Empire's Son: An Epic Science Fiction Novel Series

Excerpt From the Chronicles of Emperor Adar Zahn Tavereus Volume 1 From the Early Years to Ascension Chapter 7 My Introduction to the Protectorate

Earth Edition and Translation © 2278

I had been eager to leave the White Palace after the events that led to Captain Hame and Tessa's dismissal, but I wasn't entirely eager to find a new Protector. Finding a new one, meant severing the ties with the old, and it seemed like yet another cut to my previous life on Earth and to my family there, not to mention my dad. But I suppose the way things had been going for me since coming to Ethia, I could do with the best protection I could get.

Though, as I severed my bonds to my previous life, I was also cutting away the solid foundation which had been my anchor that gave me a sense of security, direction, and even purpose. Now I felt like a man lost at sea in a violent tempest with no compass or even a sturdy ship beneath my feet to sail me to safe harbor.

When my boots first set on Sora X and I walked that main street in the College, I felt a strange mix of excitement and trepidation. Would I finally get someone on my team that would truly understand me and my unique situation? Someone who I could trust? Or would this be another disappointment, another false start in my journey through this alien realm?

King Rainus Nador marched down the marble corridors of the Protectorate College. It was early in the morning, so there weren't many out and about yet. Only a few in crisp dark brown, short-coat uniforms walked the halls of the administration building. Each of them gave Rainus a polite bow of the head as he passed. Rainus barely noticed them. His mind consumed with his thoughts.

There had been a lot of significant changes in the Empire in recent months, including the signing over of the Qua-zot Sectors to the Fazha, the very public dismissal of all three of Ghar's sons from the White Palace, and the return of Prince Adar.

Just one of these events by itself would have been enough cause to be concerning, but all three were making things yavit unpleasant for Rainus. Instead of spending the last month doing his normal duties, he had to use most of it to reassure the other Kings that the Emperor had things well in control, and to trust that their leader knew what he was doing.

However, it was not a sentiment Rainus shared in private. He had tried many times to contact Ghar over the last month, but the Emperor had refused them. Every single one. That worried Rainus even more than the current unfolding of events.

While things had been becoming steadily glacial in their lifelong friendship, Ghar had always been willing to take his calls, especially those Rainus marked urgent and personal. But even those were being ignored, and that disturbed him on a deeply personal level. Had the Emperor discovered the truth of what Rainus had done all those years ago?

It was a thought that had plagued him for years. That the Emperor would discover Rainus's part in helping Aragon to vanish young Prince Adar. But at the time, it seemed the right thing to do, even if Rainus knew it could cause his ruin.

That little boy's life and wellbeing had become more important to Rainus than nearly two hundred years of friendship with a dear friend, or that was the excuse he claimed to justify his actions. The truth was something he didn't really want to examine too closely.

Even so, the boy had stolen part of Rainus's heart while he lived at River Palace, so the King could not in good conscience turn away the child in his hour of need. At the time, Rainus had no doubts that if Aragon had not stepped in, Adar Zahn would not have survived to adulthood.

Ghar may not have wanted to see the truth, but Rainus knew it for certain. The Emperors' older Heirs were threatened by their father's new favorite son. While Ghar had claimed he was not seeking Adar as a successor, not a single person had been fooled, especially when the Emperor had taken great pains to bring Leeta and Adar back to the White Palace. There was no doubt that once the boy reached the proper age, Ghar would choose him over his other sons.

The normal tradition a ruler followed in the choosing of an Heir was weighed by age, skill, and temperament, but most importantly by Dome-ni, and Adar's Dome-ni put himself ahead of Ghar's other sons.

The Perception Dome-ni had always been favorited by every Emperor since the first Zahn ruler, as well it should be . That particular Dome-ni had always proved superior intelligence that had served the Empire through trying times. Even with Ghar's own Perception abilities, he had seen the liberation of Ethia from the hands of his maniacal grandfather that had caused one of its worst civil wars in the history of the Empire.

So naturally, Adar would be Ghar's logical choice, even if he had still been a child. Because children could be taught the right skills and even temperament, a Dome-ni ability could not, not entirely.

When Adar had been taken from the White Palace and months had passed and there was no sign of the possibility of him being found and brought back to his father, Adar's brothers had gone back to business as usual. But to Ghar Zahn, business as usual had not been enough.

