Trojian Horse
Chapter 26

Reeger’s patience was getting tested and he had very little of it to spare. Interstellar travel was complicated but the intricacies only served to annoy him every time he bothered to ask how much longer they would have to wait before the armada’s arrival. Attempts at communications with deep space had proven futile leaving him with the scenery and his thoughts. He hated the scenery. He hated every crawling, creeping, breathing thing on this planet already. This planet, and everything in it, had been tainted by his mortal enemies the Vulpeculae so it all had to be destroyed. This time there would be no warning, no chance for them to formulate a means of escape. He would creep up on them while their attentions were turned elsewhere, while they carried on with life as if it was an ordinary day and he would crush them. When they realised what was happening, it would be too late and he would make sure that nothing remained of them. Nothing.

His mind wandered to the guests he had tied up in his dungeon. In many ways, he had them to thank for his imminent victory. They were a part of all this, the lore surrounding this war, although he was yet to figure out in what capacity they would serve in it. He had found them quite by accident on the moon base Toksikan seeking passage to another star system. His instincts told him them to offer them safe passage, they accepted, and it was far too late for them when they eventually did realise who he was. He hadn’t known who they were when he first met them but something about them had intrigued him. Despite their unassuming forms, he recognised power within them and he relished the acquisition of power. There was one blundering oaf, a tiny winged creature and a lanky android that seemed too concerned with self-preservation. Once it knew what he was after, the android had willingly given up all it knew of the sources of power within the known galaxy. It spoke of a sword of intention which was thought to be the next most powerful weapon after the Thalios. It told him where to replace it in exchange for its freedom. He destroyed it anyway.

A trip to the planet Akrin proved worthwhile. He found the famed sword of intention which was now sheathed on his belt. Something about the way it caught the light and shimmered drew him to it. When he held it in his hand he felt a surge of power unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was a weapon so ancient that very few stories remained about it. Those he knew called it the Kata which literally meant the ‘sword of intention’. He had never really understood what that meant until he wielded it and had a taste of its power. His hand drifted to the hilt of the sword which was still in its sheath leaning against his chair. He had to kill everyone associated with the sword on the planet Akrin, of course, but he had to take the previous wielder of the sword, Reinon, as a hostage to teach him the intricacies of the Kata.

He had not quite figured out how to use the other two prisoners. Yet. Some function would avail itself. It always did. They generally were not talkative, despite his best efforts, and when they did speak it was in a language he did not understand, and none of his interpreters could help. Maybe it hadn’t been useful destroying the android which could communicate with them. He wanted to waste some time so he decided to pay his guests a visit. Nothing right now would please him like tormenting his guests Elia-bi, Mato Rayo and Reinon. He was in the mood for conversation.