The Apokoliptian throne room was as hot as always. The light from the lava pool behind the throne was illuminating the face of a single figure facing it.
Drax, the Emperor's brother and the current governor of the planet, was holding a tablet. This tablet was his best friend for the past couple of weeks, ever since he took his new position, he was hard at work, examining the taxes, trade logs, storage, details of the existing deals, production orders and other similar things. The previous person holding the position was more interested in partying than in his direct duties.
Strangely, he felt happy slaving away under the heavy pressure of his new responsibilities. His mind was at ease as he was finally sure of his future. His life was safe; his mother and brother wouldn't murder him in his sleep. One was dead, the other was now the ruler. Drax's fears and worries were now placated; his nerves were soothed.
And he liked his work. Numbers, statistics, data – they were always his best friends. They didn't lie; they didn't try to fool you. People behind them did. Now, with most of the necessary data gathered, Drax was prepared to strike at the heart of the planet's corruption; all the embezzlers and thieves would soon face justice.
Drax only needed his brother to sign off on the creation of a new government accounting control office. That office would fall directly under Drax's control in an effort to limit the potential corruption of this body. And then, armed with the hard facts, evidence and an office of clerks gathering, analyzing and storing it, Drax would make changes for the Apokolips. He would make life on the planet a little bit better.
The abdicated prince was waiting for his brother to arrive. There was a scheduled meeting in a few minutes about their plans. Drax loved being on time and hated the ineffectiveness of those who weren't brought to the table. Ineffectiveness was a doom of the system, and people not respecting other's time were disgusting to him.
It was closer and closer to the scheduled time when finally someone else entered the throne room. Darkseid, with his bodyguards, entered the room swiftly and with confidence. The new ruler of Apokolips was not one for the grand entrances, thankfully. He was a pragmatic man on a mission to conquer the universe. He had no time for extravagancies and fanfare.
"Brother, glad to see you", Darkseid, under the influence of his meta knowledge, had viewed people differently. The original him would hardly recognize another presence as he considered himself to be above everybody. While true most times, that behavior created a drift between him and the people in his service. A more personal and involved approach would surely result in fewer betrayals.
Yes, the Emperor of the New Gods, the infamous tyrant and the enemy of free will, was afraid of betrayals and losing capable personnel. When he first learned the number of people who betrayed him and turned to his enemies, it was like an eye-opener. And instead of being bitter and seeking revenge for the potential betrayal, Darkseid decided to change himself. He was still cruel and merciless, but he would care for people close to him.
And right now, Drax was his right hand, his pillar of support. He was someone who was tasked with taking care of the capital planet in his absence. In time, he would be one to take care of the administration of the whole Empire. Once his loyalty would be assured. Currently, there was almost no trust between the two brothers.
"Likewise, my liege", Drax bowed to the Emperor. There was still fear rooted deep inside of him, fear that was based on awe and respect.
"Begin your report without the others".
Darkseid took his seat. He was in his usual battle armor. He would never be caught without it, unprotected and vulnerable. No, he wouldn't make it easier for his enemies. There was always magic and advanced science that kept the armor safe. The only times he took it off were in his own personal chambers, where powerful magical protections, wards, were set up.
"Yes, my liege." His brother responded curtly. "First of all, the Academy has been funded and staffed properly. 35 new courses have been started, including battle magic, battle tactics, physics, mathematics, and biology. All previous students were assigned courses according to their talents, and 156 new students were enrolled in the educational program. A detailed report was sent to your personal data channel.
Secondly, planetary finances and bureaucratic apparatus have been examined. I put an emphasis on the past 5 years while examining the data. 98% of the existing officers in positions were found to be involved in embezzling of the governmental funds".
"The other 2%?" Darkseid asked.
"Most of it was the Garden of hope and its Oracle".
"Seems like we are due a visit to the garden", the young Emperor was happy to hear that even in this cursed land of talentless people, there were some yet to be corrupted with a shine of gold. "Execute the rest. Put their families on probation, examine their wealth. Those that end up involved in the embezzling send to the deepest mines on Ditras".
Ditras was one of the closest star systems to the Apokolips. All three planets orbiting the star had rich mineral deposits. Currently, the mines were manned with slaves, most of them taken from the conquered planets. Darkseid had his plans for the said star system, but there were more pressing matters at the moment.
