The Blood Empress (9 page)

The main viewer shifted to show the Kastra shield for Sett. Nykostra quickly glanced at Verrad with a nervous look. He nodded reassuringly as if delays were normal. She took a breath.

The viewer changed to show an elder man with white hair and a beard. He was the Kastra Elder himself, Lord Sett. His face went from stoic aloofness to shock as he immediately recognized her. He lowered his head in a formal bow.

"My Empress, this is an unexpected pleasure."

"Lord Sett I'm here on Empire business. Lord Kasaga ordered a dozen ships from you to the front lines. What is the delay?"

The white haired man seemed to fumble for words, not sure how to frame his defiance. After floundering around for a moment he finally settled down when his Soothsayer began putting words in his mouth off screen.

"My Empress, we are too close to the Benzotii clans. We can't afford to lose half of our warships."

She cut him off, her voice rising in anger. "Don't defy me old man. If I don't see your ships moving immediately I will start destroying your cities one by one."

Lord Sett shook his head and from behind him she could see his Soothsayer's robe. She knew his mind was being controlled by the gray devil and did not expect it to cave in, not even to her.

The connection broke and the screen went back to showing the green valleys and white storm clouds of Sett.

Nykostra rose to her feet and turned to Verrad.

"Get me to the surface now, I have work to do."

Verrad was taken aback by the request. He motioned for someone to come to his side and whispered orders into his ear. The man nodded and quickly left the bridge.

"I'll have a shuttle and a surface team readied immediately, my Empress."

She marched past him her face darkening with anger. He followed her out into the narrow corridor of the warship.

"My Empress, I don't recommend going down there. We can't protect you on their soil."

"I don't need your protection. I'm the Kamsa-riecht."

Verrad nodded, but continued to press her. "Yes, but down there you put them at the advantage strategically. Why do you think he will listen to you in person?"

She stopped and looked at Verrad with steady eyes.

"You don't deal with Kastrum Elders, you deal with their bloody grays. I intend to cut off the head of the beast that controls the Elder. Are you coming with me or not?"

Verrad pushed out his chest and saluted her.

***

As on Voton, the Soothsayers lived beneath the Kastra castle. Now that they knew what to look for, scans of the area revealed a hidden entrance at the base of the castle walls. Verrad directed the shuttle to land nearby and his best troops deployed and secured the area first.

Verrad followed Nykostra with his own side arm drawn. The massive stone walls were covered in moss from the warm and humid world. Nykostra studied the wall closely, running her tiny blue-white hand across some of the stones she stopped suddenly and turned to him.

"This way," she said and walked right through the solid wall.

Verrad blinked in disbelief but pushed his way through after her, not daring to let her out of his sight. Two security guards remained outside.

"What technology is this?" Verrad asked upon reacquiring the Empress inside.

She took off down a dimly lit corridor as if she hadn't heard him. He followed her, switching on a lamp that he wore on the straps of his ground team uniform. It was more utilitarian than his duty uniform and included extra ammunition and other supplies.

They came to an old, wooden door that led to the Soothsayer dens below. It was marked with glyphs that promised death to those who passed. She stopped and faced Verrad, noticing his dark eyes shinning under the red glow of his light.

"You don't need to follow me, they carry no weapons."

He shook his head defiantly. She pulled out her falchion and pushed open the heavy door. He leaned into it to assist and was surprised by how easily it gave.

They walked downward for several minutes before she slowed to a stop.

"The leader is here. He knows we are coming."

Verrad stepped in front of her and charged his weapon. She let him take the point knowing that he was responsible for her safety. Even though she knew no harm would come to her.

The corridor began to glow with the heat of the sacramental fire. As they rounded the bend the corridor turned into a larger cavern with the fire pit near the center. Four cloaked Soothsayers stood facing the pit, their backs to the entrance.

Nykostra moved around beside Verrad and held up her falchion.

"Behold the Kamsa-riecht," she said loud enough for her voice to echo off the smooth cavern walls.

