****
The war is over! The war is over!
By the end of 78 B.E., the day had finally come. The Force of Arms War was over. It was a crucial last month for the forces of the Santos regime.
In the beginning of the last month, the Nova Bomb was dropped on Troyuvant soil. The blast was amazing from a distance if among the stars because of the glow from the element used in the bomb, but destructive to anyone who was in, near, or around Troyuvant. A miniature supernova formed from the surface of the planet. Troyuvant have been permanently damaged.
After that, there were no more attacks. No other terrorist or warlord of the House of Latium or any Second Renaissance sect wanted to take a chance against the might of Ichiamo Santos' combined forces.
For Crystal Metropolis, this had brought Ichiamo’s name to another higher level; the highest it has ever been reached by a king. He gave speeches after the bomb was placed on the planet, telling the people about his decision.
Since the bomb, other House of Latium drivers and traders were arrested and either executed on the spot, or was sent to ATM prisons on other planets. All over the ATM, people rejoiced the Santos name.
With the war being over and people celebrating, he sent scouts out to Troyuvant to discover the damages.
For the next few weeks, Ichiamo was by himself, not coming out much to celebrate with the court, the Strator Circle, or with other Crystal Metropolitans. Not even the ones hosted by his own fiancée Katharina Lysander and her celebrity friends. He stayed alone to his thoughts and emotions; the way it had always been since he was a child.
Then, the scouts came back and gave him the results of their Troyuvant findings. The damage was like he thought: catastrophic. No trace of any form of life whatsoever. The damage was something similar to two meteors blasting on a planet. Smog surrounded the planet, and some of it had carried itself outside space, but it had disappeared.
They had no clue of the exact number of deaths on Troyuvant at the time of the bomb dropping, but Ichiamo could take a guess. There were millions of lives lost based on one decision and one large ball of metal carrying fire and brimstone.
He knew that in using these bombs, he had invented a whole new kind of warfare. Armies were effective for a show of force, but through the Second Renaissance, Ichiamo discovered that if you want devastating but acceptable results, all someone needed was to use a Nova Bomb. He knew that if a powerful weapon like this went into the hands of a tyrant, there was no telling what kind of devastation it would cause.
In that instant, he thought that there was no way that these bombs should ever be used again. And he hoped that he never had to ever again.
Hearing the results, Ichiamo had legitimately ended a chapter in the legacy of the Aventine Monarch Galaxy and one of the Santos family’s most haunting phantoms. Once one of the Santos’ grand conquests, Troyuvant had become nothing more than a constant reminder of the damage it had caused his family. In a sense, Ichiamo wanted to destroy Troyuvant not only to end a war he started, but also to close off that damaging period for the clan once and for all.
****
Zola Gadiaga continued to spend her time in the dungeons as the time went by. She would hear news from her cell either from the guards or other prisoners, but none of that mattered if it meant she was still rotting away. By this point, the beauty that made her name became a forgotten memory.
The worse came with the last person she ever thought she would see, entered in a fancy red leather dress to see her.
When Zola feasted her eyes on her, a part of her wanted to jump at her, but her legs were sleeping and her energy was sapped from the stress.
"Katharina Lysander!" She whispered. "I don't believe this!"
"It's been a long time, Zola," Katharina said.
"What do you want?"
"I came here to give you some news."
"And why would I want to hear anything from a Lysander?"
"Well...I was Katharina Lysander!" Then, she presented a ring, a diamond-encrusted star-shaped ring similar to the Starstriker ring Ichiamo had. "I am now Katharina Santos!"
Zola chuckled. "So your father tricking you the way my father did me, huh? I wouldn't be so proud of that if I were you. What makes you think you won't be in the same position as me. Ichiamo wears his heart on his sleeves and the minute you mess up, you'll be in the same place as me. And I can't wait for the day when you're in the cage right next to me."
Katharina sighed. "Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Because you're not even going to be around for the wedding."
Zola stood slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, the war's over. All you friends are either dead or left. Which means the king doesn't need you anymore. You're going to Hungaro to spend the rest of whatever life you have there. Your punishment for your betrayal."
Zola's mouth widened. "You're lying!"
Two Democrat Guards stood to the side of Katharina. "Look at it this way. You always wanted to be a part of history. Now you will be. Amilie Santos was sent to Hungaro by her father for being a slut. You had just become the second Santos to go there for the same reason. These men here will make sure you get to Hungaro safe and sound. Say hello to Amilie for me. If she's still alive."
Katharina got out of the way and the Democrat Guards opened the cage. They brought Zola out as she struggled to break free from their grip.
"YOU BITCH! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS. I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT!"
Katharina continued to walk and never look back. Her former Solarian friend was being dragged away to a fate too familiar in the history of the Santos clan. Little by little, as the screams drowned out, Katharina was able to crack a sinister smile.
