Game of Thrones Tales: Back to the Throne Room…
Summary: There's only one solution when Tyrion and Sansa have found the new King as mad as the Mad Targaryen and cynically evil once on the throne as Joffrey. So evil he's happily allowed the world to be invaded by unspeakably hideous creatures from some little planet out on the spiral rim of the Galaxy
(Just another shortie testing an idea, I may expand it later)
Prologue:
The voice flowed, quiet yet strong and rich…
"All seemed secure at last in the world. Though Winter was coming…Eventually…The War of the Five Kings had at last ended with Aegon Targaryen on the throne, subject to a Council of Seven Kings and a new Charter of Rights, these restraints on his power brokered by none other than his most powerful ally and friend, Lord Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock, Hand of the King. The young king was not entirely pleased to have his power checked but after Stannis Baratheron had destroyed one of his three dragons and had shown his potential ability to defend himself against them, he had no choice but to accept. Lord Stannis in his turn, despite having cheated Death quite amazingly once, had reluctantly accepted that he could not hold out against both the Targaryen power and that of the Lannister forces backed by the Tyrells. As a result, with Danerys Targaryen agreeing to withdraw with one dragon to Essos and the other sent with Lord Jon Snow to the great Wall of the North to maintain a truce with the White Walkers, peace had seemingly come…Until they came…Just as Summer turned to Autumn…"
"What about Winter, Uncle?"
"It's coming…It's coming…" shrug, faint smile… "It has to come…One day…"
"Seems to take a long time…" the blonde-haired boy eyed the narrator…A figure in silks and leather, an adult, whose face indicated he'd seen years of hardship, even suffering…Emotional as well as physical… And yet a figure shorter than the boy as they sat, side by side on the stone bench in the large hall of the Red Keep of Kings' Landing. Its roof now open to the sky, the walls black and blasted, the beauteous stained glass windows shattered and melted…Through not from dragon fire.
"You asked to hear this…"
"Sorry, Uncle. Please?"
"Very well…As I say…So They came. At first in small numbers, studying our world. They could blend in you see, being much like us. But once they'd learnt we had little to fight them, they came in their hordes…For you see, they were not millions, like us…But billions… Not that they needed great numbers, given their weapons."
"Billions…" gasp…
"Yes…Godlike as they seemed to us at first, with their flying craft and their machine carriages and their electricity, they'd overrun their own world, despoiled and ruined it…And now they were spreading, like locusts into the Universe. That being the one thing that they taught us…That the Universe truly is more than our world here alone. That there are other worlds, other suns…"
"They only have one sun…We have two, right Uncle?"
"Yes, they told us of this…That the reason our seasons lasted for years was that we have a second sun, larger than the one we circle, that our world and its star orbit in rather odd fashion, sometimes coming close, sometimes keeping far away. On their world, seasons are short, less than a year. They knew nothing of the long winters on their world, though they now live on some worlds where they say it's always winter or always summer."
"I'd like to see those worlds, Uncle."
"I would too, Tommen. But I'm doubtful our 'friends' would allow it. They're not given to showing us such favor."
"The General says he's our friend…He's not though? Even if he ended the wars."
"No one who slaughters half our people is our friend Tommen. And he and his kind didn't end the wars, we did."
"The Targaryen usur…King Aegon…Says…"
"He says what he has to, I've told you that. Aegon is a brave man but he knows there are times when one has to say things that aren't true, to protect innocent people. So Aegon says they are our friends, proclaims it. And in his heart hopes for Winter…As we all do."
"Winter is when we'll beat them…Even if they can kill dragons and even walkers, they can't fight Winter."
"Never say that Tommen…Forget it, teach yourself not to say it. Not in front of them, if you value the lives of your friends and family. One day, you might be taken out of curiosity…Someone might tell them you were King for a time. And one of their people might find it interesting to question you about our history. So you must forget about Winter...And our hopes…"
Tommen sighed. "That's what Margaery says."
