Alien Courage (Rise of the Empress) (30 page)

“Well answered Captain, and who is your armed friend?”
the Black Priest asked as though in casual conversation.

“He is my Aide.”

“I can only imagine how you managed to get weapons
into this Court but while you were otherwise engaged on security matters an
Imperial decree was issued banning weapons from the Imperial Court and Palace
unless authorised by either the Empress or myself,” the Black Priest said now
standing up and shuffling to his right toward a Court Guard stationed at the
end of the table. “You and your Officers were not included in those authorised
Captain.”

The Captain stood there stunned. His first reaction
was to shoot this animal but he resisted as the Black Priest was now behind the
Court Guard. “That order must come from the Emperor himself,” the Captain said
loudly, “and since he is not dead I will not recognise such an order.”

“Empress,” the Black Priest said in a sickly sweet
voice, “please tell the Captain he and his Officers are no longer allowed to
carry weapons in the Court or Palace.”

The Empress opened her mouth to speak but no words
came out. A flush swept across her face and her eyes momentarily focused upon
the Captain. She went to stand up but fell heavily back into her chair.

“Empress, tell the Captain”. The Black Priest
insisted.

The Empress blinked her eyes many times then her eyes
rolled in their sockets then became glassy again. She remained silent staring
at the Captain.

“Empress,” the Captain said great concerned and he
moved forward to comfort her.

The Black Priest placed his hand on the Guard’s arm
and whispered, “Shoot the Capitan, shoot him now.” The Guard immediately
accepted the hypnotic command as a positive suggestion, drew his blaster aiming
it at the Captain.

“No!” screamed the Captain’s Aide who rushed forward drawing
his blaster and pushing the Captain aside just as the Guard fired. The killing
pulse from the short range blaster burst caught the Aide in the chest and burnt
a large hole through him. He fell dead to the floor. The Captain whose
attention was on the Empress snapped into action; he had his blaster out in an
instant and returned fire at the Guard. The Captain’s blaster was set at semi
broad fire on maximum power. The Guard’s chest exploded and his arms were blown
off his body backwards. One of his arms hit the Black Priest in the head
knocking his hood off exposing the Black Priest’s head.

Panic erupted in the Court but suddenly a large
‘GASP!’ rippled through the chamber. Everyone’s attention was immediately fixed
on the Black Priest’s head and all motion in the Court ceased. Even the Captain
stood open mouthed and didn’t realise his arm holding his blaster was slowly
moving downwards leaving himself unprotected. Court Guards rushing forward to
bring order stopped in shock and others piled up behind them also went into
shock as they stared at the Black Priest.

The Black Priest’s head was semi transparent with
large dull grey green areas and the large pupil less eyes of the Trigeals. He
was Trigeal! Or at least part Trigeal thought many members of the Court. He had
recognisable facial features but they seemed to float on his head, a truly ugly
sight.

The sizzle of a blaster echoed briefly and broke the
spell in the Court. The Captain fell unconscious to the floor. His blaster
rattled as it slid across the stone floor and was picked up by one of the
Guards.

A White Priest stepped around from behind a marble
column and handed the blaster he had shot the Captain with back to the Guard he
had taken it from. “Be calm all of you,” he said in a commanding voice and
positioned himself on the rim of the amphitheatre.

“You!” the White Priest commanded as he pointed a
finger at the Black Priest who had now replaced his hood. “Retire to your
Temple immediately. Guards,” he said pointing to a group of them to his left,
“take the Captain to his quarters and place him under house arrest and remove
the bodies. Empress, may I strongly suggest you cancel the Court for this time
period.”

The Black Priest shuffled back past the Empress on his
way to his Temple when he briefly stopped and placed his hand on her shoulder
allowing his finger to contact the flesh of her neck. The White Priest raised
his hand to protest but the Black Priest words soothed him.

“Empress,” the Black Priest said smoothly, “I would
like to introduce my friend
Vetalla
. He is the senior
White Priest of the Trigealian Palace Temple. Please affect every courtesy
toward his position as Trigealian representative in this matter. I will now
retire to my Temple.” The Black Priest disappeared from the chamber followed by
Filo who was sitting in the wings cradling a blaster under his robe.

“The Empress stood up clearly shaken but regained
composure quickly. “The Court is now adjourned. Everyone is to clear the
chamber immediately,” she commanded. Her eyes softened and her female
sensitivities returned as she looked at
Vetalla
. “It
would be a great honour
Vetalla
if you would allow
the Court to thank you for your wisdom on this day.”

“Thank you Empress,” he replied. “My duties are
foremost and always for the stability of the Confederacy. I thank both you and
the Court for your gratitude, nothing further is required.”

The Empress smiled at him and made her way through the
Guards and Court personnel to his side. He bowed deeply before her. “Please
accept my personal gratitude for your gallant actions,” she whispered and
leaned closer allowing her fragrance to envelope the man before her. He rose
from his bow smelling a sweet scent which captivated his senses. His eyes met hers
and her sensuality made him feel a little giddy and he fought for composure.
Not allowing him time to think the Empress lightly placed her hand on his arm
and every so gently turned him facing the other way. “Please grant me a private
audience. There is much comfort in your words and wisdom,” she whispered close
to his ear.

