"I found humanity

  scattered, purposeless, and fearful. I leave it now, unified under my

  banner, their purpose in the Lord and fearless in their dominion over

  the stars."

  Johann walked down the corridor with his head held down. What am I going to tell him? am

  I going to tell him? When he heard it, he was shaken by disbelief, his

  fists clenched in anger, he almost struck the messenger. To think Fleet

  Admiral Vyncent Marshall, the veteran of innumerable battles who had

  snatched victory time and time again from the jaws of defeat... was not

  being granted a Triumph? Johann did not understand nor agree with the

  stratagems of his commander, yet he did have to admit he pulled off

  something unique at Gandharva; any other man would have retreated after

  losing 3000 ships to an insubordinate commander, but not Admiral

  Vyncent.

  He passed by a couple of maintenance workers,

  "He came up with that asteroid thing on th' spot, d'ya know."

  "Aye! And he won even tho he didn't have th' Konitz fleet!"

  No, Johann thought, he would have done it It was not something he came up with on the spot; those on the planet were doomed the moment Vyncent entered the system.

  The positioning of D'Larsen and Yosef was deliberate. .

  He this to happen.

  Johann's breath quickened. He forced himself to walk. Those words kept ringing in his head.

  He found the door to Vyncent's quarters. With a press of a button authorising his entry he found his way in.

  Vyncent's quarters were dark, not dim- The

  only light came from a row of thin slits along the ceiling, emitting a

  pale blue glow that barely touched the polished steel walls. The walls

  were bare, no decoration, and no personal effects. A cot occupied the

  room in place of a bed, and the only piece of furniture was a waist-high

  cabinet positioned against the far wall. Its surface was adorned with

  his service sidearm, and Vyncent's sword hung from the side.

  Vyncent

  stood behind the singular viewport, staring at his fleet. The glass was

  reinforced, but faint pressure fractures ran through the edges- damage

  from micro-impacts.

  "Bad news, I presume, Commodore?" Vyncent spoke, a certain chill in his voice.

  "Sire, they..." Johann's voice froze.

  "They

  are not granting me my Triumph," Vyncent turned around to face Johann.

  "I knew it when I won their war for them, It's not an issue"

  Johann

  was astounded, "Sire, you have earned this, your feat of victory in the

  face of certain defeat, the boarding of the JIn-Wa! The capture of

  Baron Remiel-"

  "That

  is the reason, Johann," Vyncent cut him short. "Could you imagine,

  Johann? Me in a ceremonial carriage dragging the Baron in chains behind

  me? A parading in front of a man of noble blood?"

  Johann was speechless.

  "You are young, Johann; you do not know the way the world works. The things men do to keep themselves above other men"

  "It is wrong, sire," Johann said quietly.

  "It is what keeps the empire afloat, what allows men like your father their holdfasts and keeps."

  Johann's

  boots echoed faintly against the steel floor. "The messenger also

  brought orders to return to Arcadia with your fleet," he said. "They

  detail a route - I've sent it to your display."

  "I

  suppose they'll tell me how to wipe my ass next," Vyncent said, his

  tone characteristically lax. He didn't look up from the viewport. The

  fractured glass caught the dim blue light, scattering it across his pale

  hands.

  Johann was used to this by now. One gets the privilege to utter indignities once in high office, he supposed.

  "The route is slower than the ideal path," Johann continued. "I mapped out a more efficient course and sent that over as well."

  "I

  know it's slower, Johann." Vyncent's gaze remained on the dark

  silhouettes of his fleet. "They've done so deliberately. The longer I

  take to return, the safer Adrial del Valtieri feels."

  Johann's brow furrowed. Political manoeuvring - a leash disguised as an order.

  Vyncent

  turned slightly, his shadow stretching across the floor. "Send the

  route to the fleet. Tell the Fleet Organizer he's going to have hell

  coming to him trying to get everyone home in time."

  Johann hesitated. "Sire-"

  Vyncent's gaze sharpened, cutting through the dim light. "Do it."

