Chapter 39: Chapter 39: House Thea

Three chapters this week. As always, all are currently available on . 

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Commodore Thea sighed as she left an electronic signature under another report sent to her by one of her subordinate commanders. This one was about one of the many rebellious groups still active at Diego Secondary. 

After the main Republic garrison force was defeated, a significant number of the troops hid in the planet’s sizeable local population and, joined by many disgruntled civilians, started waging asymmetrical war against the Imperial occupiers. They have been causing a lot of trouble, including assassinating patrols and blowing up storage warehouses. Luckily, as the Imperials solidified their grip on the world, these groups have been rooted out one by one. 

With her signature down, she pressed a few keys and sent the report to the communication department of the fleet. This report, like the hundreds before it, would be encrypted and sent back to the Sector High Command. She doubted anyone important would read it, but that didn't make her job any different. 

Interestingly, as the head of an entire star system, she was spending a lot more time reading reports and attending meetings than actually leading any military engagements. Having come from a family of naval commanders, Commodore Thea knew this would be the case going in. Still, she had to admit she would often get quite bored with her job.

Before starting the next report, the commodore stood up and made her way to the window. She could see the armada out there in the orbit of Diego Prime. Her armada. The 195th Silver Lance Fleet. It was a fleet powerful enough to seize planets and systems alike. If she wished, she could end the lives of billions. It was a level of power few in the galaxy had, but for the commodore, it was her birthright. 

For her name was Laura Thea, and she was a daughter of House Thea, Minor House of the Venya Imperium and a major force in Battlefleet Silver Lance.

The commodore turned and sat down back in her seat. She opened another report and realized what it was about as soon as she saw the title and the author. The author was Commander Arthur Liam, and the topic was the mysterious group of fighters that appeared on Diego Nine and attacked the local garrison for unknown reasons. A group with weapons and equipment that were just a little too advanced. 

She remembered receiving samples of their weapons and equipment from the 329th Infantry Division. Samples that she had sent back to Sector 9A2 to be studied. 

She spent ten minutes going through the report, and when she was done, she wasn’t too happy. It seemed like Commodore Liam’s fleet was able to destroy the group’s base in the valley and kill all members of the group. This came at the cost of losing one Calypso-class light cruiser, shot down by two squadrons of fighters this group had been hiding. 

The loss of the light cruiser made Commodore Thea frown a little, but what annoyed her even more was the lack of information they gathered on the group during and after the engagement. She didn't really know anything more about this group now than she did before reading the report. 

According to the report, the fighters of this group fought with an extreme disregard for the lives of themselves and their comrades, making it impossible to take them prisoners. In addition, before their defeat, they overloaded the energy reactors in their command buildings, destroying most of the buildings and erasing any information that could be used to learn more about them. Task Force Epsilon tried to investigate the remains of the battle, but these attempts yielded few useful results.

Where did these people come from? No idea. What were they doing here? Still no idea. Sure, they discovered the presence of a starfighter with power anti-armor torpedoes, but she doubted whether they could replicate them. Most factions in the galaxy had their own measures built into their advanced weapons to prevent others from dissecting them and making copycats. Plus, all the starfighters were shot down and thus extremely damaged. 

The commodore paused for a brief second before signing her name, sending the report to the communications team, and moving on. All evidence points to the idea that this team was an elite covert ops unit. It was impossible now to find out their source or mission, not that it mattered anymore. Whatever they were here for, they have failed. 

Just for the sake of precaution and in case more of these units were deployed to Diego Nine, she would send reinforcements to Task Force Epsilon and the 329th Infantry Division, but there would be little else she could do. 

There was a knock at the door. 

“Enter.”

“Commodore.” A young woman stepped into the office. She was a tall woman with short red hair. There was a tablet in her left hand. “Your father just requested an emergency meeting. He said it’s urgent.” 

“Thank you, Freya.” Commodore Thea nodded and stood up from her seat. She quickly stretched her arms, a casual move that she would never do in front of her officers or colleagues. Then again, Freya wasn’t either of those.

The commodore made her way out of her office and toward the private conference room just down the hallway. Freya locked the office door behind her before following the commodore. 

