Seth rolled over in her bed. She stared at the ceiling, feeling nothing but cold to her right where once there had been warmth and the beating heart of another.

Solomon.

Her eyes closed. He would never sleep beside her again. Not with the need to sell the fact the Nightlord siblings were no more. It was for peace.

This did nothing to console her. Even the thought of knowing they were no longer the same, didn't help. Back when she had first met him, it had been so much simpler. Granted, during their first meeting she had been seeing someone else, but he had been so kind and warm despite the lack of showing emotion.

Seth squeezed her eyes closed tighter. Couldn't they go back to the way it had been on Mars? No. It was impossible. Still, she wanted nothing more than to have her husband back.

x – The Past – x

x – Mars – x

"Seth."

Seth jumped. She had been so involved with the nano-machines she hadn't heard someone enter the lab.

The man who had entered had brown hair and dark brown eyes. he wore an older suit under a lab coat. The coat was rimmed in the yellow of the medical staff of the Mars Colony.

His eyes softened a little. "Sorry, Lieutenant, it wasn't my intention to sneak up on you."

"It's okay Doctor Williams." Seth returned the man's smile. He was always warm and kind even to her, her siblings, and Lilith. The doctor didn't seem to mind they were enhanced humans at all. "What can I do for you?"

"You have a volunteer to be injected with the bacillus." He held out a tablet to her.

"I do?" Seth blinked as she took the tablet. It had a file on it. "I thought most people didn't want to have alien tech injected into them especially tech that been in actual aliens."

"They don't," Kayson confirmed. "I happen to agree. This man is a special case however."

A special case? Seth frowned and looked at the file. She blinked at the picture of the soldier who had volunteered. He was very handsome with the same dark, coppery skin as Lilith. His short hair was neat and cut in the style of the military. His uniform pointed to him being a security officer. His eyes were brown and features even, expressionless.

"I've given you his medical information," Kayson told her. "And I am going to assist you with the injection."

Seth nodded. "Thank you, Doctor Williams." She flipped through his file.

Solomon was one of the two officers tied for third ranked among the security team. His record was impressive to say the least. He not only was a security officer but was brilliant scientist from what she could read. He had been working with both security and a few under her in getting parts of the colony's water mines up and running.

There was more. He was marked as a genius, having created a genetic weapon as a teenager and dabbled into many different fields. His combat skill was ranked very low however. It seemed the military had accepted into their ranks because of who his father was and his skill as a scientist.

Seth moved to the medical file.

She froze.

This – it was why his combat ranking was so low. It had to be. He was dying. He had been for years. His body attack itself. By this he had only a few months left to him.

"Doctor, are you sure we should," Seth couldn't finish the question. She looked up at Kayson to see pain written across the doctor's face. "What is it?"

"He has less time than his file says," Kayson confessed. "Mars has done little to help his health and he pushes himself beyond his limits." The doctor looked at Seth. "He wants this."

"But why?" If he had so little time left, it didn't make sense to risk that time with volunteering to be injected with a nano-machine they knew so little about.

"You should meet him. Bring what should be injected into him as well."

Seth nodded and gathered what she would need. She followed Kayson to the hospital. He led her to a private room. There were very few private rooms in this hospital.

The room was well lit with a window showing part of the colony and looking out of the dome at the landscape of Mars beyond.

Solomon was seated in a wheel chair at the window. He was hooked up to several IVs, one of which was blood.

"Solomon, I brought the lieutenant." Kayson crossed over the room to Solomon.

The officer turned. His eyes fell over Seth.

Air caught in Seth's lungs as she found herself staring into his eyes and face. He was paler than his photo made him out to be, but no less handsome.

She shook the thought from her mind and forced a smile. "Hi!" She waved a greeting. "I was told you were volunteering to be the first one injected with the bacillus?"

Solomon gave the slightest bow of his head. "Correct." Little emotion came through the word.

Seth joined him and Kayson. "Doctor can I talk to him alone?" Seth looked up at Kayson eyes wide. "Please. Promise I'll get you before we start anything."

"All right." To Solomon, Kayson said, "I'll just be on the other side of the door."

Solomon gave Kayson a bow of his head. "Thank you, Doctor Williams."

Seth waited until the Kayson had left the room before turning to Solomon. "Why are you doing this?" she blurted out the question.

The officer looked at her. There was nothing in his face, nothing to give away what he was thinking or feeling. "Doesn't it make sense to do this one of the colony who is already dying?" The question was even and so matter-of-fact it took Seth's breath away.

"Yes, well, actually, no." She didn't know what to say. "You have so much more you can do for the colony."

