Chapter 1: Prologue ( Planet : Hendu, City : Hendu Prime)

"Your Majesty, I have just received a communique from Earth. We have almost completed the last stages of our resettlement to Earth," said the Queen's aide.

A smile appeared on Queen Zana's face, about time, she thought.

Zana Phearyanya, Queen of the Hendu kingdom and member of one of the galaxy's oldest dynasties, was saying goodbye to her planet.

Once considered one of the galaxy's most beautifully built and forward worlds, the Hendus obsession with technological advances had finally been their downfall.

Although many worlds were technologically ambitious, most were smart enough to protect their eco-system by building science labs in space which allowed the testing of modern technology.

However, the Hendus chose not to do so; the sad truth is that most of their government showed little interest in saving the environment and realised too late that their greed had destroyed their home.

If that were not enough, the dumping of dangerous chemicals into the sea became the norm, and so did excessive procreation, making Hendu the galaxy's most populated planet as well as the most polluted one.

It was not long before they felt the effects of excessive hunting, fishing, and farming, which had resulted in severe droughts, wildfires, floods, tropical storms, and other disasters.

Facing poverty, displacement, hunger, and social unrest, the royal family realised that their salvation could only come from finding untapped resources or, at the very least, a new place to call home.

They sent Lurkers with orders to find it at any cost—and they did. There was just a slight problem; humans already occupied it.

Unfortunately, as Earth's history has shown repeatedly, developed nations see the forceful appropriation of resources and territories of lesser developed countries as their divine rights. An attitude that often resulted in the attempted genocide of the natives.

Although an alien race, the Hendus agreed with that thinking and decided that Earth was now their new home.

It took two hundred years, but now the colonization of Earth was almost complete, and it had saved the Hendus from extinction.

As relieved as she was that they had secured their future, she was still restless. She had seen it many times before—a well-prepared plan could always fall flat at the last minute.

"What about Yprovitch?" she asked her aide.

"Completed, Your Majesty."

The orchestrator of our destruction, which is what we are. I will not let Earth suffer the same fate; our new home deserves better, she thought, staring out the window,

She slowly turned toward Phedna, her aide and smiled; she had always loved Phedna. With her sparkly long silver hair, grey eyes, and olive skin tone, she was the typical Hendu aristocrat.

Unaware of her Queen's absentmindedness, she continued, "David Atout has won the elections; he is now their president-elect. He sends his most sincere thanks and invites her majesty to visit his country."

The queen waves the suggestion off "Not now. In the meantime, inform the AOS (agents of the shadows, the Hendu foreign intelligence service) that I want a close eye kept on the new first gentleman."

Phedna furrowed her brows; the queen smiled and said, "a man so hungry for power that he chooses to betray his own should never be trusted."

"Your Majesty, what about the Pacific Islanders Coalition? They have been conducting secret meetings; meetings we have yet to discover the motives, let alone infiltrate," said Phedna.

"Do not worry yourself with such issues; I have already dispatched a team to handle it. Yprovitch will never be taken."

Yprovitch was Hendu's most advanced city on Earth. As large as Singapore, it was underwater and surrounded by a force field, guaranteeing that the city remains dry, allowing non-aquatic races like the Yahas, the Firas, and human beings to occupy it.

Surrounded by concrete retractable double-defensive walls with gates, bastions and shooter towers, the city walls can rise, forcing the enemy to use a single point of entry, the top.

The royal family's castle was in the heart of the complex, made of steel and crystallised minerals. Surrounding the castle were sizeable habitable buildings with multiple floors made of reinforced glass and steel frameworks supporting thin, aluminium-framed walls containing in-fills of glass and delicate stone.

It was the living proof of the ancients' pacific islanders' exceptional work; work which so far had yet to be enjoyed by their descendants.

Noticing the worrying lines on Phedna's forehead, Zana took a few steps toward her and lightly touched her forehead.

"Worry not, child. The Pacific Islanders are nothing more than a nuisance. They will never get anywhere near our fair city. Yprovitch is impenetrable; besides, the Pacific Ocean is too large and deep. They will never be able to pinpoint its exact location."

