Reichstag Chamber, CRDJE Capitol
Colorado, Earth, Republic Sector
0937 VST, February 11, 2482
The noise of a thousand conversations echoed down the corridor leading into the Reichstag chamber. The Republic's president had once again called congress into an emergency session, along with the justices from the Supreme Court.
Synnove walked down the long corridor towards the noise, accompanied by Ulrich and flanked by several of her imperial guards. None of them bothered to dress in formal attire as required by the Reichstag, wearing instead their usual lightly armored spacejumpers. Today however, instead of the usual blue, black, white, or gray they were a blood red color.
The noise slowly faded as the group entered the ground level of the cavernous chamber. In less than 15 seconds every noble within was silently staring down from their small desks at Synnove and her companions.
Several more seconds of silence passed but were broken by a nobleman, "What business brings you here in the manner you come to this chamber", he questioned barely able to hide his anger.
Within the nobility of the Republic, blood red armor symbolized only one thing, that a noble was acting in their sovereign capacity to exercise their authority over lower nobles. Everyone within the chamber knew that regardless of whatever happened from this moment on, one or more of them were going to cease to exist today. The doors leading into the large room were quickly sealed shut by Synnove's team, ensuring there was no escape.
Synnove recognized the voice and turned around to face him, "You. You had my parents killed and now you are stupid enough to draw attention to yourself", she responded calmly looking up at him.
"Sit", she said drawing her sidearm and placing a 50-calibur hollow point round into his left knee.
The man's knee exploded in a cloud of blood and he screamed out in pain while falling back into his seat.
"Stay", Synnove told him, putting another round into his left knee then moving her aim to his face, "Shut up or the next one will be in your mouth."
She holstered her sidearm, "The rest of you, stand," she ordered.
Some of the nobles quickly stood as she ordered, while others hesitated in getting up, "Now," she said slowly.
Synnove silently looked around the chamber, her gaze slowly moving across the other nobles. Her internal targeting system recognized and tagged the nobles she knew were responsible in one way or another for the death of her parents. The targeting information was sent from her to members of her team stationed throughout the chamber.
"You know why I came today, and if you don't then you better get with the program," she said after a long silence, "I know which of you are enemies of the Crown and will deal with you before the sun sinks below the horizon."
"We don't have a Crown," another shouted, "This is not a monarchy."
Synnove glanced up at the man, "Oh you have a Crown. You very much have one. I wouldn't call it a monarchy, but you will wish that's what it is."
"What nonsense are you talking about little girl, " the man responded.
Ulrich spoke up, "as of almost five minutes ago congress, the executive, and judiciary surrendered their powers to the Kaiserreich through legislative process. You are all hereby subjects of Empress Synnove Rupertsen."
A wave of commotion erupted within the chamber as nobles tried to make sense of the turn of events.
"A replacement for your father was never elected from among this chamber," her father's rival said, "You have no authority or position here, let alone the position of Kaiserreich."
"Until someone is elected to replace him, I am to fill his position according to established Law, "Synnove responded.
"You don't meet the qualifications to fill the position," the man retorted with a smirk, "you are female."
"That is not in Law, only custom. Now shut your mouth unless you want me to do it for you."
Ulrich pressed a button on the small marker-like object in his left hand, triggering backpack-mounted EMP generators some of Synnove's guards carried. Several dozen nobles immediately fell to their feet and were quickly carried off by other members of her team.
Synnove's left shoulder was suddenly thrust forward followed by the rest of her torso. She quickly regained her stance, looking over her left shoulder and taking aim. A hollow point round had plowed into her shoulder, targeted at her heart. The round found only the metal of her chest plates and disintegrated upon impact.
In a normal situation she would have never been shot. Members of her team usually took up positions to observe surroundings and quickly neutralize any threats before they became problems. However, today wasn't normal. She ordered her team to just observe and be ready for her signal.
A round also hit Ulrich in the chest but failed to penetrate his internal armor-like skeleton. Ulrich drew his weapon and placed a shot into his assailant's shoulder.
"Does anyone else have any opinions to add, using words or otherwise," Synnove asked the chamber after disabling her shooter.
Synnove's reputation for not bluffing was well-known amongst the nobility. The chamber was silent for several seconds before she asked the question again.
"Anyone? Anything at all."
Synnove and Ulrich holstered their weapons as he motioned towards the medics tending the rival of Synnove's father. Within several minutes the man was presented before the pair, unable to stand on his own. The medics had tended his mangled knees to stop bleeding but didn't bother administering pain killers.
"You are the highest ranking noble in this chamber, are you not", she asked.
"Yes," he strained to answer.
"No," she said drawing her asp and flicking it to its fully extended position.
"Kneel," Synnove calmly ordered as the man cried out in pain with every time his knees moved even slightly.
"I will not kneel," each word being uttered between his breaths.
She gently prodded the asp into his right knee causing him to scream out, "I can't kneel you sick..."
His comment was cut short by the medics promptly releasing his arms from around their shoulders. He fell onto his back as his legs collapsed from under him, the medics taking several steps back.
"Get up. On your knees. Now," she said slowly.
He lay on his back moaning. Synnove nodded to one of the medics who grabbed the man's shoulders, lifted him to his knees, and held him there. She swung the asp into his ribs but he didn't relent. Synnove repeatedly gave him a chance to swear allegiance to her, her strikes becoming more vicious each time until the man lay lifeless in a pool of his own blood.
By the time she finished with him, her team had the nobles she marked earlier lined up. She toyed with them as a cat toys with its prey before dispatching it. A gruesome and painful death befell each traitor to her parents, even if they kneeled and swore their allegiance. In all, over thirty nobles were slain along with their spouses and children. A large pool of bright red blood stained the chamber's shiny slate gray marble floor.
After dispensing her version of justice, the remaining nobles were lined up and ordered to cast aside both the old laws of the Republic and their religions. They were to view Synnove as both empress and deity. This met with resistance among many of the nobles, but just as many were willing to take on the new reality without hesitation. Those who resisted were quickly carried off to spend their foreseeable futures in rehabilitation compounds that had been built months before. After the last noble was evaluated Ulrich, Synnove, and her guards made their way out of the chamber.
"Your brother wouldn't be happy at all about what you just did," Ulrich reprimanded her, "Your method of justice would disgust him."
"He's soft. Besides, he's supposed to be dead now, isn't he?"
"What do you think he would say if he were here right now?"
"I really don't care. He's dead. Gone. Finished," she responded without looking back at Ulrich as they walked.
"And what about your father? What would he think?"
"That doesn't matter either," she paused, "Tell them to dispose of the carcasses but leave the blood. I don't want this forgotten any time soon."
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