A small smile twitched at the corners of his face. "Such as?"

"You're a scientist. You've been helping," Seth trailed off as her eyes met his once more.

Nothing.

"You don't have a few months left, do you?" she found herself compelled to ask.

"No," he stated.

Nothing. The word felt empty of all emotion. There was no pain. No fear. It was just a word to him, betraying nothing of his feelings.

Seth dropped her gaze. He was her age. There was only a few months difference in age between them. To be robbed of life at their age… it wasn't fair. And this, he just seemed so closed off to it all.

"But you are right."

Seth looked. "I am?"

"I can still be of use to the colony."

Her heart sank. She knew where he was going with this and didn't like it.

"I can by being the test subject for the bacillus nano-machines."

She couldn't look at him. This, it just felt so wrong.

A cool hand touched hers. Seth blinked and saw the medical tubes over copper skinned hand. His touch was soft, even as she felt the weakness in the fingers which shook over the top of her hand. He was weak from fighting his disease.

"The injection alone could kill you," Seth interject. She looked up once more. He couldn't just throw away his life like this. It wasn't right no matter how much time he had left.

"I know."

Seth took a deep breath and forced herself to keep her eyes locked on his. "Then why?"

"I told you."

"What about what you want or need?"

"I have gotten my one wish."

Seth scowled. "That," she broke off. "You have?"

Solomon bowed his head and then looked over his shoulder. "I wanted to see another world. To leave Earth. I have." He looked at her. While his face was expressionless his eyes had softened. "Now, I can do one last thing for the colony and that is see the side effects of being injected with the bacillus."

There was no talking him out of it. Seth admitted she wanted to know what would happen if the bacillus was injected into a human. But, still, she didn't want it to be this man. There was just something about him which made her want to spare him from pain.

Her hand wrapped around his larger one. She could feel the medical tubes and the liquids in them. His hand shook in hers.

This, it wasn't an act he was making out of stupidity, was it? He wasn't doing it for himself. His words made that clear. He truly wanted to help the colony and humanity one last time.

"I'm ready," he told her.

Seth nodded. "All right!" She forced her voice to be cheery. "Let me get Kayson then."

x – Present Day – x

x – Seth – x

Seth stood before the doors into the dining room where all the others would be gathering. Her mind replayed the first meeting with Solomon repeatedly. She hadn't known him then. In the end, she was happy to have been given the chance to get to know him. To be married to him and loved by him.

No matter what the future brought, she knew, at least for a time, Solomon would be close to her. Not as close as before, but there to aid in whatever came for the empire, with no thoughts of what he himself wanted. He was so much like her dearest brother. Perhaps that was why she had been attracted to him. Perhaps, it was his mind.

Seth took a deep breath and entered the dining room.

The others were already gathered. Thema was seated by her husband, Barack, and even Alexander's wife, Celia, had joined them this time around. The only ones not there was Valdemar and Aran.

This, they were the future of the empire. The leaders who would had aided Seth's brother in running the colony and later the empire. Now they would aid her as they had done with her brother. There was no way she would ever have the same level of loyality from them as her brother had. She had known this from the start, but at least the people of the empire would know they were safe under all of them and their descendants.

Thema and Celia had more than a right to be apart of these meetings and to know it was Seth heading the empire. Thema was the head of science and development within the empire. Celia had taken the place of Lilith as head of medical departments. Both aided in running the empire already. It wasn't just their husbands who were important.

Seth moved to the head of the table.

Celia smiled. "I had a feeling you were Augusta," stated the doctor. "I'm glad you're the one running the empire, Seth, and not someone else." She bowed her head. "I will be happy to serve you as the head of the medical department."

"As I am to continue working under you as the head of science." Thema nodded.

"Thank you both." A feeling of warmth spread through Seth. The two of them were good friends. While her brother was friends with Barack and Alexander, Seth had been given ample time to speak with and grow close to Thema and Celia. "I asked all of you here today to discuss the future of the empire." Seth tried to hold herself such that she looked the part of the empress.

Deep down she knew no matter how straight she sat, she would never radiate the air and ease of command her brother had. There had been something about her brother which command the loyalty and respect no matter if he was slouched in a seat or with his back straight.

"Part of the future of the empire, rests in the amount of territory we hold and natural resources we can gather. Trade is going to be slow in coming back to the empire given most terran nations still don't trust us. And I would rather not start another war over resources."

"But you also said, 'amount of territory,'" Alexander pointed out. "We only have what we started the war with. That's still a little larger than some nations, but not really the amount I think you're think of."

