Empress Rex Lucina stood on the sterile bridge of the Intercessor, the flagship of the Incandestine ruler’s personal fleet. It was a metal continent in the shape of a spaceship, so large that it was clearly never intended to land on a planet’s surface, for it would surely crush everything beneath its massive frame.
Black hair tied back, Lucina wore a red, black and gold wardress, cut with sharp, striking lines, revealing perfect, youthful skin beneath. Her appearance could be described as perfect, down to the last detail. But, beneath the veneer of control, rage threatened to boil over in the molten pools of her golden eyes.
And in the slightest trembling of her lips, perhaps another emotion was threatening Lucina’s control too.
Despite her apparent youth, the Empress’ true age was far beyond what most would expect. In this era, with the right care, old age was no longer an obstacle to extended life. With the Incandestine Regent’s unfettered access to technology, Lucina naturally made her form as perfect as it could be.
Lucina’s showy getup was no doubt complemented by a gallery of hidden gadgets like anti-entropic personal shields and hardlight exo-armour. The Empress believed that the truly strong need not flaunt their power. Instead, they could make a show of vulnerability and comfort to be all the more vexing for their enemies.
Through the viewport in front of the Empress, one could see the infinite reach of space and its countless stars.
Her second in command, a well-groomed gentleman called Jamie, spoke. “We have a confirmed match on The Ephemeral’s energy signature.”
“Take us there and fire the main cannon immediately at her position upon arrival. Don’t let her escape”
“Yes, Your Eminence.”
Jamie gave a signal and the officers jumped into action, the various stations working together like a well-oiled machine. In no time at all, the work was done.
Space warped around the Intercessor like water flowing past a submerged boulder. Beautiful starry space darkened as the Boundary approached, giving way to complete darkness in the sunless space outside the Boundary. But without warning, the viewport was suddenly filled with the image of a planet’s surface. Mountains, plains, deserts, lakes, rivers and oceans. Familiar scenery, it mattered not to Lucina.
“Open fire!” she shouted.
Punctually, there was a low thud as the main orbital cannon fired. One second later, an explosion blossomed on the surface of Apolaphia as the three-ton payload mercilessly struck like an asteroid from deep space.
Though more powerful weapons existed, such as gamma-ray burst emitters and solar bombs, Lucina preferred the sterility of orbital strikes, with no nuclear fallout or radiation to deal with, and no troublesome triggers. Just a hunk of tungsten fired from a railgun in deep space.
“Report,” Lucina demanded. Her unflinching gaze leered straight at the glowing expanse of sterilised earth as if trying to find Effie’s body with her own eyes.
The armaments officer spoke up. “It disappeared for a moment but… we are still receiving the Ephemeral’s signal. Shall we fire again?”
“No. If that wasn’t enough to kill her, then another one will not be. The Aegis is still alive too, it would be foolish to try again with any high-power weaponry.” said Lucina.
Jamie spoke up. “We have a forward team of scouts and habitation drones ready to deploy, do you wish to send them out, My Lady?”
“Yes, at once and without delay.”
“Of course.”
“Send the troops down to reinforce the scouts after footholds have been secured. Once we have key figures identified, send the Heartseeker. I want any possible opposition neutralised. But do not misunderstand me: there will not be any unprovoked killing of aliens unless it is absolutely necessary. If I hear that even one troop acted out-of-line, I will have their entire battalion erased.”
The congregated forces didn’t even flinch at Lucina’s words. They were disciplined. Obedient in the face of the Empress’ terrifying presence.
“We bear responsibility to enlighten the poor savages of this infantile planet, and we shall do so with grace and efficiency,” said Lucina. “With fortune’s favour, they may be brought into the fold.”
Her words were noble, but her eyes told the real story.
“Her Highness’ wisdom knows no bounds,” said Jamie reverently.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Sortie the 51st have them ready to deploy with me at a moment’s notice.”
“Your wish is my command.”
Lucina took on a rousing tone of voice. “It is time to bring The Aegis, Rolynd and their misled allies to justice! In memory of my niece, the late Princess Rex Catherine!”
The officers cheered with frightening enthusiasm.
“Long may she be remembered!”
#
Rhaspalaka had a bad feeling. Not just because the sky had turned to metal in the East, or because of the earthquake that had been felt shortly after its arrival.
No, the reason for his concern was the fact that his subordinate Jinnai had not reported to him at the scheduled time and was not responding via his long-range contact artefact either.
So, Rhaspalaka travelled all the way from Myzin, far to the west, through the pyramid grounds of the Holx Settlement, up the mountain to the town-shaped soot stain known as Kajesh.
It had only taken Rhaspalaka a couple of days to make the trip, instead of the weeks it would take one who didn’t have the privilege of being a Wright.
Using their secret techniques, Rhaspalaka was quickly able to locate Jinnai’s corpse at the local morgue. Apparently, his subordinate had been ambushed and robbed in an alley. His body was to be incinerated as was the Kajesh custom. Rhas took no objection to what became of the corpse. Jinnai’s family would be recompensed.
