This Is Impossible

If ever you are faced with something that appears to have no way to leave, just start trying to break things, a way will appear. - Chronicles of Lorentino

Rolando had spent what felt like all day smacking up against the walls. Tvrasia did not join him, but he was feeling the madness seeping into her as well. There was no food, there was no water or a place to go to the bathroom, there was just the room, ever white and the sounds of nothingness. It was insanity since they had made no demands. They wanted nothing, he was jsut stuck there in a holding pattern for nothing.

"What do they even want?"

"A new form of torture, being stuck in a room with you." Rolando laughed, he needed the humor in their circumstance if only for what little was remaining of sanity.

"Seriously though, what is going on?"

"I don't know, I'd figure at some point someone would say something, but we've got nothing, we've heard nothing, I can barely hear you anymore, it's like this room doesn't exist." Rolando was about to answer when he was by himself. Tvrasia was gone. He started to worry this was what madness was, when the fire god appeared.

"Children if you can't play nice with your toys you will lose them."

"What are you doing here?"

"Keeping you safe while your father does something for me. Now stop trying to break things, I'll supply better arrangements later now that he agreed."

"You can't do..."

"I can do whatever I want young Lorentino, I'm a fucking god and you better be careful with your next words should they be your last." Rolando said nothing and Vtrasia returned in the room, though now there was a bed and toilet.

"Where did you go?"

"We're being held by a god, and apparently she's annoyed with us."

"With you."

"Ok with me, but that includes us."

"I don't think it..."

"Just let me have this." And so Rolando and Vtrasia became the prisoners of the Fire God.

A Better Use Of Ones Time

Helping the Fire God is always a one sided affair, you do things for her or you find yourself burning alive. It's very very one sided. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"So you'll probably want to go east." I hadn't been there a minute before the Fire God herself showed up. Which seemed dumb, why come with me at all and not just do it herself.

"I thought you said this was something you wanted me to do?"

"It is, this is merely a fragment of my power here to guide and aid as little as I can."

"Makes sense in your own twisted way." The Fire God smiled, at least she was wearing armor.

"As a word of warning I do report to the greater, so you know your snippy bullshit is not going unnoticed."

"I always hope my snippy bullshit is not going unnoticed." She smiled again, and I smiled though I didn't like the smell. The cathedral reeked of burnt corpses even though I couldn't see them. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay in there and just hope like things would work out without me.

"You don't have all your vast lifetime Trezlan lets get to this." I sneered now I knew why she sent a minder.

"I can see this will be a fun time." She said nothing and I stepped outside to a huge corpse fire. I didn't know what to expect in the five fires, but I didn't expect just bodies burning almost to the horizon. "Lovely place, what is this the lowest level of your punishment area?"

"Second tier actually, on the lower areas you couldn't even breathe."

"Joyous I'm glad you kept these little soul prisons even after it almost annihilated the galaxy."

"Bad people deserve to suffer eternally, isn't that one reason you cling to life like you do, wanting to avoid punishment for your crimes?"

"Guilty." I didn't even know what I was supposed to do really. I just started walking east (how the fire god knew it was freaking east when there was no sun or real sky will be left to madness). There was more corpse piles, but no anything else. I started to wonder what I was even supposed to be doing there when I saw morlatech bots. Lots of them.

"Robots here?"

"Exactly."

"But why?"

"Exactly." No that does not answer the stupid question! But as I was about to find out, the Fire God didn't know either!

Sometimes I Don't Even Know Why I Bother

People always seem to find it necessary to correct me after I made a mistake. As if I take the corrections after all these years. Yes the one thing about me is how willing I am to accept advice. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"I'd like to say this is surprising dear Trezlan, but it is not." The Fire God of course had to arrive and rub it in that things had gone poorly for me. I mean just because she's right doesn't mean she has to point that out.

"Rolando is missing."

"Missing, but not dead this I assure you, though from the state of your craft I can't exactly see that meaning anything for you." The ships interior was pretty badly damaged. I had made some obvious errors.

"So what's the deal here?" She smiled.

"Deal? I don't even know..."

"You wouldn't be here if you weren't pitching something to resolve the situation, so pitch it."

"Well I can't do anything for your son issue, but I can at least make sure he's safe for a time, if you do something for me."

