Love in a Time of War

  lOVE IN A TIME OF WAR

  An Earth Saga Story

  Donald B McFarlane

  Cover Art

  Luke West

  Beta-Test/Editing

  Sandy G., Nick C.

  Copyright Donald B McFarlane 2018

  www.donaldbmcfarlane.com

  Earth Saga Books by Donald B McFarlane

  Minus Epsilon: The Earth Saga I

  Defiant Order: The Earth Saga II

  Horizons: The Earth Saga III

  Remnants of Empire: The Earth Saga IV

  Edge of the Vortex: The Earth Saga V

  Standish: An Earth Saga Story Coming 2018

  1

  Everyone who grew up in the shadows of the magnificent castle of Rakkaus dreamed of going inside and walking among the spectacular halls and chambers that they had seen on vid-screens. For some, like Aika, it was something he had grown accustomed to as a young boy. As the son of the Grand Duke’s favourite painter, Aika lived in the quarters provided in the densely wooded lands below the castle, and almost every time his father would travel to the castle to paint a portrait or a mural, Aika would accompany him.

  The walk from their modest home to the castle took just under twenty minutes. The little hamlet they called home was where the Grand Duke housed all his artists, musicians, chefs, performers, concubines, and painters. All living in the thick forest that covered the continent that was the seat of power on Rakkaus. All the houses were the same size and styled in the traditional form, still made of wood, but equipped with all the modern conveniences that could be found anywhere within the Empire. There had been no expense spared when the homes had been built, and they were available to those that worked in the castle without charge, and theirs as long as they wished to stay on Rakkaus, even after retiring from royal service.

  Some of the first memories Aika had of the castle were of its size, towering over the other buildings in the capital district. Its turrets towered into the sky, its hallways seemed enormous to a young boy, and as he grew older, after the death of his mother, he started to realise how the castle was, more than anything, a throw-back to a more romantic period, before Rakkaus had developed space travel, and before it had become a member of the Empire.

  As with all children whose parents worked for the royal family, Aika was given a complementary education, and since he had the same birth year as the young princess, the Grand Duke had decided that it was best that they take their studies together. This, of course, was not well received by the Duchess, and some members of the royal court, but the decision was final.

  “Do you have everything you need?” His father asked.

  Aika, much shorter than his father at age five looked up with his head tilted slightly to the right and thought. He hadn’t been told to bring any particular items on his first morning of class, but he also hadn’t given it much thought. He had remembered to wash that morning, brushed his hair as his mother had told him, and put on his best clothes. So, with all those facts, he nodded.

  The father righted himself and put his hands on his hips. “Good. Today, you are going to start your formal education.” The father walked towards the door. “I’ve requested an auto-pod collect us, I don’t feel much like walking today.” He tapped the access pad, and the door slid open. “Come.”

  Aika smiled and charged out of the house.

  2

  “That child is coming here? Today?” The Duchess was in one of her regular morning moods. Angry, and unable to come to terms with a fact that she had known for the last two years.

  The Grand Duke pushed himself off his exercise machine and shook his head. “That child is the son of one of the most talented artists in the Empire.” The Grand Duke thrust his finger into the air to emphasise his point. “The Emperor offered his father a position at the capital, on Jarosis!” He dropped his hands to his hips. “If that child hadn’t been born, we would have lost the father.”

  “Lost the father?” The Duchess asked, letting a shrieking laugh out. “You must be kidding.”

  “You will never understand art.” The Grand Duke moved over to another piece of fitness equipment. “The reason Rakkaus has the status it does in the Empire is because artists like Taide work here and attract other artists here for work and studies.”

  The Duchess waved her hand in the air as if she was attempting to swat away the notion. “It is beneath you to even know that man’s name.” She barked.

  “He teaches at the university when he’s not working here.” The Grand Duke sat down at the next machine and started pushing out repetitions. “He is an undisputed master.”

  “A commoner!” The Duchess shouted. “And you want his child to study with our daughter? My only girl?”

  That was enough for the Grand Duke. “Computer! Turn up the music!”

  3

  “Sydan, do you know how to use a data-pad?”

  The young girl smiled. “Of course, Educator.”

  The old man smiled and nodded. “Good. Good.” He looked over to Aika. “And you, young one, do you?”

  Aika nodded sheepishly. “Yes.” He then cast a glance at the young girl sat next to him. He felt nervous. Not only was it his first day at a proper place of education, but he was also sitting next to the Princess Sydan who was wearing an outfit that made his simple garb look rather pedestrian.

  The Educator righted himself, then turned and walked over to his desk which dominated the far wall of the learning room. “That is very good, but we are going to start our studies from books.”

  “What?” Aika blurted out.

  “Books.” Sydan replied, a big grin on her face.

  The Educator spun around. “Have you ever seen a book?” The question was directed at both the young children.

  “No.” Aika answered.

  “And you? Young Princess?” The Educator slowly made his way to the door of the room.

  Sydan looked down at her empty desk and shook her head. “No, Educator.” She replied.