Long live the new Queen, Katharina Lysander Santos...
TWELVE: SEDUCTIVE
82 B.E.
It had been four years since the Force of Arms War officially ended, a grand victory for King Ichiamo and the Santos family. They were the toast of the planet again in Crystal Metropolis. They walked the streets of the Bull Market Triangle and everyone around went on one knee, no matter what they were doing at the time out of respect. Ichiamo made himself presentable to the people wearing the finest royal wear and Crystal Metropolitans made their statement heard through red, white, and blue stashes swinging in the air, which had become the new royal colors of Crystal Metropolis.
To finish off his return, he had the Symbel Crystalis dinner. Like the past, every dish was carefully made to perfection. Ichiamo made sure respect was given to the past and his achievements took center stage on the dinner table. Another year and another special Symbel Crystalis dinner was given in commemoration of the grand victories of the Santos Empire. The past dishes were in display: red meats from Hungaro, juicy ripe fruits from the Cyprun Valley System, crisp vegetables from Guapa and dark wines from the Hallow Points. Each of the foods represented a region that Pisanio Santos conquered by killing their respected warlord.
Then, there were the new dishes of newly conquered lands. Spices, including the infamous salt from Tier and Syra that added flavors to the cut red meats and salads. Exotic milk teas from Solaria for those that were not wine drinkers. And an added bonus, certain cakes and candies for deserts from the reconquered Troyuvant.
Displaying the dishes in his splendid table in the dining room gave him the chance to present his vision of the future. An unified ATM under one king, one family, one culture under one religion.
The next day, Ichiamo Santos had gone back to the business model he started during the beginning of his reign.
In 80 B.E., he finished cementing his landmark deal, acquiring all the territorial moons of Troyuvant. He knew that it would be a while before Troyuvant itself would become livable again, but he had acquired the moons, thus making places to live for the growing population. Troyuvant, despite the landscape, became a part of the Santos Empire once again.
By the end of 80 B.E., over 50 billion people were living under the rule of Ichiamo Sa
ntos with moons to hold those needing homes, which meant more opportunities for the future.
At the same time, he tried everything he could to redeem himself for unleashing the Nova Bomb on Troyuvant. It shot a bullet into Second Renaissance, the religion of the new generation. He started the redemption phase when he sent the few million survivors into the desert in Solaria. He also embraced Second Renaissance into Crystal Metropolis culture and society, bringing them in to work jobs as servants, construction workers, and a chosen few became new cursers. Some people had issues about letting foreigners into the illustrious capital planet, but Ichiamo gave the Second Renaissancers their blessing. By then, people kept it to themselves and embraced it anyway.
Another deal was in the works, based on a special spot of interest in Crystal Metropolis: the Bull Market Triangle.
In the past, his father Timon hated the Triangle for trying to take money away from the Santos clan and the Strator Circle. He went through a personal power struggle with them. Ichiamo had another idea. He figured if they were going to be around, he might as well place them in power positions so that he could keep a good eye on them. Plus, he had known as a teenager that in the new ATM, money was going to be a key factor in the stability of Crystal Metropolis as a financial source. So, he created new positions for these marketers: counters and balancers. For those that he could not make counters and balancers, he made some of them cursers.
Later in 81 B.E., he created the Santos Aventine Bank in Crystal Metropolis for the security of future money used for special purposes like more moon deals. He had his little half-brother, thirty-one-year old Pedro Santos, run the bank for him. By the end of the year, the bank had seen billons in gold and silver placed inside its walls.
82 B.E. came and Crystal Metropolis saw increase in riches and respect never seen for a long time. Ichiamo had everyone’s support, including the Strator Circle; a far cry from the purges they were used to with Timon and Cheron. Ichiamo brought glory into the Santos name by being a technician in business, politics, and warfare. The atmosphere of Crystal Metropolis dazzled like crystal.
Besides Ichiamo's effective administration, another part of the reason for his successful drive to prominence was due of the influence of Ichiamo’s wife, Solarian singer Katharina Santos, daughter his new business partner Baptista Lysander. She had been supportive of him throughout the entire time they were married. Not only was she a stunning sight of exquisiteness, but also a political tool for when he had to make hard decisions about laws and sanctions. She had lived up to the title of queen, and it made Ichiamo proud that he had a wife who had the same mind as he did.
He had been formerly married to Zola Gadiaga, who brought scandal into his reign by betraying him to the Fallen Court. Learning well from his grandfather Nero Santos, he made sure Zola never saw the stars again as he exiled her to Hungaro, the ATM's planetary prison for traitors and criminals. After surviving Zola's betrayal, Katharina Lysander Santos became a breath of fresh air.
Plus, she was a good mother.
