Bahran took out two more military and charged at the Emperor to get Caoimhe.He got close, and leaped in the air to attack him.
And slammed hard into an energy shield.
He hit his arm twice on it, and it sparked, sending a shock of power through him.
"What is this?"Bahran snarled as the energy throbbed through him.
"The same technology as your planetary shielding.Except on a smaller scale," The Emperor said."It's amazing what can be downloaded from your Master System when one of you cyborgs are properly programmed."
"What did you do?"Caoimhe asked.
Bahran didn't have to ask.Guilt and anger over his fellow cyborgs burned through him.He could not imagine what they had to endure to be reprogrammed enough to reveal such tech as how the shielding worked.They were absolutely taken and destroyed, and he wondered if anything was left of those cyborgs.
The Emperor, however, looked rather proud of himself."Nothing that any responsible, respectable ruler would do for their people, when at war with machines."He glanced at Bahran."And I would suggest, next time, setting up some kind of shielding in your system before allowing access to anything in it."
Bahran blinked.And something occurred to him.
"If you had access to all of our network, why did you wait so long to use anything in it?Why didn't you just send a virus and destroy us?"
"Don't you think I tried?"he snarled back, with far more anger and hatred than he'd been displaying.
Caoimhe jerked away from him, fear on her face.
That was not a good sign.
Bahran glanced around and saw that the military had been subdued, and the other Rhimodians came toward the Emperor.Jedriek and Harbin were herding the defeated Terrans that survived.
He glanced at Eleanor, who had stood, and was dusting herself off."Not very well, if you couldn't get a virus to do anything."
Her father growled at her again."Be quiet, worthless child."
Eleanor blinked.
"Leave her alone," Caoimhe said."Speak your demands, so we can get on with this.Because I'm going to destroy this place, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
He rolled his eyes."Did you really think you found this place all on your own?That you managed to put this together without my knowledge?I knew, from the day you asked about prisoners of war, that you were up to something.You're lucky I didn't just kill you then.Would have saved me a lot of trouble."
"The senate would not stand for such--"
"The Senate?They're about as worthless as the spare over there," he said, gesturing to her."Now that she's useless."
Eleanor gritted her teeth.
"Bron, what is this?What is wrong with you?"Bianca asked,
He looked at Bianca."Spare me.You're not good enough to be an Empress, and you never will be.Your usefulness is over, which is why I sent you--easier to kill all of you at once."
Caoimhe shook her head."You're a monster."
"And you're a fool for thinking that everything would work out in one happy little package."
The power flickered in the room.
"Uh oh, Bron," Veta said."Looks like you forgot to pay the bill."She held a rather wicked looking knife in her hand, and waved it around in the air.
He shook his head."You're lucky I don't kill you myself, slut."
Veta blinked."I was loyal to you.I was determined to be your best soldier.I did everything you asked of me, and for what?So you could kill me?"