  “Good. Now up you come, we’re going down find some books to read so we can start your studies.”

  Aika cocked his head to the side. “Where are we going?” He asked.

  The Educator smiled. “The university vault.” He replied in a very matter of fact manner.

  4

  As the years went by, Aika and Sydan kept their studies up under the watchful eyes of the Educator. It would have been evident to any person with a speciality in the education field that while both children were developing at the same pace, they were growing in entirely different ways. The young princess had an innate ability to embrace the colder, more calculating subjects like maths and sciences, while the young boy preferred literature and arts.

  On occasions, the pair would take trips with the Educator around Rakkaus, visiting various natural wonders and historical sights. It was a series of adventures that Aika would never have had the chance to take without the opportunity bestowed upon him by the royal family, while Sydan, on the other hand, was expected to visit the same locations as an adult when her royal duties required her to. The real excitement was the upcoming trip to Jarosis, the capital of the Empire, a journey that both of the children looked forward to.

  When Aika arrived with his simple packed bag, he was happy. It was going to be his first trip off-world, and even though he was almost ten years old, he knew that it was a great opportunity, so when Sydan arrived with her multiple pieces of luggage, he suddenly felt another reminder of his place in the world, and for just the shortest of moments, his excitement about the trip was dashed, but it was a feeling that was short lived once they arrived on the landing pad, and Aika cast his eyes upon the ship that was going to take them all the way to the capital of the Empire.
/>
  The ship was the most impressive star-ship he had ever seen, and in his years in and around the castle, he had seen many ships come and go, but this one took the prize. It was long and sleek; covered in a tan coloured skin and had the least features of any ship he had ever seen. It was smooth and graceful looking.

  When the Educator arrived with his modest baggage, Aika felt a little better about his own luggage, but all that was cast to the back of his mind when he boarded the ship. Once on board, he was greeted by a figure dressed in the uniform of a Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Rakkaus. He was wearing in full battle armour and the traditional light-blue cape that all members of armed forces in the Core wore. He had seen plenty of Royal Guards in the castle, but this was the first time he was addressed by one.

  “Would the young master follow me.” The guard turned and started walking down a passageway along the hull of the ship.

  “I’m not a master.” Aika said. “My father is.”

  “I know who your father is, Aika.” The guard stopped and turned and looked down at the young boy. “But the Royal Guard serve more than just the Grand Duke and his family, we serve all of Rakkaus.” The guard turned about and carried on down the corridor until he reached a door, which he opened and proceeded inside. “This will be your room for the journey.”

  Aika followed the guard in the room. It was almost the size of his family home and more luxurious than anything he had seen before. Looking up at the guard, he smiled, then walked over to the room’s desk and set his bag down. “How long is the journey to Jarosis?” He asked.

  “Only a few hours.” The guard replied. “It is roughly eleven-hundred light years to the capital, but we need to stop and refuel at Tekori on the way.” The guard moved back towards the door. “There is a call button next to the bed if you require anything.”

  Aika looked at the control panel, then back to the guard. “Can I explore the ship?” He asked.

  The guard nodded. “Of course. You just need to be careful around the escape pods.” The guard raised his hand into the air. “Do not enter the escape pods unless you are told to do so.”

  Aika swallowed hard. Going into space was turning into a much bigger deal than he had expected. “Can I follow you around?” He asked.

  It was clear that the Royal Guard hadn’t anticipated that request, and it took him a moment to respond. “You want to follow me around?”

  Aika shrugged his shoulders. “Sure.”

  The tall guardsman put his hands on his hips and looked down at the young boy. “Fine.”

  It wasn’t the trip to Jarosis that was the turning point in Aika’s life, it was spending just a few hours following around a less than thrilled guardsman on the starship that changed his life. Maybe it was the armour, the weapons or the protocols that he observed, but there was something that the proximity to guardsman did to put a sparkle in his eyes.

  When they finally set down on Jarosis, the Princess departed the ship first, by protocol, and when Aika walked off the vessel, he looked over a formation of Imperial Royal Guards, their faces covered in reflective tear-drop shaped face-plates standing in two neat lines for the guests to pass through. Their armour had white highlights, and their crisp capes were white and fluttered in the breeze. As Aika sauntered down the precession, he took the time to notice that the armour and weapons were different from those he had seen on Rakkaus. He was even amazed to see that some of the guards carried ancient fighting implements, bladed weapons. It was indeed an eye-opening experience.

  For Sydan, Jarosis was daunting and somewhat humbling. Growing up in the castle on Rakkaus, she had always had a very high opinion of herself, her family, and their place on the ladder of wealth and power. Rakkaus was a planet that was renown for a few things, arts and culture were the top exports from the planet, and that was enough to make her think that she was on a wealthy and prestigious world. But Rakkaus wasn’t rich. It was peaceful, had a small population of mostly homogenous citizens, and had rather meagre armed forces, and provided very little manpower to the Imperial Fleet.