The double doors of the viewing room swung open, letting a tall man with long silver hair and a black uniform with granite colour edges and black boots walk in.

The Queen's face widened, "Brother, what sweet breeze brings you by?"

"A sweet breeze? It's not a good wind that brings me, Zee; it's a tornado!" he yelled.

Then, noticing the aid, "Phedna, what are you doing here?"

The queen raised her brows "she works here...."

His gaze still on Phedna, he pouted "Right....; where was I? Oh yes, Phedna, could you give me a moment with my sister? Thank you"

As soon as she heard the door closing, Zana then turned back toward her brother "Now, little brother, what brought you here?"

His brows furrowed, Jaelon let out a groan then said, "We have received news from our operatives in Japan. The Hawaiians have increased the construction of vessels"

Zana shrugged, "Old news, Jael. I fail to see why it would trouble you."

He grimaced, "You fail to see it? Are you mad? The coalition is on the move."

His blood began to boil, and his breathing was accelerating, "typical, she never takes me seriously. Very well, she will regret it when she realized that I was right all along," he murmured

"what are you whispering under your breath?" Asked Zana

" Hein? Nothing. Where were we? yes, the islanders. The Pacific Islander Coalition is planning something. There are talks of a secret meeting between the Māori's Akiri and the Australian first nations president" he yelled

"Do not raise your voice at me Jael; now, compose yourself and tell me who else was there," added Zana

Her brother raised his shoulders "Apart from the first two, the only other attendee we have managed to confirm is the Hawaiian queen's."

Zana frowned and approached her brother, "When did it happen?" she asked

"Last week. You would have known that if you had moved to Earth with us. Why are you still on Hendu?"

She sighed "Mother and father are still here, so are some of our people, I am not leaving until all have been relocated to Earth"

She placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, "Do not worry about the Pacific Islanders; I will deal with them when the time comes. For now, go back to Earth and watch them closely. And I promise, in less than five years it will all be over, and Earth will be ours."

Jaelon took a few steps back and made a face, "in less than five years. Is she mad? I refuse to wait that long. She promised me the west coast, and I intend to rule it right now," he whispered

Noticing his sullen face, Queen Zana approached him, cupped one of his cheeks and said, "Have some faith brother, I can't rule effectively if my own family is doubting me"

She kissed him on the cheek and said "Yprovitch is ours, and I defy any of these savages to set foot in it. We defeated their ancestors; we will have no trouble breaking them."

"What about the Order of the Shark?" he asked.

Zana smiled and gently tapped his cheek, "we will cross that bridge when we get to it. Now go and do me a favour—please congratulate the Yinas for their successful resettlement."

"Your wish is my command, Your Majesty," he said with a smirk and gave her a bow.

He had almost reached the door when he heard, "By the way, how is the construction of our Mount-towns going?"

He glanced at her, "The resettlements of our Fira population have been slow, but we expect completion in two or three years."

The Firas, the Hendus avian race, live in floating cities and mountain top villages.

They had completed the building of the floating cities, but villages were a challenge.

"Why is that?" asked Zana with a raised brow

"Apparently, since, unlike the original ones, the new floating cities are made of artificial Lagoons with flourishing coral reefs transferred from here, as well as the local fauna and white sand, it requires more time than anything else we are building."

Zana sighed "Do they understand that I want them to be as perfect as the originals?"

Jaelon nodded "Oh yes, I was assured that the suspended huts are going to be just a few metres from the beach. They even showed me a few miniature models of them, they were adorable with their sloping thatched-grass roof."

"Will it hold? Have they managed to recreate the luminous tower the dwellings dangle from?"

Jaelon rolled his eyes "Yes, stop worrying. I was assured that the tower will be able to regulate electricity, water and even surveillance."

Zana smiled and nodded; she was relieved. It was critical for her that the Firas be able to live as a commune just as they had done on Hendu.

The Firas generally build one dangling hut. After the first hut in a shape of a waterdrop like their jets is completed, the structure grows as the family adds new living space into the bottoms and sides.

