No Rest for the Wicked

The room started spinning for a few seconds and Leopold had to close his eyes briefly to counter it. The silver vial on the table in front of him was now empty, its contents spread out on a piece of cloth that was covering his arm.

O true apothecary... Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I...

There was some murmur in the council room, coming from the crowd of robed people around him. All of them wore golden masks covering their face, ambassadors of Leopold's vassal holders on Akilan planets. He had never even set foot on one of them, coordinating his demesne from the planet's orbit. The shadow of the Typhoon in Akilan skies was a constant reminder to their people of their unseen master.

The murmuring continued as Leopold raised his arm. Behind him, Khata'ra, the chief of his wolfspider guard came out of the shadows by the round stained glass window. Murmuring suddenly stopped as the vherokior woman eyed the council members gathered. Leopold chuckled lightly. Sometimes these amarrian animals need to be reminded of their place... how ironic that it is by a presence of a matari woman. He got up from his chair and cleared his throat, looking over his shoulder through the window. The Typhoon class battleship was slowly but steadily sailing towards a sansha battletower seen through the window. Its intricate design seemed to constantly draw Khata'ra's attention as she kept peeking through the window every now and then. Leopold smiled and focused his view back towards the middle of the room.

Fellow holders and their representatives upon the unsteady plains and skies of Akila... thank you for coming to our midst in such a large number.. I am deeply honoured by your presence. As you may have...

Leopold paused his speech, removing the piece of cloth from his arm and pulling the robe sleeve back down.

Oh, no. You wouldn't know anything about it. At least those of you who shouldn't know it. I assume that, being shackled to your muddy domains, you haven't noticed the recent skirmishes we had with the forces of the Nation in this region... In the light of these events, we shall proceed with the campaign of keeping the people of Akila safe from the Sansha menace.. and as such, we shall be raising the tax from 10 percent to 15 percent, in order to fund the war efforts against the Nation.

The murmur in the room rose again, with a few council members standing up in their seats and openly proclaiming unsatisfaction with this new decree. Leopold smiled and lowered his head, speaking into the small audio receiver attached to his robe.

I think this would be a proper time for our demonstration, milady.

Khata'ra took a few steps forward, but it didn't help the unrest. She didn't seem too woried though. A few of the masked council members were wolfspider kameiras as well, and in any attempt on Leopold's life, they would react swiftly and mercilessly. She looked at Leopold and he just smiled, not leaving her with a thought on what should they do.

Suddenly, an explosion could be heard from outside, a fizzling of electromagnetic discharge as the sansha battletower was hit by a volley of torpedoes on a side. The Typhoon class battleship shook as its own launchers fired their volleys, following a straight line towards the sansha construct. Another volley quickly came flying towards the station from a now visible Purifier class Stealth bomber a few kilometers off the Typhoon's starboard. The battletower started shaking upon the impact of the second salvo and started bending in the middle part of its consctruction. With a screech, the tower broke down in two and started collapsing, each of the two parts sprouting jets of plasma and fire until they were completely engulfed in it.

The council room stood in silence, looking through the window at the tower's demise. Leopold turned around and walked closer towards the stained glass window.

Anyone disrespectful of this new edict shall be marked as a collaborator of the Nation and shall be dealt with as one. This meeting is over. I bid you a safe trip to your planetside homes, ambassadors.

The room started emptying until it was only Leopold and Khata'ra, standing silent by the window. The Purifier bomber out in space they were both looking at had aligned for warp and cloaked, disappearing from the debris filled sky. Khata'ra shruged, dropping her gaze.

You keep more and more secrets about our operations from me, sire. She... she scares me.

Leopold smiled, raising his gloved hand against the vherokior's cheek.

Don't worry about it. For now, we have to concentrate on finishing the first part of our plan... and then... the City.

Cleansing of an Eye

Take a seat, mr. Caine. Please.

The voice of the old man was silent. He was kneeling down at a standard khanid tea table in the middle of the room. Shoji sliding walls had been opened, casting a view at the golden hangar of the amarrian station they were in. Tiny frigate-sized vessels were dashing across the opening, transporting passengers from the saturated air of the metallic hangar to the frenzy of humanity regained for a few days... or a few hours. She followed inside behind Leopold and slided the door shut.

