Schism of Blood and Stone (The Starfield Theory Book 1) by Brian Frederico

Author:Brian Frederico [Frederico, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-09-15T07:00:00+00:00

Sir Aaron Mercer-Sten

Knight of Scion of House Mercer

8 March, 23,423

Scarlet Light, Goteborg, Magdeborg Commonwealth

______________

Aaron rubbed his face in exasperation. Nothing seemed to be going right. He had successfully detained Kristoffer and Claire Sten or whomever they believed they were, but he had also discovered they were involved in some less than legal business activities and someone wanted them dead over it. They wouldn't come clean about it, still thinking that Drayton or some authority would come to their rescue. No authority existed to do so. Out here, Aaron was the authority.

I could make them disappear and no one would ever know, he thought sadistically.

He sat alone in his quarters staring outside the windows at the MacCleod. It hung there, drifting alongside the Scarlet Light, still showing the pitted scars and rents from combat. There was no denying that surviving not one, but two engagements with the Lotus was impressive. Of course, Kristoffer hadn't gotten away unscathed. A dozen of his mercenaries were dead and one of his crew members perished in the linking of their ships. It was a damn foolish idea, even if it worked.

Kristoffer's insolence was bothersome. If he won't come clean I'll have to get it out of him another way. We can't index him, but there are other means of extracting information.

Now there was the question as to what to do with them. Damien instructed him to keep them safe. Well, they'd nearly gotten Aaron and his entire command killed. They were up to something. The Black Lotus wouldn't spend the resources chasing someone until they had done something to them or had something they really wanted.

What was the young man up to?

Aaron ordered the ship to Goteborg, making safer use of the jump drive and immediately dispatched the present Commonwealth fleet to hunt the Black Lotus pirates who'd ambushed him. If the MacCleod's crew refused to talk maybe a few captured pirates would in return for their lives, however, a search of the system turned up no pirates. They were long gone.

As much as Aaron hated to admit it, he realized it was only Chris' illegal jump drive that saved them, as much as Aaron did not want to admit it. He was indebted to Chris. Though rare, average citizens did intervene in what would be almost certain death for a nobleman. Typically, that individual would be granted land and wealth made a baron or some similar low ranking hereditary title. If the incident occurred in battle, the individual would be offered land and promotion, and in rare cases, even elevated to noble rank himself.

But this case was much more difficult. Chris was technically Archduke and how could Aaron possibly repay an Archduke? Likewise, if whatever transgression he'd committed was serious enough did Aaron have the authority to punish him? As long as Chris did not know about his ancestry he wouldn't put Aaron in the difficult position of needing to answer those questions. If he demanded his freedom and did so by ducal order, Aaron couldn't refuse him.

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