Seth smiled at the pilot. "True." She turned her gaze on Thema. "Years ago my brother had you start researching the Desolate area to see if there was a reverse and rejuvenate the land."

"Yes, he did. I had to put the project aside as the war continued on," Thema confessed.

"I would like to join in returning to the project. With Solomon and myself aiding you it will see completion within a few years."

Thema smiled. "It will a pleasure to work with the two of you again."

Solomon gave the slightest bow of his head. He didn't speak against the idea either. By the motion alone, Seth figured he had already considered revitalizing the project.

"We are going to have pick carefully what we restore," Celia piped in. "We will have to hold the territory after all."

"Which brings me to the other matter I wanted to discuss." Seth lifted her head. "Starting up a nobility system in the empire. The nobles will hold the lands we restore and other lands across the empire. They will also have estates here in Byzantium, but their main estate will be in their territory."

Celia nodded. "Makes sense."

"You talked about this before," Alexander stated. "I mean, it makes sense. And you did mention something about us."

Seth smiled at the pilot. "I would still love each of you to be the first among the nobility." She turned to the servants in the room. "Alain, can you bring in a map?"

Alain bowed before he stepped up. He had the map ready to go, having talked with Seth before the meeting. He spread the map before them and set down a grouping of colored pens on the table as well.

Seth folded her legs under to gain height and picked up a pen. "The old dukedom of Tigris rests just here." She drew south of the capital in an area of the desolation. She picked up another color. "This means we can restore down around this point. She drew another line which bordered the sea and up into the current empire. She made it to the current Yaegrow Dukedom which rested on one of their boarders. "Any higher and we will appear as if we want territory too close to the other nations."

"Makes sense," Barack agreed.

"It is the best way to avoid war." Solomon frowned and touched the dukedom she had first pointed out. "You mentioned Tigris."

"Yep." Seth smiled at him. "That will be your territory. Given it rests against the sea, you are the best option for it to guard in case of an attack from other nations in the south."

Solomon bowed his head. "Very well."

"Duke Solomon," Alexander smirked. "Has a ring to it."

Athina frowned. "That's rather far from the capital. Are you certain you want the admiral so far away?"

"He'll have an estate here," Seth pointed out. Athina was right though, Seth hated sending Solomon so far away. Still, she had thought about this and he was the best option. Plus, it was one of the larger territories. Azul deserved to be a high rank, but if she was honest with herself the one she wanted as her closest advisor was her love.

The rest of the meeting passed with her dividing up parts of the territory which either would become theirs or was already theirs in the empire among Abel's old inner circle.

Alexander would become the Baron of Luxor with Azul the Duke of Moldova. Barack was to be the Baron of Khartoum and finally Athina as the Duchess of Odessa. Their families would also gain ranking. As with such ways in the old days, the territory and title would be passed down through the generations.

"Of course, we are going to need the particle shielding up around these territories as well," Seth continued. She looked at Solomon. "Outside of the farmlands. Do you think we can accomplish it within the next two centuries?" Her heart lurched. Two centuries. It was really all the first generation had left. Her love would be gone.

Solomon bowed his head. "Yes. We already have a working prototype. It won't take long to get it up around Byzantium and other areas of the empire."

"Then you will help me and the empress with the restoring the lands around the empire." Thema smiled, cheeks flushed. "This is going to be a fun challenge." Her eyes dulled a little. "I just wish his majesty was here to see it as well."

The others looked down as she brought up Abel.

"He would approve," Solomon stated. "That is all any of us need to know."

This made Thema smile. "True enough." She stood and bowed to Seth. "If there is nothing else, I would like to get to work right away."

"You may go," – Seth felt herself smile – "Baroness of Khartoum."

Thema left the room.

"I can see to the helping the construction crews start estates in Byzantium and in the new parts of the empire as they're restored," Alexander stated. "They'll need the use of my airships for heavy loads as it is."

"Thank you, Baron of Luxor."

Alexander's face twitched a little. He coughed. "Perhaps just 'best darn pilot' instead. It's a far more fitting title."

Celia rolled her eyes at the ceiling.

"My men will stay here at the palace and I know I will be staying in Byzantium." Barack looked at Seth. "I'm not passing off being the head of yeniçeri. I owe it to Abel's memory to protect you."

Seth managed a small smile at Barack. "Thank you." She looked at the others gathered around her. "There will be other noble families as well."

They bowed their head.

"And each will meet here in Byzantium from time to time to discuss matters of importance."

"All right," Athina agreed, "but, I doubt given how much territory we'll have, all the nobility could fit in dining hall."

Seth giggled. "Nope. Remember where my brother's and my coronations were?"

