Galen
The star system of Hartholm was as different to Calraid as Calraid had been to the world of Jom. Galen had learned from local databases on the ‘Long Serpent’ that the System had, just over a billion inhabitants, with most of them on the world of Hartholm itself. The System-lord Oswin might have had over two billion subjects between the System of Hartholm, and the many sub-systems sworn to him, but it was a far cry from the more than six billion on the world of Calraid itself, let alone the almost twenty billion in that system, and more than forty billion subjects sworn to the Sector-lord Robin Tale.
Galen looked at the map of the system over the holographic command table. Calraid had five habitable worlds, while Hartholm was the lone habitable world of the system. It wasn’t the only settled world in the system though, as the minor worlds of Frostcrest, Relic, and Kell held their own populations. Relic was the largest with almost a hundred million, but they all required advanced technology to live on.
Humans would settle anywhere it had seemed. Many worlds could support human life just fine, but many more could not, and yet still those minor worlds were settled. Some were better suited to humans than others, but when the best suited minor world would kill humans in time. Sometimes it was a matter of seconds, and other times humans might last a day or even a week before the atmosphere, or other features killed them off, and yet humans continued to call them home, and settle them.
Even the large space station of Firefront Fortress was more starbase then it was a Star Fortress. It was half the size of the star fortress Oregar in the Calraid system, and that was smaller than either of the stations that defended the Jom System.
Starships of Furse design became more common as the fleet traveled through the Calraid sector, north into the Reapers Run sector. There weren’t nearly as many in Hartholm as there were in Calraid, but they were designs that Galen was more familiar with. Most the starships the sensors of the ‘Long Serpent’ picked up belonged to the Kingdom of the Wanes, which was of no surprise to Galen as they were in Wane Space, but he also saw starships from Fist on the holographic map, and even starships from his home, with Highpass transponder codes.
Galen was still getting used to his daily routines on ‘The Long Serpent’. Most days the Lord General invited him to follow her as she went about her duties. From what he could see, Lord General Cinder was the busiest person on the ‘Long Serpent’. She often took on tasks she didn’t need to, and maybe that was why she was well loved and respected by everyone on the crew that Galen had interacted with. It was more than just her reputation as the ‘Ghost’, although that was enough to earn anyone respect.
Galen took his eyes from the Command Table from the looked around the Command Deck, and looked at the Lord General for a moment. The deck was filled with the normal staff that normally filled it any any hour, but also with the security detail that followed her around, as well as her own personal retinue. He had learned that the Lord General left the day to day operation in the hands of General Dyer of the 5th Legion, and she seemed more than capable of her duties.
“Comm signal coming in General,” High Commander Quest called out from his work station.
“Open the channel,” General Dyer said.
Galen looked at the video communications. They had received the standard transmission when they first jumped into the system, but now the fleet was almost in orbit, and communications no longer suffered lag.
“Welcome to Hartholm, I am the steward of System-lord Oswin,” Galen heard from the standard communications transmission. “On behalf of the System-lord, we would like to welcome Lord General Cinder to the system, and wish to offer her, her retinue, and senior staff to a feast in her honor.”
“Thank you,” the Lord General said calmly. “I of course would be honored to join the System-lord for his feast,” she continued with the nod of the head. “I shall have my staff confirm the details.”
“Excellent, Lord general. I look forward to meeting you in person. It is not everyday that a war hero comes through Hartholm,” the steward said, and cut the comm.
Lord General Cinder had already granted leave from the ships of the fleet for those off duty, and Galen was looking forward to seeing the world for himself. He wondered though if the Lord General knew that she would be invited to dine with the System-lord, and wondered if she had dined with the Lord of Calraid. She must have known, it must have been common for her to be greeted with such respect.
Galen had finished most of his daily tasks for the Lord General’s Retinue. They always kept him busy, and for as busy as the Lord General was, her retinue was twice as busy. They passed Galen around day after day. He never knew what he would be doing day in, and day out. He was as likely to find himself buried in the guts of the ‘Long Serpent’ covered in greases, and oils then he was to stand at attention all day for High Commander Kell on garrison duty. He looked at the High Commander, and wondered if he was from the system, or if his clan were from it.
Every morning Lord General Cinder would hand Galen off for the day to one member of her Retinue, or even to General Dyer, and her staff of the 5th Legion. He had only served General Earl of the 213 three times. At the end of each shift he reported back to the Lord General, and the two would talk about his day, and the work. He missed the cockpit of the starfighter he flew as a member of the 32nd Legion, but he did find joy in the different tasks each day brought.
