Revenge of Tyrants - Potestas War

[BagaturSasha]

The Potestas War

Hello!
This is the continuation of my story - Salah'zarr War
You can find it in this section
Better read at first the Salah'zarr war and after it - this story. Thanks anyway!

As always this story has troubadour tale style

Vindarn rebellion

It's good for everyone to remember. There is no other evil in this universe worse than Salazarr. The one who calls Salazar has threatened everything and everyone since ancient times. For him there is nothing sweeter than the thirst for power. Absolute, limitless power. It seduces him. Makes you go to a lower level, create the worst of all nightmares. There is not a single difficult place in the universe where they do not know about Salazarr. It's just called differently in different places. In one of the countless galaxies he is Marfur-Nirari, in another he is the Lord of the Dawn, in the third he is the Tempter Serpent. But only a select few know his real name. Salazarr existed from a time when there was no time, no stars, no planets. When everything around was so young. And even then he created harder things from his ashes.
As has already been said, there was not a single place in the universe, not a single planet or system where they did not know about Salazarr. The Empire of Eladris, called Eladhraman, was created through the union of humans and elfur-born, and existed for thousands of years. It covered tens of thousands of different systems, whether two-star, three-star, or with only one star. Her domain seemed endless. It was thought that there was no more ideal state than the Eladhraman Empire. After many years, people and Eladris finally came into the world and began to live as a single consciousness. Naturally, everyone knew who the sons and daughters of Eve were, and who were the elfur-born. But how can we raise our hands against each other? No, this hasn't happened for a long time. And there were no racial disputes either. But here, too, Salazarr managed to sow confusion, such that it is still remembered.
Towards the end of the reign of Jonah III Leprenal, a great storm suddenly broke out in the Eladhraman Empire. But that has already been said. The sages know how Salazarr manipulated the Gilletonians, how the inhabitants of Eladris fought against their worst enemies - Narvalingen and Ara-Nii. And said about the second war with Gilleto. And it was also said about the sorcerer who called Lord Yelgazi Fodorov. Everyone knows what Salazarr did with the help of his spies. He tried to disturb the peace in the empire itself.
But what happened then? After Admiral Marie was revealed. Marie was a wise woman from the ancient family of Eladris. In fact, it wasn’t even Marie, she was, Marinelle, I just had to call her for short on the chair. It turned out that Fodorov finished her off long before the war with Gilleto and took on her appearance. While everyone thought that Marie was real, the sorcerer was sending his secret levers throughout the empire. Those who believed in Salazarr with their hearts and souls quickly joined imperial society. They tried to think and live like the Eladramans. But they never forgot about who they believed in. And they never renounced him. Salazar lived in their souls and hearts and fed his black magic. Marie was discovered and destroyed. The next war with Gilleto was limited. But Salazarr's appearance hasn't gone away. His servants were everywhere. They continued to do their dark deeds. They continued to pose as those who were loyal to the empire. And behind their backs, they prepared their own strikes at secret meetings and cults. And every day their cruel revenge became closer and closer.

Continuation is will be soon...

[BagaturSasha]

There lived such a captain Zoel in Eladraman. He was from a line of purebred Eladris. Although not a nobleman, he came from a distinguished merchant background. He often sported camisoles and was the first dancer at balls. Once he even danced with an imperial dame. Both humans and Eladris called him a simple word - Dapper. Zoel never liked plain clothes. If he appeared in public, he always wore something captivating. Many ladies in the Empire sighed for Dapper and wanted him to visit their chambers. But Zoel only laughed at this. He loved only himself.
Self-confidence was what let Dapper down. He fought bravely, no one argues. In a battle with the Gilletonians, he took a boarding crew and went to the enemy ship. He took it by storm and cleared it of the enemy. At the same time, it did not cause any damage to the ship. And for this the emperor himself praised Zoel. The famous captain Eric Lornisacci was amazed at the courage of his fellow craftsman. I drank good ale with him in the evening and patted him on the shoulder.
But one day Zoel was walking without his guards through the city on Capitoline. This happened after the war with the Gilletonians. He decided to go to the nearest tavern and have a good drink, so that he could then sneak into the hacienda to see the admiral’s wife, who was waiting for him and couldn’t wait. But he was not destined to see how the innkeeper poured him good ale. And it was not destined to end his evening in the chambers of the admiral’s wife.
One of the strange people noticed him. He was dressed like a simple tramp. But under his rags he had shells attached. There are grenades and explosive devices everywhere. The tramp decided not to stand out and carefully approach Zoel so that he would not think anything bad.
As he approached the tavern, a homeless man called out to him. “Dear sir,” his voice was heard, “Can you tell me how to get to the town hall?” Zoel turned around. Seeing a tramp in rags, our dandy laughed. "Should you... go to the town hall?" - he grinned at the top of his voice, “They won’t even let you into the nearby toilets, you smell so bad.” “Dear sir, I beg you,” the tramp prayed and bowed his head. “Get away from me, dog,” Zoel muttered irritably, “If you come to me again, I’ll shoot you in the head.”
But the homeless man only smiled at this. Dapper was surprised that the tramp was not afraid of him and was challenging him. "And what is that grin of yours?" - the captain blurted out menacingly, “It seems like you’re crazy and don’t understand what I’m talking about. Well, a couple of fists won’t hurt you.” “I laugh because your end is near,” the beggar answered. Then Dapper was even more amazed. He did not expect to hear this from a street rogue. “I see you don’t want to live anymore,” the captain growled, “Apparently, I’ll still have to teach you a lesson.” “No, I will have to teach you a lesson,” the tramp responded to this, “For after my death I will go to the Halls of my god, and there I will drink wine and caress girls, and you will simply disappear, as if you never existed.”
Then the homeless man threw off his rags. It turned out that he had ammunition everywhere, as if he had put on armor from them. And not a moment passed before an explosion was heard. Yes, such an explosion that it demolished half the block. Zoel was gone to the world of dead, and the tramp was gone. But the flame was so bright that it could be seen from the nearest fortress in orbit.

And this happened almost everywhere. Explosions, murders, assassinations. Admiral Lenni, who participated in the siege of Gilletto 3, was killed. Then General Sarino. Behind him was Lady Tingatel. An attempt was made on general Meirano's life. The general served in the military police, and therefore immediately ordered to find criminals throughout the empire. They killed many inquisitors, merchants and confessors. They did not spare the Radiant Father of the Church, who did no harm to anyone. He was reading a sermon on Vindarn to the parishioners, and here an enemy zealot appeared. He threw his blade at the high priest and struck him in the very heart. The guards were looking everywhere for the killer. They checked everyone and everyone on the streets. They interrogated me for a long time, for hours. But they didn’t find the zealot. He sank into oblivion. Disappeared, evaporated, disappeared into thin air.
And again clouds gathered over the empire. The illustrious Lord Admiral Fenoglio had to gather a council and invite all the military leaders there. There were always three next to him - Eric, Nimflotel and the standard-bearer of Bartholomeana with name Laurentio. These three were dubbed almost the personal guards of Fenoglio. They were always nearby, and if anything happened, they were ready to come to the rescue and defeat any enemy. Fenoglio decided to call them, although they were no equal to the admirals.
They decided to gather at Vindarn Castle, which had recently come under the authority of the Lord Admiral. All this was due to the generosity of the emperor.

--

[Alwyn]

A dramatic start for the continuation of your Salah'zarr War story! It sounds like the search for criminals involved killing a lot of people - I wonder how many of them were actually involved in the explosions and assassinations.

[BagaturSasha]

"The murderers are at work here again,” Fenoglio said at the council, “They’re killing mostly Eladris. First Zoel, then Lord Lenny, Lord Sarino, Lady Tingatel. There was an attempt on Meirano's life. And I'll tell you more. Yesterday they shot at my iron carriage with a crossbow. But the bolts there were not ordinary ones, but with explosives. It was lucky that the shields repelled the attack. Otherwise I would not be standing in front of you now. The enemy is planning to attack the empire again. I feel it." All those gathered were in thought. They did not like these words. The war had just died down, and here again came another disaster. Eladris was haunted by the intolerable Salazarr. He made new plans. He created new intrigues and strife.
Eric looked at all the admirals so intently that it was as if he was scraping the souls off of them. He felt that among the naval commanders there were those who knew what they were talking about, and perhaps those who knew about the murderers.
He came across Tagm Klassir. He was not an Eladris at all, but a man. But he managed to make his way to admiral, thanks to the will of the emperor. In a battle with the Gilletonians, he single-handedly took control of the ship and brought it out of the bloody massacre, saving the lives of his people. It so happened that he saved the lives of many Eladris. And they decided to appoint Klassir as admiral. He was an exarch-commander, like Nymphlotel, and within a few days he became an admiral. But he did not save Eladris from the heart. And he didn't want it. Few people guessed about his true intentions.
The Klassirr sat at the meeting not at all gloomy and despondent. His face was calm, his voice even and quiet. It seemed as if nothing had happened at all. “I want to offer you the help of my master,” Tagm’s words were suddenly heard at the council, “he served in the armada for many years, is friendly with the inquisitors, and is now aiming to become a marshall of the Empire. The emperor himself appreciates him.
My master said that he was conducting an investigation and wanted to offer his help." “Why were you silent before that?” Fenoglio asked then, “Why didn’t you tell me right away?” “We had to make sure that there were no extra eyes and ears.” , - answered Tagm, - Now I see that we are alone. There is no surveillance of us, no spies, no traitors. There is no threat to us in this castle. So I can tell who it is." "Aren't you talking about Andrea Bellino, the high-born general? - asked the Lord Admiral, - After all, he has a whole corps serving on your ships. Your ships are used for transportation. When Gilleto was slaughtered, they took Sironi’s moon in a day. I heard this story. It was a glorious victory.” “That’s right, sir,” Tagm smiled at this, “The Captain General wants to help find the villains who are making attempts on Eladris. And it seems he is close to fulfilling his mission."

[BagaturSasha]

Andrea Bellino has long served the empire. But it was impossible to say that it was true. He always aimed for a higher rank. He was dissatisfied with neither the captain, nor the exarch, nor the exarch-commander. During the war with Gilleto, he actually took an entire satellite with his warriors. Cleared it of Gilletonians in an instant. The troops of Faraj the Evil-tongued, who then ruled Gilleto, were not able to withstand such a powerful onslaught. The classier stationed a great army on his ships, which was subordinate only to Andrea. It even seemed that they saw him as an emperor, and not a simple commander.
But Bellino had his own friends and sycophants in the military police. As soon as anyone says something rude about him, he immediately loses his title, then his salary, and then his servants find him somewhere on the sofa, lifeless. And they ooh and ahh all around - the heart stopped. That’s why Bellino tried to keep his reputation impeccable. But Fenoglio and his associates didn’t like him too much. He was an arrogant flatterer, even worse than the murdered Shchegol. Andrea grew a long mustache, such that it fell all the way to his chin.
But there was something else. Everyone declared that Bellino was the child of Eladris and man. The only difficulty was that his relatives died on a remote colony. In any case, this is exactly what he said to all subjects of the empire. He talked about his ancient family, dating back to the days of the founding of Eladraman. And in the police he had friends a dime a dozen. No one bothered to check Bellino. He serves the empire faithfully, and let him serve. He doesn’t build conspiracies or intrigues. Moreover, he fights under the banner of Eladris. The emperor himself praised him to the nobles, predicting a great future for him.
And now the time has come for Bellino to rise so that he was known at the very top. So that everyone who had the slightest connection to the fleet and army would fear his name. But it was not easy to break into his trusted circle. “You have to pay,” the general sometimes laughed about this. Those who wanted promotion from him served him in different ways. It was especially difficult for the ladies. If the young lady wanted a higher rank for herself, she then went to Bellino’s headquarters with a bow. And then how the Gods will judge... There was a case with a lieutenant from a race of people called Amelia. She was lucky to somehow clash with pirates and survive. She thought that she would receive a high rank right away, but that was not the case. "You have to pay." After all, this has always been the case with Bellino. She came to him in the general's room, where he received officers. He sees Andrea sitting at a table, and next to him are two of his guards. The wine has already been poured into glasses. They sit and smile, all three of them. There is scarlet paint on their faces. There is a mischievous sparkle in the eyes.
“Well,” Bellino then said to Amelia, “They say you want a higher rank, young lady? But with us, nothing happens for nothing. You’ll have to work.” “Sorry...” the lieutenant was surprised, not expecting such a turn, “But what do you mean, I didn’t think that everything was so serious.” Andrea then stood up from the table and smiled slyly. “Why are you so scared,” the general grinned at this, “Come in and sit with us. And tomorrow we will hand over the captain to you.” “And you will work for a long time and with pleasure, maybe you will get a higher position,” you could hear the laughter of the Bellino guards. But there was no way to complain. Because Bellino had a clean reputation. And those who tried to denigrate her usually quickly repented.
So Amelia couldn’t tell the truth. She had a hard time, but there was nothing she could do. If she had told anyone what was going on at the headquarters, and how they were raping there, the scoundrels would have quickly shut her down.

Andrea tried to maintain friendship with Eladris. No one suspected what he did in his apartments, and how high ranks he handed out. The Eladris thought he was pure and faithful. Then Bellino sent his comrade Tagm Klassir to the admiral’s council, so that he would tell everyone that Andrea was close to the solution. He managed to track down a couple of vulgar circles that had a grudge against the empire. They called themselves the Sons of Fodorov. Lord Yelgazi Fodorov was worshiped as if he were a messenger of God. They lit candles for him and prayed, they gathered on menhirs and read spells, they asked their patron for protection and for great deeds. The very next day after the admiral’s advice, Bellino handed over those mugs to Fenoglio, declaring that they were to blame for everything. These circles gathered on Capitoline, where Zoel had previously died.
Bellino invited the Lord Admiral and his associates to his residence. “I know who is plotting,” he told his guests, “They call themselves the Sons of Fodorov. They worship the sorcerer who starts wars here. And even though the sorcerer is dead, his work lives on. We will cover up these traitors, and then judge them.” . Fenoglio was amazed at how quickly Bellino found these villains. It all happened too suddenly. So many generals and admirals have died, and here, all of a sudden, with the wave of a hand, a whole bunch of conspirators suddenly appears. Nymphotel smelled something bad. She decided to ask the general in person. “You found them quickly,” she said with disbelief, “But how did it happen? I think you heard the story with Marie. She also talked about traitors, and she also found them. But then it turned out that she herself "I talked everyone into it." Bellino frowned at this. He didn't like what he heard at all. “Are you implying that I sent them?” - he asked, not hiding his anger. But Nymphlotel did not give an answer to this, and even blushed. “No one wanted to offend you, Lord Bellino,” Fenoglio decided to intervene, “It’s just that after everything that happened, we don’t have too much trust.” Bellino nodded understandingly. The anger in his eyes disappeared. “Well, I understand,” he said, sighing, “And as for these accusations, know that if I wanted a conspiracy, I would have done it a long time ago. But I prefer to serve the Empire, because I love and value it, and also I also love our dear emperor. Why should I plot intrigues? What do I lack? I have gold and glory. For me there is no other happiness than to serve my native power, and I would ask you to remember this." Hearing these words, our heroes let go of their fears and anxieties. But Nymphlotel still looked at Bellino with distrust. And Eric didn’t like this warrior at all.
“He’s up to no good,” the captain said to himself, looking at Andrea, “I sense that it’s evil. He’s too sycophantic. He’s too flattering. His sweet words are not from the heart. And not from the soul.”

