《A Star for Every Soul》 Prologue Prologue A man in a white lab coat stood over two bodies. Identical twins by their looks. They were laid flat and naked on a stainless steel slab, each limb bound to the slab by a retractable metal cuff. Their skin, pale and flawless, was coated in the blue gelatinous mucus they were just pulled out of. Their age appeared to be somewhere around fourteen or fifteen. They lacked any melanin and appeared albino. The lab coated man smiled, the bags under his eyes seemed to disappear with his excitement. He glanced behind him to the technician ¡°Put them back in their tubes, the quarterly summit it coming up and I expect the prince will want to shows these off. By the time they get there, their growth would have accelerated.¡± His speech accelerated in speed and volume as he continued ¡°the growth is accelerated you see, the tube and its liquids act as a catalytic solution for the subdermal steroids and growth hormones that lay dormant in the capillaries. By the time a three months passes they should be fully grown adults! Who would have thought the prince had a mind capable of such creativity. Thermal exhaust through lung capillaries! Physical neural networks processors! Who would have thought.¡± The unenthused technician pressed a button on the panel and glanced worriedly at the sleep ridden scientist in front of him. The slabs the twins were bound to drew themselves erect until they stood ten degrees away from vertical. Two glass tubes rose from the floor to encompass each specimen. When the top of the tube made contact with the ceiling a blue liquid started to rise in each tube. The technician took in the view. Two perfect beings enclosed in a mysterious blue liquid inside a glass tube inside a damn depressing looking black room inside what had to be the loneliest heliocentric research laboratory in the galaxy stuck with a scientist mad from sleep deprivation and the crown prince; just what had he gotten himself into. The lab coated man threw his hand up and started laughing while hopping from one foot to the other ¡°We did it! We did it! Ha, the bastard won''t last a second. One look and boom! Gone!¡± The technician started to ease his way towards the door slowly as if facing down a wild animal then with one last look threw it open and bolted through escaping to the safety of saner minds. (namely his own)
---- White fluorescent lights illuminated an endless hall. One wall was a polished white polymer, the other, a window that looked out onto an endless black void speckled with shining white and gold. The space scape was entrancing. Some said for every human soul there existed a corresponding star, it was a nice thought, that somewhere out there he had a mirror, that perhaps he wasn''t alone in the universe, that he wasn''t the only one to share the burden of his soul. Perhaps¡­ but that was just naysaid. The dreams of men fabricated in times of mental desperation. The fantasies of week men who built theirlives on the lies they tell themselves. He wore black, the colour scheme of every navy officers uniform. They were barbaric in nature, the original design having said to date back over ten thousand years. Some said it dated back even further to when the human race was a monoplanet species. He shuddered at the thought of being trapped on one planet, confined to one star with no hope of escape. Destined his whole life to look up at one sky, to breath only one atmosphere. He was uncomfortable in the two-piece uniform. It was largely useless, it had no value in the event of a leek or forced vacuum, it didn''t even have built-in pressure seals or gaskets. Instead, it sported what historians called a ¡°double-breasted¡± jacket with a pulled back ¡°lapel¡± and ¡°dress¡± pants. He wore leather shoes! Not even vacuum rated mettle boots. They looked more like slippers one would wear to go to bed then something meant for practical use. ¡®Then again¡¯ he thought ¡®I¡¯m not going to be in a hazardous environment anymore. My first time planetside in over eight years. What will it be like to look up and instead of seeing a bulkhead see a clear blue sky? What would it be like to breath non-ionized air? What will it be like to look out a window and instead of seeing black vacuum see ¡­¡¯ what would he see looking out a window? Buildings? Grass? Trees? Empty Fields? ¡®Probably buildings¡¯ he was unsure though. He was eighteen and spent almost half his life off-planet, travelling from star to star. Researching, making, and building weapons. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. A door behind him hissed open and in the reflection of the reinforced window, he could see an alcove in the wall behind him open to reveal a similarly dressed figure but with a grey band on his left arm. The symbol of a naval political representative. ¡°I heard you plan on addressing the Counsel, Court, and King personality.¡± ¡°I do¡± The figure walked up beside him and looked out on the scape. ¡°Do you expect to gain more support and funds for your project. No offence but you''re not exactly known for meeting deadlines.