Chapter 66

Imperial Command

New Athens, Hyperia

25 March 3303

Silence. That was all that remained of communication to Space Station Vertyn and the Seventh Fleet around it.

Legate Marius Habricht read through the reports that had come from the Draconis System over the last hour several times. There were notices of an overwhelming enemy force that appeared out of nowhere. Distress signals were sent out. A couple of ships that escaped indicated severe structural damage to the Star’s Eclipse before they jumped from the system. One stated the ship was destroyed by the forces.

Habricht clenched and unclenched his fist several times over his desk. Two very conflicting ideas crossed his mind. Both vied for his attention. The first was that the enemy which attacked them, comprised of Druthagar and an hitherto unknown force, was able to attack with several thousand ships. They didn’t seem to care about how many they lost—though it was laughably few from what he was able to glean from the reports—and instead relied on overwhelming force. An impressive strategy, one that he would have used himself. Any military leader worth their salt would prefer overwhelming an enemy rather than even odds. The number at which this unknown force presented itself with, however, was concerning.

The second idea was that there was no indication the Emperor had survived the attack. That meant the throne, for the first time since the death of Alan Rezal, was empty. And he was in a prime position to claim it.

Habricht quickly reviewed the fleet reports from around the Empire. There was an incursion by the filthy elves in the sectors closest to their border, but they were being fended off by the Third Fleet. Another few days, and they would be expelled from their territory.

The First Fleet around Hyperia was still in pristine condition. After all, it was far away from the frontlines and had seen no action in the war with the Druthagar. And the Second Fleet at the shipyards, though short the Event Horizon, was unsullied as well. Both of their leaders, he knew, were loyal to him. Habricht made sure of that before their appointment.

The real problem was going to come from the partnership Councilor Harald Feilhaber and Legate David Ganex had. Ganex held control over the Fourth Fleet, having come to the position before Habricht’s ascension to Supreme Commander. Unfortunately, he had no real reason to remove the man from command, so there was the possibility of the man attempting to seize power himself. If he discovered the Emperor’s death, that is. Feilhaber could easily back any attempt Ganex made at seizing the throne, or vice versa. Habricht would have to move fast if he wanted to be able to take control himself.

An alert came through to Habricht’s CAM with a gold level priority, interrupting his thoughts. He looked at it with mild curiosity. It was a summons to the council chamber from Councilor Feilhaber. Anything the man wanted to speak of with the full council was bound to be good. However, the timing of it was less than encouraging. Could he already know of the Emperor’s death? No one else should have received the reports Habricht had. At least, not within that time frame. He had barely obtained and had time to review them himself.

Still, Habricht could not simply ignore the summons. If he did, he lost any opinion he might have on whatever matter Feilhaber was going to introduce. As such, Habricht left the comfort of his office and made his way down the hall towards the chamber. A steady stream of other members of the Council of Hyperia were already heading that direction.

A few minutes later, Habricht entered the expansive chamber to find most of the members had already arrived. He frowned as he looked around the room. Some were in their chairs as if they had been there for quite some time already. Most of those were in Feilhaber’s circle. If the timing of the meeting was not encouraging, he didn’t know what that was.

Feilhaber himself, an older man with gray hair that ringed his head, smiled at Habricht as the legate entered. On one side was David Ganex, who was still relatively young only being in his forties. Just a few years younger than Habricht. On the other was a man Habricht hadn’t met in person but had seen plenty of photos of. Tober Delargivic was known across the Hyperion Empire for his meteoric rise as Governor of Arcadia, where he served as a representative for one of the planet’s regions for only two years beforehand. The governor looked young, especially considering he was also in his forties. The man’s brown hair was carefully coiffed to one side, and he wore a fine suit that looked to be the newest style of Modular Fabric judging by the slight shimmer it held in the light.

Habricht inclined his head in acknowledgment to the trio before making his way to his designated seat. It was near the center of the U-shape of hundreds of chairs, just in front of the massive holoprojector in the middle of the room. Currently, it displayed the known locations of Druthagar and Thalyssian forces. Habricht was glad to see it did not show the Druthagar’s capture of the Draconis system yet. Perhaps Feilhaber’s call for a meeting was simply a coincidence after all.

