Annora on noticing the crowd tried to intervene by placing a hand on her mate’s arm. ”Dear, we have an audience; do you want to continue the father and son conversation elsewhere?”
Abramo who was clutching his neck in pain and holding his bloody nose backhanded his wife. “Shut up; no one is talking to you.”
The people gasped. Laying hands on women and younglings was a criminal offense in Constel·lació.
“The crown was mine. I formed an alliance with your mother because I had no choice.” Abramo looked crazed. “Imagine what you fought for being taken away from you in a flash. Would you simply accept it and continue on or you would do whatever it takes to get it back? Because I can assure you, I will get everything that was taken from me.”
That statement set alarm bells ringing in Agostino’s mind. Are you turning down the opportunity to be the most powerful man in the world? A sense of foreboding assaulted him. “What have you done, father?”
“What I should have done a century ago.”
It was at that moment that Agostino realized how far his father’s megalomaniac attitude would make him go.
A massive explosion shook the ground. An odoriferous smell of dynamite and almonds permeated the air. The glass walls of the left wing of the castle caved in and shattered into a million pieces and flew to where everyone that was standing close managing to instill a few cuts on the crowd. Chaos arose as people started screaming and running to take cover.
Agostino though stunned, stood his ground never taking his eyes away from his father. As his father tried to scramble away and mix with the crowd, he followed him. Agostino didn’t want to take any chances of his father escaping, this time, so he took his dart gun from his holster and pointed it straight at his father’s neck and shot. He watched as his father crumbled to the floor, unconscious.
Agostino felt nothing about what he had done to his father. His father was like any other criminal. He was a close-minded, bitter man who used violence by any means necessary to express his dissatisfaction. His father was a monster and deserved to spend the rest of his life in the dungeons, where he would be taking him in a few minutes. All his life he had protected him against the law because he had felt an obligation to do so as a son. But he had crossed the line today by his admission in no uncertain terms by attacking the planet: his home.
Chapter 2
The matter at hand commanded Didac to call all the other officials responsible for the other Stars for a closed council meeting, but he had a war to prepare for.
Didac looked at the evidence presented by Andrzej Basara. It was just undeniable. Abramo was well known to regularly place his friends and family in administrative positions that they were unqualified for which they had fought over on occasion and had led to his demotion. His nepotism was legendary and was soon going to add convicted felony to the list. Abramo had conspired with Bradford, each man with a different motive. Abramo wanted to overthrow Didac so he could impose his archaic views on Constel·lació and he was unsure of Bradford’s motive. Didac suspected that as soon as Abramo had succeeded in taking over the planet, Bradford would have devised a plan to kill him and take over purely out of greed.
The interrogation tactics they had implemented didn’t work on Abramo. He had made them, so he knew how to withstand them. Continuing with the torture would have surely killed him. Killing a male or female without a trial was unimaginable to him. Of course, as the King, he could do what he pleased, but his conscience would not permit him. It would keep him awake at night. He wanted transparency in his role and verdicts. The footage of the security system that Abramo had installed in his home and the stunt he had pulled earlier cemented Basara’s allegations.
“He is already weak; if I push him further, it might kill him before we get any information from him.” Kugawa stood over the earthling soldier they had captured.She lowered her hands to her sides ceasing to drain energy from him.
“Weak as I am, you will still not get any confession from me.” The earthling looked adamant not to give in.
“I think he needs a bit more persuasion.” Primo interrupted.
“Hit him harder,” Bernat ordered.
Primo hit the earthling on the jaw with the back of his gun. ”This could go wrong for you. Tell us everything you know.”
The earthling was unbreakable. ”Sorry, I am not giving any interviews today.”
Didac stood behind the mirror glass in the observer room watching his soldiers interrogate the human. The interrogation room had no windows; it was just block metal walls. His hands were tied together with metal chains attached to the suspender. Didac hoped it had the right effect. Uncomfortable and intimidating.
Didac looked at his friend. In light of what had occurred, he couldn’t comprehend how life was like for Agostino. ”The people would want to know the truth.”
“Tell them what happened, we have a moral obligation, to tell the truth,” Agostino said matter of fact.
Didac hesitated when his friend maintained a blank expression. ”How can you be so calm?”
“I am sure by now; you are aware that I was privy to some of my father’s crimes. My father is ruthless and will do anything to protect his interests; I had hoped that one day he would see the folly of his ways but he just never did and never will. I have come to terms with it.”
Even when he said it, a whisper of embarrassment emanated from him. ”Even if he is your dad, that doesn’t mean that everything he does you take responsibility for. He is his own individual, and so are you.”
“Other people don’t see it this way.”
“Your reputation as a hardworking, honest man exceeds you. I am sure the people of Constel·lació feel the same way.” Annais cut in.
“A report just came in; the final body count just came to six hundred, Including children and women.” Severus’ voice echoed in the observer room when he entered.
Annais felt Didac’s fear turn into anger and immediately tried to calm him. “I know how you must feel right now………..” She understood his emotional and mental state. Anger was rational. It was a force of energy that every species projected to combat a threat. She didn’t want her brother to start a war over nothing. She reached out to touch him to comfort him. “I know what you are thinking; attacking Mother Earth will only be inviting a war.”
