It took Jaeger Sobek nearly half a minute to compose himself. He said irritably, "When did this happen? And when the hell did I ever command a pacification campaign?"
"You don't know? The Divine Grace Sector made a documentary promoting public security, and you were the star of the show. Everyone's saying that, because of your age, you haven't risen very high in rank, but you've always played the role of chief of staff. The Security Forces Command also gives your opinions a lot of weight, and everyone thinks you have a bright future." Miss Selu covered her mouth as she laughed.
"Looks like the Divine Grace Sector plans to hold you up as their model citizen."
The Divine Grace Sector was one of the Empire's colonial sectors on the New Continent. It lay over forty thousand light-years in a straight line from the Glory Sector and the Unity Fortress, with no usable routes between them. At the current pace of stellar exploration, it would probably take another one or two hundred years before the two sectors could establish regular direct traffic.
So even now, half a century after colonization began, the only way to get there was through the Dawnstar Gate and a transfer through the home territories.
This sector was also the "home" where Sobek was born and raised. Of course, the declining noble House Sobek had only gone to the colonies to make a living. They had always believed firmly that only the Empire's home territories were their true home, and only the lands the House had lost to the Dawn Royal Family were their roots.
Of course, that wasn't the point.
The Eyin and Ian were the indigenous species of the colonies. Their civilizations had at least reached the early firearms era.
Of course, no matter