Treason, page 2
part #2 of The Descendants War Series
What have I gotten myself into? Maurda resigned himself to calm down and to save his strength. Whatever this is, I need my wits about me and my strength. This may be a long haul, but I can survive. And I will. Long enough to see the Kahl fall for their crimes... and each of them executed in turn.
Chapter 1
Severan Divol stared out the window at the bustling city below. Early morning sunlight cut through the clouds, casting rays over the tallest buildings. An orange-yellow glow burst over the horizon, promising a tranquil day. As the people began commuting to various parts of the capital, he considered what a normal life might be like.
The Lord Marshal would never know. He'd joined the military the moment he came of age. Afterward, he'd conducted a pilgrimage which had led to his ultimate ascension to leader of the Kahl people. His world became a string of events, meetings, decisions... even his marriage had been above the mundane; a celebration of their entire society.
When his son was born, his culture celebrated. Severan hadn't considered it then, but his people had adopted the concept of a dynastic order. The male heir meant the continuation of the Divol line. All the vision he exhibited, the driving force behind their conquest, hadn't considered what would happen upon his death.
It took a couple of years for him to come to recognize his efforts to groom his son to take over for him. But mistakes were made. As a father, he wanted to grant his offspring every opportunity, all the chances denied him. Some unconscious thought suggested a leader might be crafted through cultivation.
Only recently did he realize the error. Building men required hardship. Drive came from deprivation. His own climb to Lord Marshal had risen on the shoulders of discipline. He had wanted it more than anything in the universe and spent every single breath working toward that end goal at the expense of everything.
His son, Renz, did not suffer in that way. Yes, he attended the military academy with other people his age, but the commanders gave him special privileges. Even when those men were visited by Severan, told to treat the boy as any other, they couldn't do it. They feared retribution.
The Lord Marshal's heir may well be in charge one day. They knew it, and if he held a grudge, they'd suffer for it. Severan never figured out how to break that cycle until his son ascended the ranks to general. At that point, he answered to precious few men and the chance to check him fell to his father.
Now I'm in a difficult spot of contending with failure. Severan turned away from the window, returning to his desk. There are others who would be better suited for the position. Men I could rely on because they acquired their power the same way I did. But I'm obliged now. I have to prepare him as quickly as possible. And pray he gets it.
Renz's escape shuttle had arrived eight hours earlier. Severan had been asleep when he was awoken by a call from Central Control. They gave him the bad news; the loss of a battleship... one of their most powerful vessels... and who had been in charge. After that, he had struggled to get any more rest.
Two men were scheduled to meet with him that morning. Kivda Ziol, a soldier of some renown, and Renz. Severan decided to meet with them at the same time then speak to each individually. He wanted to understand what happened then figure out what to do going forward. Had they recovered any treasures within the structure?
No one had been able to answer the question yet. Neither of the soldiers had contacted him directly, though they were waiting on the floor below. He let them stew, figuring they needed to worry about how he'd proceed with the meeting. Going at them from a place of anger probably would not help matters, but the temptation had been there.
I gave him a simple task. Severan figured his son would offer up an excuse; some reason for his failure that would exonerate him. The child has been doing that since he could speak. That was an entitlement which came from years of other people pandering to him. Which is one more lesson to fix.
Kivda, by all accounts, was an honorable and thoughtful young man. Someone Severan believed he could trust. He made up his mind how to contend with the two regardless of what they said. The question was how to present his decision in a way to keep them focused and without malice.
Severan sat at the desk, tapping the comm. "Send them in." He clasped his hands on the surface, staring at the doors of the elevator.
Guards held positions at the floor below in the lobby where people waited for an audience with him. His floor remained open. Blast-proof transparent steel provided him a view of the city in all directions. Minimal decoration kept the space open, allowing him to forget about the fact that he towered over the city, over one hundred floors high.
He'd always been afraid of heights. This location made him face that fear and overcome it every single day.
The doors opened. Renz and Kivda stepped in, wearing their black dress uniforms with gold piping. Decorations littered their jackets, different pips showing off the missions they'd been involved with throughout their careers. Some of them were frivolous but most held sincere meaning.
Severan couldn't take away the fact that both of them fought with distinction and honor. Even if they had lost a vessel of incredible value.
The two men approached, slapping their fists to their chests while bowing their heads. They held the position without moving. Neither uttered a word. They waited, as if they were no more than common soldiers before a military commander. The discipline surprised Severan. He figured they'd immediately start in with some explanation.
"I see you've both survived your encounter without injury," Severan said. "I've heard about your loss and my initial assessment was a total mission failure. It dawns on me I might be incorrect about that. You could have found something and merely lost the ship while you attempted to leave.
"The way this will work is simple. I am going to speak to you both right now. Then one on one. I'll get to the bottom of everything that occurred, and afterward, I will decide what happens next--not only with the mission at hand, but with your careers and, perhaps, your lives." His son stiffened at that comment. "Shall we begin?"
"Yes, sir." Both men spoke at the same time.
