Empress Fallen (Through Darkness Book I)

Chapter Sixteen: Nought's Had, All's Spent: Part 1

Chapter Sixteen

Nought's Had, All's Spent

Nought's had, all's spent,

Where our desire is got without content:

'Tis safer to be that which we destroy

Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.

Macbeth, William Shakespeare

i. Caedes

Miriam stared at the ground, somehow unable to bring herself to move her feet. The bones were concentrated around the door and the central pillar.

'What is this place?' Ultor hissed, circling round the Marshal, his face twisted in an uneasy suspicion. They gradually moved further into the room and it was only when an Imperial soldier yelled out from somewhere by the central console, that realisation dawned.

'Sir?'

Contumax swept over to the man, kicking the bones aside. He stopped dead. Miriam hurried after Dux as she cautiously approached the Marshal from behind. Several Imperial soldiers immediately convened on them.

'My God,' Dux breathed. Then Miriam saw it. Crumpled on the ground, were the burnt remains of an Imperial uniform.

'So it was an Imperial crew?' she murmured in confusion. Dux didn't say anything.

'Find out what happened here,' Contumax yelled, and immediately the soldiers began moving to the screens lining the room.

'So you weren't aware the Eversor was manned, Contumax?' Dux said loudly. He froze, the black cloak swaying slightly. 'She didn't tell you, did she?'

'Shut your mouth, General,' he growled, eyes flashing. But there was a dark fury burning behind his gaze. For one wild moment she thought he was about to raise his weapon, but he simply gritted his teeth and turned, striding towards the screens.

'How did they die?' Miriam whispered by Dux's ear.

'I don't understand.' The words carried a disturbed edge to them. Miriam glanced at her face, seeing the restless anger there. General Fallax joined them, Septima at his side.

'This doesn't make any sense,' he hissed, 'why didn't the stolen file mention this? That information came from the highest level.'

'We thought the missile malfunctioned,' Dux whispered urgently, turning to him, her face close to his, 'but the crew, this could have been some sort of generational vessel, to collect information –'

'But, why then not send a ship?'

'I think it was always intended as a warhead, perhaps there were escape vessels, in case it was needed, but it was undoubtedly a mistake to immediately assume the Empire had the technology to launch a fully automated weapon, capable of operating itself.'

'Are you saying the crew themselves, the people manning this thing, they turned it on Caelum?'

Dux was silent for several moments, but then something came over her face, some sudden realisation. 'A generational ship...'

'Rebellion?' Septima said suddenly. Fallax motioned for her to speak more quietly. Damon had appeared behind her, no doubt drawn by the sudden outburst.

'Possibly,' Dux breathed. Miriam frowned.

'That still doesn't make any sense,' she murmured in frustration, gesturing helplessly at what lay right below their feet.