Act 1:
Burning Red Nightfall
1
Carina Korhil
Despite the serious atmosphere that hovered around Lord Rahan and Grandfather, at first, the meal proceeded with a relatively light air. Idle questions of how my own day had gone, along with the daily goings on of the estate, rumors of other nobles and courtiers, filled the space between bites of food and drink.
Finally, when the food had been eaten and the table was cleared, the servants came to retrieve the plates—there was no more putting it off.
“Grandfather,” I prompted with a pointed look.
He looked at me and knew what I was asking; he seemed tired then, the faint traces of joy leaving his face, like wisps of smoke carried off in the breeze.
He sighed, leaning forward, elbows on the table now as he laced his fingers in front of his mouth. Lord Rahan remained silent in his seat, posture stiff and rigid, hands pressed onto his knees.
“How… aware are you,” Grandfather began, “of the developing situation on our borders?”
I opened my mouth to speak, then paused. Hesitated really, suddenly struck by the knowledge, by the intense look in Grandfather’s eye, that something hinged on my answer.
“I know that House Repanse and House Argave have built up their military and that our own is very much miniscule by comparison to both of theirs,” I finally began. “I know that decades past, you forced an armistice between the houses and their allies under the threat of cutting off their food supplies.”
“That’s all?” Lord Rahan’s voice did not carry open disdain, but I could hear it all the same.
He turned, looking at my grandfather that faceless, inscrutable mask of his had come off for dinner, allowing me to see his face, his features strikingly thin, almost gaunt. It let me see the hard edges, the judgement of his expression clearly.
“That is what I know,” I answered, more sharply than what was proper. “What I can guess…”
I turned my eyes back towards Grandfather, and only later would I recall the twinkle of amused approval there.
“Our two neighbors to the galactic north would not be building up their militaries and wasting resources doing so unless one or both were confident that you could not or would not stop them again. I can guess”—I emphasized the words—“that your meetings recently have involved calling on allies, any that you can to the other galactic houses nearby; or perhaps trying to identify a way to stave off the conflict, or even perhaps choosing a side.”
“Why ally with one over the other?” Grandfather questioned.
I shrugged. “Survival?”
“And which would you choose to side with?” he followed up.
I raised an eyebrow. “Logic dictates you would side with the one who is stronger militarily,” I say carefully.
“Ally with the side that doesn’t need your help and you devalue yourself,” Lord Rahan rumbled, though I noted his voice had lost that disappointed color to it.
“...You’re proposing we ally with the weaker side?” It was more a statement than a true question. “That way we have more leverage in internal politics.”
I noticed Grandfather nodding as I turned to him.
“Is that why you’ve called me?” I asked. “To send me as an envoy to either House Argave or House Repanse?”
That made him reel in startled objection. “No. No. Not at all.”
“Sending you to either of those rat nests would see you held as prisoner; to force cooperation. It’s no secret how much your grandfather dotes on you,” Rahan noted.
I couldn’t help the flush of my cheeks, embarrassed at my own shortsightedness.
Grandfather brought up his cane, reaching over to thump Lord Rahan on the arm. “I do not dote,” he protested feebly.
I used the moment of distraction, clearing my own throat to fully regain my composure. “Then why?”
“I will be sending you,” the lord of House Korhil and the world of Isa started. “But not to them.” When he looked at me, his features were lax, almost bored, but his eyes were clear and sharp, demanding my attention. “House Gilson.”
That wasn’t just surprising to me but also apparently to Lord Rahan.
He didn’t protest or proclaim anything, but the sharp turn of his head was enough of a clue that the man had been caught off guard by the statement.
Grandfather seemed unconcerned. “There is a reality we have to acknowledge… and adapt swiftly to,” he said gravely. “Even if I were to find a way to once again force our neighbors into compliance through food, economics, politics or any other means… we are now on borrowed time.”
In spite of myself, the words made a stutter of fear lurch through my chest.
“The lords are vying for control of the sector of space. They’re looking to make an empire in miniature,” he said.
An empire in miniature.
Ever since the Shroud, since we lost the Federation- I suppose things have been moving in that direction over the last decades.
Grandfather sighed. “We need an ally that can give them pause.”
“But House Gilson is several systems away,” I protested. “Even if I were to secure an alliance, they would never arrive here in time to prevent an invasion—and that’s presuming they can arrive at all through the territories of the other lords between us and them.”
“Yes, I know. There are disadvantages.” He nodded. “But even if they can’t provide direct military aid, that’s not where their true value lies.”
He didn’t explain, and from a look I recognized, I knew he wanted me to answer my own question as to why.
I racked my brain, struggling to think of how this might work- what exactly he was looking for in this move.
Their value wasn’t military…
Political then?
It couldn’t be. Or at least not just political. Military actions required military answers.
“You want…” I paused and could feel my own features scrunching up. “Fear of reprisal?”
“House Gilson has rapidly become the greatest of the houses to the galactic south of us,” Lord Rahan observed, as if just piecing the logic together himself alongside me. “They’ve become imperialistic… expansionist, especially under their young ruler and his advisers… You want us to become a potential excuse they could use to invade either House Argave or Repanse.”
