Introduction to Invasion
#1 of Invaders Must Die!
In the wake of glittering space dust that had once made up parts of a planet containing a sizeable population of sentient creatures, the vast Harlot Empire rumbled onward driven further into the Milky Way with unholy determination. The fleet of sleek ships, at least a thousand of them, swept through the 'omega-sector' leaving naught but destruction in their wake. They left only mining ships to break down the remaining natural resources the planet of Mimosen contained when she was still habitable. The locals had been abducted and the surface had been bombarded with plasma torpedoes until the crust had buckled and the magma within flowed out over the land. The atmosphere had burned away in seconds and the seas had boiled away leaving a hardened sphere of barren rock prepared to be torn apart to get at the resources within.
But what to do with the Mimosen people?
Empress Nadia Longue of the Harlot Empire had always considered the decision to wipe out a species much easier than coming up with a use for them. Especially for a species so useless as the Mimosen. Relatively primitive, they had only recently harnessed the power of steam. Bipedal creatures much like the Harlots were, the Mimosen had vulpine features with short muzzles, large bushy tails with iron grey coloured fur, black at the tips of their pointed ears. Their attire was quite formal, consistent of drab browns and greys, toggles along the front of the jacket and tall hats with flat tops were in the current fashion choices.
Just looking at them made Nadia uncomfortable.
Looking at these primitives, the empress saw a little of herself... but only in appearance. In comparison, Harlots were taller, covered in midnight-black fur. Nadia Longue was the tallest of the Harlot females, not just in social stature but in height. She had a slender, voluptuous figure scantily clad in a golden dress with long golden blonde hair brushed back under her crimson ruby-crested tiara. But I use the word 'dress' loosely. It hugged her mid-section and covered her ample breasts, leaving her back and shoulders exposed, as well as her ample cleavage revealed by the curved V-cut at the front. The bottom ended just beyond her hips, revealing all of her long slender legs. On her feet were a pair of similarly golden shoes, toes ending in an elegant point like the ends of the high heels.
Empress Longue sat in a relaxed fashion, one leg crossed over the other in her throne overlooking a handful of the Mimosen standing in the centre of the throne room on board the Harlot Empire home fleet flagship. It was the largest vessel at the heart of the fleet, home to the empires entire command. The heaviest armed and the most impenetrable in the home fleet. It was the closest thing the Harlot species had to a home world.
The Mimosen standing before her were in a pleading and begging as the Lantian royal guards herded them with the barrels of their pulse rifles.
The Lantians were an excellent example of what happened to species after the Harlot Empire conquered them. Lantians were powerful amphibious creatures, with the long lower bodies of a snake, and a fur-less upper body covered in a rough, pale hide. Their faces were flat, slits for nostrils and their mouths were filled with pointed, serrated teeth. Their hands had four digits each, ending in sharp bony talons. By default, their biology was omni-sexual. They would acquire genetic material from a creature of any species or gender and gestate a cluster of up to three offspring. As such their bodies contained all the parts it took to take care of offspring, from a womb to a pair of mammaries on their chest.
The Harlot Empire had overpowered the planet of Lantia, dropped the Lantians into re-education camps and little under a solar-cycle later the empire had added a self-sustaining army of powerful amphibious creatures to its ranks. It was like that for most creatures the Harlot Empire encountered in its war-crusade across the galaxy.
The Mimosen however. Nothing about them was particularly impressive.
Nadia tapped a slender finger against the side of her muzzle. After a short thought, she finally nodded. She had made up her mind. What else would she do with these primitives?
"Send them to the factory ships!" the empress announced. "They will become slave labour."
Her words carried into the microphones built into the throne room and her commands were transmitted to the prison ships containing the rest of the Mimosen people recovered from the empire's latest conquest. Several screams echoed across the throne room. Some of the Mimosen resisted, but the Lantian guards managed to keep the crowd under control, herding them towards the exit.
