by K. L. Bone
Chapter XXVI
One day, as my plan of infesting the Lorids in the outer defense system was nearing completion, I received an unexpected call from one of my advisors. I took the call in a room to the side of the main command room. Harars 12 was awaiting me. “My Lady,” he began.
“Yes, what is it?”
“I regret to inform you that… Well you see, my Lady.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What is it?”
He lowered his head as he continued to speak. “Forgive me, my Lady. It would seem that two commanders, Defret and Pert, from a Lorid ship have discovered our plan and managed to escape in a small escape vessel. We have blocked all communications, but have been unable to find the Lorids. We believe they are headed to the Lorid home-world in an attempt to warn Commander Darcoth.”
“What!” I yelled. “How did this happen?”
“I do not know, my Lady.”
“This could ruin everything! The entire plan hinges on surprise until its completion. Everything will be ruined unless these men are found!”
“We are doing all within our power to find the escapees, my Lady.”
“Have you found them yet?”
“No.”
“Then clearly you are not doing everything.”
I turned as the door opened behind me. Darin walked in. When he saw that I was in a meeting he gave a bow and said, “My apologies, my Lady. I shall return another time.”
“No,” I said, an idea suddenly dawning. “Do not leave, I am almost finished here.”
I turned back to my commanders. “Allow me to understand,” I said to Harars 12. “The two Lorid Commanders, Defret and Pert, have been infested and are on their way to their home-world as we speak. Once there they shall attend a private meeting with Lord Darcoth and infest him. Is this correct, Harars 12?” A confused silence fell. I rushed ahead to fill it. “Is that correct?”
“Yes, my Lady,” the man said, following my lead.
“Good,” I replied. “Everything is going as planned. Ensure that all we have discussed is carried out.”
“Yes, my Lady,” said the confused Harars before communications were promptly cut.
I turned back to Darin. “What was it you wished to speak with me about?”
“I had a question about the Feriug system.”
“Of course,” I replied. “Shall we speak over dinner? I believe the chef said he was preparing a variety of fish tonight.”
“It is for you to decide, my Lady,” Darin replied.
Two nights later I received the news I had been hoping for. I called Darin to my room and opened a bottle of his favorite wine. We drank most of the bottle before falling into bed that night. The next morning I untangled my nude body from his. I kissed his lips before rising from the silken sheets. As I began to tie my black robe around my body, Darin turned to his side. “So,” he asked, “are you going to tell me why you were so happy last night?”
I finished tying the black satin in place and sat on the edge of the bed facing Darin. “It was because I received excellent news. You see, for the past few months our troops have been secretly infesting the Lorids stationed on the outer defenses of their home world. A few days ago, two commanders learned of our plan. Every ship in my fleet was searching for them unsuccessfully. Then, as the ships reached the home-world, they were suddenly blown out of the sky.” I paused before adding, “By the very people they were hoping to warn.”
It took a moment for the story to sink in. Darin turned from me and sat up on the opposite side of the bed. “No,” he said. “You told me those commanders were infested!”
I glanced at Darin with a look of pity. “You know something strange, Darin,” I paused for breath, “the only person I told that too, was you.”
He looked up at me, flames from the fire before us reflecting in his deep, golden eyes. I gave him a smile that did not reach my eyes. “Be honest, Darin. You send messages to the Lorids on a regular basis. Did you think I did not know?”
His eyes were cast downward. “Oh come now, Darin,” I said softly. “Do not fear. You have served me well this day.” I rose and left the room, leaving the bed in silence.
A few weeks later I was called into a command room to find my father awaiting my arrival. “My Lady,” Lord Kasar addressed me. “The last of their outer defenses have been destroyed and their fighters infested. The entire Lorid army stands at your command along with nearly twenty-thousand of our own with not quite thirty-thousand ships between them and thanks to your manipulation and careful maneuvers to ensure absolute secrecy of these infestations, the Lorid don’t have a clue what is going on.” I returned his smile.
“Oh, I doubt that. Darcoth may not know that his entire army is at my command, but he knows some of them are. You never did give him enough credit, Father. He, like his people, is cunning and strong but they know when the war is lost. What do you say to standing by my side as I contact him and demand the immediate surrender of his people?” In response, my father took a step beside me and awaited my command.
I had known this was coming and had dressed for the occasion. My father stood beside me as I sent a priority message to the Lorid’s home planet. I stood facing the five leaders of the Lorids. “Greetings my Lords,” I said. “I call as a representative of the Setian Empire. Nearly two-hundred thousand ships await my orders to attack. I have called to offer you a chance to surrender and save the lives of your people. You are outnumbered and all but defenseless. I ask you to accept this outcome as the only one that has ever existed. You are defeated. Now I implore you to accept that defeat.”
“You may have us outnumbered but we are by no means defenseless,” a Lorid replied. “There are not two-hundred thousands ships in the entire Empire. I believe you are lying.”
