April 5th 2158. Empire city. 12:32. Terran standard time. At Tiberius Plaza.

Am I a bad son? I know I should be sad. But I'm not. I'm just afraid. Does that make me a bad son? Am I a bad person? Young crown prince Augustus Tiberius looked out across the giant plaza.

He felt his heart pounding in his chest in trepidation and fear. Before him, gathered on the huge plaza were nearly four million citizens of Empire City. All of them gathered here to pay their last respects to their dead Emperor. He could see it all, from the steps of the senate building, standing in front of the ministers, generals, admirals, senators and other dignitaries who had come to bid farewell to their monarch, commander and leader. The sorrow that emanated through the gathering was almost tangible. Many of the men and women gathered in the plaza openly wept, wailing their sorrow to the skies and sharing it with all present. Order was only kept with the help of the gene enhanced super soldiers, the praetorian guard, and with the help of five full legions of legionnaires, almost a sixty thousand men and women, who stood in stark contrast against the gathered crowd. Clad in their blood red armor and holding their large rifles across their chests, their keen eyes scouting across the gathered masses. Searching for anything out of place, any threat to the emperor, or the gathered people.

Looking out across the city, the young emperor could see the nearest buildings were covered with people who, unable to attend the funeral in the plaza, had elected to climb the nearby towers and tenements to get a good view of the procession. The boulevards and streets leading to the plaza were likewise packed with thousands of citizens. The soldiers, trying to keep the way clear so the procession could continue without incident, formed a chain, arms linked, and steadily pushed back the mourners to make room for the nearing funeral procession. I'm not ready for this, the significance of his father's death hadn't really occurred to Augustus before some senator had said to him,

"You'll make a fine emperor my lord, you have the bearing and look of your old Farther, if you don't mind me saying your majesty".

He wasn't ready. Didn't feel like he would ever be ready. How did you prepare for something like this? How did you prepare a boy, just in his teens, to become the leader and sovereign of the single largest nation ever to have existed? He had immediately asked James, his personal VI, how many people currently inhabited the Sol-system, his empire. After a long break, the machine answered in his usual happy and cooperative voice.

"As of the twelfth hour, thirty-first minute, fifty-seventh second, and seventy-eight hundredth of a second on the 5th of April twenty-one, fifty-eight, there resides, on Earth, a recorded 24,987,640,854 men, women and children. A further 3,210,382 resides on various Bio domes on Luna, and 2,473,212 in the factory cities on mars. On the 284 occupied orbital stations circling Terra and other stellar satellites in the Sol-system there are a recorded 1,321,212 inhabitants. This brings the total numbers of inhabitants in the Sol-system to 24,994,645,660. Would you like me to surmise other information for you my lord?"

Augustus had felt like fainting right there. By the gods. That many? He was only fourteen. How did they expect a teenager to rule so many people? To unite, protect and lead them? His insides hurt. He knew that it was selfish of him to think that way. He was supposed to be the next emperor. But he had never trained for this. That had always been his older brothers job. He remembered them fondly, had cried at both their funerals. His farther had told him to act like a prince. Had told him to be strong and not to show fear or sadness. He didn't cry now. It felt wrong. He wanted to cry. Wanted to show his grief. But somehow he held it back. Michael, his personal retainer and closest friend, had told him that he should wait until they were back in the palace. He could cry there. But not here. Not in front of his subject. He had to be there for them, lead them, help them in their grief.

"You aren't a boy anymore" he had said "And I'm sorry for that. But you have to become a man faster than anyone had intended".

Michael had been a close friend of his father. They had served in the army together. He had helped raise the tree boys, his brothers and him. Since his farther had never been around much, Michael had become a sort of replacement. The old man had always looked out for them. Especially after Augustus who had been the youngest. His brothers had both been much older than him. Titus had been 29 when he died. Nero had been 25. Titus had always been very serious. He had commanded the servants around the palace, and participated in his father's many stately banquets. But he had always had a soft spot for his younger brothers. He had made sure that they kept to their duties, did their homework. He was quite strict most of the time. But he could be kind when he needed to. Augustus remembered once, when he was very little, he had been sent to his room without supper for something he had done. Titus had sneaked in with his dessert. Making sure that his younger brother didn't fall asleep hungry.

