Everyone was in the Crelima’s conference room. Enough power was restored so Endram could display the cloaking device’s schematics. “I must say, this is quite the device,” muttered Endram. “Pity that such a thing is illegal.”
“WAS illegal,” argued Empria.
“Last I checked, the Dwelga Accords are still in effect,” remarked Arsha.
“Look, every second I worked on that project, a piece of me died, but this is war, and we need all the advantages we can get. You know the Scorpion has a cloaking device. We need to level the playing field!”
“If this device were constructed during the Final War,” growled Aldarval, “perhaps I WOULD have authorized it, with the Imperium’s permission and that of all the Royal Families.”
“However, that thing,” continued Elgrad, “was constructed before me and my fellows declared war. 500 years before that, if I’m reading the dates on the schematics right.”
“Realmfleet Regulation 9, Paragraph 4,” quoted Empria, “in the event of war, all factors must be considered, and certain treaties may be suspended!”
“At the determination of the Supreme Admiral,” reminded Aldarval, “and we weren’t at war 500 years ago!”
“In my judgement, we were!”
“At war?!” asked Bashoon. “Who was the enemy?! When did the All-realm Royals declare war in that time?!”
“Pirates and Splitters, that’s who!” answered Empria.
“As Bashoon mentioned,” remarked Olmarfa, “we didn’t declare war on them!”
“We were trying to lock them all up, what other conclusion could be reached?! It was the only chance we had to end their threat quickly!”
“And where did you obtain this permission to violate the Dwelga Accords?”
“From Rooshee! Who else?!”
“Rooshee!” grunted Bashoon. “How many illegal operations did she have her fingers in?!”
“Empria, there was a mutiny you asked me and Twirja to help cover up!” hissed Endram. “I want to know the details of that mutiny! I want to know why we were tricked into sacrificing our arms for a damn cloaking device!”
“We had others helping us get you out of this boat!” roared Twirja. “Start talking!” Empria sighed.
“As I said, Rooshee, with permission from then-Chancellor Garsheek, authorized me to construct a cloaking device. She told me that it was a tenth level code black operation as she didn’t want everyone to know about our breach just yet until I reported the results. …Unfortunately, one of my lieutenants, an Incubus by the name of Rolto, managed to find the schematics. I told him that we needed to stay secret about this, but he had a Goblin husband at the time, a high-ranking politician, and felt his loyalties to him were greater than his oath to Realmfleet. He copied the schematics and was about to transmit them to his husband, but a security team managed to intercept the transmission, prevent it from being completed, and traced it to him. I had him stripped of rank and thrown in the brig. The problem was, he told other people before he was arrested. They broke him out and staged a mutiny. …I think Endram and Twirja can explain the rest.”
“We’re not letting you off that easy!” snarled Endram. “As your King, I’m ordering YOU to finish the story!” Empria sighed before continuing.
“The cloaking device was wired to the engines. I was the only one who could shut it down safely, but the mutineers wouldn’t listen. I got others on my side, particularly those that I gave clearance to know about the project, and we tried to stop them from disconnecting the device, but it was too late. The explosion took the mutineers’ lives, and the shrapnel took the lives of a few on my side while harming the others, Endram and Twirja being the most immediate examples.”
“Rolto was my best friend in Realmfleet, and you made me deaf to his explanations!” snarled Twirja.
“You made a good deal of us turn on our friends,” continued Endram, “and break our oath to preserve the peace of the Realms both from without AND within! You made us turn on our brothers and sisters as they were trying to correct a wrong!”
“Every day, I honored your sacrifice, old friend!” pleaded Empria. Twirja then grabbed her by the front of her dress and brought her to his face.
“LIAR! YOU SPAT ON THAT SACRIFICE EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE THAT DEBACLE! NOW, THANKS TO YOU, OUR GOOD NAME IS FOREVER SULLIED! I OUGHT TO…!”
“TWIRJA! PUT HER DOWN!” shouted Endram. Twirja glared at Endram, then put her back in her seat.
“Empria Dewlna, if this ship is still under the effects of the cloaking device, then you will tell us how to uninstall it. After that, we’re going to destroy it.”
“You can’t do that!” protested Empria. “If the Imperium hears of this…!”
“They already have!” interjected Bashoon. “I had a line open for Chancellor Penshek and he’s already met with the Majestics. They’re going along with the decisions of Realmfleet and the Over-realm Royal Family on this matter.”
“In that case, Empria Dewlna,” proclaimed Endram, “you are charged with violation of the Dwelga Accords. As King of the Over-realm, I’m placing you under arrest! You will instruct Thangred on how to uninstall the cloaking device safely, so we don’t have another explosion. After which, you will be relieved of your titles and land as you will live the rest of your life in prison!”
“Your Majesty, I wish to join them,” called Twirja, “I want to see that thing destroyed once it’s removed.” Endram turned to Denstra.
“Your Majesty, give him that form of peace,” she urged. “It’s been haunting him for too long.”
“Very well. Know this, Empria, those that knew about this and still helped you despite that knowledge will be punished as well.”
“Your Majesty, please, show them leniency!” pleaded Empria. “Like you, they were acting under my orders!”
“Then they made the same mistake as Twirja and I have done! Thangred, Twirja, take her to the engine room!” Thangred and Twirja flanked Empria as she remained in her seat for only a few seconds. She then stood up and headed to the door with the two men behind her. She stopped and turned back to look at Endram.
“The Final War would have been over a lot quicker,” she remarked. “You just extended it by two years.” She then left them with Thangred and Twirja following close behind. Aldarval sat down, then ran her hands down her face. Erudsa then placed a sympathetic hand on the Troll’s shoulder.
“I went through a similar incident once I became Queen,” she remarked. “It’s tough when those you trust betray you like that.”
“…Yeah, it is,” sighed Aldarval.
“There IS one upside to all this.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ve proved that you want all of Realmfleet to adhere to the principles it’s set out. That’s the mark of a good leader. This affair may not be formerly settled, but we ARE allies.”
“You mean, you’re going against Oyed?”
“Until the end of time!”
“You won’t regret this, I promise!”
“With leaders like you , I don’t think I will!”