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Dark Lord Substitute

Chapter 13

By Draconicon

Bertram had a king.

He had generals.

He had a diplomat.

And he had an admiral, and a real one, at that, not just a pair of military officers better suited for ground operations that were filling in as high command. He had someone that was experienced, someone that - when Mark was informed over who they'd converted over a long-distance communication, confirmed - would strike fear into the hearts of those that they had to fight. Tardak was that good.

And that was where the problems started. With Mark dispensed to Sur's Den to ensure that the defense remained strong, Zelda lacked any sort of moderating influence. The female hyena would not leave him alone, and the ram took to overseeing the Indoctrination chamber as a means of just keeping her away from him. Something in her seemed to understand that any persistent annoyance could lead to her being thrown into the chamber herself if they were too near it, but outside that...

He had emerged from the elevator of the Indomitable, meaning to make his way to a meeting room to have a meeting with his officers on the surface of Outpost Zonga, only to find her waiting for him. He sighed through his helmet, walking at her side.

" Must we do this?" he asked.

"Until you get rid of that badger, yes."

" That isn't happening."

"This isn't how it's supposed to go."

The hyena had fallen in a step behind and to the right of him as they walked through the hallways, speaking just loud enough for his helmet sensors to pick up what she was saying and keeping it too quiet for anyone else to hear. It was the same way that she always complained. It was the one bit of sense that she seemed to have left, or perhaps she didn't want anyone else besides him to know how pissed off she was, just in case she made a move.

He made a mental note to have Data store transcripts of these talks somewhere else. Probably a good idea.

" We needed another officer."

"Bullshit."

" You and Mark cannot run everything, General Twist. And he has a specialty in space combat."

"We can learn. And we earned out fucking places."

" Earned. By turning traitor by means of destiny entanglement, forcing you to abandon your side for a massive promotion."

"It - it's not like we didn't earn it!"

" Hmmm."

He'd never dug into the positions that she and her brother had held before their instatement at the upper echelons of his military, but he was starting to wonder if that would be a good idea. She seemed remarkably attached to the idea that this was only right, that she deserved to be at the top without anyone else to share that position. He stopped outside the meeting room, turning to face her.

" Tell me, General. What bothers you most about this?"

"He's a slave. Indoctrinated. There's no way that he deserves that rank."

" And you are not?"

"Not like that."

" No. Yours is worse."

Zelda's mouth fell open, her eyes blazing with anger, and he held up a hand to stop her from speaking. It sufficed as a command, one that stopped her in her tracks. One more reminder of the Indoctrination that she had been put under just as part of the army that had been summoned for him as the Dark Lord.

" You attempted to hold a gun to my head. You have attempted to argue me out of the best way forward that we have. And you have made it very clear that you are not willing to share power with anyone save your brother."

"..."

"**Not even with me. You believe that this should be run in a very specific way. And that is where we disagree. If I ran this the way that you clearly want - creating greater slave classes, ensuring that there were plenty that would never move from the bottom, and whatever else you have in mind - then we would be sentenced to death the second that the rest of the Allied Systems got their hands on us. More to the point, we would become more and more terrifying targets.

"If, however, we were to spread in a way that keeps those in the underclasses happy, providing ways to move upwards, fixing things rather than merely replacing them, then there is a chance that we can move without becoming a target for the entire galaxy at once. I would think that you would prefer those odds.**

"

"...This isn't the life I imagined."

" Nor is it mine. But I wager that mine is considerably worse than yours. Now. Don't you have some training to oversee?"

"..."

" You are dismissed, General."

The hyena gave the most reluctant salute that he had ever seen, then turned on her heel and marched down the corridor. He watched her go, not without some small glance down at her rump, sighing as he did. Not a good thing to be considering, and not a good thing to see, either.

If she can't get it through her head that we need all assets, and can't be the bad guys forever...

He was waiting for as long as he could, giving her as many chances as possible to keep from having to pull the trigger on sending her to the Indoctrination chamber, but he didn't think that he would be able to wait for much longer. She had her faction, he was sure, and it would grow. There were always those that would prefer to be more...powerful...and less gentle and practical. They would be a problem if he didn't cut off the head, and soon.