Nero on the other hand, had always been something of a rebel. Often getting into trouble and punished by either his father or Michael for his mischievous behavior. But he was loved by the servants and the darling of the people. The tabloids would be full of his pictures, flattering or otherwise. Augustus had once caught him sneaking home after a night in town. Disguised as a servant he had left the palace and been out to tour the local pubs and bars. He had made Augustus promise not to tell. In return he had on several occasions taken him out into the city. Showing him how people lived without servants and retainers. Meeting the "real" people of Earth as he had said. It had all seemed like such a carefree time. Not anymore. Never again would he experience such freedom. From now on he was no longer a prince, or a boy, or a man. He was the Emperor. Not human, but something superior, stronger, better. Something that could rise above petty emotions and wanton feelings. He had to give up any ideas of happiness or comfort. He had to lead humanity. He had to do what was best for his subjects, his children.

Suddenly the grieving wails of the gathered crowd grew to a new height as the funeral procession, haven gone the entire ten kilometers from the palace to the senate building, arrived in the plaza. The procession was led by a thousand horsemen, dressed in shining armor, dragging the enormous wagon upon which, on a bed of laurels and flowers, was a white and gold open coffin. In it was the body of the emperor, clasping a long sword, with a serene look on his face. Dressed in his military uniform, medals and ribbons covering his chest, and with his long purple cloak hanging from his shoulders, he looked peaceful. The body of his farther would be put to rest under the forty feet high marble statue, built in his honor and in his likeness, that flanked the door of the senate. Like his father, and his grandfather, and in time Augustus and his decedents, he would remain close to the heart of the empire. And close to his people. The statue depicted a young, strong man looking out towards the horizon. A steely, but paternal, gaze looking out across his kingdom. The statue looked nothing like him, Augustus thought, he had never looked so young. He was born old, tired, and conserned.

Suddenly, he felt a strong hand squeeze his shoulder. He turned around and saw the face of the man he vaguely recognized as the Grand Marshal. He had red rims around his eyes, but his reassuring smile helped calm Augustus down a bit. He gestured towards the rostrum, placed upon a large podium. It was time for Augustus to hold his speech. Slowly, deliberately, the shaking and sweating boy walked up towards it. When he reached it, he climbed it, his foot almost slipping on the side, but he quickly covered the small mistake. As he looked out across the plaza he could see hundreds of cameras and pict recorders. This speech would be transmitted to every single human in the whole system. A horrifying thought. He had practiced it several times these last few days. But standing here, before all of humanity? He swallowed and began.

"Residents of Earth and the Sol-system, my beloved people, my grieving subject. Today we are gathered to bid farewell to my father, the great Markus Tiberius, the third emperor of mankind". At this the wailing rose again. He let them have a moment so he could collect his thoughts and continue. He felt the speech slipping away from him. The hours of practice suddenly completely forgotten.

"I… I share with you your grief and sorrow. For I lost not only my emperor, but also my father. A man whom I dearly loved and respected".

Oh gods this I coming out all wrong. What was I supposed to say?

"But we cannot allow the grief of the loss of such a great man to let us… to let us lose sight of the future".

He was improvising now. Saying things he felt appropriate. Pieces of speeches he remembered his farther had practiced. Things he had read. He could hear the nervous shuffle of some of the senators behind him. He then realized that the entire plaza had become silent. The people hanging on his every word.

"Our emperor, my father, left this world before his time. And so I am left to carry this burden. We all know how he always strived for humanity to do better. For us to become more than we were. Under his benevolent rule we have reached new heights of power and development. We have wealth and prosperity beyond anything any of us could ever have dreamed of. But he always strived for more. He always wanted his subject, his beloved children, to do better. He carried the burden that is the title of Emperor. But he carried it on broad shoulder and he walked with his back straight".

Augustus was sweating profoundly. His under-tunic was drenched in it. He didn't know where it came from. He was improvising. Making it up as he went along. Then he remembered something from one of his father's speeches. One he had never used but which seemed appropriate.