[BagaturSasha]

Soon the Sons of Fodorov were covered. All that remains of them are memories. By order of Bellino, the guards and knights were raised. Tagm Klassir sent his naval soldiers to help, and not to drink with harlots. It turned out that there were many traitors. At least a hundred people. All people, and not a single Eladris. During interrogations, the damned admitted that they wanted to overthrow the emperor. Fodorov was cunning, he knew what he was getting into. He guessed that sooner or later he would be discovered. And therefore he introduced all his spies throughout the empire. These people were terribly angry with Eladris. They believed that Eladris was the source of all their troubles. They hated the elfurr-born, considered them dirty in body and unclean in spirit. One of their priests loudly declared that people should not have intercourse with foreigners. Every person, they say, who takes the maiden Eladris as his wife is a traitor to his race and a traitor to his clan. “We’ve made it,” the old bastard yelled at the trial, “What’s becoming of people? They mate with anyone in a row, with elfurs, with devilish eladris, with farrukhs, with ghouls, kussars, even with dragonesses! What will happen to our race soon? What about will they be said in the universe? There were humans who lived for themselves, did not grieve, and then because of their fornication they turned into mutants!" The Eladraman Emperor, hearing this, immediately ordered the execution of all the conspirators. He did not want strife and sedition. He remembered the time when in the Empire there was war between humans and Eladris. And each side accused the other of treason and abomination. But those times are long gone. Jonah Leprenal did not want those horrors to return again. He knew perfectly well that this was all Salazar needed. That’s why he ordered Fodorov to spread such rumors among the conspirators.
A whole week passed, and the rebels were executed. They were all sent to the chopping block. None of them were spared.
Fenoglio and his comrades saw all this. In the evening they then gathered in the city tavern on Fantino, dressed like ordinary people. Nymphlotel dressed all in black and pulled her hood over her head. Fenoglio, Eric and Laurentio were almost no different from her. They knew the innkeeper. He had long been telling the police everything, about visitors and tenants. Which means he was a confidant. He ordered his men to carry the ale to the guests, while he remained standing at the bar. He ordered the bouncers to guard the entrances and exits and not let in suspicious persons.
“I don’t like all this,” said Fenoglio, looking Eric straight in the eyes, “I don’t like it at all. Again, murders, conspiracies. And again, all these traitors are found so quickly. But it seems to me that there is still someone left among the imperial headquarters, who is plotting evil. The only question is who it is." Eric nodded, realizing that the Lord Admiral was echoing his thoughts. Laurentio sat next to Nymphlotel, and looked at her almost all the time. She was so beautiful to him, even in simple clothes. But when it came to serious conversations, the standard bearer listened very carefully. “I share the Lord Admiral’s fears,” Nymphlotel admitted, “There are still many conspirators. Those that Bellino revealed are clearly pawns. There are others. And there are many of them.” “I believe that there are much more of them than we thought,” Eric said to this, “Our empire is great. How many enemies are there left? There can be up to a hundred on each planet.” “I don’t believe Andrea Bellino,” Fenoglio said honestly here, “his family history is very strange. True, his reputation is great. He is honored and respected. Especially for mr Klassir. And now, after Fodorov’s traitors were revealed, he is generally a hero for everyone." “For everyone except us,” Laurentio’s voice was heard, “I also feel that not everything is over yet. Our enemies seem to be preparing for an ambush.” The Lord Admiral nodded. He understood that his comrades saw the truth. And he himself saw it too. And they were far from the only ones who feared the future.

[BagaturSasha]

Eric, just entering the tavern, saw three people sitting not far from their table. One of them is a beautiful-haired eladris, the other is a maiden from the human race, and the third is also a man, but strange. There was a witchcraft aura about him, but not evil at all.
When the conversation reached Fenoglio’s words, the Lord Admiral allowed himself to look at these three. He turned to them and bowed slightly. The same strangers immediately sat down with Fenoglio and his friends. They pulled their chairs up to their table. Eric was surprised to discover that the Lord Admiral knew all these strangers, but had never bothered to introduce them in the first place.
The beautiful-haired Eladris shook hands with everyone sitting, including Fenoglio. “Prince Elarant of the House of Umarr,” he replied, “Glad to meet you.” Then it was the turn of his companion, a red-haired human girl. “Sheryl ish-Heliden,” she said, “is the daughter of the ruler of the Kibrean system.” The third named himself Alixandre from the Krautmil house.
"So what brought Eladris and two people to this inn?" asked Nymphlothel, looking at her new comrades. "Perhaps, conspirators," Prince Elarant answered, "My father Elrod Umarr, the venerable planetmaster king, has tracked down another group of traitors. They have already begun their sermons on the far borders of the Empire. Closer to the Frontier. One of them is called Kolio-Aran Solato. But this is not the main thing." Erik and his companions had heard a lot about Umarr. That house declared itself a vassal of Emperor Jonah. But they maintained a semblance of independence. It could not be said that they belonged to the empire. The same is about the Kibrean system and about the possessions of the Krautmil house. But The emperors of Eladris respected their rulers and often invited them to dinner, and merchants from those lands could easily travel through Eladhraman's domain.
“This Kolio-Aran Solato recently contacted one of the Eladraman military leaders,” Elarant continued his speech, “We received a recording of their conversation. But we do not know who the preacher spoke to. It is likely that it is someone from the top. He knows the defense plans of every imperial world. Even Umarra. That's why my father decided to change the security structure to avoid attacks. A coup is being prepared in the empire."

[BagaturSasha]

Hearing this, Eric shuddered. Nymphotel turned pale. And even Laurentio, who was difficult to surprise, jerked sharply. But Fenoglio seemed to know everything. That's why he invited his friends here.
“God Salazarr is preparing to strike us again,” Alixandre spoke here, “And this time it’s deadly.” Nymphlothel looked at him in amazement. “Do you pronounce his name so easily?” she asked, “But it’s dangerous!” “Whoever fears his name is dangerous for him,” answered the sorcerer, “But I am not afraid. If you are afraid, he becomes stronger. His name is just a name, and nothing more.” Eric allowed himself to agree. Indeed, if you are afraid of someone, you even tremble at his name. But this was what Salazar needed, so that people would be afraid of him. Why, then, give him what he needs? On the contrary, it was necessary to reject all fear, take it like a snowball and dispel it through the air.
“We must find out who is working for our enemy and who is spreading unrest,” Fenoglio said menacingly, “Find this scoundrel and put an end to his insignificant life. And then, finally, peace will come in the empire.”
“My father believes that the enemy is of high rank,” Cheryl said, deciding to share useful information, “We listened to the recording. That person or eladris... who spoke with the preacher. He knows everything about the defense of Vindarn. He said that he has thousands of warriors. Warriors ready to strike at his one order."
At the end of the conversation, Nymphlotel and her companions thanked their new friends. After all, without their help they would have had to suffer for a long time to find the criminals. But this didn’t make it any easier. On the contrary, their tasks have become more complicated.
Coming out of the tavern, the heroes parted. Cheryl, Elarant and Alixandre disappeared from sight. And Fenoglio, together with his comrades, headed towards the ship. They had to urgently fly to Vindarn in order to warn the emperor about the threat.

At the same time, Tagm Klassir returned home to Gottr. Everyone knew that he was married to Eladris, a beautiful dark-haired maiden from the house of Tallico. Her name was very simple, but incredibly beautiful - Itel. She was already over 50, but she still shone with her beauty. For everyone knows that for Eladris 50 years is not youth, but maturity, but there was no smell of old age here. Eladris live up to 140 years or even more. Don't forget about their Elfurr blood.
So Itel had been Klassir’s wife for a long time. But since Admiral Tagm was not an Eladris, but a human, there was no equality in their family. Itel often commanded her husband, and even somehow kicked him out of the door for drunkenness with the captains. But Klassir did not know that his wife was cheating on him, and had not been faithful to him for six months. Young Eladris became her chosen one. He wasn't even a military man. He served as a steward in the admiral's house, but he himself belonged to a noble family. He wrote poems and songs and was talented in drawing. He had some charms. And Itel liked him when he read his love poems to her. She hugged him and never let him go. But she did it secretly from her husband. While Klassir sat with his captains or fought in the war, the walls of the admiral’s estate shook. And not just the walls. The servants saw all this, but remained silent. They shouldn’t have told Klassir that his wife and steward were jumping under the blanket.
But one day Admiral Tagm came home early. But Itel completely forgot, she thought that he would sit in his headquarters until the night. As soon as he approached the estate, as soon as he sent his iron carriage to the storage facility, he heard wild groans. “And who is this.... - Tagm growled angrily, - Is it really Itel.... She remains so faithful to me that the walls of my estate tremble!” He took out his pistol and went to the house. He entered through the front door, scaring away all the servants and maids. The young maid rushed to the master's feet. She didn't want him to do evil. She saw how terrible Tagm’s eyes were.
"What is this?" - Klassir said menacingly, looking at the servant, - And you, bastards, what do you say? Who entered my wife’s chambers?” “Don’t be angry, I beg you,” the maid sobbed in a pleading tone, “Our lady told us not to tell you anything. Please, have mercy, my lord." "Rubbish," Tagm hissed angrily at this. But he tried not to attract attention. He knew that his wife could hear him, and then her secret lover could slip away. Without thinking twice, Klassir brought down his hand on the servant. The blow was so strong that her skull cracked, and she fell to the floor without moving. All the other servants froze in a daze.
“Quiet...” said Klassir furiously, but almost in a whisper, holding a pistol in front of him, “Nothing happened. Don’t make a fuss. Let Itel think that I’m still in the service.” The frightened servants bowed to their master. Two footmen began to carry away the body of the unfortunate maid. Everything had to be done as quietly as possible.
Klassir quickly rose to the second tier, where his wife and the steward were reclining. He entered her chambers unnoticed. The pistol was kept at the ready. He stood for a long time and looked at the tumbling Itel and at the young steward. Only then, moments later, did his wife notice.
Tagm aimed the pistol at Itel. He held both her and her lover at gunpoint. “So you protect marital fidelity,” the admiral croaked menacingly, “So, then? And what should I do with you? What should I do with all of you?” Itel quickly threw the blanket over herself. The steward jumped to his feet. He saw a candlestick on a table nearby. It was with this that he intended to defend himself. But Tagm foresaw everything and fired. The steward's lifeless body fell to the floor. Itel screamed at her husband in rage. "You wouldn't dare!" - her screams were heard, “I am from the clan of Eladris. And who are you? You don’t dare hurt me, you dirty bastard!” “I dare you,” Tagm answered angrily, and shot again, this time at Itel. He finished her off with one shot, just like his lover.

[BagaturSasha]

The very next day, news spread that troublemakers had appeared on the far borders of the empire and were inciting people to revolt. They were led by the same preacher that Prince Elarant had spoken about. His name was Kolio`Aran Solato. He called himself a shepherd and messiah and gave out unclean advice. “Go,” he said, “Yes, install a new government. For the old one puts people on lower levels. People for the Eladris are nothing more than toys. So why should you all be them? Beat the filthy Eladris! Beat these cute tyrants with everyone "Whatever is possible!" There were those who reported on the preacher, but there were also those who decided to listen to his words. Riots began throughout the Frontier. The soldiers stabbed their Eladris commanders to death. The peasants rebelled against the lords. Local generals did not have time to suppress one rebellion before two others broke out. In one of the systems it came to the massacre of Eladris. Angry crowds rushed to ruin the merchants and nobles. They robbed estates and killed landowners.
Worker uprisings began in orbit. The fortresses that hung over the imperial worlds began to fire at each other. It also reached the navy. Within Gariano, the entire fleet went to the rebels. The sailors overthrew their captains and announced the creation of soldiers' councils. Only the neighboring armadas still remained under Imperial rule. It was not easy for Admiral Chrysanthemum. They informed her that the entire fleet had turned against the emperor. But Chrysanthemum did not give up. She straightened her broad shoulders. She ordered all the rebels to be burned to the ground. A serious blow was dealt. Half of the enemy fleet turned to dust. By order of the admiral, boarding groups were created, which recaptured the remaining ships. The rebels were ordered to shoot on the spot. No mercy for the enemies of the empire. However, this happened not only in Gariano. Uprisings spread across all Frontier systems.
Not all information reached the emperor. The enemies made sure that nothing was known on Vindarn. Communications were carefully monitored so that not a single message reached the ruler. Jonah Leprenal should not have found out what was going on. Meanwhile, the situation was getting worse. First, the Frontier rebelled, and then the turmoil reached the Central Worlds.
An uprising broke out on Gratian 6. Neitis Beltramano, the high-born and respectable father of Nymphlotel, was just about to visit there. At Vindarna, he discussed with the emperor the transfer of the capital to Capitolina. Having settled all matters and talked with the lord, Neitis decided to visit his cousin Torilli. He ruled in Gratian, and always behaved with dignity, never exalted himself and never became a tyrant. But Salazarr’s vile followers managed to denigrate him too. A rumor spread through Gratian-6 that the power of the Eladris would soon fall. And the dark spies had been sitting there for a long time and plotting. And so, it all started with the uprising of the farmers. It spread to cities and stations. Angry crowds with knives and guns appeared everywhere. They shot, beat, stabbed, destroyed everything. They chanted: “Long live Potestas!” This is exactly what their sinister masters told them to shout.
They were going to abolish the empire, and in return create their own black state, where they would pray to Salazar every day and make sacrifices to him. Neitis, arriving at Gratian, fell into great horror. It turned out that Lord Torilli was no longer alive. Angry crowds attacked his estate. "Get back, rebels!" - the guards shouted at the top of their lungs, threatening with their weapons, “Get back! You won’t go any further!” "We don't care!" - screams were heard from the crowd, “Anyway, the Eladris will soon cut you off. Dirty bastards! Slutty brats! Always putting us people in toilets! So now expect a retaliatory strike!” People attacked the guards and tore them to pieces. Then they entered the estate. No one was spared there - neither old nor young. They pulled Torilli out of bed and pierced him with a stake. His wife and little son tried to escape, but did not have time. One scoundrel shot at her with a spear gun. She was shot in the chest. And along with her, the child died.
Neitis, approaching Gratian, saw that all his cities were on fire. One of the captains loyal to the empire contacted the station. "Leave now, sire!" - he shouted loudly, “Take the ship away immediately! Gratian-6 is captured by the rebels!” “Where is Lord Torilli?” Neitis cried at the top of his voice, “Is he alive?” “No way,” the captain answered sadly, “They killed everyone. Go away. Bring help. Report everything to Vindarn!”
But before the officer could finish speaking, his station was torn apart. A luminous projectile flew from the surface and destroyed it in the blink of an eye. Then neither the captain nor his crew became available. Neitis immediately ordered his soldiers to retreat. I had to urgently jump into non-space before the enemies noticed.
“We urgently need to report to the emperor,” said one of the soldiers who was traveling with his master, “This is not just an uprising.” “This is war,” Neitis shouted at this, “That’s what it is! The Empire must gather all its strength and stop this madness.”
But they never got to Vindarn. Salazarr's sinister minions did their best in this too. They knocked the navigators off course, and then Neitis almost died. His ship left in a system far from Vindarn. It was lucky that at least there was no uprising there.