“‘The war has already begun.” To protect his people was his priority first and foremost. Didac’s jaw clenched, feelings of pure rage begged to be dominant, the internal struggle not to release his demonic side apparent to anyone watching.
“My brother you have to understand that there cannot be a war without casualties.” Annais’ gift allowed her to feel everything. The air, even the blood in her veins, her brain, the rotation and vibration of planets, the people, the gravity and the deepest parts of her memory. The pain, her brain was exploding. It was a heavy burden to bear; it always left her exhausted, anxious and overwhelmed.
“Let there be casualties on both sides, not one. You have no idea how I feel. I lost good soldiers out there, children, someone’s mother, someone’s grandmother, someone’s father, and brother. ……… Friends. You don’t understand how I feel.”
Her pain intensified at her brother's statement. “You have to wait; if you kill him right now, you have a chance of losing valuable information that might help us.” She hesitated before handing over the file to her brother. “This is a list of all probables.” In a time where interplanetary trading was so common, anything was possible.
Didac took it and threw it on the floor. “So what? Thousands of lives depend on me to make the right decisions to keep them safe, and I will never be able to live with myself if any more die because I didn’t act when I needed to. I take my responsibilities seriously. It’s lose-lose, any way, we play it. And you want me to wait. Wait for what? For more bodies? There are more buildings and people to protect out there. Should I wait for him to blow a few of them out?”
Didac walked out of the observer room with
Annais and Severus trailing him into the interrogation room. “What are the chances that he might break?”
“At this rate, too long,” Severus answered Didac.
“This man will tell me what I want to know.” Didac took a knife and pointed it at him. “My name is Didac.”
“Am I supposed to know you?” The earthling looked stubbornly at Didac with a swollen eye.
“When I enter the room, I question, and you answer, I speak, and you listen. The more time I spend in this room, the more fun it will be for me and the less fun it will be for you.” Didac nicked the earthling on his chest. The earthling didn’t flinch. “Who sent you?” The soldier did not reply. “Do you realize that sitting is a luxury you don’t have anymore?” Didac folded the cuffs of his military uniform and pulled the chain from the suspender till the earthling’s feet did not touch the ground anymore. He took a plastic bag and covered the earthling’s head with it.
“You need to stop this right now.” Annais wrestled to pull the bag off.
“If you want to leave that’s fine” Didac pulled his sister away and watched the man gasp for breath, waited a few seconds and nothing came out the earth dweller’s mouth. It didn’t look like he was ready to surrender. ”What other standards do we have?” Didac asked Severus.
“Flaying him didn’t work. Electric shock or water might do the trick. We could try cutting his toes or fingers off.”
“Are you crazy? You cannot do this.” Annais was horrified, looking at everyone’s faces in the room, their determination evident on them. “Nobody thinks this is wrong. How can you do this to someone and live with yourself.”
The men looked at each other. ”I will have no problems sleeping at night if that is what you are asking me.” Primo finally answered.
“You are free to leave anytime. I can escort you out.” Severus placed his hand on Annais’ arm.
“No, I want to see this.”
Primo placed electrodes around the earthling’s tongue, toes and fingers and his genitals and turned on the machine. Everyone stood there alarmed, instead of the customary reaction, fire sparks came out of him.
That was strange. Esteve took his scanner and ran it over the earthling’s body. ”You will not believe this.”
“Out with it, what are your findings?” Didac looked pointedly at his brother.
“The human appears healthy on the outside, but he is not an ordinary one.”
“What do you mean?” Primo asked.
“His anatomy has been altered. His internal organs are entirely human, but his limbs are robotic. It is very impressive; I have never seen anything like it before.”
Everyone in the room gasped. It was a crime against humanity. Leaders from different planets and galaxies considered this unethical; it undervalued the worth of the lives of all species.
“I’m getting tired of this. I have things to do.” Didac’s big fist succeeded in landing on the man’s face. The earthling’s determination fled under his icy stare. The problem with genetically enhanced soldiers was it just took one memory for them to remember their past.
The earthlings’ face that was devoid of emotion crumbled. His camouflage shirt had been stripped off him. Knife nicks covered his chest. He knew that the man before him meant to kill him. He was as big as his soldiers, with full, heavily built shoulders. His robust legs were braced apart; his posture indicated that he had the ability to kill if he was willing. “Please! Please! Spare my life. I was just following orders. I didn’t want to do it.”
Didac kicked the earthling holding on to his leg. “Take your hands off me, you human filth.” He understood that a good soldier followed orders good or not. Didac liked to believe he was a good and fair leader.Humility, love, and care for others are what made his focus in his reign so when orders were issued by him, they were obsolete. No one dared to question him. He almost felt sorry for the soldier, but then the safety of his people came first.
“I am the property of the Army of Mother Earth.” These machines were weak. They couldn’t even withstand torture. By age ten, every child in Constel·lació underwent intense mind training programs which led them to have the ability to resist mind probes and interrogations from other species especially those who were telepathic. His soldiers were unbreakable under pressure. While some planets thought his torture training methods were severe, they made his warriors resilient. The details were classified, but however, the underlying processes focused on survival, evasion, detainment and interrogation resistance.
