Chapter 5: The Traitor

Retas

"You're as slippery as they say, Commander. But, you should know by now that there is no escaping me," my senior said.

"Why did you fire at us?" I asked, taking aim with my laser.

He laughed. "Simple. We want you dead. You have risen too high, too fast, young man. And you know what they say about getting too close to the sun. You end up getting burned."

I scoffed. "Killing me will put a target on your back. Xilonem won't forgive you."

"Xilonem? Ha! Don't make me laugh. That little brat isn't fit to rule. She's too naive. She believes the best of people. She's not worthy to be our Queen. Not when there are so many who are better suited."

"She is the rightful heir," I replied, keeping my weapon trained on him.

He chuckled. As he pointed the rod in his hands at me. "No, she is not. She is nothing more than a puppet. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She's never known hardship. Never seen the suffering of the poor."

"I know the latter isn't true. She befriended me, a poor farmer's son."

He laughed. "Is that so? How touching. But, I'm afraid that won't change anything."

"Why are you doing this, Commander?"

"Because, you are a threat to our plans. You are her most trusted ally. If she were to ever realize the truth, it would be you who would stand by her side."

I narrowed my eyes and pulled the trigger.

He redirected it using the rod. "Ah, you're not bad. But, not good enough. Remember, I am more experienced than you, kid."

"Then, let's see what you've got, old man," I replied as I charged at him.

I shot at him, but he deflected each blast.

"Nice try, kid. But, you're going to have to do better than that," he taunted as he moved closer.

He swung the rod at my head. I ducked and shot him in the leg, but scales appeared over his body, shielding him from the blast.

He grinned. "You aren't the only one who can use ki to cover his body in scale armor, Commander."

I gritted my teeth and rushed him. I slammed my shoulder into his stomach, knocking him off his feet.

He grunted as he fell back.

"What's wrong, Commander? You look a bit tired," I teased.

He glared at me. "Damn brat. Don't think this is the end. This is just the beginning. My allies are everywhere. And when we are done with you, we will turn the entire world against Xilonem."

I stepped closer and grabbed him by the throat. "I won't let you. She has a dream. A dream to unite all the realms under one banner. A dream to bring prosperity to the people. I will not allow you or anyone else to destroy it."

He coughed up blood and grinned. "Good. You are indeed a worthy foe. But, this isn't the last you will see of me. This is far from over."

His body disintegrated and reformed behind me.

I turned around and shot at him, but he deflected it with his rod.

"Farewell, Commander. I will see you again," he said before disappearing.

I lowered my blaster and sighed. He wasn't lying when he said he was more experienced than me. That kind of ki control was beyond what I could hope to achieve.

I sighed and began to put on my shirt, but stopped. This uniform was like a huge beacon to the Soleonese resistance. I tore it up some more until it looked like a rag, then wore it.

At least now I was harder to spot.

Yusan

I returned to the ship and headed straight to my quarters.

"How did it go, Commander?" a voice called out, it was Retas's right-hand man, Naso.

I sighed. "I found your liege but failed to kill him. He is more resilient than I thought."

He folded his arms over his chest. "I see. That's unfortunate," said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Was he sad that I failed to kill him or did he regret his betrayal? "Indeed, it is."

He smirked. "So, about my reward. Will I receive the promised position?"

"Of course, Captain," I said.

"Good! Now, tell me about Retas's condition. What is his status?"

"He is wounded, but alive. It appears that he will live."

"I see. Then, it won't be long before he is discovered by the resistance."

I nodded. "If we're lucky, they will finish him off for us."

"Yes. Although, it is unfortunate. If we could have recruited him, we could have used his skills and power. If only he wasn't so virtuous."

I chuckled. "He is as naive as the queen herself. But, at least he has the guts to fight for his ideals."

"Yes. That's what makes him so dangerous. He can inspire people with his words. People will follow him anywhere. The same goes for Her Highness."

I clicked my tongue. "Only fools fall for such a thing."

"Indeed. Which is why we need to eliminate them before they gain too much support."

"Then, we will wait for the right moment. Once the right opportunity presents itself, we will strike," I stated. "Once Retas is out of the way, you will approach her, replacing him as her closest ally."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, return to your post. I will be resting."

"Understood, Commander," he said as he left.

I sat down on my bed and shook my head. That guy was the exact opposite of Retas and Xilonem, a total scumbag. But he was easy to use. That was all that mattered. With his help, I would become the emperor of the empire Xilonem created.

I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. It wouldn't be long now. Soon, the entire known multi-verse would be under our control! Infinite riches awaited us!

My hand grabbed the sphere next to me and pressed it, causing various scenes to appear. It showed me the dense forest. I'd sent a mix of attack and non-lethal drones out in search for the remaining hold outs on this planet. While nothing more than bugs, a single bug was enough to make a large machine malfunction. I wasn't going to have my plans ruined by any of them. Especially not the biggest bug on this planet now, Retas himself.