Super Spaced Out

The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug

Gasps and murmurs from the crowd buzzed over the initial silence at the Utori party's arrival. Besides the armored slicksuits to which Lily was accustomed, all the Utori wore capes which fastened to their pauldrons by silver medallions stamped with the Obarion crest. Vlex's cape was red. The lieutenants flanking him wore purple. Fitted about Vlex's pale and hairless head was a black band.

Just like the Xidian King's crown, Lily thought and conjured an image of that cadaverous face as Camille had seen it so many ages ago. She turned to doctor Puu.

"D—Did you know Vlex was a prince?"

The doctor shook his head. "I did not. This revelation is exceptionally unfortunate for the captain."

"How come?"

A golden finger touched the doctor's lips and Lily shushed. The Pashmi Council Steward had risen. At her address, Vlex, Prince Vlex, bowed his head and placed his right fist over his breast.

"Prince Dmir Vlex, your disregard of these hearings is inexcusable. As captain Kurban Vortrand's accuser it is within his right to face and question you and you have deprived him of that right and derided the gravity of this hearing."

"Derision was not the Xidian Hierarchy's intent nor was it mine," Vlex said, lifting his head and awaiting the Steward's response.

The sandy furred ridge over the Pashmi woman's brow raised when she cocked her head. She gestured that he should continue. Vlex stood upright, his arm at his sides.

"It was my intent, the Obarion's intent, to see justice done and reparations made for my wrongful imprisonment, but the Xidian Hierarchy and the King, my uncle, staid my attendance to advance agendas of their own."

Vortrand, whose focus honed on Vlex from the moment the Utori man had entered the trial arena, could no longer contain his Command representative's rage. The Verakian man broke away from his client and moved away from their table.

"It's interesting to hear the Utori speak of reparations owed when they've yet, after nearly a septsession, now, refused reparations to the Verakian Initiary. Reparations this very Council ordered them make."

The cape draping Vlex's shoulders and back whirled when he spun to face the Command representative.

"The Verakian never fail to cloud their own shortcomings with these tired allegations. The Xidian Hierarchy released all Bralian historical information and artifacts prudent for consumption by the general public. Shall I direct you to the appropriate sigIDs?"

The Command rep's fists trembled at his sides.

"A few ancient au-vis, captures, and cultural summaries? You believe those meager scraps appropriate reparations for the genocide of an entire species and the enslavement of their genetic descendants?"

"And these endless irrelevancies are the reason the Xidian Hierarchy waylaid my attendance." Vlex extended a palm at the Command rep. "My uncle and his council of citizen representatives were wise enough to know the Verakian would again use these proceedings to drag the Utori into this debate publicly. The very reason for my imprisonment was due to a theft of utori property by the Gemmerian agent, Kurban Vortrand. In pursuit of my people's property, I was captured and detained."

Lily gulped and rubbed the center of her forehead.

"There is no proof of those allegations," the Command rep countered.

A slow smile spread Vlex's thin lips and he looked at Vortrand when he said, "True enough," then directed his speech at the Council Stewards once more. "Which is why these proceedings have become irrelevant."

A collective gasp puffed from the audience. The Pashmi Steward's slender tail slashed the air behind her. The Odovian Steward's witchlights flared white and the Cafitid Stewards' collective quickstrum went spiky. Vlex went on.

"I've come to the trial arena for one reason: to declare war on the Verakian on behalf of the Xidian Hierarchy. The Utori hereby formally break the treaty forged by the original Tasaki Council. Outside of Independent claimedspace, no Verakian loyal to the Initiary will be safe from our scrapers or dysonaughts and no Verakian world or protectorate planet will be spared our advance unless they formally pledge themselves to the Xidian King. The formal declaration is here." Vlex produced a thick fold of vellum from his cape and held it up to the Pashmi Steward who accepted the document.

The feed cam cut to Vortrand whose crimson eyes glittered and whose teeth gnashed in an eager, aggressive smile.