They had chosen the highest mountains they could find, Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Mount Vinson and Carstensz Pyramid. They were called the seven summits and the Hendus had put a lot of effort to claim them.

Queen Zana nodded. "I expected as much, but I am pleased."

"Really? I didn't know the word 'Pleased' was in your vocabulary," he said with a pout.

"You know what your problem is, brother? You have no faith in anything or anyone."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Zana gave him half a smile "Nothing," I'm sorry, I am not in the best of mood. Please extend my compliments to the Firas as well."

"I am not your aide Zee, send Phedna" replied an annoyed Jaelon

She frowned and shook her head spoiled and lazy, what is not to love. She watched him leave and returned to her contemplation of the room.

Prologue Part 2 ( City: Hendu Prime, Location : Royal Palace)

Zana was right—the room was a shadow of its former glory. The deep red and gold velvet curtains, chandeliers, and handcrafted wooden desks were all gone. All that remained was a lonely desk to remind the Queen of better days.

Zana had refused to have the room painted or redecorated to mask the decay. Now it was just a tired room destroyed by pollution, turning this space into a two-tone palette of grey and chalky white walls.

The heavy carpet and the magnolia walls covered in portraits of the previous queens were now bare. They had followed her sister and her brother when they moved to earth.

Hanging in her new palace, they were awaiting her. She raised her head and took a big breath. It is the gods' punishment for failing to elevate ourselves. I will rise to the challenge. I will prove my greatness and restore my people to their rightful place in the galaxy.

She heard footsteps approaching, and they stopped behind her "Zee, promise me you will not delay your trip. We need you; I need you."

She flipped to face her brother, "Still here, could you please just leave already? I promise I will not delay my departure again, now go."

He took her hand, kissed it, and then left.

Phedna walked in immediately after his departure.

"What is it, dear?" she asked.

"Your Majesty, a report just came in from our mines. Our workforce numbers are at an all-time low, and the last trip to the slave markets has proven unsuccessful."

Queen Zana narrowed her eyes and, twisting the delicate royal bracelets that adorned her wrists, asked, "And why is that? "

"The Petronians have bought most of the slaves," said her aide.

The Queen pouted, "Of course, they did; their war against the Alliance is not going well. Can't we recruit from the neighbouring systems?"

"We tried, Your Majesty, but they too are experiencing workforce shortages," replied Phedna.

Queen Zana fiddled with her bracelets again, "It seems we will have to push our timetable. Are the Petronians still requesting an audience with me?"

"They are Your Majesty," said Phedna.

Zana nodded, "Set it up. And contact my sister, update her on the recent development."

"Certainly, Your Majesty. I was asked by the grand chamberlain to inform you that your advisors have arrived," said the aide.

Zana nodded and made her way to the other side of the room; it led to a corridor which in turn led to a conference room.

It was large with full-length windows plus beige and gold walls. A throne on a pedestal was sitting at the back; a large carpet with leather pillows had replaced chairs and formed a U.

The midsection was the focal point, reserved for holographic projections of any kind.

As soon as the Queen sat down, her advisors approached slightly and formed a line.

The Firas representatives were dressed in traditional black robes with short hair, and long raven wings covering their backs.

Next to them were the Yinas representatives with long braided hair, bare-chested, wearing the traditional coral robes and high collars masking their breathing overtures.

Last, came the Yahas with their deep red robes, thick bangles and headscarves.

Zana gave them a nod and said, "Begin."

"She will not be happy, but we must inform her of the situation," said the oldest Fira member under his breath.

He nodded, and his colleague activated the holo-emitter which displayed a long list of complaints related to the lack of workers Phedna had mentioned a few minutes ago. They also stressed the importance of taking as much from the mines as possible before the final move to Earth.

The Queen raised her eyebrows and stared back at them. These tiresome old creatures are not as useless as I first thought; I already have that information, but they don't need to know that.

Finally, she tapped her fingers, dropped her shoulders, and said with a fake smile, "Anything else?"

They looked at each other, and then the oldest Firas approached her slightly, "My Queen, would you be opposed to the idea of using human slaves rather than our regular workers to fill the gap?"

