Magnus
Magnus had never been to Bastion before. He had spent much of his youth on the world of Bloom in the north of the Commonwealth.
Bloom was the second most populous world in the Commonwealth. Magnus could remember the feeling of awe he had when he and his brother arrived on the world as wards to System-lord Weylin. Bloom had thrived under the Fabian Dominion and Bastion was said to be nothing more than a shit hole in those times thousands of years ago.
The five billion people of the world of Bloom was nothing compared to the twenty five billion of Bastion. Magnus had never seen cities so large. They covered much of the surface of the planet and the buildings were of a size like he had never seen.
Some of the cities were built over the oceans and seas of the world and large natural biomes seemed almost like they were more park then wild nature. It held nothing of the wilds on the worlds which Magnus was used to.
The crew of the ‘Greymark’ had been granted extended leave as the ship was placed into one of the many repair docks of the Fireworth Yards and set for several upgrades to the old vessel along with it’s companions from Task Force Delta.
Rumors were quick and fast as they often were on the ‘Greymark’ like any ship. Most of the current gossip surrounded Prince Edwyn and that his father King Oswald had ordered the ‘Greymark’ and his son be in the system to attend the wedding to the young Blair Tusk.
Other rumors spoke of how the king himself had ordered the upgrades to the ‘Greymark’ to better protect his son and ordered the upgrades to her companion ships to not make it look so obvious. If the rumors were to be believed then King Oswald had also ordered the extended leave of the crews so he could spend time with his son.
Magnus didn’t care one way or the other. Leave was leave and he would take advantage of it. The world of Bastion was filled with all sorts of entertainment. It was said you could find anything there, and he and Lydia had been enjoying what they could. When they could be bothered to leave the privacy of their own room.
It was hard to get away on a ship of five thousand. Space was limited on a starship and there were few if any hidden and private places and if they were they were not for long. The first couple days they hadn’t left their room at all.
It all had to come to an end though. Edwyn had arranged for them to meet with King Oswald. It was an honor that Magnus wished he could refuse but Lydia had been excited for it.
Magnus hoped that the king would not notice his name and link him to his brother Payton who had recently been elected Thane of the Eight System, the leading lord often at odds with the king in the press which spread among the holonets.
The Underwoods had never been known for their support of the royal family. His mother was vocal against the king as she fought in his wars and died in them. His brother avenged her and carried on her fight of loyal service to the commonwealth and vocal disapproval of King Oswald.
Magnus knew of no other hero then his brother. He followed in his footprints but knew he would never become the hero Payton was. His election of Thane had been proof of that. A nobody elected with powers over several of the most powerful systems in the north of the Commonwealth with more power at hand then even that of the king alone.
Magnus had been surprised to not only grow a fondness for the son of the man, but a respect. Edwyn was his brother as much as any of those of the squadron, and he had fought that the prince agreed with him and Lydia on most subjects involving politics and life in general.
Magnus had agreed in truth as much as because of prince Edwyn as Lydia. When he had agreed Edwyn looked so relieved that he had felt bad for waiting so long to answer. We all carried the shame of our ancestors but were not beholden to them, and the prince had proven to Magnus that he and his father were not alike.
