Spectrum Force Chapter One

This is Vespera's Spectrum Force. I am borrowing it from her, with her permission, in the hopes that I manage to finish it. Thank you.

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Introduction: Hello, one and all, and welcome to my Spectrum Force series! This is a completely original series, although I must admit gaining inspiration from such sources as Power Rangers, Marvel Comics, Star Wars, Sailor Moon and even mythology and the Bible. This is actually a revision of the series I started in 1997, simply because I feel my writing has matured significantly, and that now I finally know exactly where I'm going with this series. I plan this to be roughly twenty stories long, just so you know. In any rate, anyone familiar with my series thus far will realize that I've made some drastic changes to many things, including when events take place and how the Spectrum Force is chosen. However, the spirit of the series, the characters, and the basic plot are virtually intact.
Several Notes: It is understood that all alien species are speaking in their own native tongue. I wrote their dialogue in English, but when there is interaction between individuals who do not understand one another (which will happen in subsequent installments), the non-English text will be denoted with parentheses. I could put parentheses everywhere an alien language is spoken, but that's annoying for both of us. Also, as far as time goes, unless otherwise indicated all temporal units are relative to Earth (an Earth year, an Earth day, and so on). This is just to make it easier for you to follow, even though in all likelihood aliens would have their own time measurement. If you have any questions, praise :), or any other inquiries (including whether you can borrow any ideas or characters), please send me an e-mail message. Thank you.

The Spectrum Force
Prologue


Hanging in the empty vacuum of space, slowly revolving around its own axis, is a star. It isn't particularly special, as it is one of the billions of stars that reside in the Milky Way galaxy, burning a near-infinite amount of hydrogen through a complex system that allows it to remain a virtual battery for eons. Without that star, the system revolving around it wouldn't exist.

Of course, with all the billions of other stars, would it matter if this system were never born?

Indeed it would matter, for this particular star, named Sol on the intergalactic charts of the planet Fesp, was special. It was a lone diamond within a cavern of coal, for circling it some 93 million miles distant was a planet capable of supporting intelligent life. Over thousands of years, animal, plant, insect, and bacterial live had prospered, even allowing one species the time necessary to develop civilization. Along with civilization came science, and an effort to conquer their environment.

According to the Fespin record, the intelligent species grew into a species labeled "Yumani", which roughly translates into "Infant." An infant species was one with great potential, but had not reached the point of maturity that would allow it to interact safely with the inhabitants of other planets. "Humans," as they are frequently called, seemed to think that they had everything under control. While they were intrigued with outer space and all its infinite glory, they were satisfied in believing that they as a species were somehow special... that they were the only so-called "intelligent" species in existence. They felt no threat from the reaches beyond... with the exception of a few that actually believed that there were beings from other worlds that had tried to invade their sphere.

This minority was frowned upon by the powers that be, which insisted belief in "extra terrestrials" was foolish and unfounded. Oh, how wrong they were.

In fact, this planet Earth had been visited by aliens. Two millennia prior, the Fespins dispatched a survey team, which first documented Sol and its surrounding planets. They compiled a lengthy report, eventually deeming Humanity as a species worth watching, but not yet mature enough to interact with. They believed it would be best to wait until Humanity had achieved a basic union among its various factions, and had worked to the point of developing the technology to independently search the universe. Such a project would affirm to the Fespins that they were seeking life other than their own, and if they felt they were sought, the Fespins would allow themselves to be discovered.

The Fespin race had existed for countless millennia, and had been recorded as being the first species in the Triolan sector of the galaxy to explore the universe that surrounded them. They had been the powerhouse in the entire galaxy for so long, they were considered gods by some other planets that also had achieved interstellar transit. Their military might was thought to be indomitable, and the secrets of their Ohana'Kree scrolls, which documented every single galactic discovery, were hidden from the eyes of any other species. They were the only species to ever even glance at the distant Outskirts of the galaxy.

Until the day their planet Fesp was decimated. To the horror of the entire galaxy, the noble caretakers were conquered. The gods were overthrown. A force that had been considered a lesser threat suddenly became the harbinger of doom for all existence.

