Chapter Fifty

A Position of Power

Safrec waited patiently for the Queen to join him. Three weeks had passed since their last meeting and the Kronan was eager to please his Queen again.

Today she is making me wait. Why? I am the chosen one?

The Queen entered from the side door, which lead from her private chambers. She was dressed in a red satin dress. If color expressed the mood of the conversation; it was clear she was seeking to dominate and Safrec instantly regretted choosing today to see his Queen. She looked strong again, purposeful, dangerous and unrelenting.

“Approach the throne Safrec.”

He tried to show his confidence when he stepped forward, but the Queen already recognized his reticence.”You lack confidence today, Safrec. Why?”

He elected to side step the question

“You look radiant today my Queen and it is good to see your health has returned. Can I assume that this is not entirely down to me?”

“I am still dying Safrec; if that is what you mean. But not for a long time and today we have much to discuss. We will dispense with any suggestion that your relationship with me has changed. I will remind you that our coming together was a one off.”

She waited as Safrec shuffled uncomfortably before looking at the Queen directly

“As I have said before, Trieste…I hope in time you will recognize me in a different way.”

He stepped forward as he spoke and offered a hand of friendship.

“For now, I agree we must discuss the deterioration in our numbers. This is the worst escalation of the disease in a generation.”

The Queen looked angry and Safrec took a step back. Today was not a day to foster their relationship.

“Do not overstep your position, Safrec. You will continue to address me as my Queen. You are not my “chosen one” and you will not refer to me in such personal terms. You hardly need remind me of the escalation of the disease. For now, that is not what we must discuss. Walk with me.”

The Queen and the Kronan walked side-by-side towards the far side of the huge sanctuary. Safrec had rarely ventured this far into the Queen’s lair. A reminder of just how much power she had; the sanctuary and the Queen’s chambers covered the whole deck.

“I have heard from Sorgan, whose ship returns to us, having located the missing Alpha fleet.”

Safrec immediately jumped to attention. If they had found the fleet, he could end this insurrection once and for all. He would then deal with Sorgan before he returned to Trieste to take his prize.

“That is good news, my Queen. I shall prepare my forces immediately.”

“No…it is not good news. We should never have allowed them to escape in the first place. The blood of a million Kryl is on your hands Safrec. Many others will die now.”

“Regrettable, but this time we will complete the task.”

“They are carrying with them a source of Quescum; which they will obviously intend to use against us as a weapon.”

Safrec was stunned. “Quescum…” He recoiled as he instantly recognized the danger his people in. “How did they come by it? How would they know?”

“You fool. They have obviously determined our weakness. I presume this form of radiation does not affect them in the same way. We are now in grave danger.”

“Then we must prepare. We must finish these humans before Alpha arrives and then move on. This need not be the end.” He suddenly felt weakened and defenseless.

“No Safrec. Our people are already dying in huge numbers. There is no time to find another population to replace the humans. Our species will be gone before we have even located a source. We must take a stand and defeat them before they have a chance to spread the Quescum. We still outnumber them and have the power advantage. You must prepare a fleet to attack Alpha and destroy them before they approach Earth.”

The magnitude of the task before them was becoming clear in Safrec’s mind. How had they come by this? So many species had gone before, without them ever discovering the one true Kryl weakness. The humans had been underestimated yet again.

“How much do they have?”

“Sorgan did battle with them, close to a large source of Quescum, which they were obviously in the process of extracting. He survived as did his crew, because he is Malchian.”

“Why did he not destroy them there and then?”

“He was outnumbered and his ship returns to us in a damaged state. They were attacked by The Halo 7…Jake Carter was aboard.”

It now dawned on Safrec that his position was weakened. Sorgan had the upper hand. The radiation would not affect the Malchian. Why was the human, Jake Carter always involved?

“I will prepare a large fleet immediately, my Queen. We will destroy them before they can attack. I will work with Sorgan and then I will kill Jake Carter personally.”

“Yes, you will work with Sorgan. You need him and his people more than ever. Do not touch Jake Carter. His destiny has already been determined. He must be allowed to join me here on my ship.”

Safrec’s mind was churning over; trying to come to terms with the feeling that the continued existence of his people was in question and what of his own position in all of this. He would work with Sorgan, but when the time was right he would kill him. He needed to work quickly. He needed to decide which of the new Queen caste should he lie with and then influence Trieste to ensure his mistress should become the new Queen, when Trieste gave way to her illness. He could not perceive his own death. The disease would not get him and he would protect himself from the radiation. Now, he just had to sustain the Queen’s life for as long as possible. He would have to mate with her again.

“I will, my Queen…but for now—if I am to leave—you will slowly weaken. I must lie with you again to give you strength and then, you must take a human’s life as relief to sustain you until I return.”

“I told you, Safrec, I would not lie with you again.”

“You can wait for Sorgan if you wish, but my job as Kronan is to sustain your life. I cannot leave you if I know you will weaken in my absence. The only solution is to give you great strength again, before I go. You must lay with me again, my Queen.”