He had had a superior Heir, one with the talent to become just like him, and it had been ripped away before he could even begin Adar's training. It had affected the Emperor greatly, and so began the decline of the once renowned Emperor Ghar Zahn. And if truth be told, it had been the beginning of the decline of Rainus and Ghar's relationship as well.

That fact saddened Rainus greatly. He missed his friend. He missed a lot of things. He certainly missed being the Emperor's most trusted confidant.

If Ghar had bothered to confer with Rainus before deciding to sign over the Qua-zot Sectors to the Fazha in exchange for Adar's location, or before Ghar had banished his other sons from the White Palace only months before Adar's arrival, or when the Emperor had brought Adar straight back from being absent for twenty years and immediately started training him to become Ghar's successor, Rainus would have urged him to reconsider.

Now the entire Empire was in an uproar and teetering on uncertainty, not knowing what might happen. The Emperor's actions seemed to be rash and even dangerous, and everyone was afraid of what he might do next. Without a better person to lay their concerns on , Rainus had felt the burden of them. It had made him feel tired and worn out. Like he'd aged thirty years in just a few weeks.

Despite the weariness eating away at him, Rainus promptly arrived at his destination, put his gnawing thoughts aside, and swept through the door without even stopping to announce himself. He walked briskly into the office. Two gentlemen were already there waiting for the King.

The men stood up from the redwood table they were seated at. They gave Rainus a slight bow of the head as he came to stand at the head of the table. The King slipped a hand into the pocket of his evergreen and silver-lined long coat, twiddling with the data disk there. It was one of the main reasons for this visit, but it wasn't time to bring it out. Not yet. He forced himself to let it go and slipped his hand back out of his pocket.

"I appreciate you both agreeing to meet with me on short notice," Rainus said as he sat down.

The other two followed his example. The eldest took a seat on Rainus's right and the much younger man on the left. Each of them wore the pitch-black, short-coat uniforms announcing them as once Protectors, and on their chests blazed a bright silver star inside a circle to show themselves as Command Officers of the College.

"But of course, Majesty. You are our patron Kingdom. We are happy to accommodate any request you might have," the elder man replied.

"Don't debase yourself on my account, Commander Jordem. I know it was an inconvenience for you to meet me on only a few hours' notice. And so, I won't take up much of your time. I assure you," Rainus replied in a clipped tone.

The Chief Commander of the Protectorate College bowed his head at Rainus, but wisely said nothing more. Rainus steeled himself for the unpleasantness that was about to come.

"I have several bits of business today. The first is to enquire about the situation with the Emperor and Prince Adar, and their new Protectors." Rainus supposed it was as good as any place to start and it would build the conversation and his audience up to where he intended to go with it.

The Commander's face was like a piece of chiseled stone, but Rainus could feel the tension level in the room rise as he expected it would.

"You know that any business we have with our clients is private and we cannot discuss it with other parties."

"But can you confirm that they are indeed looking to acquire new Protectors?"

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The Chief Commander nodded. "Yes, and in fact, I understand that Admiral Vang and Master Kiev are escorting the Returned Prince to our College as we speak. They should be here within a few days."

Rainus nodded. That was what his sources had told him as well, but he felt better hearing it from a direct authority on the matter, since all his official calls to the White Palace had been ignored. It made Rainus even more sure of the path he had set before himself, and the one he intended to set before these gentlemen. "That matches what I have heard."

"Might I ask about your interest in this matter?" The stoic expression on the Commander's face parted long enough to show the other man's curiosity.

"There's a lot of gossip floating around since the Prince's return, and I wasn't sure what to believe. Then, is it true about Kaller Hame?"

The blanched expressions on both the Commander's and the younger man's faces confirmed that it indeed was true.

"We aren't at liberty to discuss that particular situation," the Commander finally replied.

"I see," Rainus sat back as if disappointed, but he'd already received the answer he needed. He slipped his hand back into his pocket and fumbled with the disk again.

Then things were not as bad as he thought. It was good that Rainus had acted when he did. And that his network of spies had come across this information before it was too late. But the people before him were still in the dark. It was time for Rainus to educate them. First, he had to convince them of the problems they were facing.

"Let's just say for now that what happened with Kaller Hame was true. What do you think the implications are for our Emperor and the Heir?"