Tagm Klassir knew about everything. But for some reason Andrea Bellino told him not to tell anyone about the uprisings. A day later he called the admiral to his headquarters, hovering high above Gottr. Klassir discovered that the headquarters was full of human military leaders. All the Eladris who worked there disappeared somewhere. But before, he had seen elfur-born almost everywhere.
Bellino was waiting for the admiral in full combat gear. He was dressed in heavy knightly armor, but there were no emblems on them relating to the empire. Only a black tunic, without a single symbol, was worn over the armor. Along with him were his closest associates - Admiral Alexander Baldariz and Exarch-Commander Alfar. Everyone is also dressed in armor. Once again, not a single Eladhraman symbol was visible on them.
Most of all, Klassir was afraid that Bellino would find out about his crime. After the murder of Itel, the admiral ordered all servants to remain silent. The maid, the admiral's wife and her lover were buried secretly under the cover of darkness. Nobody had any idea what happened. But if everyone finds out about this, then things will be bad for Klassir. Tagma will be immediately captured and sentenced to death. He shouldn't live at all. And the execution for killing Eladris will be painful. A terrible fate awaited those who raised their hands against the noble lords of the Eladris. At best, it's a carousel of death, and at worst, it's a crushing slab that crushes too slowly, causing the victim to scream in pain. These Elfurrian weapons were used only against the worst of enemies in the Eladhraman Empire. Only the most dangerous criminals and murderers received such a fate.
“Let’s not hide anything,” Bellino said angrily, looking the admiral straight in the eyes, “I know what you did.” Then Klassir froze in horror. He understood that his worst fears had come true. If Bellino surrenders him, everything will come to an end, not only the life of the admiral, but also his family will end. But Andrea had completely different plans. “I ask you to forgive me, my lord,” the admiral fell to his knees, bursting into tears, “I did not want to. Fury destroyed me and forced me to kill my wife. Please... Do not give me up to Eladris, my formidable master.” He kissed Bellino's steel shoes. He began to kiss them as if these shoes belonged not to a general, but to a beloved woman.
“Get up, Classier,” Bellino grinned at this, “I didn’t intend to hand you over to anyone.” The admiral was amazed at such words. He obeyed the master’s order and stood up to his full height. “You killed the slut Eladris,” Andrea continued, and his smile never left my lips, “You did the right thing.” Even though she was your wife, there was no point in having sex with a servant. It’s unworthy of a lady to spread her legs in front of a table cleaner.” Klassir sensed that the general really wouldn’t hand him over. He didn’t want him to die. But obviously, it wasn’t free. “How can I atone for my guilt?” he asked without thinking twice. Tagm." Bellino grinned again. First, he looked at his military leaders nearby, at Baldaris and Alfar. Then he turned back to the admiral. “You will serve me,” Bellino said without a smile, “faithfully and truly.” Have you heard about what's going on around you?" The admiral had to nod. He knew perfectly well that riots were going on almost throughout the entire empire. And he already guessed who had a hand in this. "Okay," Bellino continued his speeches, "I I'm going to end the reign of Eladris forever and ever. I want these offspring, degenerates and mutants... the fruits of dirty and perverted relations between people and foreigners, with Elfurr aliens... to disappear forever. I want them all dead. And my god wants this." Klassir then realized that now he had no choice. Among the admirals and generals they knew about his crime. But all this can be hushed up if you swear allegiance to the new ruler.
“I swear to carry out any of your orders,” the admiral answered, and then fell prostrate again, “I swear allegiance to you, my lord.” This time Bellino no longer asked Tagm to rise. He liked the way he was kneeling in front of him. and elevates him to king. “The day after tomorrow I will attack Vindarn, I will kill Fenoglio, I will kill all the generals and admirals from among the Eladris, and then I will take Jonah Leprenal and disembowel him in front of all his nobles,” Andrea hissed angrily, “And then I will kill all of him.” nobles, if they do not bow before me and my god. Their entrails will be an excellent offering." Then he looked at Klassir again, piercing him with his flaming gaze. "And you, Klassir,” came the general’s words, “You will become my main naval commander when I take the throne. Everything you did to your wife will be forgotten. After all, you are a person. You killed the slut Eladris. It's not your fault. And people are worth a lot. The elfur-born will no longer have power. They will fall soon. And their entire wicked line will be cut short forever."

And our heroes at that time still could not get out of the death trap. Bellino's sorcerers and signalmen set up their programs, inserted them into the systems of each military vessel, and began to disrupt the paths through non-space so that no one could reach the goal.
So our warriors fell into a trap. Fenoglio and his comrades were never able to reach Vindarn. As soon as they dived into the “hole,” they were transported to distances far from the imperial system. And here they are... pirates. Bellino persuaded all the mercenaries and pirates to kill the lost naval commanders and captains, so that none of them would be spared. Our heroes fell into a deadly trap. We found ourselves surrounded by five pirate ships at once. One of the enemy captains contacted Fenoglio. His evil face appeared on the screen, all covered with ritual symbols. “Surrender, brother,” the corsair grinned maliciously, “And we will probably leave you and your people alive. If you don’t surrender, we will cut you to pieces. And if you get captured by us, we will cut off your hands, but leave your legs and everything else.” So that you tell us stories." "Why do you need fairy tales?" - Eric, who was sitting next to the Lord Admiral and saw the message, exclaimed angrily at this. “And then, that the Eladris will soon die,” the pirate bared his golden teeth and broke into a wide smile, “But it will be necessary to leave the storytellers to tell about them. They told how these Eladris lived in their mansions, how they dressed up the girls, how they had intercourse " “Well,” Fenoglio answered then, looking into the pirate’s furious eyes, “Then take us, try it. And let’s see who else will tell tales.” “Then I wish you good luck,” the corsair instantly lost his smile, “We’re going.” Fear us, brother. There are a lot of us. And you - nothing at all."
The image of the pirate captain soon disappeared. Fenoglio realized that he had to fight. And they will not get out of this fight without a fight. The pirates surrounded them on all sides and started firing. The Lord Admiral regretted that his team and crews of 200 soldiers were not with him. He flew on a simple shuttle, which was intended for transportation and travel. But Nymphlotel found a way out. She studied flight combat, and even received high marks. Then our heroes sat down at the guns and began to fight back. Fenoglio remained in control. He skillfully maneuvered between the shells, trying to survive. There were no shields on the ship. One hit and you're dead. But none of the warriors wanted to become dead.
"They're still attacking!" - Erik reported to Fenoglio from the top gun tower, “Two more ships are straight ahead.” Two more ships emerged from non-space, and they were all pirates. There was not a single Eladraman ship nearby. And none of the Imperials came to the rescue could.
"Erik! We need to contact the imperial stations!" - the words of Fenoglio, who was already barely coping, were heard, “Only they are able to rescue us. And if not... We will die right here.”
The face of the pirate captain appeared before Fenoglio again. The corsair really wanted to make fun of the doomed, and therefore got in touch. “I told you, give up, brother,” he repeated with a malicious grin, “We’ll tear you apart. Do you even know how much gold we’ll get for your charred remains?” "And who hired you?" - Fenoglio then asked. But the corsair did not answer him. “The corpse has no need to know this,” the pirate chief joked maliciously, and his face disappeared from the screens.
Another moment passed, and a new ship emerged from non-space. Fenoglio already thought that this time was it... His glorious days were over. Life is over. And his comrades, it seems, decided to go with him. But our heroes were not destined to die that day. The ship that arose among the robbers was not a corsair.

[BagaturSasha]

The very next day, news spread that troublemakers had appeared on the far borders of the empire and were inciting people to revolt. They were led by the same preacher that Prince Elarant had spoken about. His name was Kolio`Aran Solato. He called himself a shepherd and messiah and gave out unclean advice. “Go,” he said, “Yes, install a new government. For the old one puts people on lower levels. People for the Eladris are nothing more than toys. So why should you all be them? Beat the filthy Eladris! Beat these cute tyrants with everyone "Whatever is possible!" There were those who reported on the preacher, but there were also those who decided to listen to his words. Riots began throughout the Frontier. The soldiers stabbed their Eladris commanders to death. The peasants rebelled against the lords. Local generals did not have time to suppress one rebellion before two others broke out. In one of the systems it came to the massacre of Eladris. Angry crowds rushed to ruin the merchants and nobles. They robbed estates and killed landowners.
Worker uprisings began in orbit. The fortresses that hung over the imperial worlds began to fire at each other. It also reached the navy. Within Gariano, the entire fleet went to the rebels. The sailors overthrew their captains and announced the creation of soldiers' councils. Only the neighboring armadas still remained under Imperial rule. It was not easy for Admiral Chrysanthemum. They informed her that the entire fleet had turned against the emperor. But Chrysanthemum did not give up. She straightened her broad shoulders. She ordered all the rebels to be burned to the ground. A serious blow was dealt. Half of the enemy fleet turned to dust. By order of the admiral, boarding groups were created, which recaptured the remaining ships. The rebels were ordered to shoot on the spot. No mercy for the enemies of the empire. However, this happened not only in Gariano. Uprisings spread across all Frontier systems.
Not all information reached the emperor. The enemies made sure that nothing was known on Vindarn. Communications were carefully monitored so that not a single message reached the ruler. Jonah Leprenal should not have found out what was going on. Meanwhile, the situation was getting worse. First, the Frontier rebelled, and then the turmoil reached the Central Worlds.
An uprising broke out on Gratian 6. Neitis Beltramano, the high-born and respectable father of Nymphlotel, was just about to visit there. At Vindarna, he discussed with the emperor the transfer of the capital to Capitolina. Having settled all matters and talked with the lord, Neitis decided to visit his cousin Torilli. He ruled in Gratian, and always behaved with dignity, never exalted himself and never became a tyrant. But Salazarr’s vile followers managed to denigrate him too. A rumor spread through Gratian-6 that the power of the Eladris would soon fall. And the dark spies had been sitting there for a long time and plotting. And so, it all started with the uprising of the farmers. It spread to cities and stations. Angry crowds with knives and guns appeared everywhere. They shot, beat, stabbed, destroyed everything. They chanted: “Long live Potestas!” This is exactly what their sinister masters told them to shout.
They were going to abolish the empire, and in return create their own black state, where they would pray to Salazar every day and make sacrifices to him. Neitis, arriving at Gratian, fell into great horror. It turned out that Lord Torilli was no longer alive. Angry crowds attacked his estate. "Get back, rebels!" - the guards shouted at the top of their lungs, threatening with their weapons, “Get back! You won’t go any further!” "We don't care!" - screams were heard from the crowd, “Anyway, the Eladris will soon cut you off. Dirty bastards! Slutty brats! Always putting us people in toilets! So now expect a retaliatory strike!” People attacked the guards and tore them to pieces. Then they entered the estate. No one was spared there - neither old nor young. They pulled Torilli out of bed and pierced him with a stake. His wife and little son tried to escape, but did not have time. One scoundrel shot at her with a spear gun. She was shot in the chest. And along with her, the child died.
Neitis, approaching Gratian, saw that all his cities were on fire. One of the captains loyal to the empire contacted the station. "Leave now, sire!" - he shouted loudly, “Take the ship away immediately! Gratian-6 is captured by the rebels!” “Where is Lord Torilli?” Neitis cried at the top of his voice, “Is he alive?” “No way,” the captain answered sadly, “They killed everyone. Go away. Bring help. Report everything to Vindarn!”
But before the officer could finish speaking, his station was torn apart. A luminous projectile flew from the surface and destroyed it in the blink of an eye. Then neither the captain nor his crew became available. Neitis immediately ordered his soldiers to retreat. I had to urgently jump into non-space before the enemies noticed.
“We urgently need to report to the emperor,” said one of the soldiers who was traveling with his master, “This is not just an uprising.” “This is war,” Neitis shouted at this, “That’s what it is! The Empire must gather all its strength and stop this madness.”
But they never got to Vindarn. Salazarr's sinister minions did their best in this too. They knocked the navigators off course, and then Neitis almost died. His ship left in a system far from Vindarn. It was lucky that at least there was no uprising there.


