In the days following the merciless fall of the Vhalar capital, the Shadow Legion unleashed a brutal patrolling campaign across the wreckage of the planet. Thousands of shadow-troopers scoured the forests, mountains, and ruins, hunting down any scattered survivors—those who still clung to life in hiding.
Patrol ships hovered silently above the jungle canopy, their shadowy hulls blending with the night. Deploying covert squads in stealth shuttles, they systematically crushed resistance, taking prisoners and executing ruthless suppression operations.
Kara and Moro, barely clinging to life, fought fiercely—desperately trying to stay hidden. But the Giza Mtuji's ships' detection systems were relentless, sweeping the planet for any sign of organic life.
In a brutal raid, shadow patrols overwhelmed them. Moro fought to protect Kara, pushed back by psionic blades and shadow-fire, but they were quickly subdued. Their bodies were bound in chains of shadow-energy and psionic shackles, their screams silenced as they were dragged to a waiting transport.
Enslavement—The Painful ProcessThe Giza Mtuji's enforcement ships dragged them into the massive slave pens—dark, cavernous chambers beneath the alien city. Inside, hundreds of other Vhalar captives—women, children, wounded warriors—lay chained and trembling.
Kara and Moro were pushed into a chamber filled with blood, ash, and the scent of death—an ominous place known as the Forge of Shadows. Here, their flesh was subjected to a brutal registration process, designed to strip them of their will and forge them into obedient slaves.
The process was excruciating. Their psyches were invaded brutally—painful psionic triggers fired, forcing them into submission. They screamed as their minds were invaded, their identities shattered, and their spirits shattered into obedience. The alien technicians manipulated their bodies with cruel precision, injecting shadow-infused serums that sealed their fate.
For Kara and Moro, the agony was immense—a torment that seemed to last an eternity—until finally, their minds intertwined completely with the shadows, their spirits broken but alive, now serving as obedient tools of the Mahasimu.
Saumu's Arrival and Her CommandMeanwhile, the Giza Mtuji descended through the planet's atmosphere into the underground headquarters—a heavily guarded fortress carved from dark crystalline rock, nestled beneath the ruins of the once-glorious city. This facility was fortified with shadow shields, psionic barriers, and elite guards—its defenses designed to withstand any attempted attack.
Once aboard, Saumu's consciousness linked directly to the ship's command core through her psionic nexus. Her arrival had been cloaked in secrecy, and only her most trusted—her elite royal guards—accompanied her.
Her eyes flicked with cold authority as she was briefed on the war's aftermath.
"Update me, Kizito," she ordered, voice icy and commanding.
"What's the status of the campaign? Has the city fallen entirely? What of the survivors?"
Kizito, standing at attention, recited grimly:
"The city is reduced to rubble. The resistance is broken. The remaining clans are scattered or captured. The survivors are being herded into our camps—those who resisted, like your former allies, Kara and Moro, have been captured and are now in our enslavement facilities. Their spirits broken—they are alive but obedient now. Their will is ours."
Her gaze darkened further.
"Good. I want to see the clan leader," Saumu ordered, her voice firm. "Prepare my ship for a trip to the concentration camp. I will meet him face-to-face. I want to ensure the message is understood—this is only the beginning of their true enslavement."
Her elite guards nodded respectfully. Their armor shimmered as they prepared to escort her.
"The Giza Mtuji will wait," Kizito announced. "Soon, your court will stand before the last of their leaders—helpless and broken. Glory in their despair, Queen Saumu. Their resistance is over—the shadows have finally claimed the heart of their world."
The stage was set for a confrontation—and the final dominoes of the Vhalar's freedom and culture began falling inexorably into the darkness of the empire.