“You stood before the Emperor and simply told him we need BIGGER guns?” Vakali said in disbelief as he stepped out from behind his desk. “The Charrids could have told him that!”
Standing in Vakali’s office, Sikozu just stared straight ahead as the Kalish Secretary scolded her. However, Sikozu knew that Vakali was angrier with her for making him look bad than at her performance.
“I told you I was not ready to make that report…” she started.
“You have an army of researchers and support personnel under you, but all I heard were excuses!” Vakali shouted. “I want you to get organized and find a countermeasure to defeat the Cylons. The Emperor will not tolerate failure and whatever punishment he decides to hand down to us if we should fail, I will make sure it will happen to you first! Am I clear?”
“Yes,” Sikozu said slowly, biting her tongue from saying what was really on her mind. “Very clear… sir.”
Satisfied, Vakali nodded and began saying, “Good, I want you to focus on…”
He was interrupted when the doors behind Sikozu parted open and War Minister Ahkna and General Rahzaro entered.
“Wait outside,” Ahkna ordered Sikozu. “Now.”
Sikozu didn’t hesitate and was grateful to get away from Vakali, even for a moment. She stepped from Vakali’s office out into the corridor and it was then she noticed the huge Scarran personal guard for Ahkna. As the door closed behind her he moved to position himself in front of the entrance to keep anyone from walking into the room.
The War Minister and the Charrid General must have important and private business with Secretary Vakali, the Kalish spy thought. Hoping it was to deliver more bad news from the front against the Cylons.
The Cylon invasion of the Scarran Empire did nothing but help the Kalish secret resistance. The Scarrans had their full concentration on stopping the invasion and little else, allowing many of the resistance to infiltrate into high levels of the Empire. Sikozu had been deliberately dragging her heels on any findings concerning the Cylons as a way to keep the Scarrans from exploiting any advantages against them. Every defeat the Scarrans suffered meant freedom was that much closer for her people.
Inside, Vakali turned to Ahkna, smiling politely. “Minster, what may I do for you?”
The darkly dressed Scarran gestured to his desk. “Please have a seat. General Rahzaro has something of interest that might help us against the Cylons.”
The Charrid produced a copper coloured canister, the size of a drinking thermos.
Curious, Vakali made his way back to his desk and sat down as Rahzaro placed it before him.
“What is this?” The Kalish asked.
Rahzaro began to unscrew the lid, casually saying, “Something that will save us from the Cylons.”
Vakali’s interest grew. “A weapon?”
“A lifeform,” Ahkna answered as she stepped behind Vakali’s chair. “A superior one.”
“A superior lifeform,” Vakali now laughed, staring at the canister. “Compared to what?”
When Ahkna spoke again, it wasn’t her voice he heard. It was as though something else was speaking through her.
“To you!”
He glanced up just in time to catch the Scarran War Minister’s eyes glowing before she reached down, grabbing a fistful of his hair and slamming the side of his face into the table.
Stunned and confused, Vakali struggled, but Ahkna was far too strong.
“Release me! Guards!!” He shouted.
Rahzaro smiled as he finished unscrewing the lid to the canister. His voice had also changed, sounding as eerie as Ahkna’s now.
“This room is sound proof, Vakali. Relax and it will be over shortly.”
“What are you?!!” Vakali demanded.
Rhazaro, or whatever he had become, stared back calmly. “We are servants of our Lord Anubis and so will you be.”
Horrified, Vakali watched as a dark snake with red eyes and sharp fangs suddenly rose out of the canister. It hissed at him before lunging straight at the terrified Kalish’s face.
Vakali’s biggest and final mistake was to open his mouth to scream …
Outside, Sikozu waited for a few minutes when Ahkna and Rahzaro exited Vakali’s office. With no word said to the young Kalish, both they and Ahkna’s personal guard left.
Curious, she re-entered Vakali’s office and found him sitting quietly at his desk, looking over several files. He glanced up at her with an uncharacteristic crooked smile.
“Sikozu, why are you still here?” He asked.
“I was…” She stared at him, wondering what Ahkna or Rahzaro could have said that would put him in such a good mood all of a sudden. “I was not sure if you were done giving me your instructions.”
“Oh,” he said, glancing over another file in interest. “Carry on and I want a report on anything new you should find on the Cylons.”
Sikozu nodded and started to leave, but stopped and turned to face him again. “May I ask what War Minister Ahkna and General Rahzaro said when I was waiting outside?”
“Nothing important,” Vakali answered with that odd smile again. “We discussed how much we are looking forward to Commandant Grayza’s arrival.”
TBC...
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