Tagm Klassir knew about everything. But for some reason Andrea Bellino told him not to tell anyone about the uprisings. A day later he called the admiral to his headquarters, hovering high above Gottr. Klassir discovered that the headquarters was full of human military leaders. All the Eladris who worked there disappeared somewhere. But before, he had seen elfur-born almost everywhere.
Bellino was waiting for the admiral in full combat gear. He was dressed in heavy knightly armor, but there were no emblems on them relating to the empire. Only a black tunic, without a single symbol, was worn over the armor. Along with him were his closest associates - Admiral Alexander Baldariz and Exarch-Commander Alfar. Everyone is also dressed in armor. Once again, not a single Eladhraman symbol was visible on them.
Most of all, Klassir was afraid that Bellino would find out about his crime. After the murder of Itel, the admiral ordered all servants to remain silent. The maid, the admiral's wife and her lover were buried secretly under the cover of darkness. Nobody had any idea what happened. But if everyone finds out about this, then things will be bad for Klassir. Tagma will be immediately captured and sentenced to death. He shouldn't live at all. And the execution for killing Eladris will be painful. A terrible fate awaited those who raised their hands against the noble lords of the Eladris. At best, it's a carousel of death, and at worst, it's a crushing slab that crushes too slowly, causing the victim to scream in pain. These Elfurrian weapons were used only against the worst of enemies in the Eladhraman Empire. Only the most dangerous criminals and murderers received such a fate.
“Let’s not hide anything,” Bellino said angrily, looking the admiral straight in the eyes, “I know what you did.” Then Klassir froze in horror. He understood that his worst fears had come true. If Bellino surrenders him, everything will come to an end, not only the life of the admiral, but also his family will end. But Andrea had completely different plans. “I ask you to forgive me, my lord,” the admiral fell to his knees, bursting into tears, “I did not want to. Fury destroyed me and forced me to kill my wife. Please... Do not give me up to Eladris, my formidable master.” He kissed Bellino's steel shoes. He began to kiss them as if these shoes belonged not to a general, but to a beloved woman.
“Get up, Classier,” Bellino grinned at this, “I didn’t intend to hand you over to anyone.” The admiral was amazed at such words. He obeyed the master’s order and stood up to his full height. “You killed the slut Eladris,” Andrea continued, and his smile never left my lips, “You did the right thing.” Even though she was your wife, there was no point in having sex with a servant. It’s unworthy of a lady to spread her legs in front of a table cleaner.” Klassir sensed that the general really wouldn’t hand him over. He didn’t want him to die. But obviously, it wasn’t free. “How can I atone for my guilt?” he asked without thinking twice. Tagm." Bellino grinned again. First, he looked at his military leaders nearby, at Baldaris and Alfar. Then he turned back to the admiral. “You will serve me,” Bellino said without a smile, “faithfully and truly.” Have you heard about what's going on around you?" The admiral had to nod. He knew perfectly well that riots were going on almost throughout the entire empire. And he already guessed who had a hand in this. "Okay," Bellino continued his speeches, "I I'm going to end the reign of Eladris forever and ever. I want these offspring, degenerates and mutants... the fruits of dirty and perverted relations between people and foreigners, with Elfurr aliens... to disappear forever. I want them all dead. And my god wants this." Klassir then realized that now he had no choice. Among the admirals and generals they knew about his crime. But all this can be hushed up if you swear allegiance to the new ruler.
“I swear to carry out any of your orders,” the admiral answered, and then fell prostrate again, “I swear allegiance to you, my lord.” This time Bellino no longer asked Tagm to rise. He liked the way he was kneeling in front of him. and elevates him to king. “The day after tomorrow I will attack Vindarn, I will kill Fenoglio, I will kill all the generals and admirals from among the Eladris, and then I will take Jonah Leprenal and disembowel him in front of all his nobles,” Andrea hissed angrily, “And then I will kill all of him.” nobles, if they do not bow before me and my god. Their entrails will be an excellent offering." Then he looked at Klassir again, piercing him with his flaming gaze. "And you, Klassir,” came the general’s words, “You will become my main naval commander when I take the throne. Everything you did to your wife will be forgotten. After all, you are a person. You killed the slut Eladris. It's not your fault. And people are worth a lot. The elfur-born will no longer have power. They will fall soon. And their entire wicked line will be cut short forever."


And our heroes at that time still could not get out of the death trap. Bellino's sorcerers and signalmen set up their programs, inserted them into the systems of each military vessel, and began to disrupt the paths through non-space so that no one could reach the goal.
So our warriors fell into a trap. Fenoglio and his comrades were never able to reach Vindarn. As soon as they dived into the “hole,” they were transported to distances far from the imperial system. And here they are... pirates. Bellino persuaded all the mercenaries and pirates to kill the lost naval commanders and captains, so that none of them would be spared. Our heroes fell into a deadly trap. We found ourselves surrounded by five pirate ships at once. One of the enemy captains contacted Fenoglio. His evil face appeared on the screen, all covered with ritual symbols. “Surrender, brother,” the corsair grinned maliciously, “And we will probably leave you and your people alive. If you don’t surrender, we will cut you to pieces. And if you get captured by us, we will cut off your hands, but leave your legs and everything else.” So that you tell us stories." "Why do you need fairy tales?" - Eric, who was sitting next to the Lord Admiral and saw the message, exclaimed angrily at this. “And then, that the Eladris will soon die,” the pirate bared his golden teeth and broke into a wide smile, “But it will be necessary to leave the storytellers to tell about them. They told how these Eladris lived in their mansions, how they dressed up the girls, how they had intercourse " “Well,” Fenoglio answered then, looking into the pirate’s furious eyes, “Then take us, try it. And let’s see who else will tell tales.” “Then I wish you good luck,” the corsair instantly lost his smile, “We’re going.” Fear us, brother. There are a lot of us. And you - nothing at all."
The image of the pirate captain soon disappeared. Fenoglio realized that he had to fight. And they will not get out of this fight without a fight. The pirates surrounded them on all sides and started firing. The Lord Admiral regretted that his team and crews of 200 soldiers were not with him. He flew on a simple shuttle, which was intended for transportation and travel. But Nymphlotel found a way out. She studied flight combat, and even received high marks. Then our heroes sat down at the guns and began to fight back. Fenoglio remained in control. He skillfully maneuvered between the shells, trying to survive. There were no shields on the ship. One hit and you're dead. But none of the warriors wanted to become dead.
"They're still attacking!" - Erik reported to Fenoglio from the top gun tower, “Two more ships are straight ahead.” Two more ships emerged from non-space, and they were all pirates. There was not a single Eladraman ship nearby. And none of the Imperials came to the rescue could.
"Erik! We need to contact the imperial stations!" - the words of Fenoglio, who was already barely coping, were heard, “Only they are able to rescue us. And if not... We will die right here.”
The face of the pirate captain appeared before Fenoglio again. The corsair really wanted to make fun of the doomed, and therefore got in touch. “I told you, give up, brother,” he repeated with a malicious grin, “We’ll tear you apart. Do you even know how much gold we’ll get for your charred remains?” "And who hired you?" - Fenoglio then asked. But the corsair did not answer him. “The corpse has no need to know this,” the pirate chief joked maliciously, and his face disappeared from the screens.
Another moment passed, and a new ship emerged from non-space. Fenoglio already thought that this time was it... His glorious days were over. Life is over. And his comrades, it seems, decided to go with him. But our heroes were not destined to die that day. The ship that arose among the robbers was not a corsair.

[BagaturSasha]

Flying on his grandiose schooner was none other than Prince Elarant himself. His beloved Princess Cheryl and Alixandre, the sorcerer from Krautmel, were with him. But they were not the only ones on the ship. They managed to bring guardsmen from the house of Umarr with them. Those warriors were armed to the last detail. And the captains and lieutenants who were on the bridge knew how to deal with pirates.
“Thank God, we made it,” beautiful Cheryl sighed with relief. Elarant kissed her on the lips. And then he turned to the commanders on the bridge. He was the most important of them all, since he bore the title of prince. And they could not disobey his orders.
"In the name of the house of Umarr, I order the destruction of all corsairs!" - Elarant exclaimed loudly, grabbed his saber from its sheath and raised it above him, “No mercy for robbers and marauders!” "Yes, your highness!" - Words of humility were heard from everywhere.
The Umarr warriors fired their guns. Bright bolts of light flew towards the pirates. Once - and one of their ships was blown up. Two - and the second one flew away into oblivion. Three - and another one turned into rubble. The corsairs did not have time to recover and regroup. The same captain who threatened Fenoglio was called Gold-Toothed Vinny. He was considered the most evil of the corsairs. He never spared his victims, but before the murder he mocked and made fun of them.
But he turned out to be not only a malicious scoundrel, but also a coward. He wanted to run away from the battlefield. Already gave the order to remove the ships from the system. But it was not there. Elarant managed to give the order that Vinny's ship be captured and not destroyed. Several guardsmen landed on it through the portal bridge. One of them hit Vinnie on the head and knocked out all his gold teeth. The second brought his butt down on the corsair's back. The rest were simply shot dead. Vinny was left alive because he knew a lot and could tell about everything.
Soon the ship Elaranta received the shuttle of our heroes on his schooner. We placed them all comfortably. How happy the Eladramans were that their comrades saved them. Just recently they were feasting together in a tavern, and now they are seeing them again. They even bothered to fight them side by side.
Elarant, like his guests, was also glad to host new friends. He placed them in the spacious living room near the captain's bridge. A little later, he told them that he had been watching their ship, and that he knew about the enemy who was preparing an ambush. But I didn’t know exactly how it would be. Elarant apologized for not being able to intercept them in time. But Fenoglio and his comrades were not offended at all. They were very glad that they were alive.
On the same day, the Umarrans interrogated Vinnie. He told them with tears in his eyes that Bellino had planned a rebellion, and that he was gathering not only his own soldiers, but also various mercenaries and pirates. He made himself the main banner of the Skull and Crossbones. Eladris declared war on everyone. The rest of the worlds were also preparing to capture Vindarn. Fenoglio was horrified, although he had previously guessed about Bellino’s atrocities. And yet he did not expect things to turn out this way. And no one expected it, including Eric, Laurentio and Nymphlotel. They were all expecting a catch, but clearly not this one.
“Bellino wants to seize the throne,” Elarant told his comrades, “for the glory of his god. Everything he said before was a blatant lie. He is not an Eladris at all. And he never was.” “Did you guess that this is Bellino?” - Fenoglio asked his ally honestly. The prince nodded and made a sad face. “We suspected that it was someone from his entourage,” said the Umarr heir, “But we didn’t know for sure that it was him.” Fortunately, just yesterday Cheryl sent a little spy to Bellino’s ship. This device works on the knowledge of Elfurr. In addition to taking captured by the corsair leader, we managed to learn about the conversation between Bellino and Admiral Klassir." Then Fenoglio remembered that Tagm Klassir was with him at the meeting. And it was he who said that his master knew how to find the criminals who ambushed the Eladhraman lords.
“Klassir, Baldaris, Alfar and many others are enemies of the empire,” Cheryl said here, addressing all her guests, “I found it out.” With these words, she took out a small thing from the pocket of her trousers. Fenoglio recognized her immediately. Such devices were used by the Elfurr to spy on their enemies. It was very difficult to get them.
“We urgently need to fly to Vindarn,” Elarant concluded in the end, “and stop Bellino from carrying out his sinister plans. Otherwise, the empire will collapse.”

And Bellino was jubilant in those moments. His troops have already begun to move out. First of all, he took the nearest Rostis-Prime system. Mostly people lived there, and the Eladris were only the leadership. They sat in their palaces and ruled the people.
Residents of the cities on Rostis woke up one morning. They see soldiers marching with black flags. Yes, skulls are everywhere... Skulls are everywhere... Combat vehicles are moving, walking fortresses and citadels on their giant wheels. They looked at the Eladraman warriors in surprise. Only there was not a single flag of the empire there. Basically, only black banners and skulls.
An advance detachment led by Baldaris arrived at the main town hall. It was there that the rulers of Rostis gathered. His soldiers entered the chambers and ordered everyone to be arrested. The local ruler looked at the rebels in horror. "Do you even understand what you're doing?" - he screamed at the top of his voice, “You will all be executed.” Baldaris grinned at this. “Now we are the power here,” he replied, “And you, imperial sycophants, will serve us or die here.” And after that, everyone who was sitting in the wards was pressed against the walls and began to be searched.
And so it went everywhere, throughout the entire system. People saw Bellino's soldiers, but did not dare to confront them. And some, on the contrary, supported the rebels. Some women came out with flowers to the rebels and hugged them. The warriors were especially welcomed by those who hated Eladris with both soul and heart.
Alfar took the Tilda system. His soldiers burst into the governor’s chambers, pulled him out and shot him right on the street. All the Eladris that were captured were released into space by order of Bellino. Only they had holes in their spacesuits in advance so that they would die immediately.
And now information reached Vindarn that Bellino had rebelled. That his soldiers appear with skulls in all systems and announce their secession from the empire. As soon as he heard this, Jonah flew into a great rage. "Arrest Bellino immediately!" - he screamed at the top of his voice, and screamed so loudly that the walls shook, “I order! Arrest!” He ordered orders about this to be printed everywhere. He ordered storytellers to make appeals in their publications that Bellino was no longer a captain-general, not a hero and not a protege of the authorities, but a filthy traitor.
Bellino, having gathered a sizable army from his fighters, cutthroats and mercenaries, advanced to Vindarn through Mirzo. There were hundreds of ships of various types with him: steel battleships, mighty battleships, strong caravels and galleons. He intended to storm the imperial fortress and destroy Eladris forever. He stood on his flagship ship, dressed in black armor and did nothing but wave his mace, giving orders to the lieutenants and captains. His shaved head gaped from cleanliness, since he did not want to enter the capital unwashed.
Klassir was nearby, also dressed in armor. The former sorrow disappeared from his heart. He understood that the hour of great victory was approaching, and that all his troubles were behind him. In any case, that’s what he thought then, and did not even suspect that luck had long abandoned him and everyone who went with him to Vindarn. “I will call myself cadillo, head of state,” Bellino declared to the admiral. “You will become the First Naval Commander of Potestas. There will be no more Eladramani Empire. Potestas is absolute power, military power, will be the end of the past era. And the beginning of a new world.”
“I am proud to serve you, my formidable master,” Tagm responded to this, “And I will not let you down. But we need to capture Vindarn as quickly as possible, before Jonah sends out signals to all his units. Otherwise, we will have to deal with entire armadas.” “Don’t even doubt it,” Andrea said to this, “nothing will save Jonah. We will kill him and all his henchmen. And we will put an end to the rule of the Eladris forever.”
Bellino then addressed all his soldiers with a speech. He ordered the general communications to be turned on so that every captain, every lieutenant, sergeant and ordinary soldier could hear him. So that every admiral and every midshipman knows that the reign of Eladris is over. “You and I are all people!” Bellino thunderously proclaimed, “And today the hour of reckoning has come for our enemies! The filthy Eladris will no longer command us. From now on, we are Potestas! We are the power here, not them! We will go to Vindarn and put an end to the dynasty of mutants! The reign of the Elfur-born is over! Our era has come!"
The warriors who were listening to their leader instantly perked up. They grabbed their blades and began to swing them in different directions. Others fired into the air out of excitement. They were ready to storm Vindarn. They knew that it would not be easy. But the victory after the capture of the capital will become truly thunderous. That's what they thought then. But they were mistaken. For they did not know that the reign of the Eladris was not yet over, and that they were only pawns in the hands of Salazarr.

