Everyone on the platform stiffened as they realised that it was the beginning of whatever was to happen. Glancing around, Armistee saw that all of those in the stands were also sitting upright and paying attention, but she felt that the only one who had any clue as to what he was going to do was the Dark Lord. She could also see that others had the same thought including the Star Commander, the Admiral of the Legion and some of the Councillors. Sabra Boon and Tobias Nenna were of the same mind. Everyone waited, all the time wondering where Phil was.
*********
The Dark Lord stood, moved to the center of the platform and began to speak.
“Welcome old friends, associates, members of the council of twenty-five, Ladies of the Circle, the Three, representatives of the Empire and all of you, the Old Ones.” He said, still wrapped in his cloak. “We are here for the culmination of a difficult and somewhat tragic matter, one that some of you were involved in or were aware of many years ago although many know only a little about the events and some, nothing at all.” He stopped and silence fell like a dark cloud. Looking around Sabra wondered if Nathan and Jura were present, she thought that they certainly were even though she could not see them. The Dark Lord interrupted her line of thinking.
“If any of you wish to speak to the matter, you will be heard but we need one thing first.” He turned and faced an opening in the seats. “Phil, join us,” came in a flat voice.
*********
Phil was waiting for this summons, angered by the way he had been treated, cut off from all his powers, his rage almost consumed him and he acted out of spite. Even as he knew how useless it would be, he concentrated his mind and threw a savage thought at the Dark Lord. Nothing, he thought at the lack of reaction and his rage burnt to an even finer ash as he started out the tunnel.
Not wanting to appear in one of his changed bodies he had used, Phil worked his body back close to what it originally had been. So, now as a trim man of middle height with wavy dark hair, Phil stepped out with a confident, even cocky jauntiness to his step. He had a confidence about him, an arrogance and a tilt of the jaw along with an air of holding a surprise that no one else did. He extruded an aura that this was his place, his venue that no one else was worthy of. Armistee disliked him on the spot and her eyes flicked to the Dark Lord who had returned to his seat.
*********
“You may speak.” One of those sitting addressed Phil.
“How very nice of you to say so, Jiang.” Phil sneered. “Here I have been cut off from any communication. Deprived of my senses and forced to live well away from any possible contact with any of my subjects or any of you!” He waved expressively at the crowd. “It is very nice to see you all, by the way!” The sarcasm was clear. “You are the sitting council of the moment and you, Jiang, are the first speaker?”
Clearly uncomfortable, Jiang threw a look at the Dark Lord, who sat unmoving and silent, before replying, “I am and we are.”
“So let’s get on with it. I have obviously found guilty of being a nuisance so tell me what my sentence is and be done with it. I want to get out of here!”
There was a swirl of a humming like insects which rose and then fell when Lady Andrea stepped forward.
“It’s not that simple Phil. I am certain that you remember the agreement reached before you and Lara both left, you will not have forgotten.” A strange look of pain, compassion and fear crossed her face as she spoke. “Oh Phil, why did you ever come back?” The last words were an almost indecipherable sob. Dana and Sydney both came out and hugged her, steering her back to where the other Ladies were standing. They never looked at Phil.
Again the crowd hummed.
Jiang stood uncertainly, clearly he was uncomfortable with the position he found himself in. “As you can see Phil, many have been affected by your return. If you have anything to say in your defence, we all would hear it now. Only a few were involved in your leaving, but all of us that are left are here now.” He slowly sat down.
Silence followed, broken by a peal of laughter from Phil. A peal with a ragged edge of hysteria hiding in it. He laughed again, this time more controlled.
“So you would hear from me! How kind of you! Where were you when Lara passed on leaving me alone?” He shouted, some in the crowd gasped. “Yes, she has passed on, gone from this plane of existence and I was all alone. Yes, all alone! None of you reached out to me so I had to carry the burden by myself. MYSELF!” Phil stopped for breath.