All of the Soothsayers turned at once. One of them stepped forward and pulled his cloak back to reveal his gray, wrinkled skin and straight gray hair. He was not as wicked ugly as the Kwizarra Lonn, but that wasn't saying much.

"Welcome to Sett, my Empress. How may we help you?"

She looked at Verrad and shook her head with disgust. They had not tried to probe her mind. No doubt warned not to engage her by the Kwizarra Lonn.

"I demand that Sett provide the Empire with half their warships. If you oppose me I will slay you where you stand."

The old Soothsayer seemed unimpressed. But he did not come any closer to them. Instead, she edged forward with Verrad staying just beside and behind her, his gun pointed at the lead Gray's head.

"My Empress, this is highly irregular. Affairs of the state are conducted above, by the royal Sett Kastra," he said. His voice was condescending and that only stoked her fire.

She pushed into his mind and spoke to him in the ancient tongue.
You will die and I will proceed to exterminate this entire den if you refuse.

His jaw lowered as if to speak but nothing came out of his mouth. She raised her falchion into the striking position and held it there. The strength needed to hold a sword in that position for long was enormous, her arm muscles twitched immediately.

"Please, my Empress. We have no way to defend ourselves against the hoards of Benzotii ships."

That is not my concern you foul beast!

Her eyes had begun to glow in a similar fashion to his own blood red eyes. She knew in that moment that he knew he was dead.

The falchion cut through his neck as easily as through the humid air. His body fell over onto the stone floor, head rolling to a stop near the other cloaked Soothsayers. Blood spilled forth from the body as she stepped over it to reach the next nearest gray.

Fragile gray arms raised up in a useless attempt to stop her sword. But her swing was strong and unopposed, as the second Soothsayer's body fell and the remaining clerics stepped back raising their hands.

"As you wish, my Empress. The ships are yours," they both said in unison.

Nykostra wiped her blade on the cloak of the nearest Soothsayer and then slid it back into its sheath.

"Instruct Lord Sett to give the commands. Do it now."

The lead Soothsayer nodded.

Verrad's communicator beeped and he answered it. "Ka."

"Captain, Lord Sett has ordered his fleet to depart."

Verrad keyed the mic, "Are the ships moving to the front?"

"Ka, Captain."

Verrad nodded and put away his communicator. Nykostra turned away from the remaining Soothsayers and walked back the way they came in. She ignored their pleas for forgiveness and for mercy.

The Kwizarra Lonn stood over the Empress's bed and looked at the sleeping form under the thick covers. It was not the Empress. He understood that immediately. Curious as to who had taken her place, he reached into the mind of the sleeping young woman. His answer came immediately. It was a simple handmaiden.

The girl woke up with a sudden start and bolted upright in the bed. Staring back at her was a red eyed monster from the shadows. She clearly wanted to scream in terror but that would have brought others to her aid and her ruse would have been over.

"Where is the Empress, child?"

Velore, eyes wide with fear could not bring herself to answer him. He didn't have time for this. Quickly he slapped the cover with his bony arm and she exploded with a loud scream.

The sounds of approaching footsteps could be heard outside the bedchamber's door. The Kwizarra Lonn thrust his cloak over his head and retreated into the darkness of the room just as two royal guards entered.

***

N'arvon was standing at the burning sacramental pit when the Kwizarra Lonn returned. He looked expectantly at his master.

"She's left the castle, possibly the planet," said the Kwizarra Lonn.

N'arvon shook his head. "But that's impossible, Kasim. No sitting Imperial has ever left the throne on Voton."

The Kwizarra Lonn tossed another plant onto the fire and fanned the flames with his long arms. The rising smoke hastened a vision and he quickly fell into a trance. N'arvon bowed his head and let his mind reach out to every corner of the planet, searching for the Empress's soul. He opened his eyes quickly in shock.

"She
is
gone, Kasim."

The Kwizarra Lonn nodded slowly as he inhaled the fumes. His mind traveled upward and entered the minds of those who were receiving messages. His red eyes flashed open.

"She is on Sett. She has killed the Kwerza-Ni and his second."