* * *
A gasp shook the old man's system to the very core, vibrating through his lungs and causing his throat to constrict. His vision became clouded with baneful pitch darkness, throwing off his equilibrium and pulling him to his knees. His feeble hands flew to his chest, as if his very heart were to explode.

The woman walking alongside him stopped in her tracks, and fell to his side, grasping his shoulders urgently. Her soft pink eyes were wide with panic as her gaze remained steadily transfixed upon the distressed man.

"High Father!" she shrieked, brushing his long snowy hair out of his face so she could see his eyes, "What's the matter?"

His eyes shuttered closed as he began slowly drawing in deep breaths. Still, the air trembled in his lungs.

"Fesp... has been... destroyed," he wheezed, his voice barely audible.

The woman continued to rock him slowly, as her own lips began to tremble. "Fesp?" she repeated dumbly, "but... that's not possible! Fesp is the mightiest planet in the galaxy!"

"Phaedra's armada managed to penetrate their defenses somehow," he elaborated. He tried to rise to his feet, but his knees were unable to hold up his weight. The woman helped him up, and leaned his body against hers as they continued down the brilliant hallway, lit with bright flames that rolled gracefully just beyond the tinted windows.

"Spectra," he commanded, "we must know exactly what happened to Fesp. The battle between Fesp and Denebia has raged for years, and Denebia was actually losing! We must discover how they managed to destroy Fesp so brutally... and so quickly!"

"Will you be all right?" she asked gently.

He smiled. "I'm a strong old man," he assured her.

Spectra's smile mirrored his own, and she slowly pulled away from him, wary of his own ability to stand. Once he seemed sturdy, she raced down the hall, the long skirts of her silken ivory robes dragging against the white tiles beneath her.

* * *
One Week Later...

In the center of Lumina City was the Chamber of Light, a vast room of white marble with a large judge's bench, semicircular in form and raised about ten feet off the ground. It had three seats on either side of a center seat, raised about two feet higher than the other stations.

The aged leader of Lumina City rose from his center seat, instantly silencing all in the large auditorium. The thousands of seats located beyond the empty stage area before the bench were filled by a variety of beings from many species throughout the galaxy.

"As I am sure you all know, our war against the Denebian Empire has been brutally compromised when one week ago, the G'hen Armada, led by Empress Phaedra of Denebia, managed to accomplish the unthinkable. In one fatal stroke, her forces destroyed Fesp."

While the knowledge had by now spread throughout the confines of the star base, a series of gasps erupted from the rapt audience. Apparently, they had held on to the meager hope that the reports of Fesp's destruction were exaggerated... that there was still some chance of defeating the Denebian Armada.

Those hopes were all dashed to dust.

"We will now hear from General Husdna I'llian of the Fespin Army. He is one of the very few survivors of the recent massacre, who was saved from a severely damaged warship by our own recovery fleet, launched by Councilmember Spectra immediately after we received word of Fesp's plight."

High Father Luminus then took his seat, and cast his gaze upon the empty circular stage beneath, where a lone humanoid figure approached the bench. He stood a noble height of just shy of seven feet, which was about average for the Fespin species. A long ponytail of shimmering sapphire skimmed against his back, and as he lowered himself to one knee before the Council, he trembled slightly from the various wounds he received in battle.

He cast his one good eye up to Luminus, as his other was covered with a white bandage.

"Lord Luminus, members of the Council of Light... distinguished denizens of Lumina City... firstly, I must thank you for your aid. After the demolition of Fesp's forces, our entire civilization would have been annihilated if it weren't for your intervention."

Luminus nodded once in recognition of the thanks, and then waved his hand, prodding the general to proceed with the report.

"As you have all heard, the attack against Fesp was incredible," he stated, pointing his finger to the large white wall on the side of the auditorium. Images flashed for all to see, of the large battle machines, both mobile and stationed, of the Fespin Armada. "Our military might has been able to hold off Denebian advances ever since Phaedra decided to attack Fesp some seven years ago. In fact, we've been gaining ground against the G'hen Armada, and the depletion of her soldiers made Phaedra resort to her Shadow creatures for foot soldiers. Those warriors are incompetent magical drones, unable to plan or strategize. We fully believed we would be able to destroy the G'hen Armada within a year more.