"And that is?" I was tired of her dancing around the topic, she was the fire god, where was the directness she was known for? It was like dealing with another me.

"I need you to purge one of the five fires, it's gotten overrun, I don't know how, but I suspect it's that idiot Morley again, so if anyone can get rid of his bullshit its you."

"And you won't because?"

"I'm a god, why would I give a shit other than to assign someone to do it for me?" I couldn't argue with the logic. Well I could, but I feared it would not go well for me.

"And so I fix one of your lands of suffering and I get what? Rolando being safe while I'm gone?"

"Rolando being safe while your gone is better than you deserve right now, I hope you realize the situation your ship finds itself in, which is beyond in trouble." I looked at the remains of the console and realized she was probably right.

"Fine I'll do..." And then I was in an ancient temple, I had my sword even though I believe I'd left it somewhere else, and a revolver that looked like the hand of the fire god even though I was sure it was just an example of her power. "Thanks for the gods damned warning." I didn't even know what I was going to do, but I knew I better get to it, her favor was a fickle thing.

No One Is Ever Just Gone

Despite my disagreements with my son, I always find myself uncontrollably angry when I believe he may have been harmed. Dad rage is real. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"Gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"Its no longer there sir." I was becoming increasingly angry. The Rondyne had told me my son was o their flag ship, but the flag ship was missing. Not destroyed, not vaporized, just not there. I was literally burning up with anger, the flames building in my hands as fear for my son.

"Are things ok?" I could hear the smug in Sinclair's voice.

"No they are not alright, my boy is missing, his whole ship is missing, and if you all want to keep your damned lives you better find out where he went right now, otherwise." I expanded a ring of flame around me to show I wasn't messing around, "You'll join him in the gods damned afterlife." That got their asses moving, Sinclair was not impressed, but I was far beyond caring. Yes I'd basically stolen his fleet to do my bidding, but you know what, screw them! My son was missing and I had to find out where he'd gone.

It took them a few hours, but they eventually found gods damned nothing. It was even more infuriating than before. Unfortunately for me they managed to trick me into a shuttle before I discovered they had nothing and they had ejected me into space. I guess I should consider it lucky they didn't kill me, but I wasn't thinking that when they ejected me into space! I admit I may have inadverdently destroyed some things in my rage. Things I probably should not have destroyed that made traversing space difficult.

Still I could have been destroyed, yay for small favors.

Mistakes Are Being Made, This Is One

Kidnapping a Lorentino is a bad idea, and not just because I am one, but because my family does not do kidnapping well. In fact we handle it exceptionally poorly. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"Where are we?" Rolando's head hurt. He didn't remember how they got from the ship to wherever they were now. It looked like a cell, and he couldn't shift out of it, so anti magical.

"Corporate holding cell, they kidnapped us during the battle." Tvrasia was sitting against the opposite wall from Rolando she looked tired, well as tired as someone without normal eyes could look.

"So our side lost?"

"Well there wasn't 'our' side, but I'm guessing the Rondyne lost yes."

"I'm sorry Tvrasia."

"You aren't at all Rolando, you think we kidnapped you, and your father probably arranged for us to get slaughtered in retribution, save your sorrys." She closed her eyes signifying the end of the conversation. Rolando moved around the cell trying to figure out where the door was. He couldn't find it. Which seemed strange for a prison cell, but he knew there had to be a door, he just didn't see it.

"Hey, hey assholes let me out of here you know this goes badly for you." Rolando started pounding on the wall and Tvrasia tried to ignore it, but failed.

"They can't hear you idiot, but I can, so stop making noise."

"I just want them to know when I kill them it will be glorious."

"Until then try and be quiet for a bit, just try it." Rolando smirked, he could be quiet, up until he was loud, and then, then whoever locked him up, would wish they hadn't.

Unexpected Savior

Of all the Surprises I like to give, the not being as awful as assumed is my favorite. - Chronicles of Lorentino

The leader of the Rondyne forces was dead, his second already wanted to flee. This whole plan was not even a good one and the Corporate forces were pounding the shit out of the Rondyne fleet. The new Admiral of the Rondyne Fleet's name was Coska, he as known as Cautious Coska and he didn't see that as a bad thing as they were about to lose all of their major military assets in what was supposed to be a surprise attack, but instead had been surprised attacked. They didn't even know if Rolando was still alive as the ship he was on and the one the original Fleet Admiral was on, was one of the first casulties of the fight. The ship was still fighting, but casulties were high and most likely Rolando was among them.

