The two men entered the small garden pavillion overlooking the vast farming estate. The sun was setting on Lisudeh III and the golden Amarrian nebula was starting to become visible through the dimming blue sky. As they took their plush velvet seats a young Matari slave poured them a glass of wine each and retired from the room. Pareh and Habi had been friends at university back on Amarr. Habi had gone straight into the naval officers college where as Pareh had returned home. His father was a powerful holder, but old. Pareh was to take over the family estate. Five years had past since they finished university and gone their separate ways. Habi had found himself on shore-leave near his old friends home and decided to call in.
"Well Pareh you appear to have a great set up here. However, I noticed your slaves don't wear glaive collars. I'm assuming you use vitoc, but you are so close to the border. Aren't you worried about Insorium?" one of the men asked as he reclined in his chair.
The other took a long sip from his glass. "No."
Insorium had become a major problem for Amarrian slavers. There prefered method of control was Vitoc. They would inject them with a deadly mutagen which Vitoc controlled. It also was a powerful narcotic. Without regular doses of Vitoc the slaves would die from the mutagen. With it they would not only survive but also experience a euphoric high. Insorium cured the mutagen permanently and halted the dependency on the drug. It was causing havoc on the border systems as Minmatar freedom fighters raided the planets freeing their slaved brothers and sisters. Glaive collars had become popular once again. A metal ring placed around the slaves neck containing a number of hypodermic needles and various chemicals. Controlled by a remote they could cause anything from mild to excruciating pain. There were other chemicals that could paralyse or kill if needed. Whilst Insorium had been invented by the Caldari, it was made freely available to the Matari government.
"Really? You heard about Holder Vari right? Some Matari special forces unit came in a cloaked ship, dropped Insorium canisters all over his estate and then dropped off a dozen commandos? Did you hear what they DID? Once the slaves are gasses and free of vitoc they don't need the numbers of commandos to overrun his security teams and administer their perverted sense of revenge. The slaves help and swarm the palace."
"Yes. That's why I don't use Insorium. Its curable and Holders using it are just asking for attack and full blown rebellion. Idiots."
Habi drank his wine and thought. Pareh was obviously playing with him given his responses by not giving him a straight answer. How did he keep his slaves in line without Vitoc or glaive collars?
"No! Surely you don't use....."
"Transcranial microcontrollers? Of course."
Habi went silent. Transcranial microcontrollers were expensive brain implants. Their use convinced the slaves that they were actually not enslaved and they wanted to do the tasks set by the holder.
"Even the labourers?" Habi asked indicating to the vast fields of wheat that stretched out as far as they could see from their elevated position.
"Yes, all the slaves are implanted. Expensive but worthwhile."
Habi thought about asking what the scholars thought about this. Transcranial microcontrollers where frowned upon by the senior clerics as it went against the teachings that encouraged slave use. However, a rich and influential holder like Pareh wouldn't find it difficult to find enough clerics to argue his case for him. Also Pareh was never a very pious man. On several occasions Habi questioned the strength of his faith during their time together at university.
"So bring on the Matari ships and their coveted 'freedom gas'. I've let it be known far and wide that it would be useless here. They know its pointless bombing me with that crap. Their tactics rely on small, speedy forces which will be supported during the attack by the newly freed slaves. As the gas won't free these slaves their small strike team be no match for my security forces and my utterly compliant slaves."
Habi raised a glass to Pareh impressed and he nodded slightly in acknowledgement. Pareh did indeed appear to have his future secure in an area terrorised by Matari raids.
"Now, for tonight. Would you care for some entertainment?" Pareh asked and pressed a button on a datapad. Half a dozen Matari women entered the pavilion. All stunningly attractive and dressed in narrow silk wraps that covered their modesty but not a lot else. They all stood there smiling and giving seductive looks at both the men.
"You don't mean.....?" Habi stuttered.
"Of course, they are here to serve as we see fit. Here, look at the datapad before you get all high and mighty with me." he said passing it to him "These transcranial microcontrollers can do a few tricks. Pick the girl or girls you like and then make them like what you like."
Habi looked at the options with his mouth hanging open. He wanted to be outraged that his friend would even suggest he'd take a sub-human slave as his bedmate. However, these women were indeed stunning. He took the datapad and looked at the settings he could choose. He soon forgot his Amarrian values when confronted with being able to make any fantasy come true tonight.
-o0o-
The immense stargate at the edge of the system activated. A massive flash of light indicated an incoming wormhole connection. The golden ship was visible only for a fraction of a second. Its sophisticated cloaking device hiding the ship before anyone could see it. Within a couple of seconds it was in warp.
"So can we actually do this?" Ragnar asked leaning through the hatch at the back of the two-man cockpit. The men sat in the pilot and copilots seat turned to look at him.
"Easy. Look!" said Girn gesturing around the cockpit. Everywhere small scraps of paper with Matari text scribbled on them were stuck with duct tape to the various controls. The Amarrian script, unintelligible to the current crew, had been roughly translated and stuck to the appropriate control.
