Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

Almost as though they'd been waiting for his call. A featureless blue steel face stared out of the screen at Finn, its eyes glowing serenely.
    "I take it the human scientists have all returned home safely?" said the robot.
    "Well, they're all here," said Finn. "Would you care to explain just why you kicked them off Haden?"
    "It was necessary," said Shub. "The evacuation of the scientists became imperative, as our experiments were moving into a new and very dangerous phase. It was no longer safe for the humans to remain. So we sent them away, temporarily. They can return later, once our experiments are safely concluded. The welfare of the human scientists had to be our first consideration."
    "May I enquire as to the nature of these new experiments?" said Finn.
    "We are investigating the basic nature of the Maze. We hope to have some very interesting results to share with you soon."
    "I see," said Finn. "You will of course keep me posted, and let me know when human scientists can safely return to Haden."
    "Of course," said the robot.
    "Lying bastards," said Finn, once he'd shut down the comm unit. "This is all to do with Lewis and his people. They must be nearly at Haden by now. Well, Shub, you aren't the only one who can spring surprises…"
    Over the next few weeks, King Finn busied himself consolidating his hold on power. Suddenly his people were everywhere, and spies and fanatics and enforcers swarmed over every world in the Empire, hunting out the disloyal and the potentially dangerous. People were dragged out of their houses and disappeared on the strength of a rumor, and many were never seen again. No one was safe. Anyone who dared speak out against the new crackdown was denounced as an esper or alien sympathizer—perhaps even an ELF thrall. There were no official charges, or trials; just bodies hanging from lampposts in every city. There was food rationing and travel restrictions. Church Militant and Pure Humanity membership was made compulsory, for everyone. Harsh new rules over public gatherings and behavior were brought in, and strictly enforced. No dissenting voices were heard on any of the media. The usual faces read out prepared statements, and did it with a smile—or were replaced with people who would.
    Some brave souls gathered together anyway, in secret locations, but none of them survived for long.
    ELF thralls were everywhere, searching out Finn's enemies, sometimes even possessing members of the rebel groups. All too soon there was a night of the long knives, as Finn's assassins wiped out every group that dared oppose him. On every world the bodies were piled up in public squares and burnt, blazing like great balefires in the night. The only safe place left in the Empire was, surprisingly enough, the Rookery on Logres. Finn left them alone. He knew better than to trust them, but he still might have need of their various specialized talents. Refugees from a hundred worlds somehow made their way to Logres, and the Rookery, and found safety there. For a price.
    Finn arranged a meeting with the leaders of the Hellfire Club, ostensibly to discuss the new situation. The Club was not at all happy with recent events. At first they had approved of the chaos, but as the clampdown progressed, it made it almost impossible for the Club to operate. Without the usual restrictions of the law, Pure Humanity and Church Militant fanatics were wiping out Hellfire Club branches everywhere. The Club leaders turned up at the right place at the right time, by various secret routes, all of them heavily armed and armored, ready to argue their corner from a position of strength.
    Finn had his people blow up the whole city block, to be sure of getting all of them.
    A few of the braver news media people went underground, broadcasting messages of defiance from private stations, always on the move and never able to transmit for long without being jammed. When
    caught, they were shot in the back of the head while trying to escape. All of the main media stations were brought under state control, in the name of the emergency, and Finn put his own people in charge. There was a warrant out for Nina Malapert's arrest, mostly for being a friend of Emma Steel, but Nina had gone to ground, and was not to be found. The security guards trashed her place anyway, and used her stuffed toys for target practice.
    The few members of Parliament who dared to speak out were targeted early on. Most were made into ELF thralls, so that they could