Post by sid on Mar 16, 2008 0:18:39 GMT -5
“Unacceptable.”
“But, My Lord, our forces were not equipped to defend against an air raid.”
The Grand Lord General drummed his fingers on his throne. He had been irritable since early in the morning, when he had received the first reports. “Unacceptable.”
The General at his feet had begun to sweat. “But … my Lord … the attack from the ship. Had we the equipment, perhaps stinger missiles, we might have had a chance.”
“How many lost?”
“Initial reports are twenty three dead, another two injured.” Quipped a slight man in the corner who read from a digital pad.
“Two survivors.” The Grand Lord General continued drumming his fingers.
“A massacre.” The General added.
His fingers were still drumming. “Unacceptable.”
The General wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. His hands trembled.
“Afraid?”
“My Grand Lord General, had we the equipment initially requested, had … we … Xerelane was a liability.”
The Grand Lord General’s fist slammed against his throne with a splintering crunch, although his face expressed no emotion. When he spoke, he had the voice of thunderclouds. “Xerelane was to be executed. You, General Thwart, insisted he be held in your compound until that time. You, General Thwart, insisted your prison was capable of containing such a criminal.” The Grand Lord General raised his finger and pointed it at the General before him. “You, General Thwart, have disappointed me.”
Urine began to run down the General’s leg. “But I had received word from Grand Lord Calder that all preparations had been made.”
“The failings of Lord General Calder are in his single decision to appoint you General of the Guard.” The Grand Lord General held out an empty left hand, and a man dressed in black robes stepped forwards and placed something small and metal in his palm. “We have a decision to make.”
The General fell to his knees. The men closest to the door turned and placed a metal rod across the sealed exit, locking it shut. “My Grand Lord General, I beg you.”
“It is not often that I am disappointed. It is becoming more frequent, the more often there are appointed fools.”
The General fell upon his face, pressing his nose against the stone floor. Although his leg itched with warm, drying piss, he feared to scratch it. “I beg you! My Grand Lord General, I have always hoped to please Talse and none other!”
The Grand Lord General rose to his feet. Among men, he was a giant, being eight feet tall. From his throne’s platform he towered above his court like an obsidian statue clad in his black sluissrad. He cast a pointed finger down at the quivering General, and with his other hand he tossed the metal coin that had been placed in his palm. Without a glance he caught the coin in a gloved fist. “Then we let Talse decide your punishment, General Thwart.” He opened his palm and glanced at the coin, and then he slowly lowered his raised finger.
“Take him away.” Said the Grand Lord General.
The General on the floor began to sob. He hadn’t seen the coin, but by the fact that he still breathed said that the coin of Talse had spoken in his favor. “Oh my Lord Grand General! Oh My Lord! Oh My Lord Grand General, Thank You!” Men came around him and lifted him to his feet. The Grand Lord General sunk back into his throne, still holding the coin in his hand.
“Talse has spoken favorably for you, Simon Thwart.”
“Yes! Thank you, Talse! Thank you, My Lord Grand General!” The General sobbed.
The Lord Grand General tossed the coin to the robed man at his side. “In four hours, the criminal Xerelane is scheduled to be executed. I take it no media has a photograph of him?”
The man with the digital pad in the corner spoke again. “My Lord Grand General, The Pirate Xerelane IV has no published photograph.”
The Lord Grand General nodded slowly. His drummed his throne with his fingers and thought for a while. “Simon, is it?”
The sobbing General nodded. “Indeed, My Lord Grand General. It is Simon.”
“Funny. I do not remember you.”
The General blinked.
The Lord Grand General addressed the men restraining the General before his throne. “Take him to the poles. Announce that Xerelane was recaptured after a failed escape attempt. Publish a story.” He looked at the man with the digital pad, who had begun scribbling furiously with a light pen. “Say that he was caught off planet. Send this Simon Thwart to the pole and brand him accordingly. In six hours, Xerelane will hang, even if Thwart uses the noose.” The Grand Lord General lowered his gaze down at his General. “General Thwart, I have use for you still.”
