"Have they agreed?" James asked, as he was eager to know the answer.
"Sure, and they are going to hand many of what they had to us," Rigo said, "do you want to start their training or wait until we have enough?" he added.
James didn't want any surprises, so he replied:
"These are ex-soldiers, they have already great experience in battle, just put them to test and distribute them to their posts."
"I think there is a place nearby that had a zone that might fit as a training place," Islinda said, as she added, "it's the same place you guys used as a trap."
"The asteroid belt?" James wondered.
"Yes, it's," she nodded, "I heard it's a great practice place," she added.
James just looked at Rigo, who shrugged his shoulders while saying:
"In theory it's a good spot to train these guys."
"Ok, let's use it then," James said, before turning to Islinda and asking, "what about the weapons here? is there anything good?"
"Do you mean by weapons, cannons and stuff?" Islinda asked in doubt.
"Yes, I want as many high end techs as you can get," he added, before looking at Rigo, "I want all our ships to be upgraded by the latest gear. This is your responsibility."
"I will see it through," Rigo simply replied.
"Instead of just upgrading the fleet, why not change the ships already?" Islinda asked in discomfort.
"No, that would cost us a lot," James refused her suggestion, "we need to spend every single coin in the right place, and if we can buy ships, then we will buy them to enlarge the fleet, not to replace it," he added.
"Sure, sure, whatever," Islinda said, before standing up, started moving away with her stunning body. "I will go and see the merchants actions, I have some under my radar," she said.
"Women," James muttered, helplessly, looking away from her mesmerizing back.
Rigo just glanced at his leader, and this little beautiful viper, and said nothing. He knew his leader would be interested in women, but he hoped Islinda wouldn't be one of them.
"Any new from home?" James asked.
"No, no major moves yet," Rigo replied. Though James took all the droids left with him, there were many remnants of that civilization, the spying tech these droids used before to spy on the galaxy, and now these devices were used to spy on the moves of the Terases race.
"Any updates, make sure to inform me at once," James said, before standing up and heading towards his room. "I will rest for the whole day, and tomorrow I will check on your progress," he said.
Rigo just nodded, as he left the throne room, heading outside to facilitate the deals he wanted.
Islinda started to work over the assignment she took from James, thinking back to the moment when she moved leisurely, showing off her entire body to him.
She didn't need to look back, as this walk with such a body was enough to stun anyone. She was pretty confident in her sexuality, her ability to make him totally fall in love with her.
The mere thought of that made her fall in laughter the entire morning. She started her next day so early as she went to check the palace they were now living in.
The palace was such a large and magnificent building in the whole city, and since day one here she had her eyes on it. The palace reigned over a large territory, making it one of the largest estates here, if not the largest by any means.
As she woke up early in the morning, she started examining and checking every room here. The place was really large so she decided to divide it into sections, starting with the back one, as she went to level two to check it.
"What is this place?!!!"
The moment she entered one of the rooms she was stunned by the scene she saw in front of her eyes. The room was a wide hall, ending up with a very large and spacious balcony overlooking a rear vast garden.
It was so early in the morning, and the sun was still shining early here in the world. she got to move towards the balcony where the sun rays were still so immature to announce their presence to the entire universe, but for her this was enough!
This scene was strangely identical to a scene she used to see everyday from her own balcony back at her palace at her empire. she moved, mesmerized by what she was seeing, and without knowing it she grabbed a chair and sat on it examining the scenery.
She took hours there until the sun was midway in the sky without even noticing this. She stayed there for at least three hours without looking at anything else around her; so she didn't notice the appearance of Eli behind her back.
Eli hadn't slept since last night, and this was totally apparent on her face, swollen eyes, and tired looks. She looked wracked, like she came running through the entire world to come here, passing through tough terrain and dirty weather, and maybe a couple of battlefields in the middle.
But that was nothing compared to what was going on inside her mind!
Eli was such a pure girl, raised her entire life on the shrine of light. She was exactly what a light girl should be, with pure soul and no record of any sin at all.
Such a white page was tarnished by the sin of killing Charles, something she couldn't imagine how others just passed over it like it was nothing! She stood there, motionless, behind Islinda, despising everything she represented her and James!
She knew the reasons they used to claim Charles' life for, but she didn't accept them or even felt any sympathy with any of them. for her this was pure murder, the highest of sins of all!
She couldn't live like this, not without redemption! And every time she stayed here, beside those criminals, she couldn't live a single moment of peace ever in her life!
Her mind, her soul, even her beliefs all denied this! They were murderers! She just wanted to open her mouth and rant over them, calling them what they actually deserved; but she didn't.
She knew this would come with a hefty price, especially from someone who initially did everything to save her life. she glanced at Islinda, feeling how disgusted such a person must be, not knowing or even admiring the rare beauty of nature that presented itself clearly to both of girls.
"Oh, how long have you been standing here?"
Once the sun turned hot, soared to the centre of the sky, Islinda left her seat to find Eli standing like a statue behind her, so she asked, acting with much courtesy as she was in a perfect mood right now.
She found something that reminded her of home; her own home and empire that was stolen from her by force and injustice!
During her hours staying there, her mind and soul promised to do anything, go to any lengths just to achieve one goal; to return home.
"I was here for hours, wanted…" the words choked in Eli's throat as she hated herself for being such nice to such a murderer!
"Wanted what?" Islinda asked with a pure smile and good intention, not knowing the deep and twisted curses Eli was calling upon her silently in her mind right now.
"I wanted to resign, isolate myself away from these worldly matters," Eli finally said what she came here for.
"Oh… that's surprising," Islinda was taken aback by her request, not knowing what she should say. "Have you… have you told him?" she asked, referring to James by her words obviously.
"No, not yet," Eli shook her head before adding, "I wanted to find a place to stay at first, to live and… enjoy the coming days of peace and quiet."
She wanted to say to redeem her own soul and cleanse herself from the hideous crime and grave sin they all committed, but she couldn't say that out loud.
She was raised to be pure and humble, not vulgar and rude! Even if she cursed them all silently inside her mind, she couldn't open her mouth and state that out loud.
"So, what do you want from me then?" Islinda asked, as she was confused, not feeling that she fully understood Eli's reasons and demands. "James was the one to station you with me, so you should go and tell him."
"Later, not now," Eli did her best to control her voice which quivered showing how much conflicted and pained she was right now. she had a tear in her eyes, so bitter and burning that she wanted to release loose, but she didn't. "I want to go to a distant monastery, so figured out to ask your help for that," she finally stated what she wanted from her.