The Spider Queen

(Nyrean Super Galaxy- Rtern Region)

(Unknown Location- Debate Ritual Hall)

There were four major inter-galactic superpowers within a region of space that would take five hundred million light years to go from one side to the other.

The Earth Federation, Unova Syndicate, Insectoid Empire and finally…

The Federines Collective.

Out of the four superpowers, they were by far the most secretive. The borders of the Federines Collective were heavily guarded.

Outsiders were only permitted to visit certain planets that had been designated as trading posts.

It was not that there had not been those who tried to infiltrate the star systems under their control but without exception…

They all failed.

Perhaps if the Earth Federation launched a proper invasion fleet, then their borders would be breached but the Federation was currently preoccupied with their war against the Insectoid Empire.

On one of the many planets inside the Federines Collective was a strange building.

From the outside this building resembled a magnificent temple with strange humanoid statues placed directly outside in a lush garden of flowers.

The temple was made from a mysterious metallic substance that glowed with a greenish hue and looked quite…. odd.

Inside the building one would have to walk through a maze of side passageways and corridors and bypass multiple layers of security.

Armed guards, neural scanners, body imaging technology and finally… genetical lock sequencing that would confirm the DNA of the individuals entering inside the lower levels.

At the end of this long and arduous process, one would find themselves standing in a large open space where dozens of dark red pillars of bio-mechanical mass rose up from the ground.

Dark writings and symbols had been etched onto the pillars' outer surfaces and they glowed eerily as if they were somehow alive.

Normally the hall was a quiet place where the only sounds were that of polite conversation and orderly debate.

But today… was different.

"What have you done?" a creature snarled angrily as it slammed a six feet long tendril on the ground in rage.

"You will provoke the Earth Federation and bring us to the brink of war!"

The creature's violent rage caused its entire body to tremble from side to side.

Its body was a gelatinous mass of light with several long tentacles extending out of its lower regions.

"Do not be so dramatic Odull," a slender snake-like alien with long jagged teeth hissed softly as she gently placed her tail on the creature's shoulder.

"We kidnapped one human… don't they have billions more? Who would miss just a single one?"

Another alien leaning against a pillar scoffed darkly and make a clicking noise using his multiple tongues.

"Billions… those humans certainly know how to reproduce. They could give those damn Insectoids a run for their money," the alien scowled fiercely as he spoke.

"A nasty bug-like race..."

Inside the hall were aliens of different species and races all united with a common purpose. To serve as the ruling council for the Federines collective.

"Relax," a soft feminine voice cut through the cacophony of sound in the room. There was an immediate moment of silence as an alien stepped out from the shadows.

The alien had a body physique that was similar to that of a horse. She had four eyes with bright red pupils that shone with a hypnotic glow.

A tail swayed from side to side behind her back and despite her massive frame, she carried herself with dignity and pose.

"Kidnapping this human was a request from one of the Ascension stage cultivators inside the Earth Federation," Elder Failea quietly whispered.

"The backlash will be minimal. According to the deal… the human will be declared as killed in action during the Insectoid attack."

"But Elder… why have you involved us in Federation politics? Shouldn't we stay out of their affairs?" a short creature with spines along its back asked the question that was on his mind.

"This is a favour… it may come in handy in the near future," Elder Failea replied with a thin smile on her face.

"The Earth Federation had been gaining strength and devouring many territories and regions in recent years."

"Their success against the Unovan Syndicate proves that they are a threat that we can no longer ignore."

Elder Failea had done some research of her own and had discovered that the human that they had been ordered to kidnap was quite the influential nobleman.

Would the Ascension stage cultivator be able to cover up his disappearance successfully? She had no idea but either way…

There would be chaos.

And with chaos… came opportunity.

The right push and the Earth Federation could become engulfed in a civil war. Just the opportunity that they needed to provide some breathing room.

A weakened Earth Federation would still be a dangerous opponent to face in war, but Elder Failea was convinced that they stood a decent chance of winning.

"Well, that's all well and good but…" an alien with a bulbous head yawned sleepily and then pointed out an obvious problem.

"What do we plan to do with the human that we captured? Are we going to kill him?"

"Of course, we need to kill him! Those humans are incredibly dangerous" someone angrily blurted out.

"No short-sighted fool! This is the perfect opportunity to dissect his body and look for more weakness in their genetic code," another chimed in.

"Isn't the human a god stage cultivator? Maybe we should try to get him to fight on our side using brainwashing techniques," a third person offered a different solution.

Elder Failea stretched out one of her hooves and a holographic image floated in the air above the conference.

"As always with divisive matters… we will put this to a vote and decided upon the fate of the human who…" Elder Failea's voice trailed off as she looked at the screen.

The image showed the cell where the human was currently being kept.

Wait… something wasn't right.

Elder Failea's eyes widened in disbelief as she quickly activated the camera monitoring the prison complex.

The image on the screen flickered and changed but no matter what angle she used… the results were the same.

The human was gone.