With dread attending when that fatal wound.
Shall be inflicted by the Seed of Eve.

His eyes lingered on the ephemeral remnant lights the unceasing ballet was engraving behind, drawing uncanny arabesques the fool only would gape at with naive wonder.

Where are you?

Leopold walked over towards the table, bowed lightly and knelt down. There was a plethora of ceramic pots on the table, simple shapes of black against the red tablecloth. He felt the smell of incense in his nostrils as he came closer. Incense and something... else. She knelt down as well, lightly leaning forward in her seat, as if stretching.

The old man cackled as Leopold sat down. It was a light and a benevolent laughter, yet there was still a veil of dread in it. The man's presence was captivating, yet his face hidden by a hood. His robe bore the patterns of amarrian design, with a few Jin-mei finishing touches. Or at least, what Leopold thought to be Jin-mei touches. During his stay, Leopold thought that there weren't many amarrians in Curse. Now he realized they're maybe just hiding their colours too well.

So, you are the white dove I've been hearing about... mr. Caine. Welcome to Curse, if I may say. Make yourself comfortable in the pools of blissful radiance here.. you'll find many wicked opportunities and covered eyes... speaking of which, do you know why you are here?

Leopold lightly nodded, looking at the man's hands. He had reached for his sleeves, pulling them back and exposing a wet cloth over one of them. With a steady motion, the old man removed the rag and dipped it into the black ceramic bowl in front of him.

From what she told me...

Leopold paused for a second, looking to his left at her. She smiled and nodded, and Leopold wondered if the man actually knew her name. She never told him. She was just 'a friend', 'a keeper', and he refrained from asking her for a name to call her by.

...we are here to talk about Akila.

The old man pulled the rag from the bowl, some of the thick liquid dripping down from it, and placed it back on his hand.

Yes, we are. The presence of the Augmented Ones is interesting there... you see, you are in the spotlight for a number of reasons... it is rare to find a High One with political threads and needles in... locations with pleasant conditions, such as Akila.. and you have the... I can see that in you. I am a Seer myself... but, back to the business at hand... you shall be given a package of holy merit. We need you to get it to Akila, and keep it safe there... mount a campaign against installations of the Augmented Ones in there... make them mount their steeds and fight back. Make a stamp of your presence there. Then... come back, and I'll tell you what shall we do next... any... questions?

Leopold frowned a bit, but shook his head. He understood there's something behind this plan. Just destroying the Nation's forces in the area was a setup for something. Something the man hadn't told him. Yet.
The hands of the old man moved again, reaching for the ceramic bowl and pushing it in Leopold's direction.

Don't worry, Mr. Caine. In time, you'll see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Black Pilgrimage

They walked down a catwalk, towards an opening in the distance. The architecture of the station seemed Caldari, but there was an ill mist around it, almost as if one was looking through a grain filter on one of those ancient holoreels. The large docking bay they were in seemed familiar to Leopold, but he didn't bother looking around. It was the same Caldari station, like thousands of others, just with the addition of that ill mist. It was where he would end up sooner or later, where she would bring him eventually. He wasn't in Caldari space.
He was in Curse.

The frail looking Achuran woman next to his side smiled as the echo of her footsteps against the metal catwalk dropped to a halt.

Why are you so anxious, Leopold?

Her eyes pierced inside the back of his skull, he could feel it. He must not show a sign of weakness... not now, not here.

I am alright... it's just the atmosphere of the station. Not used to it after being in the pod that long.

She raised an eyebrow, so slightly that it was barely noticeable and continued walking, the light chime of her boots ringing in the air.

I have talked with the Dominations about your performance so far. It hasn't been perfect, but you have proven yourself in defense of our assets. They liked that... however, you might be heading home sooner than you had anticipated.

What do you mean?

I mean that you will have to take a certain shipment from us, and bing it back to Akila. It will have to be in the cargobay, so clone jumping out won't be possible. This isn't a usual smuggling operation, so take care. Garett will fill you in on the details when we reach his office. So start writing a letter back to Kirsa that you'll be home soon.

