Chapter 96 - Hand of Dominion

Note : Chapters 99, 100 and 101 have been written and added to the queue !

I have played far too much Mine Mogul, and yet far too little. Amazing game, needs more map and content.

Chapter 96

Starborn Mountains, Starfire Valley

Settlement of Astralis

"How sure are we that this isn't a trap?" Asked Malry.

"That depends on how trustworthy they are." Kalia leaned back, and looked over her shoulder. "Greg?"

The old skeleton sighed.

"I don't know. Sarcher is...was a damned legend. Known for getting shit done at a time when the Empire was shaky. But they're Bane now. The Bane did carry through on their promises of safety during what little talks there were with them. But otherwise they just...well, killed everyone they came across."

"They didn't take prisoners?" Asked Sapphiria. "They just...wiped out everybody?"

It was disturbing. She'd effectively classified the Bane like xenohorrors. Sentient but not sapient. Rogue machines of war.

If they were actual people...

The level of madness required to perpetrate genocide the old fashioned way was beyond her. She knew the Theocracy did it, but it was from the comfort of starships, dropping bioengineered horrors, virus bombs or nuclear warheads from orbit. Even then, there had been mutinies, suicides, and all manners of protest within its military over it. They'd never just dropped an army group of sapients on a planet and started gunning down everyone.

Then again, maybe this was analogous to xenohorrors after all. Early war, at least. A handful of battlefield controllers keeping the beasts in check, before they realized that the Federation had far better signal tech than they could ever hope to and this would only result in eating a few bunker busters.

"So far as we know." Said Gregor. There was some hesitation in his tone. "Obviously news of their invasion here are fragmented as all hell. We do know they more or less wiped out everyone on Merian. The Empire home's continent." He explained when Sapphiria shot him a confused look. "But...well, almost everyone left was basically a crusader colonist."

"I'm sorry?"

There was a short silence, then Malry spoke up, after clearing her throat.

"The Crusades of Life were...not kind."

No religious war ever was, at least according to her records. But Sapphiria had enough history lessons on the Theocracy's early advances to join the dots.

Get to planet, remove the population, keep as much of the infrastructure as possible. Loot it if you can't use it, otherwise put your own colonists in place.

This...war may not be as one sided as she'd once thought.

She knew how the Federation's population had reacted to the Theocracy's atrocities. Had the AIs not been there to rein the squishies back...

There would be nothing but barren, dead worlds from the borderworlds to the Theocracy home cluster.

"We'll have to talk about these...'crusaders' later." She turned towards Gregor again. "So you'll think the Hand will honor their promises?"

"They probably know they're backed into a corner. And quite frankly it's not like me or Sapphiria are allowing you within a hundred meters of them anyway. So the only people they could ambush would be the ones capable of kicking their asses."

"Mmmhhh." Sapphiria looked over at Kalia, and rose an eyebrow.

She was glad that Gregor had made it clear that the squishie wouldn't be allowed in on that meeting. She was afraid of starting a fight on that angle.

The mage-magistrate looked conflicted for a few seconds, before rallying.

"Fine." She finally said. "You two can meet with them. But you're bringing every combat golem you can. Right, Sapphi?"

"Absolutely." Sapphiria smiled, from the bottom of her heart. The fact that the squishie was still concerned over her physical safety, even if she was aware it was just an android, was heartwarming. "I'll dial the gun to blow the pass to smithereens as well, if anything happens." Provided the Hand didn't melt it with a fireball or something.

"Alright. This is too good of an opportunity to learn something. And...I want some damned answers. Let's get everything ready. I'm sure the bastard will see you coming when you arrive, so take your time. Better to do it right. And leave them to stew for a bit."

Everyone nodded, and sat up. Kalia grabbed Sapphiria's arm as she moved to leave.

There was a second of hesitation, then the mage-magistrate leaned down, and kissed the AI.

"I haven't forgotten you owe me a visit. So don't get yourself knocked out alright?" She whispered, before winking and letting go, trotting off to do her own preparations, and the AI watched her go in amazement.

"I don't deserve her, do I?" She whispered.

I reserve comment. Sent Cia over the commnet.

The AI shook herself.

Did you get all that?

I did. Vectored the new builds topside and had the ones guarding the tunnel entrance prepare to move out.

Good. I don't trust that bastard one bit. Let's make sure they're the ones who get their asses kicked if this goes badly.

*****

"So...you know them. The Hand, I mean." Said Sapphiria as she settled into the driver's seat of the snowpiercer, and began running through her checklist.

"By reputation only. They died long before my time." The skeleton was as strapped in as was possible given his physiology, and looking in a mix of awe and puzzlement at the dashboard, trying to follow her movements as she flipped switches and checked screens and dials.

"That's more than what I've got to work with. Mind giving me the rundown?"

"They served during the Empire's third century. At the time things were...not looking good. Kallaran, the first Emperor, had died a few decades back, and the Empire was still recovering. He'd been a background figure, as he had retired a long time ago, but he had been a massive, guiding force. Not to mention, an extremely potent deterrent against enemies within and without, as well as a guarantee of peaceful transfers of power. Plus...this was another time. The Empire was more the size of a Kingdom then, in a sea of city states. When the founder of a realm died, it tended to fracture within one or two generations."

"I see. And...Sarcher?"

"They were named Hand of Dominion under Imperator Luna Malites and Dominion Prime Kalys. Note I said Imperator first. That was very unusual. A Hand of Dominion is usually...well, an extension of their Dominion. Not the Emperor."

"What even is a Dominion?"

