PART ONE

Munus

Chapter I

"I submit Exhibit Alpha to the Governing Council. Feel free to examine it for any signs of tampering."

"Looks like a... holorecorder!"

"Oh, Octavian is sure doomed now."

"It's probably just pictures of Gnaeus's vacation on Iplip last year."

"Inquisitor, is this actually a holorecorder, or some kind of high-tech spying device?"

"Lady Maris, I can assure you that it is actually a holorecorder. And I kindly ask the Council to not take this evidence lightly, this is no joke."

"I'm pretty sure the Scriptor fell asleep."

"What? Scriptor!"

"Made you look."

"Damn it, Cali!"

"That's Altus Magister Caligus to you, Inquisitor. Can you please continue? I have dinner with the accused after this. We're celebrating his acquittance."

"Plebius Legatus, do you recognize this holorecorder?"

"Yes, sir. It's mine. It has my name on the side."

"When did you last use this holorecorder?"

"At the last party I attended on the Grave Munus, sir."

"And what happened at this party?"

"Sir, I would rather just have you look at the recording while I wish I wasn't here."

"If the Council approves, I will activate the recording."

"Bonae Fatae, is that-"

"No..."

"That's impossible. He would never do that."

"Is that you, Iulia?"

"Go to hell, Cali."

"Legate, what are you doing with that holorecorder?" High Lord and High General Octavius, known just as Octavian by his friends, looked at the uniformed Plebius Legatus who was holding a holorecorder in his right hand and a tall glass filled to the brim with an orange sugary concoction in his left. The holorecorder was pointed right at Octavian and the petite female Solnik under his right shoulder.

"Making a recording to show my friends, sir! This will go viral on the Rete once you become the Summus Imperator!"

Octavian grew very still. They had noticed the Legate following them after they had gotten done throwing utensils at extra light-orbs that had been procured from a storage closet.

"Legatus, it is public knowledge that the Summus Imperator has yet to name his heir." Altus Praefectus Iulia Vita Maris, High Admiral of the Solnik Imperial Fleet and Octavian's longtime girlfriend, spoke in the low tones that she used while commanding her ships through the voids of space. Even though she spoke softly, Octavian was sure that she could be heard perfectly by everyone in a two meter radius. She had a voice that drew immediate attention, which was a trait that complemented her well when it came to her job.

"Sic, but we all know that he's gonna be the one when he finally-"

Octavian drew himself up to his full height and put a stern edge in his voice. "Dismissed, Legate." He had no wish to be reminded of his former master's impending death.

The Legate stood at attention and saluted, pounding the hand holding the holorecorder against his chest. He grimaced in pain, and started rubbing at the point of impact as he walked away.

Iulia wrapped her arms around Octavian's chest and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. "Don't worry, Oct."

"I'm not worried." Octavian somehow managed to get the words out without his voice cracking.

"And I'm a Coruscanti makeup saleswomen."

"That explains the spilled perfume on my dresser."

Iulia kicked him softly. "You're trying to get out of talking about this."

Octavian started to move towards a long table to the left of the hanger with various bottles of all shapes and sizes on it. He had to press his was through the crowd, but it at least gave him something to occupy himself with. He eventually looked at Iulia, who was walking besides him now.

"Everyone dies, Oct."

"You don't have to remind me. You really don't." He was halfway to the table, and was distracting himself from the somber topic by picking out the various labels on the bottles.

"Varius is old. He's already done with his will."

"So? He's going to live for a hundred more years. He's only two thousand."

"Two thousand and fifty one."

"Whatever." Octavian made it to the table and consoled himself by pouring himself a glass of a blue liquid. Maybe some Iktha, a berry wine pressed out of the bright blue berries that gave the drink it's name, could calm him down.

Iulia, knowing what he was about to do, made a gesture with her hand. The liquid stopped in mid-pour as if it suddenly changed it's mind. "You need to be ready to take over when he finally goes, Oct."

"You think I don't know that!"

Octavian suddenly realized that all the eyes in a five meter radius were on them.

"I think you just don't want to think about it."

"He raised me, cared for me, taught me everything he knew. He helped me make my first saber." Octavian unconsciously touched the handle at his belt. The warm metal gave him no comfort. Not this time.

"Which he did for a reason. He did it because he knew you were going to be in charge of the Empire one day." Iulia clenched her fist and the wine resumed obeying the laws of physics.

"He did it because it was his duty." Octavian took a sip of the wine. It was warm, and not very good. Even his wine was deserting him now. He needed something else to occupy his mind.

"Exactly." Iulia was obviously going to keep pressing the matter until Octavian gave in and seriously listened to her. He had no plans of that being today, so he put the glass of warm wine down on the table and started to walk away. He knew from the clacking noises behind him that Iulia was following him. Somehow it was the only sound he could hear over the loud music coming over the hanger intercom.

He took a familiar route to one of the ships lifts. While he waited for it to come to him, Iulia made yet another attempt at the conversation.

"I know what the problem is."

Octavian hit the button that summoned the lift again.

"You're afraid of losing the one person who helped you when-"

Octavian hurried inside once the lift door opened. He turned around and looked at Iulia. Her bright blue eyes had a determined hardness to them, but Octavian could tell that it was just for show. He was comforted, somewhat, that she didn't want to do this. But they both knew that her duty, for the good of the Empire, was to make sure that he was emotionally ready for the baton that was going to be passed to him. The first day on the job, he was expected to work at a hundred and one percent efficiency, no matter what inner turmoil he faced.

Iulia stopped talking, and just looked at him with pity in her deep blue eyes as he hit the button that closed the door.