Over the next fifteen minutes, the rest of the Council arrived. Every chair was filled, just as they always were during one of the sessions. Several more minutes of scattered conversations were carried out around the room between small groups of councilors and military flag officers. Habricht didn’t bother joining any of them, despite a few attempts to get him to do so. There was little point to it at this stage. With the Emperor dead, it was just a matter of time before one of them made a play for the throne, and he didn’t want to accidentally reveal any hints to that fact. Not that he didn’t trust himself. But it was because he trusted himself that he didn’t trust the others to not act against his interests.

Eventually, Feilhaber stepped forwarded and cleared his throat. His CAM connected to the speakers around the room to amplify the noise. Every voice, over the course of fifteen seconds, ceased. All heads turned to the councilor. Several seconds of silence followed as Feilhaber stared at the ground. An expression of mourning came over his face, and Habricht knew what the man was about to say. He sighed to himself. Feilhaber had found out. Well, it was a good thing he had planned for this eventuality.

“It is with a heavy heart I stand before you all today,” Feilhaber began, bowing his head slightly. Habricht swore he saw as single tear snake its way down the man’s face and could barely resist rolling his eyes. “Earlier today, we received notice that an attack took place at Space Station Vertyn in the Draconis system. An overwhelming force invaded the area and destroyed the majority of the Seventh Fleet stationed there. One of those included the Star’s Eclipse, and, with it, the Emperor himself. It is believed the Druthagar led a surprise strike to strategically destroy our leadership.”

Feilhaber paused for effect. There was a stunned silence that fell over the chamber as everyone took in the news. Behind the councilor, the holoprojector changed to show the new progression of the war, the first major change since it began six years ago. The Draconis system was now the steady blue representing the Druthagar Kingdom.

“With the death of the Emperor, we face a succession crisis unlike any that has been seen in our history since that of Alan Rezal’s death.” Feilhaber looked over the assembled council. His eyes held a glint that Habricht recognized as nothing less than malfeasance. Hopefully the others would see the same. “Never before have we encountered such an issue while in a time of open war with not one, but two foreign powers that seek our demise. If our enemies believe us fractured, they will wreak havoc on our planets and citizens, causing undue amounts of chaos and destruction.”

Feilhaber gestured to Ganex and Delargivic, who both moved to stand beside the councilor.

“In order to preserve our empire, we propose an emergency government in the form of a triumvirate. Legate Ganex will serve as First Legate ensuring the military defense of our empire. Governor of Arcadia Tober Delargivic will take a position of Imperial Steward, as he has shown his ability to administer provincial regions and manage logistics during his tenure as Governor of Arcadia. And I will be Imperial Chancellor, responsible for civil administration and diplomacy.

“To assuage any fears this is nothing more than an attempt at usurpation, we would abide by a set of rules. First and foremost, civil law is maintained unless there is unanimous approval from the triumvirate. Secondly, the Council shall host periodic confidence votes, once every month, at which point you may remove any of us from our position and replace us with another individual with a simple majority vote. Once a new emperor is crowned, our triumvirate shall be immediately dissolved, and we will cede power to the successor.”

“This is a mockery of our legal system,” Habricht interrupted. He stood and looked around the room. Not a single person spoke. All eyes were on him. Just as he intended. “The Emperor himself selected me to command his armies. Until a successor is chosen, I am the highest surviving executor of his will. And I intend on fulfilling my duties to the best of my ability.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Our late emperor appointed you to command the armed forces.” Feilhaber scowled at Habricht. “He did not appoint you to inherit his crown. The civil government and imperial sovereignty have always remained separate from military command, ever since the start of our great empire. If these powers were allowed to merge into a single person, then what would the point of this Council be?”

“The Emperor already is considered supreme commander of the military.” Habricht waved a hand dismissively without even looking at the man. “I serve as the executor of his will, but it is under his orders we act. What difference would it make if it were a legate or an emperor himself?”

“It makes all the difference in the galaxy,” Feilhaber explained, “if we do not wish to descend into anarchy. The military is supposed to be under the control of the Council of Hyperia, not the Emperor himself, though he does hold considerable influence over decisions made. Unless you have forgotten that, Legate.”

“Of course not, Councilor,” Habricht replied. “I am simply explaining how it would make more sense to

“Are you sure this is not just an attempt to seize power yourself after removing the hurdle that was our great emperor?”

