Merchants of Death

Chapter 9



For the second time in his life Angelus’s body had been virtually destroyed.



Most of the damage had been done when the necromancer Chrissy Lera had thrown the elfin soldier through several walls and out of the building they were fighting in. But Angelus’s cybernetic body had also suffered damage when he had been lying helpless outside the Imperious Industries base and a pack of hungry zombies had come across the wounded elf.



One of the undead predators had managed to find a crack in his armor and clawed and bit at the living flesh within. Mauling what little remained of Angelus’s original organic body.



Once security forces recovered the elfin cyborg’s body and took him to the nearest Imperious Industries med lab the doctors there realized the wound itself was relatively minor. But the power that animated the zombie had infected the wound.



Now the energy of un-death was spreading throughout what remained of the elf’s living flesh, corrupting and twisting the organic beyond recognition.



But it could not turn Angelus into one of the undead.

What remained of his living tissue was too weak, twisted, and intertwined with supporting spells and machines for that to happen.



The power that had animated Lera’s zombies could only kill him.



*****



The wounded male elf’s armor, mechanical limbs, and groin area had been removed by the doctors treating him, now little remained of the cyborg’s once powerful body but his badly scarred head and torso. Which was currently suspended in a transparent tube full of Bacta (a medicinal liquid Imperious Industries had recently gained access to) with numerous tubes running into and out of the damaged flesh to dispose of waste, pump in nutrients, recycle blood, and various other tasks necessary to keep the badly damaged elfin remnant alive.



Imperious Dakar, who had only recently fully recovered from the wounds he had received during the battle yesterday, stood in front of the cylinder that contained the commander of his security forces. Silently observing the way that the machines were keeping Angelus alive.



The businessman was widely believed by the few who knew him well to be a sociopath. And this was largely true.



Dakar had been cold blooded long before he absorbed the power of a demon, and since then he had literally rewired his brain to allow him to cleanse himself of ‘unnecessary’ emotions like love, fear, compassion, and hate. All in an effort to purge himself of human weakness and imperfection.



Many demons, devils, and other infernal creatures would say that the technomancer had succeeded (assuming that he had ever been honest enough to tell them what he was doing).



Yet he had not always been that way.



When Dakar first met Angelus he had been little more than a very angry, intelligent, and hardened boy. A young man with tremendous potential yes, but no more than that.



The elfin soldier had taught Dakar how to fight, how to strategize, and perhaps most importantly, how to defend what was his.



Angelus had given Dakar the most precious gift of all, the power to take his destiny into his own hands.



The much older male had been Dakar’s leader, teacher, and mentor. Moreover, despite the technomancer wanting to think he was beyond such things, Angelus was also the closest thing Dakar had left to a friend.



Unless he wanted to engage in the kind of self-deception he so despised in others Dakar had to admit one important thing to himself.



He wanted to do everything in his power to save Angelus not (primarily) for any pragmatic reason but simply because it WAS Angelus.



Imperious Dakar looked around the well-equipped med lab, observing the sophisticated equipment, busy scientists, and white walls. Finally settling his gaze on the lead researcher at the Imperious Industries bio-weapons laboratory, Doctor Durga.



Like the rest of his colleagues Dr. Durga was dressed in a white lab coat and black pants. But the illithid scientist was easy to distinguish from the others simply due to his tentacles and skin color. Moreover, unlike the rest of his colleagues Durga did not seem the least bit intimidated by their superior.



“What is you’re diagnosis doctor?” Dakar asked calmly, keeping any real emotion firmly concealed as usual.



The Mind Flayer moved to stand beside the technomancer, keeping his milky white eyes on his boss as he replied “the infection is rapidly spreading throughout his body…infected areas quickly die as the necromantic ‘cancer’ overwhelms the flesh’s already compromised systems…at this rate of infection he will be dead within forty-eight hours.”



“Is there any hope of recovery at this point?” Imperious Dakar coolly replied.



“No…if Angelus were a normal elf we could simply remove the infected areas…but the cyborg already has little flesh left to lose and the interaction of the necromantic energy and the machines and magic permeating Angelus’s body has resulted in side effects which we do not fully understand but are almost certainly malignant” Durga answered, more upset at his own lack of understanding than anything else.



Dakar studied the Mind Flayer closely. He knew enough of the doctor to largely follow Durga’s train of thought.



Durga was not a cruel being, inflicting suffering and death simply for its own sake struck the Mind Flayer as pointless and wasteful. But Durga possessed no compassion or empathy either; he simply went after his objectives coldly and logically.



It was a mindset that Imperious Dakar always aspired to and often embodied. Such a thing would certainly not bother Dakar most of the time.



But at the moment the fact that Durga saw Angelus as nothing but an interesting project angered Imperious. However, the businessman realized that lashing out against Durga would be counterproductive.



“Options?” Imperious asked, the merest trace of genuine anger in his voice.



Durga’s facial tentacles quivered in agitation, for he was not comfortable with the question.



“If we operate now we might…might I stress…be able to save his brain…although then he would just be a brain without a body” Durga replied uneasily, uncomfortable with the degree of uncertainty and unknown variables in his answer.



Imperious Dakar was silent for a moment as he stared at Angelus.



What was left of Angelus’s body didn’t look alive anymore, let alone like an elf. Most of his unscarred skin was a dead looking grey, and with his limbs and groin area missing Angelus wasn’t even clearly humanoid any longer. The cyborg’s glowing mechanical eye looked more alive at this point than his one remaining real one.



But Dakar could sense that the male elf’s mind was still there, and used his unique telepathic powers to reach out to the cyborg.



~I am afraid that your body is damaged beyond repair this time Angelus…we cannot preserve it~ Imperious telepathically told him.



~Then let me die…I have no wish to linger on as a cripple~ Angelus thought.



~Things are not so simple…the technologies I have recently gained access to should allow me to make a new body for you…though this one will not be completely organic either~ Dakar telepathically replied.



~The flesh is weak…I know that better than anyone~ Angelus answered bitterly.



~Yes…but this new body will not be like your current one…you will be able to eat, sleep, and even have sex if you want~ Imperious replied brightly.



~If you had this technology why didn’t you tell me?~ Angelus asked, for he had been unhappy about the limitations of his current body for decades.



~I have the necessary techniques and technologies but I have not fully mastered them yet…and you’re own medical situation has been…complicated for a long time…if I do this right now there is a good chance you could die~ Dakar replied carefully.



~Are you asking me if I want you to put me in a new body even though I may not survive the procedure?~ Angelus asked, coldly discussing his own demise as he had that of so many others.



~Yes.~



Angelus replied without any hesitation or doubt.



~Do it…you owe me that much.~



Durga wondered why his boss had been silent for so long. Then Imperious Dakar looked at the Mind Flayer and said coolly “proceed with the operation doctor.”



*****



After the battle between the Imperious Industries security forces and the Crimson Legion over control of the fortress that served as the base of operations for most Imperious Industries off world trade, Selene had gone to check on her largest new cult. It was located in this world’s Los Angeles, and was being closely watched by the agents of the local Wolfram & Hart office (some of whom had participated in the negotiations between Selene and the law firm).



But Selene didn’t mind the scrutiny.



For all the ancient witch’s love of secrecy and manipulation she liked attention. Feeling that it was no less than her due.



That was probably why she was operating the cult out of a nightclub that she had purchased and renamed Divine Delight.



The club made a deliberate effort to appeal to restless, sexually frustrated, unhappy, or simply bored young people. Once they were regulars at Divine Delight it was relatively easy to recruit the youngsters for the Gold Membership plan, which was the Cult of Selene in all but name.



The Cult used the rooms beneath the main floor of Divine Delight for their secret rituals, including their most sacred. The ceremony where their living goddess granted a willing cultist the ‘honor’ of becoming one with Her by sharing Selene’s bed and then allowing Her to feast on their innermost being.



At the moment Selene was in her private office staring through the tinted windows down at the main floor of Divine Delight. Watching as the club’s patrons danced and writhed around in an alcohol and drug fueled daze, feeding off their youthful energy and passion like the predator that she was, suppressing the urge to go down there and consume them all.



Eventually Selene forced herself to turn away from the tempting sight and paid attention to the other person in her office. If Susan Zweller was offended by the witch’s behavior the werewolf gave no sign of it.



“Dakar is suspicious of you’re behavior during the battle…so he is going to assign you another ‘bodyguard’ to watch over you” Susan explained, almost completely hiding the resentment she felt at having to report to her new ‘master.’



Selene smirked wickedly at the werewolf.



She loved it best when people obeyed her out of pure adoration, but the ancient predator also enjoyed dominating others through naked force. However, Selene knew she couldn’t afford to spend all her time tormenting her newest familiar.



“What can you tell me of this bodyguard?”



“It’s a dark elf mercenary named Alita Impala…Imperious picked her partially because he thinks you like female dark elves…but mainly because Impala’s one very tough bitch and one of the few people other than Angelus Dakar trusts at all” Susan said in an almost lecturing tone.



“Oh I am sure that me and the girl shall become the best of friends,” Selene said with her customary confidence.



Susan almost mentioned that Alita Impala was straight, but then decided not to bother.



When it came to Selene and her lovers; sexual orientation, marital status, and age largely didn’t matter. If the powerful witch and self proclaimed goddess wanted you she would take you regardless.



“What about the Slayer Army?”



Susan repressed a groan, as much as she hated the witch she did not want Selene angry with her, and both of her dominant personalities knew that the news would make the psychic vampire anything but happy.



“The V.S.A. has suspended all payments to and canceled all merchandise orders with Imperious Industries…but they haven’t actually attacked Dakar or the company in any way…Dakar has issued a formal apology for the death of Buffy Summers and her comrades and is trying to negotiate compensation…it looks like we can’t count on the Slayers to do anything else monumentally stupid in the near future to make Imperious wipe them out.”



Selene was silent as she considered her familiar’s words.



All of her plans for this world could be threatened if the Slayer Army remained a viable force. Such a situation was intolerable.



“You will sabotage Dakar’s negotiations and make the Slayer Army go to war against Imperious Industries…we cannot let this opportunity go to waste” Selene commanded.



“No.”



“No” Selene repeated the word slowly, as though studying it for imperfections.



The immortal witch was not used to defiance. At least not from people firmly in her power that knew what she was like Susan.



“Listen…Dakar is already beginning to suspect that there is something between us…and I can’t manipulate minds directly the way that you and your girl can…if I do anything like that he will probably notice” Susan said desperately.



“You fear him more than you fear me?”



“Its not a question of fear it’s a question of priorities…if Dakar finds out that you and I deliberately turned one of his most valuable customers into an enemy for personal profit he will kill BOTH of us…and I don’t want to even imagine what he will do to us if he finds out everything you and I have been doing…besides you and the telepath can do it a lot more quietly and efficiently than I can” Susan frantically explained in a desperate attempt to avoid the wrath of her mistress.



Selene didn’t like the very idea of her servants denying her anything. But she had to admit that the werewolf had a point. Besides Selene didn’t want to provoke a confrontation with Imperious Dakar yet either.



“Very well…I shall have Esme do it…the task is not beyond HER skills” Selene said scornfully.



“Sounds good…well I better be going…I have a lot of other meetings today,” Susan announced with false cheer. Wanting to be anywhere but near her temperamental mistress.



There was a loud click as the door to Selene’s office locked itself. Sealing Susan in the room with Selene.



“No child…your not going anywhere until we ‘discuss’ your rebellious attitude” Selene purred.



“But…but I thought you agreed with me” Susan pleaded, having little taste for torture and torment when she was on the receiving end of it.



The shadows around the Black Queen seemed to deepen, while her eyes glowed with arcane power. Selene’s face was a beautiful mask lacking the slightest warmth or compassion as she said in a voice like poisoned honey “true…but you must still learn your place Susan…besides…I am bored.”



*****



Imperious Dakar did not participate in or supervise the operation to remove Angelus’s brain before it became infected with the undead energies coursing through his body.



Dakar’s specialty was technology, machines, and magic relating to and interacting with them. The technomancer’s skills would be of little use during the procedure, and his presence would only make the doctors actually operating on Angelus nervous.



So Imperious Dakar had decided to spend his time on something far more useful. Reviewing his company’s financial situation.



The more Dakar reviewed the data the harder his neural implants had to work to keep the cyborg from getting furious.



A huge amount of merchandise being stored in the Imperious Industries fortress during the recent battle had been severely damaged or destroyed. Unfortunately a great deal of it had already been sold and was simply waiting for transport to the appropriate world. Now the customers involved would have to receive new weapons or refunds, costing Imperious Industries a great deal of money and perhaps even damaging its reputation as a weapons supplier.



The fortress itself had received a great deal of damage during the battle and would need to be repaired. Costing Imperious Industries a great deal of time and money.



As Imperious Dakar reviewed the numbers the conclusion was inescapable.



If he continued to pay the Mind Flayer cabal that controlled the Iberian Ministry of Security what it demanded for the privilege of operating in Iberia, Imperious Industries would operate at a loss for months at least. Pulling Dakar into a financial hole he might never get out of.



