The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

A Final Defense

It was an effort that didn't escape Demaskieros's ire.

"You are lucky those that would oppose us aren't in ear's range of your words, slaver," the lean Toreador vampire growled. "Or I'd slit your throat myself to silence you!"

Romanescu smiled ferally.

"Who's to say they're not, Demaskieros?" he retorted. "After all, you already know your own secrets, those that lick your boots are already sworn to secrecy, and the Hand obeys your every command. Me telling them your secrets avails me nothing!"

The former Qos Viran paused there to do a slow circle, eyes sweeping over the chamber's stone walls.

"However, if your enemies had already penetrated not only Varos Ejzhaka, but the Nocturnum itself, there would be a very good chance that they are already looking in on this chamber."

Again Romanescu smiled ferally.

"Personally, I hope they have. Especially a certain Ventru high lord. Because then ..." he paused to reach inside his armor vest to draw out the unmistakable shape of a remote detonator.

"It makes using this that much more satisfying!" Romanescu finished as he held the detonator to casually look it over.

"What ... is that?" the Nakagi sitter hesitantly asked.

"A remote detonator," Demaskieros frostily replied before Romanescu. "That's your final solution, slaver? To kill us all instead of allowing us to be captured by Ventru?"

"Something like that," Romanescu smugly replied. "Although, I'd rather use it as leverage." He lightly tossed the detonator into the air and caught it.

"Now I know most, if not all of you thought you'd be able to pull this coup off without any repercussions. Ventru would be conveniently unable to resist, gutted by your fake purge declaration, Toreador would be restored to power, Vorinov castigated for overreaching and the liliths' robbed of their unnatural power over our people."

The Nosferatu traitor smirked.

"I, on the other hand, did not move forward under that illusion. I served with Lash, you see, for years as Qos Viran. And I knew he was vicious and relentless, with skill, strength, and conviction. Going at him directly would only serve to piss him off. Which it did."

Romanescu folded his arms.

"It's the reason I never offered to send any of my own Qos Viran-trained security forces to assist in any of your little operations."

"Does this filthy traitor ever shut up??" Orimov growled, his voice filled with impatience.

"He's in love with his own voice, that's certain," Tanis dryly noted.

"So why aren't we shooting him?" Orimov tautly asked.

"Until we know what that detonator does, he continues breathing," Lash flatly directed. "Knowing Romanescu like I do, it's just a matter of time before he brags about it. He can't help it."

Almost as if he was privy to their comms, Romanescu once again held up the detonator for everybody in the council chamber.

"What kind of leverage can you get from a simple bomb, slaver?" Demaskieros hissed challengingly.

"Not much," the former Qos Viran admitted, still looking at the device in his hand. "But me and my operatives spent the better part of the last year wiring not only the Nocturnum, but all of Varos Ejzhaka as well with tactical nukes. All of which can be simultaneously triggered by this remote device."

Lash could feel his face tighten. There it is: what the detonator would set off. Described, as expected, in an offhand kind of smugness as if Romanescu expected to be congratulated for both his cleverness, and ruthlessness.

"Darktower, Lash."

"Lash, Darktower. Go."

"Be advised, general. The enemy has put nucleonics into play. Harden all EM shielding to maximum and deploy your Cerberus teams immediately!"

"Acknowledged, my lord. Cerberus teams are now active. The First Dragon is now on Gamma protocols. Level of threat, sir?" Darktower crisply asked.

"Multiple tactical devices scattered in a maximum destruction pattern throughout the city and fortress. We will attempt to take possession of the detonating device before it can be triggered. If we fail, however ..."

"Understood, my lord. Dark Father watch over you and your soldiers. Darktower out."

And his general was gone, leaving Lash staring hard through a crack at a smirking Romanescu. Now, all the traitorous slaver had to do was make his demand!

Thankfully he didn't have long to wait.

"Is that leverage enough, Toreador?" he turned to ask the frowning Demaskieros.

"You would kill hundreds of thousands of vampires just to, what? Satisfy a whim?" the lean imposter snarled back, struggling to keep bravado in his voice, and fear and dismay out of it.

"Nope," Romanescu replied, his smirk growing slightly. "To draw out our opponent. Isn't that right, Lash?"