Frozen Soul, and other works: Chapter 172

(Grand Throne Room, Imperial Cityship Aurum Throni, Earth Orbit)

A superdreadnought can carry over six thousand people, depending on how much automation you use in its running. Each could easily be called a small city in space, with personnel who’s only job, outside of battle stations, is to support the men and women who make that ship run. Cooks, quartermasters, barbers, even the ‘unofficial’ still that can be found on any ship that suffers from long deployments. All of it to see to the needs of a crew that is primarily military.

The Aurum Throni, the first of the great Imperial Cityships built in the aftermath of the Imperial Civil War, held over six million people, the majority of them civilians. This was the new capitol of the Terran Empire, held in geosynchronous orbit over the shattered remains of the old Capitol, which had been wiped clean by the Greenwave weapons that ended the Civil War. It was defended by shields and weapons that would have done a squadron of superdreadnoughts proud, for this is where the Empress of the Terran Empire lived and worked, the Golden Throne that all the Empire bowed to.

The Imperial Palace was at the heart of the massive cityship, a shining light at the center of the massive armorplast dome that covered the main part of the city. The Palace was built in an exact replica of the palace of old, with an additional array of defenses, so that even should an enemy penetrate the city, they would still find a heavy fight on their hands before they could reach the palace itself. Above the palace was a great beacon that shone to all whenever the Empress was in the capitol.

The Grand Throne Room was magnificent to behold, truly a sight worthy of the ruler of the Terran Empire, and lining the great hall were statues of all the true Emperors from the current Empress Merida, on back to the first Emperor Denarius Vaughn, who led the Free Union forces in Earth’s Last Great War, and united the entire planet for the first time under a single ruler, marking the birth of the Terran Empire. Behind each of those marble statues, made life size and with as much accuracy as was possible, were tapestries showing important moments of their lives or reigns. Empress Merida’s statue stood proud, clearly in her Navy uniform from when she fought in the Civil War. Behind her, the tapestry showed her upon the bridge of her command ship, watching the Earth below as hulks of destroyed starships were strewn in the background, symbolizing the final battle of the War, as she returned to Earth to claim her birthright from the Usurper.

And there, at the far end of the Throne Room, sitting upon a golden throne, with armrests shaped as lions, and the back appearing to be a dragon with wings outswept, was the Empress herself. She sat comfortably upon her throne, dressed in her customary formal wear that looked more like a Naval dress uniform than it did the gowns that previous Empresses had worn. Though she no longer wore her rank insignia or medals, the uniform was clearly designed to remind people that she was a Warrior Empress, not some soft flower. Her reign had begun in battle, and she made sure that those who saw her remembered it.

All the attendees of the Court, for there were always hangers on, courtiers, ministers, and other such people of varying importance who appeared whenever the Empress held court in public, grew quiet as the great doors to the throne room opened. The Master at Arms stood forward, and faced the throne. In a loud, clear, voice, he announced, “Now presenting Admiral Mirikon Mollen, Admiral of the Black Star Fleet, Hero of Nuevo Edo, Owner of the Black Star Company, Destroyer of Worlds, Friend of the Terran Empire, and his companions.” Some might find the order of those titles odd, but it was long tradition that anyone who was named a Friend of the Empire would always have that title left for last, in the place of honor, unless they had earned the even more prestigious ‘Hero of the Terran Empire’ title.

At any rate, that name and those titles caused a stir of whispers to go running through the hall, for everyone here knew the role that the infamous Black Stars had played in the Empress’s victory, to say nothing of their many exploits since then. At the door, one man stood in front, as seven women lined up in two ranks behind him, with three in the first rank and four behind. The seven women were dressed in formal gowns, despite the exotic mix of races and features they represented, while the man was dressed in the dress uniform of the Black Star Navy, proudly displaying his ribbons for the campaigns he had fought, and the medals he had received from the Empire and Nuevo Edo for his service in their name. As one, they began walking forward, not quite marching but all of them keeping the same steady pace as though they had rehearsed it ahead of time. When they got to fifteen feet before the raised dais that held the golden throne, they stopped, and, as one, bowed to the Empress of the Terran Empire.

“Rise, Friends of the Empire! You need not bow before any who sits upon the Golden Throne, for you have proven your honor and loyalty many times over. And We shall never forget or forsake our true Friends.” The Empress spoke the formal, ceremonial words that were said whenever a Friend of the Empire first appeared formally before the Court. Her voice was firm, regal sounding, but her face was smiling, and there was a light in her eyes that showed she would have spoken far differently had they been in private.

As the eight people rose, the man said, “Our thanks to you, Empress Merida, and to the Empire. We are proud to be numbered amongst the Friends of the Empire, and will not forsake that friendship so long as it lasts. Long may you reign!” That, too, was the traditional response, and the Court looked pleasantly surprised that these outlanders had performed the ceremony so well. But then courtiers always expected people from outside the aristocracy to be ignorant barbarians, it seemed.

The Empress smiled openly then, clearly glad to have such formalities out of the way, and said, “Now, tell Us, Admiral Mollen, what brings you to Our home today? There have been some interesting rumors preceding you.”

The Admiral smiled, and said, “Your Majesty, the Black Star Company wishes to publicly announce that it’s Black Star Navy has explored a nineteenth known Gateway address, and found a planet suitable for colonization. The corporate colony of Star’s Reach has been established as a free port, open to traders from all planets or empires. The capitol city of Starborn is already growing outward from the colony ship used to settle the planet.”

