Charles was extremely mad, he and Alatem had called Trok over an hour ago, the bastard still hadn’t shown up.
Finally Trok called to tell them he was where they had instructed him to meet them. Charles gave Alatem a kiss before
he had Ally flash him to the surface. Charles looked around and motioned for Tok to advance, a strange smile crossed
Trok’s face then he ordered unseen assailants to open fire! At first Trok thought the strange man would get away but
upon further investigating, he could see the man was dead, now maybe the princess could clear her head. Trok was glad
that now he could protect her while the rest of the family was eliminated, with her uncle on the throne at last the
empire would be back on the way to glory.
Alatem was at her father’s side when the news came in that Charles had been killed. The emperor was saddened
that the man that had saved his family so many times was dead, looking at Alatem he could see that she was visibly
shaken, damn it what could he do?
“Alatem I am sorry I know he was a friend of yours I…” her father started.
“NO father, you don’t know! you don’t know at ALL!” she practically screamed at him. “This was all your doing YOU
could have prevented this!” Running from the room the emperor was heart broken hearing her gasping sobs as she headed
to her room.
Alatem contacted Allie the moment she was in her room, immediately she was whisked away to the Time Raider.
Impress Mita could only shake her head this was tragic news indeed, she had thought that Charles was far to smart and
brilliant to ever get caught, let alone get his self killed. Melina was sitting in a corner crying her eyes out NO!
she didn’t believe it! That man was far to fast and cunning to have been killed this easy NO! Melina didn’t believe
for a moment that he was dead, the more she thought about the more she was convinced this was a ruse. The only thing
was how was she going to prove it? She was only 10 and had no access to the tech that her sister or the man did. Hmmm
this was starting to get interesting but there had to be a way! Aboard the Time Raider Alatem and Allie were tracking
the movements of her uncle and his oldest son, they might not be able to seize him but they could find where the
other warehouses were and finally destroy his plan.
For hours they tracked him ’til they finally had the location of the last three clone labs. Alatem began to
program all the coordinates they had and sent them via a special carrier wave that Charles had programed before he
left. Sighing Alatem was still upset that so much danger had to be involved, Charles was her world now, without him
she didn’t know if she could go on. On the planet a shadowy figure was following the uncle, still not time it thought
but soon all this shit would be over then it would be time to solve the other royal ass problems namely that stubborn
ass of an emperor! A sudden movement nearby caught the figure’s attention it was about time! Now maybe this business
could be concluded and other important issues. Sighing the figure moved in to take a better look cradling the weapon
for dear life.
Tiberias, the emperor’s brother growled at his oldest son, “what do you mean you can’t find either of them?!”
Rearing back he slapped the younger man across the face producing a rapidly reddening mark on the man’s cheek.
“I looked in all their haunts, after the 2 labs were destroyed nothing!” The man told his father, damn it the man had
a hellacious temper plus the fact that no one did anything right as far as he was concerned.
“I don’t give a shit about your excuses!” Tiberias snarled, “your younger excuse of a brother still has the
controller, without it we are screwed! Now get your ass out there and find it!” Roughly kicking his oldest son to
emphasize just how serious he was, the son looked away a look of extreme anger crossing his face, you wait you
pathetic old man, you wait you’ll be licking my boots before this is over he thought.
Tiberias was worried now though there was a bright spot at least that mystery man was finally out of the way, no more
of his interference.
The shadowy figure slipped deeper into the shadows, a controller huh? This was starting to get very
interesting indeed! Mita was deep into the royal records and almost hadn’t noticed the emperor entering her study,
clicking off her screen when he approached her.
“I’m worried about Alatem,” he started, “she was ranting at me when I tried to express sympathy over the man being
killed. I am at a loss when it comes to her.’ With a huge sigh he sat in the chair next to her.
Mita just shook her head as a husband and a ruler he was a fabulous man but as a father she swore at time he was
plain clueless!
“My love, you know she is in love, I am afraid the mystery man was the one she may have been in love with. It all
makes perfect sense to me, as much as the man did was there no way to make him a royal?” Mita asked though she
thought she knew the answer.
“No my love, not any I can think of, there are only a few instances where one can be made royal without public
testing. From what little I learned of the man, it appears highly unlikely that he could meet any of the criteria.
Now it appears that Alatem has vanished again.” Bowing his head in his hands the emperor felt more defeated than he
ever had.
Alatem watched everything she could on the readings, at least they had physical evidence that her uncle
Tiberias was alive and consorting to produce a clone army. Her uncle and cousin had finally moved to the third
location when she received a signal from her contact on the surface.
