Squire Of The Land, Part One
03 Sep 2018Cernig10
The shuttle rocked and juddered alarmingly as it descended towards the green and blue planet below. Jack Cernig-Dix cinched his safety harness a little tighter and was glad he hadn’t risked one of his own precious ships and his own even more precious ass trying to make planetfall solo on the ringed planet Celsius, the capital world of the Praetorian Curiate Assembly. He’d thought long and hard about which of his fleet he should take on his first visit to his new manor and lands - his Fer-De-Lance, to declare himself a warrior as so many of this planet’s inhabitants seemed to be, or his Imperial Cutter to underline a promise of growing trade and Imperial rule. Then he’d been taken aside by one of his fellow PCA pilots, call-sign Incizhi0n, who had explained that the planet’s unusual orbit and weather made it all but impossible for anyone but a pilot trained and experienced in their vagaries to do so safely. He’d had a look at the data his new friend had shown him and immediately opted to take one of the PCA’s all-black orbital shuttles, seized from their previous Federal owners, down from the Celsius Market station to the surface.The planet Celsius was permanently tidally-locked to its neighbour, a gas giant the locals called “Sarek”, and one face of Celsius always faced Sarek as the two slowly rotated around a common center and an even longer orbit of their primary. The terraformed PCA homeworld was therefore only marginally earth-like at best, with days and nights that were almost 40 standard days long each. Even so, the average surface temperature was around 150 degrees Fahrenheit and at the point of maximum sunlight it was almost hot enough to boil water, while at the point of maximum dark it plunged to just below freezing. That huge temperature differential meant equally huge winds; high level, storm-force, hot winds driving towards the dark side and cooler gales at lower altitude coming back out of the dark towards the heat of the sun. Navigating through those shearing winds was a task for specialists. Jack watched carefully from the co-pilot’s seat as the pilot jockeyed the small craft down through the turbulence - he had insisted that he needed to learn how to make this planetfall for himself.
Finally, the shuttle broke out of its long and bone-shaking orbital glide and Jack craned forward to get his first view of his new lands. The shuttle had come in on a steep glide and was now levelled out and skimming just a few hundred meters above a sparkling, choppy ocean with the slowly lowering sun at its back. The settlement of Savere Landing occupied a steep headland between two bays and Jack could see that one bay was broad, shallow and filled with the deep green of kelp and algae farms, with a sandy beach rising gently to patchworked green and gold fields; while the other was smaller, backed by high cliffs rising to hills, and almost entirely closed off by a massive ferrocrete breakwater. The settlement itself, home to just over five thousand people, citizen and slave, was mostly built into the headland itself, but a few sturdy hab-domes and blocky buildings rose above the ground. A single tall white residence tower in the Imperial style, all curves and fluted buttresses, rose above the rest at the very tip of the headland. That would once have been Savere Tower, now re-named Cernig-Dix Tower since he’d taken over the squireship of the small farming and fishing community. Automated weapons emplacements on that tower tracked the shuttle as it flared and descended to the tower’s private landing pad, then swung back up to watch the sky as the shuttle was lowered into the tower’s hanger.
As the docking clamps locked, Jack unbuckled and smoothed down this tunic jacket. He’d intended to wear his usual Imperial business attire of high-collared brocade jacket over frilled white shirt and Regency buttoned pants but had been overruled by Baronet Wreyn Kaira, the Duke’s personal aide. Wreyn had explained that Savere Landing had previously been held by a minor member of the Savere family, who had originally backed the system’s independence from the Federation, then sworn fealty to Duke Rowe only to dishonorably rebel and lose their lands as a consequence. It had been held directly by Duke Rowe himself and administered by a factor on his behalf until he chose to grant it to a loyal underling as reward. “You have to make a statement about Praetorian rule,” he’d been told, and so he was uncomfortably decked out in the PCA dress uniform of severely-tailored, midnight-black tunic and pants tucked into aviator boots, the starkness relieved only by the silver insignia of the PCA on one shoulder and of Senator Patreus on the other. One one hip hung his sword of office, a functional masterpiece by the artisans of Holva, on the other an ornate pulse-laser pistol made by the weaponsmiths of Gilya. He made his way to the rear ramp of the shuttle, since formality dictated that when the ramp opened he be the first down it, as his small entourage shook themselves into order behind him.
