The Conditions of the Camp
Beneath the ruins of the shattered Vhalar city, the Giza Mtuji's shadow forces had established a vast concentration camp. Its horrors were unmistakable—chains of dark crystalline shards shackled prisoners who whimpered and bewailed their fates. The air was thick with pain and despair, the ground scarred from brutal removal, and the screams of the dying echoed through metal corridors and shadowed chambers.
Mothers clung to their children, their faces gaunt with hunger and exhaustion. Wounded warriors writhed in agony as shadow technicians injected them with serums that suppressed their resistance—bones broken, flesh scarred, spirits broken. Entire sections reeked of death and despair—an annexe of relentless tyranny to serve the empire's brutal march.
Saumu's Arrival
A sleek transport vessel, cloaked in shadow, prepared to depart with Saumu inside. She was flanked by her elite Royal Guards, five deadly warriors whose armor shimmered with refined shadow crystals: Nyota – The commanding officer, her gaze sharp and unwavering. Kato – The strategist, silent but deadly, calm under pressure. Asha – The enforcer, rapid and brutal in combat. Lena – The medic and scout, her eyes always alert. Juma – The assassin, quiet and swift, master of stealth.They stood on the landing platform, ready to accompany the Queen into the heart of darkness.
In Transit—A Conversation in ShadowsAs the transport lifted from the landing dock, Saumu sat imposingly amidst her guards, her consciousness linked to the ship's command. Kizito, at her side in the co-pilot seat, monitored the route.
"Tell me," Saumu asked Nyota, her voice calm but probing, "how disciplined are your warriors? How do you ensure loyalty in the face of brutality?"
Nyota's eyes flicked with pride. "Our training is brutal—veins, bones, and minds are tested every cycle. Discipline is bound in shadow and fire. They are forged not just to obey but to embrace the shadows fully—that loyalty runs in the blood."
Kato nodded silently, while Lena's eyes flicked over the prisoner data feeds on her console.
"Are they prepared for what awaits at the camp?" Saumu's voice grew colder. "I want every one of them ready for the arrival of Queen Sauma. There is no room for failure."
Nyota's voice was unwavering. "The guards are disciplined—their honor is to serve in silence, to obey without question. They are ready to serve their queen and enforce your will."
Saumu glanced at her guards, then turned her gaze to Kizito.
"Kizito," she inquired, "what is the condition of the camp? Is it prepared for her arrival?"
Kizito, speaking to Tano over the commlink in the pilot seat, responded with certainty.
"The camp is in the best condition we can achieve. The holding cells are reinforced, the suppressors calibrated, and the guards on standby—ready for her majesty's arrival. The landing dock is secured, and the prisoners are restrained. Everything is set for the final step. We await her command."
Tano, standing near the pilot's chair, gave a curt nod.
"She'll arrive soon," Tano said. "And when she does, the last of the Vhalar's resistance will be broken. Glory awaits us at the end of this dark road."
Saumu's gaze fixed ahead as the vessel soared into the atmosphere, crossing into the shadowed atmosphere of her planet. Around her, her guards stood in silent loyalty, ready to serve—each one a shadow-bound instrument of her will.
The journey was nearing its grim climax. The final confrontation with the Vhalar clan leader—and the future of their enslaved race—was inevitable.