“And how do we do that?”
“Until this morning, I did not know.” The Lord Marshal smiled. “But now… I do.” He stepped over one of the trophy cases against the wall. “Long ago, before you were born I was a young man in search of a destiny. Much like others of my age, I sought it in the darkest places of our world.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Renz said. He joined his father, peering down at an old book. He’d seen it dozens of times but had no idea what it was. “I thought you were a soldier.”
“I was, but when my time served ended, I wanted more.” The Lord Marshal waved his hand around the room. “I needed this to become a reality. To that end, I heard rumors of old documents… a way of life for the Kahl people before our hardships. As we continued to struggle, we needed hope. A purpose. And something to claim victory over.”
“So you found that in a book?” Renz frowned. “I’m skeptical.”
“What is our way of life?”
“We conquer,” Renz said. “We take. We are the rightful inhabitants of the universe. All others are parasites.”
The Lord Marshal nodded. “Indeed. Near to the exact words of our vow before joining the military. But where do you think such notions came from? Why do they exist?”
“Because… they are… true. They come from our ancestors.” Renz didn’t honestly know. He hadn’t paid as much attention to history in school. He wanted tactics, combat, excitement. These were the things that drove him on as a young man. His father had always been far more scholarly. And it showed.
“Ancestors write things down.” The Lord Marshal put his hand on the glass over the book. “Those things teach us intentions. They teach us philosophies to live by. We gain an understanding of everything that matters. And in some cases, they contradict facts required to survive and thrive.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Perhaps you don’t have to.” The Lord Marshal stepped away from the case. “In fact, I think it’s better this way. Are you ready for your assignment?”
Renz stood up straight. “I won’t fail you.”
“See that you don’t. Our ancestors once held colonies all across the galaxy… on planets distant from our own. Much like now. However, we have yet to reclaim all our former territories. Many of which were abandoned.”
“Leaving behind relics of our past?” Renz asked. “Are you asking me to find trinkets?”
“The most valuable kind in existence,” The Lord Marshal said, “the ones which can undermine our authority and give the Prophet the strength he needs to forge a true rebellion. The kind we cannot survive.”
“Please.” Renz rolled his eyes. “We can suppress any uprising of the common people.”
“How many of those individuals used to be part of the military?” the Lord Marshal asked. “Do you know they may have grown tired of sacrificing their children for the wars? That they have a driving need for them to end? An old warrior becomes disillusioned with the stories used to drive him to battle. We cannot allow that to happen.”
“So what am I doing? Just… flying out to these worlds to collect them?”
“Indeed.” The Lord Marshal nodded. “Return them to me. Bring back these relics so I might save your inheritance.”
“Really? I thought you said this was not dynastic.”
“You didn’t listen to my words. I won’t repeat them. However, once you’ve succeeded, we’ll discuss how you may step into this role. I will do everything in my power to prepare you. But first, you have a job to do.” The Lord Marshal returned to his desk, snatching up his tablet. He typed something on it. “I’m sending you the coordinates of your first world.”
“How do you know about it?”
“When I found the records I needed to ascend to this position, I located ancient technology with it. It was dark then… I took it as a symbol, something I might use to rally the others around me. Today, it turned on. A beacon or warning device, I didn’t know what. Upon reflection and study, I found that one of our sites has been activated.”
“What’s that even mean?”
“That someone either has breached or will soon get into a data warehouse. You must get there. Stop them from finding whatever is there and bring it back to me.” The Lord Marshal smiled. “It should be an easy task for you. I know they are not our people out there. Which means you’ll be contending with one of our enemies.”
“And I may crush them?” Renz asked.
“They are stealing from us,” The Lord Marshal said. “So of course.”
“Your command will be done.” Renz bowed his head. “I must depart immediately then if I’m to catch them before they succeed. Have you sent me the coordinates?”
“I have. Be cautious, my son. You don’t know who these people are. They may be resourceful. Dangerous even. We are mighty but not invulnerable… despite what we allow our enemies to believe. Do you understand?”
“Of course.” Renz waved his hand at him. “I’ll have this done soon, father. And when I return, I expect you to fulfill your side of the bargain.”
The Lord Marshal sighed. “And we were doing so well. You’d be advised to find more civility before you come back. I’m not going to take your barbs much longer. I’ll have another successor. Do you understand?”
Renz fumed but he nodded once. “Perfectly.”
“Very well. Make haste.” The Lord Marshal gestured at the door. “You will want to travel swiftly. Only one ship,
