"My Lord, my men took care of Lady Korene." The captain of the guard reports to Kyron.
"Good. And what of the Fliskans?" Kyron asks.
"They were able to escape. Intelligence reports say they are headed for Ludin." The soldier narrated carefully.
"I am disappointed that the Fliskans have escaped but you succeeded in eliminating Korene so I'm giving you another chance. Very well Captain, rejoin your men. Have the Fliskans follow but be discreet. Then gather your forces. We will send reinforcements and attack with full force." The Nybian ruler instructs and the soldier agrees.
After ending their correspondence, Kyron communicates with his cousin Lenron.
"Greetings my cousin!" Lenron says upon opening his communicator and strikes his chest with an open palm. "I await your orders, Ruler of Nybos."
Lenron was Kyron's cousin and a Prince of Nybos. His mother was the late King Morgoda's younger sister, Princess Darine.
"You look well, my cousin. Being in Fijolka suits you. I must visit your planet sometime. Anyway, Captain Shiga is landing on your planet soon. You are to brainstorm and present your plan of attack to me. Is that understood?"
"You know I don't work with anyone else, cousin."
"I know that you are the best of the best and you don't need anyone to boss you around but they can be valuable to us. And you are the best I have. That is why it has to be you. Do the job well." Kyron smiles and continues. "Or I could send you into exile farther away than Fijolka!" He laughs devilishly.
Lenron knows the consequences of disobeying Kyron further. "Alright, I will do as you say as long as I get justly compensated."
"You will get more than what you asked for if you seal the deal. Do remember they are very powerful. They can aid us to defeat our enemies and then we can subdue them. So do the best you can to win them over. You are the only one who can do this, my cousin." Kyron soon ended the transmission.
When they finished conversing, Lenron's servant informed him that slave traders as well as shipments had just arrived. However, their radars are picking up signals that a fleet is fast approaching their planetary space.
Meanwhile, space vessels are entering the planet Fijolka, a former resort world run by a corporation. Now, it is under Nybian rule and serves as a military base, storage warehouse, and slave pit by Nybian forces. It was conquered by Kyron's cousin, Lenron who is also assigned as its governor. The planet is an ocean world with isles composed of compact sand, clay, and some soil. The space vessels land on the water tarmac with special water landing gears. The first group of space vessels that arrived that day consisted of container vessels filled with captives to be sold.
Lenron left his quarters to inspect his new imports. As the people were being unloaded, he noticed a woman who looked like his sister Dorrelia. As a young adult, Lenron was orphaned together with his sister, Dorrelia. A plague swept Nybos and Dorrelia was infected leaving the girl a living vegetable. To save her life, the king sent her away to receive treatments.
Since they took her away, he never heard from her again. According to sources, their enemies attacked the planet where she was recuperating and was killed. Kyron assures him that Dorrelia is safe wherever she is and it would be best that her location remained unknown so that she may not be tracked down by their enemies. Kyron promises that in time Lenron shall be reunited with his sister.
Lenron badly misses her and the idea that she might be dead sometimes drives him mad. He longs to see her but he also believes in Kyron's advice. Since he has many enemies within Nybos and outside it, it would be best to keep her location secret. As long as she lives, he was content.
He looks at the slave closely and sees that it is not his sister but her resemblance to Dorrelia that moves him. That is why he orders the guards to take the girl and make her one of his servants. Then, a group of merchants came forward and chose from the stock they had just brought in.
After selecting what they needed, they paid off Lenron and took their leave with their purchases. Not for long, new visitors have arrived.
Captain Shiga and the rest of the fleet land on the water tarmac. They use their water landing gears and skid off the water runway. Their ships were pulled in by specialized watercraft and all of them boarded a boat that brought them to one of the isles. Lenron greets his guests and meets the captain.
"Greetings Captain Shiga!" Lenron says. "I am Lenron, governor of Fijolka and Prince of Nybos."
Captain Shiga salutes. "My pleasure to meet you Prince of Nybos. This is my team." He extends out his palms to show the numbers of his men. One of them moved forward. "And this is my second-in-command, Sergeant Kazasta." The soldier saluted the governor of Fijolka.
"Have we met before?" Lenron blurted out.
"No Sir, we haven't." Kazasta coldly replies.
"Oh, my bad. You look like someone I met before. Anyway, please follow me."
Lenron gives the captain and his team a short tour of his facilities. The guests see that the resort is now gone and has become a military base. The locations of certain corals and marine life have been replaced by special defense armaments ready to cause havoc any minute.
Should there be a perimeter breach, these deadly weapons will cause destruction that could even blow the planet apart. The areas where special entertainment marine rides were located have become a garage for highly advanced submarines equipped with weapons of mass destruction.
Lenron was proud to show his weapons but the captain claims they were second class. They were no match for the artillery his empire has produced. Lenron is enraged but tries to keep his composure. After all, Kyron says they need these people as allies.
When they finished the tour, Lenron brought the captain and his troops to his meeting room. They discuss strategies and attacks. Afterward, the guests retire.
As Lenron himself calls it a night, he encounters Kazasta along the halls. The soldier salutes as he passes by. He then notices a birthmark on her arm similar to that of Dorrelia. He then takes her arm and recognizes that it was his sister Dorrelia only that there was something strangely different about her. "I knew it, this birthmark. You are Dorrelia!"
Kazasta retorts in confusion. "I don't know what you are talking about. Please let me rest." She dislodges his grip on her and leaves.
