"The Rogue Elemental threat is a very real one." Rowan said as she looked at the faces of the Necro Commanders. "They are gaining power as we speak, attacking known Elemental inhabited planets and destroying cities and towns simply because the people refused to join the regime. Kind of like what you're doing only without destroying the planets afterwards."

"How many Elementals are we talking about?" Vaako asked.

"I don't know the exact count, but I know they exceed your army by several thousand." she said.

"But we have more advanced technology." An unknown Commander said and she looked at him.

"Name." she commanded.

"Commander Scales."

"Commander Scales I want you to take a look at something." She swept back the sides of her coat and drew her guns. Holding them barrel up so they were pointed at the ceiling, her fingers tensed on the triggers. She spun one around so she was holding the barrel and handed it to him, he took it and looked at it. "Looks Necro in design doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"That's because it is. We captured several Necromonger fleets that were going on long runs away from the Necropolis. We killed the Necros and studied their weaponry and ships. We couldn't quite get the weapons down though." She crooked her fingers at him and he handed the gun back. She put the other back in the holster strapped to her thigh and popped something out of the bottom of the gun that had been handed back to her. "While your guns draw their energy from the air, ours need rechargeable clips. Harnessed gravitational energy mostly, some nuclear thrown in. One clip last up to one hundred and fifty consecutive shots."

"How do you recharge them?" Scales asked and she popped the clip back into the bottom of the gun, sliding it and locking it back into the holster.

"We put the spent clips in the reactor core, it takes hours to recharge them though." Rowan said.

"You keep saying 'we' and 'our', like you used to belong to these people." Vaako asked and she looked at him.

"That's because I did."

"Does the Lord Marshal know this?"

"He's been informed, yes. But all you need to know is that I am a member no longer."

"Why did you leave?"

"Conflict of interests." She said simply and she then began to talk about the Regime's military techniques and previous battles, pacing back and forth through the room as she did so. After a little while she removed her coat and they all saw the blade strapped to her back over the black sleeveless shirt she was wearing, a copper armband around her right bicep.

"Ma'am," Vaako said and she stopped in her speech about the current Regime General to look at him. "Is the blade really necessary?"

"I never take off my blade."

"Why not? We are all unarmed." He pointed out and she drew the blade, letting the light catch it and make it gleam.

"Commander Vaako, I've decapitated and gored thirty Necromongers with this blade in battle. The Regime has saved several worlds from annihilation from the Necromongers."

"How come we've never heard of this?"

"Because we've never left anyone alive. But have you had any ships go missing? Any troops fail to report?"

"Yes." Vaako said and she winked at him, a small smile on her face.

"The Regime has faced Necros before and in every confrontation, they have reigned victorious." Rowan said.

"Again, why did you leave?" Scales asked as she slipped the blade back into the sheath, moving her hair so it covered the hilt, her smile falling.

"Because after a while, the Regime got power hungry. Instead of helping the civilizations that they saved rebuild their cities, they would try to blackmail them. 'We saved you, you owe us. Join us and help us fight'."

"And if the people refused?"

"Then the Regime would finish off what the Necros started. I left after the second time they did this. It was senseless killing Commander Scales. I don't condone senseless killing."

"What about Lord Perceval down in the hangar?" Vaako asked.

"Heard about that did you?"

"Yes."

"I killed him to prove a point. I'm not a push over and I am now in charge of all military actions. Now it's very late and I'm sure you're all tired. Dismissed." She said and they left, the doors closing behind them. She stayed in the Basilica a while longer, looking at the rippling surface of the Strategic Platform. Reaching up she unclasped the chain around her neck and held her locket out in front of her, opening it and looking at the single picture inside. She touched it gently with the tip of a finger and put it back on, securing the clasp.

"You're up awfully late." She heard and saw Aereon float over to her.

"So are you. Couldn't sleep Ambassador?"

"Please, no one else is around." Aereon and Rowan began to cry silently. Aereon glided forward and put her arms around her.

"I fight so hard mother, but I just want to stop fighting."

"I know, but you can not."

"I've lost so much to the Regime and down in the hangar, killing in front of you, feeling your disappointment in me."

"Not disappointment, surprise, shock. I saw my only daughter decapitate a Necromonger soldier as soon as she could blink. You did it with such ease, with no remorse or guilt."

"I didn't want to. You understand that right?" she asked, her tears stopping.

"Yes I do."

"I had to kill that soldier. I had to show them who was in charge. They respect power. They respect death and they respect killing. Do you understand that?"

"No, but I understand that you had to."

"Thank you mother. I don't want their respect, and I definitely don't want their acceptance. I want their fear. If they fear me, then they will fear the Elemental Regime and their fear will keep them alive."

"You think like a soldier, like a commander." Aereon Kay pointed out and felt her daughter nod against her hair.

Riddick met with Rowan early the next morning in the Basilica to go over what she has done so far.

"I've informed the Commanders of the situation and made them aware of the Regime track record of battles with Necromongers."

"Okay, and?"

"I've started to go over strategies that the Regime has used, and we will begin to train again the five different types of Elementals."

"Five?"

"Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit. Spirit Elementals are perhaps the most deadly of all Elementals, they can become incorporeal and even invisible."

"So they're something we have to watch out for."

"Yes." She said and he eyes went to the gold locket that he had seen yesterday.

"What's in the locket?" he asked.

"Riddick, first part of rule four." She said and walked out.