The decision was easy for Imperious Dakar to make.

He would NOT continue to pay the Mind Flayers.



The Security Ministry had to be dealt with now.



*****



Buffy Anne Summers was laying down in her least favorite part of the Scottish castle that served as the headquarters for the Vampire Slayer Alliance, the castle morgue.



Now the Summers Slayer’s two closest friends were standing by her bullet riddled corpse. Still too in shock to even properly mourn their friend.



Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris were not the only people in the morgue. But everyone else there gave the obviously distraught witch and one-eyed man a wide berth. Although Willow and Xander probably wouldn’t have even noticed if everyone had been crowding around them at this point.



With her eyes closed, face cleaned, and most of her body covered by a sheet Buffy looked as though she might just be sleeping. Somehow that made the sight of her corpse even worse to her friends.



“I can’t believe it…I just can’t believe it…after all the weird shit we’ve gone through…all the Elder Evils we’ve fought…and she gets slaughtered by a bunch of thugs with guns…how did this happen?” Xander muttered.



“Were not sure…we think it was one of the Imperious Industries soldiers…but it might have been one of the Legion vampires…it was very…confusing” Willow said softly.



That reminded Xander that Willow had been shot too, and he looked at his friend in concern as he replied, “Are you okay Will…I heard you got hit too.”



The witch grimaced and answered “to be honest I still feel like crap…but there wasn’t any permanent damage…I’m more worried about the rest of the Alliance at this point.”



“Oh God…whose in charge now that Giles and Buffy are dead?” Xander asked the universe at large. Having not even really thought about that aspect yet.



Willow watched her oldest friend closely. The gay woman had once fantasized about marrying Xander, but their relationship hadn’t worked out, not least because he was so immature. But Willow knew that there was more to Xander than most people suspected.



“I have been talking to some of the other girls…and we think that you should be in charge,” Willow said quietly.



“WHAT…but I’m not a Slayer…I’m not even a girl” Xander exclaimed in disbelief.



“So what…Giles did more to create the Alliance than anyone else and Buffy was the champion and face of the organization but you have been running the Slayer Army this whole time…NO ONE has sacrificed more to help the Slayers than you have” Willow said sincerely, as she looked Xander in his one remaining eye.



Xander opened his mouth to protest further, but Willow interrupted him, saying loudly “can the Alliance survive without a leader?”



“No…everything would fall apart,” Xander answered automatically.



“Is there anyone more qualified to lead the Alliance now that Buffy and Giles are gone?” Willow demanded to know.



Xander appeared lost in thought for a moment as he really considered the question. Then he simply whispered “no.”



“Are you going to abandon these girls now?” Willow asked coldly.



“Of course not” Xander replied indignantly.



“That’s why you NEED to be the leader,” Willow said warmly as she smiled and laid a comforting hand on Xander’s shoulder.



*****



The original Udragoth had been a customer who had tried to kill Imperious Dakar rather than pay the arms dealer for his services. Unfortunately for the Mind Flayer he had underestimated Dakar and ended up at the technomancer’s mercy.



As a result, Imperious Dakar had decided that Udragoth would pay off his debt another way. Proving himself more merciless than Udragoth had ever imagined.



The technomancer had used his cybernetics and sorcery to reduce Udragoth to little more than a meat puppet, a creature to telepathically scan the minds of those around Imperious Dakar, but with little purpose or meaning beyond that.



That Udragoth had died years ago. However to someone like Imperious Dakar, death was often just a detail.



The demonically enhanced businessman was currently in a large clinically white and clean room. Filled with dozens of transparent cylinders that reached the ceiling and were attached to complex machinery that emitted a constant low-level sound.



And just barely visible within each cylinder was an adult illithid. All resting in pink fluid, their naked flesh looking light blue in the light of the laboratory, their milky white eyes closed as if in sleep.



Each and every one in Imperious Dakar’s secret laboratory was a clone of Udragoth, but they were not all the same. Many had been designed for specific tasks, and had abilities and traits not common to Mind Flayers.



Imperious Dakar walked up to the one labeled White Noise, staring intently at the tentacled creature sleeping peacefully in its liquid filled cylinder. Rethinking the plan he had recently devised as he gazed at the clone.



~I think its time to give you a field test~ Dakar thought as he initiated the procedures to awaken the clone.



*****



Susan Zweller was naked and on her knees before her mistress in Selene’s office.