"Sir we've detected Ronerawth ships on the edge." Coska sighed.

"Naturally the other claw to this pincer, let me guess they too brought war ships." Coska knew the fleet admiral was a fool, but he should have used some kind of hit and run or held back ships, this ridiculous not bringing diplomatic ships was hardly a plan.

"They are engaging the Corporate ships sir, the main corporate ship is on a ramming speed course for the lead Ronerawth ship."

"Well that's unexpected, maybe those idiots can't work things out. When its safe to do so lets withdraw." Before the lower military person could respond a huge explosion detonated the lead corporate ship, it was far too big for conventional weaponry. Coska wondered what just happened.

"Being hailed sir."

"Put it up."

"Rondyne you'll be happy to know you were saved by the Trezlan Lorentino." Coska wanted to spit at the sight of the man and the tone of the communication.

"You mean the man who arranged this bullshit to begin with."

"Now now no need to be a jerk to someone who saved your ass."

"Lorentino find your damn son, so we can be done dealing with you and your whole idiotic family."

Not Unexepected, but Definitely Bad

In face of an overwhelming force, the best strategy is to retreat, most people don't seem to realize this. Where as I do it so often, sometimes I retreat before its even necessary. - Chronicles of Lorentino

The commander of the corporate forces was an executive hand picked by his bosses as being most expendable. Ramos knew this, he knew they assumed something stupid would happen and if someone was going to die they preferred it be him. It's why he attacked the Rondyne before they could even be seen as duplicitous. The attack sort of worked except for the fact they had actual warships and not diplomatic vessels, but he felt exposing their deception was worth the damage his fleet was taking.

"Sir Ronerawth is engaging."

"It's about time those cowards did something, this is their shit show as well." Ramos felt the shots slam into the ship before the tech could tell him it was coming from the Ronerawth ships.

"Sir they are..."

"Yes I got that, get that idiot Sinclair on coms." Ramos was furious, he expected some level of screwing him over, he didn't expect it before the Rondyne were even dealt with. Instead of Sinclair showing on the communications it was Trezlan Lorentino the man he was sent to kill.

"Sorry Sinclair has turned over operations to me for the duration, how can I help you Mr. Ramos?"

"Would asking you to die be out of the question?"

"Completely, though if you guys just want to flee you're welcome to do that." Ramos sneered. He had been played, either by Ronerawth or Lorentino or both, but he would be damned if let them win.

"Fuck you." He killed the feed and instructed his people to ram Sinclair's ship. If he was going down, he'd go down killing Trezlan Lorentino, a noble goal for anyone he figured. The other members on the ship were not as enthused with dying and abandoned ship almost immediately. It was fine to Ramos, they would miss out on his triumph.

****

"Sir the lead corporate ship is going to ram us." I looked at the screen with bemusement.

"Stupid and ballsy, I would have liked Ramos."

Blow Stuff Up, Hope For The Best

The best plans involve blowing things up. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"You are so much an idiot." The captain of the vessel was a man named Sinclair, I appreciated his candidness. He had come down to the airlock when I said I refused to leave my ship, I also told them if they attempted to dislodge it, the ship would explode (it wouldn't because I'm not that big of an idiot, but they didn't know that).

"Well I was planning on docking up with the conference and threatening to blow it up, but your ship is fine, the chain reaction will take out the other ships."

"And you'll survive how?"

"Let me worry about that, unless you want to talk terms." Sinclair frowned. It was the frown of someone not actually in charge who now had to try and carry out orders that would cost him more than he'd prefer.

"I can't talk terms its not my place we have orders."

"Orders to work with the corps to kill the me, my son, and the Rondyne correct? Spencer is a traitor." I took a shot in the dark, but I could see in his face I was right.

"Orders Lorentino, I still have to follow them." I smiled I had him right where I needed him.

"Unless you don't, the Emperor doesn't want a war, Spencer does, because he then becomes Emperor its a power play, and he's using you as the pawn to get there." I worried for a moment while we were talking the Rondyne might have won and then turned their attention to the Ronerawth fleet, but if they weren't actively engaging we were probably safe, unless the corporate forces won the back and forth.