Leopold stopped walking, letting her gain a few steps. She turned around and giggled.

Yes, we know.

Stairway to Heaven

Narrow signal broadcast, secure Tiphareth Wolfspider channel 34_3XA.
Origin_ Akila, Domain.

The gates have opened... we are away. The Family have left the Hunting Grounds, and they have taken me with them... I have... Khata'ra, while you'll be hearing this, I'll already be away. Her and me, we have left for the time being... To meet those that have sent her after me. She is... no, don't think that. She has been helpful to us all along this time. Don't think I don't appreciate things you have done for me... you have been a second in command I could have only wished for. I shall leave the command of the Gist Oluya to you... Take good care of the skies over Akila... I will... call you, when I get to the other side. Don't worry. This is not a goodbye. I hope.

Eymadalad - Aftermath

The Tizcan Inquisition - The aftermath:

On campaign day 23 Lucius Vindictus surrendered to Math´Ra Hiede of the Ordo Magna in front of the cathedral in Ancreon city. Math’Ra Hiede and his command squad of Purgator Kameira’s finally captured Lucius during the afternoon. Lucius waited unarmed and without guards. To prevent further needless deaths all remaining House Vindictus troopers disbanded and disarmed at his command. The only conditions of surrender were that Lucius would get the chance to defend himself in front of an Ordo Magna internal tribunal, and that his wife Deliath would be released; however the Ordo does not have her in their custody, meaning that she must have either died or gone missing during the final stage of the war. Math’Ra accepted these terms and proceeded to transport Lucius off-world as his prisoner. Lucius seems angry and frustrated and still convinced that he is in the right. His defeat has not taken away his defiance, but his political and military power in the world are totally broken and he is at the mercy of the Geburah.

House Vindictus:
Though blameless of wrongdoing themselves, when faced with the threat of having House Vindictus disgraced for Lucius’s actions, the family distanced themselves from Lucius and removed him from his position as House Master. The Lucius household that includes his wife and unborn child are disinherited and banished from Tizca; preventing them from ever holding a governing position on behalf of the House again. His brother Decimus Vindictus now holds the position of Master of the House and promises to restore peace and order in Tizca. Ariana Caine has been put forward as the new and permanent regent of Eymadald; her official inauguration will be next month.

House Caine:
Lord Leopold Caine has lost all his lands on Amarr VIII; but managed to obtain a declaration signed by Lucius in the presence of a representative of the Ministry of Internal order that states that he is freed from his bonds of vassalage to House Vindictus yet may keep his noble title and standing; and carry it over to a new domain should he manage to obtain one. This prevented him from having to swear fealty to new House Master as his Liege Lord at the last moment. His ex-wolfspiders have become hardened veterans; though they lost several dozens of their number during the war. They have left the planet to rejoin him; taking their experiences with them. Aditionally, Leopold has gained an enormous hoard of works of art, jewelry, and other valuables that were hurriedly shipped off-world during the fighting. after having utilised their time to their masters benefit while smuggling a large treasury from safehouses all across Eymadald.

The Ordo Magna:
Several hundreds of troopers joined the honoured dead during the course of the campaign. The siege of Ancreon was the site where most of these were martyred. It was the first major ground offensive the Ordo took part in. The overall command was in the hands of the Geburah, closely supported by Commander Macar Shadara of the Ordo’s groundforces. The commander has requested the addition of more war machines and vehicles to the Ordo Magna arsenal. A trade agreement and a lasting friendship was made with House Hegemur on Amarr VIII who will produce much of the Ordo´s equipment and commodities that require planetside facilities to grow or make in the future. The Ordo Magna has been cleansed. But at what cost? And how will this influence the future?

