Chapter 40

　　Kal sat quietly as the shuttle took off from the surface of Terra.

　　Tamara knew him better than anyone alive, except for the Emperor evidently, and gave him the space he needed to process his thoughts. The cabin was filled with the thrum of the thrusters as they climbed. They passed through the atmosphere and entered the void of space in minutes.

　　His conversation with the Emperor was filled with too many revelations to digest quickly. The Emperor may not be a true prophet, but his prescience could not be denied. It was almost unbelievable that such intelligence could exist in their universe, a mind capable of divining future events.

　　Still, Kal had to wonder how much his influence had shaped his life. Without the Emperor`s interference, Caledon would have either retained its Ducal glory or suffered severely, as Aurelius hinted.

　　Shaking his head to clear his muddled thoughts, Kal returned to reality just as the shuttle landed in the Starship`s hangar. Unbuckling his seat, he thanked Tamara before asking her to join him in the command deck`s meeting room when she could.

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　　They gathered in the large meeting room of the Marauder`s Starship an hour after Kal had returned from Terra.

　　Governor Sylla and former Banker Merrick Tan. Tamara and her husband Elric and granddaughter Talha. Miranda Atkinson rounded out the group while waiting for Kal to join them. He had been silent about what had occurred with the Emperor, only telling them they would discuss it shortly before locking himself in his temporary quarters.

　　The Starship Jumped as they waited, the scenery outside the viewscreen shifting. Terra disappeared, replaced by the more familiar Caledon and the white moon, Luna. The second moon, Unus, was absent, presumably on the far side of the planet.

　　The discomfort of the Jump faded swiftly, returning the room to its silent atmosphere as the doors opened, revealing Kal. His expression was severe, all sign of his usual joviality gone.

　　"Tamara, could you please give us a summary of our available forces?" Kal asked, not even greeting the group as he sat at the head of the table. He placed a datapad on the surface in front of him.

　　"We currently have over four hundred operational Mechs if you include the ones we seized from New Antioch and Trier. Most are Light Class with a few Medium and Heavies from my marauders. Five hundred or so Pilots, with over twenty thousand support staff and ground troops." Tamara rattled off the numbers quickly.

　　"Starships?" Kal asked.

　　"Two. This one and Ellis Morrow`s former vessel. It has been cleared for use. He didn`t leave any surprises behind." Tamara replied.

　　"Kal, what happened with Emperor?" Sylla interrupted.

　　The fact that Kal had started the conversation with the summary of military resources was telling in itself. With a sigh, Kal ran his hand through his hair, trying to organize his thoughts.

　　"The Emperor accepted the Tithe and has approved our petition to expand his justice to the planets surrounding Caledon. We will be responsible for recruiting a force capable of apprehending these pirates and providing stability to those governments that request to enter my fiefdom."

　　"That`s fantastic news! Isn`t that everything you wanted?" Sylla exclaimed, confused by the oppressive feeling Kal was exuding.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

　　"I agree. It will be quite an undertaking but achievable given enough time and resources." Tamara added.

　　"There`s more. He has ordered that I lead this effort personally, from the front lines." Kal clarified.

　　"That`s insane! Is he trying to get you killed!" Talha blurted out. Rather than chastise her, the others agreed with her sentiment. Kal was intelligent and a quick learner but had no military experience. It would be a trial by fire for him, one that could lead to his death if he failed.

　　"I don`t think so. The Emperor is convinced that I will be up to the challenge. In fact, he`s placed more expectations on me than I thought possible." Kal concluded, giving the group a quick summary of his meeting.

　　With each new revelation, the shock and surprise in the room grew. No one more than Tan was stunned by the Emperor`s prescience. When Kal explained how he knew the Rebellion was inevitable simply from analyzing the data available, Tan exploded out of his chair.

　　"He knows!" Tan screamed, throwing his hands up and pacing the room.

　　"Knows what?" Sylla asked, confused.

　　"The Emperor knows that the Imperial Bank was working with the Old Duke, playing both sides of the Rebellion. If he can piece together Kal`s life story at a glance and knows about a vault hidden for centuries, what makes you think he can`t find a tidbit like that!?" Tan hissed.

　　"So your threat to reveal the Bank`s involvement in the Rebellion is useless?" Sylla asked, turning to Kal. The Baron shrugged, not surprised.

　　"It`s irrelevant, Tan. You no longer work for the Imperial Bank, and we both agree that you are better for it. If the Emperor does know, which is likely, then it means he is either sitting on that information to use later or is behind the Bank`s actions in the first place. He may believe the Rebellion was inevitable, but he also thought the effects of the war could be diminished." Kal replied.

　　Seeing Tan was still agitated, Kal softened his tone, smoothing his expression. After his breakdown in the Exosuit, he had promised to maintain control. He wouldn`t let his negative emotions influence him.

　　Even if they were all dancing to the tune the Emperor was playing, Kal believed the man had altruistic reasons. Unless presented with evidence to the contrary, he would keep his faith in Aurelius.

　　"If it makes you feel better, Tan. It is possible that the Emperor meant for you to be stationed on Caledon in order for you to help me. He must be aware of your talents." Kal said, hoping the praise would mollify the skittish banker.

　　It worked. Tan paused momentarily, muttering to himself, before taking his seat. Kal caught the words, Of course he did. The Emperor obviously wanted the best.`

　　Kal stifled a smile, not wanting to ruin the moment.

　　"So, we`re to take the fight to these brigands. Tamara, I`ll be relying on your expertise. Based on our information on their capabilities, what do you need?" Kal turned to the Head of his House Guard.

　　"At least a dozen Starships, full crews on them all. Another 500 Light Class Mechs for potential ground assaults, 1000 more outfitted for Space combat. At least a few hundred assault ships for escort. Another fifty thousand people total, including support staff." Tamara replied.

　　Next to her, Elric was nodding, making a quick list on his datapad of the breakdown of Pilots, Mech Techs, and operations staff. Sylla was taken aback by the scale of the potential operation. This was turning into preparations for a full-scale war!

　　"See to securing the supplies you need. Do you know of any other Mercenary groups you can contact for support? Similar terms as the Marauders, they would need to join my House Guard directly." Kal asked.

　　He was leery of filling his ranks with untrustworthy people. A few Mercenary groups to pad out their numbers were fine, but he wanted the core to be trusted Guards.

　　"Some, but only a few that are suitable. I`ll reach out." Tamara stated.

　　"We`ll need a place to store and repair our equipment. Mechs, Starships, and support craft will take a lot of room. Gravity on Caledon will make some of the more delicate work difficult." Elric added, looking up from his notes and focusing on the Baron.

　　"I hadn`t planned on announcing this so early, but our hands are tied. I intend to rebuild Luna City. Sylla, I know you have an overwhelming amount of work left to do on Caledon, but I could use your expertise." Kal looked to the Governor.

　　"That`s&.That`s quite the undertaking. But of course, I`ll help. I`ll have my people start drafting plans." Sylla assured him, pleased that he relied on her counsel so much.

　　"And how do you intend to finance this, Milord? This is going to cost a large fortune!" Tan said.

　　"Then it is quite fortunate that we recently discovered one. It`s time to show me why the Emperor sent you. Take what you need from the vault, Tan. Invest where you see fit, but I want monthly venture projections. I expect your year-end profits to be spectacular." Kal said.

　　"I want to start this operation at the beginning of the New Year. That leaves us six months to recruit, train and supply an army and build a city to support them. I have complete faith that we can do this." Kal said.