"However, at dusk on Doomsday, a strange ring of vibrant black energy trailed along the entire planet. I shall show you the image captured by our satellite."

He waved his hand again, and the images of war machines gave way to an aerial view of Fesp. All that could be seen from space were the elaborate cities of silver, stretching nearly twelve miles off the ground level, and covering some ninety percent of the land. Then, a strange black flash erupted from the northern pole, and traveled along the entire planet, until it reached the southern pole. In its wake lingered a darkened mist that turned the sterling silver into an ashy gray.

Suddenly, the gray mist seeped out of the planet's atmosphere, and leaked into the surrounding space. It steadily approached the satellite, and once it hit, the screen image was replaced first by snow... and then by blackness.

"This strange mist covered our planet like a blanket, and disabled all our of systems. Everything was disrupted, all our weapons, vehicles, computer systems... even the backup nuclear energy! The entire planet died, leaving us wide open for assault. After four hours, the army was completely destroyed, and Denebian foot soldiers flooded the streets of the capitol. By sunrise, you could see the red flames that engulfed Fesp from outer space."

Shocked and terrified silence fell upon the audience. Then, as the audience slowly recovered their senses from the numbing horror relayed to them, the Spectra rose from her seat at the right side of Luminus.

"General," she inquired, "what have you managed to discover of this energy field that crippled your defenses?"

"We have examined the phenomenon in the Lumina City laboratories, and we've confirmed how it works. It is clearly a magical spell, most likely created by an entire panel of Denebian sorcerers, which dissipates physical energy. The difference between magic and science is that science relies upon physical energy, based in the physical world. For instance, energy is created when atoms, physical particles, are severed. Heat is released. However, magic is fueled by metaphysical energy. Spells and incantations draw from the Weave, the metaphysical structure underlying the universe. If physical energy is crippled by this spell, the only power left is magical. Fespins have relied upon technology for our advancement, protection, and survival. We are not a magical species. As a consequence, we were completely helpless when the Anti-Technology Field was unleashed. In retrospect, we realize Phaedra pulled back her ships, and sent out magical monsters to do the work. Shadows and other conjured creatures of destruction razed our helpless cities, destroying everything."

Spectra's brow wrinkled in mute anger, and she took her seat again, her fingers absently toying with a stray lock of ivory hair.

Another councilmember, a slender young man with flaxen gold hair, rose to speak.

"Why weren't the Star Riders on hand to assist?" he demanded, "They are magically powered warriors, each one strong enough to face a squad of Denebians!"

The youthful Raya stood up, and threw her gaze toward the vehement man. "Luz, brother in arms, the Star Riders roam the galaxy, warring against the Denebian forces that attack planets too weak to defend themselves. While Phaedra leads the G'hen Armada, Acheron's forces move in the opposite direction. Their two-pronged invasion strategy keeps the throne planet of Denebia safely nestled within their empire, and also puts pressure upon us to slow them down. The Star Riders are presently trying to prevent Acheron from conquering the planet Uqar in the Aldebaran system. The Uqarian knowledge of alchemy would be exceedingly dangerous in Denebian hands."

"And until this peculiar Anti-Technology Field Phaedra developed, Fesp was more than capable of defending itself," Spectra added from her seat.

Luminus fingered his short beard, and gazed down at the general again. "What has been salvaged from Fesp, by way of people, weapons, and so on?"

"Fesp has been set aflame, so by now everything is destroyed," the general revealed sadly, "The Denebian fire eats through metal, concrete, and any other material. There are reports of a Denebian Base established in the capitol, so we believe the Denebians will not destroy that sector. Fortunately, Spectra's fleet managed to recover some forty-two Fespins. Twenty-three were already orbiting the planet, and were trapped in dead ships. The other nineteen were saved from the planet. We did manage to retrieve Pinhi Mactier, who is one of the keepers of the Archive."

"Then it is safe to say the Ohana'Kree Archive has been captured," Luminus stated.

Husdna nodded.

"Now Phaedra has with her documentation of the Outskirts," Luminus realized, shaking his head slowly, "If she manages to reach the Outskirts, and form a base there, then she can surround all the territories between the edge of the galaxy and Triolan sector, where Fesp is located. That would put the Denebian Armada in an excellent position to conquer all the area between, which includes the majority of the planets assembled as allies of the Council of Light."