“Ok Allie, that’s the signal.”Alatem said
“Compliance, staring bombardment of the first structure. I am reading no resistance or shields I estimate another 2
minutes and the structure should be destroyed.” Allie replied.
“Are you detecting any humans in or near the building?” Alatem asked afraid that there might be witnesses near by.
“No, only your contact is nearby and they appear to be moving on.” Allie stated.
Alatem nodded, she hoped this worked destroying 3 of the warehouses would help but they had to get her uncle or
almost all of this would be for nought. She knew the man had vast resources and would just pick up somewhere else if
they didn’t get him.
Inside the palace the shadowy figure moved with an almost unnatural grace, nearing it’s intended target. Mita
was hard at work, she’d almost found what she’d been looking for but the information was buried so deep it was taking
a lot of time to ferret it out. Of course she was glad for the security on the system but as she was discovering, it
took a pains taking amount of time just to get in, let alone get what she needed. At least she had several good leads
and had actually found something that was helping more than she thought it would have.
A hand coverd her mouth, a deep raspy voice whispered in her ear, “I have information you seek, but I need your
cooperation once I release you.” Mita thought the voice was familiar but was so deep she was unsure. Nodding her
acquiescence the hand was removed. “Do not turn around,” the voice whispered, “you are looking in the right place
just the wrong family. Look to the other kingdoms that were swallowed by the empire. I bring a warning an attempt
will be made upon you again, stay away from the throne room.”
A moment later Mita asked why but got no reply turning there was no one there! but he’d talked to her only seconds
before!
Melina had seen everything, she’d almost called the guards when she saw the figure put it’s hand over her
mother’s mouth. Then she watched as the figure moved back into the shadows and was gone! Searching she didn’t see the
person anywhere! How? There’d been no flash as she’d seen Alatem dissappear with, so just how had the figure vanished
like that? Thinking a moment she thought it had to be the man she’d seen with her sister days ago, but wasn’t he
supposed to be dead? A little smile touched her young lips, if it was him and he was alive, she was definitely
starting to like him more and more! before! Slipping out of the palace was far harder than sneaking in, almost half
an hour later the figure was walking toward the garrison building. Now to find out exactly where Trok’s loyalty truly
lay. Slipping in, the garrison was almost empty, damn! The information had stated that Trok would be alone. Well no
matter, the last guard left leaving Trok alone on his bed. Creeping in the figure had to be extra careful this was no
untrained civilian. Almost to the bed side Trok leaped up grabbing his sword, strange Trok thought that someone had
been beside his bed, a person he didn’t know, looking around he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Suddenly a knife was to his throat, “I suggest you drop the sword, I really don’t want to kill you but I will
if you insist,” the raspy voice whispered in his ear.
“Who are you?” Trok started to yell except the knife kept his voice low and calm no sense in dying he thought.
“I am someone who knows the truth, I know you are leaking information to Tiberias. I just don’t know why!” the voice
said.
“I…,” Trok started.
“Lie to me and you’ll be dead before you hit the floor!” the voice said pressing the knife blade a little more
drawing a small drop of blood.
Defeated Trok started his tale, “I have no choice, the man has my wife and daughter he has promised to kill them
slowly if I don’t aid him. Besides the princess, they are all I have, if I lose them I could not go on. They are my
reason for being and if you ask me to fore sake them then I would ask you to take my life now for that I will never
will.”
“I believe I can help you,” the raspy voice whispered. “but as I said if you lie to me I will kill you slowly in
front of the princess. She has as I have been told, many interesting ways to torture you.”
Trok felt the knife disappear and turned to face his captor only to find no one there! had he dreamed it? No, he
could feel the blood on his throat damn! This had to be one of the black set assassins he’d heard about, though he’d
also heard they were all but wiped out, so how?
Damn it things were starting to get more out of the figures control, I have to regain some of it the figure
thought and soon. An hour later, outside a house on the outskirts of the city the same shadowy figure watched the 4
hidden guards as they ate. hmmm only 4? It seemed hardly fair the shadowy figure smirked not even a real challenge.
Just then the door of the house opened and another man came out with 4 glasses, “Don’t forget to relieve me and my
partner, watching that bitch and her brat aren’t sitting well with us.” The man said.
The other 4 laughed, “well the boss promised us all a turn at her after he kills that bastard of an emperor.” One of
the others out side laughed, “she ought to provide some entertainment in lieu of payment.”
