An Empire is Born (Maraukian War Book 3)

by Michael Chatfield

  “I don’t care where you came from before or what you did. You’re all students here. You bring that outside world shit in here, you can go the fuck back there. If you can keep your head out of your ass, respect your fellow students and teachers, even if your grades aren’t the best, we will turn you into someone of the Victor Corporation. We will find a job for you. Even if you’re the smartest gung-ho mother fucker out there, you can’t play as part of the team, there’s the door.” The man waved to the door at the side of the auditorium.

  “No?” A cold smile appeared on the man’s face making everyone sit straighter.

  His eyes passed over all of the students. “For the first three weeks, you will attend classes on health and safety. You will be tested throughout to make sure you retained at least some information or can follow your NIAI to get you out of shit. You will join the general labor teams, where we can see if we can trust you with a shovel. Then maybe we’ll allow you a pickaxe. We don’t owe you anything. It is up to you if you are ready to push forward and show us that you are ready for the responsibility of your chosen profession.”

  Information packets were sent out to all of them.

  “That is your schedule for the next three weeks. Make sure you are not late! Tardiness is unacceptable!” The man looked to them all. “This is your opportunity here, people. Not many people were able to get it. It’s up to you whether you succeed or fail.” His voice softened at the end before he turned and left.

  “Now get out of my auditorium!” the man yelled as he was leaving.

  People started to move, checking their schedule.

  “You have a basic recap on danger symbols in ten minutes,” Gondi said.

  Pela started to follow the bouncing ball as more and more people started to realize that they had other classes to go to and streamed out of the auditorium.

  What the hell did I just get myself into?

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The Yard

  Ark, Emarl System

  11/3555

  Esamai checked on the report from the different teams. They were all working around the clock to complete their jobs.

  Even if it was starting off slower than before, with the fabbers and the new technology that was being developed, the Yard was undergoing great overhauls.

  Fabbers were being made all of the time, and sent out to the other teams. Orbital defense platforms rotated around the Yard now, protecting it.

  Powered armor and new weapons were coming off the line and the trooper forces that had been left behind or were being trained up from the people on Emarl were quickly adapting over to the new gear.

  The designs for the different tanks, support drones, and the like had been confirmed and now she was looking at the first modular parts of the warship types coming out from the level-three fabbers.

  Nearly all of the level-three fabbers had been turned over to the ship makers. As the plans had come in, it was clear that the more fabbers they had, the faster production would be. The development team in the Yard had been talking with Charles and Chen to build the vessels and had a good understanding of the ships.

  They had been pre-building and testing out different ideas so when actual development started it wasn’t hard for them to step up production.

  With the modular design, there were many sections that were actually interchangeable and used throughout the different ships.

  This meant that the fabber didn’t need to switch between jobs as much and could just continue pumping out the same section again and again.

  Her family had been building ships for four generations, but this was the first time that they were specifically making ships meant for war.

  Esamai dismissed the reports and looked to Tyler, who was bouncing in his chair, playing with the different toys attached to his runner. She moved from her desk and went to play with Tyler. He made happy noises as she tickled his neck.

  “Don’t worry. Daddy is going to be home soon.” The corner of Esamai’s eyes crinkled with happiness as she played with her son.

  On her desk, a live feed showed different modular sections being fitted together as different crews started making the main connections between the parts.

  As they finished, a new section appeared and was added to the first few blocks. The first warship from the Yard was coming together.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Crisidium

  Tricticus, Emarl System

  12/3555

  High King Hael sat with video links to Gtrul, and the other eleven rebuilding countries and city-states. Three of them he knew were already backing him in every way possible. Their fallen comrades spurred on not only the search for more skilled laborers but teachers.

  However, the other four had some issues they each wanted to address. This was going to take some time. Hael sipped from his glass of water and waited for all the files to gather in his system so he could look them over.

  What bothered him more wasn’t the fact that their demands were unreasonable, but the fact they weren’t. Each of them needed similar items. Similar resources and moving parts. It was just a case-by-case transition from them not having enough to getting shipments in so they could be used. A very long and drawn-out process when so much was needed.

  Taking it on a case-by-case basis had been his best idea. With the help of others organizing the resources, it was getting easier to get them what they needed, not what they wanted. Demands for silly resources were also coming in, but they really were bottom of the listings. Fancy fabric and metals could wait while they had need for building resources and food supplies; they were the larger priority. What good was a well-dressed city if it couldn’t feed itself?

  Hael was grateful for information coming to him from the Yard. They had brilliant growing strategies on their man-made floating yet self-supporting monstrosity. Without growing their food first, they wouldn’t have been able to support the families working there, let alone allow them to grow while aboard.

  ***

  Thia knocked on the door of her husband’s office and waited. She’d a tray of food and a flagon of wine tucked under an arm. When he didn’t answer for the third time, she used her codes and opened the door herself.