"And should I disregard my orders how can I be assured I won't be the one fitted for the noose." Now I knew I had Sinclair.

"Oh there are ways to avoid that, but first dear captain we must save the Rondyne." His look of surprise was enough to tell me he would do whatever I told him to do. What can I say I'm a student of turning people against their best interests. Its what I do.

Everyone Started Without Me

I hate being late to a party as much as anyone, unless that party is a war, than I love being way more than fashionably late. I like to be so late its over before I even got there. - Chronicles of Lorentino

I watched in fascination as the corporate ships lead by Morlatech attacked the Rondyne, and in return the Rondyne fired back. It was fascinating because I had assumed I guess incorrectly that they would wait till I got there to attack me, or at least let me try and weasel my way out of it. But nope, they opened fire on the Rondyne and the cold war got hot. The benefit of the battle was I didn't have to do what I planned on doing. I didn't have to do anything. I just sat there in my small ship and watched as two governments started a war. I of course was worried my son was on one of those ships and the Rondyne had taken a gods damned pounding, but there wasn't much I could do really. I just had to watch, part horrifying and thrilling at the same time.

I would have been content to keep watching if a damned Ronerawth ship hadn't snuck up on me. Well less snuck up and approached from their designated entry position. Still it was rude and I had to think they did it on purpose especially seeing as how the other meeting was going. They had latched docking clamps on to my ship before I could even try and deploy counter measures.

"Unknown ship you are being detained." Was my first warning, I felt it was rather rude and sudden.

"I'm lost, can you help me?" I tried to play it off like I wasn't who I was, hoping maybe their dna programs didn't have me in them, a silly hope since my fugitive status basically said I would be, but you know sometimes you just...

"Lorentino you aren't lost." Know you are screwed from the jump. I mean I shouldn't be surprised, I was coming to turn myself in, but at the same time, come on couldn't they just have ignored me.

"Well now that we have that out of the way, what is going on here?"

"You're being detained for transport to the corporations as you agreed, stand by." I thought to myself "you stand by" but they cut the signal. So I waited at the door for who would come and get me. I figured they'd send an army, they knew I had no intention of just turning myself in, so they were probably going to be prepared for that. When the squad of soldiers came barging through the airlock I was all too happy to greet them.

"Gentleman I first want to thank you for connecting us, I was wondering how I'd get my bomb ship connected since the meeting turned to shit, but you guys thankfully made that easy." They smiled thinking I was joking until they looked around and saw yep my entire ship was rigged with explosives. "And now I believe is when you take me to your leadership, no shackles I think you don't want any sudden moves."

Yes my plan was to bring a bomb to a conference, no it doesn't exactly make sense, but you know me, first I plan to blow something up, then I plan on how to survive it, maybe I should change that around in the future.

When It All Comes Crashing Down

The Hardest part about a plan to kill everyone is that everyone tends to not want to be killed. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"Stick close to me." Vtrasia had on body armor and her knife set again. Rolando got a good look at them this time and saw they were coated in something on top of being electrified, he had so many questions and no time to ask them. The Rondyne had geared for war. The ships they were on were disguised diplomatic ships, and the majority of the diplomatic group were all just soldiers ready. Rolando was impressed the Rondyne had decided to even keep up the deception instead of just immediately attacking.

"I've done this kind of thing before, I work better doing my own thing." Rolando was shackled, but it was just for show they weren't actually operable and Vtrasia had his weapons ready to be given to him.

"Fair enough, just we can't guarantee..."

"Yeah that anything will be the way it should be when the shooting starts, I'm aware thank you." They were approaching the agreed upon spot for the fleets to meet up when their ships were attacked. It was the corporate ships who fired and the opening fusillade would have been enough to destroy their ships had they simply been diplomatic ships as advertised. Rolando was not surprised this is what happened, but he was caught off guard and nearly got cut in half when a security door slammed into place trapping him and Vtrasia in their own blocked off section.

"Well you said you wanted me close."

"Yeah I didn't assume like this." They could feel the ship taking hits, but their own section didn't have any kind of monitors or any indication of how the fight was going.

"So I assume our battle plan is fucked."

"Completely, can you get us to the other side?"

