As the Fleet Lords, ascendants that had their own fleets, were combining their forces, Nyon went to Alarak’s ship. As he warped aboard Alarak’s carrier, he was met by two zealots standing guard.

“Ascendant Nyon.” The two zealots loyal to Alarak knelt down to show to respect and obedience. “How may I serve?”

“Tell Alarak I am here to see him.” Nyon didn’t bother wasting time to be nice and respectful. The tal’darim society was cruel and everything was based on strength. Nyon had the power and the accomplishments to boss a zealot around. He could even kill the zealot with a random reason. If he suddenly decided to draw his blade and kill the zealot for disrespecting him no one would say anything. No one would risk make a powerful ascendant an enemy to get justice for an insignificant zealot. Such was the law of the tal’darim. The weak had no rights.

“As you wish, ascendant.” The zealot left, leaving his comrade standing beside Nyon in fear. A few minutes later the zealot returned and welcomed Nyon inside.

Walking into Alarak’s chamber, Nyon noticed Ji’nara was with Alarak. He wasn’t surprised. The two had been close allies.

“Ahh. Fifth Ascendant Nyon.” Alarak managed to emphasis on Nyon’s social status. Nyon was lower on the chain of ascension than Alarak, which meant that, despite his superior fleet, Nyon had to show respect toward Alarak unless he was prepared to challenge the entire tal’darim society. Disrespecting a superior was punishable by death.

“Fourth Ascendant Alarak.” Nyon smiled sweetly, which worried Alarak. He knew this smile. This was the smile a hunter carried to mask his evil intentions when he was approaching a prey. This was the smile he had when he was persuading ascendants above him to join a Rak’Shir combat they were destined to lose. As much as he enjoyed stepping on the bodies of others to ascend, it didn’t feel nearly as nice to be the one that was stepped on. As Alarak was worrying, Nyon continued. “I am here to respond to the offer you made me before I left for combat.”

Alarak rose his eyebrows. Before Nyon left Alarak had sent Ji’nara to Nyon and invited him to join their alliance(See chapter 27). Nyon gave a vague reply and lied that he wasn’t planning to rise in the chain.

“And?” Alarak asked.

“I have decided to join you.” Nyon kept the fake smile on. “Together we will rise in the chain.”

“Good.” Alarak repeated as he glanced at Ji’nara, who wanted to say something. “Indeed, together we will rise.”

After the heart warming meeting with Alarak and Ji’nara, Nyon warped back to his own ship. Staying on another ascendant’s ship was always risky. Watching the crimson colored Death Fleet converging, Nyon turned on the Assistant. The slant hologram projection of Jean Turner appeared in the tal’darim bridge. She was as cool as always.

“Why can’t I just challenge Alarak?” Nyon asked curiously. As determined as he seemed, Nyon was only joining Alarak’s alliance because he was told so by the Assistant. Trust toward the Assistant made him obey without doubt. “I have nine carriers. He has two. Even Ji’nara only has one. In a Rak’Shir I can wipe them out.”

The Assistant cleverly answered the question from another approach. “If you are the Highlord and someone extremely good at fighting and has a lot of potential appeared under your radar, what will you do?”

Nyon didn’t understand why the Assistant asked him that, but he answered carefully nonetheless.

“I can’t kill him. Even the Highlord can’t eliminate competitors on purpose. Our society emphasizes on competition, not eliminating anyone that might be a threat.” Nyon reasoned. If the Highlord could just execute every ascendant that might challenge him then either he would be overthrown quickly or the society would weaken quickly because all the capable warriors were dead. No. The tal’darim encouraged bravery and strength. Some hidden tricks might be ok as long as they weren’t discovered, but the main focus was still on strength, as shown in the structure of the Rak’Shir.

“I’ll try to control him and use him for my gain.” Nyon finally concluded.

“But if he suddenly decides to challenge someone else on the chain? Someone lower than you but higher than most ascendants. And more importantly, what happens if he wins with absolute ease. Then what will you do?”