"Yes, my liege," Drax said, marking something in his tablet. "Finally, planetary defenses were updated, and some of the outdated ships were pulled to the scrapyard for disassembling and repurposing".
"Good. For now, station the royal fleet and army on the border with the H'san Natall. And let's discuss the new deals with New Genesis and Terra."
Now, it was time for the Emperor to speak. He had a detailed plan formed in his head, but he still needed his brother's involvement in the matter. The relationships with their newfound partners were largely economy-motivated, so it made sense for Drax to have an input.
"We came to an agreement with the Terrans on the establishment of a trading company on their planet. All communication is to be done through the local warrior order called the Justice Society of America. I refuse to work with anyone else. They call themselves superheroes, but the name is of little importance, they are the most prominent organization of local warriors. The highest point of attraction on that planet is the local populace; it has high potential for development. For now, focus on acquiring energy from the trade deals; other local resources are not up to our standards or are obsolete. Scout for potential personnel, create a trading post on the planet."
"Understood. The trading post should be manned by local populace as well?"
"Yes, but subtlety is the key here. Our relationship is still very unstable; too much activity can cause a rift in our relationship.
"Noted. I will make sure to instruct the recruiters. What are we going to be trading in?".
"Information and technology mainly. Their civilization hadn't even discovered space travel yet; they are actively developing it but are centuries away from space standards. I want to create a list of primitive technology that we could sell to them."
As if on cue, two people had entered the throne room. First of them, Suli, was dressed in a full lab coat void of personality and decorum. The second one, Dreamer, was wearing a simple white formal shirt, a comfortable and modest skirt, and simple army style boots. It seems like the two of them were waiting for their part of the discussion to start. Both of them were assigned to the physical and magical research department.
Suli had gladly taken on Dreamer as her protégé. The two of them ended up getting to know each other during their short stay on Earth, and Suli had liked how clever and fast to response Dreamer was. It seemed like the young woman had potential in the field; the only problem was lack of self-confidence. Her psionic powers were also incredibly useful for contacting lab personnel and other scientists; her illusions also made working on theoretical models and projects easier.
"Suli, I want you to list potential technologies and data that could be sold to the Terrans, including maps and history on the universe. Make it very basic. I don't want them to develop fast, just to jumpstart them."
"Yes, my liege", the two scientists stopped at a distance from the throne and the prince. None of the women was familiar with the two royals. And despite Dreamer being engaged to Darkseid, the two of them were just strangers to each other. He was content with leaving it at that, currently there was no time for personal relationship. His window to conquer H'san Natall would close soon. Dreamer was left to mind her own business for the most part. If not for Suli, Dreamer would spend all her days just chilling in her room and watching movies or reading books.
"Drax, I want you to find me a mercenary by the name Lobo. I have a job for him."
The right-hand man of the emperor nodded. He had heard of the man before; he was a mercenary who started building quite a reputation for himself. Ruthless assassin that slaughtered his native planet for fun. Interesting, what job did his brother have for such an evil character?
"Permission to leave to carry out your orders, my liege?" Drax asked his brother, who raised his hand, confirming his permission. The presence of his little brother still unnerved Drax a bit. He left faster than he intended and was respectful to do so. Fortunately, his brother was not one to follow the rules of etiquette. Once past the massive metal doors of the throne room, the abdicated prince pulled out a handkerchief from one of his pockets and wiped off cold sweat from the back of his neck.
Back in the throne room, the dark figure of Darkseid, still seated on a throne, was putting invisible pressure on two timid scientists. The lave pool behind the throne was shining on the faces of those standing before the throne. And consequently, the one sitting on the throne was cast in shadows. It was an impressively imposing picture. The tyrant seated in his seat of power, embraced by fitting dark shadows.
"Come closer".
It seemed that the throne room was created in such a way that the voice of the one speaking from the throne was amplified by the walls of the massive hall, void of luxury and decorations. The two scientists hurriedly approached the throne, taking the same position as the prince who had left just a moment ago.
"Furies, you three too. I have something that I want to discuss with all of you".
"Yes, my liege", three voices responded in tandem.