A potential excuse?
Grandfather nodded. “It will at least give them pause. More time for us to strengthen our defenses and find more long-term solutions.”
“It…” Lord Rahan shook his head. “Forgive me, Lord Desan, but this still seems a half measure.”
“Two half measures make a complete measure,” came the response with a huffing chuckle. “We must use the tools we have, Lord Rahan. I cannot wave a magic wand to bolster our fleet overnight, nor suddenly spring a fully formed planetary defense force across the four planets of our system by wishful thinking. We need some time. This is the most expedient way to get that time.”
Lord Rahan made a considering sound, brows furrowed in thought.
I could understand his logic. But it was still disquieting, this sudden- not just realization but outright confirmation that our situation was so tenuous and dire that our greatest value was to be a glorified excuse as he put it.
I… certainly hadn’t expected such a thing to ever be said about my house and home. “I understand,” I said. Or, forced myself to say really. “When… would I be expected to leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Surprisingly, it was not I who protested, but Lord Rahan.
Grandfather blinked owlishly at the towering lord. “What part of ‘time’ being our required commodity was unclear?” He seemed to be fighting off a smirk.
The lord shifted where he sat. “It is merely surprising… and I will not have time to plan a proper escort.” Then he seemed to think. “Though I suppose I could grant use of my own personal guard.”
“We have guards,” I said.
The lord snorted. “No offense to your house defenders, my lady… but you’ve devoted yourselves to agriculture, arts, and culture… When was the last time your household guard, or even the military of your world faced a proper fight, which is the crux of the issue we face.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it, remembering quickly that it had actually been a few centuries since House Korhil last moved in open conflict.
By comparison, Lord Rahan’s house, once having been a mercenary company and now the primary peacekeeping force of the system, had been in some form of combat on and off since its founding three decades ago. Pirates, raiders, even an incursion by an unidentified military force just three years prior were examples that came to mind.
Lord Rahan turned away from me. “And my task.”
“Everyone’s so eager to help and do their part. Isn’t this a delightful change of pace?” Grandfather laughed.
“Lord Desan,” Rahan pressed, likely trying to hide his exasperation.
A sigh. “I need you to travel more locally. The four worlds… they need to be reassured that we have a defense force and that we are preparing for things that are coming. If they believe they have better chances defecting—”
“Reassurance can only go so far,” Lord Rahan warned. “Reprisal is another tool in your arsenal.”
Silence then, a tense, uncomfortable one.
I decided then that I’d best leave them to it… I knew my grandfather well enough to know he would not speak wholly freely about such matters with my being present… and I was no longer needed in the rather uncomfortable turn the conversation had taken.
“Very well,” I said before standing from my seat. “If that is all, I will go prepare for the journey.” A flutter of either nervousness, excitement, or nausea cut through my insides. Possibly all three. “By your leave?”
Grandfather nodded, and I bent low to offer him a kiss on the cheek, feeling his wrinkled cheek crinkle in a smile before I pulled away and left, stepping quickly down the hallway to reach my room and begin organizing everything.
—
Preparing for a diplomatic visit wasn’t a simple thing; there was much more to it than simply packing a suitcase, though of course that was part of it.
The ship had to be made ready; thus, the engineers and ship workers had to be woken up to refit, refuel, and begin the process of checking the vessel for any flaws. Guards had to be called, ready to leave and head out to a foreign planet for weeks, or perhaps even months at a time.
Their weaponry and armor needed to be checked, and adding a slight complication, given that the men coming with me were apparently members of Lord Rahan’s guard, their clearance needed to be verified.
Granted, most of these things were a formality, truth be told. I was more than certain Lord Rahan would check their clearance personally before he assigned them and that their equipment would be up to standard, but they were still things that needed to get done, if not for my own peace of mind, then for the simple reality that as my first independent diplomatic assignment, it wouldn’t do for stupid mistakes to define its memory or its outcome.
There was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
Hearing it open, I darted my eyes up, away from the tablet detailing the inventory of the provisions that would be loaded onto the ship for the journey, finding Neira at the doorway.
“Good evening, Mistress Korhil,” she called, offering a bow before she entered.
“There’s no one present. You don’t need to stand on formalities, Neira,” I answered, frowning. We’d been friends for nearly our whole lives, but a few short years ago, she’d begun talking to me as if I was her lord, rather than her friend.
I understood in public, but in private it did… bother me.
“I understand,” she answered calmly. “I’ve heard that… you’re going to leave? Off world.”
It hadn’t even been a full two hours since I was even given the assignment. Words travel faster than sound, as they say.. “To House Gilson to the galactic south, yes,” I said, lowering the tablet to offer her my attention. “It’ll be a relatively short trip, all things considered. There’s no need to be wor—”
“I would like to come with you.”
I stopped, my mouth clicking shut as I looked at her, surprise making me raise my eyebrows high. “Neira, you’ve told me before, the current condition of FTL travel frightens you.”
“It does,” she answered with a nod, a firm set to her brow. “But I won’t let you travel through the void alone. I would like to come with you, regardless of my misgivings.”
I felt my features soften, the shock giving way to gratitude. “I will be fine.”