One of them however broke away from the crowd and slipped past the guards. Small, the Mimosen was fairly short and frail looking. Her fur was grey like the rest of her people, and she had a thin, scrawny figure. She was probably no older than eighteen solar-cycles. She was clad in a light grey blouse, the top few buttons un-done, a black striped tie hanging loosely around her collar. Her plait skirt was a brown drab colour and ended just above her knees. She wore knee-high white socks and scuffed black shoes. She was obviously a student of some sort judging by her age and attire. The only thing that seemed wrong was something on her right arm. It looked like some sort of bracer, black and wrapped around her right wrist. It went up to just under her elbow and a knuckle-plate protected the back of her hand. The single piece of black hide-like armour seemed to serve no purpose, practical or aestetic.
"You can't do this! Please!" the Mimosen girl screamed as one of the guards grabbed her by the arm. Still, the girl squirmed and pulled. "What gives you the right!?"
The guard held her in place as Empress Longue slowly and elegantly rose to her feet. She moved away from her throne and descended the marble steps to where the girl was being held by one arm. She was shorter than Nadia, her head only just about level with the Harlot's breasts. The Mimosen's eyes widened as she permeated fear. It pleased the empress, causing her lips to peel back in a toothy smile.
"Nothing, my dear." Nadia said slowly. "We do this, simply because we can. Who will stop us... them?" she looked to the Mimosen being herded away before looking back at the girl. "You?"
The lone Mimosen stood silent as her people were led out of the throne room. A chill ran down her spine, and her eyes shut with a jolt of her shoulders as the grand throne room doors slammed shut.
"This one has spirit. She intrigues me." Nadia said lazily to the guard holding the Mimosen girl in place. "Take her to my quarters."
"Milady." The Lantian guard gave a deep bow of her head before sliding away with the scrawny Mimosen in tow.
Nadia ascended the steps to her throne again when a shadow beside the grandly ornamented chair shifted. Out of the darkness slithered her faithful general, Quemer. The Lantian's slender shoulders twisted from one side to the other for balance as her heavy body slid across the marble steps to her lady's side.
"Milady." Quemer said in a deep commanding voice reserved for a military figure as she gave a deep bow. "We have an issue in sector-dendron." She added, keeping her head bowed.
"Rise and speak, old friend." Nadia commanded with a smile.
Smiling equally broadly, the general lifted her head and held out an arm. Nadia quickly embraced it, and the two moved down the edge of the throne room. "It is good to be home." Quemer admitted as they moved out of the throne room and through the broad, high hallways. "The skirmish on Mimosen was tiring, not for the combat, but mostly because the Mimosen people were good at hiding."
"I can imagine that would be frustrating." The empress said glancing sideways and nodding gracefully as several Harlot nobles moved a side and bowed to their empress.
"But the deed is done, and we have more pressing matters to attend to." General Quemer continued.
"You mentioned sector-dendron?" Nadia asked. "What of it?"
"There is a planet there under preliminary invasion. A backwater world, fairly primitive creatures who have never made contact with other worlds before. The invasion began two solar-cycles ago, forward invasion drones only." Quemer explained. "But the locals are... hardy. They hide and fight, striking from the shadows and cracks. They have formed a hardy resistance and drone numbers on the world have dropped to critical numbers. It is frightfully impressive for such a primitive race."
"These creatures sound resourceful." Nadia said intrigued, halting their pace with a light tug of her arm. "What is your suggestion?"
"We travel to this world named 'Earth' and invade with a more... personal touch." She grinned at the thought. She was often on the front lines of invasions, but as of late she hadn't been in a proper stand up fight, and looked forward to shedding some blood. What, after all, was the point of a warrior that never fought?
Nadia let out a hearty laugh. "Earth? What a terrible name for a planet! We might as well call it 'Dirt.' Planet Dirt."
Quemer gave an amused smile. "With your permission, we shall name the invasion operation 'Dirt' then."
"Granted." Nadia gave a suave wave and stretched her arms. "Set a course for this Earth and notify me when we arrive. I will address the Earthlings myself. These creatures are not the first to resist my empire... and they will not be the last..."