Interstellar Age

Chapter 245 Losing Control

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Lunaria gazed at the recent intelligence she had received in Erich's current activities. She could hardly believe what she was reading, nor her could her daughter Celestia. If this report was accurate, since she had named Erich an Archon, he had managed to become an Orc Warchief, gain the mark of Anubis, and signed a contract of loyalty with an Asuran Devi. 

Despite having some operatives within the ranks of her Archons conducting operations for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years. None had ever achieved such a significant result, in such a short amount of time. 

In fact, when Lunaria read that Erich was now equipping his Orc Horde with Power Armor, and a new class of starships, even she felt a shiver down her spine as she asked her daughter the question which she dreaded most. 

"You don't think he intends to unite all the Orc clans, do you? Such a thing could prove to be a galactic threat equal to that of a unified Naraku." 

Celestia shook her head in disbelief. She was equally confused as her mother, but she pointed out a recent report from the Supreme Leader of the Germanic Star-Empire, which she found troubling to say the least. 

"It says here that a million former Star Marines, Storm Commandos, and WRAITHs are headed to an uninhabited planet. I checked the records, and the owner of this planet is none other than Erich... He apparently acquired it shortly after becoming an Archon, though with what funds I do not know.  What these men will be doing on such a desolate wasteland of a world, I do not know...."

A sudden look of terror appeared in Lunaria's eyes, as she came to a realization, before expressing it aloud. 

"You don't think this planet is where he is docking his new Horde, do you? Don't tell me that these million men are going to be interbreeding with the Orcs? Does Erich have any idea what he is doing!?!" 

This caused a peculiar expression to appear on Celestia's face as she asked her mother the question that had been bothering her. 

"Mother... Didn't you create the Orcs as a genetic experiment upon some primitive lifeforms, so that you could gain the perfect war hound? That was shortly before I was born, wasn't it? What would happen if the Germanic species interbred with the Orcs?" 

Lunaria sighed heavily as she thought back upon the distant past, even if it might just seem like yesterday to such an ancient being. She then began to comment on it. 

"That is correct. There was a primitive species of mammal on a world that has since been destroyed. It was strong, tenacious, and capable of reproducing quickly. It also had a violent temperament. I ordered my biologists to play a role in its evolution and created the first Orcs. 

They were perfect in every way for the purpose I had created them for. Or so I had thought. Unfortunately, the Orcs proved to be far too violent to control, and too stupid to form an actual organized military.

Because of this, they turned on my forces almost immediately after being released to the battlefield, and then when I decided to give up on them, and isolated them on their homeworld, they destroyed it in a series of conflicts which irradiated the world's surface. 

Of course, the Orcs proved far more hardy than I initially suspected. Many of them survived such a catastrophe that would destroy most other lifeforms. And eventually an alien species was foolish enough to make contact with them, where the Orcs killed them, stole their ship, and began raiding the galaxy as nomads. 

Since then, the Orcs have spread across the galaxy rapidly, multiplying faster than they can be killed. This has resulted in them creating dozens of clans varying from the tens of millions to the tens of billions in size. 

I will tell you this: if Erich intends to create a caste of Half-Orcs from the genes of his own people, then he will most likely be doing so to fix the errors that I did not account for when I first created the orcs. With a group of highly intelligent officers and NCOs, he could theoretically organize his horde in a way I was never capable of doing. 

And if he were to use this new horde, to unify the Clans, it would be an army that is damn near unstoppable. Luckily for us, we don't have to worry about such things, because there is no way they will ever have the naval technology to compete with the galactic powers."

Celestia gazed upon her mother with a peculiar expression, one that shattered the Alfheim Empress's confidence. Which only further acted to dishearten the woman when the young princess spoke of her thoughts. 

"But... If Erich were to equip the Orcs with the technology of the Germanic Star-Empire.... Would they not be a force that even the galactic powers would have to worry about?" 

This caused Lunaria's jaw to drop, as she immediately reached for her holocommunicator and contacted Erich. The man was lying on a beach in a swimsuit when he answered the device. Much to the surprise of Lunaria, he seemed quite relaxed as he responded to her. 

"Lunaria, baby, what's gotten you so worried? Did something happen?" 

Lunaria could not help but feel like all her worries were for naught after looking at her lover. Her gaze immediately warmed up as she tried to get the truth out of him. 

"Erich, my dear, you wouldn't happen to be in the process of uniting the Orc Clans, now are you?" 

Erich did not appear the slightest bit guilty. Instead, he looked confused as he nodded his head, and confirmed the woman's worst fears were reality. 

"I am. Is that a problem?" 

Lunaria and Celestia both looked at their lover as if he were a madman, before the elder of the two women spoke up with a shrill tone in her voice. 

"Why the hell would you do something so foolhardy?" 

Erich's expression suddenly turned sullen as he spoke to Lunaria about his plans, and how Emrys was holding S'aleth hostage. The woman was dismayed to hear that Erich had yet another lover, and that he had taken an Orc as a bride. 

The man then told the woman of his adventures, and how he realized he could use the power of the orcs to suppress those who resisted his will, and had even conspired to wage war against his own people in order to gain the throne that was rightfully his. 

And throughout the entire monologue, Lunaria realized one thing: Erich was becoming far more ambitious, and far more difficult to control. Of course, Erich left out how he was equipping the Orcs with power armor and new warships.

He could tell his lover was quite dismayed by what she was hearing, and left out the far more shocking parts. Especially the fact that Tia had built a world of automated industry to support his new war machine. 

In the end Erich looked at Lunaria with a curious gaze, before asking the question that immediately came to his mind. 

"I thought you would be proud of me... I'm finally taking a stand and acting in my own interests. And my interests are aligned with your interests, are they not?"

Lunaria honestly did not know what to say in response to this sudden influx of information. She knew she could not prevent Erich from doing what he wanted, and she also understood his reasons for doing it. She just felt slightly afraid that she would lose control over the man. And once that happened, he would not need her anymore.

But she did not express these fears, instead the Elven beauty forced a smile on her pretty face, before assuring Erich that she would always support him. 

"Alright... I understand, and if you need any help in your endeavors, you can always ask me. After all, your operations account is nearly limitless. And you have yet to spend hardly anything! Just please, remember that I am here to support you!" 

Erich smiled when he heard this and nodded his head before responding to Lunaria's suggestion. 

"I know I can count on you, anyway I have to go. I love you, and I hope to see you soon!" 

After that, Erich hung up, leaving Lunaria in complete and utter silence for several moments. That is until her daughter finally spoke up. 

"This is a serious problem...."

There was a bitter expression on Lunaria's head as she nodded her head in agreement with her daughter's words. 

"Indeed, it is...."