He took a breath, and then said, “We would also like to announce publicly for the first time that there is one of the so-called ‘dungeons’ on this world, and it appears to be the most advanced one yet, having two different difficulty levels. This alone would be worth the effort to create the town of Star’s Vigil. However, the reason we are announcing it now is that we believe that the ‘raid’ difficulty of the dungeon concludes with the puppet Usurper as the final ‘boss’ of the dungeon, guarded by the traitorous soldiers of the Mad AI, Deus.”

The Empress’s eyes went wide at that, and the murmurs of the Court grew louder in excitement. None of the dungeons found so far had seen even a hint of the Usurper’s presence. It had been a frustration for her, more than she cared to admit, since she had, on more than one occasion, expressed her desire to have her hands around that bastard’s throat for all the damage he caused to the Empire, and all the people, including her own family, who died because of his coup, and the Civil War.

Leaning forward, she smiled wolfishly, “Really, now? That is, perhaps, the most wonderful news anyone has given Us in quite some time. We trust that you would not mind if a detachment of Marines were to go and… voice Our displeasure with the Usurper? Preferably on an ongoing basis?”

Admiral Mollen smiled, “Your Majesty, I am certain that we could create a barracks near the town of Star’s Vigil, so that your troops may cycle through the dungeon now and then, along with others who seek the loot and glory by running the dungeons, on either difficulty. Ultimate authority of the site would remain in the hands of Star’s Vigil’s administrators, but I can safely say that allowing the Empire’s troops a higher priority on the runs, whether it is for training or the satisfaction of punishing traitors, than those who are simply there to get rich.”

Empress Merida smiled, and said, “Excellent. What numbers could you support in this training exercise, then?”

“Because of the limitations of the dungeon, there would be little point in your troops coming in greater than Company strength, your Majesty. The maximum size of any group entering the ‘raid’ version of the dungeon is thirty, and I doubt that your commanders would like to blitz the dungeon again and again, as no doubt most of them are not Nomads, and so would not be able to recover their losses as quickly.”

The Empress looked to the side, where a man wearing the dress uniform of the Imperial Marines was standing at parade rest. “General Kenobi, what do you think of this?”

The General stepped forward, and said, “Your Majesty, as you know, we have been using dungeons within our territory as a ‘final exam’ for soldiers who are finishing their training for advanced combat specializations. The higher tier of this dungeon suggests to me that we might use it in two ways. First, as a final test of units who are likely to be deployed in extreme threat situations. Second, as a ‘trial by combat’ for individuals and units who have been convicted of crimes, but wish to cleanse their dishonor by fighting against an enemy of the Empire.”

The Empress considered that for a moment, and said, “No, as much as We might wish it, We will not throw loyal troops into the fire repeatedly just to get our due vengeance on the Usurper for the troubles he has caused the Empire. Our forces deserve better than that, and We will not order them to that fate without need. Therefore, let it be known that any Company of the Imperial Army or the Imperial Marines may volunteer to cycle through the dungeon, and fight their traitorous brethren. Additionally, send word throughout the military and civilian prisons that individuals who have been found guilty of certain crimes shall be granted clemency by the Crown should they join with others of their kind and challenge the ‘raid’ version of this Dungeon and survive, bringing proof that they killed the Usurper. Their sentences shall be removed, and their honor restored, though they will still have to earn back any trust they had lost due to their crimes.”

Turning back to the Admiral after making that pronouncement, she said, “Admiral Mollen, We trust that We can come to an arrangement on that end, so that your people at Star’s Vigil will not be put out?”

Admiral Mollen nodded slowly, “A barracks suitable to hold, say, two Companies worth of individuals would be possible. If convicts are to be part of the groups sent there, we would ask for certain… considerations so that they are not able to escape into the general populace or the wilds of Star’s Reach. However, aside from the security concerns, I see no problems with that arrangement, so long as the standard access fees for the dungeon are maintained. Black Star and the Empire are friends, and friends do not cheat each other, except in a ‘friendly’ game where the results don’t matter. The standard fees for using the dungeon do not include food or lodging costs for those staying in town, of course, but are a simple tithe of any loot one pulls out of the dungeon, or 100 credits, whichever is higher, each run of the dungeon. However, because of our friendship, we would be willing to build the Barracks and the initial perimeter defenses for your people free of charge.”

The General moved slightly, catching the Empress’s attention. When she motioned for him to speak, he said, “What kind of defenses are we talking about?”

“Oh, walls, with a clearcut of fifty meters beyond the outer wall to provide a clear field of fire for the weapons and soldiers in place. While there are no ‘hostile natives’ or the like, Star’s Vigil is located in a jungle setting, and the local fauna is more than capable of catching, killing, and eating humans, should they choose to. They also include air defense capabilities, in case hostile forces decide to try and muscle their way into Star’s Reach. Too often young colonies have proven too weak to avoid being taken over by hostile entities, such as unfriendly star nations or criminal syndicates. I believe we are confident in our ability to stand against any such efforts, or at least to make the prospect’s risks far outweigh the wildest potential rewards.”

The Empress clapped once, and said, “Excellent, then it is settled. In that case, We believe that We shall retire for the evening. Admiral Mollen, you and your companions are, of course, welcome to dine with Us this evening.”

The Admiral smiled, “It would be our pleasure, your Majesty.”