"Yes, it was only a few days ago," Alexander huffed. "We're old not senile, Seth."

"Well, what if converted that area into a collusem of sorts. We did just build a stage which leads into the palace proper. It wouldn't be hard to build the area into a more protected space for meetings."

"Or get the technology in which would let each noble be heard," Celia added. She looked at Solomon. "Or so I assume." She smiled at him.

Solomon looked at her. "I doubt I am seeing to everything technology based in the empire, Doctor Barvon." He bowed his head. "Apologies, Baroness Barvon."

She laughed. "I suppose not. But you are one of the greatest minds in the empire."

Azul had been oddly quiet through the meeting. "What's on your mind, Azul?" Seth pressed her nephew.

"It's just that with this it feels wrong for the 'Nightlord' surname to be downgraded from emperor to Duke."

Seth blinked. She hadn't thought about that.

"It sort of feels like an insult to father to do that."

"Do you want the throne all of a sudden?" Alexander jibbed.

"What? No!" Azul shot down the idea. "The throne is Aunt Seth's." He looked at Seth. "I was thinking I should take back my birth surname."

The others exchanged glances.

"You did say something about that before Seth was made empress," Barack mused.

"But wouldn't that also feel like you're insulting Uncle Abel?" Athina asked.

Azul straightened, his head held high. "No, because I know I will always be Abel's son not Ron's. I am not taking back the Fortuna to do anything against the man I know to be my father, rather to redeem it in the eyes of the empire. I am Abel's son and I want everyone to know no matter the surname I have that is who I am. I will protect and guard the empire as it's sword as my true father did."

Barack smiled. "Well said."

"Agreed," Alexander's eyes had softened.

Solomon bowed his head to Azul. "Abel would be proud of you." He gave a small, rare smile. "As he always was."

Athina let out a breath. She didn't look as happy as the older three. She looked away from Azul. Seth could see her eyes glittering with anger. Perhaps this wasn't as a good a thing as the others thought. Still, it would help settle peace with the other nations of the world.

x – Solomon – x

Solomon left the meeting and headed for where he had been staying after the divorce. A part of him was more than grateful Thema and Barack hadn't brought up the cryo units they had found. Another knew the only reason he was grateful for it was because of who he had seen on the list of people.

His parents and sister. If he could even call them such anymore.

It was so easy to see his childhood. When Solomon had been little, he held the love of his parents for granted. It was harder to remember the life where his father had approved of his choices and his mother had watched him with pride. By the time he was eight he had entered college and was working towards his first degree. But, this wasn't too last. He had fallen ill.

He still remembered the arguments which had followed the digonioses. Solomon, at the time, hadn't been told how bad it was. He was too young in the eyes of everyone around him. All remembered was his father turning cold towards him. The first time his father had called him useless had ripped into Solomon. His father had been even more disappointed at the tears which had streamed down the boy Solomon's face.

It had been after that moment, he had closed himself off from the world to never again reveal the pain he was in. Years of torment had followed from his father's bitterness towards him.

His mother had supported him until he was fifteen when his sister and the new heir had been born. Sure, she had attempted when Solomon first joined the military to get him to come home, but later she had confessed it was better he didn't come back at all.

From then on, she had only convinced Solomon's father to see to it he was placed on easy assignments, so he wouldn't bring embarrassment to the family if it came out just how ill he was.

Growing up, his sister had looked up to him. Then, the last time Solomon had come home to see his sister after his first two years in the military, she had been cold and indifferent towards. She had told him to leave her alone, she didn't the advice of a failure.

Solomon had never felt guilty for hacking into the Red Mars Project and heading for Mars. He had been content in letting his family believe he had died on Mars. His family. It wasn't a term he should ever use for those three again. Not after learning what it was like to have a real family.

To know what a true brother was in Abel and love in Seth. To watch with pride and love as his nephews had grown up. To feel the respect and warmth from Lilith for her approval in his being a part of their family. For his own feelings to be returned from them.

The Nightlord family were his family. Not the three Solomon had left here on Earth.

Still, what they had done to him, had made Solomon into he was now. He had found Thomas Hall's research right after falling ill and worked on creating his ring then. He had chosen to follow Abel, knowing for the first time in his life he had a chance to be who he wanted to be. To be useful to the colony not for his sake but for those around him.

He had met the love of his life.

And now, now Solomon would see to it he kept the last promise he made to Lilith. He would protect and be there for his family. His true family no matter the centuries which passed.

"I thought I would find you here."

Solomon didn't look up from the screen with the formulas and calculations on it for the immortality serum when the man entered his home through an open window. "Evening, Thomas," Solomon greeted the other man.

