“The art of war is of absolute importance to the state…” – Sun Tzu

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Shet appeared on the Aerie in a cloud of smoke. The meeting he was about to attend had been pre-arranged, but still he could not believe it when he saw it.

Osirin and Alan Blackstar (the former Lightchild Lucas Theophilus) already were sitting at the table. Nicholas Blackthorn was absent as expected, but Nicholas and Shet had met some time earlier and Shet had promised to keep Nicholas up to date. Nicholas was fully in charge as the agreement stood, yet he had gone off personally to retrieve Babel.

Shet didn’t mind staying in the background, all the more since he’d come with important information. He saw in Alan Blackstar the potential to take the place of Edwin Bitterroot if push came to shove. Unlike Bitterroot, Alan Blackstar was completely corrupt, bent on revenge, determined to destroy the Undying Singer; he had been shamed in a pitched battle with Chris Alan some years back. And he was a disciple of Nicholas, almost a protégé of his. His independence of mind could be a problem, but Shet had ways of dealing with that.

The evilest of evil are here in this room. I could almost laugh, Shet thought.

“Is it time? Time for the Shadow War?” Blackstar seemed eager to get a second crack at Starbright. Thanks to his communion with Nicholas, the Black Tribesman still looked as he did when he and Chris Alan had last met.

“No, that is a long way off; but the Ayyah War is now.” Shet smiled as he sat.

“Where is Falcon?” Osirin looked worried.

“I got rid of him. I am your master now.”

“What? You do not command me…” Osirin stood up, but Shet merely held out his hand and the bird man sank to his knees.

“Yes, I do; I took his powers and I will take your tenths. Now sit down and listen,” Shet hissed.

“We have Falcon’s plan. It has worked so far,” Osirin mumbled as he sat down.

“No, that was all Nicholas’ doing. Falcon was going to spoil everything by going after Susan Starrider.”

“But I need her power to destroy Starbright,” Osirin argued.

“Silence! You leave Starbright alone. Blackthorn and I have something different for you to do.”

“Begging your pardon,” said Blackstar acidly, “but Starbright and one of his family members are on their way out-of-Sphere, along with several other Lightchildren: members of the famous Five Stars. They’re going to the very world where Starrider is. Shouldn’t we at least take Starbright’s companions hostage?”

“No! I said let them be. If anyone needs to deal with the Five Stars head-on, I will.”

“I don’t get it,” Blackstar admitted.

“Nor do I,” said Osirin.

“It is very simple. You will be going to the planet where Starrider lives, but you will not go for her. Starbright is not going there alone with his company. Fleet Admiral Wu Chin is going there also in another ship. I want you to kill him if at all possible; he is the important target.”

“Whoa! Wait a minute!” Blackstar exclaimed in disbelief. “You want us to forget one of Bakbuk’s star pupils – no, several of Bakbuk’s star pupils, including his best one – to go after a moderately powerful Lightchild? He may be an Admiral, but he doesn’t wield Gifts Without Measure at Need like Starbright or Starrider. Shouldn’t we aim higher?”

“No wonder Starbright beat you so easily,” Shet replied scornfully. “I said let them be. Follow my orders and my plan…or should I disturb Blackthorn for you?”

“Nicholas trusts you?” Osirin said in disbelief. The last thing either he or (especially) Blackstar wanted to do was to distract Nicholas from his present task.

“That is not what I said. Blackthorn is an exceptional leader; he knows whom to use and when. He trusts me to be me, no more and no less.”

“So you have no problem with Nicholas using you for his own ends?”

“None whatsoever. If the shoe were on the other foot, then I would do the same,” Shet replied with a laugh.

“Why this Admiral?” Osirin was curious.

“The Lord of the Realms has changed the game on us; He is no longer playing chess.” Shet folded his arms.

“What does chess have to do with it? Blackstar asked.

“You can fight war in a number of ways. The first way I call the ‘chess’ way: remove big pieces and capture the king.”

“Sounds good to me,” Osirin said; he had some familiarity with that Old First Realm game.