Vaillum — Hive

It was a hot dry day and the mayor of Vaillum was sweating through his white shirt as he knelt over a map of the kingdom on the presidential desk in his office. Behind him a scratchy old gray haired man with a long pointy face was scolding the mayor next to the map.

''Your soldiers are not well enough trained and it is almost two years since we fought the chancellor's forces. Even the best of us could not defeat the chancellor's forces, and now the galaxy is engulfed in war.

''Your only answer is to send more soldiers to die.''

There was a long moment as the town council members thought about this. The mayor sighed and said, ''I know it is asking a lot, but we need to find more recruits. We need to enlist more people to fight for us. Then, perhaps, we can defeat the soldiers of the chancellor.''

''We should take care of our own first before we worry about the galaxy,'' said a grizzled old man in his fifties. He was a retired general and had fought in battles with valor and skill. He knew of battles he had fought that had pivotal influence on the outcome. ''This chancellor is cruel. He can never be satisfied. He will not leave us alone. He wants us to join his army, and it is obvious we can not trust him.

''Back during the Skealton War, I led a group of soldiers against the chancellor, and we defeated his forces. They have been swelling, but we have not faced them since the war ended. Now they are regrouping and they are coming back with all their might. I know that when the chancellor lays siege to your planet you will still have plenty of opportunity to escape. One thing to consider is that the chancellor never strikes with the same force twice, which leaves you a few openings.

''What do you have to lose? If you fight against him you can complete on the emperor's land. If you fail to do so, your planet will be one of his new castles. It is your choice, but I am very concerned about the plans of the chancellor. He is an evil mastermind. He has his ways of seeing directly into your mind and he will use them against you. This is not just about fighting for a planet; fighting for a planet that is yours.

''This is about being a patriot. This is about serving the emperor and preserving your planet for the future.''

The council took a long silence. Large discussions ensued about this topic. Then after a couple of hours of conversation, the council finally decided to recruit their soldiers.

The senate had a meeting that night to discuss some updates to the bills of war. This meeting was also very heated. After an hour of arguing, the final decision on the legislation was made. The retired general was pleased with the result.

The next day, the trains full of new recruits started to make their way to Vaillum on their way home.

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