A MII fanfic by Wega the blue sun. No copyright infringement is intended, the characters of MII don't belong to me and I'm not making any money off them. Only this story and the OC's in it belong to me, and I'm still not making any money!
A/N: thanks for the feedback, readers! Keep up the good work!
Ch. 4 Conflicts and confrontations
Staff meetings gave a commander a legitimate opportunity to boast of his accomplishments as well as defend his mistakes. Mingling with peers and superiors also allowed him a glimpse into what others were doing, and how successful they were at it. Competition was always fierce, particularly during the meeting of the Lords, and because of it the occasion was invigorating as well as tension filled. The chance of being singled out for praise by the Master made the long wait worthwhile, Feff thought, eyes firmly fixed on the dark silhouette at the center of the immense hall. Emperor Ingues had not yet spoken, but there was no doubt in his mind that the Master was paying full attention to the seemingly endless parade of boastful Lords.
Because of his junior position it would still be some time before his turn came, but Feff knew precisely what to say. He'd stress the fine results his fleet had achieved during the past campaign, but he'd refrain from praising Ishtar, even though her contribution to this success was considerable. Elaborate compliments might raise suspicions, and even the mere appearance of impropriety could endanger her continued service with him. Feff knew of cases where a close bond between emulator and commander had become an issue of contention, and forced separation, reassignment and shameful disgrace resulted for both parties. Under no circumstance would he allow this to happen, Feff vowed as yet another name was called and a commander purposefully strode to the front of the assembly.
But before the man could open his mouth an angry voice rose from the crowd. "Master Ingues, I beg you to hear me first!", a stout figure moving fast through the lines shouted, brusquely pushing aside the men patiently waiting their turn. Feff recognized the heavyset man as Gilt, the procurer. "Forgive my intrusion, Lord of Lords, but for the sake of the empire I dare not wait any longer", Gilt said, his eyes pleading with the figure in the shadows. Red-faced, the lower ranking officer stepped back and a murmur of discontent rumbled through the crowd, the Lords had waited too long for their chance to speak to bear this rude intrusion in silence.
Suddenly bright lights flooded the hall and revealed the gleaming figure of Ingues, crouching on his throne. "Why do you disturb the proceedings, Gilt? Do you not know the rules?", the Emperor asked, his voice laced with perceptible anger and the assembly breathed uneasily. "With your permission, Master, I must speak because the problem is so dire!", the procurer begged and Ingues waved his metal hand impatiently. "Lord Emperor, you've recently honored me by transferring the duties of quartermaster to my office, but I'm unable to fulfill the assignments. Supplies are critically low", Gilt began. "We don't have enough to supply the fleets, nor have we been given any raw material for some time. At present, we face severe shortages of ..."
"You've told me this before", Ingues interrupted sharply. "Did I not instruct you to be patient because soon you'd get whatever was needed? Haven't I kept my promises in the past?" Gilt the procurer nodded and threw his hands in the air. "But I never received anything, Master! Yet your commanders always clamor for supplies. They complain loudly when their ships are held up in dry dock because there are no spare parts. I cannot supply when my storerooms are empty, and yet your Lords still destroy valuable planets at will instead of reporting their discovery so that the planets may be exploited!"
Feff's ears pricked up at the last statement of the procurer's tirade. Surely Gilt wasn't speaking about him? Just then the agitated man waded back into the crowd and stopped right before him. "You!", Gilt shouted and stabbed a blunt finger accusingly into Feff's face. "I know for a fact that just recently you came across a rich world! But instead of turning it over so that the empire might profit, you recklessly destroyed it"
The young commander stiffened with suppressed rage. So the procurer meant to blame him for this fiasco? He should not only suffer the loss of the planet, but also serve as whipping boy even though he'd strictly if unwillingly followed orders?, Feff thought and clenched his fists.
"May I respond, Master Ingues?", he asked, always mindful of protocol. The Emperor generously nodded his permission. He was intrigued to see how this junior commander would reply to the accusations of the enraged procurer, it would provide welcome relief from an otherwise boring occasion. "Lord Gilt, with all due respect, in the case you mentioned I acted according to orders. You are mistaken to blame me for the loss of that world", Feff said firmly and Gilt's already flushed face grew even darker. The promotion had not improved the man's choleric temperament and red wasn't a good color for him, Feff noted wryly as he maintained steady eye contact with his adversary. "It's true that my fleet found the planet and reported its discovery, but we didn't destroy it." "Lies! I know you were ordered to annihilate! Lord Ingues, call this man to order!", the procurer demanded angrily.
"Enough!", the Master's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Feff is telling the truth. In fact, he wanted to begin the invasion right away, but I deemed the existing culture too dangerous, and so ordered Toht to carry out the annihilation." Gilt remained silent at this revelation, but from the spasmodic grinding of his jaws Feff knew that the man could barely keep his temper in check. "I'm well aware that the empire faces shortages, but such has been the case before and yet we've prevailed. A mere lack of supplies will not divert us from our preordained conquest! But there's no advantage in gaining spoils when doing so would expose us to a dangerous alien culture. Feff and Toht did precisely as they were told. Surely you don't suggest my faithful paladins would act willfully, Gilt?", Ingues asked softly.
"It appears I was misinformed", the procurer mumbled reluctantly and bowed towards the throne. "Forgive my intrusion, Master, I spoke only out of deep concern!" The Emperor accepted this halfhearted apology and watched as Gilt hastened away. The crowd buzzed with animated discussion and he could feel a wave of unease wash over the hall. "Don't let the procurers comments confuse you, Lords! The empire isn't nearly as threatened as Gilt seems to think. We won't be swayed by minor nuisances like temporary shortages", Ingues added, the hint of a smile curling his sculpted lips. "Continue your reports now!", he encouraged the nervous warriors, but some moments passed before the Lord who'd been shouldered aside by the procurer stepped up again.
Pleased with the outcome of the confrontation, Feff mused over what the Emperor had said. It didn't surprise him that Ingues was fully aware of what had gone on in the field, surely there was at least one spy in his fleet. But the cavalier attitude towards the supply shortage amazed as well as worried him. Feff glanced at the immobile figures surrounding him and saw that the faces of his peers mirrored similar thoughts and worries. A poorly supplied army was bound to fail. But was the situation truly as dire as Gilt had made it out to be, he wondered while the presentation of the Lords continued.
"You've acquitted yourself well, young emulator, I can tell from your commander's notes that he's pleased with your performance. Naturally, I expect no less of any acolyte, your accomplishments reflect positively on the temple. But tell me, Ishtar, what are your impressions of your first tour of duty? Was it at all what you expected?", the high priestess Elensh asked the young woman kneeling before her. Ishtar took a deep breath, but suddenly she was at a loss for words and unable to repeat what she'd practiced for this encounter. After a few moments of struggle she glanced upwards, anticipating a reprimand. But Elensh's serene face glowed with compassion, and she reached out to her acolyte. "Yes, I quite understand. I once felt the same, too", she whispered.
Just then angry voices interrupted the calm of the temple grounds. A high-pitched scream followed by the sounds of a violent struggle echoed in the chamber and Elensh rushed towards the exit, with Ishtar in tow. "Stay here!", the priestess hissed, her voice nearly drowned out by blaring alarms. Ishtar stopped in her tracks and strained to see through the rapidly growing crowd, but too many people were rushing about, obstructing her view. Nothing like this had ever happened while she'd lived at the temple, and she could sense the fear in the air. She brought her hands together in a silent prayer, but in her heart Ishtar knew something terrible had occurred in the most sacred place of the empire.