Schism of Blood and Stone (The Starfield Theory Book 1)

by Brian Frederico

  Chris glanced at Aaron. “They will be safe, right?”

  “Your sister will be fine. I don't care about your friend,” the knight said turning back to the conversation.

  Chris stepped up to the table. A map of Goteborg’s major continent was laid out before them. Bright red lights were scattered several hundred kilometers to the West. The Dominion forces had been harassed on the way in by Commonwealth aerospace fighters, but most of their troops landed undamaged. They were beginning to deploy in a defensive arc around their ships. Groups of red dots were tagged with labels as scouts and spies identified the various houses they belonged to.

  Lady Evers was pointing at a raised section of the map, the mountains that crossed from one edge of the continent to the other. “This is the line of last resistance,” she said. “They must not be allowed to cross this point. The civilian centers are all concentrated East of there and we cannot allow them access to the industrial sectors for supply and refit. My house will hold the center, Houses Boesch and Braxton will hold the right, Houses Odronik and Vogeler will control the left. The remaining houses will be used to fill the gaps and form a strategic reserve as necessary.”

  Lady Evers paused, leaning against the table, her hands supporting her muscled body and she lowered the tone of her voice so low Chris had to lean in to hear it. “Our intelligence services have discovered that Lord Morlan Pershing has been sprung and he is personally at the head of this army. He is the best general they have, maybe the best since Lord General Herad himself. He is intelligent, he is daring and he is dangerous. Do not underestimate him.”

  Chris felt his guts twist into a knot and his swam in sudden dizziness. He knew Pershing was dangerous, he knew he'd be coming for Goteborg and he knew he would take it. I just didn't plan on being here when it happened!

  He dared to glance at Sir Aaron who was studying the map and ignored return the look. At least he didn't know the Cleod's involvement in Pershing's release.

  “We have spent the last several months preparing the defenses, traps, hidden supply depots and training the local militias. We must make no mistakes, no failures. We must stop Pershing here,” she said slapping her hand on the table.

  “Sir Aaron, when will Lord General Damien be landing on Goteborg?”

  Aaron looked up and hesitated. “He is on Magdeborg attending the funeral of his brother.”

  Lady Evers face faltered. “He is not here?”

  “No. The Lord General left me in charge of his army in his absence. I'm sure he will return as soon as he can.”

  There was a long awkward pause in the tent as the other lords and knights looked between Aaron and Lady Evers.

  “I don't understand why Lord Damien would leave us in our great hour of need,” Lady Evers said.

  She apparently was waiting for an answer.

  “Lady Evers,” Aaron began, “I am sure you are aware of the events on Magdeborg. The Lord General has other obligations.”

  When Aaron would not elaborate, Lady Evers turned back to the map, clearly distraught. “Then we fight alone. My lords, this is the moment we have been waiting for. This is our time to bury Lord Pershing and his army on Goteborg. Good hunting.”

  Aaron's face began to glow slightly a throbbing red like a pumping heart. Chris studied it carefully then realized the Mercer knight had SESE tattoos. They were faint, indicative of neglect for some time. Aaron had not been in combat in months and as a result his tattoos faded almost into obscurity, but now they seemed to sense the coming battle.

  The other knights and lords began to file out of the tent, chatting quietly to each other. Lady Evers speared Aaron with an ugly look of disgust. “Damien has left Goteborg to die.”

  “My Lady, Damien has not left Goteborg to die. The defense is in perfectly capable hands-”

  “Whose? Yours?” She picked up Aaron's hand and ran her fingers across it. “Smooth, without calluses. You are a child, hardly any older than my eldest son and we expect you to lead the defense of my world?”

  Aaron snapped his head around to look at the Duchess of Goteborg. “I can take my army elsewhere if you do not find it to your satisfaction,” he growled at her.

  “Threats will get you nowhere.”

  “Nor will insults, my Lady. Come, squire!” Aaron snapped at Chris as he stalked from the tent. Chris followed at his heels.

  Chris blinked his eyes in the bright light. “I'm sure the Lady Evers will appreciate your help, she is a good person-”

  “Shut up, squire.”