Thomas moved to his side. "I see, you're still determined to go through with this."

"I am," Solomon turned to the other older man.

Thomas bowed his head. "Then you should know only one before you was turned immortal outside of my children, through external means and not born that way. That man's name is Isaak. He has worked in the shadows for centuries towards an insane goal of bringing his gods to Earth."

The two of them moved to a dark sitting area in the small home Solomon had moved to.

"It took me years to even learn who he had been originally. Tell me, what do you know about the first emperor of China and the man he sent to find him immortality?"

"Not much," Solomon confessed. "Only what Abel told me in our conversations on history. I believe he was called a court wizard and was named Xu Fu. That he died on his second trip into the sea to find a mountain that doesn't exist."

"But he didn't die," Thomas stated. "He was saved by something and they made him an immortal and returned him to Earth to prepare it for their arrival."

Solomon leaned back in his seat.

"He worked for centuries, slowly gaining power within the shadows until he was ready to come out into the open as a man named Isaac Butler."

"You mean the man who held the most power in the UN?" Solomon had even met the man once when he had been a child. His father had worked closely with him. Before Solomon's illness, his father had told Solomon to always heed Butler and follow him. It was the duty of their family.

"Yes. I believe your family held close ties to him."

"They did, and they aren't my family, not anymore."

Thomas smiled at this, his pale green eyes sparkling in the darkness. "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that." Thomas continued, "My father was recruited to work on creating the enhanced humans which lead us to Mars. Later my father learned something which made him run with my mother and basic blueprints.

"Isaac vanished not long after and an enhanced human by the name of Isaak appeared. He aided my father in creating me. I was born with the same immortality Isaak had and even a few other abilities are shared between us.

"Though, in his eyes I was unfit to be what he saw as the four true leaders of humanity. The gods, so to speak. I had DNA from my parents and thus wasn't created.

"Years later he found where my father had hidden me and himself and attacked. He paralyzed my father and eventually convinced me to join his enhanced human group. At the time I didn't know he was the one who had attack my father.

"When I did learn the truth, I ran. I encountered him again years later while working of the UN. He was going once more by the name Isaac Butler.

"He was the one who turned the enhanced humans against the people Earth and instigated both the Mars Civil War and Armageddon here."

"I remember the reports from Earth at the time the wars were starting. You were mentioned a few times by your codename," Solomon pointed out.

"Yes." Thomas bowed his head. "I fought against Isaak to save as many people as I could."

"Tell me, which side was the UN on?"

"Isaac Butler's," Thomas stated. "Same with radical group of enhanced humans who attack here and on Mars. He played both sides. But I assure you whatever ruminates of the UN remain buried away are loyal to Isaac."

Solomon thought over all Thomas had told him including the fact it sounded like Isaac had gone to Mars at one point. "What interest did he have in Mars?"

"He believed his gods were on Mars."

It couldn't be, could it? "The crusnik?"

Thomas bowed his head. "Has my daughter told you anything about zero three?"

"Only they speak to her from time to time, but they don't want anything from her other than to protect those of us with the bacillus."

"I see."

Solomon looked at the older man. "There is more behind that question."

"There is. I believe the personality of the nano-machines or even the nano-machines are Isaak's gods, but this is only a theory right now." Thomas folded his hands before him. "I also know he is within Albion right now."

"And you're here in the empire."

Thomas gave a small smile. "True. But he's too close to the queen for me to able to move against him while he's there. A matter he's a very aware of." Thomas leaned forward. "Knowing this, do you still want to go forward with your plans?"

"Yes." There was nothing Thomas could say which would sway Solomon against abandoning his love and the man he thought of as a brother to an eternity alone.

Thomas pulled out a sheet. "This is all which remains from my genetic coding. I kept the parts which isolated what makes me an immortal. Be forewarned, the moment you take the serum you will no longer be able to have children. It is the one matter denied those few of us who are immortal."

"Consider me warned." Solomon bowed his head as he took the sheet.

Thomas stood. He vanished into the night.

Solomon opened the paper. It was several and not just one.

A vial fell from the papers and into Solomon's lap. He lifted it. The vial contained Thomas's blood.

The letters were faded with age and smooth showing they had been printed from a computer. The papers didn't contain much, but it was a place to start. A far better place than if he attempted it without these.

(Author's Note: This used to be two chapters in my outline but I decided it didn't make sense to keep delaying the getting the nobility thing for too long. Seth *cough* Augusta needs to show she's a capable leader not twiddle her thumbs. I also really wanted more on Solomon's background so people would see where he's coming from with his loyalty and why it's so deep for Abel and Seth.)