“So I went looking for something to do, something to interest me along the weary march of the centuries, what is so wrong about that? Some cultures I helped, some I just observed, watching how they grew. Many failed along the way, pursuing paths that lead to their own destruction, paths that I could not get them to change. All I did was for the best of those I passed through.” Again he stopped, standing still and staring at the silent crowd.
The Dark Lord stirred and stood while Phil swung around to glare at him.
“When I first perceived your return a thousand years ago and went looking for you,” He said in a voice that carried, “I saw the damage wrought by your interventions. Galaxy after galaxy bare of any intelligent life.” Phil stiffened and the Dark Lord raised his hand and continued in his soft voice. “I do not accuse you of responsibility for all of these catastrophes, indeed all happened after you had lost interest and moved on.” He paused then started again, His voice now hard. “So by losing interest you let the people that you intervened with continue on the path that you set, to their destruction. For that you bear responsibility for the outcome.” The Dark Lord stopped and Phil opened his mouth but closed it as the Dark Lord spoke again, his voice now soft. “But not here or now and while it should weigh on your conscience, it is obvious that it does not. Do not say that you acted for the best where you clearly just played with these people then moved on.” A silence followed the Dark Lords retort, broken by a buzz of subdued conversation.
One of the audience stood, too far away for Sabra or any of those she sat with to make out any details even though his strangely accented voice carried clearly. “Why don’t you just do what you want to Phil and let us go? You are the strongest and the master of us all.” Obviously the question was directed to the Dark Lord who had returned to his seat.
“Yes, why not?” Phil had his sneer back.
“An excellent question.” The Dark Lord seemed pleased as he stood, “Kurt, what happens here bears on us all and all should have their say if they wish to be heard. At least the chance should be offered. Also we are the Old Ones, the remnant of those who were but are now gone. The loss of even one of us is a grave matter and such an action is something to be considered by us all.”
Another stood, this one close to the empires’ representatives, a women with reddish dark skin. “It is said that you swore never to take life from any of us, is it your intention to break your word here and now?” A troubled look passed over the woman’s face. “Too many of us died so long ago, I cannot agree to the taking of another life.”
At these words, a smile passed over Phil’s face, he was clearly pleased with the woman’s words.
“That is very true Rose,” the Dark Lord replied. “However, there is more than one way that someone could be lost to us.” He stood and gave a bow in her direction. “I will not break my word and I will follow the rules that guide us all.” In the humming silence that followed as He returned to His seat, there was an air of expectancy. Rose also sat, a troubled look still clouding her face.
*********
As the import of the Dark Lords words sank in, the smile disappeared from Phil’s face. It seemed to Armistee that he had suddenly realised that he was in serious trouble and that the Dark Lord also had something planned. A sudden upswing in both the tension and the background hum underscored it and she felt that this was now understood by all those present, including the people sitting with her. A glance exchanged with Sabra whose eyes were as round as when she had witnessed Lia’s execution showed that the reporter also realised this.
*********
Another one of the Old Ones stood.
“If you already have something planned, why are we here?” Several echoed the speakers’ question.
Again the Dark Lord stood. “Many times in the past I been accused of acting in an arbitrary manner, of taking action without consultation, of not soliciting advice or listening to the viewpoints of others. Well, this is a grave matter and I called you together because you all should have a part in this and I will not act without your consent.”
Another person, seated like Kurt at the far end of the building so the representatives of the empire could not clearly see who spoke, called out, “For those of us who have no knowledge of whatever agreement was made for Phil to leave, or the reasons why he left, and why it is such a big matter for him to return, someone, anyone tell us why? Please!”
“Phil, do you want to tell them?” Having spoken the Dark Lord sat down.
Phil smiled, he knew that this was his chance, but before he spoke, the Dark Lord added, softly, “The truth now, others here more trusted than I know as well.”
*********
At this comment both Armistee and Sabra both started and exchanged a look. The Dark Lord was not trusted by some of these present? The thought made them wonder why.
