Chapter 404: Diplomacy
"King Evans!"
"Q… Queen Vivati, shouldn't you be resting!?"
Although extremely reluctant and against her superiors' orders, Captain Ameera ended up following her guts and prepared her ship to go to planet Mizhra. Her men also showed their reluctance, of course-- but like her, they were following their guys so no one really made any effort in stopping her.
They all followed their guts… in fear that their guts will be spilled if they don't follow Van right now. It was a good thing that Van only really needed Ameera's ship, so they were ordered to just stand by for further orders.
And so now, Captain Ameera was making sure that her ship's Energy Shield was fully charged; as she was sure she was going to need it. But when she was about done, someone suddenly climbed aboard her ship-- none other than the Queen of Osiris herself.
"You… you shouldn't be here, Queen Vivati!" Ameera once again expressed her concern as she blocked Vivati's path.
"Where's King Evans!?" Vivati, however, pushed Ameera to the side as she rushed deeper into the ship; not stopping until she saw Van standing idly on the bridge. She was about to approach him, but her steps became sedated as soon as she saw the look on Van's face.
"That's…" Vivati then turned her eyes to where Van was looking, only to see a glass container with a small tree inside it, "Isn't that…"
"Something that could have been," Van breathed out as he looked at Vivati, "I am sorry this is all I could do, Queen Vivati."
"What…" Queen Vivati's steps were slow and filled with hesitation; kneeling in front of the glass container as soon as she was in front of it, "No…
...This is plenty, King Evans," Queen Vivati then said as she softly caressed the glass container. She remained like this for a full minute, before letting out a long and deep breath as she stood up and turned her eyes towards Van.
"I wish to come with you, King Evans."
"T… that's not wise!" Captain Ameera, who had been watching on the side, quickly raised her voice as soon as she heard Queen Vivati's words, "Forgive me for speaking up, but if you go… then this is as good as declaring war against the people of Mizhra!"
"There will be no war, Captain," Queen Vivati breathed out, "King Evans said that he would stop it before anything like that happens. I only wish to see the ones who stole a child's future put into justice."
"This is…" Captain Ameera could only close her eyes in frustration. On one hand, there was a risk of an all-out war risking billions of people and her being completely taken off the Force by the Common Circle; on the other…
...she could offend Van.
"Please…
...fasten your seatbelts."
***
"How far was Mizhra from Osiris?"
"Approximately 75 billion kilometers, King Evans."
"...And you're saying we're here?"
"Y… yes."
"How fast did we go?"
"...About 3,200 times the speed of light, King Evans."
"That speed got us here in less than 5 minutes?"
"Y… yes, King Evans."
"...It would seem I am still too slow."
"I… I think you're the fastest living creature in the whole galaxy, King Evans," Captain Ameera took in a huge gulp as her hands were already slipping from the control rod, "But… but more importantly, what do we do with that?"
Captain Ameera then pointed towards the main monitor, which was currently showing probably more than a thousand ships blocking their path; completely filling the entire screen.
"We're going to die, aren't we?" Captain Ameera then took in another huge gulp that traveled throughout the ship, "W… well, at least the Queen and I would-- you'll probably survive, King Evans."
"..." Vivati only glanced at Ameera's remarks, before turning her attention to Van, "What are you planning to do?"
"Can they hear us from here?" Van then said as he unbuckled his seat, and as soon as he did so, the energy shield that was surrounding it faded away. He then moved closer to Captain Ameera, leaning towards the control panel.
"Y… yes. They have actually been trying to contact us since we got here," Captain Ameera was not trying to hide her nervous breaths anymore as her stutters became even stronger, "Should… I put them on?"
"Do it."
One of the monitors quickly changed into the image of a man; and similar to the furions he had just executed back in Osiris, the man had beast-like ears and scaled skin.
"...Queen Vivati," the man then quickly breathed out as his eyes moved.
"Supreme Minister J'kub," Queen Vivati replied.
"I truly apologize for the actions of one of my planet's leaders," the man in front of the screen, Supreme Minister J'kub, held a very complicated expression on his face-- his eyes seemingly filled with remorse,
"But I want you to know that I was unaware of his plans. For one to even think of using… an unborn child as a battery is an act so evil that it truly makes my scales wither. Even if my planet is in need of such energy, I would never order such an action."
"..." Queen Vivati, however, only looked at the screen for a few seconds before shaking her head, "I am afraid I also can't help you with what is about to happen, Supreme Minister J'kub. We might have reached a diplomatic resolution if it was only my child that was stolen… but the other half of that unborn child belonged to someone else."
Seeing Queen Vivati looking to the side and no longer wishing to talk, J'kub's eyes once again moved.
"King… Evans," he then whispered, "The actions of one is not the action of my people. Do not let this turn into a war. We may not be your people, but we are people still. Billions will die on both sides if we--"
"There will be no war."
And before Supreme Minister J'kub could finish his words, Van finally spoke up.
"Let our ship inside, Supreme Minister J'kub. You have my word that only one life will be lost in this encounter."
"That's-- One life to avoid a billion deaths," J'kub was about to stand up from his seat after hearing Van's words, but he quickly calmed himself down, "Very well…
...Let them inside."
"!!!"
Whispers quickly echoed from the screen as soon as J'kub said his words. There were shadows of silhouettes moving around him, clearly arguing and debating the Supreme Minister's decision. The Supreme Minister, however, slammed his hand on the table, quickly shutting down the whispers of the people that were with him in the room.
In any other situation, what they were about to do now required months of preparation and process. For a monarch of another planet to freely land on their territory, carrying what was basically a biological weapon comparable to a thousand thermonuclear energy bombs, was something that should never be done.
But in this situation, it was the only thing that J'kub could do. If he ordered his people to shoot the ship down, and Van happened to survive-- he would surely bring destruction to their planet.
And even if they manage to kill him afterwards, then not only the military of Osiris but also the other planets in the Common Circle would surely already be on their way to bring them to justice.
Queen Vivati told him that they could have reached a diplomatic resolution if Van was not in the equation… but she was wrong. Sometimes, there is diplomacy in raw violence.
His reputation as a leader is nothing if the lives of his people would be spared.
"I already have the governor S'thra in custody…
...you may do to him as you wish."
***
"I… I did what I did for the planet!"
"..."
"Supreme Minister… please. This… this is not right!"
"..." Supreme Minister J'kub did not stray his eyes as Governor S'thra struggled in front of him… and a thousand other people.
He already knew that S'thra will be executed, as he saw how Van beheaded the others in the news without any hesitation. But never did he think that Van would ask him to make it an official public execution.
J'kub then turned his eyes towards Queen Vivati, who was quietly sitting beside him; her eyes completely clear as she stared at the man who basically ordered the death of her unborn child.
The people gathered here had already heard the crimes of Governor S'thra, and although there were those that did not really like what was going to happen; most of the people here were calling for the Governor's head.
The majority who came were women, even bringing trash to throw towards the struggling Governor S'thra…
...who was currently tied to a cross.
J'kub had thought that his people had already evolved from their beast-like traits, but seeing his people hissing and baring their fangs towards the Governor-- it would seem they only needed a reason to come back… as even he too, could feel his fangs shivering as he looked at the man who almost brought destruction to his planet.
And soon, the roars that were calling for blood became completely silent; with some of them even kneeling to the ground as a figure slowly descended from the sky.
Queen Vivati quickly stood up as soon as the figure showed himself, and without uttering any words, also kneeled down.
"...King Evans," Captain Ameera, who was standing behind the Queen, also kneeled to the ground as soon as she saw Van landing on the ground, carrying what seemed to be…
...a torch.