The Sephirots:
Math’Ra Hiede led the inquitition with great Zeal. In the first days he attacked the only publically known assets of House Caine and drove the Wolfspiders into the swamps. In the meantime he gathered evidence and witness statements to provide foundation for his inquisition. He aided the Somarkia and Kengzih regions in their rebellion against House Vindictus; training their forces and generally making life hell for the House Vindictus invaders. A humiliating defeat shook the general faith in Lucius’s military abilities when a whole battalion was ambushed and massacred. In the meantime Sardoniac forcussed his effort on the former House Immoth territories where he managed to get a valuable confession of a high ranking Theology Council agent, and discovered the true reason behind Lady Immoth’s disappearance. Sepherim used his contacts and influence where he could in both high and low places; despite his poor health. When Lucius was driven into the swamps of Eymadald the Geburah and Chockmah forces coordinated their attacks together until the Vindictus-Caine exiles made an exodus for Dam-Caïn. Before they could reach that metropolis however they were cut off and forced to make a last stand in the city of Ancreon. There after a short but brutal siege of three days Lucius finally surrendered when all means of escape were destroyed and he realised all was lost and he wasn’t going to reach the safety of his capsule. Math’Ra had a close encounter with death on the last day of the battle when commander Kath’Ra of the wolfspiders singled his command squad out and attempted to assassinate him. He only narrowly averted death, but was wounded when his armoured suit was his by the blast of a plasma charge designed to kill him. Kath’Ra managed to escape in the confusion and remains high on the Ordo’s wanted list. Despite being wounded the Geburah insisted on being personally present at the surrender of Lucius Vindictus.

A New God

Sire Gavak? We are picking up a... transmission from the orbit.

The comms operator looked over towards his liege. Lord Gavak raised an eyebrow as he slowly turned in his place. His regal robe wore the signs of House Gavak, one he wore proudly now in his elderly age. During his life, he fought with local sansha supporters and other nobles as well, but managed to grasp control over most of Akila VI, either through military conquest or diplomatic liasions.He just happened to be in the war room, finishing discussion with one of his vassals who was amassing his troops. Potential rebellion.. shouldn't be tolerated of course. Gavak looked up onto the video screen, looking at it for a few seconds.

Who's hailing us?

N...no idea, sire.

The videoscreen jumped to life, showing a young khanid man in a black uniform. The man smiled at Gavak and bowed politely.

Greetings, sire Gavak, lord of Akila VI... I am Leopold Caine of the Oris Caines.

Gavak twitched a bit. He didn't like something about this man, but he didn't know what exactly. He bowed in return.

Greetings, lord Caine... well met and welcome... how may I help you?

The dark khanid man chuckled a bit, lightly shaking his head.

Oh, how may you indeed... you see sire Gavak... I am a Holder... and I am also an Angel. I come here seeking asylum, a sort of a temporary home... thus, all I'm asking from you is to accept vassalage under my rule.

Gavak blinked, and then started laughing. What the hell did that man just say? This is probably some joke. His laughing suddenly stopped when another image appeared on the video screen. One of a Typhoon class battleship in low flight over Dam-Gavak, capital of Akila VI. The voice of the khanid man continued.

Or we can do it the hard way... with me torpedoing your poor estates back into the stone age. I am aware that your current military force can't match a single capsuleer-flown battleship. And don't try to do something silly like... trying to contact the Imperial Navy. As I said, like a capsuleer, I can pretty much drive this ship into the heart of your domain along with it's nuclear payload, and simply wake up in a clone bay. So please... let's keep things civil. I shall keep in contact via this video feed, and send some of my agents to.. deal with things. Also, sire Gavak...

The man leaned over closer towards the camera drone, now exposing a lack of a left eye.

...Don't fuck with me.

The camera closed, cutting of the video link as static ensued in the audio channel. The videosceen was now showing the Typhoon class gaining altitude and moving up towards the orbit. Gavak was just standing there, blinking and not knowing what to say.

Sire? What... what do we do now?

The elder Holder sighed, looking over towards the battleship disappearing on the screen.

Now, we follow.

Rain of fire.

I am barred from home.
The rain of fire we have spat on the heretics a few days ago has been seen as an act of vigilantism... act of rebellion against all the Empire thinks it is.
I have set Ariana in control of Eymadalad, but I don't know how long it will take for her to break. Ariana is capable, but the nobles of Tizca are as well... I've spoken with Lucius last night, via a holocomm. I've seen something in his eyes that I haven't seen before... some part of... worry. For now, I shall try to find a remote home here and... come back as fast as I can.

Leopold turned away from the recording unit, his voice shouting out a few orders in a thick sebiestor accent before the feed cuts off.

***