Prologue

Brodie Erikson was suffering through the last class of the day, Ancient History.

“When humanity left Earth to populate space, the Earth government sent colony ships to seed potential planets. The occupants were put into cryosleep, all of them knowing it might be a hundred years or more before they were awakened. It took a special breed to leave everything behind with the knowledge that everyone they once knew would be long dead.

“Like our ancestors who explored the seas of Earth, the Norsemen accepted the challenge nearly three thousand years ago to establish the first colony.

“Who here can tell me why we did not call ourselves Vikings?”

Brodie looked around and saw no one stepping up to answer their teacher.

“Because the term doesn’t fit. It was first used by the Anglo-Saxons in Earth’s Middle Ages to refer to Old Norse raiders. They were initially called wicing, from Old English, which was translated into the Latin term for pirate. Almost a thousand years later, in the 18th century, the word Viking was introduced into Modern English. During that time, it acquired the romanticized meaning of barbarian warrior or noble savage.

“In reality, the pirates made up a small fraction of the North Germanic ethnic group called Norsemen,” Brodie answered.

The chime sounded, signifying the end of the session. Brodie removed his headset and smiled when his two best friends, Valkyrie ‘Val’ Hansen and Erik Tor, pulled theirs off. Val and Erik’s parents worked on Brodie’s family estate. The three of them had been inseparable for as long as Brodie could remember.

Since his parents wanted only the best education for Brodie, he was remotely homeschooled in a ‘classical’ style three days a week. He also had two days devoted to ‘practical’ training, which most of the local children received. As it sounded, that training was learning by doing. That left one day for rest and the last for ‘combat’ training.

Since Val and Erik would someday become Brodie’s lieutenants, they both got the same educational benefits he did. Val, who fancied herself a warrior, focused on combat strategy, while Erik had a mind for electronics. Brodie’s parents had placed him into leadership and governing classes because he would become part of the Norse ruling class when he reached the age of majority.

Many considered being a future leader a privilege, a gift given only to a lucky few. In some ways, they were correct. But most didn’t realize the responsibility that came with that birthright; they had no idea how suffocating it could be. There were days when Brodie would have given anything to walk in a commoner’s shoes and breathe in that station’s freedom.

His life was already planned for him to the finest detail. His father would choose who he married without considering who he might love. He secretly hoped his mother would step in and allow him to marry for love or, at the very least, have a say in the matter. He would also be told what he would do for a living. At the age of twelve, it all felt so unfair.

His mother had told him that he would learn to love his wife as she had his father, and that when he was older, it would all make sense. But there was no question that he would do his duty for his family, so he’d better learn to make the best of it.

His grandmother called them all to the kitchen for a snack. She was small for a Norsewoman and had a slight limp from an ax injury in her youth, but that was the only sign of her advanced age. Her hair remained a golden blond that had not yet been touched with silver. She wore it in a traditional braid down the center of her back.

As they entered the kitchen, the three younglings smelled the fish stew cooking over a traditional open flame. The planet Norse had an abundance of trees but very few other natural resources. That meant they burned wood to heat their homes and for cooking. Most of their industry used steam power, which also used wood.