  "I

  saw the End beyond the veil of stars, and I knew then that fear was

  humanity's first enemy. To rule the stars, we must first cast out fear.

  We are not children of darkness-we are the light that will burn away the

  void."

  - from

  Within

  a few weeks, Vyncent's fleet had entered the Arcadian system, and an

  escort of 20 cruisers awaited them near the gas giant Vespasian. They

  requested the fleet dock at the shipyard here, and Vyncent, with Johann,

  boarded the escort to Arcadia.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  A few hours later, Johann sat in the shuttle communicating with Cairnspire air traffic control

  "Shuttle 13-F-Delta-Delta, you have permission to land- proceed to Cairspire Airfield."

  Johann was about to respond when Vyncent cut him short, "No"

  Johann looked back from the co-pilot's seat. "Sire?"

  "Tell them we are using the Porta Imperialis"

  Johann hesitated, "That will require ministerial override-"

  "They know who I am." Vyncent's tone was quiet. "Tell them."

  The

  shuttle hovered over Cairnspire airspace as the officers did their

  bureaucratic shuffle until the signal came, and the shuttle proceeded to

  the spire holding up Porta Imperialis.

  The

  shuttle tilted upward, engines shifting as it ascended toward the apex

  of the dome. Porta Imperialis loomed ahead - a vast structure of black

  crystal and steel, built directly into the upper section of the

  Cairnspire dome. A circular platform extended from the side of the

  fortress, ringed with shield emitters and flanked by armoured guard

  towers.

  The shuttle

  docked with a low, mechanical groan. A faint tremor passed through the

  deck as the landing struts locked into place. The internal lights dimmed

  to a cold blue as the pressure equalised. With a hiss, the external

  seals released.

  Johann

  rose; his uniform was crisp; the silver trim caught the dim light as he

  stood at attention. The imperial sigil on his uniform glinted in the

  dim light, and there was no other symbol on his uniform. He glanced

  towards Vyncent, expecting a command- but Vyncent remained seated,

  gloved fingers idly tapping the armrest

  "Shall I signal the delegation?" Johann asked.

  "They know I'm here," Vyncent said. "Open the doors"

  Johann

  hesitated for a moment, torn between protocol and orders. He pressed

  the release switch, and the blast doors slid open, filling the cabin

  with the characteristic cold air of Arcadia.

  Vyncent

  stood, the dark fabric of his overcoat catching the chill; the

  embroidered lining of pure silver flashed briefly as he stepped out. His

  boots struck the ramp with a loud thump, and the soldiers standing on

  the platform straightened in unison.

  Six

  Knights of the Citadel flanked the entrance to the terminal. Their

  armour was a dark alloy, the sigil of the Imperial Throne etched onto

  their pauldrons. Their plumed helms clean of any features save for a

  single slit for vision.

  I

  can feel them staring. Johann wondered if it would be any different if

  his father stepped out of the shuttle instead of Vyncent.

  An officer approached, his face sharp, clean-shaven, his eyes cold with a professional detachment. He bowed low.

  "Fleet Admiral," the officer conveyed a tone of urgency. "The Prime Minister requests your presence at once."

  "And if I refuse?" Vyncent asked.

  He's with

  him, thought Johann. He wondered what pleasure Vyncent must get for

  playing with people like this, making them uncomfortable, getting under

  their skins.

  The officer's eyes flicked upward, a nervous tension spreading across his jaw. "Then I would be forced to insist."

  Vyncent said nothing, after a moment the officer turned on his heel.

  "This way, Admiral."

  Johann

  followed as Vyncent descended the platform. The metallic hum of the

  airfield's security grid vibrated faintly beneath their feet. Beyond the

  transparent shielding, Cairnspire's jagged skyline pulsed with the

  distant flicker of traffic lanes and ship lights. The low rumble of

  orbital thrusters echoed from the upper atmosphere.

  Johann

  glanced toward Vyncent, studying his expression - or the absence of it.