Before he could proceed to his room, another servant comes and informs Lenron that the captain wants to have a private word with him. Lenron then pays a visit to his guest. Captain Shiga was in a small sitting room waiting for him to discuss some private matters.
"Thank you for heading my request." The captain says. "Kyron, the ruler of Nybos, has asked me for a favor once before. He sought my help in retrieving his cousin who was recuperating on a planet that was attacked by enemy forces. We brought your sister, Princess Dorrelia, to the medical facilities of RAXA tech. No matter what they did, she was fading swiftly so the only way to save her was to clone her.
To save her life, the scientists had to extract the remaining unaltered DNA and fused it with an artificially created body to create an improved Dorrelia and renamed Kazasta. Although she now has strength and agility, we need to help her regain her memories slowly to prevent information overload which will force her to shut down."
"Why couldn't she recognize me?" Lenron asks.
"Her memories are yet to come back and bringing her here was a suggestion we made to Kyron. Being reunited with you will allow her memories to return." Captain Shiga responds. "In time, she will remember you. That is why she is to stay here as requested by Kyron. He also informs me he will be communicating with you soon so allow me to retire now before he makes the transmission." Shiga salutes and then heads off to his room.
In the middle of the night, Kyron communicates with his cousin.
"How is Kazasta? Aren't you happy to be reunited with your sister?" Kyron says
"NO!" Lenron angrily responds. "I am not pleased. I am sorry cousin, but she is not my sister. She is just a replica of what she was. How could you do this to her and me? We are your closest kin." His voice breaks.
"It was your sister's wish to be cloned," Kyron explains. "Dorrelia regained consciousness upon receiving treatments but her health was failing. When the physicians laid out the options and their risks, Dorrelia chose to proceed. She even requested that she be transformed into a greater being to be of service to her kingdom and be of help to her brother as well. I only gave cousin Dorrelia what she asked for and did you a favor, cousin Lenron."
"Very well then. If that is what she asked, I am sure you have made a great effort to bring her back to me. Thank you, cousin and great ruler." Lenron salutes.
"Sure. I will do what is best for my cousins. See to it that she performs excellently. Otherwise, the RAXA scientists will have to explain her errors. That will be all. Good night." Kyron ends the transmission.
Lenron still cannot accept that the person with him is a clone. Though he must be happy that she is back with him, he still feels he wants 100% Dorrelia, not 50% of his sister.
He then goes back to his room. On the way, he notices again the slave girl who looks like Dorrelia. The girl curtsies. After she rises, he asks for her name.
"Caelis, my name is Caelis, your highness." She responds.
"I haven't introduced myself. I am Lenron." He motions his hands toward his chest. Caelis giggles before she talks again. "I know, your highness."
"You can call me Lenron."
"It feels impolite, Sire." She awkwardly remarks.
"No, I insist." He utters.
"Very well Lenron." She looks at him timidly.
"That's better. So where are you from Caelis?"
"I'm sorry I don't remember. All I can recall was that I was heading for the Vel when it docked in a station. I was told to transfer to another ship which led here."
"Oh pardon. I hope your memories will return to you soon, Caelis." Lenron replies.
"I hope so. I do recall most of them. I know that I had a brother. I don't know what happened to him. The last memory I recall was waking up in a hospital room. After regaining my strength, they sent me to the Vel region.
"I am an orphan too and had a sister who is recovering from ailments," Lenron claims.
He shares the story of his life with her, and both enjoy conversing.
In the distance, Kazasta watches and feels confused with her envious emotions at the sight of Lenron and Caelis talking.
Meanwhile, Kyron returns to Nybos to replenish his army and prepare for the battles ahead. Kyron is then informed that his stepmother, the dowager royal lady Vessea, is in a critical state. The princesses are asking for a specialist to examine their mother. Kyron initially hesitates but soon gives them what they want.
Back in Fijolca, a new day has begun. Captain Shiga and his men bid Lenron and Kazasta farewell before flying off. Kazasta then speaks to Lenron.
"I am given orders to communicate with Pulshi. Please join me in doing so." She opens her communicator while Lenron watches on. After opening the gadget, they both see a man whose face is covered yet his clothing is slightly revealed. Judging from his wardrobe, he appears to be clad in Galmaran attire.
"I have informed the emperor's men that I shall be doing Kyron's orders earlier than expected."
Kazasta responds. "Make sure Galmar will break away from their alliance with Fliska."
"Leave it to me. That wedding will never take place." Pulshi claims. Kazasta gives him tips on how to do so. Lenron is impressed by his companion's twisted plot.
Pulshi then goes back to his home world and visits the estate of an old friend.
"It is good to see you again, my lord." Pulshi says. "You look well."
"Thank you." The man says. "Please sit down and have some refreshments.
Pulshi sits and takes a sip from a cup. "I heard you are leaving soon."
"Yes, I am tasked to accompany my cousin and be his royal adviser." The man shares.
"Be sure to watch over him. He is to be wed soon to fulfill his obligations. Keep an eye on him and his bride-to-be."
"Yes, I feel the Fliskans are not to be trusted." The man says. "As you have advised in the past, it is better to side with the Mudrogos Vel."
"Indeed." Pulshi agrees. "So be careful. May you and your cousin be safe." He then gives the man a vial. "Here, you might need this for when the time comes." He then bows out. As they part, Pulshi smiles knowing that everything is going as planned.