"A means to plug any deficiencies the Emperor might have. Emperors were usually labeled by their areas of focus. Kind of an honorific and a...how do you say it? Statement of intent? Political agenda? Solar lead armies into the field of battle themselves. Luna focused on building up the Empire's provinces. Economy, infrastructure, logistics, you name it. Stella reformed the Empire, overhauling laws, tax codes, government..."

"And Dominions handled the rest." Completed Sapphiria.

"Exactly. Dominion Prime Kalys was a military commander. She was a legate before. Rumor has it, she was also an inveterate gambler, and cheater. Anyway. Kalys handled the army, while Sarcher ran around doing the Emperor's will. Since they were Imperator Luna, that meant a lot of logistics. They built a lot of roads and industry. Even a few canals. Some say the legions were only able to switch to iron weapons and armor thanks to the groundwork Sarcher laid."

Sapphiria nodded.

"Hence their presence here."

"Indeed. Makes a lot more sense. If I had to guess, Kalys is the one besieging Exacor. If it hasn't fallen yet."

"If it had, I think their friends out on the other side of the pass would be running for the hills, no?"

"True. But anyway. Sarcher's a combat mage. A good one. They were also known for almost never giving up. Which means that whatever this is, surrender or vacating the area isn't on the table."

"Well it's not like they'd have anywhere to go. But good to know. Thank you Gregor."

"No problem. We're all in this together, aren't we?"

Sapphiria smiled.

"Yes. We are. Alright. Checklist complete. Ready?" The skeleton nodded, holding onto the seat restraints. "Good, let's roll!"

*****

Kalia waved as the snowpiercer departed, before turning back towards the town.

There hadn't been many people assembled to see it off. There was work to be done, and besides, for everyone here, it was just a routine resupply expedition.

She wished it was so simple.

Her mind was still reeling from what she'd just learned. Sapphiria? From space? She'd heard the bizarre theories that the ancestors had come from the skies. And learned about astronomy at the academy. But it was still a shock.

But...

It would explain a lot, wouldn't it?

Now that she knew, a lot of oddities made far more sense. How she seemed so staggeringly ignorant of everything here. Even Icerend. Why she kept calling golems other names and then catching herself at the last second.

Still. It opened...so many possibilities. Many she had never even contemplated. Then again...

It wasn't so different from when she'd first met the...not Ancestor. AI, right? Artificial Intelligence?

It was hard to think of the woman on whose face she'd sat as some kind of fancy golem. She was just so...so human.

She wondered if the 'AI' even realized it.

She looked up at the sky. It seemed more wonderful than ever before. Full of mysteries...and danger.

Something powerful enough to destroy Sapphiria's ship hung out there. In vigil over her home. Why? Was this why the Vestiges were naught but ruins?

There were so many theories about the Collapse. Perhaps...perhaps some of the old legends were truer than she had thought.

She would need to talk to Teman. If anyone in Astralis would know, it would be he.

Of course she'd have to be careful. She shuddered to think what would happen if what Sapphiria told her got out.

Her people were just starting to find their footing again. Convincing them not to worship the AI as a living Ancestor had been hard enough. This revelation would just pull the carpet from under them.

The mage-magistrate sighed.

When had the world gotten so complicated? She wasn't some great leader. She was just a town magistrate trying to be kind to those who were dragged before her justice.

Now she was running a refugee settlement in a valley abandoned for centuries, sending pioneers into a Convergence that had killed damned near everyone who'd tried to exploit it before, and oh yes, she was dating the alien golem lady with technology she could barely comprehend.

She shook herself. Enough reminiscing. She had work to do.

Ramina needed help to wrap up her first batch of refined mana crystals, and that would make for a nice surprise for Sapphiria when she came back.

If it had been anyone else, she would have thought 'if' she came back, but even if she was no Ancestor, the AI was resourceful. And extraordinarily dangerous.

If anything, the Hand should be the one worried.

*****

Click click click click, reverse.

Sarcher, Hand of Dominion, watched the glimmer of metal among the trees.

That vehicle...it was bizarre. Why was it rounded so? It would take a lot of resources unnecessarily. Plus, they were no artificer, but it seemed like flat panels would be better for batting aside plants and obstructions, like it had been obviously designed to do. Rounding them out seemed like a recipe for disaster.

They were waiting by the white flag. Truth be told, had been for a long time, watching their velites deliver the invitation from the cloak of invisibility afforded by their magic. Then waited.

Only when the vehicle was brought forward had they returned to the pass, and then made a show of going to the flag, for the benefit of the outpost below.

There was something strange about that outpost as well. This tower, its strange machinery...not all of it was pointed at the pass. It wasn't an observation tower. Or at least, not solely that. And the golems below were extremely sophisticated. Far more than they had ever seen. Before or after the Awakening.

They'd heard from the legate that more complex machinery was fighting at Exacor, courtesy of the rebel 'Kingdom' to the west. But nothing like this. The rebels used golems as great war machines or tireless laborers. But never as line infantry.

Nor alone. There wasn't a single living human to be seen. What if the golems were surprised? They wouldn't be able to adapt.

The Hand would have called it arrogance, but they were grimly certain they had been the arrogant one, not the rebels. The unveiling of the howitzer, and that artillery saving them from certain defeat had been a...humbling experience, to say the least.

The coming talks promised to be another one such experience. Because they were in a position of weakness. True, they had something the rebels wanted, but were also at their mercy.

The basis of a good negotiation. Both sides having knives at the other's throat. The only problem was that Sarcher was used to holding the one with the sharper edge.

They stopped rolling the coin, gazing at it for a second. The marks of their teeth upon it were already beginning to fade. The face was still worn though. A solemn face. An Imperator's face.

Malites. What would you think of us now?

It was a question they didn't like to dwell upon.

The Hand had a feeling they wouldn't like the answer.