Elsewhere, that same morning in the Heraklinos Empire, Jarek sat at the head of a very long conference table in an ornate room within the Heraklinos palace. Having learned his son, Jacek, had taken the Pacific fleet to the BloodStar Empire, he was in quite a mood.

No less than ten people sat along the table discussing logistics of the empire as he sat in thought, “He gains an iota of power through Perfect Warrior, and he runs off to save the world. How could my son be such an idiot?”

He shifted in his seat with hand up to his chin, “I suppose I was that idiot at one time. Is there really any other way to learn the vastness of our enemy’s might than experiencing it first hand? Surely Xenia hasn’t killed him. People like her love to toy; love to play. Such is their downfall.”

Jarek was pulled from his thoughts by a man addressing him, “Does the updated waste management plan sound amenable to you Master Heraklinos? If so, we can put it into effect immediately.”

Jarek sat up in his chair nodding, “Quite. Pilot the plan it in a province of your choosing other than the capital province first though please.”

The man smiled and nodded in return, “Of course, Master Heraklinos. We will get started immediately on a pilot plan and report our findings to you here in a month. I think you will find our cities cleaner and our workforce utilization leaner.”

The man and his team all stood from the conference table as they saw themselves out. Jarek remained seated, and an attendant popped in to inform him, “Your next meeting is with the public service team. They assure me they have something very important to present to you this day.”

Jarek waved with his hand to bring them in. The attendant disappeared, and within the next minute, a troupe of ten people filtered in sitting at the table.

The leaders of the group, a tall man and a gorgeous woman, stood at the opposite end of the table along a projector screen against the wall. They spooled up the projector and began a presentation.

The man clasped his hands, “Thank you for seeing us today, Master Heraklinos.”

The woman followed with a smile, “The people of the Heraklinos and Sage Empires have been reeling following the tragedy of the Heraklinos-Sage wedding. We must do something to preserve the tragedy and commemorate our lost ones, in particular Master Erika Sage, in the public eye.”

The man clicked a button on a remote, and the presentation transitioned to the next slide.

“We have several proposed monuments focusing on the late Erika Sage and her tragic passing.” The man clicked the remote again bringing up the first potential draft model, “The first one would-”

Jarek shook his head as he muttered, “God damnit.”

The man and woman exchanged glances with one another and said, “Excuse us, Master Heraklinos. Did we…”

The woman stopped speaking as she saw Jarek shaking his head slowly. He then raised his hand gesturing towards the presentation, “A monument? Days in to a war? I swear this world has forgotten what a true war is. One that leaves fissures upon not only the Earth but also the minds of people.”

Jarek leaned forward on to the table, “I am not approving a monument of Erika Sage. Not because I don’t want to but because this event marks a new war. Hell, what I am saying, this event marks the beginning in earnest of our old one.”

Jarek looked around the table with disappointment, “Am I the only one in this empire who grasps what is about to happen?”

Everyone sat staring at him with blank stares, and he pounded the table in rage, “By the time we erect this monument, we will need to build a hundred more for those fallen in the days and months to come! The time to build monuments is after the war! Not on the eve of one!”

The man presenting stuttered, “We can… uhh… we can…”

The woman picked up his thought, “We can select a preferred option and hold it until you are ready to implement, Master Heraklinos.”

She and her team beamed smiles at Jarek, and he threw his hands up, “You fucking idiots. My point is that you, me, this palace, it may not be here in six months!”

He calmed himself down for a moment and then readdressed his audience, “I’m not saying I don’t like the idea. I am saying, there are elements that have yet to play out that will also need to be enshrined in monument. This is premature.”

He then put his palm to his forehead, “Please leave. Now.”

The public service team didn’t need to be told twice to exit from a rather tense moment, and they all quickly scurried from the room.

After they had all left, the attendant opened the door.

Before the attendant could speak, Jarek loudly yelled, “I am done for today! Cancel the rest! I have other priorities.”

The attendant replied with wit, “I believe your other priorities have just arrived to you, sir.”

Jarek looked up to see Jacek walk in wearing tattered clothing and a worn face.

He immediately stood from the table and briskly walked over to give Jacek a full, encompassing hug.

“Where have you been? We saw footage of the skirmish in the bay. We saw Xenia push you through a portal. We had no idea if she dropped you at the bottom of the ocean or …”

Jacek nodded ever so slightly, “She dropped me in a remote field outside the capital. I came straight here. I am sorry, father. The men we lost… the men I lost… I’m sorry.”

Jarek’s heartfelt sentiments lasted for a fleeting moment before shifting back towards stern words, “I told you once before. The only way to win a war against a BloodStar – a truly realized and powerful BloodStar such as Xenia – requires sacrifice. If losing several hundred men and a fleet of vessels is the sacrifice it takes to wake you up to that then consider it a victory.”

Jacek furrowed his brow. He wanted to refute his father. He wanted to shout for recognition of those soldiers who fell along side him. He wanted to memorialize Vega. He wanted to honor the dead. However, ultimately, he internally acknowledged his father had been right all along.

“I don’t like it. But you’ve done this before, father. You’re a man of honor, and I don’t think you would disrespect the dead or allow the living to die so easily if it weren’t for the sake of victory. For the sake of humanity’s future.” Jacek stared his father down.

Jarek nodded, “I should’ve ended this years ago. Now I am afraid the price of victory will be so great, we may be forced to give up our way in order to achieve victory. Regardless, now that we see eye-to-eye, now that you have seen our enemy’s true might, you can now agree that we need to train starting immediately, yes?”

“Yes, father. I am ready.” Jacek’s words were subtle and brief; however, his expression gave off indistinguishable determination.

“Good. Then we train until we are confronted or until we must intervene. We do not stop for anything else.” Jarek put his hand on Jacek’s shoulder, “Xenia let you live because she thinks you are a toy. She thinks we are both toys. She plans to use us to make an example of her power to the world.”

Jarek sighed with a smile, “She has no fear. Let us change that.”

Jarek and Jacek then burst out of the conference room flinging the double doors back against the adjacent wall.

The attendant rushed after them, “Sirs, you have a busy itinerary this afternoon. If I may remind you, we have…”

Jarek sternly cut off his attendant, “I set the itinerary, and it is hereby cancelled.”

The attendant gulped, “But uhhh…” He then bowed, “Certainly, sir. May I at least know the new plans, so I may inform those looking to speak with you?”

“Jacek and I will be in the fields outside the capital. I don’t suggest anyone come within 200 yards of our training.” Jarek looked at the attendant, “We are going to war. Cancel all activities. Prepare the empire in earnest.”

The attendant gulped again, “This is not a drill, is it?”

“No. It is not a drill.”

____________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, in the BloodStar Empire, Xenia and Nero were finishing up a leisurely swim ending with Xenia pushing Nero up against the side of the pool and kissing him. The two began to make out as an overture to things to come; however, Xenia’s set alarm began to go off on a nearby phone.

“Is it 10:00 am already?” She sighed, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

She stopped kissing Nero and stepped out of the pool, “I’m off to retrieve my surprise from President Hammond. Rest up while you can. I don’t think I’ll ever be done with you, Nero.”

She smiled at him as she dried herself off and walked off to change clothes before leaving.

Nero laid his head back and breathed a deep sigh as he relaxed in utter bliss. His body was ablaze with passion and pain from pleasing his empress, and he had the assurance of impending war. He broke a rare smile to himself as he thought, “Life is great.”