Apex-Fleet (Second/Command-East)

Surela Silin Eddings and Apex-East.

The male who became the Usurper's Second, formerly Command-East. Later referred to as Traitor-Second. Became "Apex-Fleet" when he left.

Appearance and Personality

"Unlike the previous holder of the title, this Second wasn’t much older than the Emperor and it showed in the gloss of his hide, the suppleness of the wings, and the quickness of his limbs as he moved from one part of the suite to the other, studying cushions, pillows, the little nest-like depression in the floor the Queen so rarely used. Like the Knife, he kept his blond mane in the severe Naval style, falling in front of the military-cut tunic he affected. When he turned his face in profile, she found it classically modeled. He had a great many horns, a darker brown stripe marking the edges of his golden dorsals, and eyes a luminous turquoise."

Biography

Formerly Command East, a naval commander. He longed to be Emperor, but knew he wouldn't have any luck killing the Emperor for the throne, so he made alternate arrangements. He chose Logistics-East as someone easy to manipulate (and easy for the Emperor to kill), and did his best to keep the Queen Ransomed alive by sending her off with the Twelveworld Lord, reasoning that if he'd kept her within the Usurper's ambit, the Usurper would have ordered her executed. After that, he smashed up the Alliance on the way out to keep the Emperor too busy to chase him while he established his empire.

He bears the Emperor no ill will, and salutes him, in fact, as a worthy male, wishing him long life and congratulating him on his victory. "May our empires thrive."

His attacks kicked off the First Chatcaavan War, prematurely.

His fleet was destroyed by the makers of the slides, and he was imprisoned by the kodo until rescued by Surela Silin Eddings. After hearing what his recovery was likely to do to the Chatcaavan Empire, he committed suicide to give the Emperor a way to prevent friction between empire and the Alliance.

Quotes

• "He was obviously an old male, growing afraid of his own shadow, if he thought a female capable of threatening a real person. He also thought the Emperor cared for you. I don't think the Emperor cares for anyone. He used the Ambassador to learn to read minds--that was clever. You, no doubt, he used to soften the Ambassador. A very canny male, the Emperor."

• "Wings, like privileges, belong to males."

• "You're a worthy male. I would ordinarily have been flattered by your invitation to serve as your Second. But when one longs to be First, Second is never enough."