The hallway connecting the office and the conference room was empty, and the two of them walked in silence. The only sound that could be heard echoing through the area was that of their boots kicking against the steel floor. As they reached the conference room, Freya stepped forward and pressed her right eye against a sensor. There was a beep, and the young woman proceeded to press her right thumb against an electronic screen. 

Following another beep, the door snapped open and the two entered. Freya made her way to a control console and tapped a few keys while the commodore stood in the middle of the room, drew a deep breath, and prepared herself. Most people wouldn’t feel nervous when talking to their father. Then again, most people didn't have a father who was the Grand Admiral of the Sector Military Command and the de facto leader of an Imperial Minor House.  

There was a moment of silence before Freya turned to the Commodore. 

“Are you ready, commodore?”

“Yes.”

Freya clicked a single key on the command console, and the hologram projectors in the conference buzzed to life. A figure appeared in front of Thea. It was a man in his sixties in an Imperial Navy uniform. The golden markings on his shoulder put his rank at Imperial Grand Admiral, one of the highest ranks in the sector. There was a stern, stoic look on his face that hasn’t changed in the slightest by the presence of his daughter. 

“Sir.” Commodore Thea greeted. 

“Laura.” The Grand Admiral had no intentions of wasting time on casual chitchat. “Is your end secure?”

“Yes sir.”

“Very well. I will get straight to the point then.” The man continued. “In a few hours, the Sector High Command will order the 195th Fleet to dispatch reinforcements to star systems Chronicles and Belles. Find a reason to delay sending your forces for as long as possible.”

If there was a common sailor or trooper in here, they would never believe their own ears. A grand admiral of the Sector High Command instructing his daughter, the leader of an entire fleet, to subtly refuse the orders of the same Sector High Command the grand admiral was a part of? But neither Commodore Thea nor Freya was shocked. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. 

“May I ask why?” Commodore Thea simply frowned. “Something like this can easily be seen as treason. If it gets discovered…”

“This campaign is turning out to be a mistake.” The Grand Admiral explained quietly. “We are taking significant losses on the frontline from Republic counterattacks. The 22nd and 37th Fleets were crippled in a single engagement. Whatever advantage we had at the start of the offensive is no more. The Republic is mobilizing resources from multiple sectors while we are on our own. There have been intel about Republic vanguard teams attacking our supply stations and nexus worlds. Any fleets deployed to the front are likely to be crippled or even lost.” 

Commodore Thea froze. This was hardly what she expected, and in a brief second, she realized the political implications of this news. “And Lord Augustus…”

“Lord Augustus has been drawing garrison fleets from all over the Orion Sector in a final gamble for victory, but most likely than not it will fail. We simply don’t have the resources to win. Many of us in the High Command has been trying to convince Lord Augustus to order a retreat. So far we have had little luck, but it will only be a matter of time before Lord Vitz steps in and override his son’s directives and order a retreat. Lord Vitz has given Lord Augustus a lot of authority and resources in this campaign, but even he may recognize that Lord Augustus has failed.”

The grand admiral paused before adding. 

“House Thea will not throw away its armadas because of the mistake of an inexperienced heir. We are nothing without our fleets. Plus, we are not the only House doing this. Houses Raven, Halsey, West, and Adler are all withholding their support. Even the more stubborn ones, like House Ledger and House Ford, have been trying to convince Lord Augustus to retreat. Even if Lord Vitz finds out what we have been doing, he will have no choice but to be understanding and forgive us. We are the bedrocks of Battlefleet Silver Lance. Challenging us is no different from destroying the Battlefleet as its stands.”

Commodore Thea stood in silence for a few seconds. “I understand.”  She finally said quietly. 

“Good. Anything else?”

“No, sir.”

Without another word, Grand Admiral Thea ended the call. The meeting itself was brief, but the information it contained could shake the foundation of power across countless worlds if released into the sector. 

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“I can falsify a communication outage.” After the call ended and the hologram projectors have died down, Freya approached the commodore and suggested. “Long-range communication has always been notoriously prone to errors. This may be the best excuse to give to the High Command.” 

“Good idea, but that is not what I am worried about right now.” Commodore Thea answered as she found her way to a seat along the wall of the conference room. Freya followed. “Lord Augustus…this campaign was supposed to be his proof to the galaxy that he would be a worthy successor to his father as the head of House Vitz and the Lord of Sector 9A2. A defeat like this only achieved the exact opposite.”

