The Reward for Weakness

[Bellatrix]

<New Georgia>

The Vindicator broke through the clouds. With a roar or engines the Governor's mansion shook. Trees and grass swayed on unnatural ways as the large Ajem'dasis ship slowed and hovered over front lawn.

Landing struts emerged from the underside of the ship and the warp nacelle struts folded upwards and out of the way as the ship gently set down. The massive weight pressed the struts deeply into the soft top soil of the otherwise perfectly manicured lawn.

A gangway ramp dropped from the underside and extended to the ground. Three hooded figures stood silhouetted at the top, the hilts of their klidens in their hands ready for action.

They decended the ramp and into the sunlight. Their black robes were dark and menacing. The threat punctuated as a squad of soldiers followed the robed figures clad in bright white armor, disruptor rifles in their hands. One of the soldiers had one of his pauldrens painted in orange, and it was he who shouted out orders with an electronically modulated voice.

[Victoria Underwood]

Victoria glared at the ship messing up her perfectly manicured lawn through her office window. She knew that Dominus and his bitch Bellatrix were saber rattling, but this was a touch too much. Practically tearing off her dress as she walked out of her office and changed into her Lady Seig'Ajem outfit, she summoned her own Ajem'dasis acolytes and security. Her long, curly blonde hair turned into an inky, silky black as she put her robe and under armor on using the Iljuna. Swapping out the smaller, more delicate kilden she normally carried during the day for her more aggressive, battle kildens that could connect for either dual bladed or double saber fighting. She really didn't want to have to fight Bellatrix, but SHE was the Master around these parts, not her.

It took only a few minutes until Victoria was flanked by black and grey robed acolytes and her own black clad security forces. She noticed Abbygale arming herself and she shook her head.

"No luv... just stay back, this is something between us Ajem apparently. I think Dominus expects me to bow to him." Victoria said through her modulator and chuckled. "Whatever happens... just stay safe." she nodded her head and exited the mansion with her crew following behind.

Lady Seig'Ajem kept her kilden on her hip as she walked toward where Bellatrix was standing.

"Bellatrix... you could have called. And Governor Thorne is sending you the bill for the grass. To what do we owe this pleasure?" she said and cocked her head slightly. "You do realize I am the Master of the Ajem'dasis in this Quadrant. So, are you auditioning to be my apprentice?"

[Bellatrix]

"Not any longer," Bellatrix said coldly as she drew back her hood. "And that isn't just my opinion. Your little ally on Earth has sworn her allegiance to us."

Suddenly Bellatrix twisted and reached out with the ijulna and pushed Ashley unceremoniously away and knocking her against a nearby wall, "The adults are talking girl. Stay down. Now, where was I? Oh, of course! Let me introduce to you to my children and heirs, "Ophelia and Ian. I would much prefer to work with you, but we are prepared to eliminate you as well."

Ian stepped forward a kliden in each hand, and drew back his hood to reveal a face far too much like his father complete with the perpetual sadistic snear.

[Victoria Underwood]

Lady Sieg'Ajem laughed through her vocalizer on her mask. "Marissa's an opportunistic cunt and you know it. Why do you think there's no King Windsor hmm? She'd never be submissive to anyone unless it served her needs." she glanced at the twins and chuckled. "Oh lovely, you became a breeder." Victoria said with a sneer under her mask. "Daughter's cute. Almost my type, except she didn't earn that kilden, neither did he. Not like we did in fire and blood. Making our crystals bleed until they turned red with the rage of the Ajem'dasis." she ignited her own kilden. "I may consider an alliance with you Bellatrix, but you are not my Master, nor am I your's. The Ijuna has been corrupted by your Ajem's influence upon it, your reality and mine never should have mixed but it has. Our enemies are at an advantage and a disadvantage." she cocked her head slightly. "Of course you do realize this course of action is going to rile the Alliance and when they get riled, people like us typically end up in a box."

[Ian]

Ian sneered and activated the kliden in his left hand. Instead of being red as expected it was green. "I have earned my klidens. This one is a trophy from a Jase'dasis that died by my hand."

Bellatrix exchanged a look at her son and from the unspoken communication between them, he nodded and returned both his klidens to his belt.

"Lady Seig'ajem," Bellatrix began, respect in her voice. She had switched from intimidation mode to diplomatic. "My children have been raised on a steady diet of the Ajem'dasis since their birth. If you believe they haven't earned their klidens then neither have you or I. Ophelia and Ian are the best kliden users I have ever seen. Better than the Jase'dasis that I have seen. As for your place in this future, we both know the Ajem make dreadful servants. Dominus and I would never presume to be your masters, but there has to be someone who has the final word. Even amongst equals, and that word is Dominus'. If you can accept that you can be part of our future. If not you can die here today. And, as for your prediction of 'people like us typically end up in a box', well then we have failed, haven't we? And death is the way of weakness, and the ijulna would be right to have eliminated our weakness."