Once again, dead silence fell upon the assembly. The situation was indeed grave... for without the military might of Fesp, the forces of justice were seriously weakened. In addition, this new Anti-Technology Field has made all planets defended by technological means especially susceptible to Denebian attack, making it even more likely for the Denebians to carve their way through the galaxy even more quickly. And finally, with the Ohana'Kree scrolls, Phaedra could easily research whatever planets the Fespins found in the Outskirts, which would make her quite adept in defeating whatever forces they could muster.

"Phaedra must not be allowed to conquer the Outskirts!" Spectra shouted indecorously. While her outburst received a slightly rebuking gaze from Luminus and some of the elder councilmembers, her fury and determination were mirrored in the expressions of most of the assembly.

"You are right, sister-in-arms," affirmed the calm and aged Satagah, rising to her feet, "We are fortunate that Pinhi Mactier managed to escape. General I'llian, would Archivist Mactier be familiar enough with the scrolls to inform us of the planets of the Outskirts?"

The general looked thoughtful. "He is one of the few permitted to make a study of the Archives. If memory serves, he was the archivist appointed by the Chancellor of Exploration to prepare a research team to return to the Outskirts, in order to see if any of those species had evolved enough to make contact. It is customary of our Exploration Unit to update their research upon Infant species every fifty years or so, to see what developments have taken place. If the species has developed some space exploration, but had not achieved interstellar travel, then the update periods are shortened to ten years."

His expression then became grim. "However, Archivist Mactier was critically wounded in the invasion. He is still in the healing ward, and he is unable to be present at this assembly."

Luminus then rose to his feet again, and cast his noble gaze across the whole assembly. "This meeting is now adjourned. When our plan of action has been decided, it shall be announced. All may return to their current duties."

Luminus remained standing, and watched the citizens of Lumina City flood into the aisles, in a brave attempt to continue with their day as if nothing had happened.

Lumina City was his city... a safe haven for the refugees created by the dastardly expansion of the Denebian Empire. This remarkable city, residing within the heart of a powerful star, was hidden from Denebian knowledge. Thousands of beings lived in the large space station, from hundreds of planets that were attacked by the Denebians, or who decided ahead of time to offer their support to the Council of Light, who had been the arch-nemesis of the Denebian Empire from the beginning.

While the Fespins were the galaxy's scientists, the Denebians had always been the magicians. When the rulers decided to attack their neighbors, in order to find life energy to fuel their magical powers, a small segment of Denebians chose to break away from the planet. Those traitors were hunted, and many were annihilated.

Luminus shuddered as he recalled the horrors he faced daily as a Denebian refugee, until the Council of Light was organized, and Lumina City built.

While Denebians were powerful warriors and magicians, they feared the light. The light withered their powers, cutting them off from their occult magic and reducing them to dead husks. Like creatures of mythology, they sucked life from other beings, and ran from the light that revealed their vile works.

The Denebians became a race of vampires.

Only the refugees, who named themselves the Remnant, or White Denebians, were pure of the black magic that made the majority of their race crooked and evil. They were safe from the powers of stars, and even took comfort in the light and heat created by a star's core.

They were the ones given the responsibility to stop their brothers and sisters from destroying all existence.

Luminus rose to the challenge of leading the Remnant nearly one hundred thousand years ago... and he never looked back.

"So, High Father," Spectra said, turning to Luminus, "what is your plan?"

"I rely on the hope that Pinhi Mactier has retained some knowledge of the Outskirts," he confessed, sitting down heavily, "We are fortunate to have saved one of the handful of Fespins to have any knowledge of the Outskirts. If he does recall which living planets exist there, then we must send forces to defend them. And they cannot be technological... at all."

"A purely magical army?" Rayah asked, her eyes wide, "That is impossible! We do not have the resources!"

"An army is out of the question," Luminus admitted, "but perhaps a White Stone will do."

All six councilmembers stared at the High Father with amazement.

"We only have two White Stones, and they are the greatest foci of magical might we have at our disposal," Gehtre remarked, "Can we afford to send one all the way to the Outskirts? How will that affect our main forces?"

