The Fractured Empire: A Tale of Downfall

Chapter 13

The room fell into silence so quickly I almost thought I could hear my heart hammering against my ribcage.

Finally, Baroness Vlahos spoke. "Hmph, a Darka'ash. I thought your kind promised to stay out of the light."

"Most of them did, but I had other plans," Vi'karac answered without hesitation, "The Twilight king is no longer my liege."

"Well, this day is getting more interesting," she mused, "You broke free of your puppet king's hold. Tell me, how did you do this?"

Vik motioned toward me. "Cylus is to thank."

The Baroness looked back at me. This time, there was a thoughtful twinkle in her pale gold eyes.

"You helped the Darka'ash? How?"

For several moments, I couldn't find my voice. Finally, I managed to sputter out an answer. "I-I formed a b-bond with him."

"A bond? A genuine bond is rare amongst Darka'ash."

"Indeed they are. Alas, that is inconsequential at the current moment," Vik chimed in, "We are here to help you with your problem. Jackson Delacroix told us of your woes, but please fill in the blanks."

"R-Right," Jack chimed in, closing his mouth with a slight pop, "We know the Federation has been attacking your vessels, but can you tell us how frequent these attacks have been, or how many vessels have been seen ambushing your crafts?"

"Yes, of course," Andromeda Vlahos replied, walking back to her golden throne of...light. Taking a seat, she leaned back and motioned us forward, "Fear not, my friends. My people assumed these disguises to better blend in with your kind, but we mean you no harm. Terrans and other species are allowed to come to Ivoralis, and we act as guardians and caretakers, not conquerors and abusers."

"So...Why is the Federation attacking you?" Boreas inquired in a weak voice, "It seems like you wouldn't harm a fly–not without provocation, at least."

"The UTF wishes to make an example of my people: they see what this system stands for, and that scares them," she answered, "For what it is worth, I have heard of your exploits through the stars, Mr. Haze. The fact you were able to take down the Grand Chancellor is an amazing feat in of itself."

"How come we've heard nothing of this system–of your kingdom until now?" I demanded, ignoring her compliment.

"I am sure your shadowy friend could attest to this, but the Ae'siiri are not ones to directly take on a problem. We are a rather reclusive species, but everything we do is with all good intents in mind. Other races have created legends and myths of my kind, with your fellow Terrans telling tales of angels bringing them salvation. While this was not the case, we Ae'siiri have interacted with other species since the dawn of time."

"Ah...Well, in that case, what can we do to help you?" Jackson inquired, "Putting your offer to join my lot aside, I'd rather not see the Federation wipe out another peaceful race. I know Cylus and his crew will do everything in their power to deal with this problem, so please spare no detail."

A small, radiant smile appeared on Andromeda's face as she responded. "I appreciate the enthusiasm. As for what you could do, I fear the only plan of action would be eliminating the Federation forces in this area who wish to do my people harm. I have tried to reason with them, but the monsters do not listen to reason."

"Ain't that the truth," I growled, only to feel Alannah squeeze my hand. Oh, I didn't realize I still held her hand in mine. Oops...

At any rate, I was relieved to notice the situation had been diffused for the most part: Jackson and Andromeda continued to discuss a multitude of topics such as where most of the ambushes had taken place, how prevalent these attacks have been for the past few months, and how Baroness Vlahos' forces have coped with this problem.