"She always was a wise girl." Nod.
"The wars never seem to end. Is it all Joff's fault?"
"No." The small man shook his head. "This war isn't even Joffrey's fault. Come, you should get back to your studies and I must go to the King. I dine with him and the General tonight."
"Dirt…That's where they come from, in the beginning? Their home?" Tommen eyed his uncle.
"Earth, they say, is the actual name…" the man pronounced the unfamiliar word carefully. "There's no other word for it in our language. And it suits them." Bitter look which vanished as a man of somewhat different complexion entered the Hall, wearing a uniform of a cloth unavailable anywhere in the world…Or at least, on this world. He strode over to them and came to attention, saluting.
"Minster…Lannister? I'm here to transport you to the Compound at the General's and the King's request." The man struggling a bit with the unfamiliar words.
"Thank you…Lieutenant." Tyrion nodded, smoothly pronouncing the alien word 'Lieutenant'. "And my compliments…You're truly getting the language down these days."
"Your wife's a good teacher, sir." The Lieutenant noted.
"Why, thank you. I know she'd be pleased to hear that. Tommen, I must go. Tell your mother and your Aunt Sansa when you see them that I'll be late. I'm sure the General will have a great deal he'll want to discuss with the King and myself after dinner. A great many resources still buried under our dirt and in our streams and fields, he'll want to tap yet. A great many people he'll want to do that work."
Part I
The armored vehicle in which Tyrion had been taken after leaving the ruins of the Red Keep rolled swiftly through the main street of Kings' Landing. People eyeing it from the sides, a few making over-obsequious bows or salutes, a few clearly mocking, many just coldly staring. Tyrion eyeing them as the vehicle roared past, two other vehicles, in front and the other, behind, making it a bit of a parade for some of the children watching…
"Always a treat to take a ride in one of your amazing mechanized carriages, Lieutenant." Tyrion noted. "And of course all the armor has to appeal to a fellow who's worn it, however briefly or badly."
"Did you, sir?" the Lieutenant eyed him from his seat across on the other side.
"Small as I am, I was a scion of a noble house and it was expected…Before you came, of course, to put an end to all that." Tyrion nodded.
"I did that once…Wore armor, I mean, back home. It was a re-enactment thing at a medieval festival thing. Heavy stuff."
"Yes, heavy indeed…So you play at it, your people? Back on Dirt…Excuse me, it's hard to say the name…E'arth, is that right?"
"Yeah, that's it. We used to have knights and jousts and armored guys riding around, centuries ago, yeah. Used to read about it. Course we didn't have the dragons, or if we did, not for long. We had dinosaurs, though…Big #$a%! Sorry, Minister, the words don't translate, it's the same as sonsofbitches, though. Of course they were gone long before we showed up…Evolved."
"I see…And no Walkers, either, you lucky people…"
"They resulted from some kinda virus, the science boys told me. The survivors changed into those guys and could spread it to you people. But that's all cured now and they're all dead."
"Yes, so they are…Seems a pity at times, given we did have a truce with them…And you say your 'natural philosophy' guys determined they were in fact, once human."
"Well, guess they wouldn't make a truce with us. Too bad." Nod.
"Yes…" Tyrion nodded. "Too bad they couldn't see the light and the blessings you people were bringing to our primitive little world. Well, I've been a soldier, even a commander, briefly…One sees these things from time to time in war."
"Yeah." The Lieutenant, pensive. "We had to nuke a planet once…The things there just kept killing our people when we landed and then it turned out they had warp drive too, just starting to use it. Couldn't let em find their way to Earth and the sister worlds, ya know?"