*********
“It was a long time ago, at the beginning when the lights came. And touched us, the selected ones.” The smile had vanished as Phil began. “I was one of the first, the strongest, at least then. I gathered the committee together and we started the process to quietly rule the world but then you showed up!” Phil glared at the Dark Lord. “You ruined everything! You and your talk about plagues and the death of everyone. Ha! I bet that it never happened.” The silence in the hall following Phil’s speech was profound but before he could continue, Dana spoke out.
“It happened, Phil, just as he said it would. It came out of Africa and spread to the Middle East first. It came on like a tidal wave, even some of us were afflicted and more than two thousand died. Billions of the others died.”
Visibly shaken, Phil still recovered quickly. “Self-fulfilling prophecy perhaps?” he sneered. “I have to wonder at the cause, did he bring it on himself? Was it caused by him or did he start it to justify what he claimed?”
*********
There was silence when Phil stopped and Sabra wondered at that. ‘Was it because the watchers were buying Phil’s defence or were they communicating on a different level?’ The thought crossed her mind. It was impossible to say she decided.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
*********
“Whatever, I wasn’t there but if I had been I would have moved heaven and earth to stop the plague. I would have fought it with everything I have got!” Phil paused, chest heaving and hands thrown into the air. Sabra felt Phil’s magnetic personality, but it felt wrong, it wasn’t focused on her. She glanced around, looking at the others she was sitting with. Not entirely surprised, she noted that, apart from one or two of the councillors, they were also unimpressed. She turned back and focused her attention on the main stage. In the stands behind the main stage a man, tall with straight black hair, good looking although he was also quite bulky stood up.
“You remember me from the past when I joined the committee. I too was there and could not believe at first what was coming. We fought the plague and still don’t know in any detail what it was but we do know how it came.” Phil went to interrupt but the man continued talking. “All that is beside the point as before the plague came, you lost and you left and Lara left with you. The sole condition being that either of you don’t come back by any means including sending anything back.” The man stood in silence for a fraction. “Well you sent warships and now you stand here.” Finished, the man sat.
Sabra could almost see the smile on Phil’s face as he replied, “Indeed, Christian I remember you very well,” A finger stabbed out at Christian, “and you were one of the first to betray me!” He screamed, “Along with the rest of that nest of traitors!”
Bouncing back to his feet, Christian hotly denied the title of traitor. Then he continued, “When I actually met Him, I realised that He was both strong and dangerous. Stronger and more dangerous than any of us, even more so now. I told you straight away but you refused to believe me or any of the others who warned you. Even Andrea who was as close to you as any of us. You refused to believe us even after all he did and all the less powerful of us he saved. So you challenged him and lost. The fault is all yours and you must suffer the consequences.”
*********
Even from the distance she was watching Armistee could see that Phil was taken aback and she wondered if the climax was approaching. She was also surprised by the clues, scant though they were that she had gleamed about the world that the Dark Lord had come from and wondered what the committee was. Clearly there had been fractures and tragedies involved. She wondered if more would be told. A glance at Sabra and Lea showed that they were just as enthralled as she, Armistee, was.
*********
The crowd stirred and there was a raising murmur, different from what she had felt before. The murmur rose as the Dark Lord stood.
*********
Outside the arena several shuttles sat waiting for their passengers. Standing patiently alongside one was Commander Rita Caenett wondering what was happening inside. Somewhat bored, she had already been there for almost a period and had nothing to do except sitting and getting caught up with hers and the Star Commanders electronic messages. Catching the sound of approaching craft she looked up to see several legion shuttles arriving. Intrigued, she had not been advised of reinforcements, she motioned to the crew chief, a Senior Space Rating.
“Did they tell you who is coming in, Chief?”
“No sir, just that we were getting reinforcements. Seems the General got nervous with all the gilt sitting around down here.”
“Am I part of that gilt Chief?” Rita wanted to smile but couldn’t.
“Of course sir, the whitest and most glittering part.” Was the prompt reply.
Well, reflected Rita this time she did smile, my white uniform did stand out amongst the armour bound troopers standing around.