[Victoria Underwood]

"That is very true. Of course I have not lived as long as I have, nor outlived many of my enemies by being weak. I do not consider you or Dominus enemies, but you have shone a light on our order more than it has had on it. I do question his sudden aggressive action, Mars... Gorvan Prime... but it does seem as if you and he have what Tiberius and Whisper did not have, and that is a means to back up your threats that doesn't involve a high body count on all sides." she stepped forward and nodded her head. "Then we shall be allies, but if Dominus thinks I'm going to kneel before him, he is sadly mistaken. This was my universe before you and he came and will be mine long after, but you're here now and honestly... if he wants to go through the trouble of subjugating worlds and actually managing them afterwards, he can be my guest. It is not as easy or as much fun as the initial subjugation." she activated a small hologram generator in her wrist. "This was the Black Abby. It was to be an Ajem'dasis homeworld, much like the Jase'dasis have Monastery. We spent two years breaking the inhabitants will to ours, corrupting them with the dark side of the Iljuna, doing everything we could to master them. Then they activated a nuclear weapon and turned the entire world into an uninhabitable wasteland. They would rather commit mass suicide than give their world to us. Oh sure we had plenty of converts. I was only an apprentice at the time, but it taught me a valuable lesson. The illusion of freedom is more powerful than the reality of control."

[Bellatrix]

"A lesson I too have learned from the hard way. A lesson that allowed Julie Lei to betray me, and set me on a course to this reality."

She entered commands into a direct copy of the Alliance buffer band and a PADD was beamed into her hand which she handed to Victoria. "I don't need you to be the face of this new Ajem'dasis Empire. No, Dominus and I can handle that. What I do need are your acolytes. We are severely short of ijulna users, and for someone to train replacements. Both in acolytes and clone troops. We will need ship yards, and weapons manufacturing. Surely you possess the organizational and leadership skills necessary being governor and all Ms. Thorne. I would expect your secret concubine in the the Alliance government could be useful as well."

Bellatrix handed the PADD over, "The location of an otherwise unknown planet hidden beyond a rather nasty region of space. A planet perfect for an Ajem'dasis homeworld. Ancient Ajem'dasis tombs litter the surface along with an ancient depository of Ajem'dasis knowledge. Even Dominus is ignorant of it's location. I wasn't sure this planet existed in this reality until recently."

[Victoria Underwood]

"I have been there only once, when I was first training, the location is horrible, we went in with three ships, came out with one and a half. That's why we tried to establish a new one in a more... sane part of space, but I agree it is perfect, if I have the funding and raw labor to make it something." She looked at the PADD. "My former master once told me that we would be the dominant force in the galaxy once we had the proper organization. Which was why he encouraged me to take Fred as my mate and share the Master role with him, it would give us redundancy and reach. Personally it only gave me headaches." she cocked her head slightly. "The moment Dominus thinks he can control you... end him." she whispered. "Now, I do want something, since you and Dominus are in a demanding mode with the others... I want Carly Ryder. Delivered, bound, gagged and psi-blocked. She rather hurt me by rejecting us and thinking she could be a double agent. You called Abbygale my concubine, she's far from that, I intend to make her mate, but Miss Ryder on the other hand, she can entirely be our concubine. Make it look like she's dead otherwise her parents and siblings will hunt her down. I want her to live out the rest of her life as my slave, turn her, corrupt her. Your mate's bastard son Jackson tried to make her a weapon in her youth, well, she's older, older than us actually. Her psionic ability is strong, but she is not skilled in the iljuna. And I just really really want to make that skinny little bitch suffer. Do that for me and I will build you a homeworld. After all, Abbygale and I will need something to do during the boring parts of construction."

[Bellatrix]

"I have found vengeance to be a fools errand. But, seeing as you will not be able to focus on the task at hand your revenge shall be awarded."

"Ophelia dear how would you feel about completing that task? I believe it will prove your worth to Lady Seig'ajem. Lady Thade is currently undercover at the State Department. You may use her if nessicary. And let her be the scapegoat if it comes down to it."

[Ophelia]

"I think I would rather enjoy that." Ophelia said with a smile. "Even if it's a wee bit foolish but then again, Miss Ryder IS the President of Terra Alpha's chief of staff, a high level telepath and a time traveler. Although... she IS also Kinsey Calhoun's daughter. Which means, we take her, we'll get her after us." she stroked her chin. "Although then again... Calhoun has incredible telekinetic power, perhaps even using the Iljuna in a more creative way... mother and daughter... tell you what Lady Sieg'Ajem... you get the daughter. I get the mother."