"Of course…" Tyrion nodded. "That would have been terrible. What a pity those people didn't see the light and realize your people are out for more than just to take resources and put others to work doing it. Even if temporarily there's disruption to our way of life and we seem to receive little benefit at first, in the long run we know we'll be a better place…" Cough, cough… "…For it…" Cough… "You must excuse me, could we put that window up? The fumes from the new refineries and smelting plants are a bit strong here." He apologetically smiled at the Lieutenant who reached over to press a pad, the window at Tyrion's side rising immediately. Tyrion breathing a sigh of relief…
More at the sounds of a group of Old Believers chanting death to the invaders immediately blocked out. This Dirter might have been able to translate. Some fools love to think sticking their heads out to be chopped off in the true Stark honorable fool position is bravery.
"Thank you. Good ole synthetic…What do you call it? O2?"
Sorry, my dear…I don't mean that. But even your father, my in-law, realized at the end he had to try to bend to survive. He just couldn't bend far enough to suit my little maniac nephew.
"Yep. No problem, sir. Of course those guys weren't 'people' really. Six foot with tentacles, mostly livin' in underwater villages…Well, it was like water, more oxygen in it, the science fellas say. Yeah, we made that planet boil, that's for sure."
"Ah…" Tyrion blinked. "Well, as long as it's all in the name of Dirt's democracy and freedom, eh? Sorry…E'…arth.." he tried again. "I'll get one day." Smile. "Afraid I've not my Sansa's gift for language."
"She's quite a gal with the lingo…I guess she's got five of our languages down now. The General thinks real high of her."
"I'm gratified to hear that. Any service my family can do is a pleasure. Tell me, Lieutenant? Will anyone besides the King and the General be there? I mean, if it's to be a formal occasion, I should like to dress beforehand."
"I guess it will, sir. The Queen's to be there and some of your big guys and our brass, at least for dinner. Your wife, too, I think. Sergeant!" the Lieutenant cried to the driver. "Give me a check on tonight's dinner and reception list!"
"Sir, yes, sir." The female sergeant called back. "Printing it out now, sir!"
A printout emerged from a slot in the rear of the wall separating the driver's compartment from the passenger/cargo section. The Lieutenant tearing off the list, scanned it. "Yes, sir…A pretty good group, sir. And your wife's included."
"How very kind of the General. She's sure to be very pleased. So, if that's the case, could you drop me by my quarters in the Compound?"
"Certainly, sir. Sergeant!"
….
The Compound…Fortified base and spaceport for the Occupiers…Comprising an area for blocks around the center of Kings' Landing. Duraconcrete and steel fencing with patrol drones and heavily armed guards ensuring that the citizens of the capital kept strictly to their side, unless invited in.
Clearance approved at the point named by the Lieutenant as "Checkpoint Charlie", they proceeded in. Tyrion glancing round at the various Dirter soldiers on patrol, their open and armored vehicles whizzing by. The occasional flying craft soaring off or in the case of the strange hovering buglike craft, the "choppers" and the "maghovers" lifting slowly off the ground.
"Here we are, sir." The Lieutenant noted as they pulled up to a large building, formerly the property of a wealthy merchant who'd died in the final fighting between Stannis Barathreon and Aegon Targaryen…A lifetime ago, it seemed to Tyrion. Now, at the pleasure of the Occupiers, his…Though at least he'd been able to pay the starving family of the former owner something in return for the suite of rooms he and Sansa were allotted.
"See you at dinner, I hope, Lieutenant?" Tyrion politely addressed the officer who smiled and nodded, saluting him again and giving a quick, sharp look to a soldier who seemed amused by the small fellow emerging from the vehicle, in the antique-style clothes of the primitives. The soldier catching the stare immediately stiffened and wiped the smile.
Got to give the Dirters that, Tyrion reflected as he entered the building through its massive front door, nodding to the guards and presenting his id tag. They do enforce discipline among their soldiers.
He listened to the Dirters chatting amongst themselves…Various curious accents now he could just manage to make out in the chatter. Still hard to grasp the words when they spoke in normal conversation, and often that jarring mix of languages. But, billions, not millions meant many lingos back on good ole Dirt…Earth…Whatever…
Hell, one might prefer to call it…Where the Devils sprang from…