Chapter Ten: Source Point Conception — Part 10

The Warrior Past Subtext, Memory Transference: Part 8 . . .

“Are you a cannibal?” Jun asked, unable to fathom what she had just seen.

“Of course not. I have simply reclaimed parts of myself. They’re no good in the condition you left them, after all. Put down your weapons, both of you.” Chen smiled appreciatively. “You’re fast, girl, but not fast enough to kill a thousand such soldiers. I’ve managed to keep casualties to a minimum during this campaign; I’d like not to kill either of you if I can avoid it. Was it you, old man, who cut so many of my reflections to the ground?”

“I did most of this.” Jun said, cool despite Chen’s obvious supernatural ability.

“Makes sense, since you are covered in the most blood. I need another Secretary of War, as the last one proved . . . unfaithful. What better representative for the matriarchal society of New Amazonia than a woman with your talent for butchery?” His face grew serious. “Put your weapons down now, or I’ll force you to regret resisting me. I have already dispersed the Bugs, as they agree that my method of ending the wars on this planet is long in coming. You will find no help from them.”

Swift confirmed Chen’s words, and Jun let her shoulders drop. Jun carefully put her sword away, but would not withdraw her hand from the hilt, nor did she dare do so for many years when in the presence of Lord Chen. Jun agreed to serve Chen, in exchange for the safety of her temple. In the weeks that followed, Jun, now Secretary of War for Chen’s many armies, did Chen’s bidding. Swift became her liaison with the Bug community. As Chen’s Empire grew, she found herself performing unsavory tasks that ultimately, through focused killing and aggression, saved countless lives. She rose quickly to a position as Chen’s Minister of War — in charge of all Secretaries in his service. She was given the hardest, bloodiest assignments imaginable — assignments requiring a sentient mind, a path so horrific that it often pushed her sanity to the limits. With Swift at her side, Jun would be sent first as a messenger of war, and then would return to kill those who sought a coup.

With Swift at her side, she would negotiate terms of surrender both before the war, and after Chen’s more or less single-handed conquest of Zon. Jun hated herself, but lived in service, knowing that so long as she pleased Chen on the battlefield, New Amazonia and her father’s temple would be safe from Chen’s hostility. She knew also that though she was speeding Chen’s destiny along, to resist him would only have hampered the inevitable. Chen, she believed, could not be killed by any means available to her, and would only keep her friends and family alive so long as he perceived her as being something of value. That thought alone kept her at her tasks. Even if she thought for a moment that she had misjudged Chen’s nature, Juni would still have served him, because, with a creature as powerful as Chen, she knew, such nature could change.

When his mind was finally freed of Nikkei’s Sight, Bamboo fell back, breathing heavily, staring blindly from that space in the back of his mind. The memories that were not his still lingered in the visual centers of his brain, exciting neurons that had long gone dormant. It felt somewhat like nostalgia, somewhat like insanity. Nikkei broke down sobbing one more time, and Jun put a gentle hand to Bamboo’s fingers, turnig his palm up, then down, thinking for a moment. Jun spoke gruffly, her mind aching with having to remember so many terrible things so quickly.

“Lord Chen has requested that Orchid and Nikkei visit him on Zon. Nikkei wanted to know what I knew of the man, but I guess you both got more than you expected.”

For the longest time Bamboo didn’t move. When he did, it was to get a blanket for Nikkei. He wrapped her tightly as she shook in pain, helping her to her room. Jun helped him to carry Nikkei and settle her in. Jun touched Bamboo’s face, drawing him close. Jun touched Bamboo’s forehead to hers for a moment, and then left the room, headed for the garden. Bamboo followed her, moving almost on automatic. Once down the stairs and in the mansion’s garden, the two sat down on a bench next to each other. Neither talked, but they held hands. Neither wanted to remember, neither would ever forget, what had just been experienced between them.

“I will never forget how you see yourself when you look in the mirror.” Bamboo said, smiling gently.

Jun put her head down, embarrassment creeping in.