  Aaron and Reyna spoke quietly as they watched the units disembark from the ships, assemble and then head out to their assigned locations. Chris stood a ways back, not wishing to interfere again. The rebuke Lady Evers have given the knight was embarrassing. The fact that Chris had observed it made it even worse.

  Out of one of the ships nearby a destrier roared out and sprinted across the tarmac, disrupting units assembling and sending infantrymen scattering. Chris' blood went cold when he identified the unit. It was painted in red and black flames starting at the shins and crawling up the torso. The muzzle of its arm mounted autocannon was painted in black and gray smoke. For a second it looked like the autocannon activated and lined up with him in its sights. Chris took a half step back for all the good it would do him.

  The destrier's cockpit head snapped open and a huge figure clambered out. He climbed down the ladder set into the destrier's armor and jumped the last meter to the ground. He took off his helmet which allowed him to link with his machine through the SESE tattoos better like the webbing helmets did on the Cleod.

  He tossed the helmet to Reyna. “Hold that a moment.”

  “Slader. I was not expecting to see you,” Aaron said coldly.

  Slader breathed deeply and stretched, his joints popping with the effort. Perhaps he had stiffened during his time in the prison cell, but he seemed no worse for the wear. He smiled in a way that suggested he had outsmarted someone. The more likely scenario was that he had threatened enough jailers on the ship that they found it in their best interest to release him

  “I thought not. Your prison wasn't going to hold me, cousin. I wouldn't miss this party for all the azure in the Tri-Sphere.” Slader sized up Chris. “You brought the whelp.”

  “He will serve as my squire.”

  “A squire more useless than you were. That's fresh,” Slader laughed without mirth. “See you on the field, cousin.”

  Chris could almost hear Aaron's teeth grinding together. “One of the days, I swear, I will kill that man,” he muttered.

  “Chris!”

  Chris stopped at the call and looked for the speaker. A man with sandy brown hair and clothed in the burgundy and mustard of House Evers jogged over to him.

  “Sir Ian!” Chris smiled for the first time in weeks.

  The Evers royal hugged him tightly.

  “I wasn't sure if I saw you in the command tent. It couldn't have been you, yet, here you are.”

  Sir Aaron interjected. “You know this man?”

  “He got me through my classes and then some. I'm a soldier, not a student. I like swords, not books.” Sir Ian said. “I owe him quite a lot though.”

  “You bought me a ship,” Chris protested.

  “My mother would have killed me if I'd failed. Wouldn't have wanted to deny Morlan Pershing the opportunity, eh? What are you doing here?”

  Chris glanced at Sir Aaron, looking for guidance.

  Aaron hesitated, seemed to wrestle with an answer then said, “I must prepare my troops. Kristoffer, I expect you to find me when you are through here.”

  Aaron nodded his respects toward Sir Ian then walked away.

  “You're not with him are you?” Ian asked, jerking his head at Aaron's retreating form.

  “We were conscripted. We ran into some pirate trouble and Sir Aaron's ship was drawn into the fight. We owe him our service,” Chris explained, omitting careful details.

  “You're all right though?”

  “Ye
ah. Nick was with us, but he was sent to the militia. Claire was assigned to a medical unit.”

  “Claire's here?” Ian's eyebrows shot up at her name.

  Chris smiled and gave a friendly roll of his eyes. “I'm sure she'd be happy to see you.”

  “You think? She didn't seem to warm to me when I saw her on Garda.”

  Chris made a face. “I know. She's been gone for a long time and I guess she became pretty independent. She's different now.”

  “She holds a grudge? I meant for the Cleod to be for both of you. You were always inseparable.”

  “If you can find her, you should try talking to her. Maybe she'll be more open if you were alone,” he suggested helpfully. “It shouldn't have ended the way it did between you two.”

  Ian relaxed his stance a bit and rubbed his chin. “I should try to see her. Not now of course. Maybe when this is all over. It's different being nobility, you know? My mother shouldn't have confronted her like that.”

  Chris nodded. “It definitely left a bad taste.”

