Madman's Rue (Royce Ree #4)

This is Part 4 of "The Emperor's New Clothes", a Royce Ree interstellar heist. This installment is approximately 12,000 words long (Part 1 and 2 are free, Part 3 and 5 are available for 99 cents. An omnibus (#1 - #5) edition is available as well for users that would prefer to get their reading done in one go).

MEANWHILE...

Royce has a plan. It's a wonderful plan--it will save everyone's lives, end the occupation of Baldessh, and provide the Emperor with the technology he's looking for. Let's rephrase that: it would have been a wonderful plan, had the linchpin to the entire scheme not betrayed Royce Ree.

“An Imperial Agent cultivates paranoia the way an Imperial Gardener cultivates prize-winning rosebushes.”
-Master Mess-remeier,”The Nature of Empire: Volume 7”, 1st Edition