Unlike her familiar the ancient witch was only naked from the waist down. Her well preserved body pale and perfect as Susan pleasured Selene with her deft tongue. Susan’s seemingly frail hands tightly gripping Selene’s shapely buttocks as the werewolf licked and nibbled on the witch’s warm vaginal lips.



However, Susan was definitely not looking like her usual self. The werewolf’s small body was covered in bruises that Selene’s magic had prevented from healing, her eyes were swollen from crying, and her rectum was horribly stretched. For Selene had pushed pens, pencils, and other office supplies up the helpless werewolf’s asshole.



But despite Susan’s pain and humiliation her labia was inflamed and swollen, while the area inside her womanhood was moist and throbbing. Because Selene’s magic had ensured that the werewolf had enjoyed every moment of her torment.



“Ah Ah yessss” the witch moaned as she reached her peak. Forcing her familiar to kiss and lick her throbbing flesh until she was completely finished.



Susan glared at Selene as the witch stepped away. Her blue eyes full of icy hate as she stared at her tormentor.



But her obvious anger only amused the werewolf’s mistress. Causing Selene to laugh and say with mock sympathy “poor Lex…one would think that you would have more stomach for this sort of thing…after all…you have used so many others for your own pleasure.”



Ordinarily Lex would have retreated behind Cain or one of Susan’s other personalities in the face of abuse like Selene’s. But the psychic vampire had used the bond with her familiar and her own formidable power to prevent Lex from going dormant. Giving the cruel manipulator a taste of the torment she so often inflicted on others.



Lex was normally an incredibly cunning and silver-tongued being, but Selene had pushed her past her normal limits today, and Lex was about to say something angry and truly stupid when the door to the office opened. Distracting both witch and werewolf from what they had been doing.



“Ah Esme…thank you for arriving so promptly” Selene said like the (temporarily) sated predator that she was.



Esme Cuckoo had changed a great deal since being separated from her sisters.



The female telepath’s blonde hair had been dyed midnight black, while over six months of living with the decadent Selene had made her once slender body less toned and more voluptuous. Esme had also adopted a more condescending and cruel manner and way of speaking over that period.



But the biggest changes were only apparent to those who carefully observed Emma Frost’s most hostile daughter.



Sometimes when Esme was very angry or upset there was just the barest hint of a reddish tint to her once purely blue eyes. Which was just the most obvious aspect of the aura of menace that Esme could adopt seemingly at will now.



An aura of menace that was disturbingly like Selene’s, and that Susan Zweller was feeling the full force of as the telepath and witch-in-training gazed down at her.



“To think that a bitch like you ever considered herself our equal,” Esme said with a laugh as she gazed down at the seething Susan.



“Careful girl…that dog still has claws” Selene cautioned. Though there was no real criticism in her tone.



Lex imagined giving into Cain’s rage and tearing the two condescending women apart with her claws. Feeling their warm blood on her hands as she sliced and tore their flesh. Feasting on their cries of fear and agony.



The werewolf wanted to make her violent fantasy a reality as much as she had ever wanted anything. But she knew that if she tried Selene would stop her before she could move a step, and would then punish the werewolf cruelly enough to bring even a hardened creature like her to tears.



However, Esme and Selene were no longer paying any attention to the werewolf, as they discussed the ancient witch’s plans for the Vampire Slayer Alliance.



“The V.S.A. has already come very close to learning about us several times…given the self-righteous attitude of their members the Slayer Army will surely disapprove of our practices and might even attack us immediately…we must take this opportunity to eliminate them” Selene explained.



As much as Lex hated the witch she had to admire Selene’s confidence. She apparently didn’t have the slightest doubt that she could manipulate Imperious Dakar and his organization into wiping out another powerful group for her. Moreover, Selene had not felt compelled to cover up since Esme had entered the room, leaving her womanhood (still wet with Susan’s saliva and other fluids) completely exposed to the eyes of the other two women.





As the witch had once explained to Susan, modesty and doubt were for lesser beings. But regardless of how much Esme had come to imitate Selene in other ways; she still couldn’t match that boundless confidence.



“It must be done quietly…if there is any major hint of it Dakar’s people are far too likely to find out…and we can’t afford that” stated the woman who had essentially been acting as Selene’s high priestess for months.



“Are you implying it cannot be done?”



“Of course not…I’m just saying that I’ll need at least a few days for information gathering and planning” Esme said huffily.