He’d brought one of his company’s accountants, of course, a young but keen-minded woman by the name of Linda Bolk. She stood right behind him, next to his newly-acquired personal secretary and aide-de-camp, Allan Middleton. Both were dressed in Imperial business suits almost as severely back as his P.C.A. uniform and both, like him, were offworlders; although both were Imperial born, hailing from his company’s headquarters of Brooks Terminal in the Turir system. Behind them the new Captain of his small manorage security garrison, Robert Odell, stood at attention. Another of Kaira’s ‘suggestions’ and probably as much there to keep an eye on things for the Baronet as to protect Jack’s interests as squire, the veteran of the P.C.A.s infantry had seen action in Nyoru and Smethells 56. A gaunt giant of a man, he stood head and shoulders above the rest of the party, his close-cropped head only just clearing the overhead. Behind Odell stood three more garrison troops, all likewise in black P.C.A. uniforms and all also carrying pulse-lasers at their hips.
“Shiva and Kali! We look like a funeral entourage. A heavily armed one.” Jack thought as the ramp slowly lowered to reveal the brightly lit inside of the spacious manorage hangar. There was a decidedly unspontaneous sounding burst of applause, followed by the stomping crack of boots on ferrocrete as the other members of the small settlement’s garrison - all fifteen of them - came to ‘present arms’. In front of them, a group of four awaited Jack’s disembarkment in a tidy line, behind them a larger and unorganised crowd of citizens and Imperial slaves craned to see their new master. As he’d expected, both gravity and air pressure were about a fifth greater than he was used to: he’d have to pace himself so as not to over-tire and create a bad first impression.
A middle-aged woman, slim and tall with bronzed skin like so many of the others gathered in the crowd, stepped forward. Jack was beginning to feel like a midget in a land of giants. His own 175 cm might mean he didn’t bash his head on many shipboard hatches, but the people of Celsius ran to 180 cm plus, and a wiry strength to go with, thanks to the genetic engineering that made living on the planet more comfortable.The woman was dressed in Imperial court formal: a high collared bolero jacket over a form-fitting bodice, a long drape of skirts, and ornate sandals. She had a bob of silvery hair and what Jack’s grandmother would have called “an expression like a face-full of lemons”. She was obviously not at all happy, but making the best of the situation. She smoothly slid into a curtsey before straightening to offer her hand.
“Master Cernig-Dix, it is my honor. I am Susanna Hodges, the Duke’s factor for the settlement of Savere Landing and now yours, should you choose to retain my services.”
“Aha”, Jack thought, as he returned his factor’s cool handshake. “That explains it.” Aloud he said, “Hodges? Any relation to Arlene Hodges in the Duke’s combat bonds office?”
Susanna bobbed her head, yes, and at last had a slightly less stringent look on her face. “My half-sister,” she explained, “By father’s first marriage.”
“Your sister is a wonder and a priceless asset to the Duke, as I am certain you will be to me, Susanna.” Jack replied, smoothly, and was rewarded with a sudden smile that changed the factor’s face into an entirely different person - vivacious, quick-witted and full of humor.
The compliment was an easy one to give away, but Jack fervently hoped it would become true. The Hodges were a trusted family, and Susanna’s grandfather was in the Duke's favor. She’d have perceived the transition from the Duke’s factor to a mere squire’s as a demotion, a loss of prestige...and if she’d been skimming the books by a greater margin than the unspoken perks of her position allowed, then she’d fear for her income and possibly her very position in society. Well, he’d see. He’d brought Linda Bolk along for good reason, she was the Interstellar Business Associates’ best forensic accountant and software hacker. If she was honest enough, he’d keep Susanna in her position - and she’d quickly discover that he might be a mere squire here but he was a very rich one. He had plans for this place.
Jack turned to his lawyer and nodded. Allan reached to his wrist and a hologram of a very ancient-looking document, parchment and wax seals, appeared in mid air. He angled the projection so his boss could see it easily, and Jack cleared his throat.
“In accordance with the instructions of the Praetorian Curiate Assembly this 5th day of August, 3304, I, Jack Cernig-Dix, Squire of the Assembly by the grace of my feudal lord, Duke Alden Rowe, do hereby take seisin of the manorage and lands of Savere Landing as my demesne as of fee of a corporeal inheritance, for myself and my descendants in perpetuity. I take unto myself all appurtenances of the demesne, including the right of Middle and Low Justice, to hold in the name of Duke Rowe and the Assembly. I therefore also swear to discharge all my duties as Squire and Master honorably, and to the best of my ability, at peril of my life and honor.”
Jack nodded, and the hologram disappeared again. Savere Landing, and all its people, were his now.