“I have been waiting a long time for you, but it has been worthwhile. It is time for me to return but certain events and actions had to be completed before I could make my reappearance. To put not too fine a point on it, I needed a sacrifice!” At the tremor that ran through the group, he laughed. “My reputation precedes me I see.”

At the raising of the Dark Lords hand, the carving left Jenna and floated to him. All the pirates and the professor stared at this evidence of his power. Holding the carving and lounging back in his chair he regarded the group, smiling seeming in anticipation of a pleasure long delayed. Suddenly, he spoke.

“Lady Jaure, you have served me long and faithfully. Now I will grant you your wish. Come.” The others turned and stared at the woman that they had known as Ilisa. Jenna in particular was shocked open mouthed, was this was the woman she had been warned against? Lady Jaure herself?

Slowly, but without fear Jaure moved forward. There was a tension, an eagerness about her that caused both Jenna and Fastos to wonder. Again, as so many events had recently, it took Jenna back to her days as an eager young woman, adsorbing her lessons in the temples of Christos. The memory that had surfaced of the moment at the Temple of Desire ran crossways through her mind again. In an almost detached state, the shock had been so great, Jenna wondered for her future. Strange, she thought, I am not afraid. Fastos nodded to himself, this had made clear so much that had concerned him before they left Watchers Rock.

At the wave of the Dark Lords hand, the long sword had left Jennas side and floated to Lady Jaure. Holding it above her head, she approached the Dark Lord.

Thurgod, Tyrone, Costos and Extsu stood still, it was as if they had been turned to stone statues in a manicured garden. They held their weapons in impotent readiness as they stood in a state of shock, Thurgod’s mind was racing. An alive, with all his facilities and powers Dark Lord had not entered into his calculations, now he was considering all possibilities for survival and looking at a dark future. Extsu and Tyrone had reached the same conclusion. Extsu in a pit of desperation, seeing death as the end for him. Tyrone was stolidly waiting for the end that he had anticipated from the moment he became involved with the pirates. He wondered absently if the wounds that he had suffered would heal in time for his execution.

Costos mind was wiggling. He was going through the little that he had learnt about the Dark Lord. It wasn’t much but it was not reassuring either, he knew that he had never been in a tighter spot.

Draucs was standing quietly. He knew his fate was sealed but was tranquil in his own mind. Protecting Jenna had been for him a cathartic event and he knew that the price for the crime that he had committed that drove him to piracy was now to be redeemed.

Fastos mind was also racing, unlike Thurgod and the rest, he had considered that the Dark Lord could be alive. This was the entity to whom he had sworn loyalty. He too could only see a bleak future, yet he was unafraid. The trip and his discussion with Jenna had brought him to a simple conclusion, there was but one future for him. He stood, calmly ready for the fate awaiting him. For a fraction, it seemed to Fastos that the Dark Lord regarded him with a smile.

Professor Denner Venkriller on the other hand was absolutely euphoric. Dreams of discussion with the Dark Lord raced through his mind, of profound academic papers lauded by his peers, received with acclamations and honours flowing to him. He watched with bated breath what was sure to his mind would be an inspiring sight.

Standing in front of the stone throne, sword still in her hands, Lady Jaure looked directly into the eyes of the Dark Lord. Quite expressionless she stood still. The Dark Lord also stood, equally expressionless, the carving in his left hand. Reaching out with his right hand he accepted the sword and touched Lady Jaures shoulder with it. Her dress fell to the floor, revealing Lady Jaure in all her beauty. As it fell Jenna and all the men watching gave a sharp intake of breath.

Then, with a smile the Dark Lord released the carving, it fell to the floor and shattered at Lady Jaures feet. The professor gave a cry of protest. No one else made a sound or moved.

From the shards scattered on the floor, a golden mist grew. Swirling around Jaure it wrapped her in a golden blanket. It flowed and ebbed, seeming to the watchers taken the form of a second Jaure, its arms around her, kissing and caressing her. Suddenly it seemed to expand and thin, then flow and meld into her very skin. With a gasp, Jaure threw her head back and shuddered. With an ecstatic expression, she stood there breasts heaving as she panted, drawing deep breaths.