"Could, don't want to, with the locked doors there is no indication there is air on the other side, no air, I shift into there we die." The ship took a hard right and Vtrasia and Rolando slammed into each other, then the gravity on the ship went out.

"Well this is will be awkward."

"At least we're..."

"Stop talking right there, I don't want you jinxing our current predicament already more than you have." Rolando didn't say anything, just drifted in space hoping the end wasn't right around the corner.

No Trust, No Intelligence, Sounds like a Party

The scariest moment before pulling off a plan is waiting to see if what you set in motion is actually in motion. It's kind of a thrill and frightening at the same time. - Chronicles of Lorentino

It was highly unadvisable, that's what the AI's had told me when I informed them of my amazing plan. I didn't like their tone so I decided I'd do it all on my own. I mean they were still tied up in prisoner retrieval/working for a potential really bad person, so its not like they would offer very much help, still it just went to show how out of assistance I'd really fallen with regards to my new independent fleet. So basically it was just me and a small ship on the way to the meeting. Of course I was alone, even Phil didn't want to come, especially when I told him his cousin wanted to kill him.

"This is dumb, even for you." The Fire God of course would show up, she was like that.

"I'm glad you're here in place of Hanlon." She smiled, she wasn't wearing clothes, it was as distracting as ever.

"The death god is so dour, he wouldn't even see his little puppet off to his doom, I figured I'd make a pitch for you to be my Avatar again and give up this stupidity."

"They have my son, and I figured its about time we hash this stupid shit out anyway, you know how it is with factions, eventually you'll try and kill each other."

"I know how it is with you, eventually you'll just blow up everyone anyway, which is why this will be hilarious on so many levels."

"So you agree my plan is great?"

"No your plan is stupid beyond words, but you improvise well enough. Know that I'm watching, unless something more interesting happens." And with that I got my blessing from the gods, Ok not so much a blessing more of a warning and an insult, but you know I felt blessed.

The Most Obvious

I have started to suspect everyone else reads history enough to know I'm not very trustworthy. Which sucks because I spent all those years cultivating my trustworthyness, which is to say I didn't screw someone over in the open. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"He'll screw us the first chance he gets." Spencer knew Lorentino was untrustworthy. Knew that when he agreed to give himself up with his son he was a liar that was intending on doing something idiotic almost immediately.

"We suspect as much, still if he's there then we can counteract his idiocy and still come out on top." Morlatech's rep was a slick black haired smooth talker. He imagined the man had been selected for how much he looked like Morley is supposed to have looked in his youth.

"As long as it doesn't blow back on Ronerawth."

"Oh your precious government will be protected, remember Spencer you came to me with this, its your problem we are fixing." Spencer didn't like how the rep talked to him, this whole plan was based on mutual goals and here he was throwing it in Spencer's face it was his arrangement.

"Just make you can take out the Rondyne, the Emperor tires of them interfering in our affairs."

"Your enemies will be dealt with and then you will be the new Emperor as promised." This brought a smile to Spencer's face, he hated the Emperor, the child was quickly outgrowing his usefulness and the ruling class had decided it was time for Spencer to ascend.

"Emperor Spencer."

"You'll have to change your name, can't have the empire being represented in the galaxy by a Spencer." The rep was smiling at that.

"I think I'll be the judge of that."

"Whatever you say Emperor." The rep closed the call and looked to his subordinate, "Gods I can't wait to see that guys blood splashed all over his face."

"So we go ahead with the plan to kill everyone?"

"Oh of course, if Lorentino is there it'll be a bonus, but the real prize is getting Ronerawth and Rondyne attacking each other."

"Excellent sir." And the pieces in the game were moved even closer to annihilation.

A Great Disturbance in the Jerk

Rolando has come to rely on me being unreliable. It's weird, I always thought I was a great father, but to hear him tell it I was a flighty secretive man who he grew to fear more than love. I mean he's not wrong, but I thought I was better at hiding those aspects. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"I feel Dad screwed me just now and I don't know how." Rolando was alone in the room. Vtrasia having left him to his own misery. He was hoping that his sense of foreboding was off, but he knew that having asked Trezlan for help, basically default screwed him. In not a surprise at all to him Trezlan wanted to talk.

"So I screwed you." Roland knew it, he freaking knew it.

"I shouldn't be surprised and yet here I am being surprised."

