Chapter 145

　　Walking through the hallways of the estate with Mare, Kal was struck by the sheer amount of wealth on display. Every wall and corner contained priceless works of art, pillars of gold and other precious metals and the doors were constructed from rare wood with large gemstones for door handles.

　　Even Mare, who had grown up in the Imperial Palace, was speechless at the waste. The Baron had bankrupted his planets and worked his people to their deaths in slavery, all to construct this monstrosity.

　　Caledonian House Guards secured every entrance and were posted in each hallway. The floors were littered with the dead, most of them belonging to the Baron`s troops. As they walked, Kal encountered groups of locals wearing little more than rags, their bodies showing signs of abuse.

　　The Baron`s slaves huddled in corners, whimpering with fear, refusing to lift their heads.

　　"See to it they are removed and cared for." Kal called out to one of his guards that were flanking the pair. An older woman, she shook her head, her face obstructed by her Exosuit`s helmet.

　　"Apologies, my Duke. They reject our offers to help them, and when we try to carry them out, they fight like they are possessed. We feared they would harm themselves before we could properly care for them." She replied.

　　Kal shook his head, dismayed at the treatment these people received. In a way, both his father and Kal were to blame. If his father hadn`t rebelled and Kal had inherited in his place, none of this would have happened.

　　"Leave them for now. We`ll request medical attention from orbit once the Baron is dealt with." Kal ordered. Turning to Mare, he saw her face was a mask of pity and disappointment. No one should be treated this way, especially not by the Nobility that was supposed to guide and protect them.

　　"Let`s go. The Baron awaits." Kal called out to her. Mare tore her gaze away from the pitiful sight of the Baron`s slaves. They continued on, finally coming to Reesh`s throne room.

　　Here, the opulence was increased to levels unheard of. Rather than any kind of taste or care for attention, piles of gold and jewels were casually discarded in corners. Statues lay smashed, and works of art hung crooked on the walls. The eyes of the sculptures and paintings displayed there had their eyes gouged or burned away.

　　The first thing that struck Kal on entering was the smell. Sour sweat, rotting flesh and blood. The scent assaulted his nostrils, and he gagged slightly. The source was apparent.

　　Along one wall, the bodies of the Baron`s servants hung from hooks and ropes. Their flesh showed signs of the depravity the Baron had inflected on them before they died. Cuts and burns, bruises and missing limbs. He had tortured them for fun.

　　Worse, several showed signs of having been fed upon, teeth marks dug into chunks of missing flesh.

　　The oldest appeared to have been there for several days, and Kal estimated that as they began to rot, the Baron had them removed, and replaced with fresh slaves for his pursuits.

　　The culprit himself sat on his throne, a gaudy monstrosity so encrusted in jewels that Kal could barely see the gold beneath. Layers of purple pillows had been haphazardly arranged on the seat to make it bearable for the Baron to sit in.

　　The Baron was as monstrous as his throne. Over eight feet tall, he weighed nearly a thousand pounds of pure fat. Despite his noble genetics, expensive rejuvenation and medical procedures, nothing could withstand the relentless assault of the Baron`s diet and vices.

　　His pale skin bulged grotesquely, and a scraggly black beard couldn`t hide the sores and pimples across his face. His expensive robes stretched across his bulk, and Kal doubted the man could stand unassisted. The stench of his body was nearly as putrid as the rotting corpses, adding to the disgust Kal felt as he stared at him.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

　　Living enslaved people, lacking even the rags of the others Kal had seen, huddled on the ground in fear of the Baron`s retaliation. Even now, with his House Guards dead and Kal`s own troops pointing Lasrifles at their master, they dared not make a sound.

　　"Baron Caledon, you`ve finally arrived! You make quite a grand entrance! Come join me for a drink!" The Baron called out, lifting a cup of wine in his massive hand in salute. Reesh seemed utterly at ease as if he knew that he would be fine despite Kal`s attack on his homeland.

　　"It`s Duke Caledon now, Reesh. Or were you too deep into your depravity that you are unaware of what is happening in the Empire?" Kal responded. Next to him, Mare gripped a laspistol in her hand, still holstered against her leg.

　　"Is it now? I thought that only the Emperor could elevate you to a new status. I had heard that the old fool was dead, but that can`t be true if you are claiming a new title." The Baron mocked, his black eyes crinkling around the edges in laughter.