"In the end, it killed him. But I intend to carry on as he did. I will walk in my father's footsteps and together, my beloved subjects, we will reach heights even he had never conceived of. We will walk the stars and we will make our mark. For that will be the legacy of Emperor Markus Tiberius. That will be his final gift to humanity. And I intend to execute this, his last will, and lead us towards a new future. A bright dawn".

He held up his arms to signal that he had finished. He felt his eardrums burst with the roar from the crowds as they shouted and screamed. I guess all those classes in rhetoric finally paid off, he was still shacking and still felt like he had to violently empty the contents of his stomach. But at least it was over. He resumed his place in front of the officials, several of them either with mouths agape at the ambush they felt they had been subject to, or joining the crowds in their shouts of approval. He had an idea of what the speech referred to. His father had always dreamed of being the emperor that led humanity from Earth. But now, that fate had befallen him. And he intended to continue his father's work. He knew that he had made an enemy of some of the senators. But right now he couldn't care less. He needed to sit down, he needed some water, he needed to sleep. And most of all, he needed to wake up from this nightmare.

April 5th 2158. Empire city. 23:26. Terran standard time. At the imperial palace.

Connors emptied another glass of wine, starring daggers at the young emperors back. You had to ruin it all didn't you, you little shit. You just couldn't leave well alone. After having lost face in the senate, haven been ambushed by his fellow senators and that bastard, Leo Nemak, Connors had all but committed career suicide. And since the new emperor seemed to continue his father's course of forcing humanity to reveal themselves to the galaxy, it seemed that he only had one chance to rescue his drowning career in politics. He walked through the masses of guests, gathered at the wake in the imperial palace to commemorate the dead emperor, and unsteadily made his way towards were the young emperor was having a subdued discussion with some dignitary that was too far beneath Connors for him to bother learning the name or occupation of.

"… so that is h-how we'll be able to replace th-th-the hopelessly outdated Ea-Eagle pattern Frigates with the more a-a-able Hawk pattern ones, without losing a significant amount of fi-firepower or…". The dignitary was talking in a rush of words, stammering and stumbling over his syllables, probably overwhelmed by the fact that the emperor would even deign to speak to him. Connors cut right in front of him. Confident that the emperor would rather speak to a man of his position and stature than to some lowly plebian.

"AH my lord! May I offer you my most sincere condolences for the loss of your father. And may I congratulate you on your fine speech this afternoon. You managed to perfectly encompass all that your glorious father stood for with those eloquent words. I'm happy to know that you, my lord, will follow the footsteps of your father and lead humanity from the front". He flashed him his white, newly bleached teeth in a heartening smile.

"I thank you for your support, honorable Consul, and I assure you that I intend to keep the course planned by my beloved father". The young emperor gave a nod to the consul before trying to resume his previous conversation with the confused and eager looking dignitary. Connors quickly stepped in front of the man to get the boys attention.

"Not to sound doubtful or to sully the glorious image of your father, for whom I only held respect and love, but does your highness not plan to make his own mark?" The young man looked at Connors, his face a blank mask.

"While your father was a great and noble man he perhaps overestimated humanity". Connors saw the uncertainty in the boy's face. This was all going exactly as planned.

"One of your father's many strengths was his optimism for the sake of humanity. But his belief in us, I am sorry to say, was perhaps misplaced. Contrary to what he had hoped, humanity isn't mentally prepared for leaving Earth. We simply aren't ready. And you, as the intelligent young man you are have, of course, already seen this". He licked his lips as he saw the young man stumble, his eyes downcast as he thought about what Connors said.

"The senators, of course, are only interested in lining their own pockets and will push forward the abolition of the midnight protocol, just like your esteemed father. However while your father did it for the sake of humanity and the common good, the senators do it for the sake of their wallets. Let me tell you, it's a nest of vipers. They are constantly at each other's throats, clawing and biting. They are scheming and corrupt. It takes a man of experience to navigate those treacherous seas". He held out a hand towards the young emperor.

"Let me help you my lord. I have long sailed those dangerous waters and I would be honored to represent you in the senate. As your right hand man I'm sure we can keep those greedy vipers from destroying what your father built". He held his hand out expectantly, waiting for the boy to take it. To seal the deal. Augustus looked into Connors eyes. That's right, I'm here to help you, you little runt. It seemed that the boy had made up his mind when they were suddenly interrupted.