But for now, there were other things to deal with. More mundane things. More focused things. Things that would be the bread and butter of his Empire of sorts, boring but required. He reached for the door -

"Pardon me, sir, but there's something that you should hear."

Data. The AI had been surprisingly distant of late, less talkative and less intrusive. Bertram had half-wondered if he had been retired somehow, and was relieved to hear from him again.

" Yes, Data, what is it?"

"There is a communication channel open. Correction. There are two open, one already received, the other waiting."

" ...Display."

Data obliged. The HUD of his helmet filled up on the left-hand side, showing two small boxes. All he had to do was glance at them to expand them. One showed Lazir and a serpent chatting to one another, with the latter dressed in more of the Deep Den's apparel - perhaps another diplomat - while the other was an empty channel with a silhouette that was clearly waiting to be responded to.

...I have to trust him eventually, he thought, glancing at the conversation between his fox diplomat and the serpent stranger. Shaking his head, he left Data instructions to oversee that conversation and get his attention if there was anything untowards, specifically anything that implied that there would be some sort of rebellion or betrayal in the works, then opened the other channel. He expected the feeling of the script to take hold, but then...

It didn't.

The ram blinked behind his mask as the channel crackled to life in his ears, a modulated voice - obviously disguised - speaking in low tones.

" Is this the Dark Lord?"

" The very same," Bertram said. " Who is calling?"

" A representative of the Sapphire Cluster. We have been watching, and...we have an offer."

An offer. Well then. That explained a few things, including why he had an imitation of free speech at that moment. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the other channel, half-wanting to bring that one up, but he had to trust Lazir and Data for the moment. They were working for him, and one of them, at the very least, was reliable. The other had yet to earn that trust, but he had to give the fox the chance eventually.

He had to focus on this. It had...potential.

" I am listening."

" There are many stories of what the Dark Lord brings in his wake, but mostly, the stories talk of...change."

" Do you fear change?"

" ...A small minority does."

" And do you speak for them?"

" No."

Better and better. The more that he heard, the more that he liked. The mask hid his smile as he put his guesses together.

The Sapphire Cluster was the richest collection of planets within the Deep Den. Not only had they been given their own fleet for defense, but they had also been assigned perhaps the best admiral in the entire Deep Den. That, in turn, meant that they were influential, and likely seen as a valuable, required part of the Den.

But now, not only were they defenseless, but they were intrigued by the changes that he offered. Others, like Zelda, would have demanded surrender to him right then. He declined that temptation.

" Shall I assume that the idea of slavery is not reprehensible to you, then?"

" We are near enough to it, or at least, many of us are. The hierarchy of free species is hardly a thing of freedom."

" Ah, I see, I see. Then you speak for the working man...and perhaps those that are up to, perhaps, the middle of the ladder?"

The silhouette didn't answer that, but that was, in itself, an answer. It wasn't the correct guess, but it was closer than the silhouette had wanted it to be. They wanted to surprise him, to have the gift of leverage. They wanted to make him pay something for the offer that they had.

The ram was willing enough for that. If it secured his flanks, if it meant that he had the richest of the Cluster on his side without having to split his forces, then that was worth a small cost.

If the working class were on his side, then that meant that he had intel on the ground. He could track the ruling members of their society, and a targeted Indoctrination strike - satellites set to orbit certain areas, drones sent in as thought-assassins - could turn the planets to his side in short order. No need for a military run. All he had to do was get the information, if the other people were willing to surrender.

It was perfect. Perhaps too perfect, but this world had been strange enough that he was willing to take a risk.

" You will be paid handsomely for what you have."

" ...We want to be equal."

" You will have equality. All enter the Empire as slaves; you will be tested, your capability determined. You will earn your way up."

" All of us?"

" All of you. And those at the top will be tested like everyone else, and adjusted downwards if they are not capable of delivering on their role."

Of course, there was still the issue of what to do with those that were qualified for a role that only needed a few people, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he seemed to be selling this to the stranger quite well. He cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest.

" Well?"

" Let us...consider this offer. Give us a day."

" Take it. I will wait. If you do not answer, however..."

" We will."

And with that, the channel went silent. He cut it out immediately, putting his small concerns to the side and focusing on the other channel. Lazir seemed to have just finished, and he caught the fox on the way out.