Ichiamo had a total of five children. Two children, both daughters, were from the two concubines he had back when he was a lator in Timon's reign and a strator in Cheron's. Then, he had a daughter with Zola, who was sent to live with an aunt in Solaria.
He became a father twice more when Katharina bore two children: a son, Cassius, in honor of Katharina's father in 79 B.E. and a daughter, Luciana in honor of his grandmother in 81 B.E. She adored her children almost as much as she admired their father. Ichiamo was surprised Katharina could handle being a mother and a political figure at the same time and be effective in both. Just this alone made him love her more and more.
Ichiamo wanted more children. He wanted his wife to be more of a mother and less on the political side, since Crystal Metropolis saw exciting progress. However, Katharina avoided the bedroom, or at least her side of the bed. However, as much as he wanted to be angry with her, he could not bring himself to do it. She was just too sweet, young, and kind; plus Katharina could pour on the charm anytime she wanted.
If Ichiamo ruled Crystal Metropolis, Katharina ruled Ichiamo, which meant she was the real power behind the Crystal Metropolis throne. And she could not wait to exercise her power.
For now, she was under the eye of her husband.
****
As a young girl, Katharina “Kate” Lysander was always the life of the party. Born and raised in Solaria, her father Baptista held her in high regard and had many dreams for her. She wanted to be a singer and her father never understood why.
She had fallen in love with the theater and performed in several musicals in tertiary school. Her voice was so poetically dynamic that Baptista decided to use her in his campaign to make a name as a new member of Second Renaissance.
Katharina received the chance for a bigger role when she turned eleven. She landed a part in a musical in which she played a young girl who became countess of a town that would soon despise her. It was as an antagonist, but she was on stage. As she grew up and developed her craft, more parts came; meatier parts that called her to act, sing, dance, and even do gymnastics. Luckily, she had the training thanks to her benevolent father, his wealthy purse, and his new Second Renaissance influence.
Since then, her career established. Her father made her the spokesperson for the Dreamweaver, the invention that put Second Renaissance on the ATM media radar and made improvements on how people viewed news and gossip. Later, she would go on to become the symbol of inspiration for the warriors of the Force of Arms War. She had written and performed many songs on different bases around Solaria and the Cyprun Valley before given that special honor, and achieved great success. Her magnetic voice was the ammunition some needed to get through the war unscathed. For this, she was given the special Horrando Medal of Honor, the first non-royal to receive it.
She became a queen upon Ichiamo’s gaze, a shock even to her father Baptista. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would be in Crystal Metropolis married into the most powerful family in the galaxy.
One thing that had not changed in her new life was her sense of having fun. Even though she was content with helping her husband the king, she still wished to be the little girl seeking pleasure. Sometimes, when her husband was very busy, she would find her fun in having parties in the Santos Palace, or in the other small palaces made by construction workers under the orders of Ichiamo. He had made three villas; all were named in honor of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Of the three, the Nero Palace was the largest, and Kate Santos would spend her time there either by herself or with her new friends.
She had many admirers in strators, cursers, counters, and celebrities. Thanks to the advancement of technology, film had made its way into Crystal Metropolis and it has been revolutionized once again as a supreme art thanks to her. Kate brought her childhood dreams to light before a planet. She would put on concerts, singing for anyone who wanted to hear; or starred in films produced by new young film directors who made a living filming Force of Arms battles. She would even direct films herself, depending on the taste of the audience.
Suddenly without thinking, the first piece of gossip about her hit the streets.
According to the rumor mill, one of her admirers became one of her secret lovers: Hero Baram, one of the most sought-out actors of Crystal Metropolis’ New Age. He was a ladies’ man with his chiseled olive-skinned body, but his heart and soul belong to the queen. Whenever she had a chance, Kate went to the Nero Palace to see him and they would spend all their time. Then, with the twist of the hips and a show of the luscious legs, she would seduce him with a Nican lapdance, grind on him until he was hard and then sucked his penis. Then, they would make passionate love to the point Hero would recite sweet nothings to her, the talk anyone would have when they had a taste of Katharina Santos’s love juices.
However, Kate never was about the sweet small talk or his inspiring love, because she knew that it could never
go anywhere. Why would she go for a lowly actor when she was the queen of the capital planet of the Aventine Monarch Galaxy? She knew that in the end, she would have to call it quits.
The gossip never received traction after a few days. However, just when the Hero Baram affair gossip ended, rumors of other love affairs emerged. None of them were as glamorous or created buzz like Hero, but all the affairs ended the same. There was no kind of commitment. It was just dirty sex in one of the king's floating villas and Kate was done with them.
She gained a reputation and the "Dreamweaver of Crystal Metropolis" because she found in interesting playing with men’s minds. If the rumors were true, there was more excitement to happen in the home of the Santos clan to rival another female seductress: Amilie Santos...
****
"Congratulations! You're my second-in-command!"
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 26