The Second Book of the Alienbutt Saga. The Rise of Mr Fluffy. Part 27.

KILLING IN THE NAME OF

Chapter 8.

INTERSTELLAR NEWS CHANNEL 9. NEWS FLASH.

The Coffee Houses and Federation senate today announced that the first crop of coffee containing the cure for its addiction has been harvested and it is expected that other production facilities are just days away. Senator Gralswige, flanked by members of the Coffee House board gave a special news interview in which he stated: “Despite the terrorist attacks upon the Coffee Houses and its staff by Ick backed extremists, the Coffee Houses have been working to bring the universe this cure. Today is a great day for the Federation and its people. With this cure and the war almost won we will soon enter a new era of peace and security. We prepare for a golden age of the Federation with coffee at its very heart.”

The small shuttle landed in the docking bay of the secret base. Senator Gralswige was the final member of a secret order to arrive for the emergency meeting. The whole organisation had been rocked by the actions of just one man set on revenge. All of it was down to a failed assassination attempt. The target had escaped but it was thought his wife had been killed.

Blackarachnia had so far killed a number of prominent members of the organisation’s lower management, throwing parts of their operation into chaos, and had even started killing Galactic Senators who were bought and paid for. He was costing the Order a serious amount of money and trouble and that could not be tolerated. Now the fifteen-man ruling council had gathered to work out how to stop this extermination of their members, that ran not just the day to day business of coffee distribution but also the real business of controlling everything within the Federation.

As he walked down the ramp from his ship he was met in the docking bay by two men in black military uniforms and matching masks that hid their faces. These men were the organisation’s assassins, the most highly trained killers outside of the mysterious Galactica assassins. With an afterthought he added Blackarachnia to that list of killers alongside those standing before him. His recent actions had thrown the most powerful organisation in the universe into a turmoil that no one would have foreseen or thought possible. As the doors to the lift closed he put his hand onto the scanner controls and then placed his eye up to the retinal scanner. Once his identity was confirmed the lift set off to the restricted lower levels where the other members waited. As always when the High Council of the Order met, security was tight, so even he only knew of the location when he was actually on his way there. As the lift came to a stop and the door opened Gralswige stepped into a large circular room. Around the edge of the room stood some thirty of the assassins, while seated at a large round table sat the council members. As he walked to his own seat he noticed the one next to his was empty. He paused for a second, realising that General Jee was not in attendance. Unsure of what that might mean, he continued to the table.
“The General has been delayed. It is another sign that this war may be taking a toll on him,” said one of those sat at the table.
Gralswige recognised the voice as that of the Lord High Coffee Baron, leader of the order. He always wore a cloak with the hood up so not even the members of this council knew his features or true identity.
“Are we to debate his future too then and his handling of the war?” asked Gralswige.
As he spoke he saw movement from the corner of his eye. One of the assassins who had escorted him down had thrown a glowing orb into the air. As he turned to look, confused by his action, it exploded in searing white light, blinding all in the room.

To be continued.
All images are mine.