Chapter eleven: Heart of Darkness

Shortly after the Lombaxes were victorious and had taken back Igliak, a person stood in solitude in their bedroom. The room was mostly dark, save for a large window that gave a beautiful view of space, with a purple-blueish nebula currently visible outside. He stood looking out the window, his arms folded behind his back.

Light was suddenly casted on this person's back as a door opened behind him.

"Didn't I just tell you a little while ago to knock before you enter?"

"But your Imperial Highness!" A voice in the light said. "This is urgent news!"

The figure turned around and clapped twice. Immediately all of the lights embedded in the ceiling of the room turned on save for one of them.

The figure let out an angry grumble and clapped again, and the last light blinked on as well.

"Stupid clap activated lights! I'll tear them out of my ceiling and throw them into the nearest black hole like the worthless things they are!"

Taking a moment to calm down a bit. "Now what exactly did you have to tell Emperor Tachyon, Porem?"

"Well Your Imperial Highness, it appears we've lost Igliak."

Tachyon stared at Porem with an icy expression, showing absolutely no emotion as he was told more details.

"Ah I see, well in that case find commander whatever his name is and bring him to me."

"Yes sir!" The cragmite messenger replied.

After Porem shut the door, he cringed as a roar of pure rage came through the door. Knowing exactly what was going on, he got out of there.

Tachyon, meanwhile, slammed his head against the wall. How could these incompetent eggheads have possibly lost Igliak?!

Tachyon stopped when he saw a droplet of green blood fall to the floor. He grabbed a tissue and wiped the blood off his forehead with a loud growl. Oh, when he'd get his hands on that commander...

Shortly afterwards the commander in charge of operations on Igliak was brought to the emperor's room.

"You wanted to see me, your Imperial Highness?"

"Yes" Tachyon responded, "When I give someone a position as high in the Cragmite army as yours, I do this because I expect the chosen person to be strong and smart, someone who will lead their forces to victory, crushing all that stands between them. I assume you've been doing pretty well on Igliak, right?" Tachyon said with a raised eyebrow, showing no emotion.

The commander stayed silent.

"Right?"

Again, no response.

"Commander, how is Igliak doing?"

The commander grinned sheepishly. "Well, uh... it seems that-"

"No." Tachyon said, closing his eyes as he raised a hand, stopping the Cragmite commander mid-sentence. Then he opened his eyes, and the expression within them was one of murder. "You had them right where you wanted, in the middle of a city full of your forces. AND YET, YOU LOST?!"

"But-"

"NO, DON'T GIVE ME ANY OF YOUR WORTHLESS EXCUSES, OR WORSE, COME UP WITH SOME STUPID STORY! YOU HAD THE UPPER HAND! YOU COULD'VE WON SO. DAMN. EASILY! I SERIOUSLY CANNOT COMPREHEND HOW YOU COULD HAVE LOST THIS BATTLE! YOU HAD THEM OUTNUMBERED, CORNERED, AND OUTGUNNED! EVEN THEIR AIR SUPPORT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO MATCH FOR YOU! HOW?!"

The Cragmite commander began to panic. "Sir, we gave it our absolute best!"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN CAKEHOLE, YOU MISREABLE PEST! YOUR ABSOLUTE BEST?! YOU CALL AN ENTIRE ARMY VERSUS A FEW SQUADS AND YET LOSING YOUR ABSOLUTE BEST?! HOW PATHETIC ARE YOU REALLY?!" Tachyon pulled something out of his pocket and pressed it against the commander's blue skin. "I hope you like my latest invention, commander." Tachyon said with an evil smile.

"Why is everything getting hot all of a sudden?" The commander asked. His skin suddenly began to start smoking. "Nononononono! AHHHHHGGGHHHHHHHG!" He screamed as he burst into flames.

Tachyon pressed a button on a device of his that put a force field around the commander so he wouldn't damage anything in his frenzy, as well as trapping him. The force field did little to muffle his agonizing cries, however.

When the screams finally stopped, all that remained was a pile of ash and bones.

Tachyon turned off the force field and walked up to the burnt commander's skull, smiling as he did so.

"Did you like it? Consider that your reward for your defense of Igliak."

Porem kept his cool despite what had happened. He knew that the commander deserved what he did for failing the emperor and all of the Cragmite race. Tachyon looked towards him.

"And you, Porem, had the privilege of viewing my demonstration of the plan I have in store for all of those Lombaxes. I especially can't wait to see Ratchet burn."

Tachyon sighed "And the new order of the universe will also still be glorious!..."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA"