Chapter 116

　　"That bastard!" Argyle shouted, ripping the message from his father in half and tossing it to the floor of the Starship`s command centre.

　　They were orbiting a bright white star, the system lacking planets or anything to distinguish it from the trillions of others in the galaxy. It was the perfect place for his father to send Argyle to protect him from his brother`s treachery.

　　He didn`t think Augustus had it in him to attempt a coup, but the letter made it clear that he had murdered the troops he had left with his fleet at Karakas and seized the Starships and Mobile Suits, including Justice.` It was a fleet large enough to wage war, especially if his brother convinced some of the Ducal houses to support him.

　　Worse, his father had sent him information that Augustus had released tens of thousands of prisoners, unleashing them upon the galaxy and providing them with the equipment needed to attack Sacred Terra.

　　There could be no forgiveness, no reasoning with this madness.

　　"Jump to Mars. We need to gather the Guard and eliminate my brother and his legion of criminals before it is too late." Argyle ordered.

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　　Despite the communications blackout imposed by the Guard, information leaked to the Imperial Net about the current status of Terra.

　　Humanity`s ancestral home was ravaged, and the Emperor and Empress, along with tens of millions of others, were killed in an unprecedented attack. The News burned through the galaxy, leaving trillions reeling, stunned and unsure of the future.

　　The galaxy was divided. Many mourned the loss, others were too shocked to think it was real, while others cheered for the deaths of what they felt were their oppressors.

　　The Nobility was equally split. Each of them mourned the loss of the Royal Family, and those whose families perished on Terra were devastated by the loss. Amongst the Ducal families, they pushed aside their feelings in the face of their uncertain future.

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　　On Havencroft, Magnus stood before the holo screen, his breakfast forgotten. He tried contacting Amara and Mare, but the connection timed out, and the request returned with an error message. Next to him, Katherine sobbed into her hands.

　　Magnus` older brother Mason, The Duke of Havencroft, walked into the family room, his face pale against his dark green and black formal uniform. He had just returned from speaking to their Guard contact, and Magnus spun away from the view screen to hear his news.

　　Mason was old and grey-haired. His reluctance to use rejuvenation procedures unless absolutely necessary for his health meant he looked ancient compared to his wife, who, despite being the same age, looked to be in her early twenties.

　　His face was heavily creased with worry. His loyalty to the Emperor had been tested over the centuries as the Princes pulled him in one direction and the other, both looking for his support in the succession. Now, with the Emperor`s death, he would need to make a decision and commit his family to a course of action.

　　"They have no more information than what has leaked. The attack is true. Terra is currently uninhabitable. There has been no word on survivors, although they have confirmed two explosions, one in the resort town that held the celebrations and another at the Imperial Palace."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

　　"Amara was at the palace meeting her mother this morning. Could they have escaped?" Magnus asked a small shred of hope in his tone. Mason`s next words crushed it.

　　"No, the blast was too sudden. They have only rescued a single shuttle from the surface but refuse to identify who was on it. But I have heard from my people amongst the Guard that a Titan was seen in orbit." Mason replied, his words heavy with meaning.

　　"A Titan? Who would have&Caledon?" Magnus guessed, understanding that none of the current Titan pilots were on Terra, except for Baron Caledon and the Emperor. It was more likely that Kalen Caledon escaped using his family`s Titan than the Emperor, whose health precluded him from Piloting for centuries.

　　"It matches the description of Atlas."

　　"Then Mare possibly escaped! She was close to Kalen Caledon!" Katherine added, standing on her feet and rushing to the Net terminal to try contacting Mare again.

　　"It`s a possibility. A Titan Pilot is hard to kill. They may have made it. I promise you, Magnus, we`ll do everything we can to find your wife and daughter." Mason promised.

　　"I have sent some of our Starships to Terra to confirm events, and I will divert some to Caledon. If Mare is close to Kalen Caledon, then I trust that he will try to protect her. From what I know of him, he seems much more honourable than his father."

　　"She`s not answering." Katherine said the terminal was showing a blank screen as it refused to connect.

　　"Have faith, Katherine. We will have our answers soon enough."

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　　"Kal. Kal. KAL!" He regained consciousness slowly. A blinding headache that had been present before he passed out had been replaced by a foggy, stuffy feeling in his head. Kal opened his eyes, and his vision was blurry. Blinking his lids rapidly, he cleared them enough to see Mare`s face hovering over his own.

　　He was lying on his back on the floor of the transport shuttle, and his head cradled in her lap. It had been her voice that shouted at him, rousing him.

　　"Mare." Kal whispered, confused. He had little recollection of what happened. Where were they?

　　"You`re safe, Kal. We`re through the Jump. Atlas did it. Talha says we`re going to land at Luna City in a few minutes. Everyone is excited that you`re back." Mare said, smiling slightly while he could see tears in her eyes. Whether from relief or the sadness of loss, he couldn`t tell.

　　"Atlas?" Kal muttered, trying to think. He suddenly recalled the green-eyed Titan responding to his call, his confrontation with the Starship Captain. Had only minutes passed?

　　"I was worried, Kal. I thought you had left us." Mare said, leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind, before opening them again.

　　"I need to speak to Samuel and the others on Caledon. Have them prepare our forces and send Starships throughout the system to guard against incursions. Things are going to become chaotic, and Argyle will come for you." Kal said, trying to sit up.

　　Mare pushed him back down, preventing him as a blinding flash of pain shot through his head.

　　"Rest. Talha will speak with him when we land. Samuel is competent and loyal to Grandfather. He will know what to do." Mare assured him.

　　The rest of the trip was a blur, the landing at Luna City swift and abrupt. Before he knew it, he was being carried through the vast dome of the city and brought to a medical facility. The last thing he saw before sleeping again was white walls and competent medical staff surrounding him.

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　　Samuel departed the estate with Tamara and Elric in tow. The older woman piloted the shuttle, breaching the atmosphere in minutes and speeding toward Luna.

　　There had been no news from Terra all morning. An oddity since the Imperial Net was typically bombarded with information about the celebrations all month long. Suddenly, all contact was cut off, and now Kal and the others appeared above Caledon through a Jump portal created by Atlas.

　　The information they had was sparse. Kal was injured again from using Atlas while he had several companions with him, all showing signs of intense fighting. If it was to be believed from the message from Rowe, the governor of Luna City, they were wearing damaged Guard Exosuits.

　　Most importantly, either for good or bad, Princess Marella was accompanying them, showing equal signs of having been in combat.

　　Samuel urged Tamara to hurry, looking out of the forward window as the white moon drew closer. Deep in the pit of his stomach, he had a feeling that a storm was coming, one that would shake the foundation of the Empire.