Tagm Klassir knew that Eladris could not escape revenge. Bellino intends to complete his work and send all the elfur-born to the kingdom of the dead.
He knew perfectly well what Andrea had to do with those Eladris who served with him. Even before the mutiny, the general ordered them to gather in the citadel on Gortra. But no one knew that, on Bellino’s orders, those explosives would be planted under the fortress. Just one flash - and hundreds of Eladris were gone. The rest of Bellino's troops belonged to the human race. There were no Voarr, no Neferirikari, no Draconians, or any other creatures living in the universe.
Bellino took advantage of this. For a long time he spread his hatred of Eladris, and did it secretly so that no one would find out. In conversations with commanders, he would blurt out that it was time to change the government in the country. And the commanders then told the soldiers stories that the Eladris were arrogant and narcissistic, and that it would be nice to give them a good thrashing. In order to distract Eladris from his army, Bellino decided to send a signal to the Sons of Fedorov so that they would strike and kill several Elfur-born. And then he himself took and opened these mugs, declaring that he was personally involved in saving the empire.
And so, all this ultimately led to what we saw. The armies of the empire turned against the Throne of Vindarn. Now they were no longer Eladhraman warriors, but warriors of Potestas, a new power that was supposed to arise in place of the previous one.
Bellino intended to proclaim himself head of state. He did not want to take the imperial title for himself or anything else. It was enough to seize power. The new authorities, Salazar's servants, must take care of the rest. And if Bellino succeeded in creating Potestas on Vindarna, then his power could extend not only to the empire, but also to all other powers. And then everyone who refused to recognize Salazar would have known great torment.
While Andrea marched on Vindarn, the allies in Gilleteau also began to stir. The Gilletonian fleets have already assembled to carry out the Strikes of Vengeance. They wanted to take revenge on Eladris for previous wars. Gilleto's forces attacked the border systems. Pirates set up a blockade on trade routes. Mercenaries continually attacked imperial lords and military leaders, firing at their ships and castles. Terrible things were happening in those days in the Eladhraman Empire. And it was much worse than when Narvalingen and Ara-Niya poured in.
Klassir knew about all this. He also knew that in the future his power would become high and strong. I even thought about overthrowing Bellino if he suddenly managed to achieve his goals. But deep inside he understood that for this he needed to accumulate strength, and that Bellino would have to rule, at least for several years. And at the same time, Klassir will grow stronger and gather its supporters. And then, you see, there is a new rebellion, and a new thousand deaths. And after that - the imperial throne. These are the thoughts that Tagma Klassir had that day.
And all because the dark ones never have a brotherhood. They never have strong alliances. If they serve darkness, they always secretly quarrel with each other, hate their fellow craftsmen and wish them to die. So it was, is and will be. And Salazarr knew this. And he used his servants as he wanted. To him they were just dolls. They will play their role, jump, run, make noise, and then they will all go to the fire at once, as they will become unnecessary.
This happened on other planets, in other galaxies and parts of the universe. All that mattered to Salazar was to start a war. This is what he fed on - anger, hatred and rage.

The Eladraman ruler Jonah Leprenal gave the order for the destruction of all rebels. Spare no one - that was the order. All guards units, army forces and knights were instantly raised. On Vindarn, every man and eladris was given a weapon. All the fortresses on the surrounding satellites were brought to full combat readiness. Somehow we managed to contact the citadels on Rostis, where the commandants still remained loyal to the crown.
General Meirano had his loyal people located there. He sent them messages and ordered them to gather their strength and attack the capital of Rostis. But they managed to succeed only on Tilda. In that system, the corps of grenadiers entered into battle with the warriors of Alfar. Fighting broke out across all worlds and satellites. Alfar concentrated his army in the central fortress of Tilda. The grenadiers managed to break its defenses and capture the main castle. Alfar tried to hide among the bastions. He ordered the soldiers to hold the defense to the last. But they could not withstand such a powerful onslaught. Moreover, the grenadier commanders ordered not to take Alfar prisoner. They hit the main castle with torpedoes. They first brought their assault troops there so that they would not be harmed. Before Alfar had time to come to his senses, nothing was left of him. They demolished it along with the fortress. Even from orbit one could see that eerie scarlet flame. Soon the grenadiers were joined by local soldiers who remained loyal to the crown. They finished off the rebels, and took those who laid down their arms prisoner and imprisoned them in punishment cells.
It turned out more difficult with Baldaris. Meirano's troops concentrated on the southern mainland. By order of their commanders, they began to advance north across the isthmus. But they met powerful resistance. After all, there were too many people for Baldaris. Many residents of Rostis hated the Eladris and considered them arrogant and pompous. At least a million warriors from both sides clashed in the battle. Cannon fire was heard everywhere. Howitzers and bombards did their job. War machines collided with each other, trying to spew out fierce flames from their guns. The whole of Rostis was on fire. And there was no longer a single place where there was not a war going on.
Baldaris set out with a corps of fighting vehicles. The captured Colossi were also with him. These weapons were presented to Emperor Einion by the mighty Elfurrs. But these machines were not used in the wars with Narvalingen or Gilleto. They were intended for extreme cases. No one could have thought that they would go to Baldaris and his soldiers. They managed to understand the operation of the devices and launched them. And then the terrible “Colossi” came out to battle. The troops of the Eladramans trembled when they saw the huge walking giants.
And the evil Baldaris was happy to kill the unfortunate followers of the crown. He decided to take control of one of the "Colossi". He climbed into it along with the soldiers, put all the systems in order and went forward. He shot from his left hand and from his right hand. Weapons worked from the monster's shoulders and back. One of their volleys demolished up to a thousand fighters. Both the warriors and their combat vehicles turned to ashes. The bombers were unable to cope with their tasks. They tried to strike at the Colossus, but the machine knew how to fight them. The guns in its head were such that they could shoot down torpedoes even before they approached.
“Behold!” the heated Baldaris screamed at the top of his lungs, standing on the bridge and looking at how his enemies were dying, “Behold the wrath of Potestas! Behold the great power of the one who will rule everyone!” They managed to recapture Rostis and defeat the Eladramans. None of the emperor’s followers survived that battle.

[BagaturSasha]

Tagm Klassir knew what was going on in most of the empire. And I knew that many would join Bellino. On the way, Mirzo and Andrea were joined by units from Gilleto. Ten more ships emerged from non-space. Their commanders reported that they supported Bellino's efforts to fight the Eladris. In the blink of an eye, the general gathered so many warriors that they could capture Vindarn for him five times.
Closer to evening time, Mirzo met Klassir with Bellino in his cabin. They sat down to have dinner together and discuss further matters. They took delicious dishes - cabbage and cucumber salads, stewed eggplants and green herring from the Mirzoan oceans. We washed it all down with good wine.
“Forgive me, Admiral,” Bellino said to his comrade-in-arms, “I had to make sure that no one knows how you sent your wife to another world.” The Klassir, finishing one of the salads, involuntarily shuddered. He felt internally that it was not without reason that Andrea was talking about this. The general had something very important in mind to tell him, something personal and secret, and therefore invited him to his cabin for a dinner party.
“Why should we forgive?” - Tagm asked to this, - You are not guilty of anything before me. On the contrary, I am grateful that you made me your vassal. From now on, my army is your army. My lands are your lands. And you can dispose of my life as you please.” “My soldiers burned your estate,” Bellino admitted here, “and your slaves are all in the nearest river.... Stones on the necks and off. That's why I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been allowed to live. Your servants would have spilled the beans anyway. And your reputation would suffer greatly. I was worried about you, Lord Admiral."
On the one hand, it was a pity for Tagma to part with the estate and his servants. Over all the previous years he had managed to get used to them. Although he often threatened them and even deigned to beat them, he still got used to their devotion. But apparently, Bellino was afraid that his other comrades, besides Baldaris and Alfar, would find out that the admiral was not an ordinary person, but guilty of a crime. After all, murder is murder and cannot be called by any other word. On the other hand, Klassir was glad that now he was no longer an admiral, but an equal to Fenoglio himself.
“Yes, exactly,” I heard the thoughts of Bellino’s comrade, “You are now Lord Admiral of Potestas. This means that all armadas come under your control. Tomorrow I will announce your appointment. From now on, you are my right hand.”
With these words he smiled widely. But Tagm noticed that for a moment his eyes became bright and strange, the color changed to purple, and then returned to their previous appearance.
What Bellino said, he did. When the flotilla entered the Vindarn system, he announced to all the military leaders that Tagm was now no longer just an admiral, but the Lord Admiral of the fleet, and that they must obey him unquestioningly. The commanders responded to this and recognized Klassir as their master, second only to Andrea.
The Klassir rejoiced at this, knowing that his power was becoming even greater. But Bellino's eyes confused him. The origins of this general gave me a lot to think about. At first he declared himself Eladris, and then it turns out that he is not Elfurr-born at all, but someone else. But is he human? Or someone else? He spoke on behalf of the people, but people, as you know, never had violet eyes. If only it concerned the Airs from the Flawless Empire, but they are not fully human, but half-breeds, like the same Eladris. Children of Elfurr and people.
So then Tagm Klassir thought about who they all had to deal with. I thought about it, but still couldn’t find the answers.

At the same time, information about the attack on Vindarn by Bellino and his accomplices reached Elarant, Fenoglio and their associates. Fenoglio was no ordinary commander on that ship. He was a famous military leader and went through more than one war. And he had the rank of Lord Admiral. They took advantage of connections with Umarr. Without Elarant's help, nothing would have happened. But the prince provided our heroes with everything they needed. They sent messages to all military units that they were loyal to the crown. Fenoglio sent his messages to all headquarters and governorates. He told them that Bellino had planned a rebellion, raised his thugs, and was about to take Vindarn. He warned that no-space could be unstable, but there was no time to hesitate, and Vindarn could not be left unprotected either. It was necessary to act. After all, delay could easily put an end to the empire. Then the power of Eladris would not exist, and everything that the bastard Bellino promised would come true.
“I appeal to all military leaders,” Fenoglio said in messages that were immediately sent to headquarters and governorates, “I appeal to all governors. Andrea Bellino is a traitor and traitor. Now he is preparing to take Vindarn and capture the heart of the empire. I, as a faithful lord “Admiral and representative of the nobility, knight of the emperor and guardian of the stars, I order you to go to the capital and prevent it from being captured.” Admirals and generals, exarchs and governors, planetmasters and marshalls listened to Fenoglio. They knew that he was telling the truth. News has already reached many of the rebellion.
The admirals immediately began to prepare their flotillas for transfer to Vindarn. Having suppressed the rebellions on parts of the Frontier, Admiral Chrysanthemum advanced a large army and sent it to the capital. Other commanders fought with the rebels throughout the imperial lands. Natis Beltramano, that the father was Nymphlothel, quickly received messages from the Lord Admiral. He asked him if his daughter was safe, to which Fenoglio nodded and replied that she was with him, on the ship of Prince Elarant.
Statements were sent to embassies about an impending attack on Vindarn. Envoys from different races and empires perceived this as a threat. Some of them began to leave Eladhraman and take their ships to their home systems. Others remained in the embassy quarters and hoped that Bellino would not touch them.
Neytis hurried to the Eladris warriors who were stationed in the Kharazen system. He raised them all up for a great battle. Ordered the admirals and generals to save the emperor and the Eladraman nobles. Beltramano himself took with him the great battleship that was given to him by Jonah Leprenal himself. The battleship was called "Holy Retribution". The Father of the Church himself and his priests blessed him. And therefore the warriors believed that the power of the Radiant One himself was hidden in the ship. And what will the Radiant One help them in the fight against the wicked.
Neitis took off on the Retribution. He gave the order for everyone to go to Vindarn. Our heroes also joined his armada. Elarant's ship reached Kharazen's positions. Beltramano ordered all ships to obey Fenoglio's orders. The Lord Admiral was in charge, and had every right to lead the attack.
Before the battle, he blessed the warriors for great feats and achievements. “Today is a day that I thought would never come,” Fenoglio said over the general communication so that everyone in Eladramana could hear him, “But it has come. Our enemy, Andrea Bellino, has taken up arms against the emperor. And our goal is to prevent his coming to power. I order the destruction of Bellino and his entire fleet. No mercy for traitors! Glory to the Emperor!"
"Glory to the Emperor!" - the furious voices of warriors devoted to the crown were heard. Each of them at that moment wanted retribution for the criminals.

