2318

THREE

The city's dim lights were cast on the water surface as the river water shimmered and splashed against the stone-lined shores. Somewhere above the calm waters, beyond the winding, broken streets that were shrouded in darkness by the tall buildings that seemed so old it seemed to have been built four centuries ago, a building larger and towering, the grand architecture dwarfing even the largest of buildings in the entire city and its lights so bright it could be seen from a mile away stood. It was the government house, the only building in the capital of the Aksillet Empire that was last furnished at least twenty years ago, and housed the most wealthy leaders of the Aksillet Empire, behind the closed gates with laser shields that reached high up  and was totally impassable for any ordinary starving, weak citizen in the Empire.

It was known to all how an intergalactic empire so powerful which had such a strong economy had a collapsing infrastructure -- it simply used all of its riches in building its superweapons and strengthening its economy. The rest would be fed to the gaping mouth of corruption and misery.

Somewhere within the building, within the layers and layers of thick transparametal a cloaked figure surveyed the broken landscape. Yet he was thinking about something else, while behind him in the room the other people shuffled uneasily.

"So... what's the plan, my leader?" A man piped up nervously, shuffling in his seat.

"The normal plan," The man in the hood spoke, turning slowly towards them, his face still hidden by the layer of fabric, "Either they accept it, or get annihilated."

"But... but it's our root planet, it can't be annihilated..."

"You fools!" The hooded man thundered, slamming the table with might, silencing those who wanted to speak, "Those are merely what our ancestors brainwashed us with, and now our foes are using this to threaten us not to invade Earth. But now it is weak, crippled and it's inhabitants struggling to even survive themselves, and we can get rid of them finally. Anyway, it had been obstructing our plans to take over all of the Southern Galaxy... but soon it will be all over. We would all be ruling the greatest empire in the entire galaxy. Now, prepare the grand fleet and the FLaw, and attack immediately if they are still stubborn against us."

The men dispersed, no one daring to utter a word, for they would only be met with death for those who disobeyed. Only one remained his own cold, steely countenance wielding nameless authority. He stared at the cloaked figure for a long time, and spoke slowly, his voice like metal rupturing against each other, rough and hoarse.

"Rendall," He spoke, uttering the supreme leader's name, "I'm sure your intentions are not only to build the empire. I know you would not reveal all your plans. But what exactly would you be plotting by taking over Earth?"

"You are a smart man, Rokleer," Supreme leader Rendall spoke, a slight grin edging from his cheek and Rokleer could see it from the shadows beneath the cloak. "A very smart man."

Rokleer raised an eyebrow, prompting Rendall to continue. Rendall thought in silence for a moment, before replying, "Knowing too much is not good for you, Rokleer. Many get killed for it, but since you are my assistant and stayed with me even from the beginning of the empire, I believe I can trust you on this."

Rendall slid closer to Rokleer, his feet beneath the folds of his robe seemed to drift off the ground as he did so. He stopped right beside Rokleer, speaking as softly as the whisps of the wind as his breath pricked him like freezing wind, "The humans on Earth has a secret weapon. You see, it is merely a few decades after the war that destroyed civilization in Earth to the core, yet they were able to rebuild their planet in such a short time and rise above the ruins. Can you imagine how powerful we were to be if we had the power of that rumored weapon? My plan is to achieve it by taking over it peacefully, but if that does not work we will take it by force, or if all does not work... we will annihilate Earth whole, and no one shall gain the benefit, and I will still be able to triumph over those scumbags from the Southern Galaxy."