" What was that?" he asked.

"Oh, you noticed?"

" What was that? Do not make me ask a third time."

"Oh, right, yes. That was Visin. He was pushing us for a ceasefire."

" ...Was he, now?"

Bertram couldn't think of anything that would give the Deep Den a reason to ask for a ceasefire. There was no reason to hold back now; if anything, this was the time to ramp up the fighting, considering that they were probably on the back foot and needing some sort of morale booster. More than anything, they needed a win...

But what if they don't have the men needed to get a win?

Then they would need time, time in which the rest of the Allied Systems could mobilize, and they could only get that time by suing for at least a temporary peace.

"Yes, but he didn't get it," the fox said, shrugging. "Oh, he was adamant that we would never win, that his allies were, how did he put it? Ah, yes. 'Even now, your time is counting down; our allies are on your doorstep.'"

" Did he happen to say which?"

"Hmmm, no, but it would have to be the Starry Sea."

" Data."

The HUD on his helmet faded out, replaced with a map shortly after. The territory of his 'Empire' extended on the south-east of the map, curling around that little edge of it. So small, really, compared to the rest of the universe. To his 'west' were the Deep Den systems, and to the north, marked in a light blue, were the Starry Sea systems. From the name, he imagined that was where the aquatic species were, and from the map, it looked like it consisted of a sea of nebulas. No wonder it had the name it did.

However, they were the other abutting set of planets to his own territory, which meant with all his soldiers in the Deep Den, there was little in his home territory to protect the home planets. And if they reached all the way back to the Dread Star...well, he didn't know if that would be game over, but he had every reason to believe that it would be.

" How long does it take them to assemble their forces?"

"Approximately three months, sir," Data said just as Lazir opened his mouth.

"...The AI is correct. Huh. I didn't expect you to rely on one."

" He is very good at what he does." Bertram shook his head. " Get that snake back on the line. Tell him that we'll agree to a sit-down to discuss a ceasefire."

"Will we?"

" No."

As much as he would like to trust a ceasefire, Bertram knew that his only way forward was to keep hitting the Deep Den planets as hard as possible, bringing more soldiers in on his side and eliminating the reinforcements that the enemy had to bring to bear. If he could secure his flanks, keep the Deep Den from fighting in the other war, and do it fast enough to get all his men back to the border with the Starry Sea, then he had a chance. If he couldn't...

Well, he would have to make sure that he succeeded.

" Make an appointment. By text."

"Yes, sir. And, sir?"

" Hmm?"

"I get a session with you soon, yes?"

Horny bastard...

" Yes. You will."

Cutting the channel with the fox, Bertram covered his face. He took several deep breaths, holding it for a moment before letting it out. His life had just become far more directed on a specific line of action, and far more complicated.

Step one. Get in touch with Mark and coordinate the Indoctrination drone strikes once the intel comes in. Step two. Get another map of the Deep Den, find an island-hopping route that'll take us right to their core. Step three, get all production facilities running overtime...

Data pinged him a reminder of the surface officers still waiting for him in the meeting room, and Bertram's barely-controlled breathing led up to a low growl. He forced it to subside, and even managed to force a smile behind his mask. After all, this was back to the mundane, the day to day. This was something that he could manage, and something that actually was normal enough that he could take it calmly.

" Thank you, Data."

"You're welcome. Sir?"

" Yes?"

"May I study things for a while?"

" You may."

It was more of a feeling than anything else, but it was as if some of the HUD that he was looking through disappeared as Data went offline, like some of the extra senses just weren't there. Was the AI that interwoven with his system at this point? Or was he imagining things?

It didn't matter. For now, he needed to settle this. Lazir would get the situation with the Deep Den diplomat settled - and hopefully they would be stupid enough to allow him to do another Indoctrination trap - and Mark would deal with the Sapphire Cluster. With that taken care of, all he had to do was maintain and plan.

He could do that.

He was good at that.

The End

Summary: The situation with the enemy is deteriorating, but there is a unique opportunity coming up.

Tags: No Sex, Slavery, Politics, Sci-Fi, Ram, Hyena, Snake, Fox, AI, Surrender, Series, Patreon,