All 5 of the men were laughing now, the figure hiding in the shadows could feel the fury rising, calming, the figure
removed several weapons. When the door closed the figure moved, the furthest away turned a corner then tried to shout
a warning finding his throat was slit as were his vocal cords. Within 5 minutes all 4 were dead and bleeding out in
different places around the house.
Peeking in 1 of the 2 windows the figure saw that neither of the guards had heard a thing. Good total
surprise was always the best, climbing the wall, the roof appeared to be weak and thin in several places. Both men
thought they heard something and were instantly on guard, “hey you hear that? one said to the other then noticed that
the other didn’t answer, falling forward dead for 30 seconds already. The first man’s mouth opened to shout when he
noticed that his throat too was slit along with his vocal cords. Cracking the door the only thing visible in the
other room were the woman and the girl, un huh the figure thought highly unlikely. Pulling a sword and driving
through the door there was a satisfying crunch and grunt as the sword drove home in the guards chest. There was a
moment of silence then the woman began to scream, the assassin saw the last guard moving to gut the woman, bursting
through the door the assassin made a throwing motion watching as the man stopped then his head separated from his
body 2 steps from the woman and her daughter.
Grabbing the woman, he slapped her to get her quiet, “listen to me, do as I say and you’ll be with your
husband before the day is done. There are many between here and there that want you and her dead, follow everything I
say and you’ll live.” The assassin whispered in her ear.
The woman’s eyes grew large when she saw all her captors dead, then slowly nodded her agreement. Bending to whisper
in her young daughter’s ear the little girl’s eyes also grew large and she too nodded her agreement. 2 hours later
the assassin and the 2 females slipped into Trok’s family home, the assassin warned them not to leave, answer the
door or even go near the windows, it would be over soon. The woman turned to thank her and her daughter’s savior but
the space where he’d been was empty with a low breeze blowing through the room, confused the woman was starting to
think this was all a bad dream.
Outside the garrison Trok was watching the grave yard shift training, leaning against the wall a hand and
knife touched his mouth and throat. “Your wife and daughter are safe, all the men that were holding them are dead you
have no worries there.” The assassin’s voice rasped. “I need you to call Tiberias and tell him that you have
captured the empress as he planned, tell him that you need her removed now or she might get free, understand?” Trok
nodded as slowly as he could feel the knife almost breaking the skin, how did the assassin know all this? He’d just
learned of it him self a few hours ago. Finally control was shifting in almost total favor of the assassin a smile
slowly spreading across the assassin’s face. Outside the palace the assassin awaited the nephew of the emperor, the
back way was probably where he’d come in near the servants entrance more than likely. Sure enough 30 minutes later
the man crept along the path, reaching for the gate he found his self suddenly on the ground unable to speak or move.
Looking up what he saw almost froze his heart dressed in simple black garb was a black set assassin!
Tossing the man over a shoulder the assassin trudged away to a nearby abandoned house. Tossing the man
roughly into a chair, the man saw the assassin strap several wires to his thighs, arms, and neck. Ha! the man
chuckled no amount of torture could break him, the assassin wasn’t the only one trained. Moments later Trok arrived
slightly startled that he’d received a message from the assassin.
“Now then,” the assassin rasp out, “we can begin.”
“You’re a fool if you think I will tell you anything, I have been trained, there is no torture that I can not with
stand.” Tiberias’s oldest son yelled.
The assassin started and only 30 seconds later realized the man had been right, then an evil smile spread on the
assassin’s face. Ripping the man’s pants open, he wrapped a bare wire around the head of the man’s cock, then another
around his scrotum. The assassin started the electric shock again slowly increasing the voltage soon the man started
to groan, then whimper ’til it was full on screaming. Stopping to question the man the assassin started to get
impatient finally increasing the voltage past the danger point the screams and smell of cooking flesh were almost too
much for Trok. Right before he’d pass out the man told all the plans he knew, the killing of the family, the taking
and killing of Trok’s family, the taking of Alatem to breed and use. Upon hearing of the plans for his family Trok
turned the machine back on all the way up, the assassin smiled coldly, good, let the bastard burn it was more than he
deserved.
Trok turned to thank the assassin and again the person had vanished, shit I’m glad they are on our side trok
thought or we’d have no chance. Tiberias was pissed, seething, where were his useless sons? The oldest bastard should
be back already, something wasn’t right, plus the fact that the clones were hardly listening to him. Had he not
programed in them an absolute desire to listen to him he felt he’d be dead already. He’d reached for his com for the
twentieth time when he heard the explosion a few blocks over.