N'arvon shook his head in disbelief. "She
is
the Kamsa-riecht. She can't be stopped, Kasim!"

The Kwizarra Lonn stared into the burning coals of the sacrament. He would find a way to stop her. If it took him to the ends of time itself, he would find a way. The fate of the Empire was at stake. With no heir, her death would hasten an unwanted wave of infighting that could tear apart the Empire in another bitter civil war.

More information streamed into him from above.

"Captain Verrad is with her. She's using his warship to intimidate the other Kastra. We must contact the Chief Architect. He's the only one who can stop her now."

N'arvon shook his gray head slowly as if he did'nt fully believe what his master was saying.

"Alert the other Kwerza-Ni that she is coming. Tell them to stall her as long as they can. We have to go after her," the Kwizarra Lonn said.

N'arvon reached out to the mindless drones in the castle above and searched for an appropriate warship. Most of the fleet was deployed or otherwise engaged in skirmishes. He finally found an older destroyer that had just departed with minor dignitaries on board. His mind commanded the Imperials to order it to return to Voton.

"Kasim, I have found us transport."

The Kwizarra Lonn had moved away already and N'arvon hustled to keep up with him as they headed for the castle above.

***

Vac One was closer to Benzotii space and the Votainions who lived there were tougher than any other Kastra in the Empire. They were under nearly constant assault from the ferocious Benzotii warships. As a result their castle was hidden behind a defense system that was virtually impossible to penetrate.

Verrad explained the system to his Empress in great detail but she was adamant that all Kastras would give her warships or suffer her wrath. She just had to get below the castle and confront the Soothsayers directly. There would be no need to attack the heavily fortified cities of Vac One. At least not directly.

Nykostra broke away from the maps and data charts and put her hand to her forehead. All the planning was giving her a headache. Every time she thought of a way to gain entrance to the capital city, Verrad and his war planners found a weakness and ruled it out. She couldn't argue with them, she knew nothing of planning military strikes, but she did know all about customs and ceremonies.

"Captain, perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. Inform the Vac One Elder that I shall be arriving for a formal state visit. He is to honor me with the presence of all his attendants and all of his senior military leaders."

Verrad lifted a bushy black eyebrow. "Surely they know what you have done to the Sett Kastra. They would be foolish to let you in with open arms, my Empress."

She returned to the cramped planning table. The bright light washed her skin nearly white as she smiled wickedly at Verrad. "How can they refuse an Imperial Visit? Besides, they will be surrounded by their best warriors."

"And their Soothsayers," Verrad finished.

"Correct."

Verrad glanced around the table at his fellow officers. Their emotionless faces all nodded in agreement.

***

Verrad's shuttle descended under strict escort by several desert camouflaged KiV-3 starfighters and under the watchful cannons of hundreds of ground defense forces. The planet's capital was built into a vast canyon along the planet's equator. Everything was the same mottled brown and tan color as the barren landscape.

The shuttle swung into a large hangar built into the canyon wall. A squad of sand colored security troops waited to escort them into the city center. Nykostra had researched the capital city before they arrived. She knew that the Soothsayer's Den was still dug out below the main city. But she didn't think they would have to search out the Kwerza-Ni on this world. It would have been a breach of custom for the head Soothsayer to not attend the personal visit of an Empress.

Her instinct proved correct as they were escorted into the receiving chambers. The elder Vac and his many attendants were standing like marble statues awaiting her arrival. Verrad was her only attendant dressed in his formal uniform and armed only with his falchion. She was wearing her traveling gown, a tighter fitting easier to maintain royal dress that allowed her to quickly access the falchion hanging at her side.

The Vac One Elder took a knee on her approach as did everyone in his immediate party, including the Kwerza-Ni. Nykostra had her mental guard up but she sensed no attempt to peer into her mind. It is quite possible he didn't have the gall to try something so bold.

The Kwerza-Ni's robes were dark brown instead of gray. Easier to blend into the dirt and rock walls of the city.

"Rise my Lord," Nykostra said in her most dignified, Imperial voice. She had to maintain her control over them in order to earn their trust.