Chapter 139

　　"An Armistice? I didn`t think they would agree to a cease-fire over your message. It seems both the Princes agree with your opinion on your vision." Kal said, turning away from Samuel to judge Mare`s reaction to the news.

　　She was calm, merely nodding in response.

　　"I suspect they both know more than they are making known." Samuel replied.

　　"But you were left in the dark? I thought you were close to the Emperor. How could you not know anything about these so-called Envoys?` They appear to be rather important if both sides are willing to end the conflict at the mere mention of their title." Kal asked the older man.

　　They were sitting in Samuel`s office on Caledon. The former Herald had received news from Havencroft as soon as the Princes had agreed to the Armistice. As the Minister of Imperial Affairs, it was natural that he would relay the message to his Duke.

　　"The Emperor was never forthcoming with information, as you both well know. He made mention of important events that drew his attention away from the mundane` affairs of the state. But he refused to clarify. It would only be natural that the Princes had discovered the answer to this mystery. They were both relentlessly searching for an edge over the other in their pursuit of the throne." Samuel responded.

　　He wished he had more information to share, but he was as in the dark as the pair in front of him.

　　"Could these Envoys have something to do with the coordinates located inside Ouroboros? Should we chase this lead?" Mare asked, her face frowning at the situation they were in.

　　"I would advise against it, Milady. They have not announced the particulars of the upcoming summit, but I have my suspicions of what they will involve. To lose you and the Ouroboros on a wild goose chase will leave us at a disadvantage, not to mention I`m loathed to risk your safety." Samuel explained.

　　"A summit on Sacred Terra." Kal whispered, his mind whirling at the consequences. The last time they had been there, it had almost been the death of him and Mare. He didn`t want to return, but he doubted he would have a choice.

　　"What do you suspect will be required of us? Surely they will not want to have Titans present during the negotiations." Mare scoffed at the notion, but Samuel felt differently.

　　"I wouldn`t be so sure. First, I doubt the summit will happen within the year. A war spanning the galaxy is a machine with many moving parts. It cannot be halted at the flip of a switch. It will take significant time to halt troop movements, secure the borders and put out any fires that are bound to crop up." Samuel informed them.

　　During the Rebellion, he had seen how out of control a conflict this large could be. There would undoubtedly be groups seeking to take advantage of any cease-fire, and the Princes would need to respond.

　　"Possibly a year or more. That benefits us, in a way. More time for us to train and secure our sector." Kal commented. Having lived through the Rebellion, he wasn`t surprised at the time required for the conflict to ground to a halt. The only thing that moved quickly in the Empire was Starships and gossip. Everything else took ages.

　　"Which leads me to my second point, both of you will need to be able to Pilot your Titans during the summit." Samuel stated the importance of his words was not lost on the pair.

　　"Will it come to violence? Both sides are aware of the gravity of the situation." Mare asked doubtfully.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

　　"You would be surprised. Every Ducal house has staked its future on its chosen Prince. They have put everything on the line in a gamble for more. Some did so willingly, while others, like Havencroft, had no choice. No one will be keen to come away from the negotiations with nothing to show for their sacrifice." Samuel clarified.

　　"They`re all looking for a larger piece of the pie, but all the pieces are already spoken for. For a House to gain, another has to lose." Kal commented.

　　"And Caledon is the weakest. The only thing that separates you from the others is the Titans. You have two. It gives you an advantage that won`t be easily overcome. With Havencroft`s support, that makes three Titans on your side." Samuel finished the thought.

　　"I can already predict how things are going to go. Once all the houses are present for the negotiations, no one will be allowed to leave until things are settled. Which means everyone is going to be concerned about security. What better opportunity to eliminate your opponents than at the peace talks? Everyone is going to want their House Titan watching over their representatives." Samuel described.

　　"So we have a year, potentially longer, to prepare." Kal looked at Mare. She nodded in response, resolving to double their training.

　　"Who do you think will take the throne? Neither Argyle nor Augustus is willing to back down. I don`t think the negotiations will do much to sway opinions one way or the other." Mare asked, and it was Kal who replied.

　　"Then they will need a third option."

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　　Duke Mason Havencroft stood in front of his house`s greatest weapon. In the last three generations, no one amongst his family had Piloted the Mech in combat. They had trained in its use, taken it through its paces and showcased their mastery of its systems, but then they safely sealed it away and prayed that it would never be needed.

　　They had built an entire corporation on the secrets they had obtained from their Titan. One of the leading Mobile suit manufacturers in the galaxy was based in their sector of space and owned by the Ducal House.

　　Hyperion stood proudly in his family vault. Having been there for nearly three hundred years since the last time he had entered its cockpit, Mason felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at the Titan.

　　Elegant and graceful, Hyperion was futuristic in its appearance. He could see traces of the Mechs based on its design. The Scout, with its lanky figure and sweeping, curved thrusters. The Nyx, its heat-dissipating fins along its shoulders and flank, and the Erebus`s mobility with its flight boosters` positioning.

　　He shuddered to think about entering the cockpit again. Duke Mason was old.

　　Over six centuries of age, his denial of frequent rejuvenation procedures had made him feel each of those years. His wife couldn`t understand his reluctance. She herself looked like she was in her twenties, while her husband appeared like he had one foot into the grave.

　　They didn`t understand, and he couldn`t explain it. How the rejuvenation affected his mind, a lingering side effect from his Neural Connection to Hyperion. To his knowledge, no one else amongst the Titan Pilots had such a unique weakness.

　　Mason hadn`t known the vulnerability existed until he reached his first century of life, and his wife cajoled him into entering the pod, having the healing elixirs leech the years from his skin. In that liquid, trapped in the pod, he had been transported back to the first time he had entered the Hyperion`s cockpit.

　　He had been young, his parents had just died, and the burden of the Duchy had fallen onto him. With it came the responsibility to use the Titan to defend their territory if necessary.

　　Mason remembered the blinding pain, the pressure on his mind from the Neural Link. And then the rage. An all-consuming wrath that brought him to a frenzy. He couldn`t recall specifics, but the destruction had been enormous.

　　And when he underwent rejuvenation, the same feeling assailed him. He had awoken from a fugue state covered in blood, the glass of the pod shattered around him. And he had resisted the procedures ever since.

　　Mason let out a sigh, turning to his daughter beside him.

　　Katherine wore a Pilot Bodysuit in the colours of their house. Bright yellow and black, the material clung to her tightly. She had been training for this moment for years in secret. When her cousin, Marella, had announced that she would become a Pilot and everyone had been stunned, Katherine alone had been understanding and supportive because she was doing the same.

　　"I`m sorry, Katherine. This burden must fall to you now. I will delay the negotiations in order to grant you more time, but you will be the one to bring Hyperion to Sacred Terra in my place." Mason stated, his face creased with sadness and worry.

　　Katherine didn`t respond, staring at Hyperion in silence. The massive Mobile Suit seemed to be staring into her soul with its glowing, yellow eyes.