"My lord! Honorable consul! So this is where you have been hiding. I have been looking everywhere for you".

Seemingly from out of nowhere, the young senator Leo Nemak materialized besides the two. Damn! So close, and now he is going to ruin it all!

"I assure you honorable senator. His excellency and I have not been 'hiding'. We are simply having a civilized discussion about the future of the empire". He smiled at the young senator, but his eyes thundered at him.

"Indeed good sir. The Consul and I were discussing political matters of great concern to the honorable consul" Augustus said in a friendly tone. "I do apologize but I do not recognize you from anywhere sir. You say you are a senator?"

Nemak bowed low before the emperor and said in his usually fast cheeky manner.

"My most sincere apologies your highness. I am Leo Nemak. Senator of the second parish of Luna and son of Leonard Nemak, the owner of the 'Spartan arms' factories".

The emperor face lit up in a smile.

"I recognize the name. Your father was a good friend, and staunch supporter of my predecessor. The house of Nemak is in good standing with the house of Tiberius."

Nemak seemed to be very pleased with himself, glancing at the fuming Consul. Feeling the conversation slip away from him the consul quickly tried to redirect the flow.

"About my proposition sire. I am your most Leal subject and only wish to lend my support to your person and…" he was immediately interrupted by the meddling young senator.

"And what proposition might that be my most esteemed Consul if you don't mind me asking?"

Before the Consul could dismiss him with some half-truth the Emperor quipped in.

"The honorable Consul wishes to represent me in the Senate. We seem to share a concern regarding the future of humanity".

The consul smiled at Nemak. That's right, he's mine so you can just sod off. However the senator didn't seem deterred in the least.

"Why would you need a representative your highness? Your father attended almost all the senate meetings personally and you, as a spitting image of him, would surely not neglect your duties?"

The emperor's face resumed a politely neutral expression as he thought about that. Connors heart felt like it was gripped by a claw as he studied the young emperor's face as he thought about that. Finally the boy looked up and declared.

"I would like that. Indeed I would like that very much. Perhaps I will appoint a representative if ever the burden of attending the senatorial meeting should become too heavy to bear. But until then I shall strive to uphold the ideals of the Empire and represent the people in the senate along with the esteemed senators".

He nodded to the Senator and the consul who both bowed before the Emperor as he turned to leave. Connors could hardly contain his rage. He wanted to hit the damned bastard of a senator. He wanted to strangle the foolish boy who was playing emperor. They had cost him everything, his one opportunity to regain his standing in the Senate, lost. The senator even had the nerve to openly smile at him as he left. His hands shook and he desperately griped a bottle of wine from a passing servant, and took a generous swig. He stormed out through the gates, searching for the exit, stumbling on the large marble stairs as he walked past the swarm of guests and rows of guards. When he was finally outside he threw the bottle against the white walls of the palace. It shattered, spreading wine and broken glass everywhere. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it…

April 6th 2158. Empire city. 01:08. Terran standard time. Onboard the Cruiser 'Calebor' orbiting Mars.

"Engines online and responding sir!"

"Shields powered up and ready sir!"

"Forward torpedo tubes loaded and ready sir!"

"All hands in lower decks report ready sir!"

"All essential personnel reporting ready sir!"

A middle aged man, with the ranking pins of a lieutenant, marched up to captain Bernard Comdell and slapped a fist to his left chest.

"Sir, all stations report ready! Awaiting your orders".

Comdell looked out across his ship. From the CIC he had a good view of the men and women under his command. He enjoyed watching them swarm around the deck. He was used to the controlled chaos that flowed around him when he was in command of a battleship. He had served onboard dozens of ships in his career, and on each of them it had been exactly the same. There had always been that element of chaos to the orderly proceedings. But the 'Calebor', was not a normal ship.

"Load power into engines and prepare for sub-space transit".

The lieutenant saluted and marched away.

"Prepare to initiate transit! Prepare to initiate transit!"