"It was the only way, the corporations want you so they don't attack the Rondyne, so I gave up you and me."

"Nice at least I'll have you to suffer with before we are killed."

"Don't be such a pessimist Rolando, they'll at least want to study you for a bit, maybe you can have a satisfying life as a lab monkey." Rolando was not amused.

"I hope you have a plan to save both of us."

"No I figure this time we just go down, see how that turns out. No tricks, no back up stunts, just full on surrender, its the one thing they won't see coming."

"I love you so much father." Trezlan disconnected and Rolando didn't know what to do. He figured things would be bad, he had no idea his father would just give up. Which made him suspect he was not at all giving up, if there was one thing he knew about Trezlan it was he couldn't be trusted to honor any deal, let alone one he himself was a part of. Which also scared Rolando, because he was now wrapped up in his fathers scheme without knowing what that scheme was. A very bad place to be.

"So what's the word?" Vtrasia was back she must have seen the log.

"Trezlan is turning me and himself over to the corporations, I don't know what you guys wanted, but this is probably not something you ever expected to happen."

"No, in fact this was pretty much opposite of what we expected."

"Well don't worry Trezlan is a snake, this is a scam."

"We'll find out soon enough, in the mean time Commander we have some things to discuss."

"Oh goody another betrayal on a betrayal I'm beginning to really respect your guys devotion to screwing me over."

Corporate Dumbocracy

One of my greatest regrets was not overtly taking over one of the mega corps before they became a mega corp. It couldn't have been that hard to do considering how idiotically they are run now. - Chronicles of Lorentino

"Your son screwed all of this up you know." Spencer was explaining things to me, not very good mind you, but he was trying. I tried to pretend I already knew what was going on, but I am so far out of the loop and my AI is doing something else, so I'm basically back to my own devices here which sucks I didn't have all those other people doing things for me to not have their help now!

"I'd like to know how you get from here to there." Its a nice delaying tactic to pretend you disagree with a conclusion without even knowing what that conclusion is. It means the other person has to show you their work.

"He killed Morley's son, that made Morley realize he was weak and that the corporations were suspectible individually, now they are working with each other to take out their enemies starting of course with the Rondyne." I nodded, that did seem to line up with things, but it still felt a bit of a reach.

"And so you're solution is what?"

"Wait for them to kill each other? I don't know what to tell you Trezlan, the Emperor does not want to get involved, there are even plans to turn your son over to the corps hoping that will solve this." I felt fire rise up in me, but I kept it down. I knew there was a reason I hated governments.

"Why not make it a two for one? I'll come along." Spencer looked genuinely surprised.

"You would deal yourself and your son to the corporations?"

"Sure its the least I can do for the empire." It was not the least I could do for the empire, and I had no intention of turning myself or Rolando over.

"You realize if you screw us we'll burn you all down right? Like three governments looking for payback."

"I realize that, arrange it." I didn't say "I realize you'll try" I thought it went unsaid. I had work to do though, had to get a nice suit, some of the best runes, and an ambush for the galactic record books arranged. And here I thought I'd struggle to cause mischief because I didn't want to engage in genocide.

No One Likes Being Wrong

I am never wrong, its just a weird facet of my life, even when I am wrong I outlive the wrongness eventually that it becomes right, hence never wrong. -Chronicles of Lorentino

"We do the same thing you know." Vtrasia was there in Rolando's makeshift prison cell, she had swung by a couple times trying to make him feel better about the cage, but he still felt it was very much a cage, and he was very much a prisoner.

"Oh you think I kidnap people and force them to work with my government."

"Weren't you a magical retrieval person? Serving your royal masters to retrieve malcontents." Rolando didn't answer, she had laid a trap and he'd walked right into it. Vtrasia smiled, her teeth were green, Rolando hadn't noticed that before.

"You still kidnapped me."

"No, we assisted you from being left on a planet to die, then we happened to ask for your assistance with arranging a meeting between factions to discuss a common enemy."

"What common enemy?"

"Your corporations." Rolando knew that this would be about the corporate world, he knew it. Because bad things always seemed to follow him no matter what he did. And now he and his father's presence made more sense, if there was anyone who wasn't in the pocket of the corporations it was the Lorentinos. If only because they were both awful people working for whoever footed the bill at the moment.