I looked thoughtfully for a moment, “Actually there are more than two-hundred thousand ships, but you are correct as a majority of them are not meant for war. I was referring to the hundred and twenty thousand warships I do command along with the eighty-thousand of your own ships that also answer to my orders.” I then gave a nod and I watched the screen as the Lorid’s top military commander stepped to my right side opposite my father. I was quick to fill the silence, “As I was saying, two hundred thousand ships await my orders to attack; unless you will surrender now, of course.” I was smiling and I could not help myself. This was the moment I had waited for. It was finally here.
The communication was cut and a few thousand ships of the inner defense system rose to meet us. I turned to my father, “Give the order to attack,” I said. “I want every last one of those ships annihilated; no survivors. Then send them down to the planet and knock out any and all ships that attempt to flee. Do what you will with any resistance, but leave Darcoth for me.” My father gave a low bow and turned to carry out my orders. I stood on the bridge of my command ship and watched the slaughter. My ships came from the far side of the planet like a black cloud of death. An hour later I was summoned to receive a message and once again found myself facing the military command center of the Lorid home-world. Only this time instead of facing my enemies, I was facing my father.
“The planet has been taken. Darcoth and his commanders await their fate at your hand. The greatest and last victory in the Empire is yours.”
I looked at my father, staring deeply into his dark eyes. “No,” I said slowly. “The greatest and last victory of the Empire,” I paused, “is ours.” I gave a low laugh echoed by my father. “I shall contact the council. Then send my sub-commanders to prepare the planet for my arrival. It should take a few weeks before the planet is fit for my eyes. Send troops down to the Truvorian planet and make sure it’s secure. I will handle them myself. Keep Darcoth alive, that is all.” He bowed and promptly cut the communication.
We had won, but the job of securing the planet along with our victory was far from done. Within a few weeks Setian pools would be built upon the planet and almost all the people infested. For security reasons, it would not be safe for
me to step onto the planet until this was done.
Now let me explain that not all of our war problems were solved. We had successfully taken the Lorid’s planet but unfortunately, a few ships managed to escape as we moved in for what should have been our final victory. They are rebels now, scattered throughout the galaxy. In reality, they were only small nuisances, but on occasion they would take out a supply ship or free one of their own. There are reports that indicate that a low number of humans had also been freed by these rebels. Reports came to me regularly, as my commanders worked to destroy the last of the resistance and transform the once tranquil Lorid planet into something more suitable for our cause.
There were times when these reports came in that my gaze fell upon Darin. His eyes were usually neutral, but every once in a while I saw the faintest sight of hunger in his eyes. A longing that was all that was left of what he had once been.
Chapter XXVII
The Tuvorians were a minor species that lived on a planet within the Lorid defenses. Tuvorians are carnivores in the worst sense of the word despite having a highly sophisticated culture and living as families. They take care of their children and are with a single mate as long as they both live. They care deeply for their loved ones and enjoy the pleasures of life as well as the next group.
The problem with this group is that they cannot resist the smell of blood. Much like vampires of human legends, these creatures need blood to survive. Therefore, if one of their loved ones are harmed others nearby often go into a frenzy. Control is hard to learn and is especially difficult for the children. There are times when the largest and strongest of the children will harm or even kill those they love and care for, drinking their blood with a thirst that is never satisfied.
The first species to discover the Tuvorians were the Lorids. Everything went well between the two species until one day when the Lorids witnessed an accident. No one really remembers what the accident was, but it left several Tuvorians hurt. The Lorids ran to help those harmed, but when they arrived it was to a sickening sight. Tuvorians who had been nearby were lying on top of their fallen friends, basking in their blood and drinking with a vengeance. The sight horrified the Lorids, who reported the incident to the ruling leaders of their home world. An order was issued for the Tuvorians to be abandoned and the planet guarded to prevent the Tuvorians from leaving the planet and spreading their blood-thirst across the galaxy.
When my Empire defeated the Lorids in the final battle, we sent several troops down to the Tuvorian world. I sent one of my commanders down with them. I was curious to know if the blood lust was real or if it was just another attempt to keep any species from the hope of becoming as powerful as the Lorids. My commander spent several nights down on the planet and reported that his assessment of this species did indeed make them as blood-thirsty and as helpless to control themselves as our newly defeated foes had told.
The idea of such a thing intrigued me. I went down to the planet myself with a vast honor guard. I spent several days observing the lifestyle of a group. As it would happen and often did on that planet, I witnessed a child attacking its mother when the thirst for blood overtook the child. It was a horrid sight. The child actually screamed in protest to the actions he was taking, while taking them. After watching the parent and child struggle for a few moments, I gave an order and my guards separated the two of them. I had one of my Setians to transfer himself from the mind of his host to the mind of the Tuvorian. Once in control, my servant stopped the ravings of the Tuvorian and looked at me.
I ordered the room to be cleared of everyone except my guards and the Setian, Nara 246. “I am going to fill this room with blood and I want you to overcome this creature’s craving for blood. If you cannot control this hunger you will die.” I then took a knife from one of my guards and sliced lightly down my right arm. I stood with my honor guard on either side of me and let the blood run down my arms. Nara took two steps forward before reaching an abrupt halt. The guards on either side of me tightened their grips on their weapons. After several moments, Nora’s tense body visibly relaxed and he turned and addressed me.