When the Eladris warriors relocated to Vindarn, they experienced great horror. Never before had they seen such a terrible massacre. The entire space around Vindarn and his companions was filled with ships. Thousands and thousands of ships fighting each other. The Eladris star galleons were immediately visible. They were shaped like knight's blades. But not only Eladhraman ships were seen in this carnage. Bellino brought with him almost everyone he knew. There were also Gilletonians and pirates and mercenary clans here. He even bothered to bring Narwalingen with him. Several "whales" were spotted encircling one of Vindarn's satellites.
But Eladris also had considerable strength. Fenoglio called many with his call. There were not only those loyal to the crown, but also Voarr, Axilia Draconians and Neferirikari. But for some reason Elfurr did not hear the call and did not send their ships to help. But let's not talk about them. Let's talk about the battle.
Bellino was not going to risk his flagship. He sent pirates and mercenaries forward so that the Eladris had somewhere to spend their shells. As the first lines hit the torpedoes, it was the turn of the Eladhraman traitors. The traitor ships opened fire. As a result, the entire fortress was destroyed. The explosion was so powerful that it could be seen even from another part of the system. Debris rained down on Vindarn. Huge pieces quickly turned into flaming balls, and with all their might they fell on the capital, causing terrible destruction.
Nymphlotel looked at this with undisguised rage. “Bellino will pay for his betrayal,” she growled furiously, “There will be no mercy for him for this.” Eric, standing nearby, agreed with the exarch. “Perhaps you’re right, he brought much more pain to our country than Fedorov,” the captain’s words were heard. Laurentio was silent. He didn't think that this would all turn out. But Bellino knew how to win over people. Until recently, he seemed like an ally, fighting for a just cause. Now, for everyone, he will forever remain an enemy. And his name will be cursed forever.
Thanks to Fenoglio, the schooner Elaranta became a mighty flagship. The Lord Admiral commanded from there, issuing orders to the entire flotilla. He ordered to move forward and cut through many enemy ships. The Eladramans should not have spared traitors. They opened fire from all guns. All that could be seen was the schooners and caravels exploding.
“We are breaking through to Bellino’s flagship!” Fenoglio’s orders were heard throughout the flotilla, “Our goal is to destroy the traitor! When approaching his ship, fire to kill on the bridge! Aim for the bridge, in the bow of the ship! This will be his end!”
But Bellino’s flagship was still far away. He was surrounded by dozens of ships, including corsairs. It was not easy for the Eladramans in that battle. However, completing the task was more important than anything else.
Bellino stood on his ship together with the generals and Admiral Klassir. He saw how the ship Elaranta, with the support of other ships, was heading towards his flagship. The Klassir wondered why Fenoglio underestimated the enemy so much. Goes forward, regardless of any dangers. But Bellino was already preparing his bloody surprise.
“I want to personally see the death of the Lord Admiral and all this brethren,” Andrea said with an evil grin, turning to Tagm, “Let’s board his pathetic ship.” Klassir also smiled at this. “I’ll be happy to watch them die,” he answered, “Our swords are ready! Just one order from you, lord!”
But Fenoglio understood that Bellino would not give up so easily. He felt that it was not without reason that this upstart started the war, and his goals were much more global.
-

[BagaturSasha]

Then Fenoglio called Eric and his comrades to his bridge. Battle groups were assembled to repel the boarding forces. The Lord Admiral guessed that Bellino would plan to board. For this purpose, special gateway bridges were not required. Of course, bridges were effective means. But there were other ways, and Bellino had them. I saw Fenoglio, the villain’s flagship, in detail. He worked on the knowledge of Eladris and Elfurr. It is likely that they also had portal rays that could throw warriors to any point on the map. Elarant had the same thing. The question was who would land the troops first.
Eric again remembered how he fought with Narvalingen, and how he struck down the filthy Fedorov with a blade. He decided to propose the same idea to Fenoglio. “My lord, we can be the first to penetrate Bellino’s bridge and knock him out,” he told the commander, “Remember the war with the “whales”? We have already done this, and it worked. Here we can do the same, and make Bellino beg for mercy. If his flagship is captured, this entire enemy horde will surrender to the mercy of the emperor. After all, if you cut off the head of a snake, its body twitches and twitches, and then freezes. The same is necessary here." Fenoglio thought and realized that Eric’s words were wise. He only felt that Bellino had traps, and that Eric and his comrades would be in mortal danger if they took risks. Losing all your friends... Anything, but that’s not what the Lord Admiral needed. He valued his comrades too much.
“I want to say, yes, my brothers and sisters,” Fenoglio honestly admitted, “But I don’t know. I’m afraid that our enemy is very cunning. He can only wait for this.” “But there is no other way out,” Nymphlotel’s words were heard here. This maiden was wise, like Eric, and therefore knew that in such cases it was better to immediately cut off the head of the snake. “There really is no way out,” Eric continued his speeches, “Sire, we must do this. We must destroy Bellino and put an end to his Potestas. Even if we die, then so be it. Give us one of the charges with us. To be sure to destroy the enemy."
Hearing this, Fenoglio turned pale. He knew exactly what the captain was asking for. And he asks for a device that runs on atomic energy. That is, Eric suspected that all this could end in death. But if they all fall, they will also send their enemies to hell. That was Eric's idea.
“Are you sure you want this?” Fenoglio asked menacingly, and at that moment looked at all his friends, “Are you sure you want this? This task may be the last for everyone. We can abandon you, but you must act for sure. You "We must try to stay alive. I can give you a charge, but it should only be used when there is no hope." He looked at his comrades again. But they were all ready. Determination and courage were visible in their eyes. None of them were afraid anymore. The main thing was to stop this whole nightmare.
“Ready,” came the voices of Fenoglio’s comrades. They answered him in unison, proving their determination. “Well,” the Lord Admiral nodded at this, “Then I must send you to this battle. But I want you to return. Know this.” “And we will go,” came the voice of Prince Elarant. Turning in his direction, Fenoglio saw that his comrades, Alixandre and Cheryl, were standing with the prince. All of them were also ready to support Eric and his warriors. “So be it,” Fenoglio said. He understood that fate could no longer be avoided, and if the Gods wanted them all to die today, then this was their will.

It was necessary to get as close to the scoundrel as possible. Elarant ordered his captain to lead the ship forward. All the ship's forces were redirected to the shields. The shelling began from everywhere. But the shields held, preventing the ship from causing damage. They only lasted for 10 minutes, and no more. Another 11 will pass, and the ship will be in trouble. We’ll have to get away in a hurry, which none of our warriors wanted. And so they moved at top speed.
The Voarr commanders, who were following nearby in their oval ships, were given orders to divert the enemy's attention. The Voarr released their flying machines and unleashed their power on the enemy ships. The traitors could not cope. They shot and shot at these devices, but could not withstand the onslaught. Here - one ship exploded, followed by a second, third, fourth.
"Just let us get closer to Bellino's flagship!" - Fenoglio commanded, without breaking the connection with the Voarr, - Then we dive into the portal." "Do you have any idea, Mr. Lord Admiral? - the hissing voice of Kur'first Voarr, who commanded the ship nearby, was heard, “I sense that you want to capture their ship.” But Fenoglio knew that Bellino could listen to everything. He did not exclude the possibility that the enemy had been watching them for a long time and that’s all I heard. You couldn’t reveal your plans so easily.
“No, honorable one,” Fenoglio had to lie, “Just do as I say. Let Bellino see that we are not afraid to come closer to him.” But Voarr understood everything without further ado. He looked at his gray-skinned and multi-armed comrades sitting in the control room. Then he looked again at the naval commander’s face, visible on the screen. “We will do everything,” said the foreigner and bowed, “Good hunting, and may the All-Seeing One help you.” The all-seeing Voarr called their main god, who had a thousand eyes and ears.
Soon the Lord Admiral's face disappeared from the screens. Voarr looked at his comrades with terrible alarm. “It seems that the Children of Elfurr are going to land warriors there, let’s help them,” his words were heard in his native language. Their sound was like the chirping of birds.
Fenoglio was no fool, and immediately realized that the Voarr guessed his plan. They had already studied his reports during the battle with Narvalingen. But he saw that they were afraid for the Eladraman warriors, and did not know whether they would win this battle or fall. The danger was terrible. If Erik and his friends fail, Vindarn will fall and Bellino will end the Leprenals' rule forever. He had a great many warriors. Fenoglio also noticed that every minute more and more ships were entering the system. And they were not at all friendly. Now the Gilletons appeared, then more corsairs, mercenaries and all sorts of traitors.
The Lord Admiral patted his comrades on the shoulders and even gave them a fatherly hug. “Do it,” was all he said to Eric. “We will try,” the heroes answered. They did not know what awaited them ahead, but they knew for sure that any delay was fatal.
After this, our warriors hurried to the portal hall in order to quickly transfer from there to the enemy ship. And then... Only the Gods alone knew whether they would survive or all would die.

Fenoglio escorted his friends all the way to the hall. From there they dived into the shining ring and evaporated. The ship has already come close enough to the heavy ship carrying Bellino and his criminals. The masters who were sitting in the control room of the portal hall redirected the beam straight to the enemy’s monastery. The flash appeared for an instant, and it was large, as if a star had exploded somewhere in the distance. And now, our heroes are already on the artillery deck.
Potestas' soldiers saw them, but did not understand anything. They see their Eladraman armor, but no skulls are visible. As soon as they realized that strangers were in front of them, they instantly raised their guns and began to fire. But it was not so easy to deal with the Eladris, especially those whom Erik led into battle.
The captain threw a grenade right in the face of the enemy commander. She rushed across the entire deck, so brightly that she almost deprived Eric himself of his vision. She laid at least ten enemies.
"Alarm! Strangers on deck!" - one of the fighters screamed at the top of his voice. He was, apparently, the commander of the detachment. He ordered the gunners to quickly leave their guns and clear the deck of strangers. But here too it fails. Nymphlotel fired a pistol and blew off his head. Laurentio also fired from his speargun, smashing two of them at once. It was Elaranta, Cheryl and Alixandra's turn. Elarant did not like pistols. He only took a bow with him, but his arrows were capable of piercing even heavy armor. In an instant he released five arrows from his quiver and killed six. The arrow hit one in such a way that the tip of her comrade hit her from behind.
Cheryl, on the other hand, preferred pistols and blades. Having fired two shots, she grabbed a saber and immediately cut down the enemy she came across. But Alixandre was not an easy person. It was always a bad idea to joke with him. One of the enemies aimed a gun at him, but the weapon escaped the hands of its owner and rushed upward. Then the unfortunate warrior himself took off and hit the ceilings with furious force.
Very little time passed before they cleared the artillery deck of enemies. But alarm bells began to sound everywhere. Bellino knew that his enemies had entered the ship and were waiting to blow his head off.
He then ordered Tagm Klassir to sort everything out. Andrea looked at him with eyes full of madness and fury. "Clear all decks of these unclean ones!" - he roared menacingly, “And I swear, if you don’t follow the order, you can say goodbye to the position of naval commander.” Tagm did not expect to hear such words from his master. “But, noble sir, I’m not the head of security on the ship,” Tagm tried to answer, “I should be on the bridge!” Bellino took this as unprecedented audacity. His eyes lit up with anger and flashed purple lights. “I gave you an order, degenerate,” he rasped menacingly, “Go and deal with those who entered the ship! Or I will shoot you!” Klassir recoiled in horror. He realized that he could not contradict the master, since he had sworn allegiance to him. I had to follow all the orders. “Hey, you lazy people,” the Lord Admiral shouted to the guards on the bridge, “Find these scoundrels and destroy them! I’ll see to it myself!” He grabbed his saber and hurried along with the soldiers.
Bellino grinned, sensing the admiral’s rage. He was going to get rid of it after his resounding victory anyway.

[BagaturSasha]

Fenoglio did as he planned. Having released his warriors to fight Bellino, he took the ship out of the dangerous place and moved closer to Voarr. The multi-armed ones have already finished shelling enemy ships. Gradually they began to withdraw their ships back. Everyone was just waiting for a miracle. Namely, the upcoming victory over Bellino. We waited and prayed.
The Lord Admiral realized with horror that the number of enemies was only increasing. More and more ships are arriving, and they are all hostile. And the Eladramans have already begun to suffer losses. Reinforcements from Gilleto hit Admiral Chrysanthemum right in the back. The brave woman did not have time to take her ships away. One of the torpedoes hit the engines. Her ship quickly slowed down. The second torpedo hit the generator, which provided air on the decks, like on Vindarn. And the third one destroyed gravity. Chrysanthemum did not cope with the task. She was thrown sharply into the ceiling, and then hit the deck with all her might, and hit her so hard that her body cracked. The fourth torpedo hit the bridge and destroyed everyone there.
The Eladramans wavered and began to leave the battle. The path to Vindarn remained open. Defense stations were destroyed. Nothing could stop Bellino from taking possession of the capital. In desperation, Jonah Leprenal sent signals to all his allies. Sent a message to Ser'Pentai that she commanded all the Draconian fleets. But the dragoness replied that she would not help soon, since it was a long flight to Vindarn. And also, she said, that Ara-Nii was suddenly taken and attacked the Draconian borderland. Some of the fleets were to be sent there to clear the captured systems of the filthy bugs.
Other Eladraman admirals and military leaders were busy with rebellions. They fought with their own soldiers, who had previously served the crown, but now turned into traitors. Fenoglio understood that no one could cope that day without Eric and his team. The fate of everyone who fought at Vindarn then depended on the captain.
One of the lieutenants had already suggested that Fenoglio retreat. But the Lord Admiral was angry at this. His face turned purple. “How dare you even think about this?” he scolded the cowardly officer. “Until Eric returns, we won’t go anywhere!” The lieutenant had to keep his mouth shut. Although horror had been growing inside him for a long time. He wanted to go home quickly, to his beloved wife and children. He was afraid that he would never see them again.
“Admiral Chrysanthemum is dead,” the voice of Captain Luceno reached Fenoglio. He commanded a neighboring ship, which was very close to the flagship. “What about her fleet?” Fenoglio immediately shouted into the instruments, “What about the warriors?” “They are retreating,” Lucenzo reported with sorrow, “Everyone is retreating, unbearable cowards.” “No! I forbid retreat!” the Lord Admiral exclaimed at the top of his voice, “Retreat is impossible. We will fight to the end!” “Yes, my lord,” the captain responded, “But what about those who have already left the battlefield? Sorry, but we are losing. We are suffering heavy losses.”
And there were more and more of those who fled. Many captains did not want to continue the battle. They began to move their ships to other systems. They did this to Bellino's delight. But Fenoglio had no intention of leaving. He made a promise to himself that if he left the battlefield, it would only be dead. He will fight as long as there is meat on the bones.