Selene smirked smugly as she watched her disciple’s reaction. For all of Esme’s newfound arrogance and power she was still often all too easy to manipulate for someone like Selene.



“It is settled then…before the full moon rises again…”the ancient witch began to say.



“…The Slayer Army will die” Esme finished. Already beginning to envision the bloody possibilities in her mind.



*****



As luck would have it, the governing committee of the Iberian Ministry of Security requested another meeting with Imperious Dakar shortly after the businessman decided he needed to meet with them again, apparently to demand another increase in his payments to the group.





Not long ago such a thing would have upset Imperious Dakar, but at this point it only made him even surer that his recent decision regarding the Iberian spymasters was the right one.



As usual the Mind Flayers wanted to meet in the Security Ministry headquarters in the Iberian capital. Undoubtedly because they felt safer and more secure there and figured Dakar would be less so.



~That will only make the operation easier~ the technomancer thought as he moved to make the necessary arrangements.



*****



Less than a day after the meeting was arranged, Imperious Dakar was back in Iberia and driving through the capital city of Neroka.





The guards on duty outside the fortress-like Ministry of Security HQ watched as Dakar’s armored limousine and the other Imperious Industries vehicles approached them. But the technomancer had an appointment and it appeared to just be his usual entourage, so they didn’t give Dakar and his people their full attention.



If they had the guards might have noticed something unusual about the Imperious Industries vehicles.



*****



The chairman of the governing committee and leader of the Ministry of Security in all but name was weird even by the standards of illithids. Though most people would hesitate to even think as much in Charna’s presence.



The most obvious oddity was that Charna considered HERSELF female at all.



From a purely biological point of view Mind Flayers had no separate male and female genders. But most illithids that commonly interacted with patriarchal societies insisted on being referred to in masculine terms, not only to reflect what they regarded as their natural superiority but also because almost no one likes to be called it.



But Charna genuinely thought of herself as female, and insisted that those around her refer to her as such. She also liked to wear pretty dresses and elaborate jewelry, convinced that such things made her beautiful (and perhaps from a very non-human point of view they did).



All things being equal these qualities probably would have aroused the amusement or contempt of Charna’s fellow Mind Flayers. However, Charna was also a powerful telepath, cunning schemer, and the sort of vindictive person who eventually punished every slight, real or perceived.



Imperious Dakar understood people like Charna, which was why he knew that further attempts at compromise with her were almost certainly pointless. Nevertheless he still felt obligated to make an effort. After all, it would be more cost effective if the unpleasantness he had planned could be avoided.



“Ma company can’t pay you any more right now…expenses are simply too high” Dakar explained. Carefully using his ‘thug’ voice to maximum effect.



“Unacceptable…we require more than the pittance you have been giving us for the privilege of operating in our territory…otherwise Imperious Industries will simply have to leave Iberia” Charna replied. Barely concealed greed in her voice.



Imperious Dakar carefully evaluated his surroundings before answering.



They were in a large conference room on the bottom level of the Ministry of Security headquarters. Charna and the twelve other members of the governing committee were seated at a large rectangular table. Twice as many Security Ministry cyborg zombies were also stationed in the room to protect the committee members in case anything threatened them.



Imperious Dakar was alone except for Udragoth, a being that Charna and the other Mind Flayers dismissed because he had no real will of his own.



Ordinarily Dakar would have brought Susan Zweller or Angelus on a trip like this, but he was no longer sure how much he could trust the werewolf and Angelus was not available. Besides, the technomancer suspected that it would be best if his were the only Imperious Industries mind exposed to what was about to happen.



“Is that your final answer?” Dakar asked, his tone cool and casual.



Charna shifted in her seat, the many gold jewel-encrusted rings on her slender fingers glittering, the floor length bright red dress she was wearing providing a vivid contrast to the plain black uniforms the other committee members wore. Once she was sure she had Dakar’s full attention the Mind Flayer replied haughtily “of course…why should we settle for less than our due?”



The other Mind Flayers at the table all nodded their agreement. They might have more fashion sense than the self-proclaimed female, but ultimately none of them were any less ambitious or greedy.



“I thought you would say as much” Dakar said with a grin as he telepathically initiated the first phase of his plan. Admitting to himself that he was probably going to enjoy this regardless of the profits involved.



*****



The guards outside the Ministry headquarters had virtually no warning before they came under attack.



