Chasing the Jewelled Throne

  Chapter 16; Mina LXIII

  On this high note, Mina ascended as proscribed on her eighteenth birthday. Her mother gladly shed her Regency and returned to her Flag Ship. Madlin was happy to assume the leadership of Mina’s Wolf Pack, She was filled with ideas regarding the strategy for these new ships. What had seemed like character flaws of sleight of hand sneakiness and inscrutable craftiness were now strengths. During her days in her husband’s palace, her natural talents had been perfected. Now, she was a superior space guerilla.

  Madlin continued driving Keeth’s commanders crazy with skillful use of invisibility from Pedra’s stealth technology. Her ability to deposit thousands of troops in strategic areas made for some fantastic victories. They could swoop in, do some serious damage and then, just disappear. It drove the Fleet Marine Admirals crazy.

  As agitated as he was becoming, Admiral Keeth was not without his own resources. His third son, Jaris, had turned out to be quite an excellent leader of Wolf Packs as well. Still everyone was surprised when, in the third year of her reign, disaster struck.

  Mina was out reviewing some new troop ships in a near by quadrant when she was fallen upon by one of Jaris’s wolf packs. A running battle ensued. As time went on, more Admiralty ships joined in on the chase and the Royal Yacht was captured.

  Disguised as one of the maids, they told the capturing commanders that Mina had escaped in another ship. The captives were all taken to Dagaz prison. Upon entering the prison, they were inspected by Dagaz Prison’s Commander, Xeren Fisar, niece of “Heren the Hammer” and daughter of Birt.

  Something was bothering Xeren. There was something so familiar about one of the prisoners. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. And, as a former employee at the Palace, she had seen Mina many times when they were both children at school. Months went by and every time she would see this one prisoner something would tingle in the back of her mind.

  Then, one day, she could stand it no longer. She had the prisoner brought to the “inquiry room” for a few questions. All “inquiries” were taped so all would later know what was discovered during the procedures. Mina was strong. She lasted several days before telling the truth about her identity.

  Xeren immediately called Keeth. “We have captured the current Empress. Her name is Misa Menzi, Sire. She was brought in with the last load of prisoners.”

  “Really…what a feather this is for your cap, Commander.”

  “I live to serve, Sire.”

  She played the excerpts from the tape for him with commentary to spice up the tape. Keeth had not really needed any spicing. After the drubbing that he had received at Borealis Minor, he had been looking for a chance to take some of the wind out of the Royal sails. The sight of their Empress naked, screaming and writhing on a torture rack would do much to lower the morale in the other camp.

  “Excellent! We must prepare a little show for the remaining Loyalists. Does she yet live?”

  “Yes, Sire, but just barely.”

  “Keep her alive until I get there. I predict a twenty-four hour trip.”

  “I’ll do my best, Sire.”

  Upon arriving, he ordered the cameras to be set up in the outdoor exercise yard. All prisoners were ordered to assemble. They were told to watch the execution of their beloved Empress, Mina. If they looked away, they would be shot. Mina was brought from the hospital ward where she had been kept for the last two days. She was barely alive and her face was so disfigured from the beatings that her own family, watching horrified on the Intergalactic News, could not recognize her.

  Keeth had set up a replica of the Jeweled Throne out in the yard. He looked down on the naked girl before him, “What does the prisoner have to say before I pass judgment on her?”

  Mina was broken, but not defeated. She looked into the camera and said, “Avenge me…”

  She was immediately clubbed to the ground by Xeren who then proceeded to step on her already broken arm. “You need to learn some manners, missy.”

  The cameras caught all of this. The torture rack had been set up outside, and she was bracketed back into it. Over the next six hours, this poor, broken girl was forced to divulge major information about the Crown’s plans for the upcoming campaigns.

  All the bases had immediately been abandoned when Mina was first captured, and all current and future military plans were scrapped. All Warrions had been moved to new secret locations, so the damage that was being done here militarily was minimal.

  That was no comfort to her family. They wished only for a speedy death. When it finally came, they cried for her, but with a bit of relief that her suffering was finally over. A funeral service was held with an empty coffin. Mina’s broken body had been thrown over the wall onto a bone pile like the hundreds of other prisoners who had died there to be picked over by the scavenger birds of Dagaz IV.