"Very well." Severan gestured to the chairs opposite him. "You may sit." He waited for them to comply. Neither relaxed. They perched on the edge of their seats, backs ramrod straight. He kept his expression carefully neutral, but inside, he smirked. I'm glad to see they both have some fear of me still. His son had been particularly feisty the last time they spoke.
This contrite version was a very different animal.
"So." Severan tilted his head. "Neither of you has had a chance to file an official report. I don't know why. My understanding is you arrived in an escape transport. This suggests you had time to gather your thoughts appropriately. I'm assuming you wanted me to hear it first directly from you. Which is why you're here now."
"My Lord," Renz bowed his head as he spoke, "we arrived at the site to discover two creatures pillaging the tomb. They seemed to be utilizing antiquated technology... possibly decades behind ours. It seemed they would be simple to apprehend. We sent men to do so, but our quarry proved to be decidedly clever."
Kivda added, "He speaks the truth, sir. They managed to get some kind of distress signal off. Another antiquated system but powerful enough to jump light-years away. It reached their compatriots before we could stop it. Furthermore, they found the maintenance tunnels of the temple, fleeing deep into the structure."
"Hold." Severan lifted his hand. "So it was one of our temples then."
"Yes, sir." Renz nodded. "The same layout as those here. Older, obviously, but similar enough that once we found the passage, our men were able to maneuver the place. They pursued these criminals only for them to detonate the generators. This obliterated the temple and killed our people."
Severan turned to Kivda. "And how did you escape death?"
"I was in a shuttle sweeping the area from the air in an effort to catch them if they found a way out."
Severan huffed. "Fortunate for you." He turned to Renz. "How was the ship destroyed?"
"Prytin weaponry," Renz said. "Some kind of strange vessel we do not have on file. It incredibly powerful. I almost had them, however, they proved quite wily. Even in the end, when we were on the verge of finishing them off, one of their allies showed up and saved them. The combined force of those vessels destroyed mine."
"You knew that ship," Severan replied, "Correct?"
"Yes. Griel Pas Dain commanded it. That Prytin pirate who travels around the universe causing us no end of grief. I'm sure you've seen his name in the reports. He's a coward who conducts guerrilla warfare with no thought to those he kills or maims in his mad crusade. Now we know this new vessel is just another one of his schemes."
"You don't know that at all," Severan said. "If that were the case, the individuals on the planet you sought would've had better equipment. I'm assuming they did not have sufficient ground-based weapons to fend you off?" He gestured to Kivda. "Correct?"
"Correct, sir. The tight quarters saved them. Then... terrain. When they fled, they met with soldiers from the enemy vessel that matched our equipment."
"Then is it fair to say you were outmatched in this conflict?"
Renz hesitated, scowling as he finally nodded.
"I'm sorry?"
"Yes," Renz spat the word. "We were outmatched."
"Fascinating." Severan stood, turning his back on the soldiers. Staring out the window, he clasped his hands behind his back. "I'm sure the two of you are fuming about this. However, we cannot afford an all-out vendetta. Did the Prytin make off with anything, or did they merely desecrate one of our holy sites?"
"Er..." Kivda cleared his throat. "Sir, there was a suspension platform. It had been on prior to our entry into the temple. Our technical officer is scouring our scan data but has yet to determine what that site was for specifically. The language is both antiquated and incomplete. However, she's confident she will provide it to us soon."
"You had hours." Severan glanced back at them, glaring. "Hours to perform your research, study the information, craft this report... and with all of that, you still do not know what you lost? What those creatures stole from us?" He clicked his tongue. "I'm beyond disappointed. I expected more from two distinguished officers."
"We should've brought more ships," Renz said. "Treated this like a military operation rather than a simple policing action of criminals. We had no idea what to expect and here we are..."
"Now you're making excuses," Severan interrupted. "Don't make that mistake with me. I don't have the tolerance for it. Your ship was one of the most powerful we have. My understanding of your crew is that they are quite competent. Some have received awards for other operations. You should be standing here victorious."
Renz stood abruptly, knocking his chair to the ground in the motion. "We should not be held accountable for a brand-new technology and ship we have never seen before! This is outrageous to be looked down upon for something beyond our control. You yourself have told me that battle is a chaotic and fluid situation one cannot simply--"
"Do you think," Severan interrupted again, "that this outburst is doing you any favors? My son or not, you will show me the respect I'm due. Especially in front of another officer." He pointed at Kivda. "Step to the other side of the room. Out of earshot... providing my son does not shout again."
Kivda stood, saluted and immediately marched away without a word.
"I suspect you would like an opportunity to redeem yourself here," Severan said, "that you think you can make this right somehow."
"I know I can. But what can we possibly do? We have no idea where those scum are."
"Your technical person needs to find out what they took. Then, I want it back. Or I want to know what they're up to. Either way, you have a lot of work ahead of you. I'll grant you another ship. It's standing by as we speak. But you must not make me regret this. Take additional vessels if you must. This situation must be contained."
"To be clear," Renz said, "my mission parameters are to reclaim this item and... what?"