You are reading story Swords or Roses at novel35.com

Queen Zana lowered and gaze and started fiddling with her bracelets once more. She finally said, "You are aware that human slaves are rather weak; their physiognomy cannot withstand our atmosphere for long."

The old Fira said, "That used to be true, but we now have found a solution to this problem. Our scientists have come up with an immunisation that would enable them to breathe in our atmosphere without damaging their lungs. And besides, even if the immunisation does not last long, in less than five years, Hendu will be uninhabitable, and we won't need them anymore."

"What can't they just use the immunisation we used to breathe on Earth?" she asked, looking down at her nails.

"They are incompatible with their physiognomy My Liege."

"In that case use them. Anything else?"

"The portals have grown, and travel through them is now possible. We no longer need spaceships for transportation," he added.

Queen Zana nodded, "Well done. Start the transfer immediately."

The Fira continued, "We have a slight problem concerning some of the humans' slaves, Your Majesty...."

Queen Zana raised an eyebrow. "Which is...?"

"The Yans, Your Majesty, with over a billion and a half population, they have a vast army. If we start harvesting from their allies on Earth, it will force them to declare war on us," he answered

She tapped the throne's arm, got up and walked to the window closest to her. Staring at the ruins of what used to be the Jewel of their world, she drew in a long deep breath, smiled, crossed her arms, and placed two fingers on her lips. "My dear child, tell me, what is the situation on Earth regarding our infiltration policies?"

The older Fira's blood started boiling. Child? How dare she call me a child? I am twice her age and then some!

Zana's smile did not escape the older man's attention. I am too old for power plays, he thought.

"The Famla has successfully recruited all critical players in most Earth governments except, of course, for the Yan empire, their allies and a few others left, "he said

Queen Zana's smile widened; the Famla had continued to exceed the royal court's expectations. She was aware that they were still those in her government opposed to using such an organization, but she didn't care.

They were doing an excellent job, and just like her mother, she was determined to keep them.

She turned around to face him," unfortunately there isn't much we can do about that, we will just have to risk angering the empire."

He nodded, "Consider it done, Your Majesty."

She waved him off and watched as he bowed and left, followed by the other advisory board members.

Prologue part 3 ( Planet: Earth, Country : UK, Region : England, County : Surrey, Village : Gateway Hill)

Meanwhile, in England, Bernard Farage was standing in front of Primrose Cottage. He remembered the first time he had laid eyes on it.

It was the beginning of autumn, and the village of Gateway Hill had just transformed itself into a picture-perfect orange-and-yellow garden. Right in the middle was a beautiful stone cottage with a thatched roof. Farage viewed it as the village's most beautiful dwelling.

He had worked arduously to make it perfect for him to move in. He had worked hand in hand with the restoration team and the interior designer.

That property had been his dream ever since he had set foot in England—but now the dream was dead. Someone else was occupying his cottage.

He took a big breath, his eyes staring at the arched green door, his heart racing, perspiration dripping down his temples. And then, he knocked.

After a few agonising minutes, the door finally opened. Standing in the doorway was a gentleman in a brown suit.

The man was in his 30s, like Farage himself.

The man asked, "Can I help you?"

"I would like to see Her Highness," answered Farage.

Without a word, the man slowly opened the door wider, then stepped back and waited.

Farage stepped inside the cottage. Walking through the narrow beige corridor, his hands were trembling, and he began sweating even more profusely.

The man led him to a small living room with stone and brick walls that bolstered a wooden fireplace and the elegant seventeenth-century dresser

A large cream and light pink carpet were covering the floor. A large cream leather sofa and two armchairs with a small, dark wooden table completed the look.

All this is mine. But the princess is the one enjoying it, Farage thought bitterly.

At that moment, the Royal entered the room. He bowed and watched as she crossed the room, taking a seat.

The cottage had been forcefully requisitioned from the local member of Parliament by Farage a few years ago. He invested a lot of himself in the project, and now Primrose cottage had recovered its former glory; it was a piece of art. And now his place was occupied by the Queen's sister, and there was nothing he could do to change that.