¡± ¡°Something''s changed¡± and with that, he pivoted on his heels and started to walk down the hall. The representative behind him kept pace. ¡°What? Another reported ¡®breakthrough¡¯? You need physical evidence. I''m surprised your funding wasn¡¯t cut years ago. If it weren''t for your father, the King, your pet project would-¡±. He took a breath, ¡°I''m sorry that was improper and unbecoming. Let''s just say that many people are displeased that kingdom resources are going into what appears to be a black hole and one with no corona at that.¡± ¡°Things have changed this time,¡± the prince said, ¡°I have a model made¡± The two sets of clacking dress boots cut to one as the man beside the prince stopped in his tracks his eyes going wide and his mouth parting slightly. Then shaking himself out of his shock he rushed to catch up. ¡°It¡¯s it as we imagined in our youth? Did you create the alpha or beta version? How did you do it? How did you merge the interface? Just plain how?¡± ¡°To your first questions, it is neither a alpha or beta¡­ it is already a past beta testing. Once we got the original prototype working it took less than a half year to pass to beta, then only a quarter year to pass that. We''re now on version two point zero¡± ¡°Is that why you didn''t appear last three quarters? It was mentioned as an oddity that you didn''t ask for more funding. But why didn''t you? Even with the alpha, you would have been able to.¡± ¡°The primary reason is that I had momentum and didn''t dare slow or pause, the second is that we no longer needed it. We were able to liquidate most of our unused and now worthless assets¡± They walked for a quarter of a kilometre in silence than with a suddenness that surprised the representative blurted. ¡°Your father wants you on the line. I¡¯ve made as much political manoeuvring space for you as I can but he keeps saying that travelling from star to star in the inner region and working on heliocentric labs are no place for the crown prince. Rumour has it he¡¯s going to make you shadow Charman¡± ¡°Carman? Well that not entirely unexpected; I think I could learn a lot from the rear admiral¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve done it! Once you show the court no one will challenge your right to guide your own future. You don¡¯t need to go¡­ right?¡± ¡°My father has always seen a warrior in me; all I see is an engineer and developer. I trust in his judgment though. I finished my task. The project is done. To be frank I was worried.¡± ¡°Worried how?¡± ¡°Worried that I would be lost¡­ Have you ever finished a long book only to sit there and wonder what to do next? Every other task pales in comparison to reading the next book but when you''re all out of books then you feel lost, adrift, taskless. That¡¯s me right now. I¡¯ve completed my task. I¡¯ve designed and grew the weapons. Now my task is done and I need to throw myself and invest myself in another task. I may not be good at it, I may not like it, but my father has tasked me with learning both space strategy, tactics, and how to lead men. So I shall. I have nothing better to do and this way I satiate both my father and the court. I will become the warrior my father asks of me.¡± ¡°I agree politically it''s the best move but we''re talking about your happiness. You''re my friend Ramius I won''t throw you to the sharks.¡± ¡°I thank you, my friend, but the project is no longer in my hands. After showcasing them here I will deliver them to the line. I minus well get Charman as an escort if he''s already here to pick me up. After showing my success the council will demand nothing less than a feat to escort them.¡± They walked in silence for another quarter kilometre. ¡°This is my stop, Zack. I will see you surface side.¡± ¡°See you Ramius¡± The prince took a right, branching off the main hall and effortlessly navigate a maze only those experienced in space could. When came to what would appear to the layman to be a dead end he tilted his head back to looked up. The hallway extended vertically, straight up. He jumped and was weightless. With practised grace, he landed on what was then the wall, now the floor, and his shoes clicked as we was grabbed by the field. He continued to walk up, now down, the hall. Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Ramius took a breath before entering the ¡®box of death¡¯, a grey angular shuttle that stood on four skids about a third of a meter off the ground. It had small stunted wings protruding from the top. They were reported to give a small increase in efficiency during atmospheric flights but he was fairly sure they were for aesthetics. He would have felt safer in a dropship, a lot safer, but transport was transport. He wasn''t about to call in favours and create new enemies just for his own comfort. Besides, he was less worried about himself then he was the two gigantic stainless steel vats that filled the majority of the shuttle; leaving only a few spare seats in the front. He knew that his worries were silly. Even if they drifted alone in space and reentered the atmosphere as naked as the day they were grown they would survive. Even if fifty per cent of them burned up, an unrealistically high per cent, they would regenerate. It was the principle of the matter he decided. ¡®You wouldn''t want scratch your new speeder even if you could buff it out.