　　"Prince Argyle leads our faction now." Kal replied as the Baron drained his wine cup. Hurling it aside, he shouted for one of his slaves to bring him another. A small boy, wearing an actual uniform, hustled into the room carrying a new goblet for his master.

　　"Prince, but not Emperor. No, there is no Emperor, which means there is no Duke Caledon. And I don`t owe fealty to a dead man or another Baron." Reesh replied, gesturing the boy to move aside. Kal ignored the slights. What would happen here had already been decided. Only Reesh was unaware of how this conversation would end.

　　"As Duke, I charge you with dereliction of your Noble duty. All your lands and assets are hereby forfeited, Reesh. Tamara!" Kal called out, taking even Mare by surprise.

　　The older woman appeared in the room as if by magic. Wearing a Caledon Pilot Bodysuit, she had a Lasgun drawn in her right hand. Mare wondered where she had been hiding before their arrival and how Kal knew of her presence.

　　"Lord Duke." Tamara replied.

　　"You`ve seen the state of the planet, what Reesh has done to its people, what he`s done here." Kal stated, pausing for a moment in disgust at the bodies. He didn`t think a person could do anything like this.

　　"I have, Milord." Tamara responded with a strange sense of formality.

　　"What would the punishment be if the Imperial Court tried the Baron?" Kal asked with curiosity. He already knew the answer, but he wanted Tamara`s opinion. Mare looked at him with confusion. Why was he asking his Captain of the House Guard such a strange question?

　　"Death, Milord." Tamara replied immediately. She had no doubt that death would be an appropriate punishment for a member of the Nobility to commit such heinous crimes as Reesh had.

　　"Agreed." Kal replied, and his hand dropped to his own lasgun, secured in the holster across his right leg.

　　"Now, Now, Baron Caledon. There is no need for such dramatics. You know that only the Emperor may try a member of the Nobility. Why, you yourself experienced his mercy five centuries ago. As there is no Emperor, there can be no trial. A dead man cannot judge me." Baron Reesh teased, lifting the glass to his lips once more.

　　Kal doubted the man had experienced such excitement and activity in centuries, appearing to tire from saying more than a few sentences.

　　"The Baron is correct, Milord. Until Prince Argyle is crowned Emperor, Baron Reesh will need to be held with all the respect a Noble is due." Tamara replied, and Kal could see the anger the admittance caused her. Although the lasgun in her hand was steady, her knuckles were white from the grip.

　　Kal turned to Mare, who nodded.

　　"The law is the law." She whispered.

　　"The law is the law." Kal agreed.

　　In a flash, almost faster than the eye could see, Kal`s laspistol whipped out of its holster. The thunderous crack of its discharge sounded out a split second after the streak of Bluish-White light burned a hole through the center of Baron Reesh`s forehead.

　　The large man still had a mocking expression on his face as he died, still confident that he was well protected. He slumped into his throne. Kal lowered his laspistol, and the barrel glowed red hot from the discharge.

　　"That was a crime, Kal." Mare stated quietly, although her eyes told him that she agreed with his actions. Still, it had to be said. Kal shrugged at the statement.

　　"Looked like natural causes to me. If Argyle has an issue with it, we can discuss it when he takes the throne. Tamara!" Kal called out to her again. Lowering her weapon, she looked to her Duke.

　　"You`re now the new Baroness of Reesh and all of its planets. Rule them well, in the name of the Emperor and the Duchy of Caledon." Kal ordered, taking the older woman by surprise.

　　"Milord, I&. I`m just a soldier." Tamara replied, and Kal had the pleasure of seeing her flustered for the first time in his life.

　　"You`re intelligent, merciful, kind and loyal. You`ll do fine. Take whatever resources and troops you need. I expect you to turn things around here." Kal responded, already walking out of the room. Mare nodded to the older woman, agreeing with Kal`s statement, before following him.

　　There was less than a year left until the peace summit, and he intended to bring the rest of his sector`s wayward Nobility to heel, those that could be redeemed. The rest would meet the same fate as Baron Reesh.

　　The fat Baron had been right, the Emperor was gone, and Kal didn`t owe his loyalty to a dead man. His people deserved peace and prosperity; he would give it to them.