“I’m not sure where you would get that idea, Councilor, though your words are dangerously close to slander.”

“Not when there is proof of my words.” Feilhaber sneered for a fraction of a second before returning to his usual demeanor. He looked around the room at the other Council members, who all remained silent with their eyes transfixed on either Feilhaber or Habricht.

“I have records of two transfers that went out the same day for two of the largest ships in our navy.” Feilhaber pulled up on the holoprojector two images side by side. One showed the sleek form of the Star’s Eclipse. The other, the long, U-shaped form of the Event Horizon. “The Star’s Eclipse was sent to Stariek, where we now know its unfortunate fate. On the other hand, the Event Horizon was sent on a mission to deep space near the Druthagar border. It has not been seen since, and all communications to the ship have been undeliverable. We can only assume it has been lost too.”

“The Event Horizon is operating on EMCON Alpha,” Habricht said. He folded one leg over the other as he spoke, clasping his hands together on top of his desk. An exasperated sigh almost escaped his lips. The councilor was simply insufferable. “General Brock is under strict orders to respond to no message unless it bears my identification code until the mission is complete.”

“And what mission is that?” Feilhaber asked. The man smirked. Habricht wanted to walk up and slap it off his face but knew that wouldn’t get anywhere. “The report I have indicates it is nothing more than reconnaissance. Hardly worthy of such stringent communications protection.”

“It is supposed to destroy the Druthagar shipyards around Virn Kaldar.” Habricht shrugged. He hardly saw the point of trying to hide it now. It was pointless. “I suggested sending a distraction to the border to draw their forces away from their inner worlds and leave their shipyards defenseless so the Event Horizon could destroy them in a decisive blow that will turn the tide of the war. I can only assume the ship is still out there on its way to the designated system, but if the Council desires, I can send a communication confirming that fact. As far as the Star’s Eclipse role in this, the Emperor himself volunteered to lead the distraction and chose Vertyn. I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted. It was simply my signature on the order to transfer it to Vertyn for his trip.”

“A well rehearsed story,” Feilhaber said. “But my reports indicate you convinced the Emperor to sign up for this mission.”

“Your reports are wrong.” Habricht grinned. He always enjoyed beating Feilhaber at his own game. “Sorry to disappoint you. Believe it or not, people are not infallible.”

“And you know this for a fact?” Feilhaber stalked in front of the holoprojector, reminding Habricht of a toothless tiger.

“Indeed, because it was with his approval this plan was carried out. My initial idea was to send an entire fleet, perhaps the Eighth, though it never got that far. Something that would not only indicate to the Druthagar an invasion might be imminent, but that would be able to destroy whatever force they sent away from their shipyards.”

“I’m no military genius,” Feilhaber began.

“Clearly,” Habricht muttered. Those closest to him, his own supporters, chuckled.

“But it seems awfully bold to assume they would just abandon their shipyards like that,” Feilhaber continued. “Why would they do such a thing? If they left their shipyards vulnerable, they would be giving up the advantage they’ve had this entire war: their ability to produce ships at a speed far surpassing our own.”

“Our intelligence indicates they are strong-headed and prone to making mistakes they might otherwise not under their current leadership. High King Thaseas Shadowbrand, after all, is not the most mentally stable of individuals.”

“That does still not explain one thing, Legate Habricht,” Feilhaber said, barely able to stifle his rage.

“And what might that be, Councilor?”

“Why the subterfuge?” Feilhaber raised his voice and slammed his hands together in the air. “Why the cloak and dagger? If you were truly acting the best interests of the Empire, you would have made sure we knew of it. Instead, you secretly sent the Emperor into what became a death trap. Why?

“Because you wanted the Emperor dead,” Feilhaber continued in the same breath, not even giving Habricht a chance to answer. “You wanted to seize control of the throne. You were hoping no one would notice, that everyone would be looking the other way and not realize what you did. Unfortunately for you, there are always eyes watching. Fortunately for us, those eyes want to see the greatness of our empire continue. Unlike yourself, who wants to see it fester and die in the hands of ineptitude. But no more. You are under arrest for treason and the assassination of the Emperor, Legate Habricht.”

