Free Barbarians at the Gates by Christopher Nuttall Page A

will not force us to panic and change our schedules.”
    Roman wasn’t sure he believed the answer, but he held his tongue.
    “Good luck,” the Commandant said. “You are free to approach your tutors should you require help, but don’t waste their time. Dismissed!”
    The cadets saluted and headed for the doors. Roman joined them, heading towards Professor Kratman’s study. The professor was the only person he knew who’d fought a battle and survived. And he might know just what had actually happened during the battle over Earth...
    * * *
    In Admiral Marius Drake’s opinion, the Grand Senate Hall was nothing less than a testament to the wealth and power of the Federation. One thousand boxes, each holding a single Senator, were assembled in the massive room, allowing the President to see and recognize anyone who wanted to speak. The boxes were decorated with the red and gold of the Federation’s emblem and the flags of the planets they represented, allowing each Senator to be instantly recognizable. The media, which was ensconced today in the Stranger’s Gallery, far above the Senators, would be able to record everything. Only Earth and Luna could watch live as the Senators pontificated for the benefit of their voters, but no Senator could resist the thought of such a large audience.
    Marius sighed. There was far too much work to be done in orbit, but the Grand Senate had insisted he attend the speech—and assigned him to a seat just underneath the President’s box. It was a position of honor, he’d been told, and yet he would have preferred more time to rebuild Earth’s tattered defenses. Who knew when the next attack would begin?
    He stood as President David Yang entered to the strains of the Federation’s anthem. The President, elected by Federation-wide popular vote, had almost no power, but he was the public face of the Federation. Yang—a tall, handsome man with short dark hair and faintly Oriental features—had been elected two years ago, and was midway through his current term. If Yang knew that he was nothing more than a figurehead, it wasn’t apparent on his face. But as Marius knew full well, in times of crisis the Head of State had to appear to be in control. The reality of the situation was nowhere near as important, under the circumstances.
    “Be seated,” the President said, his words echoing around the chamber. The original designers had ensured that everyone could hear everything said inside the chamber. “A grave crisis is upon us.”
    There was a long pause.
    “Less than a day ago, the planet Earth was attacked,” Yang informed the Senators. “An atomic weapon was deployed on the surface of Earth, destroying Navy Headquarters and almost decapitating the system defense force. At the same time, a second weapon was used to destroy an orbital fortress, crippling our orbital defenses. After that, an enemy fleet entered the system; not from beyond the Rim, not from an alien species intent on overthrowing our rightful dominance of the galaxy, but from one of our own admirals!”
    The crowd remained silent, which was puzzling. Normally, political speeches and press conferences were loud affairs, with questions being shouted from all directions. But now the room was silent.
    Then the President leaned forward, his eyes glittering ominously.
    “It is my sad duty to report to the Senate—and the Federation at large—that Admiral Justinian has risen in revolt against us,” Yang continued. “Worse yet, his ships came within a hair’s breadth of occupying Earth!”
    This time, there was an outpouring of anger from the Senators and even from the media. Someone in the command room must have neutralized the sound barriers, allowing everyone to be heard. The thunderous response threatened to shake the room to its foundations.
    Marius watched as Senators, both Conservative and Socialist, shouted their anger and rage. Admiral Justinian’s allies were in grave danger. Glancing around the Senate Hall,