All That Glitters Ch. 25

All That Glitters Ch 25

Vengeance!

A criminal is brought to justice.

This is a short chapter, clearing up a few things that were recently misunderstood...

© bigtddybr December 2020. This story "All That Glitters Ch 24', cannot be transferred to any other site besides Literotica.com without the prior authorizations in writing from the author and bigtddybr must be credited for this work.

Because of the number of abbreviations, ship listings, and list of characters, in this story, I include a glossary that is now in a stand-alone chapter called 'All That Glitters: Notes'. Any and all information that you want or need to know about the series is included in Notes. It will be updated frequently, when significant changes are made to it, simply by re-issuing 'Notes' to Literotica.

There is little attempt to explain the back story, so it is necessary to read previous chapters to fully understand where we are.

As before, I claim sole responsibility for the story line. This story is a fantasy, with no basis in reality. Any similarity that you may perceive to current events, people, or situations real or imaginary is completely unintended. Look no further than the story line for its intent and purpose.

A big shout out to SaddleRidder for all the help she has provided in editing. With her guidance, I'm making fewer and fewer errors, but she still finds them. If you find any errors still left in this chapter, they are mine.

Please rate and comment. But keep your comments respectful. If you rant and rave or are disrespectful in your commentary, it will be deleted.

'Nuff said...enjoy.

The Valour, High Orbit, Planet Anuura, Caiden System, Fifty-Six Light Years from Terra

The Valour came into the system in high orbit and slowly made its way down to the planet. As she slipped down, she let two small objects out of her main hatch.

The objects were two pods heavily painted with absorption coating. The momentum of the Valour allowed the two pods to move down into the atmosphere on a trajectory that would eventually bring them over the Andanii District of the planet.

The Valour would also make its way to the Andanii District, later in the morning, being the obvious distraction that would help hide the two pods, which had now separated a considerable distance from the ship.

As the pods hit the atmosphere, they began to glow, much like meteorites would do. The two objects fell in trajectories that mimicked falling meteorites and exploded together high above the planet's surface, raining smaller pieces of debris in in all directions for planetary radar to follow.

Two people were ejected from the pods just before they exploded. They were wearing space jumper gear, which consisted of a specialized Jumper Suit heavily coated in absorption dye. The two opened their arms and legs and the excess material caught the thin atmosphere of the high altitudes, giving them limited control over their 'flight'.

They had only an hour to get to the surface before the arrival of the morning sun, so they folded their arms and dived down through the thickening air, occasionally opening their arms and legs to slow themselves down. Eventually, they made it down to a level that they could actually breath the air and they opened their oxygen masks for their first breath the planet's air.

At three thousand feet, they opened their chutes, well away from the compound they were aiming for. The chutes were highly aerodynamic and could fly to a limited extent. They directed themselves towards the roof of the compound they were attempting to get too, the dark of the moonless night hiding their flight down, both of Anuura's moons having set much earlier.

The two flared at the same time, quietly touching down and swiftly deflating their chutes. They swiftly bundled them and disposed of them behind a convenient piece of discarded wood, temporarily hiding them.

It would be light soon, and they wanted to be in position before the Valour touched down.

Raymond and Kin Oshiiru had set down deliberately on this particular part of the temple grounds. The temple was a massive affair, spread over several kilometers and many buildings. Fayad had told them this rooftop would be one of the few that would not be locked from below. They would be free to enter the temple itself once the left the roof.

Raymond checked the door and found it unlocked, in fact, it did not have any locking mechanism on it. He slipped quietly into the building moving silently down the stone steps. Good that they were stone, as that would reduce the chance of squeaking as they moved along the steps.

The pair moved as swiftly as they could, checking each corridor they came to. They had the map Fayad had provided guiding them as they descended. Fayad had said that they would have to find a temple worker to gain information as to where precisely that Henadi would be, as there would be several places she could be kept but he was also sure that she would be somewhere near the Labyrinth as that was where executions were normally held.