Dozens of Epsilon series robots burst out of the Imperious Industries vehicles, the machine guns built into their heavy arms and the rocket launchers mounted on their broad shoulders firing constantly at the confused guards. Their armor piercing bullets tore through the sentries flesh and the rockets reduced the guards to little more than bloody fragments.



But not all the guards died instantly.



A few of them survived long enough to report the situation and call for back up. However, the situation was worse than they realized.



Those inside the building were in no position to help anyone.



*****



For all of his arrogance Minister Archon had at least respected how dangerous Imperious Dakar was. But his successors did not.



They did not realize what a technomancer was capable of.



Their headquarters contained a wide variety of assassins, rogues, spies, and more specialized killers and manipulators. But few true soldiers, and most of them were cyborg zombies.



Thanks to the spells involved in their creation and their undead nature it would be difficult for Dakar to commandeer these mechanized zombies, at least all at once.



But it was relatively easy for the technomancer to use his power to disable their mechanical parts, reducing the once deadly fighters to little more than twitching heaps of machinery and undead flesh.



Imperious Dakar was also able to telepathically interface with and dominate the central computer that controlled the buildings automated defenses. Turning off the automated weapons outside and unleashing the computer controlled weapons inside the building against the ministry employees.



Throughout the building humans, Mind Flayers, elves, and even a few orcs and Halflings fell to hidden guns, automated lasers, electrified walls and even more exotic automated weapons. All installed thanks to the late Minister Archon. Who had feared given the nature of his followers that the bulk of the Ministry might turn against him some day.



Now the weapons were decimating the leadership of the organization Archon had created, killing hundreds in the first few minutes. The automated systems might have eventually been able to kill all the ministry personnel in the headquarters themselves, but they never got the chance.



Almost immediately after Imperious Dakar’s attack began Epsilon robots stormed the building. Killing everyone they came across with mechanical efficiency.



However, the physical assaults were only part of the technomancer’s overall offensive, and were perhaps the least destructive. They were certainly the most merciful.



*****



Chairman Charna had never experienced such pain before. It felt like her head was burning up from the inside.



The feeling had hit her just after she finished her conversation with Imperious Dakar. A mind searing screech that the Mind Flayers could only ‘hear’ with their psychic senses but was no less powerful because of that.



Now Charna and the rest of the committee was twitching on the floor of the conference room. Their bodies wracked with pain, minds paralyzed by agony, and spirits consumed by growing fear and desperation.



Imperious Dakar gazed down coldly at his helpless foes. Ruthlessly analyzing the situation before making his next move.



White Noise’s first field test had gone better than the technomancer had hoped.



The modified clone of Udragoth was no longer capable of true telepathy, or thought of any kind for that matter. White Noise could not read minds, manipulate thoughts, or influence emotions the way most Mind Flayers could. But the clone did have a special ability that in Imperious Dakar’s opinion more than made up for the lack.



White Noise could generate a kind of powerful psychic howl. There were no words or hidden meaning in the telepathic scream, and only telepaths and other powerful psychics could ‘hear’ it. Nevertheless the formless psychic assault was extremely strong and able to overcome most telepathic defenses, for it was essentially just raw mental power channeled through a particular psychic ‘frequency.’



Once Imperious Dakar had activated Udragoth’s special ability all the Mind Flayers and other powerful psychics within the building had collapsed, overcome by the naked force of the mental attack (Dakar himself was only immune to it thanks to his connection to Udragoth). Now the telepaths who dominated the Iberian Ministry of Security were all but helpless, paralyzed by pain and shock. As the Epsilon robots moved through the building and encountered these helpless creatures the mechanical warriors were able to kill them with chilling ease, unmoved by the frequent begging, cursing, or attempts at bribery by the besieged telepaths.



As he monitored the situation via the wireless network and sensors of his killing machines, Imperious Dakar came to the conclusion that he had made the right choice to not to include any non-robots in this mission except himself and Udragoth.



Deciding that there wasn’t any point in waiting any longer, Imperious Dakar took a concealed gun off his belt, and began to coldly and methodically walk up to each committee member and shoot the genderless creature through the head.



Charna watched in growing fear and horror as the faces of her comrades exploded in showers of blood, flesh and bone. The rounds of Dakar’s powerful little gun all but destroying their heads.



The feminine Mind Flayer tried to use the telepathic powers that had always served her in the past to ravage Imperious Dakar’s mind, or at least grab his attention so Charna could use the distraction to get away. But the illithid simply couldn’t concentrate, the pain was too great.