¡¯ With his thoughts in order he strapped himself into the five-point harness. To his left sat the grey jumpsuited technician. What was his name again? Jason? ¡°Jason¡± This was the first time the prince directly addressed Jason in several months; even after nearly a year of confinement both aboard the lab and the transport, ¡°Yes my Prince?¡± ¡°Have you seen Doctor Stevenson? I realized I haven''t seen him in a while¡± ¡°... He¡¯s in the brig, sir.¡± The prince shot the technician a sharp look ¡°What do you mean in the brig.¡± It was true that the eccentric Stevenson was the last person he wanted to present to the court if he was indisposed all the better. He did feel a bit bad for him but politics and people was not his realm of expertise. ¡°Well, sir he jumped up on a table in the officers mess then striped ¡­ then shouting at the top of his danced his way out while kicking everyone''s food in there faces¡± ¡°...¡± A moment of silence passed between them as they glanced at each other in mutual nonverbal amusement and horrification. ¡°...¡± ¡°That would do it¡± the prince agreed. Glad once again that he didn''t need to present him. Glancing towards the cockpit Ramius put the headset on and pressed the push-to-talk on the side of the seat. ¡°Were ready back here.¡± The pilot waved in acknowledgement. A half minute later the large side door closed and sealed with a "hiss". Another half minute and a shudder went through the shuttle telling its occupants that they were no longer in contact with the station. Ramius look back at the technician, perhaps in his mid-twenties, and asked: ¡°When''s the last time you were planetside?¡± ¡°Bout a year and a half. If I might ask my prince how long have you been without an earth¡± That what they called any planet you last stood on, your earth. The name originated from somewhere in history but no one could figure out its etymology. ¡°Eight years¡± ¡°You haven''t seen your family is eight year? Then who taught you? You¡¯re young, only eighteen, you should have just finished your general education but I didn''t see any teachers in the lab.¡± ¡°I study independently. I have of course finished business, intermediate level officer, royalty, government, politics, chemistry, and medicine majors skill paths. Along with a plethora of minor skill paths, hand to hand combat, communication, marketing, stuff like that.¡± He waved a dismissive hand, ¡°Now I spend most of my time writing papers under an alias.¡± The chagrined technician shut up and resolved to keep his mouth closed. Major skill paths were extremely hard to complete. They were free, part of the public database, but consisted of uncondensed information and seemingly random unorganised tests and quizzes. Completing one was a major accomplishment that could land you a top-level job, completing seven though. That was nearly unheard of. Even Doctor Stevenson had completed only six and he was a super genius¡­ then again so was the prince. He looked educated, even smart, but lacked the enmity to communication and interpersonal connections that most of his intellectual peers boasted. And his minor skills! One of those could land you a mid-level job. His curiosity taking the better of him he asked. ¡°How long did it take you to complete each major skill? You''re only eighteen afterall¡± ¡°Each one took me about a year, although there were some years where I was able to double up with several minor skills. When we started making bigger leaps in the weapons development I stopped completely.¡± He talked about it so nonchalantly that the technician could not believe his ears and said as much. The prince didn''t get mad but just quirked an eyebrow, ¡°Why does my claim sound fictitious?¡± ¡°Because there''s only a handful of people in the galaxy who have achieved anything over six major skills.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± the prince said, ¡°I think I know more people with over five major skills than those lacking such.¡± The technician was about to challenge this claim but then thought back to the company the prince was reported on keeping. Little was known about the prince, the little that was known was that he travelled in subpar conditions to work on weapons development in the fringe and outer reaches of civilisation. Now that he thought about it he was the least publicized member of the royal family despite him being the next king. Jason knew more about his two younger sisters then he did the Prince, and he had been living with him for almost a year. The technician re-reminded himself that he grew up surrounded by science sort and he knew from Doctor Stevensions muttering that he was very well known in the scientific community. ¡°Did you ever take any cultural classes on Bladen Culture¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°No, I grew up in it,¡± the prince said assuredly ¡°My prince, if I might be so bold... you did not grow up in¡­ ¡®normal¡¯ Bladen culture, you grew up in Bladen scientist and naval culture. Most people don''t have a single major skill under the belt¡­.