Locklyn knew that The General had used conquering Tranquility and Harmony Province on the east of Lazlowia, southeast of East Malaysia and north of the Oan Isles proper to gain incredible power. They had played into his hands and lost respect and credibility. He held a scorn for Ese Ulua. If he hadn’t supported the General, we would not be here. If he hadn’t left, thungs may have been different. Had Ese Ulua supported or known the expansiveness of the plans he had in mind. While they stood to expand Oan territory, they had the possibility of allowing Oaluoa to become a dictator over a vast area. While Harmony Province and Tranquility Province had existed in theory, they were a military occupied zone that should be better refered to as “Oaluoaland”.
He was tired of his indecision and called an emergency meeting of the Cabinet. He imparted upon them the information that Kiahueni had shared with him and his analysis thereof. He decided that all funding to the segment of the military that was occupying Tranquility and Harmony Province must cease with immediate effect. All control must be ceded to Major Kiahuaeni Luawuye, who would henceforth receive the title of Admiral.
The Special Ops Unit of the National Intelligence Agency would be deployed to rescue Celeste Uataka and capture General Oaluoa Uye under the command of Admiral Kiahuaeni Luawuye effective immediately.
Kiahuaeni had received an update on what Locklyn had done. Her small team congratulated her. She watched as a small squadron of helicopters flew in. They made a loud noise as their rotors spun and spun the air and churned the soil. The officers sent by Locklyn Le Roy identified themselves and she began to form a strategy on how to capture Oaluoa Uye.
Her team was well equipped with night vision, machine guns, grenades, experimental electromagnetic pulse generators and other fancy gadgets and powerful electronic trickery, but the fight would be intense and she had to arruve unexpected.
She called The General and offered to meet him on the bridge of the TOIS Salvation, the Commonwealth Class nuclear air craft carrier, at present the Oan Isles’s only active one, and deliver her limp carcasse. He was overjoyed with her reply.
He thought to himself, “Maybe she can be my Empress after all”.
Her helicopter landed on the deck in her helicopter and strode out like a goddess. He invited her onto the bridge of the ship where they spoke.
The General, “So you did what I asked you to?”
Kiahuaeni replied, “Yes. You will see her body soon enough. She was weighing down the helicopter anyway”.
The General said, “You have been at my side for long enough and you deserve to be rewarded”.
He opened a cupboard and pulled out the clothes that had horrified Celeste Uataka. He pulled out the diamond studded ermine and silk winter and summer costumes and crown of the Emperor of Heaven.
“What’s all this?” She asked.
“These are the Royal Costumes of Your Imperial Majesty”, he said.
“Excuse me?”
“I know you’re not into the decorum. But I wanted to conquer the Pacific and Gondwana as your empire. I will do the actual running of the empire and you will act as a figurehead for which all 120 million Oans will live to serve. You will be free to adventure as fits your Imperial Majesty”.
She saw the mark that was placed on his right arm. It was actually a tattoo of a circle with plumes of smoke or clouds coming from the top of it and surrounded with a strange script. She had seen the tattoo on a number of the people at the party and on some soldiers, but had never taken head of it.
He said, “This is the sign of the Order of Heaven”.
Kiahuaeni replied, “What’s that? Is is a Maxémon club for the great and rich?”
She was trying to lighten the mood and hide the trembling in her voice with some dry humour. He simply smiled.
“It is an order of some of the most powerful people in our country”, he said, “Who want to restore the great Empire of Heaven that once ruled our nation. Conquering the Pacific and Gondwana would assert our power. Aren’t you tired of a weak government that fails to act, thay failed to save your friends when they were weakest, when they were being consumed by drug addiction. Aren’t you tired of a culture that encourages weakness and immorality?”
She looked at him in horror. She hid her emotions behind a cool and steely gaze. He had lost it. Lost it to something heavy.
She replied, “You have been a friend, mentor and a father. I respect and admire you. I hope that you will forgive me”.
She pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.
“You under arrest for conspiracy to commit treason. I am taking control of this boat, indeed the whole pond as per the directive issued by the cabinet. Come quietly and this won’t be painful”.
He was shocked. Then he was angry. Then he laughed. He laughed and laughed. She looked at him in horror.
“Never trust a woman”, he muttered.
He quickly pulled out and blew a poison dart at her. Her hand fell to her side and her arm became limp. She used her last bit of strength to shoot him in the shoulder and scream for help. The General screamed in pain and fell to to the ground. Some officers had heard the noise and ran to see what was wrong. They scuffled to help the two. She simply heard faint and distant yells and the world became blurry and she collapsed on the ground and was surrounded by darkness.