"Excuse me?" the Commander asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"Well, let's say that it is true that Captain Hame confronted Prince Adar in his quarters after the Prince had made an abrupt appearance at the Emperor's room the night prior to settle some questions he had, at least that is what I was told of the situation. The Captain then claimed he did so in an effort to warn the Prince off from further such actions.

"Then let's say that the Prince didn't take this warning well and decided to act out against that. Prince Adar then proceeded to affirm his own warning to stay away with an unexpected knowledge of quat-lo. This surprised the Captain enough that it allowed the Prince not only to get an upper hand, but to do Kaller Hame bodily damage.

"After such a defeat, the Emperor determined that Kaller Hame was more of a liability than the face of strength that our ruler relies on to dissuade anyone from thinking they should try anything as stupid as an assassination attempt.

"So the Emperor sends his trusted Admiral not only to ferry his Heir to acquire a new Protector, but to choose a new Protector for himself as well. All the while leaving Captain Kaller Hame to privately lick his wounds as the entire Empire gossips about the sensational and unexpected fall of a once greatly feared and powerful Protector." Rainus paused for a moment to let his words sink in. He noticed the uncomfortable shifting of the Commander and the stone cold glare from the younger officer. But he ignored them both as he continued.

"So let's say that all of that is true, then that would also mean that our Emperor's security has been compromised until he can enter a blood oath with another Protector. But I, as many do, know the Emperor has other security measures in place, including the entirety of the Zahnian Legion. A Protector for him has always been more of a redundancy and perhaps a nod to the traditional way of doing things."

"You are more concerned about the Heir's protection," the younger man spoke up for the first time.

He was a muscular fellow with a short buzz cut that would have marked him a servant or lower caste anywhere else, but within the College, short hair was a requirement for those who wished to become Protectors, or those who trained them.

Rainus had not met this young man, but he had heard all about him. This was the chief trainer of those who would one day call themselves Protectors, and even though he had only been in charge of training for a handful of years, Lieutenant–Captain Dexter had earned quite the reputation as a hardass. The King gave the young officer a nod.

"Very astute of you, Lieutenant–Captain Dexter. Yes, that is my primary concern. The Emperor is quite used to the peril of holding his throne, and plans accordingly. And I know he will do what he can for the Prince, but as we all in this room know, many dangers exist simply in not being well prepared, especially where his brothers are concerned."

"You think they will make a move on him so soon?" The Chief Commander asked.

"My dear Commander," Rainus replied. "They have already made a move against him. At least one of them has. And you can be sure one or more will try something before Prince Adar has a chance to bond with a new Protector. It's the perfect time to strike against him."

"We cannot control what happens before he arrives at the College, but I assure you that once here, the Heir will be quite safe. I have already ordered all the Pledges waiting to be bonded to keep a watchful eye on him, even when it isn't their turn to shadow him," the Lieutenant–Captain said.

"That is good to know, Captain Dexter, but I don't believe that will be enough."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

That was the question he was waiting for. Rainus smiled inwardly. He plunged into the opening he had been offered.

"Has anyone stopped to ask why Captain Kaller Hame would dare to confront Prince Adar, even if warning him off? He knows more than most that the Emperor would not appreciate such actions on his Protector's part, not against his Heir."

"Exactly what are you implying, Majesty?" The Chef Commander said in a cold tone.

Rainus had already considered and weighed his next words many times on the trip to Sora X. Now was the time to apply them, knowing full well the reaction he would receive, but too much was at stake to be gentle about this.

"I have it on good authority that Captain Kaller Hame was influenced to confront Prince Adar at the first opportunity that presented itself."

The Commander's face reddened. "I will not have one of my most prestigious Protectors defamed by rumors, King Rainus. We appreciate your patronage as always, but if you insist on this sort of talk, we will ask you to leave the College immediately."

Rainus's response was simply to take out the data disk from his pocket. He carefully placed it on the table in front of him, then with slow deliberation slid it over to the still red-faced Chief Commander.

"I assure you, Commander Jordem, that I above everyone else appreciates what this College does. I owe my life to several of your Protectors many times over. I would never try to give anyone attached to this establishment a bad name or imply they might have acted inappropriately unless I had evidence that said otherwise. I insist that you and Lieutenant–Captain Dexter take a moment to view the contents of the data disk. I will wait."