¡± then with a ting of shame creeping into his voice ¡°I don¡¯t have one, I only have two minor skills.¡± The prince looked at him to see if he was lying. ¡°It''s true my prince, it''s unlikely that the pilots or any of the enlisted men have a major skill set. Most will only have minors one like small arms battle tactics, riflery, pistolry, and general trauma aid. I admit most officers have a major skill set but those are completed over years in groups with the aid from teachers and peers. The prince squinted at the technician as if he was the butt of some prank, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, there free. Why would they not educate themselves?¡± ¡°It takes self-discipline, dedication, and... well you need to be smart. While it''s true you have experience in blade culture it''s a very specific niche. The people who you surround yourself with where the best the kingdom. They are not the status quo but the exceptional-¡± he halted his address as the prince took on a look of contemplation. Jack was stunned, relieved, and worried, ¡®Does he really not know this¡¯. It was relieving that the Prince was extremely well educated, it was worrying that someone so out of touch with his own people would be leading them; more so if he consorted with nude dinner kicking demons like Stevenson. Reentry was uneventful, to Jason anyway. Ramius was calm until they hit the first sign of atmosphere than his face tensed in worry. Jason noting the prince''s concern gave him a reassuring smile and pressing his push to talk said ¡°completely normal¡± The worry lines on the Prince''s face receded with the turbulence. Clear blue sky could now be seen where speckled black void had once been. He looked intently at that window and the technician could not blame him. Eight years was a long stint for any man, but for a child sent out to space as a punishment, or more properly exile, it was an eternity. Green, trees, a field of grass, and then smooth tall bronze spires that scraped scars in the clouds, then another ship, not space-rated, with a bored looking occupant in a black suit. ¡®Just another normal day here. Nothing special to anyone else but me.¡¯ the thought came unbidden to the prince but acknowledged it as true. He felt both special that he was the only one who could feel this unique sensation. And a little lonely too. Perhaps there was a star that knew, somewhere out in space, that could feel his worry, excitement, fear, his wish to be bold, his wish to apologize, his wish to march up to his father and rant how it was not fair, that he didn''t deserve exile. The blurring city view slowed and eventually came to a stop, then rotated ninety degrees. ¡°Thump¡±, and contact was made with the terminal. The door hissed open, ¡°Welcome to Naval Base Myers Sir. Make sure not to touch the hull on your way out or your hand will be melted off¡± yell the pilot as he flicked switches. Ramius pressed the button at the centre of his harness and all the belts retreated. He straightened then walked out. Turning back he beckoned at the technician who soon followed. ¡°There are remote dollies under the vats. Pull them out of the side, have on the pilots help you. Take your time, there''s no rush. When your done wait at least three hours. Make sure everyone knows to stay away from the vats but don¡¯t tell anyone that it''s under my authority until the second hour.¡± ¡°Why the second hour Sir?¡± ¡°Because at this time only you and a few officers I trust know I¡¯m planetside. Once word gets out I won''t be able to do anything personally as I¡¯ll be bombarded by the court.¡± he looked longingly at the vats, ¡°When the three hours are up put them back in the shuttle and fly to the Palace. I will send you the clearance codes, land in terminal B4. Those connect to my personal wing and quarters.¡± ¡°I follow Sir but if I might ask...¡± the prince nodded, ¡°why take them out only to put them back in?¡± ¡°Everyone knows the conditions in which I was exiled. Everyone also knows the condition that I need meet before I can return.¡± the technician nodded in understanding. He needed rumours started about his weapon. ¡°I see Sir¡­ If I might make a suggestion, might I enlist some of the logistics personal around the base to¡­ ehm... Help out¡± The prince smiled at him, ¡°Do as you see fit.¡± -------------------------------------------------------------- The prince left his children behind. For the first time since their growth, he would be leaving them. He knew they would be safe but still. As he walked away it was like the devotion and dedication to their development he invested stayed with them, leaving an empty pit inside of him. ¡®It''s not that dramatic. It isn''t like their actual humans¡¯, the halls were confusing but the paths were well indexed and he soon found what he was looking for. Intercity Transportation was written in minimalist script on a drop down sign. He entered one of the autonomous cabs. He entered the two seated speeder. ¡°Upper Hylian Court,¡± he said in a loud clear voice. ¡°Please scan your access code n-¡± he swiped the back of his right hand against a small protrusion on the door. ¡°Upper Hylian Court, estimated