Commodore Thea wasn’t concerned that her words would fall into the wrong ears. If there was someone she trusted with all her secrets, it was Freya. 

Freya was one of the thousands of orphans that House Thea adopted as kids and trained to become absolute loyalists of House Thea. Some of these orphans would grow up to be officers and captains of House Thea’s private armies and fleets. Others would be more fit as bureaucrats, bodyguards, or assassins.

In Freya’s case. she was trained to be Laura’s closest friend, bodyguard, confidant, and assistant from the very beginning. The two met when they were kids, and ever since then, Freya had been told so many times that her sole purpose of living was to help Laura until it was the only truth that she knew. It was hardly an exaggeration to say that she would gladly die for Laura. 

Even when the task was something as dangerous, and potentially as treasonous, as deceiving the Sector High Command, Freya would gladly do so without a second thought. If things went wrong and her actions were discovered, she would gladly claim she was working on her own and absolve House Thea of any liabilities.

Whether that would work was a whole different matter. 

“Lord Augustus should be able to recover from this blow.” Freya reasoned. Due to her position, she knew a lot about the political intrigues of the most powerful family in the sector. “Lord Vitz favors Lord Augustus. The tradition in House Vitz has always been to name the oldest son or daughter as the successor, and by all accounts, Lord Vitz is planning on continuing with this tradition. After the death of Lord Anton Jr, Lord Augustus is the oldest child. As talented as Lord Petrov and Lord Misha may be, they will likely never inherit their father’s position unless Lord Augustus, well...”

“That’s the problem.” Commodore Thea shook her head. “Lord Vitz is reaching his elderly years. That is why he has given Lord Augustus command of this campaign to help him show his authority and power. If Lord Augustus was able to prove himself, he would be able to inherit the sector after the passing of his father, but as things are now, a transition of power may not be as peaceful.”

“The sector needs a strong leader if it wants to survive and prosper, and if Lord Augustus is not that leader, then perhaps some within the sector will turn their support to Lord Misha or Lord Petrov. At the same time, others may follow the will of Lord Vitz and the traditions of this sector.” Commodore Thea paused. “In the worst case, the matter may be settled by force. In other words, a civil war.”

Freya frowned. A civil war within Sector 9A2 would be disastrous for all parties involved. Not only would there be massive casualties on both sides, but external forces like the Salin Empire or the United Republic of Dorn could also use this opportunity to extend their influence into the Imperial Sector. Even other Imperial Major Houses, such as House Bai from the neighboring Sector 5F2, might sense a chance to expand their territories.

Even more concerningly, in the case of an internal power conflict, all Minor Houses would need to choose a side. Those who remained on the sideline would lose the favor of both parties. Those who chose the wrong side, and there would inevitably be many of them, might meet quite unfortunate ends. 

“Perhaps I am being too pessimistic. Most in the sector wouldn’t want to see a civil war, and the Leviathan may even intervene to mediate things if things got too heated.” Commodore Thea shook her head and tried to shake her concerns.  

The two sat there for a few seconds in silence before Commodore Thea suddenly scoffed. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? We are supposed to be the most loyal supporters of Lord Vitz. We have all sworn our oaths. Yet here we are, conspiring on how to deceive the Sector High Command and plotting what to do after the death of our Lord.”

Freya frowned and remained quiet, unsure of where Commodore Thea was getting at.

“Freya, I know you are a fan of going through the archives during your free time. Do you remember House Volt?” Commodore Thea asked. 

“Of course, commodore.” 

“Then you must know what led to their downfall.”

“Indeed, commodore. Around 62 years ago, when a young Lord Anton Vitz inherited the position as the head of House Vitz from her mother, the late Lady Caroline, a number of Minor Houses in the sector formed a coalition and attempted to intimidate the newly ascended Lord Vitz into making political concessions to members of the coalition. This coalition was led by House Volt, famed guardians of Lady Caroline and a major power in Battlefleet Silver Lance.”

“And how did it end?”

“Poorly for the coalition. Lord Vitz was able to destroy this coalition, purging all their forces and influence in the sector,” replied Freya. 

“After defeating this coalition, Lord Vitz grew quite suspicious of giving power to Minor Houses. He, correctly, recognized that Houses, with their own populations, planets, and fleets, can be a major threat to his rule. Unsurprising. Any leader hopes all their people are loyal to them and them alone. Minor Houses often have their own interests at heart.” 

