2021 by Walter Reimer

Thumbnail art by  faust1173


Quietly, almost without notice, thirty-one furs, mels and femmes, in various locations throughout Confederation space, died.

Almost as quietly, and so seamlessly that hardly anyone noticed, thirty-one more furs, well-trained and well-briefed, stepped into the vacancies created by the scattered deaths. They were all intensely loyal; not to the Empire or to the Emperor, but to the fur who’d helped them achieve their new positions.


***


The word got out before the Ministry of Information could suppress or ‘interpret’ the news that Emperor Felix was conceding to the Kashlani and that Terra had lost the war. Riots began on planets and settlements throughout Confed space, and the security forces had, astoundingly, been caught flat-footed.

Po Yingtong frowned as she surveyed the array of reports. The marten femme noted that the unrest had erupted wherever the security forces positioned by General Parsons had not been.

She glanced up at the painted wolf seated across from her.

“Incompetence,” she spat.

Andre Parsons’ ears went back. “I’ve already demoted and arrested three field commanders – “ He broke off. “You accuse me of incompetence?” he asked in an indignant tone.

“I am,” she said simply, her fingers swiping back and forth on her desktop, shuffling reports. “You clearly did not anticipate where the riots would arise. Repositioning your troops cost us valuable time, and resulted in causing the deployed units to use an unacceptable level of force to suppress the unrest. We are still getting casualty reports for dead and wounded soldiers.” Left unsaid was the number of civilians who had been killed or injured. Neither the Minister nor the General spared much sympathy for the protesters.

“I – those troops were placed where the Ministry’s AI calculated the riots would begin,” the canine huffed.

“So, you admit your incompetence.” Parson’s mouth hung open as Po said, “You were overly reliant on the AI to project where trouble could start, and now it has failed you. Despite their capabilities, they are only machines, General; living minds are more capable, more intuitive. You should have known better.”

Parsons growled. “What,” he asked, “do you want?”

“Your resignation,” Po replied. “Place your deputy in charge, and remain at your home until summoned.” She glanced back down at her desktop. “You are dismissed.”

The canine crested and stood, paws balling into fists as he stormed out of her office.

As soon as the door closed, the disguised minkess allowed herself a smirk. A little leaked information here, a little provocation there, and Parsons had been easy to topple.

She might begin to like this Ministerial posting.

Selecting a secure, encrypted channel, she contacted one of her operatives on Afrodite, and frowned when she failed to find them.

It was the same on Titan, where her Special Service detail had been holding Admiral Gromov, and it was the same on Ares.

And Terra.

And Centauri.

And Oriflamme.

And a dozen other places.

By the time she was finished, her mood had transitioned from curiosity to surprise to shock to anger to cold calculation. Someone had replaced her thirty-one closest aides.

Probability was almost certain that they were all dead.

And she thought that she knew who was responsible.

No.

She was certain.

The marten femme accessed another secure connection, which responded to access codes that only she and a select few others knew, and when the screen appeared over her desk she said simply, “You.”

The roebuck smiled at her. “No, Minister,” he said, “not ‘U.’ You may call me ‘M’ now.”

Po sat back, a grim smile on her muzzle. “So.”

The cervine’s smile broadened slightly. “Yes. His Majesty gave me a message for you.” She waited, and he said, “He said that he always admired you, but mei ban fa.”

“It cannot be helped.”

She chided herself for having been so blinded by the prospect of her advancement not to see the clues that Felix had put right in front of her.

“Special Service are on their way, then.”

The roebuck nodded, once, and the screen went blank.


***


The news was broadcast that the new Justice Minister, Po Yingtong, had resigned following the riots, shouldering all responsibility for the excessive force used to bring the situation under control, and committing suicide at her desk.