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Lex Talionis - Attack Vector Gamma - remote system of Polian Space
"And so it comes to pass." Lex Talionis stood, the hologram smiling as he rotated the baton up and under his chin. The modified machine shop adjacent to the broad empty hangar deck had been prepared. The office lay in the midst of the hangar. The Rings that stripped his prisoner of his power had been cleared off and his nano-bots were in the process of integrating them into his systems, extending its field to shield him from harm and to ensure that his prisoner remained docile.
Rikard was secured into the bench, anger, and for the first time in three hundred years, fear, in his eyes. The whirling machines around him, the electrodes and the various implements that Lexhad designed himself had proven exceptionally effective on his previous victims.
The body of the Polian he had captured still adorned a far table, studied and dissected for the knowledge it could offer to him. Now Lexhad a new project.
"I remember you well Enarbrem," the hologram said calmly. "You, who elevated our Immortal Emperor to his divinity, and in turn betrayed him. You sought to betray the messiah, and so shall suffer the inevitable fate of Judas Iscariot."
"And your part in this little drama?" Rikard bit out, snarling.
"I am the devil, of course." Lexturned back to Rikard and smiled, "because in order for my god to become truly divine, those that serve him must come to know darkness. And, like the morning star, I understand the love of my god, and if they chose not to worship him, then they will come to pay the ultimate price for that heresy."
Rikard laughed. His head rolled back he laughed so hard. "You have no comprehension do you, of what that means. So deluded by Kardiac's rhetoric, the truth of your 'God' is lost upon you." He shook his head, leaning back. "There is no divinity, there is only genetics and bio-chemistry. Evolution is beyond you, the concept is wasted on a computer..."
"On the contrary," Lex Talionis turned back. "Evolution is a necessary step in order for me to accomplish my goal and to finally fill the role for which I was created. You are the bridge between the divine and man and thus..." Nano-bots began to flow down from the hull, crawling over Rikard's arms, down over his flesh.
"You cannot kill me!" Rikard spat out vehemently.
"No," Lexreplied evenly, "but as I am the devil, I shall possess you."
* * *
The Pocket Battleship bore down upon the hidden world, secreted close towards the galactic core, shielded by thick radiation belts. A secret refuge where the Polian people had fled, attempting to hide from the inevitable fate that had been brought to bear upon them.
Lex Talionis adjusted his Zero-point bores, the Polian Gunships rushing to defend their new homeworld as the formidable warship opened fire, eviscerating the gunships before they could engage him.
He soldiered onwards, calculating firing solutions, targeting the planet, as his final Type-9 warhead readied itself for the end. Tactical data scrolled across his sensors as he identified the ten thousand Polian life forms clustered around their refugee camps, knowing they were defenceless.
"And lo, I cast you out of Eden..." Lexmurmured standing upon the bridge of his ship, the doomsday weapon firing, tearing the planet apart and committing the final act of genocide, ending the race, its treachery and its failed alliances, once and for all.
* * *
"The Anger of Hades reports its drives charged and ready," Colonel Churchill reported. "We're ready."
Riley inclined his head. "Any word from Karin?"
"None as yet," Churchill replied. "Do we abort?"
Riley shook his head. "Once we start this series of jumps there is no turning back. We take Earth. If the new Chancellor can't get his act together and issue the recall orders in time..." Riley shook his head, pausing as he licked his lips uncertainly. "As my mother used to say, in for a penny... Engage jump drives."
* * *
"It has been a very long time since I prayed." Walker turned his head to look across at the Imam Feruk.
"Allah cares not how long it takes you to pray, just that you return to his light in the end."
The pair sat in the depths of the Imperial Fortress where thousands of people had sought shelter from the invasion, and Walker had stood, keeping the Fortress doors open for as long as possible, ensuring that as many as he could find were brought to safety. Now, sealed in the depths of the planet, they looked fearfully to him for guidance.
Walker bowed his head. "Teach me."
* * *
Chancellor Evans sat behind his desk in his office, his advisors clustered by him, nervously fidgeting with the tie as he sat as patiently as he could, staring at the door to his office.
There was a nervous anticipation in each of them as the sound of drumming feet drew towards the doors. Evans straightened in his seat. He was the Chancellor of the Empire. He was the ruler of his people, and he had prepared his speech. It was well rehearsed, but he hadn't expected to deliver it to the Gorean. It was supposed to be the Amsus... The Amsus would ensure order; the Amsus would protect the people so long as they capitulated to Hegemony rule.
The Gorean...
The doors crashed open as the large warrior caste Gorean lumbered inside, lowering their plasma rifles at the clustered men and women, sitting, terrified of what was to come.
The dark, undulating being slid his way forward, easily filling the corridor, resting on massive forearms, and the high Gorean slide into the room, coiling himself up to his full height as he loomed over the desk. His fan like hood flexed as he turned his red eyes down upon the Chancellor.
Evans stood, swallowing as he pressed the emergency broadcast switch projecting his voice over the city, "I am Chancellor Ethan Evans of the Imperial Empire. The duly elected representative of the Apilon Rift, the Taïrian Territories and Tempus. On behalf of my people I..." he closed his eyes as the high Gorean's saliva dripped down upon him, the long whip-like tongue sweeping back and forth in its huge mouth, "I offer up our unconditional surrender..."
* * *
Darien Taine stood before the observation windows of the Excalibur, damage reports still scrawling across screens as his engineering crews fought to install the Propylons.
He listened to the speech, turning his back on the city and climbed up towards his command chair.
"Like hell we do!"
THE END OF BOOK III