chapter sixteen

Commander Arkha withdrew his Katar from the messenger's corpse.
"Failure is not acceptable! The Alpha demands your best."
He returned to his couch, wiping the blood from his weapon.
"Send word to all the commanders. The one who takes Castle Marche shall be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams."
"Yes commander, I shall do it at once."
His herald left hastily.

One of his councilors stepped forward.
"My lord, shoudln't we be preparing the world's defenses in case the empire counter-attacks?"
Arkha snarled, "Do you doubt the strength of our warriors?"
The counselor lowered his tale submissivly.
"No lord, the Alpha's warriors are mighty and swift." He glanced nervously at the other councilors. "We simply worry that your," he paused as he considered his words carefully, "well, preoccupation with the wealth of this Nieldic count seems to be opposed to His designs for this world."
Arkha drew himself to his full height, "Do you question The Alpha's wisdom in placing me in command of this world?"
The councilor stepped back, "Of course not, Surely we have failed to comprhend the workings of his great plan. Thank you for enlightening us, we will not question you again."
The councilors quickly filed out of the room.

They smelled of fear. A true warrior would never have given up his suspicion so readily. He'd have to kill them too. If they were snooping he couldn't afford to have them report his activities to the Alpha, and if not; then they weren't smart enough to be decent councilors anyways.
He might not bother replacing them, he had enough to worry about as it was. The councilors were right, he did need to ready the planet's defenses. There hadn't been any real response by the empire yet. Several diplomats had attempted to negotiate a return of the planets. It had been quite funny to watch the fools with their briefcases and papers try to talk the Alpha into undoing his life's work.

And then there was Callin. He wasn't always certain what to make of her. She was the most attractive female he'd ever met, and she wasn't even Ga-Vok. Any time he tryed to think about it logicaly it boggled his mind. For all intensive purposes there was nothing attractive about her, save perhaps her voice, and yet when he was near her he could find nothing else to think of. He'd had several seers test his mental defenses to make sure it wasn't magic, and they had found them as strong as ever. Perhaps this was some strange charm or scent she used, yet none of his guards seemed to notice. It was killing him to have her so close and yet unreachable. He dared not take her by force, any woman who could fight that well would not allow someone to humiliate them so.
And he could not help but remember Traonih's disembodied screams. They haunted him as much as Callin's beauty. When he slept the seer's image waited with dark omens. When he walked the halls, the voice followed him spitting curses from across the void. He dared not consult the seers for fear that the events of Traonih's death would come to light. She might have a remedy; but he feared it was her power that caused it.
Arkha prayed that if he offered her that which she desired it would all go away, and set back to drafting strategies for the planet's defense.