“You are complete now and forever. One. Go and be whole, your work is finished, as promised I release you.” Tucking the sword under his arm, Dark Lord clapped his hands once and bowed. Jaure returned the bow and vanished.

The eight remaining stared at the Dark lord. Trading stares with the Dark Lord she thought to herself how ordinary he looked. Plain almost forgettable features and an average body of medium height. Jenna considered that she might have walked past Him of a street or in a spaceport somewhere. Thinking about it Jenna wondered if she may have done just that. Before she could continue the thought, the Dark Lord spoke.

“Now, for your disposition.” He smiled again. They shuddered, overawed by the scene they had just witnessed.

A sudden clapping from behind sent surprised the remainder of the group. Spinning around, they saw a slight young woman with short, light brown hair and blue eyes walking towards them. “Well you did it. Set her free. You kept your word.” She said. The pirates absently noted that she was dressed conservatively in shirt, pants, a sleeveless vest and sandals.

“Of course I did, why would you doubt me?” The Dark Lord laughed.

Sweeping past the remaining members of the group, she walked up to the Dark Lord and, to their continued astonishment, went into his arms and kissed him on the cheek. He laughed.

“Now why don’t you just kill these and let’s go.” The young woman waved her hand at the pirates. Yet another ripple ran through them.

“Why such a hurry, they have been through a lot to get here.” An amused smile played on His face as He handed the woman the sword, now back in its scabbard and motioned her to a chair that had appeared beside Him.

She looked at the stone chair. “Where’s the cushion?” She asked.

A feeling of imminent doom had settled on the seven men and one women remaining of the thirteen that had entered the tunnels so long ago. While they had known intellectually that the Dark Lord was powerful, the casual manner in which He had used His powers since they had arrived in the cavern terrified them. The three with rifles raised their weapons in defence. Fastos, Draucs and Costos did not move, neither did Jenna or the Professor. The slender young woman regarded them with a raised eyebrow.

She laughed. “As if they will do you any good.” She laughed again. “Just put them down before someone gets hurt.” Jenna noted absently that the woman was now sitting on a comfortable cushion.

Turning with uplifted and pixyish face to the Dark Lord, they talked in a strange tongue together for a fraction. Turning and regarding the eight standing patiently from time to time.

As the exchange between the two was unintelligible to the onlookers they began to fidget. Tyrone and Extsu had been exchanging glances at each other as their patience eroded and they started edging towards the entrance. Seeing that the exchange was ongoing, they made a mutual decision and broke for the doors. Thurgod, Costos, Draucs, Fastos, Jenna and the professor did not move. Deep inside, each in their own way, they knew that it would do no good, the Dark Lord was playing with them, like a predator with its prey trapped.

“Really, do you want to do that?” The Dark Lord spoke, as the two realised that the doors were closed and that no amount of pushing would budge them. “I think that the tunnels do not hold your ending.”

As the two walked slowly back, with a wave of his hand, the Dark Lord took all their weapons. The group stared around them then looked at the entity on the throne with a hopeless air. With a little smile, He said “Just removing temptation!” Rising from His worn throne, He regarded the group before Him with a detached gaze.

In a serene voice He spoke to them. “Tell me, what is the penalty for bribery, piracy, murder, assassination, treason and theft of government property, kidnapping, espionage and assault? I think that these are the major charges that you in front of me would be facing!”

The group remained silent.

Finally Fastos spoke up. Carefully he replied. “Death of course Dark Lord, with or without long periods of imprisonment. Possibly the death penalty could be waived if there was a profound mitigating factor introduced.”

“Hmm, yes just as happened with the two at the Master Moon.” Following this came exclamations, expressions of outrage, and general confusion as the meaning of the Dark Lords words sank in. “Of course you had not heard this. How could you have?” Only the Lady sitting on her cushion remained composed, although she showed amusement. As the Dark Lord waved His hand the eight flinched but nothing happened. “It is of no consequence, it is your own fate that should now concern you.”