“One of the measures he took was getting rid of House members from Battlefleet Silver Lance, instead choosing to promote officers from humble backgrounds. Officers who would be grateful to him for the opportunities that would usually be reserved for more privileged individuals. He hoped this would ensure the armada remained loyal to him and him alone.” Commodore Thea explained. 

“It worked. For a time.” She continued. “But as the years went on, the young officers started accumulating power and influence just by the nature of their position. Gradually, their own officers and sailors started to become more loyal to them than to Lord Vitz. These officers were often rewarded land, sometimes entire planets, for their conquests. With land, came population and manufacturing capabilities, and with those two came armies and fleets. Before long, these officers found themselves the head of their own small factions. At that point, the lordship from the Leviathan came naturally.” 

“Houses Ledger, Adler, West, Raven…they all originated from the same group of young officers who Lord Vitz promoted all those decades ago. They were meant to serve House Vitz with no thoughts of self-interest, and yet here we are.” 

“If I may ask a question, commodore.” Freya paused. She did read a lot about what happened back in the archives of House Thea, but many important things weren’t kept in the archives. This was the first time she had heard about this struggle for power.

“Go ahead.” 

“Why doesn’t Lord Vitz reward his officers with wealth and treasures instead of land? Like what the Republic does? That can prevent Houses like ours from empire building.” The redhead asked curiously. 

“Because, for better or for worse, that is the traditions within the Imperium. The Imperium claims to be a meritocracy. Now…we all know it’s not completely true, but the fact is that the Imperium needs to show its people that their service can get them anything they may want. If Lord Vitz cut back on the rewards, whether by curtailing the absolute control these Houses have in their realms or by outright stripping them of their private territories, it will sow dissent among the group whose support he desperately needs to maintain control. Dissent that can easily cause the officers to be bought by other Lords within the Imperium willing to offer more. It is for that reason that, even as he defeated the coalition, Lord Vitz still left most of the Minor Houses in the sector untouched.”

The reality of politics was that any tyrant, even the cruelest ones, needed the support of some of their people. Lord Vitz could conscript billions of civilians to die in his wars. He could bomb entire worlds if he wished. However, to do any of that, he had to satisfy Battlefleet Silver Lance and ensure the loyalty of this armada, including the Minor Houses who had major sway within the Battlefleet. The moment he alienated and lost all his enforcers, he would be nothing more than a frail, old man. 

The coalition only included a portion of Minor Houses in Sector 9A2. That was why Lord Vitz was able to survive in the first place.  

Even when he sought to remove the political influence of the Minor Houses in Battlefleet Silver Lance, Lord Vitz did this with peaceful means. He gave the original houses a lot of wealth and land in exchange for the removal of their influence in the armada, hoping this small concession would allow him to truly make Battlefleet Silver Lance his.

Freya nodded. “But House Thea…I thought House Thea was present in Battlefleet Silver Lance during the time of Lady Caroline.” 

“Indeed. My grandfather was Lord Vitz’s mentor when he was a young man. He helped Lord Vitz defeat the coalition and maintain his power after he inherited his mother’s throne. During the reorganization of Battlefleet Silver Lance, my grandfather offered to have his three children, all serving as commanding officers in Battlefleet Silver Lance, resign. Lord Vitz offered us an exception, and in return, my grandfather swore that House Thea would forever serve the will of Lord Vitz, no matter the cost. He made his three children do the same.” 

Freya raised her eyebrows. “But the Grand Admiral just said…” 

“It was just an oath, Freya. Perhaps it was a lie since the beginning. Perhaps it was the truth at the time. The fact is that after so many decades, it seems like my grandfather ultimately decided the family’s military assets are more important than a simple promise. House Thea will serve House Vitz, but we will not put the interest of House Vitz above that of our own. Such has always been the way of Minor Houses within the Imperium.”

The commodore stood up and turned to Freya. “Will you be able to handle this matter discreetly?”

“Yes, Commodore. Most of the crew aboard this fleet are our people. It is entirely possible to do this without alerting the ISC Overseers and the rest of the crew we don’t trust.”

“Very well. In that case, I will leave it to you to handle this matter.” The commodore turned to the door. “I will get back to reading my reports.”

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