“Report! What was that explosion?” Tiberias screamed into the com. The report he got back wasn’t good, it had ben
the fourth of the warehouses, it seemed he’d have to put his plans to take the empire on hold ’til he could rebuild.
Leaving out the back he was only a few meters from the ship when he was hit by a stun beam. A dark figure appeared
beside him.
“I should let the clones have you for all the pain and anguish you have caused them, though, I am sure the emperor
deserves that more than anyone right now!” Tiberias looked at the figure and tried to gasp, a black set assassin!
They were all dead! He was sure of it the last master was killed 2 years ago whe… NO! Tiberias realized it had been
too easy killing the last master! Then he remembered seeing a few peasants escaping the carnage of that war. OMG! The
son of a bitch was still alive!
The assassin turned attention to the warehouse pulling out a weapon, started to level it, there it was all
finished. Amid the flames and destruction a lone figure stood out when the guards appeared, Trok at the head of them,
a wicked smile crossing his lips for there staked out naked to a pole, was the emperor’s brother with the word
traitor written across his chest. Alatem glanced at an alarm going off, Allie immediately brought the assassin on
board securing the groaning assassin Alatem secured her self as the ship shimmered and vanished.
The next day the emperor was holding court, his brother and two youngest sons were in chains in the main square.
Tiberias was snarling at anyone who drew close, soon after many started to throw rotten fruit at the traitors. Alatem
walked out not soon afterward a broad smile on her face, she’d just come from seeing her mother and sister it seemed
they both had some startling news. After the trial the emperor noticed that his daughter was still nearby, and
strangely enough still had a huge smile plastered to her face. When he leaned closer and asked all she said was,
you’ll see.
The emperor was finally finished with the unpleasant duty of the execution of his brother and nephews.
Walking in he was met by a broadly smiling Mita and Melina, ok, the day was getting stranger by the minute. That’s
when he saw him, Alatem was in the arms of the stranger! How dare he touch a royal! He was about to call the guards
when Mita seeing the look on his face, held up her hand and handed a scroll to the emperor. At first after he’d read
it shock set in then he remembered something his father had told him. Walking up to Charles he looked him up and down
thinking for a moment he had to get this right.
“I was told many years ago that a stranger would appear one day, a man of many secrets and many faces. I was told
when I saw him to ask him one thing to know it was truly him. What was my father’s true name? Not the one everyone
knew but his true name. I was told that only 2 people would know my self and the stranger a royal that hid in the
open.” The emperor said hoping to repay the man for all he’d done, also hoping this was the man.
Charles leaned over and whispered in the emperor’s ear, the emperor’s eyes grew wide, then he embraced
Charles.
“It is you! I have been waiting all my life to meet you! You saved my life years ago, again, had it not been for you
the empire wouldn’t be today!” The emperor shouted.
“Sir, Charles started there is one other thing,” Charles stated flatly as Alatem came forward.
Leaning forward she whispered in her father’s ear also. At first his eyes were wide, then he started to shake his
head in disbelief, finally as the shock started to wear off he hugged his daughter.
“You’re sure? He asked, staring at Alatem. Nodding she was now wearing a huge smile as the emperor sat down. “But…
but… I’m too young to be a grandfather!” Then a smile broke across his tired features.
Just then a signal went off on his wrist com Charles looked up and whispered to Alatem, bowing low Charles said,
“we’ll be right back sir, a little something to take care of.” With that they both were whisked out, damn this is
going to take getting used to.
On board Allie advised them to secure in, “Charles, um…,”Alatem started. “I went to the doctor today, it appears
you need to choose 2 names.” Alatem said.
The look of shock on Charles’s face caused Allie to giggle as the ship shimmered, then vanished.
EPILOGUE
———————
Somewhere in the future the Empress clutched the history book to her breast, ah, cousin Charles she was glad he never found the book. She knew when she found it years ago that had Charles seen it, he might not have done all he did. She read on the new sections that were being added as she looked.
Emperor Charles Alatem’s grandfather had never told anyone his real name except 2 people, a name that Charles had been named. She hoped that They remembered to visit soon her cousins children were a delight indeed now if she could just get a husband her self she wanted a boy and girls like Charles did. Though knowing Charles he had something in the works for her, the sneaky bastard. Looking at the black set master she nodded as she handed him the book.
“It shouldn’t change for a day or two I entrust it to you ’til then,” she said. Nodding the man vanished hmmm that man was so handsome maybe if she played her cards right…., who knew?