"What did they do now?"

"Banded together, they plan on wiping out the rest of the galaxy."

"You've got to be joking."

"No Commander, and really its kind of your fault." Rolando sighed.

"The hits just keep on coming."

Phil There's a Reason I Kept You Around

Just when you think you're in real trouble, someone will always come up with a solution you hadn't considered. Or I should say, that's how things work out for me, everyone else probably dies long before that solution comes around. Ok so just when I think I'm in real trouble... - Chronicles of Lorentino

"Yes I told him I have contacts, trouble is I don't Phil, not anymore." Phil was the only person I felt I could successfully tell about the situation Rolando had put me in. Phil was good for stuff like that, almost made me feel bad for what I had done to him. Almost.

"What about my cousin Spencer?" I shot him a look that said everything.

"Who?"

"Spencer, gods its weird I remember him and you don't, he was an undersecretary to some diplomat years ago, he might be dead, but you never know he might be someone big now that a lot of upper management probably is dead."

"Phil you beautiful human, next time I think of using you for a deep cover thing, remind me of how useful you are."

"As I recall I di..." I had already disregarded much of what Phil said afterward. I had to find a way to contact his cousin. I didn't have direct resources, but I did have the backbone of their architecture bugged to core and back, since I'd been sort of instrumental in arranging the original IT infrastructure of the entire Royal government (its nice to play the long game when you know you can be there from the beginning, its also why no door ever locks fully for me in the Royal empire). It took me a couple hours of tracing routes, crossing off duplicates, and adjusting for age, but I discovered not only was Cousin Spencer still alive, he was the chief diplomat in the Royal government.

"Spencer Tril." He had a grey beard and about fifty more pounds than I remembered, but I did remember that gruff voice of his.

"Hello Spencer this is..."

"I know who you are, did you kill my cousin yet?"

"No Phil is fin..."

"Than we have nothing left to discuss." I suddenly recalled Phil was not as liked by cousin Spencer as he vaguely remembered through programming.

"Come on Spence."

"Don't you come on Spence with me, I'm a man in a high position, you're a wanted criminal who can't do me one thing, what do we have to talk about."

"The Rondyne." Spencer's eyes narrowed, something was up, and I had just bungled into it.

"Go on..." And this is where I knew maybe, just maybe I should have done slightly more research before making this call.

Ok So What's Really Going On?

I never settle into anything in my life, even when its slow there is something to disrupt the madness. Except when I'm in prison, but I haven't been... nope not finishing that screw you to the universe at large. -Chronicles of Lorentino

In the middle of trying to do something/anything against my AI's and their new red skinned leader (I admit it was jealousy that lead me to the position of considering the man their leader, he wasn't really leading anything at that point, it was mutual), I got a message from my son. It was to say the least surprising. I knew Rolando was up to some new awful shit with the RiG's and that's where I tried to leave it. I'd been gone around a year, kid needed time to himself to sort out his drinking problem (which he had I guess, its always nice when problems fix themselves without your input). I was of course immediately suspicious he was contacting me. I knew he was back with the RiG's and at best government and I were not on not arresting terms.

"Father its nice to see you." Signal was too clean for RiG or commercial communications, it was the first thing I noticed about it. Also Rolando never normally said that sentence ever, even when it would have been nice for him to see me.

"Sure, call out of the blue, knew my contact information suspiciously. No, nothing is wrong whatsoever." If he was going for subtle, I was not, obviously.

"So dad it would super nice if you could help me arrange a meeting between yourself, the Rondyne and the Royal Imperial government, since you have contacts in the Imperial hierarchy." All at once it was like seeing the worst kind of solution.

"But you're in the Royal Government, unless right now you're with the Rondyne, oh gods boy how did that happen?"

"So you'll make those calls right?" I sighed, even for my son this seemed like a particularly stupid development.

"Yes, I'll make those calls, but you will be in so much trouble when this is over." The communication cut out and I fumed for a minute. Gods damned Rondyne, I avoided them for a reason! That had nothing to do with them trying to kill me over a misunderstanding... Ok so I'm leaving some stuff out, I guess now is as good a time as any to explain what happpened.

