Free Sacred Planet: Book One of the Dominion Series by Austin Rogers Page A

eyes. “Very well then. It’s materially possible someone else carried out the attack, but it’s politically impossible. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, did the Americans need to conduct a full investigation to find out who did it? Was it possible the Germans could’ve carried out the attack? Or the Russians, or the Chinese? No, everyone knew it was the Japanese. It’s the same in this instance.”
    Tahn recoiled. “You can’t compare this to Pearl Harbor. They’re worlds apart.”
    “I want to address Earth,” Falco said. Displeasure emanated from him like heat. “Ulrich, I see no reason to have brought up the Sacred Planet in this debate.”
    Morvan looked him in the eye, not backing down. “Elan, there’s no denying we have a special relationship with Earth. Carina has duties to the True Religion as much as it does to her own defense.”
    “The True Religion wasn’t attacked!” Falco boomed. “My daughter’s yacht was attacked! And frankly, Ulrich, your invoking of religion is uncalled for and offensive.”
    Morvan’s eyes fell away. He folded his hands over his lap and stayed quiet for a moment. The silence was thick enough to slice. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend you. I only said what I believe is best for the republic.”
    “If I may,” Riahn cut in. “The worry is about pilgrimage. A billion Carinians make their pilgrimage to Earth each year, and they want to be assured of its safety in the midst of crisis. If we are vulnerable to attack, what’s to stop our enemies from attacking Earth as well?”
    Morvan continued the line of logic seamlessly. “And if we show ourselves weak and sluggish right now, the Carinian people will feel no assurance that Earth is safe.”
    Minister Tahn’s eyelids fluttered in annoyance. “Typical Dominionist response. Every conflict that arises must somehow be about Earth. It’s demonstrably not about Earth.”
    “Do you not believe that the safety of Earth is of vital interest to Carina?” Morvan asked in astonishment. “Of the Carinian pilgrims?”
    “Of course it is,” Tahn answered. “But I’ll remind you that we have no evidence the Sagittarians want control of Earth! How many times must I say it? Just think: Why would the Heathen King want an impoverished, overpopulated, resource-stripped planet that draws most of its income from religious pilgrimage ?”
    Morvan sat up a little taller for emphasis. “To become the dominant force in the galaxy.” He enunciated each word with care and precision. “We know Zantorian is ambitious, likely just as ambitious as Vradiman was. And he’s following the same pattern as his predecessor. Vradiman dedicated most of his life to domestic issues, uniting the aristocracy, building up his defenses. Everyone in Carina thought he was harmless. Then in his later years, he turned his attention outward, and where did that lead? Twenty years of colony wars, most of which he won.”
    “I am aware of our history, Mister Morvan,” Tahn said. “But we are not doomed to repeat it, unless it is by our own volition.”
    “Zantorian is doing the same thing as Vradiman,” Morvan blazed on, unperturbed. “And now we’re receiving reports that he’s pressuring the few independent lords to join the Regnum, too. Soon, he’ll have over a thousand systems under his rule. Over a thousand .”
    “You sound a bit jealous,” Tahn said.
    Riahn snickered before cutting himself off and clearing his throat.
    Morvan eyed the Minister of Justice in deep offense. “What a childish thing to say. I don’t slander you when we disagree.”
    “It wasn’t an insult,” Tahn said. “It was an observation. It sounds as if you’d like Carina to be just as aggressive and chauvinist as the Regnum.”
    Morvan huffed and sat back, waving his hand. “I’m sorry. I won’t listen to this. And I doubt the people will either. They’re smart enough to know we shouldn’t stick our heads in the sand when attacked.”
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