He mused, considering the fates of the pirates, “My word is law and what I say, when I say it becomes the law.” Again He paused. Fastos alone of the pirates had wondered how they remained so still and calm, awaiting their doom. Slowly he had realised that it was the Dark Lord, using his power to keep them all in thrall.

“An individual reciting of all your misdeeds would be tedious and I wish to move along, out of these caverns that have served me so well. What say you? Do you wish me to administer your doom this day?” He looked them over. “Or do you wish to wait? Consider carefully now, the manner of your doom depends on it!” They stood silent, their fear plain on their faces. “Speak I say,” He repeated, “but choose your words carefully, for on what you say will your fate depend.”

Thurgod was certain, he would wait, as would Extsu. Both Costos and Tyrone expressed their desire to wait. After all, any prolonging of their lives was acceptable to them. The Dark Lord showed no surprise at each of their responses.

Pondering his fate, Fastos looked at the Dark Lord and shrugged knowing that his time had come, and to the surprise of the other pirates suddenly laughed. “I have had a good run, give me a swift death on the surface of Trilla, Lord. I see no sense in prolonging the agony.”

“So be it.” The Dark Lord replied, again without any surprise.

Professor Denner Venkriller had gone from dreaming of all the wonderful possibilities in front of him to profound distress at the breaking of the carving, to a dawning awareness of his situation, and finally to full blown terror at the realization of his imminent death. With a stuttering voice, he pronounced his willingness to wait. The Dark Lord nodded without emotion.

Now it was the turn of Draucs and Jenna of Christos.

“Speak.” The Dark Lord commanded.

Draucs exchanged looks with Jenna. He shrugged. “I never liked waiting, so take my head on the surface of Trilla. I deserve death because of actions and inaction in my past, but Lord, I have sworn to protect Jenna of Christos and I would have this vow fulfilled.” The Lady sitting at the side of the Dark Lord looked surprised and interested at Draucs words.

The Dark Lord raised his eyebrows. “As for the vow, I see that it was to get Jenna safely through the tunnels. Your vow is safe. As for the event that drove you to the life you took up, indeed your head will be forfeited today.” At Draucs’s nod, the Dark Lord turned to Jenna.

“What fate will I have to face?” Jenna stood straight and proud. She spoke without a tremor as a woman of Christos should. “I have no desire to wait.”

“A gentle one. You will return to Christos where you will find the patrol officer you thought that you had killed still alive and well.” He smiled a startlingly gentle smile. “To put you in the place where you were to do the work destined for you, it was needed.”

Jenna fell to her knees. Alive? But that was not possible. The thought filtered into her mind. She raised her face and stared at the man sitting in front of her. “But I stabbed her. How could she have survived? Her death was announced! It is not possible.”

Both the Dark Lord and the Lady remained silent, watching. The Dark Lords face, expressionless however the Lady’s showed sympathy.

Silence reigned, slowly Jenna pulled herself up. “You give me life, then? It is a bitter pill that I must parade my failure before all my nest mates, they will all forsake me if they have not done so already. In any case I face death on my home world for striking and injuring another of us.”

“Not so, it is for this you were prepared a long time ago, even as a child and youth. Your memories have started to resurface and you will soon recall all. It was seen to it that you never knew that the person that you thought you had killed was still alive. Her death was never announced but assumed.” The Dark Lord shrugged and even looked apologetic, “The pain it caused you is regretted, but, as I said, it was necessary.” Again he paused. “You will find things different from what you fear. As for the rules of Christos, my word is sufficient to override them. You will see.”

The Dark Lord stood. “It is enough. You have done what I wished even though you did it for your own ends. It is time and more for us to proceed.”

Followed by the Lady who was still holding the sword, the Dark Lord strode towards the end of the chamber. Stopping at the doors, He turned, “You want to come or remain?” was addressed to the group. “I don’t think that you would like it if you stayed.” Again the chilling smile, this time softened slightly with a chuckle. Jenna followed slowly, still in shock at the Dark Lords revelations.

Feeling more than a little put upon, the rest of the pirates straggled to where the Dark Lord stood. When they reached Him, He turned and walked out the doors. Into the bright sunlight at the foot of the mountain.