Looking around she wasn’t surprised to see an officer approaching the shuttle, reasoning that the Star Commanders shuttle would the obvious destination for the commander of whoever was sent here. As the officer approached and removed her helmet, Rita was both surprised and delighted to see that it was her friend, Lt. Colonel Liss Olleo.
As her friend came closer, Rita wondered at the blank look on her Liss’s face. Returning her salute, she greeted her.
“Good to see you Liss, I have heard that you did well at the Khans palace. Glad that you are safe.”
“Thank you Commander, do you have any orders for me?”
The smile that had hovered on Ritas lips faded at the formal response. “I have no orders for you, Colonel, no one even told me that you were coming. Who cut the orders for you?”
Liss Olleo’s lips had whitened at Rita’s tone and she stood stiff and silent for a brief fraction. Her “I apologise” came slowly.
Rita smiled and her acceptance came naturally. She continued, “Let’s find the local commander, it’s a Major Illilo and he will likely be quite happy to hand the responsibility over to you. Who was it who sent you?” They started to walk in the direction of the command post.
“General Fritter, apparently the order came from on high he said.”
At that, Rita stopped and stared at her friend. “On high?” she whispered. “That means …”
Liss had also stopped and stared in puzzlement at Rita. “You mean the Star Commander?” She said. “Why would he get involved with such a routine assignment?”
“No I don’t mean the Star Commander, although he probably knows that we are friends.” Ritas face held a distant look. They walked on a few paces then comprehension dawned on Liss.
“But I only met Him once, by accident.” She protested, stopping and grabbing her friends arm.
“He does nothing by accident. I thought that He just wanted to get the measure of you, visiting me all those times.” Liss’s eyes were round as she thought back to the months when Rita was stationed in the palace. “Don’t worry, He would never had sent the order for you to bring your battalion here if He didn’t trust you.” Rita pointed, “There’s the Major, let’s get your battalion squared away.”
Liss nodded, still shaken by the revelation that the Dark Lord had hadn’t forgotten all about her and even brought the two of them together on this embattled planet. Putting all this unexpected news to the side, they approached the Major, returning his salute as they did so.
Snapping back into action mode, Liss put her helmet back on and called her company commanders into the main com circuit, ready for orders.
*********
The audience in the arena fell silent as the Dark Lord raised his hand. “A consensus of the majority must be reached on one of three questions.” He said. “They are, first, Phil can leave, never to return on pain of death if he does. Second, too be punished in accordance with the original agreement, that is final banishment; or third, too be returned to our home world where he would be punished as set out in the original laws.” Looking around He continued, “A consensus can be reached at any time.” Finished, He sat.
The hum returned and grew louder as the matter was discussed. Rose, the woman, Sabra remembered from earlier stood and called for the third option to be accepted by everyone as the best solution. This was hotly contested by several of the others who called for the first option. Several others disputed this, saying a death penalty was unacceptable under any circumstances. One woman asked who would carry a death sentence out, as it would need His breaking His word and another murmur rose at that question. The strange debate carried on for almost a full period.
Finally three people sitting in the audience located across from the main stage and wearing strange but identical ceremonial robes stood and called for quiet. This trio seemed to Armistee to be of some importance and perhaps were the Three mentioned at the beginning by the Dark Lord.
The first speaker, a woman, speaking in a carrying voice said, “We have followed the discussions closely. What conclusion we have come to is the fact that there was a disagreement that flowed over to violence followed by an agreement that ended the violence.”
Then the second speaker, a man, continued, “That agreement was for Phil to leave, never to return in any way, shape or form and accept the consequences if he did. That was the agreement reached.”
The third speaker, another woman, finished, “Phil has broken the agreement at the cost of many innocent lives and now must face the consequences. The time spent between then and now is immaterial.”
In unison they spoke. “We call for a vote.”
