GENESIS - THE BEGINNING. Book 1

CHAPTER 31 ... Unmasking

"Lord Wilhelm Hollard, since when is it customary for the Emperor to supply proof of anything? Am I not Overlord of the Galactic Empire? While you are a Prime Minister? I am your chosen supreme commander. You and every person here chose me not only for my skill with a sword but because I outwitted many stronger and wiser and more experienced people. Tell me, sir, why did you not enter The Month of Reckoning?"

Fear had dried his mouth and he struggled to swallow.

"Do not bother answering Lord Hollard. I see you have difficulty in opening your mouth." She looked up at the Polrobs above her, "How long?" she asked.

IN MOMENTS SIRE. SHE IS ON HER WAY.

Men and women glanced at each other with uplifted eyebrows at this exchange.

"I wish to get one thing straight between us," she said to the gathered Officials. "This time. And I repeat. This is the only time you will ever..."

The swing doors opened and a young girl entered. She was out of breath. She bowed to the Emperor and held up small, silver and black diamond shaped container. In her other hand she carried a small portable table. The Emperor motioned her where to place everything without stopping or hesitating.

"...ever have the luxury of questioning my words. You sir..." she pointed a finger at Lord Hollard. "You have used up the only chance you all had of questioning my word. You are Prime Minister of Overlord while I am its Emperor. The Emperor of all 29 Planets. The moment you decide that you would like an advancement in job description please pick up a sword and you and I can go at it." She looked up at the silent Officials. "That goes for every one of you." Wide-eyed silence greeted her words.

"Now then," she looked down at the young girl who stared shyly up at her. She must have been all of fifteen years old. "Were there any problems?" Katya asked.

The young girl shook her head, overcome with being in the presence of the Emperor. She remembered nearly too late to open her mouth. "Everything ...umm... went well, Sire. Just a aah...little bit of distortion due to the age of the equipment used."

"Thank you." Katya smiled. "When I notify you, you may start it and then leave. This is no place for one so young." She looked over the assembled officials. "What you are about to see will answer all your questions and I'm sure, provide new ones. There is only one thing I require you to remember ladies and gentlemen...," she drew her sword from its scabbard. "There is one fundamental difference between myself and Emperor Prolit. He played by your rules. I will not. You will play by my rules!" the blade slashed through the air and pointed at the young teenager. "Begin the hologram and leave."

The girl nodded and placed a finger on a blinking finger pad. Watched for a few seconds to confirm all was as it should be and then made a beeline for the swing doors. From the small silver and black diamond shaped container, a faultless ten-foot square outline sprang into being and...

... the hologram flickered and seemed to roll twice ...

"Please forgive my laps in introducing myself. My name is Prolit or should I say Emperor Prolit. It doesn't much matter as by the time you see this, I will be long dead." He shook his head in thought and chuckled. "One can't have two Emperors in one Empire now, can we?" he snorted with mirth.

"Ah, but you, the new Emperor... Welcome. It has been long in coming and I have wished for this day for years. Welcome and welcome once more. I hope your reign will be long and as fruitful as mine has been." He chuckled again. "Though I advise you on being extremely careful who you chose to call friend as you must have heard by now, I have... or is it had, a bone disorder.

Odd thing about most sicknesses, most of them have been cured, except of course for what the medical profession terms 'the common cold'. That bugger doesn't want to go away. Ah, but I digress. Through exhaustive experiments and investigation I have determined that I was poisoned with something alien, something not of our Empire. Possibly it came from some space mining site around the Deltaic belt or from a purposely undeclared microorganism found on some diverse planet in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately for the would-be murderer, I did not keel over and die. With our medical advances in this day and age, death was averted only barely." He grinned at the camera. "Can you believe it took barely 9 months for me to look like this? I drool as I'm sure you've noticed. It's vexing, but due to some side effects either from the medication or the poisoning, I have lost some feeling around my mouth.

"Again I digress. I'm close to self-termination, my excuse is simply that I'm lonely. Don't for one minute make the mistake in believing that I feel sorry for myself. Loneliness is one of the 'perks' of our chosen profession. My warning to you in this matter is simply to - 'fuck your brains out' every opportunity you get and not to get emotionally involved with a woman. It will be the death of you AND the woman involved.

"Her family and yours will be ostracized forever. So be careful in that regard. Forgive me; I'm being chauvinistic, for you may be of the female persuasion. If so, I will rise from my grave and shout in ecstatic glee for you would be as a thorn in the legislative body for they have never been lorded over by a woman. Some may resign their posts. Hah. One may only hope...." Again he sat as one deep in thought.

"You who have reached the pinnacle of your life's ambition," he began. "...must now sit back and take stock of what you have achieved. With that last stroke of your sword, you became the single most powerful human the Galactic Empire has ever created.

"Your word is law. Your suggestions and advice become instructions and commands without you realizing it. So be careful what you say to others. Just one word, one gesture, can uplift someone or have that same person lose their possessions and livelihood. You need for nothing. You have great power. From this day forward you are going to be judged and evaluated. Those you believe to be sympathetic and supportive of your ideals and principles will turn out to be vipers with long fangs that will not attack from the front where you can see them coming. Always be vigilant. Always be ready to doubt the advice given. Always expect an ulterior motive and always have your sword ready."

Katya stepped off the podium and walked towards the hologram, tapped a touch screen off to the side and paused the hologram when it seemed the old Emperor had fallen asleep. She looked up at the silent gathering who all stared at the frozen picture. She glimpsed the frowning Lord Hollard in his seat and indicated he should come to her.

"Privacy," she said to the Polrobs.

Immediately a rippling blue sheen encased them both as a Polrob activated its Pry-screen.

han you皦!