Chapter 52

　　The Imperial Guard Starship jumped into orbit over Caledon, its square body emblazoned in gold and bearing the symbol of the Emperor, the Imperial Eagle, surrounded by twelve stars. It hovered silently in the void. Its storage doors slowly opened to release a single Mech.

　　Its mission fulfilled, the Engine spooled within, carrying the Starship away once more.

　　The XMF Heavy Class Mech Throne` glided towards the planet`s surface, its large wings spread out behind it to slow its descent through the atmosphere while feather-like thrusters provided counterthrust.

　　The Throne` resembled the Medium Class Seraph` but was much larger and more powerful. It was dominating at long range and a behemoth in close quarters.

　　It wielded progressive blades and energy coated monomolecular knives. Its reactor could keep it shielded while wielding a destructive PPC.

　　In its left hand was a large shield, coated in heat-resistant materials and displaying the Imperial Guard symbol. As it descended, a glow of red light from the friction heat trailed behind it.

　　The Throne` glided across the sky, approaching Caledonia quickly, where Kal and the others waited to greet its Pilot.

　　Observing from the Palace, Kal was confused as he saw the Starship jump away, stranding the lone Mech on the planet. If it was a messenger from the Emperor, why would they leave someone behind?

　　Confused, he watched as it descended, its target clearly his Estate.

　　Gathering Sylla and the others, he made his way to the large landing pad at the estate`s rear, a cleared concrete space for shuttles and Mechs to land. On the way, he ordered the defensive shield to be lowered while the Heavy Colossus,` which guarded him, stood down, letting the Guard Pilot into the area.

　　The Throne` landed gently, its large wings retracting as its thrusters cut off. Over sixty feet tall, it slowly knelt, the front cockpit opening to reveal its Pilot, who descended using a retractable ladder.

　　The Pilot was tall, wearing a black and gold bodysuit with an opaque helmet. A man, by his figure, walked forward slowly before removing his helmet. Kal recognized him immediately.

　　It was Samuel, Imperial Herald and Voice of the Emperor. His hard, stone-grey eyes looked at the gathering as if weighing their worthiness.

　　"Lord Herald." Kal greeted, bowing his head the appropriate amount for his noble status.

　　Behind him, the others took to one knee. If the Emperor himself had arrived, they would kneel on both knees and bow their heads deeply. Samuel was afforded some of the same courtesy as a representative of their Monarch.

　　Samuel shook his head at the title, gesturing for those before him to rise as he stepped forward.

　　"I`m not here in an official` capacity. You may call me by my name." Samuel stated as Kal`s companions rose.

　　"You`re not? Then what brings you here?" Kal asked, confused. He looked at the massive Mobile Suit behind the older man, wondering if he was here to join the operation against the brigands.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

　　"I`m here as an advisor, nothing more. The Emperor trusts that you can handle yourself, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes and, if necessary, extract you from danger." Samuel stated.

　　"While I don`t think that will be necessary, your presence is welcome. Please, I`ll have my aides prepare a room for you, and Elric will see to your Mech." Kal stated, looking at the large, older man who looked almost worshiping at the Throne.`

　　"Thank you. I want to go over your plans immediately. You aim to start in the new year?" Samuel asked as Kal and he walked back through the Estate side by side, coming to their main meeting room where holos of the operations were stored.

　　Kal and Samuel stood around the table, the holo of the system they were scouting for their operation already displayed.

　　"We`ve been sending supplies off-world using several different companies and ships, all while monitoring for suspicious activity. So far, we`ve had two groups of cargo seized as they travelled through the sector.

　　"Each time, the brigands have lifted the ship`s manifest through logs stored on the Imperial Net. Our tech specialists have assured me they can spot the signs of tampering, allowing us to follow behind and waylay them discretely." Kal explained.

　　"How will you prevent them from fleeing?" Samuel asked, identifying a fundamental flaw in the operation.

　　"The decoy Starship will be equipped with a Jump Inhibitor.` It should disrupt their vessels long enough for our Mechs to engage and disable them. We suspect that`s how they have been hindering merchants, so we`ll use their trick against them. " Kal explained, pulling up the critical piece of technology on the display.

　　"It`s basic but sound. Unfortunately, it relies completely on detaining and interrogating whatever prisoners you manage to capture during the assault. What if they prove to be uncooperative?" Samuel inquired.

　　"Even if they are reticent to offer up their comrades, we should be able to find something in their Starship`s logs to backtrack its jump coordinates," Kal responded. They continued their discussion for quite some time before the sun set, and it was late at night.

　　Escorting Samuel to his quarters, the older man turned to the Baron and gave him a final piece of advice.

　　"You can`t plan for everything, Kalen. Make sure that you are prepared for the whole thing to go sideways. The best-laid plans only last until the first Mech launches. These brigands&.I don`t know how much advice I should offer you. This is supposed to be your test." Samuel frowned, letting out a sigh before continuing.

　　"I hope that you have an ace in your sleeve." He finished, overseeing Kal to ensure his words reached him. Seeing the Baron nod, he bid him goodnight, closing his door.

　　Kal wandered the halls, thinking about the Herald`s words. For him to come from Terra to observe` him, there was likely more to this operation than he knew. The Emperor`s involvement meant that anything was possible.

　　Would they be successful even with thousands of Mechs and a dozen Starships? Tamara was growing more comfortable with the Assault Mech Rise,` and her calculation of its power was astounding.

　　He knew that each successive class of Mech came with exponential growth in combat power, but the leap between Heavy and Assault was the difference between heaven and earth. It was likely that a single Assault Mech could wipe out Kal`s entire force.

　　If the brigands had that power, however unlikely it was, it would be a risk he couldn`t accept. Kal would never have thought it possible, but with Samuel`s warning ringing in his head, and his dealings with the Emperor`s prescience, Kal needed an Ace` in the sleeve.

　　Stopping in the middle of a hallway, Kal looked out one of the large windows as the grounds were lit in decorative lights. From where he stood, he could see that the Throne` had been removed from the landing pad. One of the service drones had likely carried it to storage.

　　His thoughts turned to his time in stasis, the resolve he carried forward into the present. Five hundred years had taught him that he could only rely on himself. Although he had made friends and had trusted allies when things were critical, could he force them to carry the burden of his decisions?

　　Kal agreed to bring peace and prosperity to Caledon and those dozens of worlds clamouring for his help. Regardless of what motives others had to draw him into this conflict, it was Kal that agreed to do it.

　　If it came time to sacrifice those closest to him to achieve his goal, would he still have that resolve? As he watched the white moon slowly climb through the sky, Kal found his answer.

　　It was his responsibility. If things turned bad during this operation, he would do whatever it took to protect those who placed their faith in him. Turning away from the window, Kal travelled deep into the estate, intent on retrieving the Ace` as Samuel had advised.