“I am in control now, my Lady.” I gave a small nod. “Well done, Nara. How does your host feel?”
“My Lady,” he replied, “He wants to thank you for stopping him from hurting his mother. He wants to speak to you if you will allow.”
I gave a small nod and his host began to speak, “Thank you, my Lady. I do not understand how this creature can resist my cravings, for I know he feels them as I do. I may have killed my mother and I love her very much, I never could have lived with myself if I had harmed her.”
I said, “You need help with self-control. Your population dwindles because you, in lack of a better way to put this, eat each other. My people have an incredible sense of control, but lack the pleasures of life. They are blind, deaf, and forced to live inside a pool; an existence which we have found not acceptable. I believe we can help each other and bring our two societies to a peaceful arrangement.”
“I would see you as member of my Empire. It would not only give you the control to stop harming your loved ones, but also the opportunity to leave this planet and see the universe that has been denied you for so long by our mutual enemies, the Lorids. I offer a peace treaty and I ask you to speak to other members of your species about forming this union between our species.”
He gave a small smile and said, “My Lady, what you offer me is a great gift. I will go and speak to my people. I am sure this alliance will go through. The chance to gain the control of your people and save our species is much too good an offer to pass up. I thank you once again for saving my mother’s life.” I then gave a series of orders and Nora removed himself from the creature and returned to his former host. The story was spread and my offer was taken to Tuvorian leaders.
A few hours later, the Tuvorians had agreed and a formal alliance was created. Several of my high commanders were called to begin the infestation process. The moment the Setians entered the minds of the Tuvorians, their cravings decreased and their frenzies stopped. Darin had been down on the planet with me and seemed to be looking at something with new eyes, though I was not sure what that was.
Over the next few weeks, Darin witnessed an entire group of creatures rush for the newfound control we offered. They were educated about the outer world which had been denied them for so long. The hosts befriended their captors and formed a union of friendliness rarely found within other species, even when the hosts were voluntary. By joining with the Empire, the Tuvorians found a freedom they had never experienced in the history of their civilization.
I watched Darin as he watched these unions form. I saw a hope once again arise in his eyes. A hope that was a mixture of what he had held onto for so long along with something new. As much as this new hope appealed to some part of me, I needed to be sure that I had control of that hope. Only by ensuring that I had complete control over him, could I safely rebuild him in the form I saw fit.
The only true way to ensure my power within the Empire was to have power over every aspect of it, from the lowest of soldiers who would never come within a million miles of my presence, to my most powerful and trusted generals, to the slave who shared my bed. If I could not control what people wanted and wished for, then I could not control the demands of my people and thus, I could not control my Empire. My power was in my ideals of absolute control over a perfectly united Empire.
A chance to prove this resolution came when one of my sub-commanders informed me that the Lorid world was ready for formal inspection. The leaders were being held by my command and awaiting their sentence to be announced. I was faced with the choice of killing them or giving them to some of my top commanders. Even in defeat, they served as symbol of hope to their people, or so I was informed. It brought the question of whether their slavery or their death would be the more effective way to crush the people they had served so valiantly.
In light of this question, I called two of my top intelligence a
gents and we spoke for several hours alone in the solitude of my private chambers. The black, soundproof walls provided absolute security. With us was my top psychologist, who had studied the effects leaders held over a nation in death for many years. He was about fifty by earth standards and one of the finest psychologists I had ever encountered.
When our decisions were made, my orders were dispatched and I called Darin to my chambers. He was announced by a maid and brought before me. I ordered him to dress in his finest clothes and then report to the dock of the ship where he would accompany me down to the Lorid home world. A look of surprise flashed across his face, but was quickly suppressed by strength of will. As much as I would enjoy taking credit for teaching him this lack of recognizable emotion, it must be given to his own credit. Darin was as much a leader in his time as I or Kasar had ever been. Leaders cannot truly lead unless they learn not to show emotion. Darin learned that lesson on his own.
Darin, some advisers, and I boarded a small private craft to the newly conquered planet. It was to our great delight to step off the ship and find those whom had once fought against us now bowing at our feet.
My eyes studied Darin carefully as his eyes beheld all that happened around him. The sorrow in his eyes was well hidden and only one who knew him well would be able to truly see the hurt that lied just beneath the surface of his features. The Lorids were the last hope of resistance, and now Darin saw first-hand just how defeated they truly were. The ironic part of all this was that as we walked through the streets, it was to the sounds of triumph and celebration. The Setians had won the war and the Lorids no longer existed except for a faint echo inside their own minds.
We entered a large, seven story building which had once been the center of defense for this planet on which we stood. The symbols that had once shone so proudly from the walls had been removed. The ancient symbols of the Setian’s now stood in their place. The once green and white walls, their national colors symbolizing the earth and peace, now stood red and black, the Setian’s colors symbolizing supreme power and ultimate victory. The Setians gave tribute to the blood spilled by their fallen comrades throughout this war. We had won at long last and every aspect of Lorid supremacy was quickly being erased. This planet would soon be like all the others; a barren world stripped of all signs of hope and possible resistance.