It is unusual for a Royal family member to take a cottage away from a subordinate. Farage could only speculate that she was punishing him, but he didn't know why.

Although they were twins, the Queen and her sister looked nothing alike. Queen Zana was medium height, pale, slim—almost unhealthy-looking—with long curly, black, and silver hair, brown eyes, and a pointy chin.

Princess Sathya, however, was tall, curvy with olive skin, long straight black and silver hair, penetrating black eyes, high cheekbones, and plumped lips.

Their fashion senses were also dissimilar. While Queen Zana favoured the Greco-Roman look, Princess Sathya was more gothic and always wore fitted outfits.

This time the princess had a high-necked, long-sleeved black backless dress that featured a train behind her.

She smiled, waved him forward and crossed her legs. She was barefoot as usual and looked him straight in the eyes.

When he reached her, she slowly got up from her chair and placed her hand on his right shoulder. He could feel a shiver emanating up his spine.

"Thank you for finding this charming little cottage with exquisite furniture for me," she said.

Farage wanted to say, 'You know without a doubt that this cottage is supposed to be mine, you snake! —but he couldn't.

Instead, he smiled and replied, "I aim to please, your royal highness."

She smiled, gazing around the room she had claimed as her own so easily. Farage followed her gaze, his pulse a steady pounding in his temple. Sucking in a breath to calm himself he forced his gaze to the ground, resisting the urge to flinch when the princess reached up to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow.

"You look scared, my dear Bernard. Is something wrong?" she said

"Princess Sathya, Your Highness," he said in a trembling voice, "the vicar has refused your offer. Instead, he is demanding that we leave the village immediately, or your actions will force him to call the authorities."

She took a big breath, squinted, wiped her hand on his jacket and took a few steps backwards.

"That miserable fool. Very well. How about you show that moronic vicar how serious I am."

He frowned, "I don't understand, Your Highness."

Her smile slowly diminished until her face was blank. "Am I supposed to draw you a picture? Dispose of the vicar's bundle of joy!" Her voice echoed off the walls.

She was deeply bothered. She began pacing around the room, staring at nothing. Her earlier relaxed and flowy gait had changed; it was now straight and firm like a soldier's.

She turned back and sat gently down in her armchair, both arms resting on the chair's arms. She then pressed a button on the chair without taking her eyes off Farage.

A skinny teenage boy, short, with dark olive skin and wavy, shiny hair, appeared, his dark eyes staring at Farage arrogantly.

"Little one, be a dear and find some flies for our friend Bernard, would you?"

The boy nodded, walked out and promptly returned, holding a box.

"Our little friends in there should be able to take care of our problem," she said as she stuck out her chin toward the box the boy held.

"I will take care of it personally, Your Highness," said Farage while snatching the box from the teenager.

"No, you will not. Entrust the task to a recruit. I have noticed the Famla has been slacking with the recruits' initiation tasks. If the recruit cannot kill the target, kill the recruit as a warning to the others," said the princess as she rose from her chair.

Farage nodded; all Hendus and people working for the Hendus answered to all Royal family members, but the Royals responded only to the Queen.

If one of the Royal abuse their power or give an order against the wishes of the Queen, only the Queen herself can reprimand them.

Slowly approaching him, the princess followed with, "After the deed is done, convey this message to the vicar; either he succumbs to our will, or we will send in the Pied Pipers. Understood?"

Farage nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

Psychotic beast, he thought while he bowed. I knew she was cold—but the slaughter of an entire village? Even Prince Jaelon wouldn't sink that low.

She waved him away, to which he exited the room. On his way out, he bumped into the teenager.

"I will see you out, My Lord," said the boy.

Farage quickly glanced at the teenager's tattoo on his right wrist. A circle with outlines of the Queen's silhouette, it was the Royal family's insignia.

Only the most trusted families among the human slaves carried that branding, and Farage was in the presence of one of them.

Slavery had made Hendu a prosperous planet, but it also had tarnished the image of their race and isolated them from many other worlds.