time to destination two minutes and fifty-three seconds¡± the ride was both therapeutic and stimulating. The buildings hadn¡¯t changed since his youth but he noticed things he did not at the time. Everything was more vivid, and¡­ real. ¡®It''s like my memories where long-forgotten dreams only heard in stories, now I''m here, I''m back¡¯. The air traffic was light, probably because it was midday, and Three Hylian Courts came into view. The Three Hylian Courts was ironically a five tier structure and consisted of four courts. The bottom-most tier was the fourth, unofficial, court. That of the lay people, it consisted the moderately wealthy and influential who had not bought a title. The second tear encompassed the third court, knights, untitled officers, titled bureaucrats, and third, fourth, and fifth, children of the middle ranked court. The third tier held the second court, and lower nobility, Barron''s, Viscounts, Earls, and titled Knights and Officers. Then the fourth tier, the first court; consisting of the upper nobility, Dukes, Marquis, and senior-grade titled officers. Then the fifth tier. The palace. Exclusive to the royal family. From the top, it looked like an eight-pointed star with turrets on each point. A central spire shot through the middle. Each point was a wing and was dedicated to a child of the ruling monarch. The central spire was dedicated to the ruling monarch. A member of the court could, without notice, visit any of the lower tier courts, but could only access the higher tier courts by invitation. Being of the royal family Ramius had access to all courts and tiers. The taxi approached one of the three pads and sat itself down. Unlike the lower tiers, there was an absence of traffic on the first court. The higher the court the fewer members and more exclusive it became. He stepped out without drama. Although the courts sometimes held balls and events the building itself was never empty. It was not only the bureaucratic centre of the kingdom but was where policy was written, laws made and enacted, and general political manoeuvring took place. It was always busy. If he wanted to introduce himself back into court life this is where he would have to start. Plus, the fact he didn''t send word to both the Upper Court and even the Royal Palace would give him a running start to test the waters and send a social message at the same time, he was exiled¡­ and still very, very, angry about it. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 No one knew his face, that was a good thing. The longer he could avoid introducing himself the longer he could feel things out. He reminded himself he only had a little under two hours before his cover was exposed. He walked under the grate marble arch, his shoes clicking on the red marble. Scarlet banners hung from the ceiling, each embroidered with the symbol of a noble house. There were twenty-four in all, the last back four, however; the last four banners were hung upside down in disrespect. The four Zantharians. He walked under them, his hateful glare stirring up at the banner. They were the reason he was exiled. His gaze was a cool hatred as he glanced at the first three, but with the sight of the fourth, his gaze caught on fire. Malius. Three swords making a triangle with its point down. If he had a lighter he would burn the banner, whose tasselled ends hung not a meter from his head. He continued walking, cooling his anger. He reached the end of the arch and entered a domed room. A few people were talking in corners, most wore suits, some dress blues like him. Light soft music played from a group in the centre, just loud enough that a whispering voice would not be overheard. He approached a group of four officers. They saw him coming and opened a small gap for him. ¡°Good afternoon admirals¡± nodding his head to the three on his left, then turning to his right he smiled and said ¡°Good afternoon captain¡±. The captain smiled back, ¡°likewise, captain?¡± ¡°Ramius¡± The three admiral nodded kindly. The navy had an ''us against them'' mentality when it came to politics. They would not be suspicious of another captain. ¡°I am Captain Satus, this is Rear Admiral Kuchsove, Vice Admiral Terrus, and Vice Admiral, Vice Admiral Ynaran¡± One of the admirals squinted, ¡°How fortuitous that you would have the same name as the Prince¡± ¡°Yes, well, one might imagine that hardship of bearing such a name. Especially with him having... such an unorthodox reputation.¡± All four officers nodded. ¡°I don''t envy you¡± the Captain commented. ¡°On the other hand,¡± Kuchsove said, ¡°you could use that to your advantage.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well given that the prince¡¯s reputation is unknown, practically unheard of, you could make it up. Gather information about him and publicise it¡± ¡°What about the negative connotations. I admit I haven''t paid close attention to proper society but last I checked he was found ¡®consorting with the enemy¡¯¡±. ¡°Eye,¡± the rear admiral said, ¡°but who can blame a ten-year-old boy for wanting to see his childhood friend. Politics don''t reach the mind of those that young.