“The Republic had been at war with the Empire for decades. You have personal grudges against the Republic, father. Battlefleet Obsidian had faced Republic fleets in dozens of battles and emerged victorious in most of them. There are so many reasons to go to war.”

“You’re not wrong, Lily.” Laurel offered her niece a compliment before giving her a hint. “Think of the political reasons. Unlike Gerard Wolf, we don’t go to war because we are feeling honorable. We only act when it’s in our best interest.”

“Fair enough…” Lily nodded slowly and tapped her cheeks with her fingers. “I was going to say it’s to use a victory to show the people that you are better than Lord Wolf, but that’s unnecessary…”

“Unnecessary?” Count Lamb raised his eyebrows and cut Lily off. “Why would you say that?”

“Well, you have commanded Battlefleet Obsidian for a decade. Everyone knows who you are and what you are capable of…”

“No they don’t.” Count Lamb shook his head. “Sure, the Admirals know how qualified I am. You and I know it. Countess Valentine and Duke Wells both know it. But most of the population in our system don’t know it. Most of the Republic and most of the Empire don’t know who I am or what I’m capable of. They only know the name of the Obsidian Wolf and not his second-in-command, and right now, the Obsidian Wolf is dead.”

The man stared into his daughter’s eyes.

“I need a victory. Not just any victory, but one big enough to shadow over anything Gerard did. I need to show the galaxy the power of Battlefleet Obsidian. For all the myths and legends Gerard inspired, I want ten times that for myself.” Count Lamb paused and gave his words some more thought. “Reputation is a powerful weapon. It can make the weak cower in fear and the strong reach out olive branches. It can show your value to those above you and prove your potential to those below you. The strong will try to secure your loyalty while the weak will offer you theirs.”

As the young woman nodded slowly at his lecture, the Count gestured with his head. “What else?”

Once again, Lily had no idea what to say, so Laurel gave Lily another hint.

“Think about it, Lily. Why are we on the offensive when Gerard had mostly focused on defending against Republic assaults for the recent years?”

Lily bit her lips. She could feel all three pairs of eyes trained on her, which definitely didn't help her when it came to focusing. Still, she did her best. If she couldn’t even answer this question, then how could she change this world?

Suddenly, Lily remembered something from the meeting. Many of the Admirals in Battlefleet Obsidian were corrupt. The strict nature of Gerard Wolf made their lives miserable, and they enjoyed the freedom and rewards Count Lamb gave them.

“The loot.” She said quietly, her tone cold and emotionless. “When we are attacking enemy territories, we can loot their worlds and take whatever we can find. Credits. Minerals. Weapons and resources. Even people. When we are helping our allies, there are no rewards for our sacrifice.”

“Exactly!” Count Lamb exclaimed and clapped his hands in satisfaction. It was clear he was proud of Lily. “When we were fighting for Duke Wells, our people were dying for nothing. No reward. No territory. No nothing. But when we invade the Republic...our people will be thoroughly rewarded for their service, and in doing so, they will learn the benefits of loyalty. Compare the two, and soon everyone would know who is the better Count.”

“Well done, my Lady.” Director Yasmin congratulated Lily from the side, but it was obvious Lily didn't enjoy her words as much as the compliments of her father, which said a lot.

“Good job, Lily.” Laurel offered some praises as well. “What else?”

“What else?” Lily frowned. There were other reasons? “Uh...do I get a hint this time?”

“I’m afraid not, Lily.”

Lily frowned and returned to thinking. She did her best to go through all the aspects of this attack, from the planning to the process to the potential results. She took into consideration how all the relevant factions would react. As a few minutes passed and she still had no idea what her father was referring to, she stole a look around the table. To her surprise, all three of them were sitting there and waiting for her with no intention of leaving.

All of them were busy people, but they were willing to spend all the time in the world for her. After all, she was their future.

Finally, she decided to say something. At least that was better than nothing.

“I don’t know what other benefit there is, but I have a question.” She turned to Count Lamb. “Father, you will be taking the entirety of Battlefleet Obsidian against the Republic?”

“Yes. I will need every warship I can get my hands on against the Republic.” A flash of surprise went through the Count’s eyes. “The Republic has the borders heavily fortified. Our current plan is a lightning strike on all enemy border defense fleets at the same time, which means the entirety of Battlefleet Obsidian must be mobilized to overwhelm the enemies quickly enough.”

“I see…” Lily nodded before looking around at the three people around the table. “And how do you know that when Battlefleet Obsidian is away, our neighbors won’t use this opportunity to attack our system?”

“Neighbors? As in…”

“As in Countess Valentine! Duke Wells! Count Decker!” Lily exclaimed.