  Hael was slumped over his desk, head lolled to one side and his mouth hanging open. Drool dripped onto his sensitive keyboard, sending error messages everywhere.

  Thia moved in slowly, placing the tray and wine down before she finally slipped in nearer to him. “Darling,” she whispered in his ear.

  Hael stirred, and when he looked up, his confusion was evident.

  She held out a tissue for him to wipe his mouth. “You missed dinner,” she said. “I thought I’d better look after you, seeing as you’re really not doing yourself any favors.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “What time is it?”

  “After midnight. I didn’t want to wait anymore in case it became past eating time for you.”

  Hael forced himself to stretch and cracked the muscles in his back. He let out a groan. “Sleeping on your desk is never good.”

  Thia stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his thick chest. His breathing felt labored, but he couldn’t be in pain. Maybe just stress.

  She hugged him tightly. “Let’s eat and drink. We’ll talk about your day and then retire.”

  Hael agreed with a nod and a squeeze back, his stomach already growling. “Seems it already smelled the food you brought.”

  “Just a little something that could be eaten colder than originally intended.”

  Hael pulled the tray toward him and took off the lid. He grinned and Thia pulled herself up a chair.

  “What’s been going on?” She poured wine for them both. “You’ve been locked in here for more days than I’d like to recall.”

  Hael rubbed the side of his temple and she knew he struggled with a few things. “It’s okay. You don’t need to tell me everything, just what affects us now.”

  “We had quite the quiet life before the
Maraukians showed up, didn’t we?”

  Thia laughed. “I wouldn’t say quiet, my dear. You seem quick to forget the differences in opinion between all the leaders of our cities.”

  “Yes, that’s very true, but it seems the Maraukians and the appearance of the mergers really turned things on their head.”

  “What’s got you so worried?”

  “Everything’s changing so very fast. The leaders of the other cities, even though they’re not rebuilt, have sent over some of their finest people for the new Skill School.” He tapped the screen and pulled up some files and images.

  Thia looked them over and nodded. “The other cities want to better themselves. You can’t fault them for that.”

  “I don’t,” he said. “It’s the debt that they’re accumulating without thinking that concerns me. What if some or all of those they sent don’t qualify?”

  “There will be other ways or means for them to repay the debt, right?”

  “Of course, but I don’t think they want that either.”

  Thia reached for him and took his hand in hers. “They’re clever students. With the help of the NIAIs, I think they’ll all more than qualify. Don’t be worried for their futures. Let them make the most of it and decide for themselves.”

  “I can’t hide it from you?” He squeezed her hand back.

  “No, you can’t.”

  “Has there been any word from Julieus?”

  “No, nothing. He’s located where Froleck has been for the last week. Negotiating between two of the more obscure cities, those that were protected from the Maraukian invasions.”

  “They were lucky.”

  “Yes, they were, hidden by mountains and oceans. The Maraukians were hell-bent on this side of the planet and not theirs. But they have resources and their people still want to join with us and the VC for trade, so he’s been there awhile for us.”

  Hael’s eyes fell. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. These creatures blew apart not only our world but everything we hold dear.”

  “They did, but they also gave us the opportunity to forge ahead with those who support us, instead of wanting to exploit us.”

  Hael nodded. “You’re correct.”

  Thia nodded, smiled and waved a hand down her slight frame. “Behind every good leader is a good woman—you knew that, right?”

  Hael laughed, a good belly chuckle and the type he hadn’t had for a while. Gripping her hand more, he tugged her onto his knee, pushing his dinner and the wine aside. “And a very good woman you are indeed.”

  Thia leaned down to kiss him, feeling his tension melt away as passion took hold instead.

  His comms pinged. Hael pushed her away reluctantly and looked over the new information coming in from Esamai. She never seemed to sleep either, but she was a great organizer.

  Thia sat down before him and waited. He knew she was here for another specific reason. But she had been patient with him for it, for the most part.

  When he finished looking at the last report and the wine was almost gone, he finally looked at her once more.

  “I’m worried.” She pushed something his way.

  Hael took it and flipped it over. His anger rose.

  “Whoever this is, we really need to find them and put a stop to it.”

  “So far, no one has admitted to it. We’ve had investigators on it for months. All we know is that the instigator has a large following, and they hate mergers.” Hael knew otherwise. He also knew he would never admit this to Thia and it was the main reason he’d had Cronus leave with Moretti.

  His son’s life wasn’t in danger anymore.

  Hael slid his chair closer to his incinerator shoot and ripped up the paper with the evidence and pictures on it. He flushed it into the compartment, where it was instantly incinerated.

  He turned back to his wife, who had looked all innocent when she’d first brought him dinner. Now he could see that she wasn’t. Her intentions here were to see how far he’d pushed over the death threats. Her son’s life was, after all, now in question.

  “They can’t get him out there, you know this, right?”

