Agent047
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902 - Addressing the People
🕑 Added 2025-05-05 19:55:20 +0000 UTCAlthough the invasion had initially sparked widespread panic and desperate escape attempts, the immobilized ships floating helplessly in orbit served as a grim warning: there was no way out. The message spread quickly, and no one else dared try to flee.
Life under a near-feudal leadership had taught the populace to adapt quickly to shifts in power. So, when it became clear the invaders weren’t targeting civilians, the general panic began to fade. Still, the people remained wary, choosing to stay hidden. The invading forces had made their intentions clear by targeting only military and leadership structures, but that didn’t guarantee that the civilians wouldn’t be next once the bigger threats were dealt with.
It had now been seven days since the fighting started, and the sounds of battle had nearly vanished. The once-frenzied skies were now calm. Yet, no declaration of victory had been made, no broadcasts, no announcements, not even rumors. The silence weighed heavily on everyone. No one dared venture out to find answers. With no information, all they could do was wait, and the longer they waited, the greater their unease.
Then, the silence broke.
All devices connected to the planetary network chimed at once. Every screen lit up with a short but chilling message:
[The new leader is going to address the planet in a few minutes. Watching is mandatory. Anyone caught not watching will be punished severely.]
The message was brief, but its meaning was unmistakable. The war was over. The previous government had fallen. A new power had taken control.
Fear rippled through the populace. Many wondered what kind of leader would enforce such a demand, and what kind of punishment awaited those who disobeyed. As terrifying as the old leadership had been, at least they were familiar. Now, they faced the unknown, and the unknown had arrived with overwhelming force.
No one dared test whether the warning was a bluff.
All across the planet, screens switched to the broadcast. A ten-minute countdown began ticking down. Everyone watched.
And waited.
…………………….
{If you go through with this, every Conclave force will target you the moment they discover your agenda,} the Little Protagonist warned Dreznor one final time.
“I know,” Dreznor replied, calm and resolute. “But someone has to be the face of liberation. I’ve got nothing left they can use against me—my entire family is dead. And using a former pirate as a figurehead? That would only drive away potential allies. They’d call it a scam. But a former slave… someone who escaped the system and came back to fight it? That’s a story worth believing in.”
Though this was partly the result of a deal with the Empire, it was clear from the fire in his voice that this wasn’t just meeting his end of the agreement. This was now personal.
{If you understand the risk, that’s enough,} she replied, her voice softening. It sounded like she was giving up on trying to change his mind, but in truth, she was proud. Dreznor wasn’t just following orders anymore. He was choosing to fight. The Empire, honoring its promise, had led to something neither of them had expected.
{Go then. Make your entrance. Become the most hunted man in the Conclave and the symbol of hope for the enslaved,} she added with a trace of a smile in her voice.
Dreznor nodded silently as he stepped into the virtual press room. This was the space from which he would address the entire planet and beyond.
“Mh...” He cleared his throat as his clothing shimmered and shifted into the traditional attire of his homeworld, regal yet simple. Thirty seconds remained.
30... 25... 23, 22, 21... 13... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...[LIVE]
“People of Zypharion,” Dreznor began, standing tall as the broadcast went live, “I am Dreznor, leader of the liberation forces, and as of today, the new leader of this planet. But before that... I was a slave.”
He let that sit for a second.
“I’m from a civilization that lost a war with our neighbors. From then on, my very existence was marked not by freedom or choice, but by chains. I’m sure many of you have already deduced that from my appearance. But none of that matters now.
“What does matter is what I’ve seen, what I’ve endured, what so many of you have endured.
“I’ve seen cruelty up close. I’ve seen slaves used as breeding stock, forced to rape each other so their masters could profit. I’ve seen people forced to fight to the death for entertainment. I’ve seen people, my people, used as urinals, toilets, or twisted toys for someone else’s fetish.
“And when I finally escaped... my family paid the price. Every last one of them was slaughtered because I ran. That day, as I held their lifeless bodies, I made a vow. A vow that I would not sit idly by and let this barbarism continue. That I would not become a silent participant in this system. That I would avenge every person broken, tortured, or discarded, whether they were slaves, indentured servants, or free citizens trampled by the powerful.”
He paused. Took a breath. Let the silence carry the weight of his words.
“Today, I begin fulfilling that vow.
“From this moment forward, I declare that every person on this planet is free. Equal. Protected by law and dignity, not by their birth, their species, or their owner.
“If you were a slave, I hereby break your chains.
If you were falsely accused, I hereby exonerate you.
If you were oppressed, I welcome your voice and promise to fight for your rights.
“But not everyone will walk with us into this new world. There are some who must be removed to allow the light to return. To let the sun rise once more over Zypharion... the darkness must be purged.”
As he said that, the background behind him shimmered. Figures began to appear one by one, wearing simple clothes, hands bound, metal collars around their necks. Each bore a plaque hanging from their chest, displaying their names and former positions of power.
“These,” Dreznor continued, his tone sharpening, “are the ones who ruled while others bled. Today, I will judge them, not with cruelty, but with justice. And may the beam of that justice be bright enough to pierce the veil that has long smothered our planet.”
He raised his hand. With a flash of light, the former planetary leader materialized beside him, kneeling like a broken man at an auction block.
Dreznor turned slowly to him, voice firm and heavy with gravity.
“Are you ready,” he asked, “to be judged by the fair one?”
The podium vanished. The digital room dissolved. In its place, an endless open field stretched out beneath a grey sky.
Before the man could respond, or maybe he tried, but no sound came, Dreznor lifted his arm again.
“Then let judgment begin.”
All at once, nearly a hundred thousand dolls appeared. Humanoid in shape, silent, eerie. They stood in formation like an army summoned from nowhere.
The viewers watching across Zypharion fell into stunned silence.
Even the former leader, now trembling, could only stare in wide-eyed horror.
Because no one knew what the dolls were...
But everyone knew they were about to find out.
Comments
GripenSupremacy
TYFTC
Sol_Invictus(Hail the Terran Empire)
I must admit, the descriptions about the slaves really struck me. I hope the Empire and Aron eventually abolish slavery.