Grand Temple of Andanii, Aereet City, Planet Anuura, Caiden System

Wassim Andjuran had risen, washed carefully and dressed in the finest silks of the Chief Cleric. Today would be the day that he would rid himself of one of the thorns in his side, one of those who had broken his connection to the pirate syndicates. Fiona Marsh was still out there, but she would pay all too soon, he was sure.

He stepped forth into the temple proper and went down to the labyrinth under the grand vestibule, where his 'guests' were being temporarily housed.

Henadi Noor lay on her stomach, her back now swathed in treated bandages, working to alleviate the pain and the suffering she had endured under the scourging. She was awake.

"Ah, I see you are aware of what is happening to you, apostate, Fullohd," Andjuran snarled. Henadi looked at him with the same glare of hatred she had bestowed upon him during the scourging. Momentarily, he lost his nerve, but only for the moment.

"No need to reply," he laughed, the gag still in her mouth. "Today is the last day of your life. You will be brought before the council and deemed criminal apostate and executed. There is no hope for you, bitch. The council are formed from my faithful and will follow whatever I tell them to do. They will condemn you and I will see you executed this day!

"I will have my revenge on you for what you and Fiona Marsh have done to me. You have cost me a fortune in revenues and you will pay with your life, bitch!" Andjuran laughed at the woman before him. She was helpless, she was naked, she was broken, and soon she would be dead.

"Chief Cleric," a voice called out.

"In here, Najmaddin," Andjuran called out. His loyal henchman entered the room looking worried. A frisson of fear went up Andjuran's spine when he saw Anduura looking so agitated.

"What is it Najmaddin?" asked Andjuran, his demeanor suddenly cooled.

"The Valour has landed at the local shuttle port with Commodore Marsh and a warrant from the Senate for your arrest," Anduura reported. "They are headed here on foot. It will take them a few minutes to get here."

Anger flooded the face of Andjuran.

NO!! Andjuran screamed in his mind. How could this be? They cannot stop him now when he was so close!

"Is the council here?" he demanded of his henchman.

"Yes, Chief Cleric," Anduura reported.

"Good, take her, bring her before the council. We will complete this execution immediately, before Marsh can interfere!" Wassim reached out and slapped Henadi on the back, bringing a hiss of pain and anger from her.

"Make sure that gag never leaves her mouth, Anduura. I will ask you to wheel the Sacred Sword and take the head of this bitch for me!" Andjuran hissed at his man.

Anduura smiled viciously at Henadi. He was looking forward to taking the life of this woman who had violated the dictates of the Chief Cleric on the subservience of women to the men folk of the Church of Andanii, who stood up to the Chief Cleric by leaving Anuura and making not just any career by the career of a decorated Navy Officer, an example to the woman of the church that neither Andjuran nor Anduura wanted to see women following. He would enjoy taking this woman's life. This woman who had help stop the second attack on Liramor-23 and broken the faith of the pirate syndicates with his boss.

Courtyard of the Grand Temple of Andanii, Aereet City

The rescue group arrived in the courtyard to find many people milling about. The people looked on the outsiders suspiciously. Fiona's group were all armed with legal stun weapons, which the people eyed warily.

Fiona was aware that clannish people tended to back their own over outsiders regardless of what their own had done. She didn't need to fight her way through this crowd and she didn't want to have to explain again and again what her purpose was. They needed to act with as little time lost as possible. She was sure that when Andjuran heard of her approach, he would seek to escape. She put Fayad in the lead, but C. Supt. Burhan pushed him back.

Burhan marched to the end of the courtyard and the steps leading up into the Grand Temple when they were blocked by the people around them.

"What do you wish here, defiler?" asked one of those who stood in their way, Fiona getting the gist of the conversation from the translation app on her comp.

"We have come seeking one Senator Wassim Andjuran, with a warrant for his arrest," Burhan replied

"What has he done that warrants his arrest" the spokesperson asked.

"He is accused of forsaking his duties as a Senator and stealing funds from a Senate committee. As well, he is charged with kidnapping a citizen of the Terran Union and Captain in the Terran Navy, Henadi Noor," Burhan told the man.

"He kidnapped her?" another person asked, doubt in his voice.