“But, My Lord, our forces were not equipped to defend against an air raid.”
The Grand Lord General drummed his fingers on his throne. He had been irritable since early in the morning, when he had received the first reports. “Unacceptable.”
The General at his feet had begun to sweat. “But … my Lord … the attack from the ship. Had we the equipment, perhaps stinger missiles, we might have had a chance.”
“How many lost?”
“Initial reports are twenty three dead, another two injured.” Quipped a slight man in the corner who read from a digital pad.
“Two survivors.” The Grand Lord General continued drumming his fingers.
“A massacre.” The General added.
His fingers were still drumming. “Unacceptable.”
The General wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. His hands trembled.
“Afraid?”
“My Grand Lord General, had we the equipment initially requested, had … we … Xerelane was a liability.”
The Grand Lord General’s fist slammed against his throne with a splintering crunch, although his face expressed no emotion. When he spoke, he had the voice of thunderclouds. “Xerelane was to be executed. You, General Thwart, insisted he be held in your compound until that time. You, General Thwart, insisted your prison was capable of containing such a criminal.” The Grand Lord General raised his finger and pointed it at the General before him. “You, General Thwart, have disappointed me.”
Urine began to run down the General’s leg. “But I had received word from Grand Lord Calder that all preparations had been made.”
“The failings of Lord General Calder are in his single decision to appoint you General of the Guard.” The Grand Lord General held out an empty left hand, and a man dressed in black robes stepped forwards and placed something small and metal in his palm. “We have a decision to make.”
The General fell to his knees. The men closest to the door turned and placed a metal rod across the sealed exit, locking it shut. “My Grand Lord General, I beg you.”
“It is not often that I am disappointed. It is becoming more frequent, the more often there are appointed fools.”
The General fell upon his face, pressing his nose against the stone floor. Although his leg itched with warm, drying piss, he feared to scratch it. “I beg you! My Grand Lord General, I have always hoped to please Talse and none other!”
The Grand Lord General rose to his feet. Among men, he was a giant, being eight feet tall. From his throne’s platform he towered above his court like an obsidian statue clad in his black sluissrad. He cast a pointed finger down at the quivering General, and with his other hand he tossed the metal coin that had been placed in his palm. Without a glance he caught the coin in a gloved fist. “Then we let Talse decide your punishment, General Thwart.” He opened his palm and glanced at the coin, and then he slowly lowered his raised finger.
“Take him away.” Said the Grand Lord General.
The General on the floor began to sob. He hadn’t seen the coin, but by the fact that he still breathed said that the coin of Talse had spoken in his favor. “Oh my Lord Grand General! Oh My Lord! Oh My Lord Grand General, Thank You!” Men came around him and lifted him to his feet. The Grand Lord General sunk back into his throne, still holding the coin in his hand.
“Talse has spoken favorably for you, Simon Thwart.”
“Yes! Thank you, Talse! Thank you, My Lord Grand General!” The General sobbed.
The Lord Grand General tossed the coin to the robed man at his side. “In four hours, the criminal Xerelane is scheduled to be executed. I take it no media has a photograph of him?”
The man with the digital pad in the corner spoke again. “My Lord Grand General, The Pirate Xerelane IV has no published photograph.”
The Lord Grand General nodded slowly. His drummed his throne with his fingers and thought for a while. “Simon, is it?”
The sobbing General nodded. “Indeed, My Lord Grand General. It is Simon.”
“Funny. I do not remember you.”
The General blinked.
The Lord Grand General addressed the men restraining the General before his throne. “Take him to the poles. Announce that Xerelane was recaptured after a failed escape attempt. Publish a story.” He looked at the man with the digital pad, who had begun scribbling furiously with a light pen. “Say that he was caught off planet. Send this Simon Thwart to the pole and brand him accordingly. In six hours, Xerelane will hang, even if Thwart uses the noose.” The Grand Lord General lowered his gaze down at his General. “General Thwart, I have use for you still.”