"It shouldn't," Ityan answered, "We only use one White Stone presently, and it is the power source of the Star Riders. We've kept the second as a secret weapon, in case the Denebians force our hand."

"And now they have," Spectra said, "Perhaps we should create another team of Star Riders, to defend the Outskirts?"

Luminus then rose to his feet again, and stepped away from the bench. He moved to the staircase leading to the floor. "We cannot decide anything until Mactier awakens. Once we have discerned what he knows, we will be better able to plan our best strategy."

* * *
Three Days Later...

Spectra sighed quietly, leaning her heavy head against the wall. She forced her weary eyes open, and stared blindly at the status screen connected to the prone Fespin archivist.

He was still steady, but unconscious.

She released a yawn of exhaustion, and glanced at the timer on the wall. The bar of light was only one-half full, meaning her shift was only half over. Luminus had decided to have one trusted citizen watch over Mactier carefully, to make sure he was alive, and to get as much information as possible out of him once he awoke. After all, there was no way to be certain whether he'd survive for long.

Suddenly, a low hum proceeded from the mediboard. Spectra glanced up, and gasped with excitement as the energy signals slowly rose.

In her excitement, she released a telepathic shout to Luminus. *He's waking up!!*

A half-second later, a sphere of white energy appeared in the room, and expanded until Luminus emerged. Once the light faded, he stepped toward the medical bed.

"Thank the gods," he sighed, standing opposite Spectra. They watched as the middle-aged Fespin slowly opened his solid black eyes. He blinked several times in confusion, before he suddenly shivered with realization.

"Where am I?" he demanded, waving his long arms in panic. Spectra and Luminus stepped back cautiously.

"You are in Lumina City," she said gently, "You are safe."

"Lumina City..." he repeated, "With the Council?"

Spectra leaned into his field of vision, and smiled. "Indeed. I am Councilmember Spectra, and this is High Father Luminus."

"We are most pleased to meet you, Archivist Pinhi Mactier."

Pinhi smiled weakly, rising to a sitting position. "What... day is it. What happened to Fesp?"

The calming smiles of Spectra and Luminus faded. "I'm afraid Fesp has been destroyed," Luminus revealed, gently yet directly, "Phaedra has declared it a member of the Empire, and has already begun constructing a palace. We believe she plans on leaving a magistrate, to plow all the remaining people into submission and drain the life of the planet while she continues to lead the expansion fleet."

Pinhi trembled slightly, swallowing hard. "My home..."

"I understand your distress," Spectra sympathized, "but now is not the time for grief. We need information on the Outskirts."

Pinhi's brow furrowed, as he forced his grieved thoughts from his consciousness. "The Outskirts? Why?"

"We have reason to believe Phaedra will attack the Outskirts as her next move," Luminus explained. "If she manages to create a powerful base there, then she can launch her armies from two fronts, surrounding us and further straining our defenses. We must do whatever possible to stop her."

"Yes... I did study the scrolls regarding the Outskirts," Pinhi admitted, "I do not recall very much, but of this I am certain: there is only one planet in that sector with any life at all."

Spectra's lips parted in surprise. "Only one... in that entire sector? How can that be?"

Pinhi shook his head. "It seems that life grew rather accidentally there. Recall that the further one strays from the center of the galaxy, the younger the star systems. In any event, the Outskirts are a veritable wasteland, with the exception of one planet in the Sol system."

"Does it harbor intelligent life?" Spectra inquired.

"One dominant species, called Human. They are very far from what I would call intelligent, though. They do have speech, and at our last update, which was nearly ten years ago, they did have very crude space travel. They only managed to visit their solitary moon, and with unmanned missions they explored some of the rest of their system."

"What do they have in terms of defenses?" Luminus asked.

"They are one of the most belligerent, self-destructive species I've seen! Their recent history is littered with wars, and they have tapped into the realm of nuclear energy, creating weapons. They have an arsenal capable of destroying their planet a hundred times over! Frankly, I don't think the Denebians need to waste their time. The Earthlings will destroy themselves."

