Nota bene;

These guys deserve some credit for both the content in my story and the content in my life:

BlackButler25 (Jordan); For being such a great help for forming the plot for Part One, some reminders, and yelling at me to put MOAR COMMAS

Elven Emma (Emma); For being there for me when I needed somebody to lean on, and for telling me that my names are stupid. Well (CENSORED) you too

My Reviewers; For giving me that treasured commodity called "input". I love you guys.

My Readers; For making me smile every time someone views the story. I love ya'll too. Review!

And finally, mea amor; for being such an easy character to write.

Sperate in Fata, mei amici.

PART ONE

Munus

Chapter II

"I call upon my second bonus observator, one Alte Indagator Livia Scios Trehen. Lady Trehen, can you tell me-"

"Yes, it's mine. Whatever it is."

"Indagator, how did you know what I was going to ask?"

"It's my job. I could tell from your body language and tone of voice that you were totally sure that you knew the answer to your next question. I didn't even have to use the Force."

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

"We'll take your word for it."

"Indagator, do you recognize this datachip?"

"It's probably one of the thousands that you subpoenaed from my department at two in the morning."

"It's a certain report written about one Alte Dux. How often do you file reports about members of the Governing Council?"

"Once a week."

"And how do you get the information?"

"S.I.I representatives that can report on each member."

"So, spies."

"Spy is such a nasty word."

"When was the most recent report you filed about High General Antilho?"

"A few days ago, probably a few hours before the incident being reviewed."

"And what did you say?"

"I stated that Octavian was making a very smart move, considering that all signs we had pointed to a renewed Chiss offensive on our borders unless we gave them a reason to rethink that."

"And what else did you say?"

"That he had rationalized it in his head that he was defending the Honor of the Solnik Empire."

"And do you agree with him?"

"Well, they did insult the entire Solnik race..."

"Don't apologize, you were right." Octavian stood looking out the massive viewport that dominated an entire wall of his quarters. He had a room in the center of Grave Munus and it gave him a perfect view of the two prongs of his personal flagship. It had all the amenities that a High Lord constantly on the move needed. Refresher, kitchen, living room, dining room, communications room, master bedroom, and a guest bedroom. It was a home away from home. However, Octavian longed to return to his real home on Sol, but he knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon even if Iulia thought it would.

"So why are you up here, then?" Silent as a phantom, Iulia came up behind him and put her arms around his chest. Octavian could feel her worry for him. It had been a few days since he had closed the turbolift doors on her. She had left a few hours later on the shuttle she had came on, and Octavian hadn't heard from her since. Then, when the Hanger Control had commed him saying that her shuttle had arrived, he didn't know what to think. He still didn't.

"I'm supposed to be getting ready for the 'peace talks' with the Ascendency."

"I know. Livi commed me. But that's not the answer to the question."

"I... don't know." And he really didn't. He knew that his former master's death was unavoidable, as were all deaths, but he still felt there was something he could do to prevent it. Some panacea, some rare artifact on some lost planet, some long-forgotten Force power. But he knew that all they would do was stall the inevitable hand of the void.

"I know what you're going through right now, and I know it's going to be tough, but you know what Varis would say,"

"Sperate in Fata." They both said it at the same time. Trust in the Fates. Octavian turned from the window, and looked at Iulia. She stood a whole head shorter than him, had long brown hair that fell past her shoulders, and had soft skin that practically glowed. Her eyes, the typical blue of all Solniks with the exception of one, burned with the fires of her passions. She looked just like a sixteen year old human, even though she was about a hundred times that age. Solniks matured slowly, even though they lived to be about two thousand one hundred years old. Because their brains would probably overload if they kept growing at a normal rate, they grew slowly along with the body. But after two thousand years old, the brain grew faster than the body did. It grew at about the same speed of a human's brain, except it didn't stop. It grew. And grew. And grew. After a few years, the aging Solnik could think faster than the most powerful supercomputer. Eventually, the brain grew too big for the skull, and it cracked. The brain overheated and turned into mush. Or the Solnik became insane, and killed themselves. A number of things could happen.

Which was why Octavian was so worried about Varis. He wanted him to die peacefully, in his sleep. Not in pain.

Sperate in Fata. Octavian had to, lest he grow more focused on the future than the present. He wondered if the Fates were laughing at him right now, seeing what they were doing to his head.

"High Lord Antilho."

The sudden noise jolted Octavian out of the deep confines of his brain. He looked at the intercom unit on the other side of the room. He exerted his will on the transmit button using the Force.

"Yes?"

"Incoming communication for you, sir. From the S.I.I department." The voice was emotionless. It was probably a new crew member; any experienced officer would already have accepted the communication and know who was calling for him. Solnik Imperial Intelligence did not make calls unless it was extremely important. The gossip around the fleet, which Octavian knew to be true, was that S.I.I had it's operatives in every other department represented on the Governing Council, and reported everything back to their headquarters.

"Route it to my quarters."

"Yes, my Lord." The crackle coming from the intercom signaled that the line had been cut.

