Rekker is worried.
Vraik is fascinated.
I’m ready.
It’s been so long since I’ve felt like a warrior. When the Empire first took control, we fought. We believed Emperor Slain could help thrust us into a new era of prosperity.
We believed in his lie.
This time, we will be the ones in control. And if we die, so be it. We will have tried.
No one says a word, but there’s a feeling of agreement.
The Empire is in trouble. They need our work to continue. Well, I need something, too.
A woman to tame. A woman to own.
A woman to breed.
Rekker exhales. “If this backfires, it’s you who will be sent to the gallows.”
“Yes,” I say.
As we make up our minds and come together on the decision of a lifetime, the hologram twists. The frequencies shift. A terrible, disgusting toad of an alien appears in front of us.
I collapse into a bow. “Emperor Slain,” I whisper.
Although I stay still, chills rush through my spine. Did he hear us speaking? No, I doubt it. If he had, he would have already addressed it.
Slain does not fuck around.
“Sir,” Rekker salutes.
Vraik scrambles to salute or bow. Unsure which one to choose, he balances on his heels. “Emperor Slain, we have good news for you,” he shouts.
I clench my teeth together so hard I can feel shards chip onto my tongue. What is Vraik doing?
The emperor’s eyelids are so thick it’s a miracle he can even see. Unfortunately, this detail makes it that much harder to predict his intentions.
As Slain opens his mouth to speak, a dense slime drizzles down his chin. “You have found the element I seek?”
Vraik swallows and stutters. “Yes, sir. We have found a minimal amount of Resnyx,” he says. “Well, infinitesimal, really. I’m not sure it can be used to—”
Slain cuts him off. “That is not an issue,” he exclaims.
This is the most excited I’ve ever seen the emperor, and that’s saying a lot. This is an alpha who gets off on routine beheadings and galactic warfare.
Within seconds, I come up with a plan to rectify the situation. I stand and acknowledge Vraik’s stupid outburst.
“You heard correct, my fearless leader,” I say. “But before we send it over, we would like to ask you for a few more days.”
Slain shifts his weight forward. More slime falls from his mouth, and the color of his scales turns red.
He roars, “A few more days? We simply do not have the time. Every day that passes, we lose the battle of universal expansion.”
I witness Rekker’s eyes shift toward me. Vraik nearly gave our plan away.
Taking a deep breath, I keep my gestures calm. “Sir, if you can wait just a few more days, we can extract more Resnyx. Ounces of it,” I lie. “If we rush the extraction process, we might lose all of it.”