  “I know it for now, but what will happen when he returns to Tricticus?”

  “Then maybe we’ll have dealt with the problem.”

  Thia pointed to the incinerator. “That didn’t look like you’ve been dealing with it.”

  “Our son’s personali—”

  “You mean his sexuality.”

  “It has nothing to do with this.”

  Thia stood and pointed to the incinerator once more. “It has everything to do with it. You think Julieus has been watching out for him all his life for nothing?”

  “No, I didn’t mean that.”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  “Thia, please sit down.”

  When she didn’t move back to the seat, he pointed at it. “Sit, now, please. Let me tell you a few things you don’t know about our sons.”

  Thia’s brow furrowed and confusion spread through her. “What do you mean, ‘a few things’?”

  Hael knew she’d be more than hurt that he’d been keeping things from her, but with Cronus jetting off around the galaxy now and Julieus supposedly doing things to protect his brother, it was time that he admitted to her that their family wasn’t all it seemed to be.

  Thia sat across from him, and Hael then began to explain. At first, it had been Julieus who saw the death threats, and he put a stop to those responsible. But, seeing that his brother kept on putting himself in harm’s way, he started to send them. When Hael had confronted him a few days before, he’d admitted it, and told his father he’d only wanted better for Cronus, to steer clear of politics and the legion. With Cronus joining Moretti, it seemed both father and son were happier.

  Thia listened, the truth staring right back at her, swaying her emotions. She stayed still, stoic.

  When Hael finished letting his story out, she looked him straight in the eyes. “I somehow knew it,” she said with a smile.

  “I don’t believe he’s a bad person. Just like I’m not bad for wanting him somewhere safer.” Hael reached over and took hold of her hand. “We must keep following through with watching both of them. Julieus is slowly but surely uncovering some very deep plots against us and Gtrul. For now, I’m waiting to see who these men are, if the threats there are real. I need them out and flushed away from this society we’re trying to build or there will be no future for any of our family.”

  Thia let out a laugh. “You think there’s a future for our family?”

  “Of course. Don’t you?”

  Thia moved back to his desk and pulled up a different file. “I’m going to leave this for you to look over. When you’ve had a chance to think it over, I’ll be retired to our bedroom. You know where we sleep.”

  Hael watched his wife leave and thought about her statement. Then he finally turned back to the file she’d brought up.

  He looked at it and read the title. Medico records for Thia Desialias.

  He instantly panicked and clicked it open.

  It wasn’t what he’d thought. There was a large open set of reports for her. Of course there was nothing wrong; she’d had the best care they could afford for many years. But there were several recent entries. He clicked on the most recent one. A picture popped into his view.

  Hael stared at it.

  There, inside the largely black floating image, was the shape of a fetus.

  “What?”

  He’d thought they’d had a much more intimate love life these last few months since the Maraukians had been beaten back and their cities were rebuilding. She’d come to him most nights with a fever for his flesh. Now he could see her reasoning behind it. She’d mentioned wanting to add to their family a few years ago before Ava had become a merger, before their sons had started this almost unbidden internal war for power, be it knowledge or military. But they’d not discussed it much more than that.

  He remembered the original conversation and
he’d agreed with her, mostly because he hadn’t thought she was serious. Then things had gotten in the way, but it seemed Thia was still wanting more in her life. As young as they both were still in human terms, he thought they’d had their family, that things were normal.

  She was pregnant again, but not just with one baby, but twins.

  He’d thought she’d put a little weight on, but not that anything else was amiss.

  Hael rubbed his forehead. He’d been too busy, he’d put too much into doing everything else, and hadn’t once asked Thia what was going on.

  Slowly he pushed up from his desk, swallowed his pride and made his way back to the main house and toward his private bedrooms.

  She was tucked up in their bed, not sleeping, but staring out their window. He slipped his shoes off and climbed on beside her, kissing the side of her face.

  “I love you,” he whispered. “All of you.”

  Thia gripped his hand in hers and brought it to her lips. “Love you too.”

  “Do you know what we’re having?” he asked.

  “Girls,” she said.

  Hael let out a gasp and tears welled in his eyes. He’d never expected it, of course. It was still a shock, but the news was astounding. Though there was much going on, he pulled his wife to him and hugged her tight. “For our future, we all fight, my love.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Ava,” Thia said.

  But those words filled Hael with sadness. He knew she’d made the ultimate sacrifice. He wasn’t sure how she’d take the fact her mother was expecting children again. Maybe she’d be happy, but then again maybe she’d think they were replacing her.

  Hael hoped it wouldn’t feel like that to her. He hated the fact Ava sometimes spoke to the fact she was “dead,” that they’d merged to do the best they could for the future of others. But the truth was, she was and would always be his princess.

  Hael stroked Thia’s hair till she fell asleep and then he left her to retire to his private office. He hoped he could reach Ava and talk to her, even if it was a brief one.