AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Contemplatively, I stared out at my city. As evening approached, lights turned on to keep the darkness at bay, but they also hid the multitude of stars above. A trade-off for modern society I supposed, but I still mourned the fact that here, I could never see the true beauty of the night.
Strato gliders—flying vehicles—and strato liners—flying trains—took my subjects from one part of Pandrax to another, some just took them home from work, some were on pleasure journeys, some out to run unavoidable errands. Whatever their reasons, they were living free, bountiful lives, depending on me to keep them safe, fed, and happy.
To my left, the last rays of the sun reflected off the Tarron Ocean, where mostly darkness ruled once the sun vanished completely for the night. Except for the lights from boats, pleasure cruisers, and fishing drones, it was the only place where I might, if I got lucky, catch a glimpse or two of a star.
This was my favorite time of the day, when quiet finally reigned, where all my duties for the day were done, or they could wait for the next. Where I didn’t have to listen to the incessant whining of the Cryons about my superior commander Xandros supplying their conquered world with weapons, taking their conquered people from their clutches.
As of yet, the Cryons hadn’t gone so far as to call it stealing, but it was coming; their accusations gained intensity with every passing day.
My mood fouled. Here I was at the favorite time of my day, but instead of relaxing, I thought about this frygging new species the Cryons had discovered and conquered, as was their right, and yet somehow they had become as important to my people as the air we breathed.
I would have never involved myself in this affair had my two best friends not insisted, after having found their revered mekarry bonds with two merrilies of that species. I might have even then not allowed myself to get involved, but they weren’t the only ones.
All over the Pandraxian Empire, mekarry bonds were being formed with this new species.
Mekarry bonds were special, holy, spiritual bonds. Something we had thought lost for many centuries. This wasn’t something I could simply overlook or ignore. I had to involve myself even if it meant going to war with the Cryons.
A war I wasn’t convinced we would win, especially if the Galactic Treaty Union—GTU—inserted itself. They would sanction us, outlaw us.
Us! The Pandraxian Empire, one of, if not the strongest system in the universe.
Peace, it seemed, was not in the cards for me tonight and I turned away from the window. I might as well get some more work done if I wasn’t going to get the mental calmness I deserved.
“I beg your forgiveness, Your Imperial Highness, but Lady Madeema wishes for an audience.” One of my guards entered.
With a sigh, I waved him on to invite Lady Madeema in who was—next to Garth and Xandros—my closest advisor, and intelligence chief.
“Good evening, my Emperor.” Lady Madeema entered, bowing deeply.
Impatiently I waved her to her feet. She knew I didn’t care for these kinds of etiquette when we were alone, especially not this late in the evening.
“Lady Madeema,” I greeted with a barely contained sigh in my voice. Her appearance here, now, meant this evening would take another turn for the worse.
“I have bad news,” she came straight to the point, one of the traits I liked about her. Contrary to other merrilies, she was direct. “The ship taking Sir Priough to the GTU summit was shot down, there were no survivors.”
Anger bubbled up inside me, churned my stomach, and whirled through my mind until it turned into a burning fury that made me see red.
“What?” I cried out, just to give myself a second to get a hold of my burning emotions, but I already knew I would lose that fight.
Sir Priough had defected from the Cryons. A very valuable defector since he was King Crough’s second-in-command. His testimony was imperative to making our case against the Cryons at the GTU summit, without him…
“Not all is lost, I have his confessions on holovids and—”
“You and I both know that holovids mean frygging nothing. The Cryons will contest that they were manipulated. The only thing the holovids will prove is that Sir Priough was in our possession, something I have denied until now!” I exploded.
Lady Madeema didn’t flinch, she was used to my temper eruptions. Too used to them? Some semirational part of my brain cautioned me.
“How?” I barked out.
“I don’t have that information yet,” Lady Madeema confessed, looking contrite for the first time since she entered my chambers.
“You don’t have…” I took a deep breath, tried to keep the rising fury at bay.
Too much depended on Sir Priough’s testimony. It would have uncovered all the atrocities the Cryons were committing, including the possibility of making a power grab throughout the universe, creating a galactic war of unprecedented proportions.
“I will get it.” Lady Madeema’s eyes met mine, they were determined, burning with fervor. She was as pissed off as I was, just better at keeping her emotions checked.
“Who would have wanted the ship shot down?” I asked the obvious question, while my stomach raged.
