King's Requiem

"King Haxim sat on a stone bench, quietly contemplating his surroundings. The royal gardens stretched as far as he could see-not even a hint of a palace wall or tower appeared on the horizon.

 A nearby fountain gurgled a pleasant and random tune, while insects buzzed in the flowering trees nearby. Haxim breathed in the air-cool water, fragrant pollen, the scent of his finely scaled skin. He opened his eyes and drank in the verdant splendor all around him, representative of all the most beautiful natural features of his homeland.

King Haxim was waiting to die. His heralds had told him of the disaster at the nearby Imperial research facility. They themselves had seen the results of the spreading bacterium, as they encountered the rotting corpses of lab technicians, lying in the doors of the bunker they had yearned to escape.

The servants had told of riots in the cities as the king's subjects succumbed to the necrotizing plague. Haxim had already seen several of his palace staff infected, and the heralds had since perished of the disease unleashed by the Empire.

Unlike his subjects, KingHaxim would not try to flee death-he knew all too well it would claim him soon. If the bacterium did not consume his flesh, he was certain the Imperial warships hovering high above would rain death upon them in a crude yet effective attempt to eliminate their scientific abomination.
He did not want to live, for in his eyes there would be little left.Even if only his kingdom were ravaged, the land would forever be a blemish on the planet and the Falleen people. His only hope for revenge was his son, Prince Xizor, who had left the planet years ago on his"pilgrimage"and never returned.

The lure of the greater galaxy had ensnared him, consumed him with its luxuries and powers. Perhaps Xizor would use what he had gained there to avenge his beautiful home world's disgrace. A fitting purpose for one who so eagerly fled Falleen in search of greater glory, Haxim thought.

The king looked up past the budding trees and lazily curling clouds. There he saw the white slivers of Imperial ships. And from their bellies were blooming bright, green turbolaser flowers.”