¡± the surrounding officers noded ¡°Then sentiments have really changed since last I was here.¡± ¡°How long was your stint?¡± the captain asked ¡°Eight years, most of it in the Forge system¡± The captain let out an admiring whistle, ¡° you''re what, mid-twenties, must have joined around fifteen or sixteen?¡± ¡°Around that, family tradition you know.¡± then in the impression of an old man, ¡°join young and you¡¯ll make it to the admiralty by the time you''re in your late twenties¡± The captain looked back at the three admirals, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, Admirals, I would like to ketchup our new friend before the sharks get to him.¡± They excused him and they both saluted before they left. ¡°You want to get some lunch, I haven''t eaten yet.¡± the prince asked ¡°Sure, Cascade is right around the corner¡± Only after they were both served and were halfway done with their salads did they speak. ¡°Eight years¡± the Satus shook his head, ¡°in the barren system of Forge no less¡± ¡°Yep, surrounded by those scientists sort. Space knows why they make them officers.¡± The captain nodded in sympathy. ¡°I here the Prince is around there¡± Ramius nodded, ¡°I know he was in Jarith, Forge a couple months ago. He moves around a lot. Speaking of him; why has the hostility diminished. Don¡¯t misunderstand me, I''m happy about it, with my name being what it is and all but contrasts what I expected.¡± ¡°The princess¡± Status said, ¡°she¡¯s been saying that she put him up to it. How she couldn''t believe that Lord Malius had turned traitor and that she sent young Ramius to go talk to the Lord''s son. She¡¯s even be trying to gain support to bring him home with the conditions unfulfilled but very few are willing to put there neck out there. I personally think the king is encouraging it because she''s finally gain an interest in politics. While she might not yet have political support she does have the hearts of the public. You talk to the average man and he practically thinks the King framed Ramius.¡± ¡°What about the queen consort, how does she fair.¡± ¡°Not bad, she seems detached and uninterested in Princess Aria. She¡¯s more concerned about her newborn. After the death of the king''s late consort Ariana-... What? You¡¯ve gone as pale as a sheet.¡± ¡°Ariana is dead?¡± Ramius said in a hollow tone, ¡°The queen consort is dead¡±. The captain looked at him and with a sombre voice said ¡°eye, about four years ago. The king took a new consort a year ago, consort Tella. She gave birth to the second princess not long ago¡± Ramius posture slipped as he fell into a slump. And placed his head in his hands. His mother¡­ dead? A baby step sister? Seeing the younger man''s reaction the captain softened his voice, ¡°You really didn''t get much information at Forge, did you?¡± ¡°I was so busy, I didn''t even look. How could I have been so busy as to miss the death of-¡± he let out a long sigh. In a sullen but determined voice, he said, ¡°we must continue because even if we want to stop, time does not. I fear I cannot grieve properly at this moment.¡± The captain nodded in sympathy, ¡°She was much loved by her people and even by the nobles. A hard feat that. One her daughter is near completing though, give it another five years and she will be the image of her mother.¡± They talked for another hour, discussing political factions, current motives and moves. During this time Ramius learned that the two primary political parties of Bladen have polarized. The Union and the Separatists. The Union, believing is centralised policy. This philosophy often leads to a hardline of law that was either too lenient or harsh. You couldn''t have a universal law governing different cultures. Then there was the Separatists, believing in decentralized planetary policy. They believed that every planet should act closer to an independent state then part of the Kingdome. This inevitably leads to extremist planets, flaunting amoral laws and cultures. It was fortunate that both parties supported the war and a centralized military. Even the Separatists, who were known for there military tradition, acknowledged that centralized military leadership was mandatory. ¡°At the moment the military is looking at resource acquisition and construction. We need more shipyards and as the resources closest are depleted first transportation of resources from far out systems have become unrealistic. Since it would be easier to simply build a new shipyard then transport an existing one were looking at exploring dead colonies for resource and human capital.¡± the captain sounded disturbed at the prospect, and rightly so.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Dead colonies¡­ early in the human expansion, when men first started to colonize the sky, the ships they sent out were packed with supplies to act as a seed. With luck and perseverance, the colonies would use their technology base to grow and produce basic production facilities; but disaster befalls the best of us. Whether it was unfavourable climate or a mutinous crew, it was inevitable that not all of the colonies got a production base set up. As survival took president over education the culture would become barbarous. These colonies lost to civilisation, are dead colonies. Worlds infested with men who were little better than animals. Despite there primitive state they were dangerous and were known to keep little regard for human life. Some even totted some few relicks from there original landings, weapons in disrepair mostly. They were a taboo subject among any modern civilisation. ¡°Will it work?