On Vindarn, fear and horror reigned. Local residents feared that Bellino would break through to the capital and lead the assault on the Imperial Castle. This would mean a quick end for the empire. But the defense worked with a bang: it held back countless enemy forces. Scarlet flashes were visible everywhere. The guns were working with all their might. They fired shell after shell into the air. Each of them fought someone high in the skies. But there were also failures. Bellino predicted the attacks of his opponents. Damn, he stationed his spies in the imperial city. Although they were not able to win a proper victory there, they still blew up several cannons.
Emperor Jonah was not sitting on his throne in his palace, did not tremble with fear and did not hide in the basements. Many Vindarn residents went down to the subways to wait out the storm. But Leprenal did not want that. That day he commanded the defensive forces along with all the military leaders. He was dressed in a simple overcoat. He did not want to put on either golden armor or exquisite camisoles. The screams of the military were heard everywhere. The horde gathered by Bellino had to be prevented. A dozen ships in orbit have already been shot down. But more and more enemies arrived and tried to break through to the capital.
The roar was so loud that you could lose your hearing. And we had to act somehow, give orders, and hold the defense. Alarm bells were ringing everywhere. All this was mixed with the roar of gunfire. This is what was happening on Vindarn back then. This hasn't happened there for thousands of years. Without a doubt, it is worth saying that those days will be remembered for a long time. And storytellers and chroniclers will talk about this for hundreds of years.
The Eladraman Emperor did not sleep a wink, running around the headquarters, contacting the warriors and commanders above and below. He also brought into combat readiness the weapons that operated on atomic energy. The order was given cruelly. If the enemy nevertheless occupies the capital and kills everyone, the blow should be struck with these weapons, and such a blow as to turn the entire enemy into ashes. Not all military leaders supported this. But that was the will of the emperor. None of them could challenge it.
While Jonah Leprenal was distributing commands at his headquarters, his spies were working and trying to communicate with distant worlds. Meirano was with them. Bellino tried to block the signals so that reinforcements could not arrive on time. Meirano had to work with his people to the point of exhaustion in order to convey at least something to the rest of the systems. One of the orders did reach all loyal loyalists to immediately arrest the estates and estates of Andrea Bellino. This was done where the Eladramans still ruled, and where the imperial flags had not yet been torn down. The governors gathered faithful husbands and maidens and sent them to the estates. And soon, Lord Avtandil, who was in charge of communications, reported to General Meirano about their successful actions. He reported that the estates had been taken into custody. Only at the same time did he talk about the horrors that the guards discovered there.
“They told me from Entzel that one of Bellino’s estates was searched,” Avtandil reported to General Meirano. It was in the Police Fortress in the eastern hemisphere. Meirano wanted to be happy, but he couldn’t. After all, the news was ominous. “There was nothing valuable in the estate except the altars,” the general’s assistant continued his speeches. Then Meirano shuddered in surprise. “What kind of altars are these? What are you talking about, I don’t understand,” he asked his assistant. “They called those altars blasphemous,” Avtandil answered with horror. “The symbols there were unclean. They were covered in writing everywhere. Especially the basements. They told me that sacrifices took place there. It’s just not clear to whom they were offered. There is blood and murdered people everywhere. If communication can be established, We'll get more news."
Meirano froze in a daze. He knew what to do in this case. He then ordered Avtandil to inform the emperor about this. “Send a report to the Imperial Castle immediately!” the general screamed at the top of his lungs, “and without delay. Say that this Bellino is not Bellino at all. You and I missed the great enemy. We ran into the old rake again.”

Fenoglio continued the battle with the enemies. There were not enough reinforcements. They only came to the enemy to support him. There were fewer loyalists. It was clear that the forces were unequal. The Lord Admiral prayed in his soul to the Radiant One to spare the lives of his comrades. He felt that they were in great danger and that they could die.
But as luck would have it, Fenoglio did not receive relief. It became even worse for him when the emperor himself contacted him. He managed to reach the flagship, although not as well as he would have liked. The jammers worked at full power and did not allow signals to pass through.
Fenoglio saw Jonah Leprenal himself in front of him. And they both looked very confused. “Lord Admiral,” the emperor turned to his comrade-in-arms, “Tell me, what is there now on the battlefield? You can hardly be heard... We miraculously reached you.” “Our Blades are trying to destroy the enemy, but so far without success,” admitted Fenoglio. “We are hoping for a secret plan. What it is, I cannot say yet.” Jonah Leprenal then turned pale. He knew perfectly well what his comrade in arms was talking about. "Tell me, is your captain with you?" - asked the emperor, looking menacingly at the face of the naval commander, - And Nymphlotel, daughter of Neitis? Are they on your ship?” “No, my lord,” the Lord Admiral replied, “I cannot say where they went.”
The Emperor turned even more pale. But Fenoglio could not tell the truth. He didn’t even warn Neitis that his daughter had gone with Eric to Bellino’s flagship. Even if he had said this, the enemy would have understood everything. After all, they have been bugged for a long time.
But Jonah Leprenal had known Fenoglio for too long. And so he immediately realized what he was driving at.
“You must immediately take them out of the battle!” the ruler commanded. “If you are planning to send them to an enemy ship, call them back. I don’t care how you do it, but you must!” “Why are you so angry?” asked Fenoglio, although inside, he knew everything perfectly well. “Because Bellino is not Bellino at all,” came the emperor’s answer, “We arrested his estates.” There were altars, altars... temples to the dark gods. There was blood, whole oceans of blood! We believe that Bellino is long dead, like Admiral Marie. And that sorcerer whom you supposedly killed has returned again. And if this is so, then here is the answer to all the riddles." Fenoglio recoiled from the screen. Gooseflesh covered his back. He didn’t think that everything could turn out like this. He didn’t foresee this. He didn’t see the enemy right under his nose. And indeed, everything was repeating itself Fenoglio's head was ready to burst into pieces.
“Fodorov has returned,” the emperor’s voice was heard, and each time he became more and more stern, “This sorcerer seems to have planned everything in advance. You must save our soldiers and bring them out. If you sent them to their deaths, you have made a terrible mistake, Fenoglio Bertrano!" “But how can we save them now?” cried the naval commander, whose lips trembled as if from cold, “They are inside the flagship. I sent them to finish off Bellino.” “That’s what he needs!” - Jonah cried out in great rage, - Thunder strike you! You have let us all down! You are short-sighted!! Old fool! The sorcerer has already calculated everything and will kill them right away, and it’s all your fault!”
After this, the image of the ruler disappeared from the screens. Fenoglio remained standing in place. His heart was fluttering. There was nothing he could do to help his comrades.
The commanders crowded around next to the admiral. We tried to help him as best we could. They said that our heroes would return soon; They said that they would finish off the villain. But nothing consoled Fenoglio anymore. Despair grew rapidly in his soul.

[BagaturSasha]

Eric, along with his comrades, was already approaching the Bellino bridge. They managed to repel enemy attacks on the artillery deck. But since there were more and more enemies, they had to leave the deck and get to the cargo portals. One of the local warriors was captured and ordered to take them to the bridge. He resisted, claiming that Bellino would finish them all off, but when Alixandre used his magic, the lost soul told everything he knew.
They left the traitor lying unconscious. Eric was the first to jump into the portal, followed by everyone else. Along the way, they had to throw off their Eladraman tunics. They tore off the black cloaks from the dead guards on the gunners' deck and threw them over themselves. Thus, they were no different from the naval cavalry guards. They put on iron masks in the shape of skulls to look exactly like the enemy.
Soon they unloaded near the bridge in a spacious corridor. Bellino's warriors were scurrying everywhere and everywhere. The commanders ordered to immediately find the enemies. Alarm signals sounded on all decks. “Find them!” voices were heard from everywhere, “Find the invaders!” Eric and his comrades squeezed through the ranks of the fighters. No one saw them as Eladramans. Everyone thought that they were their own, and that they, like everyone else, were looking for the enemy.
“Quietly, let’s pretend that we serve Potestas,” the captain said barely audibly so that his friends could hear, “We need to make our way to the bridge. He’s already nearby.” They hid their shoulder pads with Eladraman symbols with black cloaks. And everyone running nearby thought that these were Bellino’s soldiers. Moreover, not just soldiers, but guards units.
But luck did not last long. Our warriors met other cavalry guards on the way. They were led by a man in admiral's armor. Eric and Nymphotel recognized him immediately. It was Tagm Klassir, who had recently been present at the admiral’s council of Fenoglio. But he was no longer an ally of the empire. He sold his soul to the sinister Bellino.
The classmaster called out to Eric, thinking that it was one of his subordinates. I had to move to the admiral. After all, you had to obey the commander. If our heroes had left him, they would have quickly fallen under suspicion. “We act according to the situation,” Erik whispered quietly, but all his comrades heard him. They had blades and guns at the ready.
“They say that the imperial spawn caused a rout below, killed the gunners,” the admiral croaked menacingly, still thinking that he was facing allies, “And where did you get dressed like that, gentlemen?! Come with me, let’s find these corrupt dogs and bring them their heads.” Bellino." “Wait, my lord, but we have an important conversation with the captain general,” Eric tried to lie, hoping that this would help him, “We urgently need to go to his chambers.” “Tell me everything,” Klassir said to this, “Mr. Captain General is now in command of the fleet. And he instructed me to clear the decks of intruders.”
“Forgive me,” Nymphlotel decided to speak, and thereby put herself at risk, “But this is really important, my lord. We urgently need to see Monsignor Bellino.”


Nymphlotel did not notice when a woman standing not far from Klassir in military uniform drew attention to her. She looked intently into the eyes of the warrior, visible through the slits of the mask. This woman had recently received a captaincy, and now served Tagm Klassir as an adjutant. Her name was Amelia. And it was precisely this that was discussed when Bellino’s crimes in the army were told.
“Wait a minute,” Amelia intervened in the conversation, “Come on, take off your mask!” Nymphlotel shuddered. The captain addressed her and spoke rudely. Obviously, she got wind that Eladris had infiltrated the ship. And this could well lead to failure and jeopardize the entire task.
"I said, take off your mask!" - Amelia repeated, and her gaze became creepy. The admiral looked at his comrade-in-arms. “Why would you call her like that,” he said to this, “Everyone who serves in the cavalry guards is an officer, and you shouldn’t talk to them like ordinary soldiers!” “I recognized her eyes, my lord, and her voice is similar to Eladris,” the captain admitted. She remembered how Nymphlotel personally met her at a meeting of commanders. And I remembered her voice.
“Eladris is not on this ship,” Eric exclaimed, “I assure you. This is a grave mistake.” But Admiral Klassir no longer believed him. “Let the girl take off her mask,” he said very rudely, almost with hatred, “We need to check. And if it turns out that she is a person, and one of ours, then we will go further to look for the intruders. Otherwise, who knows, maybe they took They dressed up as the general’s soldiers and are now prowling among our people.”
Eric then realized that bad luck would befall all of them. If Nymphlotel takes off his mask, everyone will recognize her. And the captain decided to act unexpectedly, in order to take the enemy by surprise.
“Admiral Tagm, I apologize, but we are really in a hurry,” he said quickly, and was already preparing to use the blade, “And yes, one of your old friends asked me to say hello to you.” The classmaster flushed at such insolence. His eyes sparkled. “And who is my old friend?” his words were heard, “And how dare you address me in such a tone?” “Lord Admiral Fenoglio,” Eric smiled at this, “He asked me to tell you that he remembers your meeting at the admiral’s council. And he remembers what assistance you provided to the investigation when they were looking for the traitors hired by you and your master. And therefore he asked, so that you are killed without suffering."
With these same words, he thrust his blade straight into the admiral’s stomach, so much so that the blade of the sword came out of the traitor’s back. Then Eric pulled the blade out of the bastard’s body and cut off his head. Nymphlotel, Laurentio and the others who entered the ship with the captain did not hesitate. They grabbed their blades, raised their pistols and guns and began to deal with the enemy. Nymphlotel managed to cut her way through to Amelia with her sword. She hit the traitor on the knee with a steel boot. The captain howled in pain and dropped the pistol. Nymphlotel took advantage of this. She hit the traitor with the hilt of her sword, and then sent the weapon into its sheath. The warrior took off her mask and showed Amelia her true appearance.
"Did you want to see my face?" - the exarch asked with a grin, “So get it.” After this, she hit the traitor with steel fists on the temples. The bones of the skull cracked, and Amelia’s head crumpled, like a piece of bread. For the strength of Eladris has always surpassed that of humans.
Laurentio raised his speargun and shot four fighters. One suddenly took out a grenade and prepared to throw it at the standard bearer and send him to the next world. But Cheryl intervened just in time. She shot directly at the traitor's head. He fell on the deck and blew himself up. The shrapnel wounded several of his comrades and knocked them to the ground.
Another traitor attacked Nymphlotel. I decided to try my strength on it and pierce it with an ax. But even here the Eladraman maiden did not flinch. She parried the fatal blow, then grabbed the enemy with both hands and threw her into the nearest wall.
Laurentio was amazed at the great power of the eladraman. Her strength and beauty. Then the standard-bearer realized that his heart was now occupied. The brave Nymphlotel settled there forever.
But our warriors had no time to linger in the corridors. It was necessary to quickly break through to Bellino and end his vile life.


Once again we had to fight our way to the bridge. He was guarded by strange warriors. They seemed to be human, but they were entangled in cables everywhere. Metal rivets all over the body, glowing eyes, steel limbs topped with spikes. It was immediately obvious that they were improved on Bellino’s orders. But they were vulnerable to arrows. Prince Elarant aimed straight at their heads. As soon as the arrows hit them, they immediately switched off. The rest were shot with pistols and spear guns.
Eric was going to burst onto the bridge and immediately arrest Bellino. He had already thought through his loud speeches. His comrades had to keep the traitor at gunpoint and not take their eyes off him. They thought that everything would just work out. Much more difficult... So almost half of the galaxy was burning with fire. But everything Eric thought about was just his imagination. He did not know what kind of enemy he was about to face. And none of his comrades knew.
Our heroes discovered that the doors leading to the bridge were sealed. Eric hid his priceless charge, which was given to Fenoglio, too deeply, and it was impossible to use it against the doors. I decided to take on Laurentio's case. He raised his speargun and fired. But the doors never opened. The luminiferous charge simply disappeared.
“It smells like witchcraft here,” Alixandre noted then, “I’ll try it.” The young sorcerer clapped his hands, and then began to read something in Old Elfurr. He spoke whole sentences. But this time the door did not open. She didn't even twitch.
“Then how do they get in and out?” - Nymphlotel thought, “It can’t be that there is no entrance to the bridge.” “The witchcraft here is beyond our strength,” Elarant said to this. “If any of the Elfurrs were with us, the gates would probably open.”
“I don’t give a damn about all this!” - the mighty Eric roared loudly. He decided to try the last resort. With all his strength he rushed at the doors and with his body brought them down onto the deck. He broke them with his power. And I didn’t expect it myself.
That's how it happens sometimes. Bravery and courage are stronger than any magic. After all, Eric didn’t think about what was coming when he rushed to the enchanted doors. He didn't think about the consequences. I just knew that he needed to break through the entrance. And the Gods blessed him.
Soon our heroes were already on the bridge. But a great surprise befell them. None of the crew were there. Neither officers, nor captains, nor anyone else. And the guards were absent from that damned place. All they saw were the huge windows that opened up the entire vast space before them. And it was clear there how the imperial loyalists were desperately fighting the traitors. There was fighting going on everywhere outside the ship. Ships were exploding every second. The imperial frigate exploded, turning into a small star. And now the treacherous galleon broke into pieces.
The battle was not for life, but to death. And every moment thousands of soldiers died there.
“Where is Bellino?” Nymphlotel asked in bewilderment, examining the bridge, “Where is this bastard?” But they didn't see anyone there. It’s as if there was no Bellino at all.
“No, this can’t be so,” Eric said to this, “The ship’s devices are working. That means he’s here.” The captain pointed to multiple instruments and screens that reflected the situation outside the ship. Although Bellino was not on the bridge, he still controlled his ship.