Constel·lació had no fury like a leader ambushed. Didac seethed with anger. Martin Bradford had made a mistake that did not deserve a second chance. No one betrayed him and lived to tell. His enemies knew that much. The trade negotiations between Mother Earth and Constel·lació were beneficial to the humans only. Constel·lació was a self-sustaining planet. Martin Bradford was not satisfied with Didac’s generous nature. He wanted it all. He was willing to sell his morality and risk a war.
This was an act war. Didac withdrew his laser sword and slid it through the man’s neck.
“My King was that necessary?” His friend and trusted advisor, Agostino was not fazed by Didac’s anger.
“This will send a message to all my enemies.”
”The human genetic programming is similar to ours, but their brain is very complex. Their neurons do not function like ours. I would like to study it.” It was common knowledge that the humans were only able to access ten percent of their cerebral capacity while Constel·lacións could access more than sixty percent depending on their gifts. Esteve was a self-proclaimed scientist. His experiments were controversial yet effective.
“You have your sample now.” Didac used his tunic to wipe the blood off his laser sword.
Didac always appeared hard and unforgiving. His father had told him what his father before him had told him. In a time before time, the humans had more advanced technology than his people. Agostino did not trust them. Sure, every species was dangerous, cruel and violent. They were all capable of hatred, revenge, and sadism; they just needed the right motivation.
But history did not lie. Aliens and animals fought, humans waged war. The only thing the human species have been able to do is constantly kill each other. It was the only species on earth that existed that had attempted the elimination of the entire species. They were the only species ever known to have invented new methods of murder. Their ingenuity went hand and hand with their cruelty. And they did it so well that they substituted it with words like “it's war”, “defending our freedom”, “justifiable freedom’. He just wished he had the opportunity to garner more information from their captive.
“We can’t question a dead man, can we?” Agostino dropped the formalities. Irritation was lacing his voice.
“We know all we need to know.” Didac turned to speak to Bernat, his Chief in Command. ”Take care of this.” Pointing to the dead man on the floor. “Organize the Starfleet and call all our warriors to report to headquarters.” Didac sheathed his sword.
“Brother, Wars do not solve anything.” Annais was clairsentient. Her gift was of great worth to his people that is why she was their principal negotiator and ambassador.
“In a world filled with immorality and hatred, war is a necessary evil.” Primo touched Annais’ arm.
“A leader’s power to rule over other people is beautiful and exciting, but integrity is part of your identity. If you lose that, then you are no longer considered a leader.” Didac was a peace loving man who valued integrity above all. Commitment, honor and discipline and endurance were his creeds in life. Didac taught his soldiers that honor was central to every man’s identity. A man without honor was nothing.
“I agree with you brother, but you have to have faith.” Annais eyes were glossy.
“In what?”
“In all species, in humanity, in each man’s desire to believe in himself and his fellow man, you have to be rationale.”
“This man has sent an army of ten genetically
engineered soldiers to attack us, and they managed to kill six hundred people. Who knows, maybe he has devised other tactics which I fear could be more efficient. Bradford has only one wish. To crush Constel·lació to destruction and he will not do this with reason or faith, Annais. He has shown that he cannot be trusted. We saw a planet in need, and we sold our resources for barely anything but today he was prepared to wipe our planet out. Should that go unpunished?”
Didac’s resolve to kill Bradford strengthened. He couldn’t get to Mother Earth fast enough. He would offer Bradford an ultimatum. Surrender or die? Being the narcissist that he was, he didn’t expect submission. That was what he was counting on. His primary objective was to kill Bradford and minimize casualties of civilians as much as possible. This didn’t make him happy, but it was the way of war.
“He has challenged Didac’s supremacy. His failure to do something will make every planet think we are weak.” Esteve explained
“Constel·lació is not just any planet, it is the hope of every planet, we protect every planet from itself, if Constel·lació falls, every planet will fall. “ Bernat spoke up.
“This should not come as a surprise to you. I warned you about humans.” Kugawa had migrated to his planet Constel·lació from the galaxy of Kuiper before it was popular. She was a new member of Agusti’s crew.
“And tell me why you were not able to detect them before they attacked.” Didac did not like incompetent people.
“The docking ship is not equipped with sensors that isolate cosmic diversion.”
“How do you know this?”
“Our species play with more sophisticated toys than yours.” That Kuiper snob.
Everyone winced.
Didac almost lost it. He was tired of her always pointing out what was wrong with his species, particularly in a time like this. She had to understand how things worked around here. If it were not for her sword fighting skills which made her indispensable to the team, he would have fired her already. Didac looked at Kugawa; she was beautiful; Didac had to give her that. Like a porcelain doll. Fragile, small and looked so unsure of herself. Helpless. Demure. Most men made the mistake of underestimating her abilities until it was too late. She just wasn’t his type and plus her snobbishness was a total turn off.
Just A Bit Of Trust (Constel·lación #1) Page 2