¡± Ramius sounded dubious ¡°Who knows, the admiralty seems to think so. There a lot of contention surrounding it but if it works we can drastically increase production. Ships of the line are disappearing too fast. That not to say that there not taking a licking but in recent years the attack capabilities of ships have far surpassed defensive technology. It''s no longer about tactics, it''s about who has the bigger hammer and who swings first.¡± the Satus looked up from his empty plate ¡°what''s with the face?¡± ¡°I was just thinking I might have had a hand in that, Forge system development and all¡± The captain shook his head, ¡°We''re grateful. If the ships of the line where working with the same tech they had a half year ago they would be squashed.¡± ¡°Yes well...¡± Ramius leaned in conspiratorially, ¡°New is the Prince has completed the conditions. And you didn''t hear this from me, but he has claimed to have built a weapon capable of completing the conditions set before him.¡± Satus¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°That wouldn''t happen to be the weapons he¡¯s been housing funding for?¡± ¡°The exact one. He claims to have done it. I wonder what the political ramification would be. I suggest the military prepare.¡± ¡°The political ramifications¡­ well if the prince was allowed to stay planetside it would shift power. The king has been rather elusive of late. He would instantly turn into the representative of the royal family. Military wise... well he would become a symbol. Hopefully, he would champion us politically.¡± then an inquisitive look came over the captain''s face, ¡°does anyone have a timetable on when he''s supposed to land planetside¡± ¡°He landed noon¡± ¡°But I haven''t heard anyth-¡± the captain''s voice trailed off as he looked at Ramius then promptly stood and saluted. ¡°Sir I-¡± ¡°It''s ok Captain, if I wanted to be known sooner I would have told you earlier. I am only telling you now because the Navy needs to prepare. At this time only you and a few others know I''m planetside. My father and the court are in the dark. The geocentric station officers are aware but are keeping it out of radio traffic per my request. They are already prepared for the shift in power. I need you to run to those Admirals you were talking to and tell them what I have just told you. I do not want the military to suffer from this change. I want them to take advantage of it.¡± ¡°Yes Sir¡± the captain saluted again then ran off. The social delicacies of command were fascinating to him. Technically he and the captain where equals militarily but the military owed their allegiance to the reigning monarch and Ramius was his heir. That put him in a position of power. In the chain of command he was just a captain, but in the social-military structure, he was more than that. He unfocused his eyes to look at his implant. Half past two. In an hour the first court will start to fill up. Daily announcements, proclamations, and partitions were announced almost every day at three o''clock. Very few came on a regular basis but there would be an audience, just what he needed. He walked towards the centre of the atrium white-suited servants placed portable chairs in a half crescent. He needed a venue to announce his presence planetside publicly. So far he had such past the public but he needed to be the one to announce it before the initiative was taken out of his hand. He unfocused his eyes and searched through the public directory. To the layman, it would appear he was talking to the air but the close observer could see the flickers of light in his eyes. ¡°Yes. Today. Announcement. I know it''s late notice but fit me in. At the beginning.¡± then in an annoyed voice, ¡°I am authorised and have express permission from a member of the royal family. You will fit me in. Bye¡±. He then placed another call, ¡°Palace Security? Authorisation codes are being sent now¡­ There will be a man addressing the first court today. He will be the first one to make an announcement. He is not on the itinerary. He will be saying some¡­ inflammatory remarks. I am told to tell you to set up general security and provide an exit route to the palace. Yes, he¡¯s been invited by a member of the family. I¡¯m sending my second set of codes now. I know their old code but they''re still valid. I know it''s late notice. Understood. Fifteen minutes. He will meet the captain you send before he gives his announcement. He will show the captain the following authorisation codes. He is a naval captain and will be wearing dress blues. Thank you.