Ragnar gave a grimace. He was used to low tech but this was a whole new level. He'd have much preferred a Minmatar Hound class stealth bomber but this mission required a Purifier class stealth bomber of Amarr design. None of their wing could read Amarrian, never mind fly their ships. After half a dozen training sorties they had decided to go with it.
"Have we had the signal from the drop ships?"
"Affirmative. They signaled that they were in position two hours ago. We're running slightly late but its only 0230 hours at the target, well within the acceptable mission window. In a few minutes we'll be in position and ready to launch."
Ragnar grinned.
-o0o-
Habi stood on the balcony of his palatial room. He couldn't sleep, his faith troubled him greatly. There were some things in the Amarrian Empire that were not up for debate, and there were some things that were. Transcranial microcontrollers were one of those up for debate, especially since the invention of a cure for Vitoc. Sleeping with Matari slaves was not up for debate in any way, shape or form. Habi glanced back to the massive four poster bed in the room, the two Matari woman he'd picked now slept soundly following their joint 'activities'. He lifted up his wine goblet and took another big sip. What had he done? He'd need to atone for these sins when he returned home. Pareh had always been a bit wild, may be he should have known better than to come here. Surely he'd be forgiven this one minor indiscretion over a lifetime of service to the Empire. "Never again" he thought.
He breathed in a lungful of crisp, fresh air to try and calm himself. He hoped it would be a long time before he died and he was judged. Plenty of time to atone for what he had done tonight. The Amarr nebula was clearly visible, bright golden hues in the dark night sky. He watched a bright light slowly move across the sky. A station up in orbit? A large satellite? A small craft? He wondered what it could be as he sipped the expensive wine. The light started to grow brighter and larger. He placed the glass down and stared at the light becoming concerned as it appeared to be coming towards the palace. Suddenly there was a huge flash. A bright bluish-light lit up the night sky encompassing the whole area. Habi covered his eyes as the shock wave engulfed the palace complex and everything else in the area. When he removed his hand it was gone. He looked around and could see no damage. The shock-wave looked very familiar to him. A sound behind him made him turn around, the two girls were awake and approaching him.
"Did you see that?" he asked them. "That bright light?"
One of the girls picked up the bottle of wine.
"No thank you, no more wine for me. Did you see the flash in the sky it looked like a electron bo...."
The girl took the bottle by the neck and smashed it against the table. Habi watched too shocked to react to the loud smash and the unexpected behaviour. He was still frozen in shock when the naked girl plunged the jagged broken bottle into his stomach and twisted it hard. The two women left him laying on the balcony, his bright red blood pumping through his fingers as he begged them to come back and save him. He slowly bled out, under a beautiful nights sky.
On the floor above. Pareh woke with the start. A bright blue-white light shone in through the window illuminating his bed chamber. His wife murmured in her sleep as he quickly got out of bed to investigate the bright light. The shock wave was just dissipating as he looked out of the window into the night sky. He grabbed his datapad off the table and moved out onto the balcony, quietly closing the door. He intended to speak to his head of security about the odd flash in the sky but when he tried his datapad it was dead. He physically hit it hard and then tried again, nothing. He turned around to look into the palace grounds and it hit him. There were no lights anywhere. His palace was always illuminated around the clock. Right now not a single light was visible anywhere. He heard raised voices far below. The raised voices became shouts and then screams of pain.
"Rebellion!" he gasped.
Pareh charged back into the bedroom and opened a cabinet. His wife woke at this point and sat up.
"What are you doing?" she asked groggily. "Are you only just coming to bed? Why isn't the light working?"
"I need my gun. We have a problem!" he said, panic creeping into his voice. She stood up concerned.
He removed the gun from its case hidden in the cabinet. It was dead too. It was one of the best Amarrian laser weapons you could buy, but currently it was useless. More shouts and screams could be heard now inside the palace. Pareh rushed to the bedroom wall and hit the hidden button for his panic room door. Nothing happened. Every powered system in the palace was down. He glanced around looking for a weapon he could use to defend himself with. The small fruit knife on the platter by the bed would be no use against multiple angry Matari slaves.
Pareh looked at his wife in fear before rushing out of the bedroom. He reached the elevator and saw with relief that it was powered down too. He ran to the emergency stairwell and grabbed an ornate chair from the corridor, wedging it against the door handle. They were now sealed on the top level of the palace. He breathed a slight sigh of relief. With all communications lost the orbital station above would send a ship to investigate the communications outage. They'd see there was a problem and send troop ships. He just needed to barricade himself in the top level of the palace for half an hour and he'd be safe.
-o0o-
The mighty engines of the dropships roared as they landed around the palace grounds. Matari crews stood at the top of the ramps and waved in the masses of freed slaves. With their laser-based weaponry, the security forces at the palace had been overwhelmed in minutes. The blast making their advanced weapons useless. Hundreds of freed slaves armed with farming tools over-running the fifty-man security detail with their fried laser rifles with ease.
In a low orbit Girn relayed the scene unfolding below.