Then in what seemed like no time at all to Charna, all her comrades on the committee were dead but one, and Imperious Dakar was standing before her. His gun pointed at her and only inches from one of her eyes.



“Please…can’t you at least tell me how you’re doing this?…what this is all about?” Charna pleaded, the Mind Flayer’s voice completely stripped of its usual haughty arrogance.



“No” Imperious Dakar coolly replied as he pulled the trigger.



The bullet passed through Charna’s head so quickly that the Mind Flayer had virtually no time to feel any pain. She was simply pleading for answers and then she was dead, her head reduced to a bloody ruin.



Coxana, the last surviving member of the governing committee saw his chairman’s futile pleas and messy death and was certain that he was next. The frightened and pain wracked spymaster tried crawling away, desperately hoping that Dakar would somehow not notice him, that the technomancer would forget about him.



But the murderous demonically enhanced human had never forgotten about Coxana.



He had deliberately saved the frightened creature for last because Coxana was generally considered the weakest and stupidest member of the governing committee. Which made Coxana perfect for Imperious’s purposes.



The technomancer watched as Coxana picked up a communicator one of his dead comrades had dropped and pressed a few buttons. Frantically whispering into it “security!…security!…this is Master Coxana…send all available forces to conference room A3…this is a Level Three emergency.”



But all the desperate Mind Flayer received back was static. There was no one to answer him.



“I AM the security system now boy” Dakar growled as he moved to loom over the terrified Coxana. Then he reached down to grab the illithid by the throat.



Coxana could only struggle weakly as Dakar lifted him by the throat. His voice half strangled as he pleaded for his life. Staring at Udragoth in a mad hope that the illithid would help his fellow Mind Flayer, but getting nothing back except a disturbingly empty stare in return.



“Do you want to live?” Imperious Dakar asked coldly, his strange eyes boring into Coxana’s white orbs.



“Yes…oh yes…please…I’ll do anything” the desperate and pain wracked creature said. His words half strangled by Dakar’s strong fingers.



“Good” the technomancer replied as he felt his nano-machines spread from his hand to Coxana’s flesh, already multiplying inside the ignorant creature’s body.



*****



Imperious Dakar looked down at the twitching form of Coxana. Satisfied with the day’s work.



Now that his nano-machines were establishing connections to Coxana’s brain the technomancer would be able to telepathically dominate the Mind Flayer with ease. Combined with Coxana’s status as the last surviving member of the governing committee, these traits would make the unfortunate illithid an ideal figurehead for Imperious Dakar to use to manage the Ministry of Security.



Moreover, controlling the Security Ministry would be much easier now that most of the telepaths who had dominated it for so long were dead.



Of course most of the ministry personnel could not be allowed to learn what had really occurred here. Otherwise they might seek vengeance, or least not obey Dakar’s newest puppet. Fortunately the Ministry of Security had more than enough enemies and potential enemies to serve as scapegoats.



Imperious Dakar was mentally finalizing his plan concerning these potential scapegoats when he realized that Udragoth had not stopped issuing his psychic attack despite receiving a command to do so. The technomancer mentally and verbally commanded the Mind Flayer to cease and desist but received no response.



There was apparently something wrong with the design or production process for White Noise, since it could not be turned off.



~A pity…but its just the prototype~ Imperious Dakar thought. Aiming his weapon and slaughtering Udragoth just as quickly and efficiently as he had killed chairman Charna.



*****



Christopher Lera, senior diplomat of the Iberian government and the son and only child of Chrissy Lera, was nervous as his limousine approached the Iberian capital.



For most of the last seven months the handsome male dark elf had been assigned to one diplomatic mission after another. Each had kept Christopher out of his homeland for longer and longer periods of time, making the elf suspect that his mother or one of her advisors didn’t want him around.



Moreover, the few times that Christopher had gone back to the capital over the last six months his mother had usually refused to see him. The one time he had met with his mother over that period she had seemed…different somehow.



Christopher Lera was also hearing disturbing rumors about the Ministry of Security from his friends and other contacts in the capital city. If even half of what Christopher Lera had heard was true then the Iberian spymasters had apparently lost what little respect they had for his mother’s laws of justice and due process.



Though he was no warrior, Christopher Lera was hardly a coward either. Now that his latest diplomat mission was over, he was determined to confront his mother and get to the bottom of this. Christopher only hoped that something hadn’t finally pushed his never particularly sane mother completely over the edge.