Empire's Son: An Epic Science Fiction Novel Series

Markus had waited until the double moons of Sora X were high in the sky before he made his move. He’d been watching the Pledge’s residence hall most of the evening from the deep shadows of the alleyway across the street. He noted all the comings and goings of all those on Adar’s Pledge list, but he also had his eye on someone else in particular. He noticed she was one of the last of the Pledges to retire for the evening.

But still he waited until long past the last of the windows went dark and not a soul moved in the night. Markus stealthy crossed the sandstone street and went right for the front door. He was glad to see that his implanted identity chip still allowed him access, otherwise, he would have had to bypass the door security systems and he would rather not do that if he didn’t need too. The Protectorate had rather extreme responses to those who breached their systems and got caught, not that he expected to actually get caught, but a risk like that wasn’t worth it.

Once inside, Markus skulked up the main corridor and entered a transporter alcove. He chose a level three flights up and stood still as the green light enveloped him. Once on the new level, Markus quickly stalked down the corridor to just outside the door he was looking for and listened to be sure no one was up and about. A few minutes of total silence convinced him.

Markus palmed the door open and stepped through. A moment later, he was beside the single bed in the room. Unlike Cadets or Disciples, Pledges got to have their own rooms instead of sleeping in the main residence barracks. Just one of the perks of spending ten grueling years training for their jobs.

He loomed over the sleeping form, and watched the gentle rise and fall of the woman’s chest. She was in a deep sleep. Good. Markus raised a leg and wedged his boot against her shoulder and pushed. The Pledge rolled right off the bed and crashed onto the floor on the other side.

Markus expected a shriek, but other than a grunt when hitting the ground, she didn’t make a sound or say a word. She just laid there on the tiled floor. Markus moved around the bed to get a better look. He rounded the footboard and was about to move in closer, when her bare foot lashed out and rammed into his knee, or at least tried too. Markus was expecting her to do something, so he easily danced out of the way of her incoming leg.

Even at her failure, she didn’t say a single word. She just rolled to her feet, squatted low, and then rushed Markus. She slammed into him with a lot more force than he was expecting, causing him to topple. Before Markus knew it, he was flat on his back, and she was on top straddling his chest. He wasn’t the least bit surprised at the edge of a blade pressed at his throat.

“You’re getting sloppy, Nador,” she growled breaking her silence for the first time.

“Not really,” Markus replied as he had palmed his own knife as he was going down, and now had the point in the soft spot of her belly. “I go. You go. Are you ready?”

The woman smirked as she sat up straight, pulling her knife from his neck. “You could have just said hello like a normal person.” She gracefully stood and walked off toward her bed and placed the knife on the stand, while turning on the light there. A blue glass orb lit up the small room.

Markus stood up and slipped his knife back in the sheath at his wrist.“What would be the fun in that, Gayle?”

The woman sat down on her narrow bed and gave Markus a hard look. “Why the yavit did you come back? Thought you said you were done with this place. You sure did act like it.”

Markus shrugged as he found a portion of the wall without shelving lining it and leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “The Commander asked me to come.”

Gayle raised an eyebrow. “Really? So is he finally revoking your membership to the College?”

The question irked Markus more than he wanted to admit. He actually didn’t know why the Commander had asked him back. Sure, it could be to officially reprimand Markus for being absent for the last two years and ignoring regular protocol for any who went off world to check in regularly and respond to summons from Command. But he suspected it had to do with Adar. Nathias didn’t confirm it in words exactly, but between his friends actions and how Markus knew his father, it was heavily implied that the Chief Commander wanted someone to watch Adar.

It made a lot of sense to ask Markus to come to the College. He hadn’t been a regular on Sora for years now. It would be a lot easier to use him to keep an eye on things rather than to take another Pledge out of his duty rotations. It also helped that Markus had a personal link to Prince Adar––albeit an old one. And of course, getting Markus back at the College would give the Commander a chance to reign Markus back in. That last was the biggest reason why Markus had opted to not check in. Better to avoid that confrontation for as long as possible.

“I have an assignment to shadow Prince Adar.”

Gayle was quiet for a moment before she finally spoke. “I was wondering if they were going to put a silent shadow on him, though I didn’t expect them to call you in for it.”

Markus shrugged. “We have a past.”

The woman grunted. “You realize he’s in trouble, right? That thing with Captain Hame has the trainees and graduates in a fit, especially the ones who know Hame personally.”

“I figured as much. How bad is it?”

Gayle blew out a loud breath. “Well, the Heir won’t be winning any popularity contests at the College that’s for sure, but I guess you know all about that, huh?”

Yeah, he did. Markus nodded. But there was a difference between talking and acting, and Markus was only really worried about the latter. “You think any would act against him?”

Gayle leaned back in her bed and folded her hands on her flat stomach. “Don’t know. Most of them, no. They just like to run their mouths. But the Captain has a lot of followers here. He is Renowned after all.”

“I’m going to need your help with this, Gayle.”

The woman snorted. “Really? The Great Markus Nador is asking for help. That’s not like you. Sure you aren’t ill or something?”

Markus stood up from the wall and crossed the room until he was standing over Gayle, as if being closer might persuade her to his cause. He realized that maybe he was more nervous about this than he thought. He really did need her help. Nathias was right, Markus had shut out the universe for too long. He needed information and Gayle was the best one to do that.

“You’re right, normally I wouldn’t ask, but I haven’t been here in two years. I don’t know the pulse of this place like I used to, but you do, and I trust you––mostly.”

Gayle raised an eyebrow, “Mostly.” She picked up a foot and shoved it at Markus’s leg.

He managed to swerve out of the way, but he still hovered near the bed frustrated at himself for boggling this. “You know what I mean.”

Gayle suddenly swung her legs over the bed and stood up. She stalked over to Markus and stood right in front of him with her hands on her hips. “No, Markus. I don’t. Please explain it to me.”

He opened his mouth and closed it right back up again certain that anything he said next would come out all wrong. Yavit, already this was going wrong.

Gayle shook her head and pushed him in the chest, causing Markus to stumble back a few steps before he could catch himself. “Either you trust me or you don’t, idiot. If I’d known you’d be this much of a jerk, I would have never slept with you.”

Markus narrowed his eyes at the woman. “What does that have to do with anything?”

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Yep, that’s exactly why you don’t mix business with pleasure. I knew we should have kept the sex out of it, but you’re cute when you work up a sweat. And all that training we did had you all nice and lathered up.” She threw up her hands and flopped back down on the bed. “But whatever, Markus. What do you need help with? I know you aren’t going to leave until you had your say, so out with it.”

Markus stood there for a moment, trying to get a better reading on the situation. She still seemed mad, but her words had the ring of truth in them. She legitimately wanted to know how to help. But still… “If you are angry at me, then why do you to even want to help?”