[BagaturSasha]

But moments passed, and our villain appeared in the circle of Eladhraman warriors. Eric looked to his right and saw a large mirror. And where the heroes’ reflections were, Bellino sat in battle armor on a huge throne made of bones. He looked at them with a malicious smile. His eerie eyes glowed with purple fire.
"He's in the mirror!" - Eric shouted at the top of his voice. His blade was pointed at repelling the enemy. "Come out, damn it!" - Nymphlotel furiously growled, who most of all wanted the end of this fight, “Come out into the light! Your charms will not help you! You are under arrest!”
“And on what charge?” Bellino’s reflection grinned at this, “Treason? Or military mutiny?” At that moment Andrea stood up to his full height. And everyone saw that his body was flickering and writhing. His head became either big or small. His arms lengthened and became smaller.
"You're under arrest, traitor!" - the captain cried without fear of the sorcerer, “Your magic will not help you. You are already in our hands!”
He wanted to finish his word, but did not have time. He unexpectedly took off into the air, and later discovered that his comrades had also left the deck. Then, with all their might, they hit the nearest wall. The blows were so strong that their backs almost broke. It was especially painful for Cheryl and Laurentio, because they were born human, not Eladris.
When Eric looked forward, he saw that Bellino was no longer in the mirror. The traitor stood right in front of them and grinned. But there was no reflection of him in the mirror. The captain discovered that Bellino did not cast any shadow at all.
And that purple glow still flowed from the villain’s eyes.
“Did you think that you would capture me so easily?” Andrea spoke, but in a voice not human, but otherworldly, “As you can see, it didn’t work out for you. I will still prevail. No matter how you want it. I will destroy the Eladris empire, and then all other empires. All other powers of this galaxy or that will fall before me. And the creatures that inhabit them will obey only me alone. And no one else."
Bellino caught fire and evaporated. A moment later he appeared right in front of Eric. This time there was no armor on his body. And he no longer looked like a man without hair on his head. Andrea took on a strange guise. His long hair fell down to his shoulders. There were no mustaches. The eyes were lined, as if they were the eyes of a beauty who had decided to captivate the young Eladramans with her appearance. And this entity had no armor. They were replaced by a strange dark dress.
“Who are you?” Eric shouted, looking at this creature, “Who are you? Are you Yelghazi? Are you his servant? Tell me who you are?!”
The effeminate one smiled. His eyes still glowed with violet fire.
“I was never a servant of Yelgazi Fedorov,” came the villain’s answer, “HE was my servant.”

The captain felt that his strength was returning to him. In the blink of an eye he was on his feet. The rest followed his example. Everyone wanted to know who exactly they were encountering or what they were encountering. The swords of our heroes were ready for battle. But first the truth had to be known.
“Let me tell you a story that will put everything in its place,” the entity said with a grin. “Once upon a time there lived a boy on a distant planet, colonized by the mighty Eladris. And his name was Andrea Bellino.”
For a moment, the creature took on the appearance of one who was the leader of the traitors for everyone. Then it returned to its previous appearance, and again became something effeminate or completely devoid of gender.
“Bellino told you the truth,” the mysterious creature continued his speeches, “He really was from a noble family. A half-breed. But it was not he who led this rebellion. And it was not he who was to show his rage. It was not he who was destined to rule. Once, when his parents were too busy with their love, he found something extraordinary. A stone fell on that distant planet. Beautiful in appearance, but inside it lived an ancient power. Unfortunately, the boy found it first. Should not have touched that stone. No one should have. But the boy disobeyed ". He dared to touch. But he didn’t know that inside there was something beyond his control. And this something became a boy. It settled in him forever. Andrea has been dead for a long time."
"Stop your riddles, demon!" - Eric exclaimed menacingly at this, and put the blade in front of him, “Who are you?”
His friends were impatient to put an end to all the secrets. The time of truth was approaching.
“I am the End of Everything,” the creature said in a guttural voice, “And the beginning of the New.”
The alien waved his arms like a ballerina. And in an instant a maiden appeared before our heroes, dressed in dazzling white robes. She looked at them with the same smile, malicious and creepy. But her beauty was so strong that it captivated everyone. With great horror, Eric felt lust within him. She threatened to burst out. And Nymphlotel sensed her, even though she was not a man. Seeing this girl, she wanted to throw off her white dresses, spread her legs and plunge headlong into her womb. And Cheryl and everyone else had the same thoughts.
But Eric tried to fight it. He understood that this devilish magic would drag him to the very depths of hell. He mentally prayed to the Radiant One and asked for protection. Usually he rarely turned to God, but it was then that he decided to do so.
And then the magic disappeared. And with her, the lovely maiden again returned to her former appearance. Our heroes saw before them the same young man, effeminate and beautiful, but at the same time, evil and creepy. And again a violet flame burst out of his eyes.

“I can be incredibly beautiful,” speeches were heard from the creature’s lips, “or terrible. I can destroy worlds and create them again. Having destroyed Eladraman, I will undoubtedly create my own. Lord Fedorov helped me by sowing the shadow of war. And I "I will turn the war into a blade that will cut your empire into pieces. But after it is all over, there will come a new world. And a new universe. You asked about who I am.... And as I already told you, I am the End of Everything, and the Beginning of the New. And it has always been so. I appeared long before you, before the birth of civilizations... Before the stars and planets. And even before the energy of the atom. I was here before time. And you think I don’t have enough strength to end your empire? I believe that you are mistaken in this. The Eladris Empire itself called me. After all, I appear only when there is a shadow. And this shadow was created by you yourself. Yes, it was you who attracted me with your thoughts and actions. You are not there was peace and light. There was no friendship in you. And no matter how bright you seemed, there was always darkness inside you. And now this darkness has come to life."
“I realized who you are!” Nymphlotel’s voice suddenly rang out. The Eladraman came to her senses and returned to consciousness. There was no longer any presence of magic in her mind.
“You are Marfur-Nirari,” the warrior finally guessed, “You are him. The one who sent Fedorov to us. The one with whom the universe has been fighting for billions of years. You are him.”
The smile immediately left the sorcerer’s lips. His face turned into a creepy and ominous grimace.
“You are a very smart girl,” he said in his guttural voice, “That’s my name in one of the galaxies. But I have enough names. Over all the years of the existence of the universe, I have changed many names. I am multifaceted and many-sided. I can divide myself and collect again. I can be a stone or a star, a comet or a meteor... Destroyer and creator. I can do anything. However, it does not matter. For I offer you a choice."
“We will not serve you!” Eric said menacingly, “If this is what you mean, you can kill us. But we will not submit to you. Just as others did not submit. Your power will not extend to Eladris.”
The captain reached out for the device that Fenoglio had given him. But he didn’t find it. It disappeared without a trace.
“But you should have accepted my conditions,” Marfur-Nirari grinned again, “Sala-Zarr was, is and will be. I, was, am and will be. I have always been, and will always be. You will not stop me. No matter how hard you try ". But if you decide to serve, I will forgive you and accept you into my army. Together we are capable of much. You can help me destroy Eladraman. But when Potestas rises, you will become part of it. Great commanders of my powerful army."
Eric was not going to accept the offer of the one who had done so much evil in the empire. For he also knew that even if he submitted to the power of Sala-Zarr, he would undoubtedly betray him and simply get rid of him. And the soul of Eric and everyone who fell before the power of Sal-Zarr will forever burn in fire. And there is no way to get rid of this fire.
Nymphlotel and the rest of her companions shared Eric's opinion. They knew that their enemy was cunning. But it’s better to die than to plunge your soul into darkness. After all, there will be no way out from there.
“My answer is no,” said Nymphlotel decisively and boldly, “You, killer of worlds, should not rule in this universe. You should not be master here.” “My answer is no. I, Sala-Zarr, want to remind you that you will never win. No one will submit to you,” Prince Elarant said behind her. “No,” Cheryl told the villain. “Never,” Laurentio’s words were heard. “No,” Alixandre said menacingly.
“You seem to have already heard us,” the captain exclaimed and took a fighting pose, “Our answer is no. You can do whatever you want with us. But the Eladris will not give in to darkness. Neither will the people of the empire. You will not win, Sala-Zarr And even if you take Vindarn, our warriors will come and take it back."

[BagaturSasha]

The monster's terrible eyes lit up with anger. A furious roar came from his mouth. This was not the answer he expected from the warriors who snuck onto his ship.
“So be it,” Sala-Zarr croaked with hatred, “Then I will simply tear you apart. I will destroy you, as I destroyed the spirit of Bellino. I will take your bodies and subjugate them to myself. Everything you see belongs to me and only me! ".
At the same moment he turned into a terrible creature. There was no more youth or beautiful maiden. Our warriors saw before them something formless and terrible. Something with many eyes and many arms. And they saw all the many wings above him.
"I am the End of Everything!" - the guttural voice of the great enemy was heard everywhere, “And the beginning of the New! Let everyone who exists fear My Wrath!”
Our heroes did not notice how a great flash appeared not far from them on the bridge. And Fenoglio flew out of there with his blade drawn. He hung his medallion, which had once saved his life, outside so that the creatures of hell could see it and fear it.
And along with the naval commander, the Eladraman warriors arrived on the bridge. There were a great many of them, and they all had spearguns.
"Whoever you are, demon, get out!" - Fenoglio shouted at the top of his voice and raised the blade above himself, “I conjure you in the name of the Radiant One!”
Sala-Zarr looked at the admiral's medallion. There he saw that the Radiant One was looking directly at him from the amulet. But since the villain was not yet as strong as before, great horror arose on his shapeless face.
"Get out!" - the Lord Admiral shouted at the top of his lungs. With these same words, he tore his medallion from his neck and threw it at the monster. Then a hellish scream arose, and such a force that everything on the ship trembled. Its walls and decks were cracked. The glass that was held in the windows immediately crumbled. A particle of Sal-Zarrov turned into black steam and scattered across the bridge.
But space was merciless to those who walked on it without support and protection. Fenoglio did not calculate that it would be like this, he did not foresee that Sala-Zarra’s cry would destroy the entire ship. Our heroes flew into outer space together with their soldiers.
However, Alixandre found a way out. He waved his hands and created an air bubble for each warrior. He held these bubbles for as long as he could. He knew that if he got tired or succumbed to weakness, bad luck would come to them all.
But here, too, luck did not turn away from the Eladhraman warriors. They saw the ship on which they were flying here approaching them. It was the flagship schooner Elaranta. Elarant himself immediately recognized his ship. The captains standing on the bridge of the Umarr ship immediately ordered the beams to be turned on and moved our heroes on board. None of them died then. Moreover, none of the warriors who followed Fenoglio were harmed.
So they remained safe and sound. They survived the terrible battle with Sala-Zarr. They did not die that day. They haven't sunk into oblivion. They remained alive.

Returning to the bridge, the heroes hugged tightly. Laurentio hugged the brave Nymphlotel the tightest of all. But he still didn’t dare to kiss her. The time was not yet for this matter.
Fenoglio couldn’t believe that everything had turned out like this. Just moments ago, he thought that he was seeing his comrades for the last time. However, Radiant intervened and came to their aid. He supported them in the battle with Sala-Zarr. He drove away the beast with his invisible hand. And although Fenoglio lost his medallion, he did not regret it one bit. After all, his relic saved the lives of all the warriors who were so dear to him.
Soon Bellino's ship exploded. It shattered into thousands of pieces. Sala-Zarrov's magic damaged his reactors. Seeing that Andrea was no longer there, the traitors then hurried away from the system. They began to withdraw their ships in a hurry. There was no need for them to fight anymore. Luck left them for a long time.
“We must leave immediately,” the mercenary commanders shouted when they saw their master’s ship explode, “Without Bellino we will not be able to continue the war.”
“Bellino is dead,” the traitors screamed, “Let’s leave! Let’s leave the system!”
The pirate lord, who arrived at Andrea’s call to fight, also watched this. He watched the traitor ships flee. I thought that today they would feast on Vindarn among bones and blood. But that didn't happen. “It looks like we won’t get the gold,” the corsair ruler said sadly, “We’re retreating, guys. There’s no point in wasting your lives for free.”
Other Bellinian adepts desperately tried to fight on, but the Eladramans perked up and went on the offensive again. They struck their ships and destroyed them forever.
The siege of Vindarn was lifted. And then information arrived that Alfar’s troops had been defeated on Tilda. The capital's forces took advantage of the opportunity and also went on the attack. Around Vindarn they began to shoot enemy ships.
Frankly, the first to escape were the corsairs. They were famous for their fury and rage. But when they saw that their employer would no longer pay them, they immediately fled from the battlefield. Following them, the mercenaries and treacherous troops followed.
Emperor Jonah Leprenal sent a good signal to Fenoglio. He was incredibly glad that it all ended with the victory of the empire. “I am glad to see your faces,” said the sovereign, addressing Fenoglio and his companions over long-distance communication, “I did not expect that you would gain the upper hand. I thought that they would finish you off. But since this happened, I will order the trumpet of a great victory. Let the heralds It is spread throughout all the worlds that a cruel and treacherous enemy was defeated near Vindarn."
But not all Eladramans knew that Fenoglio and his warriors encountered Sala-Zarr himself. They believed that Andrea Bellino, a traitor and traitor, was killed, but nothing more. The Lord Admiral chose to hide the truth from everyone. He did not want anyone to know the truth. It is better to let such a truth remain a secret.
Later, the Eladris launched a counter-offensive across all imperial worlds. They once again defeated the armies of Potestas. They drove the bastards back to the Frontier. However, there was no need to talk about complete victory yet. The followers of Sal-Zarr were firmly entrenched on some worlds, and they had to be driven out of there. Baldaris stood firmly on Rostis and had no intention of leaving. He heard about the death of his ruler, but power was dearer to him than anything else.
So our heroes still had a lot of work to do.

The end.

[Alwyn]

An exciting ending - as you said, with more work for the heroes to do - and I imagine the corsairs would be looking for any opportunity.