  Ian seemed to snap out of his reverie. “And Nick was assigned to a militia unit? That will not stand. I'll get him out. Good people deserve better than dying with criminals and lunatics.”

  “Thank you,” Chris said, extending his hand.

  Ian shook it firmly. “And what about the Cleod? Any problems?”

  “We ran into some trouble on our last run. We were boarded by Black Lotus, but our security took care of them. She's a bit shot up-”

  “Send me the bill. I'll take care of it. Just do whatever Sir Aaron says. I know he's probably pissed you off, but he can get you through this. He's smart, but he is in way over his head here. My mother is far better prepared to handle the defense than him. Goteborg will be Pershing's grave.”

  “You'll fight him?”

  Ian narrowed his brow. “Of course. I wouldn't hide in the back while my soldiers and family fought without me. I'd never gain the respect of my people when I succeed my mother.

  “Anyway, be safe out there, you understand? I don't want to lose you to those Dominion bastards. We could use someone like you around here when this business is done. When Aaron releases you come and see me. When Lord Damien gets here and after we've killed Pershing and his army we can turn our attention to Magdeborg and put the real Archduke on the throne. How's that for adventure for you?”

  Chris blinked. “Are you serious?”

  “Of course I'm serious. The Cleod is a great ship. She gives you your independence and your livelihood, but I can give you so much more. I was surprised you didn't take my offer after GU.”

  The offer Ian had given him was a position in his retinue as a civilian political adviser. For as long as Ian was alive, he would have been one of his closest advisers involved in the highest level discussions and debates. He would have been well paid, respected and been set for life. The last few years of his life had been difficult, even with his own ship. None of the firms wanted an upstart captain with his own ship and no experience and Drayton, the only one who would take him, was dreaming up schemes far above his station. Somehow Chris had let himself be fooled by Drayton's insistence that the firm would grow into something big and respectable.

  “I wanted to,” Chris said quickly. “Very much so, but I was convinced not to.”

  “By whom?” Ian asked.

  He raised his eyebrows in answer. “Of course it was Claire. Was it because of me?”

  “No, at least she didn't say as much. She said I should forge my own path.”

  “And look at that. Your path brought you right back here. Come with us, Chris. Once we finish Pershing here it's on to Magdeborg to oust that usurping tyrant and then on to crush the Dominion. You'll do it this time? Claire's not here to stop you.”

  Chris took a big breath. “What about the Cleod?”

  Ian smiled. “I'll find you a bigger ship.”

  Chris chuckled. He had been foolish to pass Ian up on his offer before. He would not make the same mistake again. “If we're alive at the end of this, I'm with you.”

  “Good!” Ian said, pounding Chris on the back. His muscles were weak from so many years in space and Ian was in good physical shape under constant gravity. He stumbled a bit and the noble laughed.

  “Stay safe through all this, my friend. Walk with Amrah.”

  “And you,” Chris responded as Ian turned away and started yelling orders at his subordinates. Chris hurried off to find Sir Aaron.

  Lord Damien Sten

  Duke of Hidelborg, Defender of the Border, The Gray Knight

  9 March, 23,423

  Sten Mausoleum, Magdeborg, Magdeborg Commonwealth

  ______________

  Lord General Damien Sten eyed Alos cautiously. This would be a convenient time for the Azuren to gently guide him to a waiting car to drive him to remote spot for execution. The Azuren's grip was tight and painful, but Damien refused to flinch.

  Let him play his games.

  “Your brother was a good man, my condolences for your loss.”

  “Thank you, Legate. I would not have expected any Azuren to take an interest in our activities here.”

  “I suppose not. Consider it the whimsical interest of a curious Azuren then. I am surprised to see you here. I know there is tension between you and your sister.”

  “Family duty is important,” Damien responded thoughtfully. “We would not let petty differences interfere with our love of family.”

  Alos seemed to evaluate Damien's words for a moment before shrugging. “Human and Azuren families are certainly different. I suspect we will be seeing more of each other in the coming years. I will be interested in studying your concepts of family more closely in that time.”

  I sincerely hope not, Damien thought. “You must excuse me, my Lord Azuren. I'm expected,” he said, indicating the podium.

