The eldest died quietly. The man who had not lived as an Aldrich, while quietly carrying out the family's goals for well over two centuries, died before reaching his 16th Rep Digit celebration.
Adrian couldn't help wondering if the old man would have made it to that record breaking year, if his body hadn't been damaged so severely. After his death, every atom of his body was carefully separated and recycled, so that no trace of his royal DNA would be preserved. Brennant had no children to carry on his lineage, that duty would fall to his brother's line and Brendan's child.
Brennant's life was celebrated across an entire Solar System. His years as a criminal, his interactions with the Kings, his heroic efforts… all of that was forgotten. Perhaps he would have rejoiced to know that he would forever be remembered as the inventor of the gravitational drive. Perhaps he would have laughed and argued that gravity didn't really exist, despite the fact that it had nearly killed him.