*********
Armistee Devonis had followed the proceeding with a great deal of interest. It was clear that there was varying degrees of disagreement amongst the audience about how to proceed. But there was also degrees of influence as well. The Three it seemed were judges of some kind and without understanding how she knew, she understood that some of the speakers were powerful and respected, or were not powerful but still respected for their wisdom or knowledge; some perhaps even approaching the standing of the Dark Lord in this regard. Even with this insight, however, she could not guess as to the feeling of the crowd and wondered what the outcome would be.
*********
Vis Vistricer, the Star Commander had sat quietly and listened carefully to the strange debate. He was both enthralled and concerned about what he was seeing and was going to see. However he was uncertain as to why he was there. The one thing that he did not want was to have the legion involved and he hoped that it would not come to that.
What was happening was clear enough although the setting was not. To be judged by a whole community in these circumstances clearly was only possible due to the strange powers that the Dark Lords people possessed. What concerned the Star Commander was what was going to happen once a verdict was rendered. He was totally at a loss as to what the Dark Lord was going to do and was reasonably certain that everyone else was as well. The only certainty was that death was off the table.
*********
At the Threes’ call for a vote, excitement grew and spread, a chattering began, unintelligible to the empire’s witnesses although it was clear even to them that those gathered were doing something. It rose and flowed, ebbed back and forwards for a considerable part of yet another period. The Dark Lord was sitting up, an intense air about him. The entity known as Phil however was standing with a look of almost boredom about him. Suddenly The Three stood and silence fell as they spoke in unison. “You all have voted, and the final and binding decision is clear. One third declared for the first option, two thirds for the second option and there were a number of votes for the third.” The woman Rose, covered her face.
There was silence for a fraction, then, still in unison, the Three spoke again, “Judgement will now be rendered,” from them broke the silence and they sat down.
The Dark Lord dropped His cloak on His chair as he stood, a strange look apparent on his face. He stepped out in front of the members of the council and the Ladies to face Phil. They exchanged looks, Phil’s a glare, the Dark Lords a mixture of sorrow and resolve. Sabra had taken something of the measure of the Dark Lord and wondered if this was harder on Him then it appeared to be.
“This is it, Phil, the end of the road.” The words carried clearly around the amphitheatre.
“For you, maybe, I will not forget!” He turned all the way around, staring at the onlookers. “I will not forget how I have been treated this day!” He finished. There was a rumble of cross talk at this and Sabra felt that Phil was losing whatever support that he had had to begin with.
“If you have anything to say now is the time to say it.” The Dark Lord ignored the threats.
“To you, nothing, to others, I will have my say, all in due time!”
After a fractions silence, the Dark Lords quietly spoken “So be it,” echoed around the arena.
“I do not wish to have any more dissent fostered amongst us, you have already done enough and just now threatened more, so I will deal with you for once and forever.” The sorrow had vanished from the Dark Lords face leaving just an intent look.
“Well, get on with it then.” Phil folded his arms and smirked.
The tension in the arena, already extreme, stretched even tighter. Slowly, the Dark Lord extended his right hand and pointed to the floor of the platform. “Look down at your feet.” He said.
A silvery grey mirror with cloudy depths that seemed to go on and on, replaced the painted floor of the platform. As Phil glanced down the blood drained from his face and a shocked look replaced his sneer. The shock echoed throughout the building, gasps coming from every direction, some in the stands standing and leaning forward. The Dark Lord spoke again, his voice cold.
“Behold the mirror of space and time. With this mirror I shall throw you out of space and beyond time where you will stay until the very fabric of space and time is destroyed,” A look of terror appeared on Phil’s face as the Dark Lord finished, “and I command the mirror to drop.”
Phil never had a chance to scream as he fell through the mirror, getting smaller, twisting and turning as the grey clouds enveloped him. A faint drawn out noooooo was all that remained.
“I shall grieve for you,” Sabra heard the Dark Lord whisper as with a wave of His hand, the mirror disappeared. He straightened and looked around. “These proceedings are at an end,” drew the tension away like air from a punctured balloon. No one spoke and the men and the women in the stands flowed to exit points. In a very brief fraction, apart from the Empires representatives and the Ladies with the Dark Lord, the arena was empty.