“Ahhh.” Nyon realized Assistant’s point. If he challenged Alarak then that would mean he had the ambition and the potential to rise. Today he could challenge Alarak. Tomorrow he would challenge Ma’lash. If he won, which he would, then that would prove his potential strength to threaten Ma’lash. If Nyon was in Ma’lash’s place he would do anything to eliminate the threat, whether it was by sending him on a suicidal mission, framing him, assassinating him with blood hunters, or just straight up killing him.

In this case he was the potent ascendant and Ma’lash was the Highlord. Alarak was the one lower than Ma’lash but higher than most.

“But that doesn’t explain why you wanted me to tell those vultures how weak the Daelaam are.” Nyon wasn’t done. “I could’ve kept on attacking the Daelaam and pick them apart piece by piece and strengthen myself in the process. Eventually I will become powerful enough to defeat Ma’lash. Now the entire Death Fleet will be striking the Daelaam. Ma’lash will gain more power, and it will be harder for me to take over.” He wasn’t angry. From his past experience he knew very well the Assistant was much wiser than he was. She always had everything planned out.

“Despite their appearance, the Daelaam are far from weak. You were successful in your missions because the Golden Armada was tied up in the battle against the swarm. It is just a matter of time before they push through. We might as well use this opportunity to do as much damage to the Daelaam infrastructure as possible. Plus, Jean needs the aid of the tal’darim on a certain target.” The Assistant explained.

“And alliance with Alarak and Ji’nara?”

“Another step in defeating Ma’lash.”

“Alarak can not be trusted.” Nyon had heard whispers of how Alarak encouraged ascendants above him in the chain to challenge someone they thought they could defeat but actually couldn’t. When the ascendants realized Alarak was lying it was too late. As ascendants perished, Alarak would rise in the chain. That was how he got to the place of Fourth Ascendant.

Assistant gave a reassuring smile. “Alarak can’t betray us if we betray him first, can we?” Nyon grinned wickedly. That was the Assistant he liked. Cold. Clever. Most importantly willing to do anything to reach her goal.

On his own ship, Alarak was met with a concerned Ji’nara. The female ascendant was hesitant. She wanted to speak, but she was afraid what she said might not be what Alarak wanted to hear. As soft as he seemed, Alarak was extremely cruel deep down. He could be smiling to you one second and pledge his loyalty to you and then stab you in the back the next moment. Just that didn’t make Alarak special from the other backstabbing tal’darim, but Alarak would pull back the blade and then frame someone else for his own actions. Ji’nara didn’t want to be on the wrong side of Alarak.

“Speak. Don’t test my patience.” The Fourth Ascendant demanded impatiently upon noticing Ji’nara’s hesitance.

“Do you really trust Nyon?” Ji’nara questioned. “An alliance is based on equal grounds. An ascendant will never become an ally of a supplicant.” What she was saying was that there was no reason for Nyon to want to be an allied of Alarak. The size of the fleets were different by a lot.

“Nyon is an expert in battle, but even so he needs support to rise in the chain. We all do. By himself Nyon can’t take down any of the ascendants above him.” He said proudly.

“But he can defeat you.” Ji’nara rained on Alarak’s parade. She intended on being more careful, but the tal’darim were taught the art of blades, not the art of words. The ascendant wasn’t really good with starting a conversation.

Alarak groaned. “Careful, Sixth Ascendant. Disrespecting a higher ascendant is punishable by death.” Ji’nara looked at him, slightly startled but not afraid. She knew Alarak was ruthless, but so was she. She was still useful to Alarak. Alarak finally let it slide. “Perhaps, but that will change very soon.” He looked at the rising fleet. “I will get a chance to rise. The same can’t necessarily be said for Nyon.

It took a few seconds for Ji’nara to understand what Alarak meant. Nyon was growing way too quickly. Ma’lash might not make a move on Nyon, but he would nonetheless try to limit Nyon’s growth. It was likely he would keep Nyon back from pillaging the Daelaam.