Note: this is an Adult-themed, Science Fiction Space Opera intended for readers over the age of 17.
‘We understand, Grandmother’ Walter sent. ‘At best, he’s had an accident and they’re working on him … slowly. What’s the real damage?’
‘Well… Head… Body… Floor… Not real close together’.
Rondal Caldar had accomplished all that he set out to do, but his currently bleak future didn't sit well with him.
Instead of relying on those around him, he took matters into his own hands and ended his life while training the Elder's First Sword.
This selfish act of his has threatened all that he set into motion.
It is now left up to the survivors to put the pieces back together.
Excerpt:
Prologue
Lord Rondal Caldar, the Commonwealth Emperor’s First Sword, discovered a new alien species that had been monitoring and interfering with human activities for their own protection.
With the help of his Senior Staff, he completed the delicate task of approaching and communicating with humanity’s first true alien species – the Vanir.
Having transported the new Vanir Ambassador and his assistant to a face-to-face meeting with the Royal House of Kantor, he successfully conveyed them, and the Kantite Ambassador on a return trip to the Vanir Prime.
Along the way, his own hubris interfered and caused him to make incautious and even fatal mistakes that had left him suffering from debilitating incapacities at the hands of rogue elements of Vanir society.
In spite of all this, he and his crew managed to suppress those negative elements staging a coup against the current Vanir Prime, thus achieving a somewhat stable working relationship upon which to build a peaceful foundation.
Now that peace was at hand; Rondal Caldar’s focus turned inward, as the insidious poisoning of his human body caused it to deteriorate at an accelerated rate.
In despair over his own deepening weakness and rapid aging, he took advantage of Lady Trenka Song, the First Wife’s agent, and tormented her to the point of having her render justice upon him for his dalliance on the “dark side” against the Elder’s Laws.
April 21, 2005, Aboard the Kraken, In the Gym
Ronnie figured Trenka was just about ripe, and he was just about done. He started a punishing attack for several seconds, before backing off the pressure so he could fire her up some more.
“Oh, the BEST part was how you made Ai feel so HELPLESS when you DESERTED HER! Just as well… she was WORTHLESS AS AN ELDER!” he shouted while brandishing his sword loosely in her direction. “Come ON, Trinkie-baby, YOU know how weak she was! She couldn’t kill ME! She couldn’t even kill SAI!”
He stood still while laughing loudly, and she stopped and stared at him while catching her breath.
“What do you mean?” she asked darkly, while focusing all her attention on his words now.
“I mean she ordered Sai to EXECUTE me, but she WOULDN’T DO IT! She REFUSED to do it! SAI knew Ai was insane!”
“No … she didn’t … Ai wouldn’t…”
“Yes. She did. And when THAT didn’t work, she tried kill SAI … but I couldn’t let THAT happen now, could I,” he said menacingly, just now noticing Sai entering the compartment. “So I had a choice – do I let the evil bitch live, OR DO I PUT HER DOWN?”
He paused for a moment to let it sink in.
“I let her live … BUT I BURNED OUT HER MIND!”
‘Trenka – DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!’ Sai pressed urgently, but Trenka was too focused on Ronnie.
Trenka was quivering in fury, but still didn’t move, although her eyes never left Caldar.
“Trenka, he’s BAITING you! DON’T FALL FOR IT!” Sai shouted aloud, but Trenka never flinched.
“What’s the matter, First Sword? Lili sent you out here to take my head, and I’ve gone to the trouble of teaching you how. Or are you the SAME … WORTHLESS … WHINY … BITCH I THOUGHT YOU WERE ALL THOSE YEARS AGO?”
Trenka snapped out of it and advanced with determination. Her kill strikes were accurate, and hitting his blocks hard and fast, but he was looking for something special.
“Come on … come ON, TRINKIE! Show me what you GOT!” he taunted, and was finally rewarded with the set of her stance.
As she extended and flicked her wrist, he declined to block her attack and called the Fire instead.
“TRENKA – NO!” Sai shouted, but was as helpless to stop Trenka, as Trenka was to stop her swing … even as the sword she was holding flamed to life, and the bright, violet, screaming blade cleanly severed the First Lord’s neck.
For just a moment, Trenka felt a flash of triumph, even as she saw the peaceful smile cross Ronnie’s lips, before his head tilted sideways and fell to the floor. The sword in her hand popped into silence, and she looked at it for just a moment, before letting it fall to the floor next to the body. Meanwhile, all time seemed to stop as the observers froze at the scene before them.
The enormity of the situation finally overcame her, and she dropped to her knees and began hyperventilating. Sai stood still; watching from the doorway, and wondering how she’d missed all the signs leading up to this. She slowly walked over to Trenka and squatted down beside her; reaching out, but not quite touching her.
“I killed him. I – I really killed him,” Trenka whispered dully, then bent over far enough to touch her head to the mat. “I’m sorry … I’m so sorry … I’m so sorry … I didn’t mean to…” Her words faded as she broke into quiet sobs that shook her body, and left her tears dripping on the mat.