Despite a repeated attempt from some groups on the planet to end slavery, the Royal family had always been reluctant to abolish that practice.

Once out of the cottage, Farage raised the flies' transparent box to his eye level. The miniature poisonous flies were dormant.

Their creator has done a fantastic job. If I didn't know they were robotic flies, I would have mistaken them for the real thing.

Unbeknownst to him, the princess and the teenager who by then had returned to the princess's side were watching him. She moved away from the window and said, "Watch that development closely. If anything goes wrong, complete the mission."

"Of course, Your Highness," said the teenager, and he exited the room, following the same route Farage had taken.

Prologue part 4 ( County: Surrey, Village : Gateway Hill, Location : Sacred Heart Boarding School)

A few days later, back at the boarding school where he was the headmaster, Farage received good news. Earth's invasion was a success, and now almost all three Hendu races were comfortably settling in.

To maximise the success of the invasion of earth, the Hendus had been sending undercover agents to learn about human behaviour and the human way of life.

One group, under orders from their government, created the organisation known as The Famla. They sent others like Farage to take high positions in parts of Earth deemed necessary by Hendu scientists.

Unlike many alien races, the Hendus had one significant advantage. One of the three species from their planet was physically like humans and allowed them to blend in with the population, undetected.

Having handed over the flies to the Famla recruit, Farage entered the dining room.

His eyes searched for Nigel Weatherford, the 12-year-old son of Gateway Hill's vicar, Norman Weatherford.

He finally spotted him sitting at the end of a table with his friends. Farage approached a skinny, pale blonde woman with brown eyes who donned an animal-print dress standing near the exit.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded and took a box out of her bag. In it was the transparent box. She quickly opened it, and the poisonous flies flew away. They had been the preferred method of killing for the Famla ever since its founding 200 years ago.

Despite her repugnance at dirtying her hands, Candice Dujardin, one of the teachers and members of the Famla knew she had to do it. Joining a secret cult like the Famla required sacrifices, she would happily make; the rewards far outweighed the risks.

It did not take long for some students to notice the flies. Waving their hands, they laughed as a few of them tried to chase them away.

Eventually, it landed on young Weatherford, and he let out a scream,

"Ahhh!"

He grabbed his shoulder, rubbing it back and forth when his friend touched his hand.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Something stung me! A bee may be," he said while pulling his shirt down to expose his shoulder.

"Yep, that must be it; it's all red. Do you want to go to the nurse?" asked his friend.

He shook his arm, trying to numb the pain, and his face relaxed. He smiled at his friend, "No, I am good now. The pain is almost gone."

The students heard a metal sound; Weatherford had dropped his fork. He had turned red and began grasping at his throat, struggling to breathe. The boy next to him held him just as he was falling backwards from the table bench.

His tablemates formed a circle around him while the adults were struggling to push the students away. Eventually, one teacher took him in her arms while another ran to get the school nurse.

By the time the nurse arrived, Weatherford had stopped breathing. The nurse pushed everyone away and felt for a pulse. She hesitated, then turned toward the teachers and students standing nearby in shock—and shook her head. He was dead.

The dark olive-skinned teenage boy from the princess' cottage stood at the door, watching silently. His dark eyes met with Dujardin's brown eyes. She raised her head in defiance, and he smiled.

Her Royal Highness will be pleased; she was right about the Famla. Their recruits are remarkably effective, he thought.

Dujardin slowly made her way to Farage, "I am sorry to ask but why kill him? Why not just take the village by force straight away?"

Farage smirked, "and alert the British of our presence before we infiltrate No10? Only after having exhausted all other possibilities"

The next day, the vicar, having received the princess' message loud and clear and fearing that they would kill another child, went to the mayor's cottage.

Gateway Hill's mayor had two children. After speaking to the vicar, she realised she had no choice. She would either surrender to the Famla or lose a child like the vicar. That night, the Famla took complete control of Gateway Hill.

You can find story with these keywords: Swords or Roses, Read Swords or Roses, Swords or Roses novel, Swords or Roses book, Swords or Roses story, Swords or Roses full, Swords or Roses Latest Chapter