come.” He moved his lady to capture Orin’s clergy. “The vision, which I will not relate as the details are not important, stated that the Furitan Empire must ally itself with whichever side wins this current war or we will be lost.”
“I can see why you wanted to know about the two sides, then,” Orin nodded.
“There is one other reason I summoned you,” the Emperor said after a few moments.
“What else can I do for you, Emperor?”
“When this war is over and the winner is known, you will be my ambassador.” Tarmin moved his lady to a position on the board where it put Orin’s lord in danger, one that Orin could not escape from. “I am raising you to full ambassadorial status as of now. The only question is whom you will be the ambassador to.”
Orin slumped back in his chair as he realized he lost to the Emperor. Then he smiled broadly.
“I shall endeavor not to let you down, Emperor,” Orin chuckled, knowing he had been outmaneuvered in life as in the game. “I shall keep you informed as to the developments of the war.”
“Excellent,” Tarmin nodded as he reset the game board. “You may go, Ambassador.”
“Thank you, Emperor,” Orin stood and bowed. He made his way out of the library quickly, before the Emperor could call him back.
The newly minted ambassador smiled as he left the library, knowing his star was, once again, on the rise.
Chapter 6
2.1.2136
1622
SLS White Knight
The Medbay
“ H EY, Kit. How are you feeling?” K’Alan asked as he sat down next to her bed. He reached over and took her hand, which elicited a growl from the other side of the bed. K’Alan looked up and saw his sister and Elam sitting on the opposite side of K’Itea.
“I’ve been better,” K’Itea smiled. She squeezed his hand gently. “But I am going to be fine. I hear that the admiral’s proposal passed.”
“That’s right,” K’Alan nodded. Then he smiled at his wife. “The Duterian survivors are all going to be living on the White Knight for a while. Under my protection.”
“Your protection,” S’Era furrowed her brow. “I thought you were the exec.”
K’Alan leaned back in his chair and sighed softly. “I was,” he shrugged. “But the captain decided that she did not want to stay on and left. Admiral Bonetti decided that I was the best person for the job, so he just promoted me and made me the commanding officer.”
“Good,” K’Itea smiled at him. “You deserve it. And I am sure all of our people will feel safer having you in charge.”
K’Alan gazed at his family, lost in though. He had had a lot dumped on him in a short amount of time and he was doing his best to deal with it all at once. Having the people he loved most in the galaxy on the ship with him made it easier.
“I’m going to move my quarters into the City with the rest of you,” he said after a while. “I think it’s only proper.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” his sister said. A smile spread across her face as a thought entered her mind. “It would be good for you, Kit and Elam to finally spend time together as a family.”
“I don’t like him,” Elam whispered in S’Era’s ear.
“Elam Jarron Bryce,” S’Era admonished him in a stern voice. “In time you will grow to like your father. He is a very good man.”
“If he’s such a good man, then why has he never once visited me?” Elam shot back.
The words hit K’Alan like daggers. He knew why Elam was so angry, but it did not make it any easier for him to hear it. He hoped that there would be, someday, a way for him to make those ten years up to his son.
“Because I never told him that you were alive, my son,” K’Itea’s words were soft, but did not cut K’Alan any less than Elam’s. “He did not know to visit you.”
K’Alan’s gaze caught his son’s, pain mirrored in eyes so much like his own. “Elam, had I known I
“I can see why you wanted to know about the two sides, then,” Orin nodded.
“There is one other reason I summoned you,” the Emperor said after a few moments.
“What else can I do for you, Emperor?”
“When this war is over and the winner is known, you will be my ambassador.” Tarmin moved his lady to a position on the board where it put Orin’s lord in danger, one that Orin could not escape from. “I am raising you to full ambassadorial status as of now. The only question is whom you will be the ambassador to.”
Orin slumped back in his chair as he realized he lost to the Emperor. Then he smiled broadly.
“I shall endeavor not to let you down, Emperor,” Orin chuckled, knowing he had been outmaneuvered in life as in the game. “I shall keep you informed as to the developments of the war.”
“Excellent,” Tarmin nodded as he reset the game board. “You may go, Ambassador.”
“Thank you, Emperor,” Orin stood and bowed. He made his way out of the library quickly, before the Emperor could call him back.
The newly minted ambassador smiled as he left the library, knowing his star was, once again, on the rise.
Chapter 6
2.1.2136
1622
SLS White Knight
The Medbay
“ H EY, Kit. How are you feeling?” K’Alan asked as he sat down next to her bed. He reached over and took her hand, which elicited a growl from the other side of the bed. K’Alan looked up and saw his sister and Elam sitting on the opposite side of K’Itea.
“I’ve been better,” K’Itea smiled. She squeezed his hand gently. “But I am going to be fine. I hear that the admiral’s proposal passed.”
“That’s right,” K’Alan nodded. Then he smiled at his wife. “The Duterian survivors are all going to be living on the White Knight for a while. Under my protection.”
“Your protection,” S’Era furrowed her brow. “I thought you were the exec.”
K’Alan leaned back in his chair and sighed softly. “I was,” he shrugged. “But the captain decided that she did not want to stay on and left. Admiral Bonetti decided that I was the best person for the job, so he just promoted me and made me the commanding officer.”
“Good,” K’Itea smiled at him. “You deserve it. And I am sure all of our people will feel safer having you in charge.”
K’Alan gazed at his family, lost in though. He had had a lot dumped on him in a short amount of time and he was doing his best to deal with it all at once. Having the people he loved most in the galaxy on the ship with him made it easier.
“I’m going to move my quarters into the City with the rest of you,” he said after a while. “I think it’s only proper.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” his sister said. A smile spread across her face as a thought entered her mind. “It would be good for you, Kit and Elam to finally spend time together as a family.”
“I don’t like him,” Elam whispered in S’Era’s ear.
“Elam Jarron Bryce,” S’Era admonished him in a stern voice. “In time you will grow to like your father. He is a very good man.”
“If he’s such a good man, then why has he never once visited me?” Elam shot back.
The words hit K’Alan like daggers. He knew why Elam was so angry, but it did not make it any easier for him to hear it. He hoped that there would be, someday, a way for him to make those ten years up to his son.
“Because I never told him that you were alive, my son,” K’Itea’s words were soft, but did not cut K’Alan any less than Elam’s. “He did not know to visit you.”
K’Alan’s gaze caught his son’s, pain mirrored in eyes so much like his own. “Elam, had I known I
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