Thus Did The Imperium of Mankind Fight There

Part 29 Enlightenment

Ghota: Yes Sir. 

Ghota left the room leaving the remaining members of the command staff confused as to who this princess was. 

Arik was aware introducing the abhuman girl would lead to some controversy over his decision. 

Some would be distrustful of a native in a position of influence and power within the army. Others would point out her youth, believing her to be too immature to be in a role of leadership.

However, Arik knew the princess possessed potential even she herself was not aware of. He had seen the look of determination in her eyes when she introduced herself. 

The fire of a soul who'd given up before realizing there was still hope. He believed the princess would prove herself, if not out of gratitude for saving her life, then for her people and her family. 

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Alice had been waiting outside in front of the large twin doors of the headquarters room, wide and tall enough to permit the giants she'd seen entry, for some time. 

She'd been kept in the same building as the rest of the demi-humans these newcomers had captured. Alice was given her own room though, due to her status as a local royal. Her former status as a royal, she cynically mused. 

With the offer of cooperation from the massive general of this army of otherworlders though, she was determined to change that. 

Alice had been anxiously waiting for news directly after her conversation with Lord Taranis, pondering on how she would reestablish the bunny kingdom with her Aunt if these humans really intended to save her as the giant said. 

Would her people be allowed to create their own country or be integrated? Would they be treated any better than they were in the Empire? Or would they truly be made citizens of this "Imperium" and treated as equals? 

Alice knew that these people from the Gate were more than powerful enough to completely obliterate the Empire. 

In her nightmares, she would relive that battle when they slaughtered the Saderan Legions in minutes. Flashing lights, constant explosions, the sounds of death and the miserable noises of the dying. 

Nonetheless, she knew her people required aid and now, not later. After the Empire burned their nation to the ground, their lives became a living hell. 

First, they'd been stripped naked with the unlucky ones being raped and or beheaded to instill fear before they were clamped in irons and marched into slavery, Saderan legionaries whipping them and screaming demeaning slurs the whole way. 

Their attractiveness made them prized sexual possessions for the Empire's aristocracy and they even held the humiliating status as the most expensive slaves traded in the markets. 

Alice herself shivered and held herself as she tried to dispel the unwanted memories of her own ordeal. Her rank meant that she'd been singled out and gifted to a prestigious old Senator and recalling how he'd treated her made her wretch. 

Her people were a dying race as any remnants of their culture were destroyed or literally beaten out of them. Worst of all, their population which was never considerable despite the large size of the average bunny family, had been in rapid decline ever since their enslavement.

All this meant that she'd willingly make a deal with Hardy herself and so she'd accepted the giant's offer with the sole condition that her Aunt be freed. 

After she'd agreed to an alliance with Lord Taranis and led to her new room, a man who called himself an "Iterator" entered and told her he had been tasked with giving a general overview of the "Imperium" which this army came from and answer any question she may have.