“Of course,” the White Priest whispered back not
realising he was mimicking her.

“Thank you. I will send a messenger for you shortly.”

“I look forward to it, my Empress,” he said watching
her turn gracefully and disappeared into a ring of Guards waiting for her at a
respectable distance. He turned and breathed deeply not sure of what to make of
his feelings and left the Court.

The Empress went directly to her chambers and called
for her personal android. The android appeared through a side panel in the wall
and waited for instruction. The Empress was just about to talk to the android
when a small whistle blew indicating someone was waiting outside.

The Empress opened the door and a black robed Priest
stood before her. The Empress recognised the Priest instantly. “Come in Filo,”
she said surprised but for some reason very pleased to see him.

“Empress, see White Priest at visitor’s quarters,
level 3A. Black Priest say, safe there,” he hissed and turned to walk away. The
Empress moved quickly toward him gripping him tightly by his robe.

“Don’t go just yet,” she said quietly. “Stay a moment
with me.” With a wave of her hand she dismissed the android.

Filo turned to face the Empress. “Why?” he hissed
slowly.

The Empress didn’t know why but she was compelled to
ask something of this Priest. Her desire to communicate with him was
overwhelming. Then the strangest of thoughts pervaded her consciousness. “Can
you teach me?” She said stumbling for the words to match her feelings. She
somehow had an intimate connection with this Priest and an overwhelming desire
to learn from him.

Filo ignored her words and took a further step to walk
away but a strange feeling swept through him he had never experienced before,
he stopped and felt his body quiver deep within itself. He had noticed small
changes lately, namely strange diet desires and a greater tolerance of
humanoids.

“Teach me,” the Empress repeated.

Filo was a simple minded creature, fiercely loyal to
the Black Priest and to act without his consent was entirely foreign to him. He
hesitated but turned to look closely at this humanoid female in front of him
and felt a bond with her he did not understand.
Celepods
by nature are normally restricted to the animal kingdom but in the case with
Filo he was a humanoid hybrid and was capable of far greater intelligence. The
natural ability of a hypnotic trance to subdue victims coupled with the mental
abilities and high conscious awareness of the human mind were the Black
Priest’s most closed guarded discovery.
Filo’s
hormones and enzymes were preciously valuable.

“I can’t teach you,” he said more clearly than
previous talking. “You need liquid to teach you. Make body change, then you
learn yourself.”

“Give me the liquid,” the Empress said suppressing her
excitement. She trembled with the expectation of learning a great secret with
mystical powers. The changes already to her body’s hormones and genetic makeup
although not visible were accelerating and in her subconscious the presence of
her mate excited her desires and emotions. “Give me the liquid,” she pleaded.

Filo stepped forward in a blur and seized the Empress.
He grabbed her arm and slid the material of her clothing up to her shoulder
exposing her flesh. He opened his mouth and closed it over her upper arm,
immediately a razor tipped tube snaked from under his tongue and slid
effortlessly into her flesh. The sensitive tip quickly located the pumping
artery in her arm and imbedded itself into the flowing blood. Filo contracted
certain muscles in his neck and they convulsed releasing an oily hormone into
his tube. With a small contraction of his tongue he injected the oily substance
into the Empress’s blood stream.

The Empress allowed him to do what he did with morbid
fascination. She caressed his head while feeling the sharp tingle of his
incision. She gripped him tightly in agony as his tube snaked through her flesh
but sighed with satisfaction feeling his heartbeat pulse within her arm. The
moment she felt his injection surge into her artery an overwhelming feeling of
sensual pleasure flowed through her body; she moaned softly relaxing her grip.
A powerful hormone which stimulates and acts directly on the pineal gland in
her brain was taking immediate effect. Soon her telepathic perceptions and
cerebral hypnotic capabilities will began to function well beyond her
imaginative expectations, a new awakening of unknown quality had began. Filo
withdrew from her and stood back.

A small amount of blood oozed in pulses from the small
incision on her arm but she didn’t care as a warm sensual feeling surged
throughout her body. A slight headache she had for some time left her. The
colours in the room became vivid and she felt her perceptions of sight, sound
and touch begin to heighten.

“You know soon,” Filo said as he turned and walked
away.

“Filo wait…” She said but he didn’t acknowledge and she
stared at his robe and swishing tail as he walked up the passageway out of
sight. The Empress felt her thoughts clearing and her mind began focusing
sharply. “Ah,” she thought out loud, “the White Priest,” and called for her
android and instructed it to find the White Priest and inform him to meet her
at the level 3A visitor’s lounge. The android hurried away to carry out its
orders.

---------

In the vast expanse of Confederate space a small
survey craft mapping asteroid concentrations and movements came to an abrupt
halt when its hull started to glow a dull yellow. The Captain of the vessel
quickly went through his checklist procedures but all systems were failing. He
summed his crew of two quickly to the small bridge and they worked frantically
to restore power to their systems.

“Send a mayday now!” the Captain screamed as the last
of the power in his vessel shut down. Life support systems went onto emergency
power but they too quickly lost their energy. 

“Quick into space suits!” The Captain ordered.

The little ship drifted helplessly in space as the
last of the power completely depleted in the power packs that fed the oxygen to
space suits. No one in Confederate Space Command was aware of the horror that
just took place in deep space.