  “Do your brother honor today. We are all watching. May you walk with Amrah, Lord Damien,” Alos warned with a rare smile. He released his grip then returned to his spot in the shadows with the second Azuren.

  Damien took a deep calming breath then stepped through the arch and towards the podium. His heartbeat slowly returned to normal and he took an extra few moments to compose himself. Starfield Theorists did not often survive contact with Azuren. If Alos knew anything of his plan, he made no mention of it.

  The only sound was the flapping of the nobles' coats of arms; the crowds stood eager, but otherwise silent. Just to his right stood Duchess Salena Teton-Sten and Erik Sørensen. He seemed to look up at her from time to time like an pet expecting a treat. Damien sneered.

  He returned his gaze to the assembled faces and the expectant eyes. Some had obviously been crying over the loss of their Archduke, others remained stolid, most seemed lost. He felt a moment's pity for them. Powerless and afraid. Damien remembered feeling that before, but no more.

  Always I have been the general, never the diplomat. These are not soldiers. Remember the protestors at the convoy. They are people with real fears and worries.

  He cleared his throat, then began a war.

  “Citizens of Magdeborg, it has been some time since I've last been home. It was eleven years since I last saw my brother, at a setting much like this, when we buried his wife, Lady Ciara Sten. He loved his wife and he shared his love with the entire Commonwealth and each of its citizens.

  “I carry fond memories of my brother when we were children. He was always the honorable warrior, a trait be carried with him into his majority. As our Archduke, he protected the Commonwealth from our enemies and fought to keep our territory intact and respected. During the few occasions we fought side by side, he saved my life countless times and I was forever indebted to him.

  “Tragedy struck our family forty years ago when our father vanished in a routine jump. Archduke Peter spent a month personally searching for him, refusing to take leadership of the Commonwealth until he had exhausted all other options. In my father's will, he declared my brother as his heir, a wise and carefully co
nsidered decision. He did not go into his new role willingly or with particular enthusiasm. To him, being Archduke was a solemn duty, a responsibility which he never let go unattended.

  “He has protected us against the invasions of the Dominion and wisely negotiated with the Azuren to keep the realm in Amrah's favor. During his rule, our borders became more secure, our lives improved and he returned the Commonwealth and House Sten to greatness. He was deeply religious and made a point to serve Amrah with appropriate vigor, to improve humanity in hopes that someday you all might join him in ascension with the Amrahn and the other enlightened ones. He walked the Path and indeed guided us all.”

  Damien paused a moment so the crowds could reflect. Around him, small camera drones buzzed and hovered, capturing his every word and movement. He took care to show some emotion, enough to show reverence, but not so much to show weakness. He walked the fine line carefully and expertly.

  “When Archduke Peter's son Prince Arthur was killed, we all mourned with him. We felt his sadness, his remorse and the unmitigated guilt he felt as when he learned the bullet was meant for him. If accidents did not happen, Arthur would be standing here today to accept the Commonwealth crown. But things do not happen by accident as Amrah taught us.”

  In the realm of Commonwealth politics, nothing happens by accident either, he added mentally.

  “I have done my best to protect the worlds on the border with the hated Dominion. At Skagen and Lindhome, we turned back the forces of the Dominion. At Mkuranga and Haberton, we inflicted heavy losses, so many in fact that there were none of their nobility to claim rights over their conquered territory. The Commonwealth noble houses that fell and were absorbed will soon be liberated so that they might again stand by our sides.”

  Many glanced at the flags that lacked representatives. The absorbed houses – for the most part – did not become so willingly. Their lands and surviving nobles were captured in combat and they became vassals of the Dominions lords or killed. A few had gone as far as to turn themselves over to the Dominion, sacrificing their autonomy for survival in a process known as reheralding. Their armies and houses might have been intact, but they held no political power in the Dominion. Their flags were taken down from the mausoleum and burned. Never again would they have noble status in the Commonwealth. When we retake their worlds, they will be stripped of their titles and their lands will go to the nobles involved in their conquest. As it should be. However, we must care for our backyard first.