¡± Ramius smiled. That had gone a lot smoother than he thought. Not only where all of his old authorisation codes still valid but he had not trigger any alarms. His grin grew as he thought of the shock the court was about to receive. He sat down to white in one of the white chairs. Not five minutes later lightly armoured guards came into the room and after consulting there capting started to take up positions. They stood at a loose attention. There helmet cheek and nose guards both symbolic and practical. They mimicked the oldest known warrior society known to man, Spartans. Their rifles were unique to the guard and looked more like a long polearm than an actual rifle. It was held in a reverse grip behind their backs the but sitting solidly against the ground. The servants looked on is worry and confusion. It was rare that the palace guard left the palace and it was almost never heard of for it to come to the first court. Ramius approached the captain. ¡°Captain?¡± ¡°Luther, and you sir?¡± Ramius just smiled, ¡°Forgive me for not introducing myself but you will find out soon enough. Here are my codes.¡± The captain crooked an eyebrow, ¡°My understanding is you plan on saying something¡­ as my orders have it, ¡®inflammatory¡¯. Not planning on starting a riot I hope¡± Ramius wave his hand in the air dismissing the possibility, ¡°Nothing like that. I¡¯m about to publicly release information. I will ask that our exit be hasty. There might very well be a surge towards me to learn more information.¡± The captain''s crooked eyebrow rose. First court nobles were notoriously self-controlled, the through of any of them turning into a common crowd was both amusing and worrisome. ¡®Either this man did not know the high court, or his information was very, very, serious. The first suited man to enter froze as he saw the guards, glanced at them, noticed they weren''t for him, then continued slowly into the room. Ramius sat and outside column in the first row. A few more suited men trickled in. They showed a wide arrays or reactions but eventually settled on unease. The trickle of people soon turned into a river and the guard''s presence were on the lips of every man. ¡°What are they doing here?¡±, ¡°Is a royal going to address us?¡±, ¡°No, it''s not a Royal otherwise it would be the royal guard¡± The last comment stung Ramius, he could not call a contingent of the royal guard without alerting his family to his presence. He wanted his father as politically unprepared as everyone else. The atrium/makeshift amphitheatre was not the official gather place for the first court but one that simply appeared. There was a formal atrium but it was only used during important votes and state addresses. The seats filled up and soon the servants were scurrying to place more seats down. ¡®More than the usual amount¡¯ the prince mused, all the better. The mutters picked up as speculation increased. At its crescendo, an old spindly looking man, ¡®probably the speaker¡¯, stepped out and took the ¡®stage¡¯, a marble step. The audience trailed off as he spoke. The room amplified his words, ¡°We have an unusual session today and a break from our usual itinerary.¡± Another round of soft muttering travelled through the room, it was cut short as the speaker continued. ¡°We have an announcer who has been endorsed by a member of the royal family.¡± the speaker glanced out over the crowded, looking for the impromptu announcer. Ramius stood up and walked to the plinth, nodding to the speaker as he stepped aside. He looked out at the crowd of assembled noble, officers, and knights. They all looked at him knowing he was the reason for the irregularities. The glanced over at the captain of the guard and nodded, the captain nodded back. He needed a secure escape. His back was straight and his chin high. In a clear, strong voice he said ¡°I am Prince Ramius. I have come back having completed my father''s terms.¡± The room fell silent. Everyone stared at him blankly as he slowly, calmly walked off the plinth to the guard captain. Then pandemonium. There was shouting, accusations, one man even through a punch. The smarter of them continued to sit with their eyes unfocused, transmitting messages through there implants. The captain yelled an order and the guards fell in. ¡®He was sharp. He didn''t even hesitate¡¯, Ramius noted. The small contingent formed up around their Captain and Ramius. They were nervous. If any of them come close to striking any of the men in this room he or she would make a very powerful enemy. They had a job to protect their charge, but actually doing so would mean losing their post. While most calmed and brought themselves under control there were a few that tried to rush the guard trying to get to Ramius. He made sure to remember the faces of those who didn''t react and instead started communicating with there implants. Whether they were trying to strangle him or congratulate him he would never know. The guards held the unruly nobles back. Non would ever live this unforgivable display of temper down. The guard, captain, and Ramius funnelled towards the shuttle platforms and in an organised retreat that would make special forces proud. They filed into the golden transport. At this point, there was little pursuit and the last man was able to enter the transport unmolested. The large transport was already in the air before the door shut.