Red Queen Rising (4)
A deafening silence grips the galaxy; a stealth deployed blade shatters bone. Invisible dragons roam the sky; treacherous legions trap the Throne.
As the Mutant civil war spilled into the Akuriand, thousands of subspace citizens fled the inner planets, fearful of another devastating war and praying for the Eternals’ return. Exacerbating the exodus, rumors about the Joker Council refusing to take charge of the Imperium’s defenses dashed any hope of security.
Despair rippled through the population, permeating every hamlet and spaceport within the Imperium’s dominion. From the farthest reaches of the Ochsussen Wormhole to the Nibirian Nebula, panic had replaced reason as residents and citizens alike abandoned everything to achieve maximum safe distance.
Since the arrival of the pre-dynasty refugees, the Akuriand had transformed beyond a subspace group of vacant Class M planets, void of civilization or settlements, into what the Milkians called a Type-4 Civilization. Deploying ancient formulae from the Thinielian Scrolls, the masters of the Akuriand used mathematical expertise harmonizing and pulling energy from the very fabric of space.
***
The Conjuring
A struggling light flickered through the torrent of wind evacuating a forgotten corridor, capturing three cloaked figures stepping into a hidden doorway. As the motion disappeared into the shadows, a rising vibration meandered through the passages, augmenting an ominous chant echoing through the labyrinth stretching across a honeycomb network beneath the City of Lerenia.
“Oh Divine Spirit, Great Architect of the Universe. Give me the power to crush my enemies and reclaim my birthright,” a cold cutting voice bellowed.
As a circle of robed figures widened, a mystical rain fell through the heavenly portal, sprinkling down through the ancient lava tubes accompanying the red moonlight peeking into the underground chambers.
A violent shaking motion swept across the extended female form as it reached into the showering moonlight, “GAURIAND SHANAXIOM.”
“Your Highness,” a murmuring goblin chirped from the shadows.
Several robed figures came to life, encircling the Royal as she lowered her hands, exhaled a long breath, and pulled on her robes, “What news do you bring, Kuroch?
The reluctant goblin inched toward the shrouded High Queen, “The Hounds’ emissary is meeting with the Empress…”
A ferocious roar erupted from the robed Royal, “You dare call her empress in my presence? There’s only one EMPRESS of the Akuriand,” she said crushing the goblin with her broridium scepter.
***
Beyond the secret winding tunnels of Lerenia, twin suns rose on the horizon, illuminating the Obanian landscape as they peaked above the Eastern Krillious Mountains, casting early shadows across emptied capital streets, motionless and quiet devoid of the slightest activity.
In a reinforced tower, pacing an uncharted chamber, Empress Ranielle IV and her lieutenants review plans to lock down the city. With more neighborhoods reporting Imperial Guard leaving their posts and residents fleeing off-world, the empress knew only a strong show of force could ebb the tide of despair in which they found themselves. “This will NOT be the end of my rule. The Luminescent Imperium has faced its troubles for millennia, and today is not the day it falls,” a defiant empress said, slamming her hands on the mahogany table.
Despite having one of the most well-equipped and trained armies in the quadrant, FEAR can destroy an unprepared mind, especially when it’s reinforced with debilitating visual images. Absent the military stratagem and leadership of the Eternals and Joker Council, the City and the Imperium walked along the edge of an unknown precipice.
“Your Majesty, we’ve little time to plan if we dare counter this onslaught. Let me lead your Imperial Guard and meet them head on,” Derringer implored, bowing low as he addressed the empress.
Blade grabbed the Mutant Hound and bid him to rise, “No, I’ll lead our men, but we would be honored if you stood with me.”
Empress Ranielle paused a long moment, then turned to Sixteen, “Before there was something, there was Nothing, a darkness stretching for infinity. Then, Spirit blinked into existence, ripping the fabric of spacetime and so began our eternal battle with the dark. Sixteen, You will lead our armies. This is why you’ve returned. This is your destiny.”
Sixteen blanched, lowering himself before his sovereign as the surrounding Imperial Guard fell to one knee, watching as the Empress laid her hand on her nephew and whispered in his ear, “Trust no-one.”
A loud commotion pulled attention toward the inner hall’s entrance as several guards tried to contain a belligerent messenger, screaming for an audience with the empress. Ranielle discerning a frog’s silhouette, barked a command, “Let him enter.”
A laser-burned frog stumbled across the marble floor and flopped down in front of empress, panting for breath, as he began to fade. “Who is this? Was there anyone with him?” The empress demanded staring down at the laser-scarred amphibian, retreating deep within her mind searching for answers. Has it begun?
Despite her additional legions recalled from the frontier after the assassination attempt on the prince, something wasn’t adding up, something was breaking down and her rings of protection had begun to collapse.
Derringer reached down to assist the flailing messenger.
“Ribbit, I found you,” he said before passing out.
Blade turned to his mother, “Has the Mayor won?”
Ranielle snorted discontent, then rose from the table signaling her guards to secure the palatial doors. She knew what was unfolding and knew that the war had begun. “The wretched House of Gauriand is challenging my ascension to the imperial throne.”
Derringer drew his krunaeium sword as an explosion tore through the chamber doors, sending Imperial Guards flying across the room. “The prophecy,” the Mutant Hound stepped between the doors and the empress. “Your majesty, you should go.”
Sixteen grabbed his aunt, “We need to evacuate you now, before…”
“Before the High King of Thiniel reclaims his birthright,” an eerily sultry voice interjected from across the room.
Blade leaped across the table closing the distance between the intruder and Empress Ranielle, “This is all you’ll get for your treachery, witch,”the general roared as he cut down several Imperial Guard turned spies as he made a path to the rebellious Royal and his High Queen, murmuring incantations under her breath.
After the Luminescent Council had unanimously approved Ranielle Analaxian IV’s ascension to the Imperial Throne, a diluted bloodline of the High King of Thiniel leveraged its seat on the Council, instigating a covert campaign after voting with the others for her ascension. Over time, doubt of the Red Queen’s lineage trumping the Thiniel line began to get traction with the citizens of the Akuriand, but this action, allying with known rebellious factions, was more than whispers in the dark; this was war.
Before the High Queen finished her gibberish, Sixteen grabbed a grenade from a fallen guard blasting a hole in the adjacent wall, hurrying the empress, Derringer, and the wounded frog through the smoldering debris into the safety of the unknown. “BLADE, time to go,” he shouted.
Blade ripped another wannabe Thinielian Guard in two as he chunked another incendiary grenade into the crowd of traitorous Imperial Guards, “Good Night scum,” he shouted as he disappeared into the hole in the wall.
***
“Let her run,” the Thinielian High Queen barked. “She’s lost her Eternals, the Imperial Guard, and the inner planets have evacuated the subspace, which means the Luminescent Court will need NEW allies. The Throne will be yours before the rising of the second moon.”
A confused king turned to his partner, “Saunia, if they escape they can rearm and rally troops to her cause. She must be eliminated.”
Saunia scoffed. “Trust me. Nobody will be joining her cause, especially with another Interdimensional conflict on our doorstep.”
***
On a remote outpost drifting along the edge of Akuriand subspace, a lone monkey attends to his duties, busying himself along the Karmic River, keeping one eye on the sky and noting a cluster of objects gathering above while preparing his evening meal.
More starships? He thought to himself, putting down his plate and recording the event on his mainframe.
#GAMEON