The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System- Unnamed Planet)

(Headquarters of the Calypso Brotherhood)

"Theon you need to tell the young master to stop this madness!"

"Half of our fleet has already been destroyed!"

"For some reason our men have not retreated to safety!"

Loud voices of complaint echoed through the war room as several holographic screens projected the current status of the battlefield.

A middle-aged man sat down on a flimsy wooden chair and let out a heavy sigh.

He was clearly out of shape and his belly jiggled and wobbled as he reached for the cup of wine on the table.

He wore a simple pair of brown pants and a faded shirt that had several stains on it.

His men whined and complained but Theon could not rebuke their concerns since he also had no clue about the young master's true objective.

Kohli had ordered the last surviving pirates of Planet Calypso to launch an all-out assault on the intruders who had appeared inside the asteroid field.

But there was no logical reason for this.

The planet where they were currently hiding on was several thousand kilometers away from the nearest mech and would not be easily detected.

By attacking first, they were essentially broadcasting their location and any faction capable of producing mech controllers was not a force that they could trifle with.

However, the biggest mystery was how on earth did Kohli inspire such loyalty in the men sent out to fight the mechs?

Theon was aware of the type of folks who lived on Planet Calypso…

Murderers, thieves and rapists.

The kind of men who would desert the second that their lives were in any sort of danger.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong was the only way to survive in this cold universe.

And yet…

Theon watched the holographic screens in amazement as those same cowardly pirates kept engaging with the mechs without the fear of death.

Even as the starships around them exploded or were destroyed… they kept fighting.

The situation was made even more complicated by the unknown enemies that appeared from a mysterious wormhole.

Five destroyer class spacecrafts? What was happening?

This sector of space was in the outer regions of the Hydra Star Systems and had nothing of note for any organisation to desire.

Now suddenly there were multiple mechs, destroyer class space crafts and God knows what else…

"Please sir… we can't afford any more losses," a soft voice pleaded desperately.

Theon turned towards the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man with a long flowing beard clasping his palms together.

He recognised him as the former leader of the Blackaren Gang on planet Calypso.

The former gang leader stared at a certain screen as he saw the familiar model of his organisation's starship go up in flames.

Theon furrowed his brows as he came to a decision.

There was no need to fight enemies vastly superior in both raw firepower and defenses. The young master's judgement was wrong.

He opened his mouth and was about to give the order to retreat when the doors to the war room swung open.

A man stood at the door.

No…  perhaps he was no longer just an ordinary man.

The heavy scent of blood filled the air as the room was instantly silenced. Expressions of fear appeared on the faces of every pirate in the room.

An average looking young man strode into the room completely naked with his genitals loosely hanging downwards.

His skin was a pale and sickly colour, and his eyes were black as the night's sky. Nasty boils and moles covered his body from below his neck.

These fleshy growths oozed yellowish pus that sizzled with a dull hiss as it hit the ground.

"We can't afford any losses?" Kohli hoarsely whispered as he raised up his right hand.

The elderly man who had complained just moments ago fell to the ground and began to convulse.

Blood leaked out of his orifices and the steady steam of crimson liquid flowed towards Kohli's body and was absorbed into his skin.

"My God has spoken to me…" Kohli spoke gently as though his monstrous display of strength had never occurred.

"He senses the divinity of the target that I seek. It appears as though Duke Peterlor was foolish enough to let his daughter run around without protection."

"These losses are nothing more than a necessary evil."

"Under my command… the Calypso Brotherhood will rule the stars!"

Kohli's eyes shone with an almost religious fervor as the blood inside his body stirred.

A heavy pressure descended on the room which forced the weaker pirates to their knees.

Theon was barely able to hold on by tightly gripping the side of his chair.

He did not understand what Kohli desired and could not stop the curiosity burning in his heart.

"Young master… why are you looking for the duke's daughter?" Theon hesitantly spoke as he felt his hands slightly tremble under the pressure.

Kohli smiled warmly as madness flashed across his eyes. His voice dropped to a quiet whisper and the pressure in the room intensified,

"Why? Why?... hehe… hehehe… do you remember the power that destroyed our planet? Duke Peterlor's strength… we were all mere children compared to him…"

"I seek revenge… but I am not foolish enough to think that we can possibly face him... at least not yet…"

"The barrier to the void stage will be broken if I manage to kill and absorb his daughter's cultivation."

The convulsing old man on the floor finally died with an expression of terror on his face.

Kohli approached the lifeless corpse and began to stroke it as a sickening blush spread across his cheeks.

He bent down and opened his mouth to devour the corpse piece by piece. The sounds of feeding filled the room and some of the pirates could not stop themselves from vomiting.

Kohli got up from the ground and used his fingernails to cut a wound in the palm of his hand that reached the bone.

Blood floated upwards and formed the shape of a rectangular screen. In the middle of the screen was the image of a humanoid figure.

Four bladed appendages sprouted out of her back and her ears were slightly pointed.

"The daughter of Duke Peterlor will be killed by my hand!" the young leader of the pirates roared in ecstasy.

"She must be here! My god senses the divinity that has been gifted to her by a second-rate being from beyond the void!"

"It is a bit weaker than he expected! Clearly the duke's daughter lacks the ability to become a proper vessel."

"All available starships must leave the planet immediately to track her down! I will not rest until her head is served to me on a golden platter!"