The crew bolted to their respective seats. Preparing for the, sometimes, violent transit from real-space to sub-space. The preferred method of transport for Terran vessels. Comdell had always marveled at the simplicity of the answers with which humanity's scientist had successfully circumvented the use of the aliens "mass effect" technology by inventing their own, and in his opinion, superior way of travel.

"Engines charged and ready sir! Awaiting your order to start!"

He didn't understand much of it, but then he didn't have to understand it to appreciate its potential. He had simply been explained that since the universe was cone shaped, with them occupying the top most layer where the distance is greatest, they could travel the distance between stars faster than light by opening a portal into sub-space. The lowest point in the universe and therefore the place where the distance was smallest. In essence they made a wormhole, where they could then navigate between the stars many times faster than light, and then return to real-space wherever they wanted. However, since most ships could only remain in sub-space for a couple of hours at a time before the engines overloaded, then having to wait for a few hours while they cooled off, they had to make the jump precisely to the point that they were needed. Once out of sub-space, the engines would need a minimum of four hours before initiating another transit. The transportation method was quick, simple but lacked one key ingredient. He signaled his helmsman who then proceeded to roar yell across the intercom.

"Initiate transit!"

Immediately everyone on board felt their stomachs churn and heave and a pressure building up behind their brows. The exterior view from the ship changed from a beautiful vista of the Sol-system, to numerous stars shooting by at an incredible speed. Although they only flew in circulations around the system he felt like he could feel the huge distance they were traveling.

"All systems online and operational. Engines green. All hands reporting ready".

He massaged his brow. The pain in his head and stomach dwindling after the transit.

"All right everybody listen up!"

Everyone dropped what they were doing to look at the captain. Awaiting a briefing, or further orders.

"As you all know by now, this cruiser is not a standard piece of flying steel and good hopes. This is a special ship designed to remain in sub-space while it fires its weaponry."

There was a collected intake of breath. He could see the disbelief on their faces. As a seasoned Captain working for the ministry of science in the C.E.W.D* sub-department, he was used to all the stupid, crazy and often suicidal experiments that the ministry had them do to make their ships a little better, a little faster and just a little bit more deadly. The high pay didn't help much compared to the high fatality rate. But this was something else. Everyone new that firing your weapons while in sub-space meant that you would most likely hit yourself as the round was pressed back into the barrel.

"We will test out the new weapons system against a retired destroyer with upgraded shields in orbit over Mercury. The simulations have shown that the systems should work excellently, but remember! This is the first field testing of this weapon. So any data must be recorded and saved. That is all. Resume your posts!"

He turned back to his view-screen. On it was a real-time image of their target, a large derelict destroyer from the beginning of the human empire. Reinforced with extra powerful shields and built to withstand an incredible amount of firepower, this would be the ultimate test of the new weapon. If the trial was successful they would continue with more and more dangerous test and task. Testing the weapons versatility and utility in different situations and under different amount of duress. Although he had said that the simulations had been good, everyone new that with technology created by the C.E.W.D it was mostly trial and error. In case of an error they would most likely not live to report it. All for the sake of humanity.

"Sir, we have locked forward torpedoes on target. Ready to fire."

He looked back at the woman hiding in the shadows behind the CIC. She was a representative of the Department of science, or so she claimed, here to oversee the entire operation. He did feel a little nervous with her here. It was like she wasn't interested in the test at all. He was almost certain that she was watching him and his men. Evaluating them. And he had his suspicions about her.

"On my mark, fire torpedo 2 and 3."

He looked at the women. Making sure that everything was going as planned. He noticed the way she was typing on her multi-tool. The dark red glow on her wrist, illuminating her face, standing in stark contrast to her dark uniform. She didn't look like a science type. If thirty-five years as an officer in the Imperial fleet had taught him anything, it was how to spot something out of the ordinary. The way she stood, her half hidden parade-ground stance, the way her back was straight even though she was relaxing, and the subtle way her arm twitched whenever an officer of rank addressed her. She was military if ever he saw one. But he decided to play along. No reason to make any enemies about something that was above his pay grade.

"Everything ready ma'am. Awaiting your command".

