Ascendant Sun: A New Novel in the Saga of the Skolian Empire by Catherine Asaro Page A
Authors: Catherine Asaro
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the line of the Dalvador Bard, and Widower Dowager to the House of Majda.
Untangling the convoluted lines of succession gave him a headache. Until he knew for certain that the Ruby Pharaoh and her son had died, he assumed the Pharaoh's line existed. If they truly were gone, he would no longer be "once removed," he would be in the direct line to the Ruby Throne.
In the past, the Ruby succession had always gone through the female line. The idea of including sons had stirred immense controversy. Ignoring it all, his aunt Dehya designated her son and only child as her heir. Soon after, Kelric's parents added their sons to the Ruby succession, which already included their daughters. His mother, Roca, was the next heir to the Ruby Throne and would become Pharaoh if the deaths of her sister and nephew were confirmed. She also stood first in line for Dehya's Triad title of Assembly Key; Dehya's death would make Roca a presumptive Triad member like Kelric, one also kept from assuming her title by the political situation.
As Roca's consort, Kelric's father had no claim to the Ruby Throne. However, as Web Key he held one of the three Triad titles. He and Roca chose his Triad heirs according to who they, and the Assembly, thought best suited to become Web Key. Kelric stood high in the succession for the Military Key, or Imperator, so he was far down in the Triad lines for the Web and Assembly Keys. The deaths of Kurj, Althor, and Soz had been verified, so he left them out when he figured his place in the various successions. It made their loss hurt even more, like another translucent layer of grief.
His father also bore a hereditary title on his native world of Lyshriol. Literally, Valdoria translated into Skolian as "Dalvador Bard," but most Skolian citizens called him the King of Skyfall, a romantic but woefully inaccurate translation. The title passed through the male line, which included Kelric.
Kelric's oldest brother, Eldrin, had been the Pharaoh's consort, forced by the ruling Assembly into the marriage because they wanted the Ruby Dynasty to make more Rhon psions, even if it meant interbreeding. As her consort, Eldrin had no claim to her throne. However, as his mother's firstborn, he was next in line to the Ruby Throne after Roca, unless he stepped aside for one of his sisters. He was also their father's first heir, both as Web Key and Dalvador Bard. When Kelric worked out his place in the various lines, he assumed Eldrin still lived; without confirmation, he found himself unable to accept his brother's death.
After Kelric completed the document, he encrypted the file and sent it to the EI's Legal mod. It took only a moment before Legal sent a message back to his console:
Marriage Closed.
Ixpar, I won't forget you , he thought. He copied the document to the tau missiles, programmed their security, and launched them in a stealth pattern. When they were safely off, he erased the evidence of his work from all the flotilla EIs.
Then he was done. He folded his arms on the console and laid down his head, closing his eyes. A tear leaked out and slid over his cheek. He had ten years to "return from the dead" to Ixpar, but he knew almost no chance existed of that happening.
He might be dead to his Coban family now, but at least he had done what he could to protect them.
5
Chrysalis Emergence
Kelric spread throughout space, using sensors on every ship in Maccar's flotilla. He sailed the seas of dust, tasted oscillating fields, swirled in the cosmic ray flux. The quality of the sensors, the clarity of the stimulation— he reveled in the sheer exhilaration of becoming an entire flotilla.
For all that he had lost, he had gained this. He loved it. This was why he had made such a good test pilot. Alone with the vast radiant seas of energy and wonder, he came alive.
His thought rumbled: Update systems check .
Statistics updated, the Corona answered. It refreshed his mindscape, providing displays about all ten
Untangling the convoluted lines of succession gave him a headache. Until he knew for certain that the Ruby Pharaoh and her son had died, he assumed the Pharaoh's line existed. If they truly were gone, he would no longer be "once removed," he would be in the direct line to the Ruby Throne.
In the past, the Ruby succession had always gone through the female line. The idea of including sons had stirred immense controversy. Ignoring it all, his aunt Dehya designated her son and only child as her heir. Soon after, Kelric's parents added their sons to the Ruby succession, which already included their daughters. His mother, Roca, was the next heir to the Ruby Throne and would become Pharaoh if the deaths of her sister and nephew were confirmed. She also stood first in line for Dehya's Triad title of Assembly Key; Dehya's death would make Roca a presumptive Triad member like Kelric, one also kept from assuming her title by the political situation.
As Roca's consort, Kelric's father had no claim to the Ruby Throne. However, as Web Key he held one of the three Triad titles. He and Roca chose his Triad heirs according to who they, and the Assembly, thought best suited to become Web Key. Kelric stood high in the succession for the Military Key, or Imperator, so he was far down in the Triad lines for the Web and Assembly Keys. The deaths of Kurj, Althor, and Soz had been verified, so he left them out when he figured his place in the various successions. It made their loss hurt even more, like another translucent layer of grief.
His father also bore a hereditary title on his native world of Lyshriol. Literally, Valdoria translated into Skolian as "Dalvador Bard," but most Skolian citizens called him the King of Skyfall, a romantic but woefully inaccurate translation. The title passed through the male line, which included Kelric.
Kelric's oldest brother, Eldrin, had been the Pharaoh's consort, forced by the ruling Assembly into the marriage because they wanted the Ruby Dynasty to make more Rhon psions, even if it meant interbreeding. As her consort, Eldrin had no claim to her throne. However, as his mother's firstborn, he was next in line to the Ruby Throne after Roca, unless he stepped aside for one of his sisters. He was also their father's first heir, both as Web Key and Dalvador Bard. When Kelric worked out his place in the various lines, he assumed Eldrin still lived; without confirmation, he found himself unable to accept his brother's death.
After Kelric completed the document, he encrypted the file and sent it to the EI's Legal mod. It took only a moment before Legal sent a message back to his console:
Marriage Closed.
Ixpar, I won't forget you , he thought. He copied the document to the tau missiles, programmed their security, and launched them in a stealth pattern. When they were safely off, he erased the evidence of his work from all the flotilla EIs.
Then he was done. He folded his arms on the console and laid down his head, closing his eyes. A tear leaked out and slid over his cheek. He had ten years to "return from the dead" to Ixpar, but he knew almost no chance existed of that happening.
He might be dead to his Coban family now, but at least he had done what he could to protect them.
5
Chrysalis Emergence
Kelric spread throughout space, using sensors on every ship in Maccar's flotilla. He sailed the seas of dust, tasted oscillating fields, swirled in the cosmic ray flux. The quality of the sensors, the clarity of the stimulation— he reveled in the sheer exhilaration of becoming an entire flotilla.
For all that he had lost, he had gained this. He loved it. This was why he had made such a good test pilot. Alone with the vast radiant seas of energy and wonder, he came alive.
His thought rumbled: Update systems check .
Statistics updated, the Corona answered. It refreshed his mindscape, providing displays about all ten
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