Rebirth and Second Chances

Chapter 172: Olympus Accused

The fallout from my bit of theater was immediate. I had too many guards in place, and air superiority with the Slaugh for any direct attacks or actions to be made but convening an emergency session of the Senate and demanding me to stand and answer questions before a quorum quickly ensued. The speed that august body could get things accomplished greatly resembled the response to a hornet's nest. If you poke it, they will swarm.

I felt a small measure of guilt that I hadn't warned the Egyptians of what I had planned, but I wanted nothing to interfere with the optics of the moment. I knew the event was being broadcast live and made full use of the media frenzy. I didn't want this hidden or twisted to suit the Olympian's favor. The frenzied response of the media that occurred as dossiers and documents were shared at the precise moment that I had executed the prisoners.

I had made certain that neither the Senate nor the Olympians could hide the evidence I revealed. And I made it bloody and public enough that the Universal population would demand answers. I thought it likely Osiris and Isis might have agreed to my methods if I'd discussed it with them.

We had developed an amicable working relationship, but the rest of the Egyptian Pantheon could be problematic. Amun was already having problems reconciling my lineage. The Egyptian God of the Sun and the son of the Tuatha de Danann's Sun God were certain to lead to friction, overlapping Domains of Power were rife with contests of strength and will among the Pantheons. Even as allies, the primordial instinct to claim dominance within the scope of your domain could not be completely ignored.

As I walked the halls of the Senate, I refused to restore the illusion that would mask my face. I would use every advantage I could muster, and if I was going to stand before a quorum of my peers, I would dare them to look me in the face and resist the curse of beauty. For those that failed? They would become besotted, in love with me, and willing to do anything to curry favor.

I flared my aura the second the Senate chamber doors opened, releasing killing intent and layering that intent within strata of fire and ice. My control over my elements had only improved over the last few decades. I could suppress that aura completely, hiding the extent of my powers, but today I wouldn't. I refused to be treated as lesser. I had seen what happened to my Sidhe brethren who fell into that trap with the Seelie and Unseelie only treating them worse as time went by.

I was a Power, and there was no point in hiding it or cow-towing to those that thought they would sit in judgment.

The Senate had committees that were given areas of responsibility; I had expected this discussion to take place in one of these committee chambers, but the quorum that had been called was taking place before the full Senate. The reason was made clear when Lord Aesin, my Aziza spymaster, forwarded a message to my M-AI.

The Egyptians had demanded an open quorum and had gotten enough votes from other Senate representatives to force the issue. They had argued that the charges were so serious, that not only the full Senate was required to hear evidence, but that the chambers should be open to the press so that live broadcasts could be disseminated in tandem with my testimony.

Their maneuvering only highlighted how instrumental in placing me in the position that I could expose Zeus and Odin. I wondered briefly what other tricks they might have suggested to choreograph the drama for that was about to unfold.

A guard attempted to lead me to the witness podium, separate from the rest of the Senate and a position that would change the optics of what I intended. They would make my testimony before the quorum appear as if I were the accused. I ignored him and moved to take my seat on the floor of the Senate itself, in the seat that had been assigned to Talahm and the Sidhe. Mine until we assigned a Plenipotentiary to represent our interests.

The Talahm seat brought the number of Senators to forty-one, changing the monopoly the Olympians and Asgardians had over the Speakership and in breaking ties, a monopoly that had existed since the Senate had been formed. They shared the Speakership on a rotating basis, each sitting for a fifty-year term. This position essentially gave the Pantheon holding that position two votes in those instances when a majority could not agree.

I had been sworn in earlier that morning as the appointed representative for Talahm, a ploy to further humiliate me when the theater of coliseum and arena had been scripted. For this moment I was a Senator and had the same privileges and prerogatives as Olympus, as any of the Pantheons. It didn't matter that this position was temporary, or that I already had plans for transition and someone waiting for me to pass on the position.

That was a concern for tomorrow. Today, part of my plans had required I be able to stand on the Senate floor as an equal, not as a supplicant. The ability to hide and move the legions of Sidhe that had formed a wall of protection, and march chained prisoners had required the diplomatic immunity and prerogatives that I could only use as a sitting Senator.

I had thought of a solution to the Summerlands time paradox soon after my bond with the Saor Sithern had formed. It was difficult and required a great amount of magic be expended, and a ley-line to be tapped to supply an unending supply of magic. But what I had done worked. The solution required a duality of portals to be maintained, opening portals, and paying the price in magic to stabilize and keep them open. Sithern to Summerlands, Summerlands to the Senate. Each portal created by and tied to the magic of a Sidhe Prince.

I'd organized the passage of guards and prisoners using this method. The guards, Slaugh, prisoners, all had remained ready on Talahm until I began my walk across the sands in the arena. We had opened the passages using my bond with the Sithern to keep time consistent between the two portals. It was messy and took a tremendous amount of energy, but the Sithern had boosted energy levels, tapping into the nexus of ley-lines it had access to. Once everyone had crossed when the transition of people had concluded, we closed the portals leaving behind no evidence of how we had done it.

Olympus was invested with the speakership, Athena, named after the Goddess, had assumed the position, her countenance devoid of emotion as she began gaveling for the chamber to come to order. My meeting with Danu, Beleros, and Cyronax had hardened me to the power and presence of Gods, having basked in their Divinity, the Demi-God that called for order, was a pale imitation. Why Athena would create a cadre of Priestess that bore her name made no sense. Perhaps to intimidate? If so, it was a waste of time and theater; I stood before my races Creators, this show of power insulted the Divine.

I knew, intellectually, that most people felt the oppressive forces, as the Divine energies continuously cycled, surging like a whip that lashed the psyche of any not at the same level and Rank. It was one of the reasons I'd made use of the Rings of Hidden Depths time dilation function to master my aura. I refused to stand before those auras and cower.

"Point of Order," the Senator representing the Sumerian Pantheon said standing as soon as Athena had gotten the chambers to quiet.

"The Sumerian Senator has the floor," Athena agreed.

"The evidence in these documents speak of actions taken by Olympus. Until their validity is determined to be false, I think a change in Speaker is in order. I move that the representative from Egypt assumes the position while this matter is before this body," the Sumerian said.

"Second the motion," I said immediately, knowing as I did so that I was only adding fuel to the fire, and not caring in the least. Olympus would escape this, penalties and sanctions would be assessed, but their power was too entrenched for them to take much damage. And so, I would milk these proceedings for everything I could.

Once I had seconded the Sumerian's motion, Athena had no choice but to call a vote. I think she was more surprised than I was when the motion was carried by a vote of thirty-nine to two. Only Olympus and Asgard had voted against it. The murmurings of excitement and discussion filled the chamber as Maat, the incarnate Egyptian Goddess of justice and judgment accepted the gavel and assumed a position at the speaker's podium.

"The documents and evidence provided by the representative of Talahm are the topics of discussion," Maat said bringing silence to the room with no fanfare. "Senator Teigh Mac de Beleros y Cyronax you have levied serious charges against another Pantheon and have made subjects of another world prisoners, prisoners that you executed without recourse to their Pantheon's consul.

"Explain to this Chamber what transpired on Talahm, linking the evidence you have provided to the narrative. The accusations you have levied against Olympus are serious. Serious enough that any evidence or implication that is not factual will result in penalties and sanctions for Talahm."