It didn’t take long for the Ravens to disembark from their respective ships, and head towards the far end of the hangar, where the transport tubes to the surface were. But they only got halfway before a small gravity pad came zipping up to them. On it was Max, who had a joyfully wide grin etched on
“We saw the aftermath of one of his planetary skirmishes out in the colonies,” said Eva. “It was a massacre. The naval fleet stationed there didn’t have half a chance. Their bodies and their ships were scattered everywhere.” “You all saw him fight?” asked Lucifer. “What was he like? How’d his fleet
Two Weeks Later The Ravens, guided by Max, walked up the Grand Staircase up to the de Jardin High Palace. There were exactly 100 steps all the way to the top, with every step etched with the names of prominent de Jardins throughout history. The Staircase itself was almost as wide as it was tall, w
Eva checked back into reality as they passed through the Grand Hall to the other end, where they presented themselves to yet another set of Royal Guards. This check took significantly longer, as the Guards triple-checked their status. Then, once they were approved, were given four Guards to escort
The Matriarch smiled at the Ravens as she observed and appraised each and every one of them. And in her mind’s eye, through her DI, she re-reviewed their dossiers, and whatever other intelligence she had on them. And what she saw was rather impressive. They had done their part in healing and protec
Matriarch de Jardin shook her head at her grandson adamantly, her grimace still painted on her face. Of course she wanted peace. Of course she wanted the killing to end. It had been going on since before she took up the mantle of Matriarch. “Having power doesn’t mean pushing your own agenda,” sh
A quartet of the Matriarch’s Royal Guards escorted the Ravens, Max, and his personal guard out not too long after they went in. It was certainly short enough to allay any suspicions, and curbed any deep speculations. The whole group went back down the grav lifts, but only by a half dozen floors. Fr
“We do dirty jobs,” replied Mathilde. “But it isn’t all we focus on. We’re a multidisciplinary division meant to answer the de Jardin’s most problematic difficulties. The kind that diplomats and soldiers can’t solve. “If we take a leap further from that: If you’re trying to be a nation-state, then