She didn't answer but simply continued typing. When he was beginning to think that she hadn't heard him she looked up and nodded. He turned around to face down the rows of deck hands and officers, all staring at him intently, waiting for the signal. After a few seconds, that felt like an eternity, he roared.

"Fire torpedoes!"

Instantly the stillness and quit that had fallen across the ship in the interlude vanished. Everything was a flurry of action and motion. Men and women running everywhere, people shouting headings, course and speed. To make the test more demanding the cruiser was moving as fast as it could go, making the chance of a miss greater. Controlled by VIs it would make every effort to evade the blow.

"Torpedoes away!"

The ship shook. Everyone held their breaths. When a few seconds had passed, and the ship didn't seem to be going up in a ball of flames, the entire crew cheered. Well that was the first stage. He turned towards the gunner, who was monitoring the torpedoes progress.

"Gunner Swenson! How are the torpedoes?"

Gunner Swenson watched his display intently. Starring at the screen, waiting for it to tell him what he wanted to know.

"They are still in sub-space… It doesn't look like the… Wait! They just left sub-space, they are on course."

This time the entire ship cheered. He had transmitted the message over the intercom, letting everyone hear the good news. It had never been done before. Any ammunition fired in sub-space would normally be pressed back into the barrel, which would destroy the guns, and subsequently the ship, but in this case they had manage to not only fire the torpedoes, but make them materialize in real-space. Once again humanity has done the impossible. He smiled at the thought of his races ingenuity. Looking at the screen he saw the destroyer in orbit over Mercury. Once the torpedoes left sub-space it was only a matter of time before the auto-targeting-system would guide them towards their goal. And so he waited, the seconds ticking away.

Then he saw two blue sparks speeding towards the moving target. When they were almost right on top of the of the ship, one of the torpedoes suddenly veered off and dropped towards the planet, its targeting system damaged from the voyage he guessed. The other hit the strong shields of the destroyer. There was a spectacular explosion as the shields cut out, but otherwise the ship was intact. He turned towards the woman, a big smile on his lips.

"Test complete ma'am. I'd say it was a stunning success."

The woman smiled back.

"Indeed it was captain. Now if you will excuse me I must return to my offices, I have a report to make."

"Congratulations men. The drinks are on me tonight. Bring her back to real-space"

He made a salute, noticing the twitch of her arm, before she turned and left. Weird, would have thought she would have been happier, having done the impossible. He put the thought from his mind and went over to congratulate his crew.

"Well done everybody. The drinks are on me tonight. Now bring her back into real-space"

Anne Ferdanow, of the military internal investigations agency, was indeed quite pleased with the results. That they hadn't all been blown to smithereens had been the best she could have hoped for, but that the weapons system actually worked, albeit with a few minor details still to fix, spoke volumes of her continued work. Her quiet observations would make for quite the report. Captain Comdell had performed admirably, his men too for that matter. Although the test was a success, it was only one in a long row of many that would be performed, to get a satisfactory result. The right people, the right equipment, and the right leadership, that was what she and her colleagues were looking for. Only the best of the best for the new sub division that had discreetly been formed under the Imperial navy. Something mysteriously labeled the "Dönitz initiative". The pressure behind her brow and the lurching of her stomach told her that they had returned to real-space. She made another note on her tool as she descended towards the hanger bay. Indeed, her superiors would be very pleased.

C.E.W.D: Contra-extraterrestrial-weapon-designs.

A/N

Hi everyone. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all those reviewers who have helped me improving my story. They are all greatly appreciated :) Since many of you wrote about the long blocks of text, I have tried to severely reduce their size. Hope everyone felt that this chapter was more comfortable to read. Please, if you have any further advice or suggestions don't hesitate to review. Constructive criticism is the only way for me to improve so feel free to give some pointers and advice. Next chapter will deal heavily with politics and negotiations. I'm afraid that first contact may be another chapter away for all of you who are impatiently waiting for humanity to get out there, but fear not! It is approaching. Since there was a question regarding the technology of the Empire of Man this last bit became a bit heavy with it. I'm no techie but I hope that you can forgive me for any inaccuracies regarding physics and I hope it gave you all a sense of how the human technology compares to that of the Council races. Until next time :)