"He placed a bounty on her head, on my head as well," Fiona told them through the translator. "Others kidnapped her and brought her to him for that bounty.

"But he is to be arrested to face charges at a Senate Inquiry into misappropriation of Senate funds. Funds he was using for his own private purposes," Fiona stated.

"If he has a price on your head, why are you here then?" asked the spokesperson, suspiciously.

"I am here to take Henadi Noor back with me, as she is a member of my command, my house," Fiona told them in terms they would understand. "As well, we suspect that Wassim Andjuran is responsible for two attacks against Liramor-23, and a possible third attack that occurred just days ago.

"I am responsible for the defence of the Piscium System, where Liramor-23 is located. I want to see this man arrested for the actions that he has committed. More importantly, Henadi is a friend of mine, and I would see her back among her friends."

"What proof have you of this?" asked a third person.

"You do not have to take my word for it. You can ask Henadi Noor," Fiona said.

"We could not, as she was gagged at Andjuran's insistence. He said it was to stop her from spouting her apostate views to the members of the Church, but after what we witnessed, many of us are not so sure of that," a woman stated boldly.

"What do you mean, what you witnessed?" Fiona demanded, harshly. The crowd backed away from her, except for the lady who had spoken.

"They scourged her. They gave her twelve lashes. She stood up to that. She stood strong. She did not faint; she did not even cry out after the first lash. She showed bravery that few of us can ever imagine another having. This from a woman, who the men of our religion are encouraged to look down upon," the last was spoken with open contempt for the men around her.

"Three were scourged that day. One man fainted after eight strokes. Another man fainted after six strokes and died after twenty strokes. Only one did not faint, only one stood up to Andjuran. Only one walked away under on her own legs. Only one showed what kind of person she was. Only one set the example for all the women, and all the men of Andanii to follow.

"That is an example I wish to follow. I no longer wish to follow the dictates of Chief Cleric Wassim Andjuran, and how he has forbidden women to have a life of their own. I will love my husband, and my children, but I will be my own woman from this point on. I will live in the manner that we once lived, when women were considered of equal importance in the house.

"I will show you where Wassim Andjuran is," she told Fiona, then spun on the crowd. "I dare any of you to stop me, or them," the last was said in a snarl to the men that were blocking Fiona's group.

"Follow, please," the woman said, gesturing toward the Grand Temple. For a moment, those blocking them stood their ground, but they broke ranks under the glare of the woman leading Fiona and her group into the temple.

The Labyrinth, Grand Temple of Andanii, Aereet City, Planet Anuura

Raymond and Kim had found a rather sleepy late shift worker and grilled him for several minutes to find out where Henadi was. The man was frightened enough to piss himself when confronted with the two people dressed all in black from head to toe and carrying swords. He had told them that Henadi was in a room near the gharfa minn al-jahim, the Chamber of Hell. He had not brought food to Henadi, so the man did not know exactly where she was being held.

The temple worker told them that Henadi would be brought before the Grand Council of Andanii in the Chamber sometime soon. Her fate would be decided and, if death was the decision, she would be executed at noon, the time executions occurred.

Kim used a low power stun on him. He would wake later with a small headache but, other than having embarrassed himself by pissing himself in a moment of panic, would be alright. The pair split up to search the rooms around the central Chamber, looking for Henadi.

Gharfa minn al-jahim, Grand Temple of Andanii, Aereet City, Planet Anuura

Henadi Noor was dragged before the Grand Council of Andanii between the arms of two temple guards. The council consisted of ten men and two women, though the Matriarch of Andanii was not one of those women.

Andjuran, as the Chief Cleric, would normally be one of the twelve, but he was acting as the prosecutor and could not be part of the council. It mattered not. The council was formed of Andjuran's faithful. They would do as he demanded of them.

Henadi had been dressed in a long, grey gown in the fashion those of the Church of Andanii preferred. She had sandals on her feet and her hair had been hastily braided.

They placed her on her knees before the council, her hands tied behind her back. She looked up at the men and women of this council and knew fear. She knew all of these people and knew also they were part of Andjuran's clique.

