A week later, Sarah had traveled to Zah'Aharon to attend the first regional governor conference with the empresses. She had left Ayonar yesterday and slept in her home in the Dark Temple. The Temple Complex hadn't changed at all since she left and she hadn't expected it to. High up in the temple, Sarah sat down at the ruling council's table with the other governors. Looking around, she saw Governor Hannah Dabo of Imperial Region South-West, Governor Adam Franklin of Imperial Region South-East and Governor John Agresto of Imperial Region East. Notably, the governor of Imperial Region Center, Bejamin Alzinov, was nowhere to be seen. The other governors were chatting with each other, only briefly interrupted by their staff relaying messages. Sarah, however, sat in her seat silently. She had been in here many times, which couldn't be said for most of the others. It was her home and she didn't need permission to sit down. Sarah was dressed in traditional Knights of the Empire attire, a tunic, trousers and boots, while the others were wearing suits.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMAYgYmvSy
"Governor Tanas, how nice to meet you." Sarah was startled but managed to hide it. "Benjamin Alzinov, governor of IRC."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxc9nixvCqG
"My pleasure, governor," Sarah said, awkwardly turned in her seat. She shook his hand and acknowledged him with a smile. Where he had suddenly come from, Sarah had no idea. It was now nine a.m. and the meeting was due to begin. For another five minutes, Empress Therana didn't join the party, but a Dark Guard called for everyone's attention.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaBx8y18EG
"Excuse me, honoured governors. Her Imperial majesty, Empress Therana, would like all of you to be ensured that she will join you momentarily. Please take your seats as the empress wishes to get straight to the point. Beverages and snacks are available to you at the push of a button. Thank you."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ELTHh92pa
The other governors all looked like they wanted to trump each other in looking the most loyal and dutiful, at which Sarah could only chuckle. Her aunt had been like a second - or third, depending on the count, mother to her and she knew by heart that this posturing would never work on Therana. On Sarah's adoptive mother Sam, perhaps. She had always had a weakness for people groveling before her. The door slid open and Therana entered, prompting expectant stares from the other governors. Sarah had no idea what they had been led to believe, but she was certain they hadn't been taught to look like a fool. In any case, all governors were handpicked by Therana and had met her before, so their competence was - for the moment - without question. Therana walked around the table and sat down in her, larger, chair.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhom8prEuU8
"Welcome, governors. I apologize for the slight delay. Urgent matters of state, you'll understand."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDtjPVjzE4
The pro forma leader of the governors, Benjamin Alzinov, said, "Thank you for welcoming us here in the Dark Temple, empress. We hope you are satisfied with our reports."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy99vV87D5l
"Indeed. Let's get right to it. Long-term changes of significance aren't visible yet, but I am pleased by your short-term quick fixes. Except for one." She looked at Sarah. "I feel that I underestimated the situation in Imperial Region North and that I did not do right by you, sending you there without more help."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xlJYgzxI9
"Oh no, empress. I am confident that we will soon have the pirates at the throat. Last week's operation took an unexpected turn, but nevertheless, one of their most important bases was destroyed - if not by us. But that leads me to a concern greater than the pirates. The unknown attacker."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKf8IN84DnW
"Ah yes, the mysterious ship that damaged the Fearless so easily and yet was not identified. You suspect the URS and naturally, it seems obvious, but I'm missing the reason for this specific operation."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pnsC8qHDW
"I'm afraid I don't know. It was a well-timed attack with a FTL-interrupting weapon, followed by a strong bombardment which the Fearless just barely managed to resist. The Reformist Party has made their opinion on the empire clear every week since they won the election, sometimes even twice a week, for good measure I suppose. Our intelligence agencies have been disappointing so far, but I think that this mystery's solution telegraphs itself to us free of charge."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrNjQyBiKs
"I would agree if the attack taken place near the border, but it took place on the opposite side of the empire. There is no known base of the URS in deep space there. To get there without inevitably being picked up by our perimeter and sensor net, they would have to fly around all of known space just to get there at the right time to pick of a single dreadnought of a small anti-piracy operation. While I do not have a better explanation than you, I do think this is far-fetched. First of all, they would have to have an informant somewhere in the military or intelligence agencies. Quite possible, even very probable. But they also would have had to give the suspected URS ship enough notice for it to make the long journey in time. If my math skills do not fail me, it would have been a very narrow window of time. Perhaps too narrow. The calculation display the ideal situation."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEBRiw3fzg
"The only other explanation would be aliens. We know there are some civilizations a ways from us, but they are too far away too have an interest in our piracy problem. In the same vein, they would have had even more notice and a really fast drive, just to meddle with our internal politics. I can't consider this a credible theory," Sarah said. The other governors were listening intently, none betraying any thoughts they may have had. Occasionally, they checked something in their tablets.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZt7CJ37cH
"I agree. The URS theory remains the most likely of the far-fetched and the impossible."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAL5ffd1lFh
Sarah nodded. It truly was an unsolvable mystery - for now.