Laurel exchanged an intrigued glance with Count Lamb.

“And...why would our fellow honorable Imperial Nobles make a move against us while we are away fighting the enemies of the Holy Emperor?”

“Honorable?” Lily almost snickered at the word. “Father, you told me yourself on the way here. Valentine and Wells were in on the plot of murdering Gerard Wolf! They saw him as a threat, and if that’s true, then they will see you as a threat! They will have no trouble with another betrayal! The Planetary Defense Fleets won’t stand a chance against multiple Battlefleets coming down on them at once!”

There was a sense of urgency in Lily’s voice. She didn't like a lot of things about System Obsidian and about her family, but she also knew very well that having the system burned to the ground by invaders and her family massacred to the last wouldn’t make things any better. If anything, even more innocent people would perish due to the invasion. And if her family was removed from power, then she would lose any hope she once had of instilling a sense of justice and righteousness into this cruel, messed-up world.

To her concern, her father seemed more impressed than concerned as he exclaimed. “Brilliant, Lily! You’re properly paranoid! That’s a good quality to have. I have to admit, I was a little worried that you will be too easy to trust people.”

Lily wasn’t amused. “Father, over the past hour, I just learned that my closest friends and their family were murdered by my own father and aunt. I just learned that two supposedly honorable Imperial Nobles are behind this. I just watched a man get dragged out, likely to his death. I am anything but trusting.”

“I see. Well, you don’t have to worry about the other Imperial Nobles, and not because I trust their sense of honor.” Count Lamb slowly explained. “After all, we will be marching against the Republic. If Valentine or Wells attack our worlds while we are gone, then half the Empire will rise up against them. No one wants to be fighting the enemies of the Holy Emperor, only to get so blatantly stabbed in the back. Perhaps even the Armada of the Ashes will intervene, as such an attack will be a slap to the face of the Holy Emperor. If they are foolish enough to try, then we won’t have to worry about them anymore.”

Lily had heard of the Armada of the Ashes. Ever since the creation of the Holy Phoenix Empire, the Armada has been the private army of the Holy Emperor. It was the mightiest force in the Empire, and its existence was what ensured the Emperor’s reign over the numerous systems of the Empire.

Whenever an Imperial Noble was late on their annual royal tributes or made some other serious offense, warnings would be given. If those warnings were ignored, the Armada of the Ashes would be deployed against the treasonous Lords and Ladies. In most cases, these Imperial Nobles would mobilize their Battlefleets to defend themselves, yet none have succeeded.

For countless times, the Armada would wipe out every Imperial vessel that dared resist. Once the traitor forces were gone, they would seize the rogue Imperial Noble and burn them and their families alive in public as an example of the punishment of turning against the will of the Holy Emperor. The Holy Emperor would decide what to do with the Imperial system. Usually, the system would be given to a loyalist Imperial Noble of lower authority within the system.

That was when Count Lamb’s tone changed. He was no longer as calm and collected, and a slightly furious tone took hold.

“However, your question does lead to the final objective of this offensive.” The man held his right hand into a fist. “Ever since I took power, a lot of enemies have hidden themselves in the shadows. Wolf Loyalists. Rebels. And...and the Alliance.“

Lily’s eyes widened at the last name. The People’s Alliance. The rebel faction that ordered the murder of her mother. Most Imperial Nobles hated the Alliance to the core, mainly because they preached stupid ideas like civil rights and social justice. At the same time, Lily doubted anyone hated the Alliance as much as Count Lamb. For the Count, this was personal.

“The Alliance has been taking root in System Obsidian ever since Gerard Wolf was removed.” Count Lamb was silent for a few seconds, and the Director of ONI stepped in and explained to a somewhat confused Lily. “It is a fact that Lord Wolf was well-loved and well-respected. When we did what we did, we alienated a lot of his supporters. Not all of them were hunted down and killed. Now...normally, they will never be able to achieve much. They have no leadership. No resources. The commoners can hate us all they want, but in the end, they have no choice but to submit to Lord Lamb’s rule.”

Yasmin glanced at the Count, who remained silent, and made the decision to continue.

“As a result, it should be no surprise that many of the Wolf loyalists came to join the Alliance once the opportunity presented itself. ONI worked with the VSF and tried to locate and terminate them, but the Alliance is experienced in counterintelligence. Its operatives are divided into cells mostly unaware of each other. We can track down a few units, but we can’t terminate them all. Give them the opportunity, and they will strike.”

“And that is exactly what we will give them. An opportunity.” Count Lamb suddenly raised his voice. He turned to Lily with flames in his eyes and determination in his words. “When Battlefleet Obsidian departs from Valorian, the Alliance will no doubt see an opportunity. A chance to strike at the heart of my reign. They will strike, and when they do, they will reveal themselves. When they discover it is a trap, it will be too late.”