Standing on the cracked tiles of the morgue, Rhas took possession of Jinnai’s clothes. The first priority of the Wrights was to keep the existence of their craft from reaching the general populace, which was why Rhaspalaka was so troubled by the next thing he discovered: Jinnai’s Enchiridion was missing from the hidden space in his belt. The small book contained all the knowledge needed to enact Utterances.
If that knowledge were to fall into the hands of a tyrant... If that knowledge was distributed to everyone without restriction…
Rhaspalaka did not even want to imagine what chaos would come about.
“Garment-born book of knowledge, from this eyrie torn away. Through your sibling do direct me. For the peace of all free and people fair… For true order.”
As soon as the last words left Rhaspalaka’s lips, his Enchiridion, hidden in his belt, began to pull towards the East.
Rhaspalaka left the morgue, stepping onto the frigid, frost-flake-covered granite outside.
Night had fallen over the mountain town in the time he had spent with Jinnai’s remains.
Following his Enchiridion’s guidance, which continued to urge him east, Rhaspalaka ran, muttering under his breath. Soon, a dilapidated building, pocked with holes in its thatch roof appeared in his path, but rather than turn and follow the road, he leapt, flying through the air. In great leaps and bounds, Rhaspalaka began to make the treacherous crossing over Joruz’s Rest, in hot pursuit of Jinnai’s killer.
#
They had been preparing for four years for this moment. For General Lucina’s inevitable arrival. And now, it was here. Within that time, Rolynd and the other Chimaeras had renamed themselves the Bloodstones. Rolynd thought that it was less dehumanising than their Incandestine moniker, and it avoided confusion between them and the actual, living, lion-headed Chimaeras that could be sometimes found in Apolaphia’s wilds.
The Bloodstones had been preparing for four years, but for their enemies, it had only been a few months at most. That was due to time dilation; The Incandestine Regent’s home of Portum was a designer planet that orbited a specially-made black hole at speeds nearing the speed of light. The Bloodstones had escaped the Daedalus Facility on Portum’s moon, which was under similar gravitational effects. When one approached the speed of light, the passage of time slowed relative to a stationary observer. That meant a single Incandestine ruler could govern their Empire for hundreds, or even thousands of lifetimes. Anything in the name of stability and peace.
Sophia watched the explosion in the savannah from atop a windswept mountain. The fireball resulting from Lucina’s surprise orbital strike was still rising into the sky. An enormous glowing crater spanned a few kilometres across, and angry, molten fissures spread even further beyond that.
Amidst it all, if one had the state of mind to look for it, they may have spotted a certain escaped spirit.
Sophia held her wrist to her ear and spoke into her bracelet, a silver band with a single etched stone. “Rolynd, can you hear me?”
“Yes?” Came Rolynd’s voice it was as calm and unsurprised as ever. Almost as if he had been expecting Sophia’s contact.
“Lucina’s arrived, and she’s already tried to kill us. The crazy bitch glassed an entire savannah for two children.”
“That explains the screaming coming from the streets,” Rolynd sighed. “It took her four years, but she’s finally here.”
“Well, we managed to open the Fifth Gate right before she arrived and trashed the place.”
“Excellent. I imagine that solving that one would be much more difficult with the monolith destroyed. Don’t worry about any future orbital strikes. Lucina won’t be trying that again now that we’re ready.”
“So, what’s our plan now that she’s here? Are you really going to commit to this Labyrinth Plan? The Sparrow’s ready to fly.”
“Now that she’s found us, there’s no way that we escape,” Rolynd replied.
“In other words, we have to fight our way out once again?”
“Or destroy the Intercessor, yes… But with the state of our technology and manpower, I think our best chance lies in unlocking the Labyrinth and reaching ADAM.”
Sophia’s sullen silence filled the conversation for a moment.
“It’s the worst-case scenario isn’t it?” Sophia finally asked. “Are you regretting not doing the Prophecy plan?”
“No, I am not regretting it.”
Rolynd had contemplated spreading a prophecy on Apolaphia about Lucina’s eventual arrival, knowing that she would pursue them to the ends of creation. In doing so, he may have been able to gather heroes and other allies to stand against Lucina when she arrived.
Ultimately, he had decided against it, as he wished to minimise the scale of the conflict. The Incandestine had superior technology and strategy; If the Apolaphians were openly hostile, Lucina would undoubtedly wipe them all out without a second thought.
Far better for the nations of Apolaphia to put on their greatest expression of surprise and hope that Lucina ignores them. In Rolynd’s grim calculus, Apolaphia had a reasonable chance of counterattack, as, after all, the planet had its fair share of secrets.
“Well, your plans have never failed us yet. Here’s to hoping it stays that way,” Sophia said, ending the call.
She sighed. She had a bad feeling about what was to come.