  The mask concealed everything. Vyncent's posture was relaxed, his

  movements fluid and deliberate, but Johann had learned to read the small

  signs - the way his left hand flexed at his side, the controlled weight

  of his stride. He was thinking. Calculating.

  "Do you think they'll make you wait?" Johann asked quietly.

  "Of course."

  "And if they don't?"

  Vyncent's gloved hand brushed the hilt of his sword, still holstered at his side.

  "Then it's worse than I thought."

  They

  passed through the vaulted archway of the terminal into the main

  corridor. The architecture of Cairnspire was brutal in its simplicity -

  cold steel and dark basalt shaped into long, angular halls. The lighting

  was sparse, with small crystal slits along the ceiling casting thin

  white beams across the polished floors.

  Two Citadel Knights opened the final set of doors without prompting.

  Inside,

  the Prime Minister sat facing the window behind his desk. He turned

  around, a face worn with age but eyes vital and calculating.

  "Fleet Admiral." Adrial's voice was measured, "sit."

  Johann turned around to leave but Vyncent suddenly stopped him.

  "Commodore LeCoult, who dismissed you."

  Johann understood. Vyncent wanted him to learn. He returned and stood behind Vyncents chair.

  Adrial

  addressed Johann, "LeCoult? You're the Marquis's son? Strange... I did

  not notice any new branches on the family tree when I last went to

  visit."

  Johann

  understood he was being goaded, tested for even the slight crack. He had

  been humiliated worse before. He did not understand the relish pureborn

  get from making a bastard announce the nature of his birth.

  "He's bastard born," Vyncent interjected, his tone something dangerous. "Now if you are done my attache will you get to the point of this meeting?"

  Classy

  as always, thought Johann sarcastically. Yet he was thankful for

  Vyncent's blunt nature today. Adrial's eyes lingered on Johann a moment

  longer before he began.

  "The Emperor is pleased. The destruction of the Baron's fleet was... efficient."

  Vyncent's posture did not shift. "It was necessary."

  "A

  necessity that cost the lives of thirty thousand men and the ruin of a

  colony below, not to mention the destruction of two perfectly good

  mining asteroids."

  "The cost of victory, my Lord"

  Adrial's smile was thin. "Of course."

  A

  pulse of thin light flickered on the surface of the desk. A projection

  bloomed in the air- a detailed schematic of the Gandharva system.

  Tactical overlays scrolled across the display, showing the wreckage of

  the Baron's fleet, the debris field and the trajectory of Vyncents

  fleet. The amount of detail in the report told Johann the Imperial

  Analysts had been pouring over it the past few weeks, they probably

  don't get battles like these often he thought to himself.

  "You anticipated the debris field would break their formation?"

  "Yes."

  "And you predicted the gravitational wake?"

  "I am good at mathematics"

  Adrial's gaze sharpened. "And the Konitz fleet?"

  Vyncent's fingers curled around the armrest. "What about them?"

  "You knew they would fail."

  "Konitz would have ruined the plan by charging into the enemy fleet demanding a battle."

  "So you disposed of him."

  "He disposed of himself," Vyncent said coldly. "And took good men with him."

  A long silence stretched between them. Johann shifted slightly, feeling the tension in the room.

  Adrial's smile faded. "The Emperor will grant you an audience tomorrow."

  Vyncent stood. The dark fabric of his coat swept behind him as he turned to the door. Johann followed a step behind.

  "About your Triumph..." Adrial's tone was light, mocking.

  Vyncent paused, "The Emperor's decision is final?"

  "You know how these things work, Vyncent"

  Vyncent's gaze slid toward a statue of a dog on a side table. His gloved fingers traced the edge of the polished stone.

  "My father was fond of dogs." Vyncent's voice was quiet. "He said something to me once..."

  Vyncent turned to face Adrial. "A dog's teeth are still sharp - even after you've taught it to heel."

  Adrial's face betrayed no emotion, but Johann could see something shift in his eyes.

  "Dismissed,"

  he said. And Vyncent walked out of the Obsidian gate. Johann Could not

  see his face, but he was sure Vyncent was grinning.