More than the tasks of each day though, Galen enjoyed the talks with the Lord General. Even if he hated the fact that he would never have the chance to speak to someone of such renown if not for his own father, and birth. The Lord General hadn’t been what Galen expected, but General Dagfinn the Giant was right when he said there was much he could learn from her. She was gentle, and easy to speak with, and although he hated the feeling of being treated special, he took full advantage of it.
The Lord General knew every part of the ‘Long Serpent’. Anyone expected to command should know what they were dealing with she had told him during one of her chats. Starship drills were common not just on the ‘Long Serpent’, but throughout the whole fleet. Retinues were expected to maintain top discipline, and readiness, and from what Galen had seen, they did. She even deployed mini war games in which the fleet was forced to act together. Never did she pit the fleet against one another, but always some simulation of some attack or threat that forced them to work together.
Galen had to admit that he enjoyed those war games. He never got to partake in the cockpit of a starfighter, but sometimes he was involved in boarding actions. Mostly he just served as part of damage control while simulated combat took place. There were a thousand tasks he had never done, and the sweat that would pour down on him as he acted as messenger between decks when communication systems failed made him feel like he was back at basic, and wished for the cool breeze of a world. Still, there was a thrill in it that he hadn’t experienced before.
“Galen,” Lord General Cinder called out, and broke Galen from his thoughts.
“Yes ser?” Galen asked, and felt himself straighten to attention.
“I believe you are done with your duties for the day?” The Lord General asked.
“Yes ser,” Galen replied sharply.
“Good, join me in my ready room,” she said, and folded her arms behind her back. “General Dyer,” she said curtly with a nod before she turned on her heels, and left her position at the main holographic command table.
Galen walked through the crowded command deck as the command staff went about their duties. Her retinue fell in behind her, and Galen followed to the side door which led to her office as it opened for them to enter.
“Your shift went well I hope?” Lord General Cinder asked Galen as she moved to her chair behind the large wooden deck.
“Yes ser,” Galen replied sharply as the other eleven members of her retinue took up spots in the office.
“Good,” the Lord General said, and looked into Galen’s eyes. “Good,” she said again, and then let out a small sigh. “I’ve been hearing good things about you.”
“Thank you ser,” Galen said, and tried to withhold a smile.
“Adequate,” High Companion Xylander said.
“Listen Galen,” Lord General Cinder said, and ignored her right hand man. “There is something I wish to say,” she continued, and her eyes remained on Galen. She let out a large sigh, “I cautioned your father not to take you from the IGJ, not until you had finished your service, but your father is, if you will forgive me, not a young man any longer.”
“No ser,” Galen agreed. “Forgive me, but is he sick?” he asked but kept his eyes forward to meet the Lord General’s.
The Lord General shook her head. “No, not that, not that I am aware of at any rate. Just getting old, and the older you get the more your mind wanders to thoughts of the younger generations.” Lord General Cinder was silent for a moment, and Galen wasn’t sure if he should answer before she spoke again. “Your father is eighty years old, there are things he wishes to pass onto you. Things that a father wishes to teach a child, a lord wishes to teach their heir.”
Galen nodded. He was his father’s only child. Lord Erik Worth Aegis of Highpass had four siblings, and Galen had ten ten cousins, but his father had only ever had one child. At least as far as he knew. He was sure that he was his mother’s only child, and he knew without a doubt that his father had loved his mother, and even today refused to remarry.
“Still,” the Lord General continued. “I told your father that it was important for you to form your own bonds, and friendships. There is no stronger bond than the ones formed with your own retinue. Brothers, and Sisters for life. It is a bond which sadly the lord of Highpass has deprived you of, but one which I intend to fix.”
“I don’t understand ser,” Galen said, and kept his eyes forward. He was unsure of what she meant, but he felt thankful or touched that the Lord General was looking out for him, but he also didn’t know why.
“You have had time to experience the ship. Take some time, and think it over, but by the time we leave Hartholm I would like an answer for which division you wish to be part of, and I will assign you to a Retinue of your peer.” The Lord General brought her hands together, and touched her lips as she stared at Galen. “Or if you so wish you may, if there is no objection from the rest of the Retinue, you can serve as a member of mine.”
“Ser?” Galen said, truly shocked. The personal retinue was not like that of the basic military unit which every member served in. They were life long bonds. Most if not all of the members of the Lord General’s retinue would have been with her since her time as a simple retainer, if she could ever have been called a simple retainer.
The Lord General held her hand up to stop Galen. “Think about it, don’t give an answer now. There is alot to consider. Until then, I would like for you to join me on Hartholm for the feast with System-lord Oswin.”
“Thank you course,” Galen said, “Of course.”
“Excellent. Your Echo will inform you before we leave, until then, get some rest, and think about what you want for your future,” Lord General Cinder told Galen. “Dismissed.”
