Chapter 119

　　An irritating sound interrupted Kal`s slumber, like sandpaper grating against rough wood grain. An incessant swishing` sound pushed through his dreams and pulled him back to reality.

　　He tried to sleep longer. He felt warm and safe, reluctant to return to the real world. He didn`t know what awaited him there, but he knew it was unpleasant. Much better to stay here and sleep.

　　Swish. Scratch. Scrape. A muttering voice cursing something matched the sounds.

　　Kal opened his eyes to a white room. He was naked under white sheets in a hospital room. He had spent enough time in them over the past few years to recognize it immediately. He saw the large dome and grey buildings of Luna City through the large windows.

　　The source of the irritating sounds was Tamara, who sat on a chair beside him. She had a stack of paper on her lap and made notes with a pen. Very few people would forgo the use of a datapad or optic implant in the place of old-fashioned paper, but the older woman had her quirks.

　　"For a moment, I thought I was dead. But even the tortures of hell wouldn`t subject me to that racket. You couldn`t just sit quietly and let me stay dead?" Kal asked hoarsely. His body felt battered and stiff. He stretched carefully, mindful not to overexert anything.

　　"If I didn`t, you would sleep forever, and I would be behind on my work." Tamara replied dryly. She placed the cap back on her pen carefully before setting it down.

　　His Captain of the House Guard looked tired, with dark bags under her eyes. Her uniform, while clean, had the telltale signs of having been worn for too many days.

　　"How long?" Kal asked, pushing himself upright and leaning against the headboard of his bed.

　　"Three days. Everyone has been worried about you." Tamara answered.

　　"And what`s the damage? Have I caused more irreparable harm to myself?" Kal joked, although there was a thread of worry in his voice.

　　"Some. You`re training on Mars helped you, and when combined with the limited use of Atlas, the doctors say you have only accelerated your health issues by a few months, perhaps a year." Tamara responded simply.

　　"You are aware of what happened?" Kal asked. Tamara nodded.

　　"I`ve spoken with Talha and the others. You should be proud. You brought them all out of that hellscape. Not many could have done that."

　　"Not everyone, not Sylla." Kal said sadly. The feelings he had suppressed were threatening to come to the surface. He drew in a deep breath, forcing them down once more.

　　"I`m sorry, Kal. She was a wonderful person. Her loss will be felt dearly." Tamara responded.

　　"She saved my life." Kal paused, thinking about the woman for a moment. He would miss her, and Tamara was right. All of Caledon will feel emptier without her here. Kal cleared his throat, pushing the despair and sadness away to focus on the present.

　　"Three days&what`s the news?" Kal asked, and Tamara once again shook her head.

　　"Nothing good, I`m afraid. Havencroft sent ships here, along with Prince Magnus himself. He was keen to take Marella away, but she wasn`t having it. She finally left your side to rest. Magnus is still in Luna City, Governor Rowe is keeping him busy." Tamara explained.

　　"Havencroft will keep her safe, even with the Ouroboros in her possession. They would never sell out a member of their family. Perhaps it would be wise for her to return there with her father." Kal said with assurance.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

　　"I wouldn`t be too excited to send her away yet. It gets worse." Tamara said, taking in a deep breath. Kal was surprised. He rarely saw Tamara rattled, yet she looked to be on edge, like she was about to pronounce a death sentence.

　　"The galaxy is aware of the Emperor`s death. It`s been all but confirmed." Tamara explained, causing Kal to wince.

　　"How bad is the fallout?"

　　"Worse than anything I have ever seen. Riots and protests. Planets declaring their succession, rebellion brewing, multiple star systems have simply shut down, their people gathering together to pray and honour the Emperor.

　　"People on Caledon are dealing with it better. They haven`t had much use for the Emperor since your imprisonment. As long as you`re still in charge, they aren`t concerned. But it`s the Princes that have me worried the most."

　　"Have they started warring between them?"

　　Kal predicted they would. It was clear someone in the Royal family was behind the attack. The details didn`t add up to it being a simple terrorist attack. There was too much coordination and knowledge of the Guard position and capabilities. And there was Justice,` the personal Mech of Argyle, being used to murder the Guard and civilians.

　　"Reports are they are racing to secure support amongst the Ducal houses. It hasn`t come to actual war yet, just a few skirmishes amongst their supporters, but it is coming. Six houses have declared for each Prince, dividing them right down the middle, three and three." Tamara explained the breakdown of support for each Prince. Augustus had only just added the third to his followers the day before.

　　As Tamara reviewed the current political situation, Kal closed his eyes. He pictured the Milky Way galaxy, its spiral arms stretching out from the blindingly bright center. He divided it into twelve sections, as he had been taught when he was a boy.

　　Each of the sections represented a Duchy. The borders were generally static, unchanging even over the five hundred years he spent in stasis.

　　Even though his family had lost their status, their section of the galaxy hadn`t really been absorbed by anyone else. The minor nobles had gobbled up planets and systems, expanding their territory, but none of the other Ducal Houses had tried to take any more than they had before. It was always assumed the Emperor would gift the former Caledon Duchy to another house rather than divide it.

　　Kal ranked the sectors by economic and military strength, coming to a realization in the process.

　　"So, none of the major powers have selected a side." Kal muttered, opening his eyes to see Tamara nodding at his assessment.

　　"It`s not surprising. They have the most to lose. They wouldn`t back one of the Princes without assurances. Grandster and Sairon have never been powerhouses, and Naice hasn`t recovered from your father`s rebellion." Tamara explained.

　　"They were lucky to keep their title at all. They threw their support behind my Father at the beginning, only turning sides when they knew he would lose. Even combined, the three Ducal houses following Augustus wouldn`t equal Havencroft. Argyle`s group is a bit better, but not by much. Tish has a fine economy, but they do not have a martial culture."

　　"Then they will be planning to convince the others to support them." Tamara replied.

　　"Or preventing them from supporting the wrong Prince. This won`t be a momentary conflict, Tamara. This is going to be lengthy, nasty and brutal. And we`re caught in the middle. They all know that Marella is here with Ouroboros." Kal let out a breath, running his hand through his hair.

　　"Havencroft will protect her." Tamara assured him.

　　"For now, but they know we are close. If Havencroft supports one Prince, the other will look for an advantage. They will seek to use me. How do our forces compare? I want your honest opinion." Kal asked.

　　"To Havencroft? You will have more luck bringing down the moon from the sky with a rock than confronting them. Even with our gains over the last few years, we are a speck of dust compared to a Ducal House."

　　"Then we will need to prepare and expand." Kal took a moment, thinking, before coming to a conclusion.

　　"It is time for us to take back what was seized. The Emperor is dead, and the Empire is divided. I don`t know how long this conflict will last, but there will be no avoiding it, no waiting on the sidelines while the galaxy burns. We should take the time the Princes are using courting the Ducal Houses to expand our own territory." Kal suggested, and Tamara`s eyes widened.

　　"Are you saying-" Kal cut her off.

　　"When the Princes come for us, either because of my close connection to Mare, Atlas, or any other of a multitude of reasons, we must be ready. Even if they don`t personally send their forces, there are many people in the galaxy with a grudge against Caledon. There is no better time to settle old scores than now, when chaos reigns.

　　"We are going to restore the Ducal House of Caledon and bring peace and order to our sector of the Galaxy. I will protect our home, Tamara, with everything I have. If that means going to war to unite our sector and guard against the coming storm, then I will do that."