“I don’t think you’ll find a single guard in this room who will carry out that order.” Habricht stood and made a show of staring around the edges of the chamber. Sure enough, none of the soldiers standing against the walls made a move to arrest him. “Unfortunately, even with your well-rehearsed plan, you do not have the capability of seeing it through. For five hundred years, we have been guided by the Valkor family. They have brought prosperity to us and allowed humanity to flourish even with people like yourself trying to tear it down. And, despite your ignorance, there is an heir to the throne. One who will ascend to that throne with the tragic death of their predecessor.”

A buzz of conversation went up around the room at the statement. All eyes were now on Habricht, which was exactly what he wanted. He enjoyed working in the shadows when possible but having an audience certainly had its advantages. Especially when he was so in control of the narrative. Feilhaber thought he could try to lead. Little did he know, the councilor had no idea what he was doing.

“Besides, this entire triumvirate suggestion is pointless and ignorant.” Habricht waved a hand as if dismissing the concept. Some of the council members around the room scowled at him, though only supporters of Feilhaber’s party did so. The rest remained either neutral or seemed to agree with Habricht. “It has no legal basis in our government. There is a process outlined in our constitution already for what to do in the event of the death of an Emperor. If there was no heir, which there is, then there would be a line of succession that would follow through those noble families most closely related to the Valkors.”

“This is preposterous.” Feilhaber’s face turned red as it contorted with rage. “How you can even suggest such a thing is beyond me. We all are well aware the Emperor never sired any children. He never even married.”

“You are able to produce this heir?” asked one of the councilors that Habricht knew stayed in between Feilhaber and Habricht on the political spectrum. The man offered the question with a glance from Feilhaber to Habricht, as if trying to settle the affair.

“I am.” Habricht nodded as he paced in front of the holoprojector, ignoring Feilhaber’s glare. “It is true the Emperor never had any children of his own. However, he took a child in under his wing and formally adopted them. I will provide all documentation the Emperor provided me before his demise proving his adoption of the child and intention to formally designate them as his official heir.”

“Why is all this just coming out now?” Feilhaber’s voice no longer needed the speakers to be heard around the room. Habricht couldn’t help but smile at the councilor losing his temper. “Why have we never heard of the Emperor intending to designate an heir?”

“Because the child was in danger,” Habricht replied. He had rehearsed the lie many times to himself, and it came naturally now that he needed to actually put it into motion. Addressing the room, he folded his hands behind his back and slowly turned in place to look at every representative.“Their family was murdered as part of a plot to destroy a potential claimant to the throne in the event of the Emperor’s death before he had the opportunity to find a suitable heir. Little did the traitors know, it would do nothing but provide him the heir he was searching for. Cassian Aurelia was the only survivor of the attempted purge of his family, of which we were still in the process of investigating and bringing the perpetrators to justice. Hence why his identity was kept secret.”

“Is the heir here?” asked the same councilor as before. “It is only right for us to question them and verify your story. No offense meant, of course, Legate Habricht.”

“None taken, Councilor. As a matter of fact, Cassian is here. He is in one of my chambers with the tutor the Emperor assigned to them that was supposed to help them understand the position they would eventually be inheriting. I’ll send a message to have him brought here at once.”

Before anyone could object, he sent a message through his CAM. After receiving a confirmation, he turned to the council and said, “They’ll be here momentarily. In the meantime, I will be sending you all the documents the Emperor himself entrusted me with before his death. These will verify the identity of the child and his formal adoption, as well as the intention to designate him as his heir, as stated. I trust you’ll find everything to be in order.”

Several moments of silence followed as the members reviewed the dozens of documents Habricht sent them. Of course, all of them were fabricated, but they were provided by the Obsidian Order’s best agents. The intelligence service truly outdid themselves. They were flawless, that much was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt. If any of the council members found an error in them, they were simply trying to cause trouble. Even Feilhaber should be satisfied by them.

“These all seem legitimate from what I can tell,” the councilor said, nodding to himself. He looked from side to side as if searching for a differing opinion. Feilhaber, naturally, provided it.

“Too legitimate one might say,” Feilhaber said, scoffing. “These seem to indicate that he knew he was going to be murdered and did everything besides tell us his intentions.”

“I can’t speak to the Emperor’s state of mind.” Habricht shrugged. “I only know what he entrusted me with. Ah, but here is Cassian of House Aurelia.”