Not Exactly A Betrayal, but it Feels Like It

Betrayal comes in several forms, but for me no matter how you intend on it, betrayal is in the mind of the betrayer, so even if you don't personally feel it is one, too bad you betrayed someone. Unless I did it, then it was ultimately for your greater benefit, even if it kills you, especially if it kills you. - Chronicles of Lorentino

The Rondyne were nice enough. Rolando was welcomed at their station, they didn't disarm or shackle him. He felt like an ambassador, and less like a prisoner, but something still felt off. He didn't like how things were working out. He didn't like how he had been effectively selected for meeting with a species his own people had strict rules about not engaging, and he didn't like how they had done it secretly. He just didn't trust the Rondyne or Vtrasia and that fear was escalating with each "Welcome honored guest" he got from the blue skinned no eyed people.

"And so we come to why you're really here commander." He was seated at a desk of large man with a scraggly green beard. Vtrasia was there behind the man, as was a guard at the door. Rolando figured the jig was up.

"About time."

"We need you to arrange a meeting between the Royal military, us, and your father."

"I feel this goes unsaid, but that's almost gods damned impossible." Rolando assumed they knew this, but he didn't think they fully understood it.

"Because your father is a criminal?"

"Because my father is insane, the Royal military barely trusts me at this point, and the Rondyne effectively kidnapping me doesn't make any of that easier."

"Point taken, but you have a week to arrange it."

"Or?"

"Get it done in a week Commander." Rolando was ushered out and he felt he knew the answer to the or "or we kill you." Failure usually was a fatal problem in his previous life experiences.

Twas A Lovely War While It Lasted

Conflicts between races have always been a thing at least in my experience. When we got to the stars I was surprised how long it took for us to find an other to attack, but I wasn't surprised how quickly the fight was over. - Chronicles of Lorentino

Space Conflicts haven't all been as cut and dry as versus mechanical monstrosities or literal creatures from the damned. The first conflict the RiG's got themselves into was against the Rondyne. It's not really in the history books, the conflict was more "Oh shit ships that aren't ours open fire, oh god they are better armed than we are, surrender surrender!" There were talks, RiG's agreed to keep to a specific part of space and the Rondyne agreed not to annihilate everyone on Ronerawth. It was a nice compromise at first.

Of course not knowing the sea of Sociopaths the Rondyne spared they weren't prepared for the next conflict when we used magic and our newly developed weapons to establish dominance. This battle too was short, but the RiG's won handidly and the Rondyne agreed to allow us more room to grow in exchange for their own not annihilation. Ever since then things have been mostly quiet from the Rondyne. They don't screw with us, we don't screw with them, that even lasted during multiple extinction level events. Which was nice.

Of course I knew even then that something would drive us back to being either enemies or allies. I just had no idea of course that it would involve my son. I should have, the galaxy is a weird awful place at times, but even still, it was a bit surprising to see him with the Rondyne. I wasn't angry, I was dissapointed.

Concern Level Elevating

Sometimes allies can come off like creepy stalkers. They follow you around, they act helpful, and they claim they are your friend, but at the same time you just wonder, are they really? - Chronicles of Lorentino

Rolando felt like he'd been set up. The blue people had shown up in a strike ship that couldn't possibly have just been called up. He was beginning to suspect the pirates, the suspect issue in the cockpit, and his rescuer/jailer were all aranged against him. It was his natural belief to be suspicious, but this felt a little too coincidental. Sure they hadn't imprisoned him, and in fact had given him food and a cushy accommodation aboard their ship, but something was amiss, something was wrong and he was bound to figure that out before the trap closed shut.

"This looks bad I get that, but you really are being paranoid." His not working against him captor who he formely had called Blue, was actually Agent Vtrasia (the v was silent).

"I'm just waiting till we are back in port before deciding how this actually is going down."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"I knew it, I knew this was a set up."

"Well, ok so its nearly impossible to get anyone in your government to listen, so we thought if we could get someone in the military, someone with a good record, but an outsider..."

"Are you kidding me Vtrasia? You're joking with this."

"Look my superiors will go over this better when we arrive at our station."

"I knew this was a set up, I KNEW..." Vtrasia shut the door and Rolando went back to sulking. He wanted to believe her, but he also was a Lorentino and suspecting the worse is what they did the best. And thus his voyage to a foreign land was not a pleasant one. As if the gods had intended for it themselves.