  So when Sydan walked off the transport in the capital, she was suddenly blown away by the scale of the Imperial buildings, the grounds, the hundreds of transports flying through the air. The clothing and garments that people were wearing were more vibrant in colour and fabric and more aggressive in design than anything that she had ever seen back home, and it finally dawned on her that perhaps her understanding of the universe was wrong and that instead of being an all-important cog in the Empire, her father’s planet was nothing more than another small piece in a massive puzzle that made the Empire what it was.

  The quarters that the trio were assigned to were in the royal sector and were quite grand. Everything was either cutting edge and very modern, including pieces made in the basement of the building by three-dimensional printing, while other parts in the room were sourced from the farthest reaches of the Empire, and dated several hundred years in age. For Aika and Sydan, it was a not only a living illustration of the wealth and technology of Jarosis and the Empire, but also a lesson taking them into the past, and to the far-reaching corners of the galaxy.

  Once everyone was settled in, and a moment had been taken to freshen up, the young children met the Educator in the hallway outside their rooms, ready to embark upon their first expedition in the capital.

  “Ready?” The Educator asked.

  “Yes.” Sydan replied, her chin held high.

  Aika nodded in silence. Still in awe from the emersion into the new environment.

  “Excellent.” The Educator turned to his left and started walking down the long corridor their rooms were on. “Our first visit is to the Imperial Libraries.”

  It took almost ten minutes to make their way to the exit of the towering building where they had been given quarters, and once they reached the street, their senses were astonished by the smells, sounds, and sights that were found on the busy streets of the capital of the Empire. As the trio walked along the pavement, they passed numerous pop-up vendors selling drinks and foods from all across the Empire. More permanent kiosks were set up for the selling of clothing and other trinkets. They might have been inside the government sector of Jarosis, but it seemed to the young children, that trade was bustling.

  As the two young off-worlders followed their teacher, their heads were continually turning from side to side, trying to take in the overwhelming amount of things to look at. On Rakkaus, there were trees as far as the eye could see. Giant green trees covering the countryside outside the castle, but here, in the centre of the known universe, nothing grew wild. Every tree or blade of grass was manicured to the perfect length and shape.

  The Imperial Library on Jarosis was the largest in the galaxy, and held tens of millions of documents, laws, novels, poetry, inside immense data vaults that could transmit the information across the Empire for more localised consumption.

  Their time on Jarosis wasn’t entirely focused on studies. Ample time was allotted to visiting museums, parks, and even the galactically renowned zoo, which held species from many of the nearly half-million systems that made up the Empire.

  “Sydan, roughly how many populated planets are there in the Empire?” The Educator asked as they strode slowly through the zoo.

  “Forty-thousand.” She replied.

  “Correct.” The Educator said. “And this zoo houses many exotic species from those worlds.”

  “Isn’t it wrong to keep these creatures in cages?” Aika asked, his face pressed against a protective screen above an enclosure with a large predator inside.

  “It is considered by many to be a crime to keep these beasts locked away like this, Aika.” The Educator replied. “But these creatures are here only for a short while.” He walked up to the glass next to Aika. “There is a large industry around the care, transport and showing of these beasts. If memory serves, the creatures here are only kept in captivity for a few weeks before being returned to their native habitats.”

  “Who car
es about these simple creatures?” Sydan said.

  “These animals have feelings.” Aika said.

  “Maybe.” The young Princess replied.

  “Let us continue with our lesson.” The Educator said, stepping away from the enclosure. “Aika, how many citizens does the Emperor have?”

  Aika scratched the back of his neck. “A few million?” He paused. “Actually, a few billion.” He corrected himself.

  “A few billion?” Sydan scoffed. “You’re stupid.”

  “No need for that Sydan.” The Educator interjected. “Aika, we covered this when we were at the library. What is larger than billion?”

  “Ummm.” Aika hated numbers. More than anything else in the world. “Trillion?” He finally answered.

  “Correct.” The Educator smiled. “Now how many trillion citizens are there in the Empire?”

  “One hundred?” Aika answered.

  The Educator nodded. “That is close enough.” He said. “No one knows for certain. As Sydan has already informed us, roughly forty-thousand populated planets span the nearly half-million systems of the Empire. It is impossible to determine the true number of citizens. Of course, every few years the rulers and governors of the planets submit census data to the Ministry of Citizens here on Jarosis.”

  “Neat.” Aika replied. He didn’t really care that much, but he liked to make the Educator think that he was paying attention.

  “We have a few more hours here, then we shall retire for the evening meal, then rest. Tomorrow we’re going to the Bazaar of Spices in the morning.”

  The Bazaar of Spices was located at one end of the third largest space-port on Jarosis, allowing easy access for traders and merchants. Containing over twelve-thousand stalls selling everything from the most common fruits and vegetables to exotic meats and spices from the corners of the known galaxy. The market itself covered eighty levels, and for a reason that even the Educator was unaware of, it only had two points of entry, a massive loading dock that ran the entire width of the structure facing the space-port, and a massive arched entrance at the other end.