Legend of Galactic Heroes, Vol. 08: Desolation by Yoshiki Tanaka & Matt Treyvaud

Author:Yoshiki Tanaka & Matt Treyvaud
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: VIZ Media, LLC (HAIKASORU)
Published: 1987-01-31T00:00:00+00:00

Three days after Yang’s departure, the independent Phezzanese merchant Boris Konev came within communications range of Iserlohn Fortress. Konev had been crisscrossing former alliance territory and the area around Phezzan on assignment from Yang, gathering information and funding for the Yang Fleet. His vessel maintained radio silence to avoid the imperial dragnets, and had actually passed quite near Leda II some thirty hours earlier. As soon as he established contact with Iserlohn Fortress, the first words out of his mouth were, “I want to see Yang right now. Is he still alive?”

“You’ve never been much of a comedian, but this material’s your worst yet,” said Poplin on his screen. “I’m pleased to report that Death is apparently on vacation and the commander is alive and well.”

Only the tiniest of hourglasses would be needed to mark the time it took the dripping sarcasm to evaporate from Poplin’s voice as his expression changed completely. Konev bore ill tidings that lit warning lamps of deepest crimson in the minds of Iserlohn’s leadership and caused even Gjallarhorn itself to ring out in warning: Andrew Fork, architect of the disaster at Amritsar, had escaped from his psychiatric hospital and was bent on a new goal: the assassination of Yang Wen-li.

Attenborough threw his black beret to the floor with rage. “Andrew Fork! Damn that worthless imbecile! Wasn’t killing twenty million at Amritsar four years ago enough for him? If he still isn’t satisfied, why doesn’t he do civilization and the environment a favor and just kill himself?”

“I’m sure he thinks of this as his life’s work,” said von Schönkopf, voice dark and bitter as overbrewed coffee. “Beating Yang Wen-li, that is. He knows his achievements don’t measure up, so he’s found another solution: murder the competition.”

Julian felt a chill run up and down within him like a broken elevator. Was Andrew Fork free by his own power? Or had someone—or some group—freed him? Was this truly a solitary madman on the run, or was it some monstrous game, with Fork nothing but a tightrope walker whose fall had been planned from the beginning?

“Go after Yang and bring him back,” said von Schönkopf to Julian. “Everything else can wait. A small squadron would be best—we don’t want to make the empire nervous.” He then selected the men who would accompany Julian on his mission.

And so, with confusion still not completely contained, a six-ship squadron of battleships led by Ulysses set out from Iserlohn in pursuit of Yang. The confusion they left to Caselnes to deal with. What he found most difficult was keeping the news from Yang’s wife on her sickbed. Even for one of the greatest officials in the history of the Free Planets Alliance, this was a great deal to ask.

III

Matters which had stagnated to the point of semifluidity suddenly began to flow in earnest once more. Though all ran in the same direction, there was no overarching order governing the many courses they described.

“Everyone hoped for peace—peace under their own authority,” wrote one historian of a later age.

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