Before Lily could say anything, Count Lamb smashed his fist into the desk.

“This time, I will burn every single one of the damn bastards alive! They are not leaving System Obsidian!”

The outburst from her father clearly startled Lily, who faltered when her father’s gaze turned to her. Realizing his mistake, Frederick sighed. He waved his hand at his daughter.

“You have seen and learned a lot, Lily. You can go now.”

Lily nodded and gave the whole room another glance before promptly departing.

As his daughter was gone, Frederick sighed again and turned to the other two people in the room. Laurel Lamb and Director Yasmin.

“Director. I have something to ask of you.”

“You need only command, my Lord.”

“Someone told Lily about what truly happened to Gerard.” Count Lamb said quietly, his tone emotionless. “Lily is smart, but there is no way she figured out all that by herself. Someone is trying to turn my daughter against me, and I want you to find out who.”

“As you wish, my Lord.” Yasmin nodded obediently.

Count Lamb then turned to his sister.

“Laurel. Battlefleet Obsidian will be ready for combat soon. When I lead Battlefleet Obsidian on the offensive, I want you to stay at Valorian and oversee the system. All Imperial units in the system will answer to you. I am trusting my home to your care.”

“Of course.” The sister nodded gently. She was expecting something like this. “And the 2nd Fractional Fleet?”

The 2nd Fractional Fleet was the unit Laurel Lamb commanded over in Battlefleet Obsidian for years. It was, in a sense, her personal army.

“I am leaving them with you.” Count Lamb replied. “Hide them in one of the covert space stations we built in the system. If any of our enemies are stupid enough to assault our home when Battlefleet Obsidian is away, well...teach them a lesson. A lesson that they can pay for with their lives.”

“Understood.” Laurel nodded in agreement, a cruel grin on her face. She enjoyed a good slaughter of her enemies as much as her brother.

As the instructions were given, Laurel and Yasmin both left the room and went to take care of their own business. They were both busy people, and this meeting had already taken enough of their time.

When he was finally along, Count Lamb sighed once again and leaned back into his comfortable leather seat. As confident as he was in front of Lily, deep down, he knew very well that he was far from having everything under control.

The Republic was no easy foe. For decades, the Holy Phoenix Empire had struggled against the Republic of Dorn. Sure, that was partial because the Empire was far at all fronts, but the Republic wasn’t that much different either.

Indeed, the political nature of the Republic meant decisions were slow, and partisan efforts in the Republic Senate could easily turn a victory into a defeat. But...the same could be said for the Empire, and when it came to sabotaging comrades, Imperial Nobles were far better than Republic Senators.

Battlefleet Obsidian was certainly a mighty fleet, and he, Count Lamb, was a talented and experienced commander. Yet the Republic also had its fair share of powerful fleets and veteran leaders. Lamb trusted his own skills, but he still knew that one mistake might be all it took for him to lose everything.

At the same time, he had to strike. Unlike Gerard Wolf, he was ambitious. He wanted more power, and to do that, he needed more territory and more resources. The political system around System Obsidian meant that unless he sought to make a move against his fellow Imperial Nobles, the only source of conquest would be the Republic.

Of course, he could wait, but to what end? So that Duke Wells could start getting suspicious of him? Or until the Republic could realize that the Lamb was different from the Wolf and increase the fleets it had on the border?

Even now, Count Lamb knew that his good neighbor, Countess Valentine of System S88, was working hard to expand her Battlefleet Silver Serpent. She was either afraid of being attacked, or she was planning to attack someone. The Count was willing to bet it was the latter.

Frederick closed his eyes. Doubts filled his mind, but he forced them out with sheer will. It was ironic. To the billions in System Obsidian, Frederick Lamb was their god. His will was absolute. Defying him was equal to committing suicide. But in reality, the Count also had his concerns and doubts, and if things went wrong, the Count could find himself dead and everything he cared for set aflame just as easily.

Even now, Count Lamb didn't realize who his true threat was. He didn't know that the last member of the Wolf family wasn’t executed as he commanded. He didn't know that Alexander Wolf had made the entire Darkbane Prison his personal playground, nor that he had just left the island a few Imperial hours ago. Lamb didn't know what Alexander was capable of, or what he would do in Valoria.

Soon, in a few days or a few years, the Republic would no longer be the Count’s concern. Fellow Imperial Nobles with high ambitions wouldn’t be a threat anymore. Even the matter of raising a quality heir would seem so...meaningless. So trivial.

After all, the Wolf was coming.