The Commander threw Rainus another heated look, but reluctantly reached out to retrieve the disk. The man stood up and briskly went to his desk. Captain Dexter followed. He slipped the disk into his terminal, with Dexter watching curiously over his shoulder.

Rainus sat back in his chair and waited. He already knew what was on it. He'd watched it several times. He had to be sure of what he had seen. He didn't want to make false accusations against a man who was already facing a difficult transition.

A handful of minutes later, the two men came back to the table, their faces pale and demeanors greatly changed after witnessing Captain Hame's interaction with Prince Zorren just before he had been banished from the palace three months ago. Rainus was just glad one of his spies had recorded the incident. It certainly lent credence to the newer information Rainus had just received from Vega Prime.

Certainly, the interaction in the White Palace itself didn't condemn the Captain completely. Hame had simply stated he would do his duty when Zorren had asked if the Captain would move against Prince Adar if the younger Prince acted as a threat against the Emperor.

The true concern was over the series of messages between Hame and Lady Tessa Vende during the Captain's recovery from his confrontation with Adar. The conversations didn't come out and say anything for certain, but combined with the knowledge that Rainus's spies had confirmed that Tessa had gone straight to Vega Prime and Zorren's new home bought there after his banishment, it was enough to raise significant suspicions. And it was clear in the frowns of the two men as they came back to the table.

"While your evidence is concerning, there is no actual proof that Captain Hame is actively plotting against Prince Adar with any of the other Imperial Princes," the Commander replied from the other end of the conference table.

Rainus sighed inwardly at the stubbornness of the man before him, but he expected a fight. He was, after all, asking these men to further condemn a man that only last week had been one of the most renowned in the Protectorate.

"And what would it take to convince you, Chief Commander? A knife in our new Heir's back? If it happens while he's at the College, you can be sure the Emperor will lay blame at the Protectorate's feet for allowing it."

The Commander puckered up his lips as if he had tasted something sour, and then threw a look toward Captain Dexter. The other man didn't move a muscle, but Rainus could hear the communication between them as if they had both spoken out loud.

Commander Jordem nodded his head. "We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We will take it into consideration, and plan accordingly during the Heir's visit."

Again, Rainus had to stop himself from sighing out loud. He expected resistance, but not full-on stupidity. "I'm not sure you fully understand the implications of the information I have brought to you."

The Commander gave Rainus a puzzled look. "I do not follow."

"He thinks that because Hame is compromised that others at the College are as well. That is what you are saying, Majesty, isn't it?"

The King gave the Lieutenant–Captain a wiry grin. So maybe some here weren't so slow after all, or at least pretended to be. He had heard the training chief was a sharp one and sometimes blunt to a fault.

"That's exactly what I think. Captain Hame is well respected at this College. It isn't a far leap to think that he would use that to his advantage, especially against the man responsible for his disgrace. I would even imagine those who aren't under Hame's influence taking offense toward Prince Adar simply because he had caused a Renown's deep humiliation.

"I would also go so far to say that I would not trust any Pledge to give a blood oath at this time––and actually mean it––to Prince Adar under these circumstances."

"That's preposterous! Our Protectors are above reproach!" Commander Jordem spit out as he bolted straight out of his seat.

"And as of a few weeks ago, you would have said the same about Captain Kaller Hame, would you have not?"

The Commander's face reddened considerably, but he didn't say a word as he settled back into his chair. The three of them sat in uncomfortable silence for a time. Rainus let the silence grow, knowing that he had said all he needed to. Now he simply waited for the inevitable.

Finally, the Chief Commander gave a small exhale and spoke, but it sounded as if it was almost physically painful to say the words. "I am assuming you have a suggestion, Majesty?"

Rainus gave a slow and deliberate smile. He felt like laughing. Not at the sleek maneuvering he had managed with the Commander. That was child's play. This was always how this conversation was going to end. No, he wanted to laugh at the relief. Finally, he could fulfill a promise. A promise he had made twenty years ago to an angry little boy. A boy who had turned hard and indifferent to his family. Rainus very much doubted this would erase years of hard feelings, but maybe it was a start. Maybe.

"Yes, Commander, I do, but you aren't going to like it."