CHAPTER 54: THE ACT OF ACTING

Julian could only look. The soldiers behind him were horrified, but he didn’t seem to be.

The headless governor slumped in the chair like a puppet with its strings cut. The suit, once immaculate, was now stained and torn, a rivulet of dark blood spreading from the ragged neck stump like oil on water. The arms dangled, fingers curled into arthritic claws. The legs sprawled out, boots scuffing the floor.

The other soldiers made a face as they looked away, terrified by what was facing them.

"The governor’s dead!" a soldier shouted.

"They’ve took his head off," Julian said. "What now?"

The soldier looked at Julian.

"We’ve got to stop them from taking the head away. We’ve got to stop them!"

Julian looked around. Blood filled the ground like a pool, many.

The place was quite alright by the way. A unique ceiling, colorful floors, and a gold-looking wardrobe.

"You’ve got to stop them!" the soldier shouted, very tense.

Julian looked at him in a cool manner, not saying anything.

He had a feeling the killer of the governor wasn’t out yet. He had this strong feeling that the opposition commander, who clearly killed the governor, was hiding here, waiting to kill him too.

And why exactly was that possible?

Well, it was quite simple.

Looking around, there wasn’t really any sign that the commander had busted out of here. No openings in the ceiling, the ground was perfect, and even the window was shut.

Julian calculated the possibilities. There wasn’t really much to calculate, by the way, that’ll leave you with a conclusion that the opposition commander was hiding here.

Julian decided he would simply play around till the commander showed up.

And so, acting like he didn’t hear what the soldier said, Julian went over to the dead governor.

He decided to act. He was sure the commander was hiding somewhere, peering at him, but then, that was none of his business (it actually was his business, by the way).

He wanted the commander to look at him. He wanted to be seen.

"Damnit!" Julian said. "You weakling of a governor. Why can’t you simply tell the opposition where the bomb is hidden? A bomb so large it can destroy a single planet. That must be what they came for."

The soldiers exchanged glances, the looks on their faces screaming:

"What the fuck"

But Julian was hearing none of it. He wished he could tell them that he was simply trying to bring the commander out.

But well, he hoped they didn’t ask any dumb question, as he wanted to be realistic.

"The bomb takes about an hour to activate, so you’re sure they won’t harm your planet. You could have used it as collateral for them not chopping your head off," Julian lied. He couldn’t say if this was believable or not, but he hoped it was.

Julian had been an avid fan of dramas back at Zyros. He used to be enthralled by the acting, fights, and the little cosmic explosions they managed to showcase.

And so, at his free time, he and Luiin would act as their favorite characters.

If there was one thing Julian wanted to become if he wasn’t the Galactic Knight, it was to be an actor.

The soldiers were confused. They were certain there was no bomb, and they didn’t understand what Julian was saying. But they watched nonetheless, making this face of bemusement. It was not that anyone could see them, considering they had helmets on.

Julian turned to the soldiers.

"Thank goodness the commander isn’t here. Bet it’s time for us to go bring the bomb and explode their planet."

The soldiers were genuinely perplexed.

What was Julian trying to do, they thought.

Julian grinned under his helmet. This should do it, he decided. This should lure the commander out.

With that, he shifted his eyes sideways, looking cautiously. He was sure the commander would sprout out at any time now. But he didn’t want it to be unexpected.

Perhaps the governor was with a knife or something harmful. He was sure to be getting stabbed.

Silence.

The thick, suffocating sound of silence.

Julian decided to take a move since nothing was happening. He also had a subconscious thought. Perhaps all his acting was for nothing?

The opposition commander wasn’t here.

Julian scoffed in his mind. He was sure the commander was here, only that it was anticipating his next move, and that was the reason for its silence.

Julian decided to make that move. He turned to face the soldiers again and said:

"Time we get out of here and activate the damn bomb on their planet."

The soldiers were starting to think Julian was up to something. And so, they simply nodded.

"The reason this plan will work is because no one heard of it, so at this point, we’re well safe."

With that, Julian took a step and just as he did so, he felt a pungent reaction by the back of his head. Nothing had hit him but... something was about to.

Julian sidestepped and faced back. He had just dodged a very sharp and pointy sword from piercing his head.

The soldiers were shocked.

It was the commander, gritting his teeth, the sword he was holding stained with blood.

Julian looked at the sword and then at the pool of blood beside the headless governor. It was the same.

That was the sword the opposition commander used to kill the governor.

If Julian was a child or one of those afraid beings, he would have gasped.

But then, this was nothing compared to what he had faced. This was like, the tip of it.

Julian stared at the commander who was well fueled with adrenaline. He smiled under his helmet.

"You don’t want the fuckin’ people of your planet to be killed just as you’re doing to mine?"

The opposition commander didn’t say a word.

Julian didn’t give a fuck if he didn’t talk.

That wasn’t his business (as always). Who knew, perhaps the commander could be dumb for all he knew.

"You want to fight?" Julian asked. "Go to the hall. Go look at your soldiers. See how I reduced their necks to veins."

Julian paused, stealing a glance at the soldiers in mech with him.

"You could be the next, you know," Julian said and snickered. He knew the commander would be strong, but he was just trying to make him not see him, Julian, as a lesser threat. He wanted to be thought higher of.

If there was a thing Julian had learnt so dearly since becoming the Galactic Knight, it was to make your opponents fear you.

They might be able to beat you. They might be way stronger than you. But when they fear you, simply because you made them to, they’d be too scared to fight.

Take the Drayyorsain commander for example. He was reduced to flesh and bones in a couple of seconds. And that was the quickest fight Julian had ever seen, considering that they were both commanders of planets.

The fight ought to have been a bit epic even though the opposition commander was to later win.

But here’s why the Drayyorsain commander lost. Of course, he had been brave and acting all cool and stuff, but then, to the opposition commander, he was like anyone else. And that was why he was ended in seconds.

But with Julian, he was certain he had unleashed a tiny bit of fear on this commander.

First was with the solo on the battleships. He had brought the ships down like it was nothing. He had exploded all except for one and had killed almost all the soldiers.

Julian was certain the commander watched and saw him as someone who was strong. Julian knew he was strong though, but he wasn’t so certain he was as strong to the extent of this commander who had crazy gadgets.

But if putting fear in the commander was the goal, then he was sure he had done it. He was very certain it was done.

Normally, he was expecting the commander to face him and kill (that was if he would succeed), as usual.

But then, instead, the commander lurked behind the wardrobe, expecting to hear information before he would now kill him.

That meant the commander didn’t want to face him so they go fist to fist.

The commander simply wanted to do it the easy way, which was to pounce on him unexpectedly.

Well, Julian was smarter, and he was sure not going down like that, noting that he had an instinct power.

"Where’s the bomb?" the commander asked, furious and gritting his teeth.

Julian looked at the commander’s ugly, angry face. He had summoned the Mech rifle away earlier, but he wouldn’t hesitate to bring it back now.

The soldiers were at alert, gripping their guns very tightly like their veins had clamped onto the damn guns.

The commander hesitated for some seconds, then looking at Julian right in the eyes, he asked:

"You the fuck are you?"

Julian grinned under his helmet.

"Well, I’m glad the new governor of this planet."

The commander was temporarily stunned with that.

New governor?

Julian pointed to the headless, now ’former’ governor.

"You see him, well, he was easy to kill ’cos he was weak. And me?" Julian chuckled. "I’m not..."