Chapter 813: Leave

Once the receiving mark appeared beside Alex’s image, the envoy opened the sealed order.

"By authority of the Imperial command, all armed vampire formations operating inside Imperial territory will cease independent military activity and surrender their weapons to the appointed inspection force. Vampire residents will register their identity, location and cultivation status. All Vampire Progenitors present will submit themselves to Imperial custody."

Alex listened without interrupting.

A time appeared beneath the order. Twelve standard hours from this acknowledgment. The territorial schedule attached to it named Proxima and several other systems, all under the same expiration time. Vesa copied that time beside the receiving mark before the envoy continued.

"Compliance must begin within that period. Refusal, obstruction or concealment will be treated as armed resistance. Civilian protection will be extended through the registration and inspection process."

The envoy closed the first page.

"Who appointed you to speak for this city?" Alex asked.

"The same authority under which it remained an Imperial city before your forces entered it."

"Your emergency fleet shot at the people we were taking out of the ruins."

"It responded to an uncontrolled outbreak and multiple hostile Progenitors."

An image opened beside the man. Thepes stood amid the dead, surrounded by the red-eyed corpses he had raised. It changed to Arachne’s vast web above the city, then to a damaged Imperial ship turning away from the fighting.

The recording ended before it showed the people freed when she withdrew.

Alex felt his jaw tighten.

"She wasn’t under our command."

"A Progenitor appeared, drained Imperial residents and left after an exchange with you."

"We made her release the people she was holding."

"That account may be presented when you submit to investigation."

The envoy’s voice remained level. Alex found that more irritating than an open threat. To hear him, the only question left was how quickly Alex could arrange the surrender.

Mingyue spoke through their connection.

"Ask which residents are protected before they register."

Alex repeated the question.

"The inspection force will assess the situation on arrival," the envoy said.

"The wounded are in shelters. Some cannot leave a bed. Do those shelters remain open?"

"Medical requirements can be declared to the officers conducting registration."

"And if a vampire refuses to surrender a weapon while your soldiers decide whether his family is allowed to stay?"

"Then he has chosen to obstruct the order."

A clerk beside Alex stopped writing.

He had survived the first fleet’s attack. Alex doubted he would trust the promise of protection after that.

Vesa brought up a copy of the files from Kael’s archive. Alex sent the envoy the royal-route confirmations and the order to destroy the observation post.

"These are local records," he said. "The people who survived that order are here. Prince Andrew used your city’s officials and your emergency system."

The envoy looked at a second display and paused over the files.

"Allegations against a member of the Imperial family are outside the authority of an armed occupation."

"Then give them to someone whose authority includes reading them."

"They will be forwarded through Imperial channels. They do not suspend the order."

"He left his own people inside a burning building."

"And you are required to account for the military force you have assembled."

Alex leaned closer to the display.

"You know he got away."

"The Prince’s location is not a condition of your compliance."

The files showed as received on the envoy’s display. The surrender deadline kept counting down beside them.

Alex wanted to tell the man exactly where he could put his order. Mingyue spoke before he did.

"Let me question him directly."

Vesa opened her voice onto the civic station’s channel. Mingyue stayed with Luna; her image did not appear beside Alex’s.

"You have given us orders," she said. "Can you discuss an agreement that keeps your forces outside the inhabited area while both sides stop attacking?"

"I can receive proposals relevant to compliance."

"That is not what I asked."

The envoy studied the empty space beside Alex’s image.

"A delegation can meet you at an agreed site. You will not approach an Imperial vessel unannounced."

"We have no intention of doing that," Mingyue said. "Send the names of the people empowered to negotiate and the conditions under which they will attend."

"The deadline remains in force."

"We heard it."

The envoy ended the transmission after sending the proposed meeting channel. Less than half an hour had passed since acknowledgment; the time at the bottom of the order continued to fall.

Alex kept his hands off the edge of the table. Replacing it would not improve the conversation they had just had.

The station clerk looked at the time beneath the order.

"Should we keep this from the shelters?"

"No. Send the full message to Selene and the local officers. Have them explain it where people can ask questions."

Alex looked at the image of the web still frozen on the second display.

"Send our account of what happened with it."

***

Mingyue reached the receiving room after Alex returned to Luna.

Their daughter had asked why the man wanted everyone to give away their weapons. Mingyue had told her that the man wanted control over people who were afraid of him.

Luna had understood the fear before she understood the order.

Mingyue disliked that she needed to.

At the meeting room, Dorian was reading the surrender terms with two of the local group leaders. Selene stood beside a city officer whose uniform had been cleaned badly enough to leave a darker patch across one shoulder.

The officer put the order down when Mingyue entered.

"They have sent it to other functioning stations," he said. "People are hearing it without your answer attached."

"Then make ours available at the same stations."

"One of the operators refused. He says we have no standing to answer an Imperial command."

"Did he receive the evidence from Kael’s office?"

"Yes."

"Ask him to say which parts he believes people should not see."

The officer looked uncomfortable, but he took out his communication device.

Mingyue turned to the others.

"Who has asked to leave?"