Chapter 7 of my Endless fan fiction...

Ch 1 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16426-fan-fiction-the-duke

Ch 2 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16382-fan-fict-the-missionary

Ch3 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16383-fan-fict-the-vain-god

Ch 4 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16386-fan-fict-the-chained-chancellor

Ch 5 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16396-fan-fict-the-silver-paladin

Ch 6 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16395-fan-fict-the-doubtful-clerk



The Mad Emperor



Maxamillion Zelevas looks down on the plate set before him. Hydromeil stew with drizzled redsang sauce, Orchid Salad with blood melons and Amoeba eggs, and grilled mosa steak. The meat was lightly charred, red in the middle with blood pooled around the flank. Max’s face darkens. His hands ball into fists. He grasps the plate and throws it at a perspiring servant standing nearby. The servant ducks and the dish smashes to pieces against the wall.



“I told you I wanted my steak rare!” Boomed the Emperor.



“A thousand pardons, your grace,” bowed the servant, “I will bring you another plate at once.”



“Go,” growls Max. The servant makes a hasty retreat.



A neuro-bot appears in the chamber to clean the mess dripping down the wall. Emperor Zelevas rises from the dining table. The dining chamber is a testiment to the decadence of the United Empire. On either side of the grand entrance are two mercurite tubes climbing up from the floor and run along the top of the wall of the circular room, emitting an ever changing ambient light throughout the dining room. A twelve foot statue, sparked to the likeness of his father, stands at the far end of the room looming over the head of the dining table as if to watch over his son.



The palace AI received a neural signal from his brain and ascertains that the Emperor wishes to look out upon his city. Half of the wall that wraps around the room dematerializes exposing the grand cityscape that lay beyond.

Intelligent Skyscrapers rise hundreds of stories into the air, space elevators extended up and through the atmosphere, connecting the city to the rest of the solar system. Shuttles weave between towers, transporting the privileged to vacation terminals as armies of AI workers and slaves march through the Undercity to carry on the work of the Empire. Maxamillion presided over the Empire as it rose to the height of its power, defeating the craver hives in the Great Craver War just over one hundred years ago. The Empire flourished under a short lived peace as they basked in the gratitude of the other races of the galaxy, enjoying profitable trade and research and resource sharing from the Sophons and Amoebas. However, when it became clear that the United Empire would not be returning the craver conquered worlds to their respective governments, the alliances fell apart. Soon after the Empire itself splintered off with the Pilgrim rebellion. As he presided over the rise of the Empire, so to may he preside over its fall.



The Lord of Terrans let loose a loud sigh, his hands smoothing over his grey hair. He felt the unkempt beard that had grown over face. The past few weeks had been very dark for the Emperor. He had spun into madness as his neural link with Heres Adrift disintegrated. Somehow, his former chancellor had severed the control link that kept him in bonds to the Emperor’s will. The severance did not go well, luckily the Emperor was in seclusion when it happened. He had screamed and shouted, killing the few servants that had been in attendance. When his household guard finally came to check on him, they found him eating one of his dead attendants.



Over the years, Max knew his behaviour had been growing more erratic. His taste in food had changed. He only ate meat now, though his servants served him fruits and vegetables in hopes that he would partake. Zelevas had become ever more reclusive, almost preferring to live within the powerful body of the Craver than within his own skin. There is no doubt that the connection with Adrift went both ways. He had fooled himself into thinking he was in complete control, but like the rebellion of the Pilgrims to join the Sophon, a fraction of his psyche had splintered off and surrendered to the craver. Max could still see through Heres with his mind’s eye from time to time, and he could speak to him, but control was no longer there and his exact location escaped Max.



Emperor Maxamillion had not left his chambers since the incident. His court neglected and left to its own devices. His High Steward now ran his court. Inaptly keeping the Empire together, as pirates terrorized the outer rim, and the Pilgrims were allowed to remain unchecked in their new home system, and Heres Adrift still eluded the Hissho/Imperial joint fleet pursuing him.



The wall materialized once more, and revealed the cargo bay of a ship. Maxamillion watches the scene unfold before him without blinking. A company of Imperial soldiers battle several fire teams of Pilgrim troops. The view centers around a woman with silver hair as she shouts commands to her fire teams. Her eyes glow a golden fire, the shields of the imperial troops fail and her and her teams pick them off one by one. She was an Influent, a dust wielder. One of the most powerful that the Emperor had ever seen.



After the Imperial soldiers retreat the woman moves to the wall and begins to shut the blast doors. She does not see the craver emerge into the bay. Heres Adrift jumps into the air and his massive claw slams down into the floor, the gold tingled shockwave sends the silver haired woman into the air and crashing down in a heap of broken bones. Heres Adrift’s tentacles slither around the woman and lift her into the air. Imperial reinforcements come running into the bay, driving the Pilgrim fire teams into full retreat. Heres holds her face close to his, studying her. She says something, lightly touching his face. Heres tentacles tighten around her neck, there is a sickening pop and she falls lifeless to the floor. Imperial troops fill the cargo bay, setting up a command point, readying for the task of taking the Pilgrim ship.



Heres stares down at the body before him. Maxamillion remembers urging the beast forward to take the ship, but he only stands there. A cloud of Dust rises from the body and drifts around the craver. The particles wrap around him and permeate through him. Maxamillion deduces that it is this point that their neural link shatters. The craver lets out a horrible howl and madly thrashes around the cargo bay, killing Imperial soldiers unfortunate enough to get in his way, then leaves through the bay doors.



The wall returns. The battle had been a bitter victory. The enemy admiral was eliminated along with his control of the craver. The Pilgrim fleet annihilated but not before their battleship regained its weapon systems and did massive damage to the dreadnought. Instead of moving on to the new Pilgrim capital, his outer fleet now pursued Heres Adrift since he absconded with his ship, The 1108, named for a passage in the Holy Script.



Maxamillion Zelevas felt like himself once more, though part of him was lost to Heres Adrift and he supposed that would always be so. At least until he can capture the craver again and tune the neural implants. He must not delay in his personal chambers any longer. He must take action and continue his grand agenda of bringing peace to the galaxy. A galaxy divided is a galaxy in perpetual conflict. All must be united, and he was the only one who could achieve this.



The servant returned with a plate of raw mosa steak and nothing else. The Emperor’s smile cut across his face. “Call a war council, order the Amosa Fleet to assemble.”



“Yes, your majesty,” bowed the servant.



The Emperor moves to the table and picks up the meat with his bare hands and bites into the bloody steak, the servant averts his eyes.

Blood runs down his chin…



“We are leaving for Xenophros.”

And so the plot thickens...Everyone falling upon the poor Xenophos system...Looking forward to seeing what's coming next. I like how you keep alternating between factions and perspectives.