"Bring the criminals to justice. To that end, you'll need intelligence. Gather it. Learn from your mistakes here." Severan rounded the desk, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "Stepping back from Lord Marshal for a moment, I'm glad you've made it back alive. Please know that. But you must make this work, Renz. No matter what. Do you understand?"
"I do, sir." Renz nodded. "I'll press my people for answers, and we'll begin our own investigation. I'm sure Kivda has some ideas..." He lowered his voice. "Unless you plan to punish him for this... debacle."
"You would both receive a punishment if I planned one." Severan shook his head. "No. You will do your duty together. Now. Go to where he is and send him over. I would have a word with him directly."
"Sir? He's... he's my subordinate. Why would you..."
"I do this with all my generals," Severan said, "and you know that. Do not question me, boy. Move."
Renz backed away, offering a crisp salute before departing.
He becomes confused where our relationship changes. Severan sighed. Perhaps he'll be better at this with his own children someday. If he ever meets someone capable of putting up with him long enough to produce an heir.
Kivda marched forward, saluting again. "Sir, you wish to see me."
"In your assessment," Severan said, "was there anything you could've done differently to succeed at this situation?" He didn't receive an immediate response. "I know you to be an honest officer. The type of man I should be able to trust to give it to me straight. So please do that now."
"In all honesty," Kivda replied, "we were arrogant based on the technology we identified. We thought we could dominate them easily, and they outwitted us with cunning. I do not believe they will be lucky again, though if they've allied themselves with the Prytins, then we have a lot more to worry about."
"Because they proved tactically sound."
Kivda nodded. "Much the same as the Prytins did when we first began to fight with them. And, if I may be so bold, why we are leaving them for last as we crush the other cultures."
Severan chuckled. "Once you get started, you really do tell the truth, don't you? Well. Do you believe you and Renz are up to the task?"
"I do, sir. We've seen how they operate. I've lost good men to them. I intend to make certain we are better prepared in the future."
"Renz!" Severan called out. "Double-time over here." His son hurried up. "General, you are still in charge of this operation. Kivda, I am granting you a promotion. You are second only to the general, but in all things, I expect you to partner together. Utilize your strengths. Optimize your weaknesses. No other commander will have authority over either of you."
"Thank you, sir." Renz bowed. "We will not fail you."
"See that you don't. I told you before how important this was to our culture and people. That temple's destruction... unless we gather what they stole, it could be a blow to morale should anyone find out. For that reason, I expect you to keep it to yourselves. At least until we have something positive to report."
"Sir," Kivda stepped forward, "may I ask... what are we doing about this Prophet character? It seems to me that if we were to contend with him, the destruction of the temple wouldn't matter so much. We could ignore whatever these people have found and get back to the work at hand."
Severan lifted his brows. "That's rather blasphemous, don't you think?"
Kivda's cheeks burned. "I'm only speaking frankly, sir."
"Too much so, I'd wager. And while you make a reasonable point, note that there is more to our pasts than mere words. Those relics belong to us. Just because it's taken us a while to hunt them all down does not mean they are not valuable. Exploration, scientific inquiry, that is not our way. But a race against time and an enemy... that should be in your blood."
"Sir," Renz held up his hand, "how did we not know about that place? How did it come up at all? You said we received an alarm--"
"Over the ancient network," Severan said. "And before you ask, we cannot track them all through it. They are offline until they are not. Back then, those things were not constantly pinging. I do have a priest looking into helping, though, if that makes you feel better. If and when he uncovers something, I will be sure to inform you. Anything else?"
"Begging your pardon," Kivda replied, "but you didn't answer me about the Prophet. Are we doing something about him?"
"I did not answer because it is none of your concern. Not now at least. And since that is all you have exhibited interest in, you are dismissed. Both of you may return to your crew to find out what they've uncovered. Work swiftly, Renz but remember morale. Your tech officers can only do so much."
"Yes, sir," Renz replied. "She's a solid worker. She knows the stakes and I trust her. When she gives us a time frame, it is plain fact. There is no deception; no attempt to look good. We also do not need her cutting corners right now. We will report when we have information. Good day."
Severan watched them go. He thought about the situation, considering what steps he should take in the matter. Can I trust those two to handle this or do I need to interject someone else into the mix? His spy was still placed on the craft. They'd survived the attack because they happened to be on the bridge.
I don't want to expose them. I need someone who can become a confidante. A man or woman they will trust enough to bring into their planning. Severan turned to his computer, bringing up the file on his son. Every contact he'd ever made, every friend he had courted and lover he'd embraced had been put into a database.
They need to follow my commands first yet seem like they are in fact on his side from the start. Severan picked a handful of personnel. He didn't have a lot of time to check them out before his son left. He'll want to get back out there as quickly as possible. Alright, I'll take some things on faith. That's what we're supposed to do.
He sent a message to his assistant, letting them know to bring two additional people to his office immediately. Before the end of the day, he'd have his latest spy. And hopefully the individual who might help Renz succeed at keeping their secrets from the enemy.