Spectra frowned at the harsh comment, but it was easy to tell Pinhi was still disturbed over the loss of his extremely peaceful planet. "Nuclear energy? Then I assume they haven't uncovered the mystery of fusion."

"No, just fission, Councilmember."

She pursed her lips, as she began pacing alongside the bed. "Nuclear weaponry will be useless against the Denebians, even if they don't erect that Anti-Technology Field. If the bombs were used on the planet's surface, it would decimate Humanity. And it seems they don't have the technology to attack in space."

Luminus thought for a moment. "What is the name of the planet?"

"Earth."

"And is this 'Earth' near the star?"

"Indeed... it is the third planet from Sol."

"Then at least they receive enough daylight to hold back a full offensive. And, do you happen to recall how long it takes the Earth to revolve on its axis?"

"I believe... something akin to twenty-four hours."

Spectra smiled with a small measure of relief. "That would require Phaedra to decimate the forces of the darkened piece of Earth within a short span of time. But still... they are an Infant species."

"You say belligerent. Perhaps that can be used to our advantage. Humans are defensive?"

Pinhi practically scoffed. "As well as offensive. They are extremely volatile beings, with powerful emotions. As far as strength goes, they have absolutely no magical ability. However, at our last examination there existed the possibility of the next stage of evolution, to create Parahumans with abilities beyond the others. But none have been confirmed to exist yet."

"Our best strategy is to create a team of these Earthlings, and furnish them with the White Stone."

Both Pinhi and Spectra recoiled at that recommendation.

"But Father..." Spectra stuttered, "they are an Infant species! We cannot give them that kind of power!"

"They are emotional and defensive," Luminus highlighted, "We presently know little about Earth, but Humans certainly would know more. Also, they are belligerent, making them adept at learning methods of war. They may not have developed higher technology or magical connections, but if given the proper tools and trained in their use, they may make excellent soldiers. After all, they would be fighting for their very lives, as well as those of their fellows. That is far better than fighting for another species."

Spectra nodded slowly. "I volunteer to travel to Earth. I shall create a team of humans, and give them the White Stone fragments. With that magical power, they will defend Earth to their fullest extent."

Pinhi shook his head in amazement. "Well, if you do decide to go with Humans, you must find young ones. Humans only live about eighty years, and they reach their physical peak at age eighteen or so. They will be the most physically adept to the strain of using such powers. Also, they are the most open-minded subgroup, as they are in many cultures either participating in advanced education, or just starting their adult lives. They have less obligations as well."

"Thank you for the advice," Spectra stated, turning once again to Luminus, "I must make haste."

Luminus nodded. "Pinhi, can you program the navigation system of a Starglider 180 to pinpoint Earth from memory?"

In answer, he leapt off the bed with a spring of determination. "Easily, High Father. Thankfully, Fesp created a Hyperspace Portal in the Sol system, in the atmosphere of the largest planet. It should not take long to travel there, despite the long distance."

Spectra's expression hardened. "But Phaedra will know about the Portal too. Its existence is no doubt recorded in the record."

"Then let us waste no more time," Luminus decided.

* * *
The Planet Fesp

The woman felt a rush of energy in her body, as she watched clouds of smoke billow from the engulfing flames into the sky.

The sun usually caused the atmosphere of this famed planet to light up in a glimmering lavender shade. However, the heavy smoke created a shield, blocking much of the sunlight from even reaching the steel-surfaced technological hub of the galaxy.

Sanguine lips stretched into a cold smile, slightly wrinkling her coal-gray skin and allowing razor sharp, ivory teeth to peak out from behind them. Blood red eyes stared through long ebony lashes, and absorbed the scene of destruction as if she could somehow gain nourishment from it.

She leaned casually against the tinted window of her new citadel, resting high on the planet, and composed entirely of the heavy black metal Eurhtite. One hand twirled a stray lock of her curly forest green mane over her long, razor sharp nail, while the other clenched a jeweled goblet half filled with a thick, rich red liquid.

She heard the breeze-like sound of the sliding door opening, and through the reflection in the window she saw a form enter the room. Her cold smile only widened, and she gracefully turned around, pulling the long train of her fitted ebony and gold gown with her.