“Then there’s no reason I shouldn’t go,” she argued. “Because then we’ll both be perfectly fine, and there will be no downsides to my journeying with you.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it shut again with a click.
I was grateful and proud… I also did want her company… and if it helped her to perhaps move on from her fears, well, all the better..
“I won’t say no?” I’m not entirely sure why I was asking her.
“Good.” She gave a curt nod, wringing her hands and seemingly now beginning to worry about the implications of the choice she’d made.
Then, she gave another, firmer nod, staring at me as though daring me to contradict her. “Good.”
Well… this was certainly a difference from meek formality.
I offered her a shrug, brushing wayward strands of black hair behind my ear as I held out the tablet. “This is the inventory that we’ll be taking with us for the trip. Is there anything in particular you’d like to include? It hasn’t been submitted and finalized for the docking crews yet.”
Her eyes lit up with the spark of interest and something akin to curiosity.
I let her take the list from me and noted that after scanning, she did add something to the bottom of the lists. I didn’t bother to look at what it was when she handed it back to me. Likely it was something to help calm her anxieties during our time in FTL speeds, and it would be rude to be nosy for something so personal.
“Now then.” She breathed, sagging, as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, or perhaps added to them, now that she knew she was coming with us. “I understand you’re being sent to meet with House Gilson of Urun?”
I nodded. “It’s true. Grandfather wants us to put forward the proposal for formally joining Gilson as an affiliate, or a protectorate.”
Her brow furrowed, a frown downturning the corner of her lips. “Truly? That… I always thought Lord Korhil valued Isa’s independence. Are you all right with this decision?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again, thinking on the question.
Finally, I shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter.”
—
Before long, morning came.
I should have been exhausted. No doubt I would be soon, given the utter lack of sleep, but nerves and sheer anticipation were winning the battle in my mind against anything that might be akin to tiredness.
Everything was being loaded up onto the transports that would take the luggage, supplies, equipment, and other necessities to the starport, and from the port, it would be carted onto the vessel itself; The Stardust Song.
I didn’t, strictly speaking, need to be present here; frankly, I was serving as little better than decoration, but neither could I simply sit in my room, meekly waiting for servants and workers to come fetch me like a child once the work was done.
The morning air was normally cool, but with the comings and goings of everyone scrambling to prepare everything on short notice, it felt cloyingly warm, as I stood and watched. I could tell that in a few more minutes, the sensation of sweat under my clothes would start to feel quite disgusting.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned, finding the smiling face of Grandfather looking to me with an impish light dancing over his eyes.
“I thought I’d find you here,” he confessed.
It made me pause, raising an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
“When you were a little girl”—he smiled—“the few times we traveled to visit the other planets within our subsector, you would always be standing right here.” He chuckled. “If you were watching the workers, you’d know exactly when they were done so you’d know exactly when it was time to leave.”
I could feel the heat on my cheeks. “You’re making that up,” I protested.
“I would never,” he gasped, a mock affront in his voice, betrayed by the smile that wouldn’t fall off his lips.
I huffed, then turned back, still overlooking the men. “It’s not as though I have anything else to busy myself with until they’re done.”
It was a weak defense. Thankfully, he didn’t continue to make fun.
Marching up beside me, Grandfather stood there in silence, his spine straightening, the stoop in his posture disappearing for a moment.
He looked every bit the head of our house.
And perhaps it was just my imagination, but I liked to think that the workers perhaps moved a little quicker or worked with a bit more care under his eye.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly. “For sending you on the ship.”
I started, “There’s nothing to apologize for.”
He turned, and when he looked at me, his eyes felt like they were slicing straight through anything I tried to place in front of them.
“I know you were not as affected by what happened as little Neira.” He spoke slowly, his words measured. Not… kind. But not cruel either. “But you’ve never set foot on a ship since. Nor asked to go anywhere.”
I turned away.
“I’ve had no interest in leaving,” I answered simply. “A ship is a ship. It serves a function. And we’ve learned much on the dangers of FTL travel interactions with the Shroud since those days.” I hoped that was true at least, and not something told to the masses for false assurances.
“I will be fine,” I said and hoped I was truly as confident as I made myself sound.
Grandfather made a sound in his throat, perhaps considering, perhaps suspicious. But we both knew it wouldn’t do to make me doubt myself. Nor would it change anything. So, he doesn’t press.
“I’ve heard many things,” he started, shifting the subject, “regarding House Gilson’s leader. I’m not sure what advice would best suit you, given all the conflicting pieces of information.”
“I’ll have to take his measure myself then.” I nodded.
He offered a smile. “Hmmm… That will serve you well, I think.”
I found myself raising an eyebrow, confused by the non sequitur. “What will?”
“Confidence.” He laughed. “Audacity. Use both. Take refuge in both. But do have a care that they don’t become arrogance and carelessness, my girl.”
Take refuge in confidence and audacity?
I shook my head. “I don’t think I understand.”
But Grandfather only offered a shrug. “You will.” Then his impish smile returned, spreading across his features. “Knowing you, you’ll turn them into a sword and a shield soon enough.”
(X)(X)(X)
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