Warin
The 12 hours of sub-light travel through the Holderness System passed by quickly as the three frigates made their way through the traffic of starships, stations, planetary bodies and asteroids. Warin wasn’t the only one who admired the readouts of the larger starships of the Holderness fleet. The Victory class dreadnoughts, Sword class battleships, and dozens of other mix match of ships new and old. Some so old retrofitted so much they no longer looked like whatever design they had originally held.
The tiny frigates of ‘Ice Hammer’, ‘Talon’, and ‘Umbrian Pride’ were dwarfed by the some larger starships who have double Warin’s fleet waiting in their own hangar bays. The three Taryn class frigates each had a crew of eighty, nothing to a single victory-class starships in system, and their crews of twenty thousand.
It had taken Warin years to find the two hundred and forty members of his fleet. Even now each of his frigates was undermanned, and he struggled to find those he could trust for the further frigates being constructed. It was also a headache at times, and he couldn’t imagine being in command of twenty thousand who he could not vet.
Warin had been on several of the Victory class Dreadnoughts, such as his father’s flagship ‘Ice’. He was proud of his own personal ship, the ‘Ice Hammer’. Proud of all his three frigates, their new sleek designs, and the crews which filled them, but he hoped he would never have to face such a ship. The Fabian Order of Drala forces he had faced had been minor forces on worlds spread out across the sector. The Order had had a few corvettes and smaller space craft, but they also had been spread out and easily defeated.
Warin could hear the chatter on the command deck from time to time as his senior staff spoke of this ship or that ship. The System was filled with dozens of makes and models. There were starships which had seen many battles, and were known throughout the Sector. There were some starships from ports from far off worlds in the Settled Worlds of Mann, in areas of space like Qin, and Nihon Space in the east thousands of light years from the Dragon’s Head Nebula, and even Fabian Space itself. Starships like the “Tuu Zoo’ and it’s odd design which was like nothing built in the Commonwealth of Drala. It was a far cry from the backwater worlds where Warin had spent much of the past years.
Holderness was the last and further north intact Fabian Gateway in Fabian Space and the Commonwealth itself. It was an important and busy intersection of trade in space. Trade goods would continue on to United Worlds of Kaledon in the north of the Dragon’s Head Nebula, and beyond. If there were worlds beyond. House Ice had long controlled that trade through the system from their Star Fortress of Skyhold, and it had made them wealthy and powerful.
The three frigates docked within the Star Fortress of Skyhold. Each frigate docked within the same docking bay among a dozen other ships of various sizes. Ozma had allowed for much of the crews of the three frigates to partake in the feasting. A few unlucky souls on each ship would be forced to remain behind for protection duty as the skeleton crew, and boosted by Security Bots.
Warin his crew exited the ‘Ice Hammer’ and into the waiting of the docking bay of Skyhold when given the all clear. He ignored the excited mutters of the crew as they filled into the Star Fortress. He looked around, and could see dock hands and Cargo bots moving crates of supplies from one ship to another. Those dock hands stared wide-eyed at Warin and his crew as the three crews joined together.
Warin enjoyed the sights of those wide eyes as they glanced at what must have looked like wild barbarians from the United Worlds of Kaledon or worse, Furse Space. He was dressed in much the same as his crews, most of which dressed in the Furse fashion. Patch work of military gear and equipment. Sidearms hung securely from all of them. Some of them were Furse, and not just a claim that their ancestors were like himself. Others were from Kaledon Space, but they were all loyal to him, and the shocked looks forced a small smile on his lips.
None of their clothes matched. They were lightly armed, but their clothes were mostly nano weave cloth. They would protect them from one or two blasts of most small arms fire, but little more. It was better than nothing, and Warin along with the rest would feel naked without at least that protection. He had ordered that only Under Armor was to be worn. No light armor or battle armor. No rifles. Sidearms, be they pistols, techno-blades or whatever. They could protect themselves, but they weren’t to provoke anyone.
The side arms and blades were visible for all to see though. Basic everyday wear on the frigates, and something they had all grown accustomed to. It was also something which those who called Skyhold home would not be used to seeing. His father was not known for allowing any but his own guards to carry weapons inside Skyhold, much less a large force of wild barbarians.
Warin grinned to himself as he realized that this could be considered the dress uniform of his small band of semi outlaws.
The sight of an old and familiar face brought a large smile to Warin. He moved quickly in front of his crew to embrace Nyree. A member of his father’s security team, and long time friend and mentor like Ozma.
“It’s good to see you, stranger,” Nyree said kindly, and held on tight. “We have missed you lord.”
Warin smiled as they broke the embrace. “Missed you too.”
Nyree looked at Warin with her own smile. “He is here,” she told him, and her eyes shifted towards the large hatch behind her that led out of the docking bay.
“Here?” Warin asked, almost shocked, and could feel his own eyes growing wide. He had not expected that his father would venture from the safety of the inner chambers of Skyhold.
“All of Skyhold will be celebrating your return. Feasting will be taking place throughout Skyhold. You have been missed lord, and none have missed you more than your father,” Nyree told him. “You are to be welcomed to a hero’s return.”
“Hero?” Warin asked and couldn’t help but to laugh. “Not what he called me last time we spoke.”
Nyree placed a hand on Warin's shoulder. “He did not mean it. He regretted it. He is proud though,” she told him. “In his own way.”