"EMP bomb strike was 100% successful. As expected all Amarr scum had been quashed by out awakened bothers and sisters before our drop ships even landed. Ships one to three are already full and en route to the rendezvous. Four and five are seventy five percent full. Just awaiting a few stragglers.
Ragnar punched the air in celebration.
"This will show them nobody who holds Matari slaves is safe no matter what control they try and use. Hows the launcher?"
Girn leaned forward and squinted at the readout in front of him. He shrugged and twisted back to Ragnar.
"I think its re-loaded."
"You think?" Ragnar asked concerned.
"Do you read Amarrian?" Girn turned raising his eyebrows.
"No!"
"Well neither do I. Therefore I think the other bomb is loaded. If you want to pop out into the vacuum of space and visually check be my guest. Just make sure the doors are shut and take a scarf, its cold out there! Basically our engineers have glued re-entry tiles onto these things, increased the fuel capacity and give very limited guidance. The thing looks a mess. The fact the first one worked is a miracle!"
The other Matari turned his head to address Ragnar "You sure we want to do this? There could be others down there that didn't make it to the dropships. That bomb won't be as effective as in space and the warhead is smaller due to extra fuel, but the egg-heads at command think it'll burn around five to six K's. Unlikely anyone will have run that far in the time available if they didn't go from the dropships."
Ragnar nodded solemnly.
"I know, but we really need to send a message. Using slaves results in your end. Launch it once all our dropships are clear. We have to burn the place down and hope everyone went for the ships or was a fast runner."
-o0o-
Pareh checked the stairwell door was secure one last time and looked out the adjacent window down into the courtyard. He could see two dropships and the masses of his slaves surging onto the loading ramps. His initial fear was now giving way to anger. They were his property! How dare these people steal from him. He stomped back to his dark bedroom, closed the door and propped a chair under that too just to be sure.
"Well this night is turning out to be my own personal battle of Vak'Atioth." he grumbled referring to the infamous battle where the Amarr tried to invade Jove space only to be decisively crushed.
"You don't know the half of it." a voice not belonging to his wife growled.
He spun around. Leaning against the post of his bed was one of the girls he had enjoyed earlier. The other was sat on the bed holding a knife to his wife's throat. She looked terrified. His brain raced to understand how this had happened. It only took him a few seconds. The room he used to take his slaves to at night was located directly below this bed chamber. A secret staircase led up from there into the bathroom off his bedroom. This meant he could sneak back directly into his room after having some fun and if his wife woke up he'd be coming in from the bathroom. They must have used that secret staircase.
The lights of the room flickered on and off again. The effects of the EMP blast finally wearing off. The roar of dropship engines increased for a few seconds and then slowly faded into the distance, the return of partial power signaling their time to retreat.
"You missed your ride." Pareh said sadly. He didn't know why he said it. It just felt appropriate given he didn't expect him or his wife to live more than a few minutes more. "You know historically your rescuers tend to destroy the area after they leave. They probably left a small nuke which is ticking down."
The woman leaning by the bed pole shrugged, smiled and walked towards him.
-o0o-
The naval officer stood looking down at the blackened fields of scorched wheat. The smoke still lingered in the air, irritating his eyes and making him cough. Crews worked all around putting out the remains of the fires that had been burning for days. It was a mess. His Captain had sent him down to investigate the attack on the palace and farms. Their Executive Officer had been on shore leave here at the time of the attack visiting a friend and was missing, presumed dead. As the closest Imperial Navy ship, they had been sent to investigate.
Datna turned to see a small group approaching him. The man in the middle looked official. As they neared he recognised the regional governor.
"Sir. It is a honor." Datna said as they approached.
The governor just nodded as he looked up at the blackened, smoldering skeleton of the palace.
"A terrible, cowardly attack against good, faithful servants of the Empire. Did any survivor? Did Holder Pareh make it?" he asked hopefully.
Datna shook his head slowly.
"It is my sad duty to report Holder Pareh's body has been recovered. There were only three survivors we know about. The Holders wife and two slaves that were in the panic room when the scorch bomb detonated. The two slaves are being hunted now, the Holders wife has been evacuated to the station. She is... unwell."
"Define unwell." the Governor asked concerned.
"Well she was forced to watch as the two slaves carved her husband up slowly with a small fruit knife. She then was dragged into the panic room and watched her husband plead for help as the door closed. We found her embracing her husbands charred remains a day later. So as you can guess, she is 'unwell' even if physically unharmed being in the shielded panic room when the thermal wave hit."
A wing of Amarrian fighters roared overhead causing a pause in the conversation.
"Very well. Continue your investigation. I expect revised advice for holders using Transcranial Microcontrollers by the end of the day. We'd been warning the vitoc users, we never thought the sub-humans would find a way to disabled TMs."
Datna saluted and watch the Governer turn and walk away.
"It is recommended that all rich, smug, useless Holders using Transcranial Microcontrollers wrap their slaves heads in tinfoil to prevent rebellion after the Minmatar drop an EMP bomb on your lazy rich ass." Datna chuckled to himself.