"Welcome, Celea, to the Citadel of Fesp," she said, raising her arms proudly, "Exactly like all the other scores of Citadels we've constructed, from which our Magistrate will rule this planet until it becomes a complete husk!"

Celea, a younger woman with matching coloring and a sleek black bodysuit, lowered herself to one knee, and bowed her head. "Beautiful, Mother, as all the other Citadels."

"Yes, I am quite proud of this accomplishment." The Empress Phaedra then reached her goblet to her daughter. "I've been told the blood of the Fespians is some of the sweetest in the galaxy."

The princess took hold of the goblet, and slowly sipped the contents. She whirled the liquid in her mouth thoughtfully, before finally swallowing.

"Not bad," she admitted, "A tad too sweet, for my taste, but excellent texture. Very smooth."

Phaedra smiled, leading her daughter towards the window. "Finish it. The blood of your victims is where their life is contained. Drink the blood, and feed on their life force. It is the most effective way of strengthening your own."

Celea swallowed the contents of the goblet, and followed her mother's gaze into the burning capitol of the fallen planet.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Phaedra commented.

"Simply breathtaking," Celea admitted, licking her moistened lips from the blood, "With Fesp destroyed, the Council will soon follow."

"Have the interrogations been successful?"

The princess frowned with hostility. "We've questioned the entire royal court, and all the senators that have survived... well, except for the King." She smiled slightly, gazing at the goblet once again. "But not a breath they released would betray the Council of Light's location! Even when threatened with the death of her youngest child, the queen refused to utter a single sound. They are a very disciplined race."

The empress shrugged off the disappointment easily enough. "It matters not. The Royals may not speak, but we have the Ohana'Kree Archive! It is famed for being the most complete index of star systems in the galaxy!"

"It would not have the Council's hiding place," Celea pointed out.

"But it does have vital information about which planets in which sectors are ripe for conquest. We will know the technological as well as magical capabilities of every documented species, and with that knowledge we will decide whom to conquer, and how."

Celea watched with interest as her mother glided to her throne. Seated upon the plush velvet pillow was a sheet of yellowed paper, frayed at the edges. The queen carried the sheet to her daughter, who examined it with fascination.

"The Outskirts?" she whispered, a smile rising on her vermilion lips, "That is genius, Mother! A base in the Outskirts would make the territory between an easy target!"

"You are indeed sharp, Celea. And... there is only one inhabited planet."

Celea glanced up. "Only one?"

Phaedra nodded, her smile hinting at her wicked glee. "Look at the bottom."

Celea returned her attention to the sheet, and skimmed it quickly. "Earth. In the Sol system. A Yumani planet? Ha! Those infants cannot stop the Denebian Empire! It will take mere hours to destroy them!"

Phaedra nodded, casting her eyes to a folder seated on the table beside her throne. "I am making a study of Earth, and the Humans that populate it. I shall be leading the Delta-Squad of the G'hen Armada to conquer it, and establish a post."

Celea frowned slightly. "Why only the Delta-Squad? That consists of so few soldiers!"

Phaedra chuckled. "I'm certain a handful of Shadows will be enough to raze this Infant planet. I doubt I'll even need my new Yren spell to cripple Earth's technology. They'll be throwing spears at us."

She then took the sheet from Celea, and walked back to her throne to pick up the folder. "A single galaxy-class vessel will be much faster than bringing the entire Armada to Earth, and we'll be much more capable of slipping past the Council's sight. We'll have the base established before Luminus can even blink!"

"When shall we depart, Mother?"

"No, Celea... you must stay here with the Alpha, Beta, and Kappa fleets. Defend our rule of Fesp, and make sure to drain every last drop of life from the planet core. I want the Archives emptied, and the rest of this planet laid to waste."

Phaedra inserted the sheet into the folder, and walked towards the exit. "I shall prepare my Throneship for immediate departure. I leave this conquest in your hands."

Her gaze then fell again to the goblet. "Oh, and if you want more of His Highness Trenmór... there are two pints left in the gilded flask."

Celea watched her mother disappear through the circular door. Her eyebrows shrugged slightly with anticipation, and she walked towards the throne, taking a seat on the plush velvet.

She refilled her glass, savoring the sweet taste of victory.