As soon as Octavian and Iulia had entered the communications room, the table in the center was already glowing. A life size image of the caller, who probably stood a few inches taller than Iulia, floated above the table. They wore long robes of black with a purple border, a style that was awarded only to members of the Governing Council. Without looking at the face, Octavian knew who it was going to be.

"Altus Indagator Livia, a pleasure, as always." Octavian saluted, as did Iulia, pounding their right fists above the upper left side of their chests. Livia responded with the same gesture.

"High Lords Antilho."

Iulia grinned, and wrapped her arm around Octavian's. "Not yet, Livi. Maybe soon though."

Livia grinned as well, laughing as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "I have some handy hormones I can let you borrow to use on him, if he hasn't worked up the courage yet."

Octavian rolled his eyes. Iulia just pulled the edge of his blue tunic. "Oh, he has all the hormones he needs..."

"Livi, why did you call?" Octavian asked.

"My agents are reporting a large fleet forming above the Csilla system. It looks like they're planning something."

"Couldn't they just be trying to equal the firepower of the Munus?"

"Unlikely. Although they have seen Imperious class ships before, it looks more like they're going to try some foul play."

"Chiss?" Iulia spoke up from besides Octavian. "The words 'Chiss' and 'foul play' don't even work in the same sentence. They're even more honorable than Oct is."

Watch it. Octavian sent Iulia through the Force. She sent him back what could be described as a coy smile and the accompanying emotions.

"I doubt it." Livia said, an odd spark going through her eyes. Amusement? "Either way, something is up. Whether it's posturing or diplomatic or preparations for an attack, we're rerouting part of the Omicron fleet to your route."

Octavian felt a cloud of concern rise from Iulia, and just below the surface there lay a feeling of being ignored. Livia had moved Fleet personnel and ships without talking to Iulia, and although it was well within her powers if she claimed it to be necessary, she probably still should have talked to Iulia about it first. So, Octavian wasn't surprised in the slightest when Iulia mentioned it next.

"Ask me next time, ok? Just to be polite and let me in on the loop." She frowned, and pushed a stray lock of dark hair out of her face. Octavian wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He could feel the rage bubbling inside her, and he gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Iuls, that's what I'm calling to tell you now." Livia smiled.

"How did you know she was on board?" Octavian asked, forcing a small smile.

"I know people. Livia out." The crackle and the disappearance of the floating High Lady signaled the end of the transmission.

"She really jams my cannons some times." Iulia spun around and stormed out of the communications room. She walked into the master bedroom across the hall, and threw off her crimson robe that displayed to everyone that she was the Altus Praefectus of the Navy. Underneath she had a thin breastplate made of a dark material, probably more for show than anything else. She threw that on top of the robe that lay on the floor. She was left in just a tight blue tunic and tan leggings.

"It's her job." Octavian picked up Iulia's discarded garments and put them neatly on an armchair. The master bedroom of the Commanding Officer suite had a large bed in the center, a few dressers against a wall, a large cabinet, a sitting area with a holotable as the centerpiece, and a door to the refresher. It was as sparsely decorated as the rest of the suite. The only personal decorations Octavian had put up were a few holopictures of him and his close friends, a banner with the Solnik Quattor Dogmata emblazoned on it, and a large painting of the capitol of the Solnik Empire, Sol. He looked at it as he took off his robe and the uniform underneath.

Iulia fell face forward on the bed, ruffling the soft blankets. She grabbed a cream colored pillow and shoved her face into it. Her hair lay chaotically around her shoulders. "She didn't have to do such a good job at it."

Octavian made his way to her side of the large bed, and sat on the edge. Forgetting the arguments that seemed like so many years ago, he put a comforting hand on her back. "Her Ascension to the Council was for a reason, Iul." He slowly brought the hand on her back up to her shoulders, where he started trying in vain to rub out the tension in her muscles. He sent a steady stream of warm emotions through the Force as well.

Iulia lifted her head halfway out of the pillow. "You know what she did the other day? Moved an entire fleet, the entire fleet, from their exercises in the Gydline system halfway across the Empire to the middle of nowhere. Didn't even tell me why, that canicula." Even though her voice was full of anger, Octavian could feel that it was subsiding from her presence.

She continued, obviously enraptured by the idea of having a complaining session. "And then, she had the audacity to ask me the next day if I wanted to have dinner with her on her estate."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I was busy organizing the unveiling of the new vespa-fighter."

"Which is next year."

Iulia rolled over and stared at the gray ceiling. She let out a long breath, as if trying to release all the negative feelings. She took a few more deep breaths and finally said, "Whatever."

Octavian leaned back, letting his back fall on her torso. He could feel the tight ab muscles, strengthened from years of rigid exercise routines, loosen under his spine. He could feel every breath, every heartbeat, every movement. After a few minutes, he checked the time on his timepiece by the bed. "We should be entering hyperspace soon."

At that moment, the intercom in the master bedroom crackled. "Entering hyperspace now, sir. We've traded calculations with the Omicron forces, and we've dialed down our hyperdrives so we should reach Csilla at approximately the same time."

"Very good." Octavian said. He winked at Iulia and grinned. "If you need me, I'll be discussing Council matters with the High Admiral."

"Yes sir, very good sir. Have fun, sir."