Warin smiled, and nodded. He looked back and introduced his wife Beth, and other members of his staff to Nyree while Ozma shared an embrace with her. Warin greeted other familiar faces from behind Nyree, and she introduced new faces which had replaced old ones.
The two groups went through the docking and decontamination procedures as every other person had to in order to leave the docking bay and enter the rest of Skyhold. It was a familiar feeling for Warin after doing so on each planet or station he had set foot on in the last couple of years.
As they left the docking bay the image of cargo pods being moved and stacked by bots was replaced by a room full of clapping people. Warin realized just how right Nyree was. Large banners hung. The family sigil, the crest of Skyhold, and a dozen others.
Warin could see his father standing small with other family members. Other lords and members of court with their own families, but he also saw the family of some of his crew who had homes in Skyhold or within the system themselves. Mostly he saw faces he had never laid eyes on. The floor was covered in a bright blue carpet and signs stood with the crowd to welcome the crews of his three frigates home.
Warin’s crew had followed Warin with a belief that they would become outlaws one day. That one day System-lord Ice Aegis or that King Oswald Gisking himself would sign the orders. Instead they were being granted a hero’s welcome The noise was deafening at times. There must have been hundreds of people waiting and cheering.
“My son! My son! Welcome home!” came the familiar voice of his father, System-lord Walter Ice Aegis as he rushed forward to embrace Warin. His father kissed him on the cheek before taking Warin’s face in both hands to stare up at him. He looked old, he had aged in the years since he had gone, and anti-aging tech could only do so much, but there were tears in his eyes.
“Father,” Warin said calmly and softly managed a smile. His father stood a good head shorter than himself.
Others began to rush forward. Members of Warin’s own family, family members of his crew, and others rushed forward to greet their own family and friends who had been gone too long.
“Father, I would like you to meet my wife,” Warin told the Lord of Holderness and looked behind him, and to his side where Beth stood. “Father, may I introduce Bethany Lakes, daughter of Bishop Lakes of New Holms.” He said and looked at his wife. “Beth, System-lord Walter Ice Aegis,” he said and saw the slightest grimace at the name Aegis.
The famous Aegis clan had come to control much of Drala in the thousands of years since his ancestors arrived. There were as many houses of that clan in Drala as in Furse Space, but House Gisking had tried to outlaw the clans. They did not like the link to their past that marked them as ancestors of the Furse. Warin wore it as a badge, and his father feared the might of the King.
“My daughter,” the System-lord said, and embraced her as he would any of Warin’s own sisters. “It gladdens my heart to meet you,” Warin heard his father say with nothing but joy in his voice. It was almost as if he had not forbidden him from marrying her in the first place.
“Thank you my lord,” Beth said as she returned the hug.
“Oh nonsense with that,” the System-lord said, and locked arms with her. “Call me Walt or if you so wish, call me father.”
“Very well father,” Beth replied with the kindness that Warin had become so used to hearing from her.
“Come, come.” The System-lord said. “You all must be hungry. We have prepared feasts throughout Skyhold. Tonight we celebrate the return of the heir of Skyhold and his brave and loyal companions.” The crowd cheered, and Warin noticed that some already had drink mugs in their hands.
The System-lord Held onto Beth’s hand as he led them through the station as though it were a parade. The System-lord made small talk with Beth as they continued from one section of the station to another.
Further in the station the people of Skyhold were not as used to the sight of armed guests in the inner sections of Skyhold. Warin spotted many of the stares at the long haired members with beards that dropped to their chest.
Warin saw more familiar faces as they made their way from lift to lift to navigate Skyhold. Faces he had seen since his own childhood. Through drinks and food was handed out.
There was no direct route to the inner sections of Skyhold. It was as much a security measure to confuse enemies as it was a product of the many expansions of the station throughout thousands of years, and every part of the station being used.
One of the lifts took them through fields and lakes. Sections of Skyhold were so beautiful they could match any real world. Warin enjoyed much of his youth in such sections. The chatter of his crew as they made their way through Skyhold brought pride to him even if he knew it was not his to deserve.
The System-lord lingered with Beth and other members of the crew in the front as he led the way. He chatted with pleasure but Warin could see it and wondered if others could as well.
It made Warin feel shameful and he knew it shouldn’t. His father was a fearful man. He clutched at Beth’s hand, and he led them to the safety of the inner sections of Skyhold. He almost shook but he was soft as though he had not a care in the world.
The crews of the frigates were a strong contrast to that of Skyhold security forces. Many of them dressed in ceremonial armors and dress uniforms. Dressed in the Fabian fashion with tightly cut hair and smooth faces.
Rows of guards had been posted along the route of the System-lord. As entered the inner sections people began to be filtered into different dining rooms set up for the guests of the System-lord.
“Maybe we should have left more guards,” Beth said to Warin once his father had let go of her hand and arm.
“We have some of the best combat Bots in Fabian Space. Not that it would matter. Skyhold’s docking bay turrets could wipe the ships out.” Ozma countered quickly. “We have taken all the safety measures we require.”
“It’s not the Fabian way to feast in large halls. Your father is much more reasonable than you believe” Warin said. “My father will do things the Fabian way. There will be dozens of grand dining rooms for all of us” Warin told his wife.