The rest of the four hour long conference touched on every topic imagineable, but because Therana had already read most of what she had to know beforehand, the discussion mostly limited itself to questions and clarifications. Therana was happy that Governor Hannah Dabo had managed to kick into motion a series of procurement projects for the Citizen's Police Services in Imperial Region South-West and that she had convinced the government of Estellar to expand the infrastructure of the ever-growing community there to future-proof it. Even after 70 years, Estellar only had a population of 3.2 million. Its growth was steady, but slow, while other Imperial planets had long reached or even exceeded the ten billion population threshold. More and better infrastructure would attract companies, which hopefully would cause many settlers in search of a more frontier-like life to move there. In essence it was no different from any other Imperial population center, the difference being that most of the planet was still uninhabited. Nonetheless they had internet, supermarkets, electronics stores and the prototype of their own pop culture industry. The development of new population centers was heavily subsidized by the empire, sometimes to the displeasure of the planets. Local politicians cared about local issues, not a new colony that could be a few hundred lightyears away.
After the conference, Therana invited Sarah to her apartment for a private conversation. Sarah accepted, but asked Therana to expect her in ten minutes because she had to go to her own apartment first. At home, she looked through the large window over the skyline of Zah'City. Once the city had been called 'Zah'Aharon City", but over the course of a few hundred years, the name had been shortened by its inhabitants, who were tired of spelling it out every time. Klendana was a much smaller city, even though Ayonar had three billion inhabitants of her own and wasn't lacking in sprawling metropolises. Nothing compared to the more than ten billion people of Zah'Aharon. No Imperial planet was more populous, but despite Sarah's undying love for the Imperial capital, Shiva had the most interesting geography. Its largest continent vaguely resembled a fedora and featured many rugged mountain ranges and massive rivers and waterfalls. Snapping out of her interstellar sightseeing tour, she went to the bathroom to freshen up before going to Aunt Therana's and Uncle Edwin's apartment.