She wanted to get up and run, but she was far to weak to do anything at the moment. Henadi was barely able to hold her head up from loss of blood, partial starvation, and the repeated shocks her body had taken during the last week, the scourging being the most prominent.

Andjuran stepped forward.

"Kneeling before the Grand Council of Andanii is a criminal apostate. A woman who has repeatedly spoken out against the Church of Andanii vilifying our church to the greater community of the Terran Union. She has besmirched the good deeds of the Church as a whole, its role in the community both on and off of Anuura, and even the good words of the Prophet Andanii himself," Andjuran told the council.

"Her repeated slurs and smears against the church were of such a nature that the word of Andanii has found little favour outside of the Planet Anuura. In fact, the church now has an aura of a dangerous cult before the people of the Terran Union, all thanks to this woman.

"For the last week, you have seen the evidence from outside of Planet Anuura. Of what her words have done to blight the good words of the Church of Andanii. You have had the opportunity to see the effects of these words on the good words of the Prophet.

"I ask this council to enact the ultimate penalty for her transgressions against the Chief Cleric, against the Church itself, and against the name of the Prophet," Andjuran demanded.

"What say you, the members of the Grand Council of Andanii?" he asked.

"Why is the accused gagged, Chief Cleric?" one of the women asked.

"To prevent her from venting her bile against the Church, Madame Council," Andjuran answered.

"All accused are permitted to speak in their defence, Chief Cleric," one of the other Council members spoke next.

"Indeed, but in this situation, her words would be poisonous to all. I ask the Council's indulgence in this situation and ask that the Grand Council make its decision based on the information that you have been provided.

"You have seen the evidence, that is all you need. I ask the Grand Council to find this person a criminal apostate and to enact the ultimate penalty due for her transgressions. I ask the Grand Council to decide Yes for death or No for leniency," Andjuran said as he bowed before the members of the Grand Council.

Pre-made ballots were handed out to each Council member. The ballots had two words on them, Yes and No. The Grand Council members marked their ballots and placed them into a bag that was passed around. The bag was brought to Andjuran, who, as Chief Cleric, was required to count the ballots.

"For the Grand Council to order an execution, all of the members must agree. The vote for death must be unanimous," Andjuran spoke, as he pulled the first ballot from the bag.

"Yes," he said, and pulled another. One after another the word Yes, was ticked off until her came to the tenth ballot. This one was marked No. But Andjuran would have none of that.

"Yes," he spoke again, and continued through to the final ballot. Only one was in dissent. "All the ballots have confirmed for death." Andjuran stated for the Grand Council.

"Chief Cleric?" one of the women on the council spoke up.

"Yes, Madame Council. Do you wish to change your vote to No?" Andjuran demanded of her in a tone that would broke not objection.

The woman looked around at the other Council members. She saw immediately that none of them would support her 'changing' her vote. She had been decisively boxed in by Andjuran.

"No, Grand Cleric," she replied, timidly. She had been cowed by Andjuran and the other members of the council.

"Good. Bring the block," Andjuran shouted.

The members of the Grand Council spoke up demanding what Andjuran was doing.

"Death has been decided. There is no purpose in delaying it. This criminal apostate will die here and now, where you can witness the execution," Andjuran told the council.

What Andjuran didn't tell them was he now had them in the palm of his hand for allowing the execution of Henadi Noor. They might squirm and bitch, but they would be expelled from the community for this transgression. He had control over them above and beyond what they were expecting.

The Labyrinth, Grand Temple of Andanii, Aereet City, Planet Anuura

Fiona and her group, C. Supt. Burhan and his group, and the woman who had braved the crowd to get them into the temple rushed down to the Labyrinth below the Grand Temple. They were headed to the central chamber, known as the Gharfa minn al-jahim, the Chamber of Hell.

It was here, later in the morning, that Henadi Noor would be judged and, if found guilty, would be executed by tradition at noon. Fiona didn't buy that. She was sure that if Wassim Andjuran knew of her arrival, he would bring forward the timing of Henadi's execution just to spite her. The man was evil.