Their apartment was on level 76 and used up almost half the storey. The other half was the apartment of Sam and Katharina. Sarah rang the doorbell and Therana opened immediately. She must have stood closeby.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9c5Xy9QwF
"Hi, come in," Therana said.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5C4JlYh0mP
"Thanks. Do you mind if I raid your fridge?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt1lwDMcf7
"Not at all."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDCU0gQjgG
Sarah went to the fridge in the kitchen and picked the first lemonade bottle she saw.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2ayFJp4Ik
"So, what did you want to talk about?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkMC3lF1f1
"The URS. I didn't want to discuss it openly in front of the governors. This is a family matter."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJL7aIFsf8S
Therana beckoned her to follow her into the living room and they sat down on the couch.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7wbfHLi4W
"So you know more?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicYd3Oy8JU
Therana adjusted her tunic as she cleared her throat.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZYglUVCbI
"Not about the mysterious attacker, but about the Reformist Party. We think we will soon have solid proof of heir collusion with pirates not just on their territory, but on ours as well."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKqWrXr2dA
"Are they the supplier?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmglwf58Kbd
"We think that it's not the URS, just the party itself. I wonder if they have infiltrated us already. The intelligence agencies don't know much. Everything is shrouded in mystery nowadays."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYG3IqUPvAD
"We need to gain back the technological edge. We're living in a time where good intelligence is harder to come by than ever."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPDmcNKamb
"Funding for black projects is high, but it's difficult to crack the URS' newest encryption standard."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2m0qPtN5j
Sarah looked away for a second. "I feel like we're in great danger. The URS is superior to us in almost every area. The Reformist Party will continue to sow discontent, especially in the north, and I believe they will get bolder soon."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzMpBVUENC
"They don't have the might to come in rolling straight to victory. We still have some assets on our side: The Zephalans," said Therana.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTX95IPtrZ
"The Zephalans? We defeated them before and now they don't have their ships anymore."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9MTllnsnB
"But we have enough of their technology reverse-engineered. With Zephalan help, we would be able to significantly boost our capabilities."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDCSfMPE7c
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "They have captured Zephalan tech, too."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMvtyQVBR6
"But not nearly as much and they do not have one ship that compares to our Black Dawn."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNksiK3mGON
Sarah sighed. "There are trying times in front of us. I feel there's something in the dark which we can't see yet. Something dangerous."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lnfGXn6kW
"You've felt something?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONAF2BY2IU
Sarah stood up and began pacing through the room.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5WwPSWAuT
"I might be imagining it. I can't see the future any more than you can."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQJ0aO0sbm
Therana also stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the midday sun shining on the city and reflecting between the waves of the ocean to form a scintillating ballet.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCdZvLGGk5
"No. I think you might be right."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Kb5ObrNlj
She stopped for a moment, then said, "Are you staying for the wedding?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbdviWPafO
"Yeah, haven't they told you?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUm5YEQOdZU
"I can't remember the list anymore. So many people."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1ReXVUhJ4
"Johanna is gonna love it," said Sarah, remembering her own royal wedding. The ceremony, the huge crowd in the Temple Complex. She had hated it, spent months trying to get a more private ceremony, but her mother had convinced her that the public must get its pictures. The only good thing of that day was the wedding kiss and the night. The rest was a publicity stunt she could have easily forgone. But Johanna, Sarah's sister, loved crowds and the attention her fans and the paparazzi gave her. For her, it would be wild.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVnmkiO2xB
"Yeah. I've gotten old. Back in my day, I wanted to strangle everyone who added a name to the guestlist or invited the press, now I'm pushing for it myself."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTZO0qFfdd
"If you throw yourself off the temple, there are bound to be some hot pictures."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTmCpzG8pL
Therana laughed. "You're crazy."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAx4Gw0qMT
"Resourceful."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36ed40b2fE
"Ruthless," said Therana.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjOeEqr4Va
"Efficient."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDXjArPOpJ
"Well anyway, back to topic." Therana turned to Sarah. "I do not want war. I do not tolerate war. I know that I have not always managed to keep us on course, but it's not just my fault. You are my hand in the north. Eliminate piracy, then stabilize the situation further and slowly turn your attention towards the Tletans. Their archenemy, the Draoll, might drool over a chance to attack as soon as they sniff even a hint of it."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRngaLGOlt
"Naturally. Should I seek a meeting with King Orkona?"810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MEclXAxQT
"No. I will meet him myself when the time is right. Concentrate on your region and keep the politicians in a cooperative mood."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rM2pfKPHP
"Alright."810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzGl31EXGV
As Sarah regarded her aunt, the absolute ruler of the Second Empire, with ist massive population of more than 120 billion people, she saw no more than a 50 year old woman who despite her young and fresh appearance was tired and overworked. Magic prolonged life by slowing the aging process. Therana looked no more than 35. But Sarah could see right through it. The rings below her aunt's eyes carefully hidden with makeup, her gaze cold and steady. Her copper red hair fastidious as ever, but burdened by the weight on her shoulders. Sarah felt exactly the same. There was nothing her aunt hated more than uncertainty and yet, uncertainty was what the world was made of.
