Sovereign of the Seven Armies

The Commander Kneels

"Step away from the suspect right now or we will open fire."

The harsh voice boomed through a heavy bullhorn from the front courtyard.

The shattered dining room doors were kicked completely off their hinges. Nash Jung marched into the room with his service weapon drawn and leveled.

Nash was the supreme commander of the City Tactical Unit. A dozen heavily armed SWAT officers filed into the room right behind him.

Nash swept his gun across the dining hall. He completely ignored the kneeling Vanguard mercenaries. He locked his sights directly on Ryker.

"You have exactly five seconds to put your hands on your head," Nash barked loudly. "I will not repeat myself."

Evelyn Lin peeked out from under the table. Her eyes lit up with joy when she recognized the city commander.

"Commander Jung," Evelyn screamed frantically. She crawled out from under the table and pointed a shaking finger at Ryker. "Shoot him right now. He is a terrorist."

Evelyn ran toward the heavily armed officers. She felt completely safe behind their heavy ballistic shields.

"He crippled Preston Wu," Evelyn yelled. "He hired these masked thugs to terrorize our family. Kill him before he hurts anyone else."

Nash looked down at the floor. Preston Wu was unconscious in a pool of his own blood.

Nash felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck. Chairman Wu had paid him ten million dollars under the table to secure this estate today. The Wu family funded Nash's entire political career.

If Preston died today the Wu family would destroy Nash completely.

"You made a massive mistake," Nash sneered at Ryker. "You do not touch the Wu family in my city. I am going to put a bullet in your spine."

Chloe stepped forward instantly. Her legs were trembling violently but she placed herself between Ryker and the loaded guns.

"He was defending me," Chloe pleaded desperately. "Preston brought armed guards to force me into marriage. They threatened to pull my husband off life support."

Nash scoffed loudly. He did not even glance at the divorce papers scattered on the table.

"I do not care about your petty family drama," Nash said coldly. "This man assaulted a billionaire. He is a threat to the city."

Nash cocked his pistol. 

"Move aside little girl," Nash ordered. "Or I will arrest you as an accomplice to attempted murder."

Chloe refused to move a single inch. She reached back and grabbed Ryker's hand. She squeezed his fingers tightly. She was absolutely terrified but she would never abandon him again.

Ryker gently pulled Chloe behind his back. He looked at Nash with pure absolute disgust.

"A city commander acting as a private guard dog for a corrupt billionaire," Ryker said quietly. "You disgrace the uniform you wear."

Nash turned bright red with explosive anger. He stepped forward and pressed the barrel of his gun directly toward Ryker's chest.

"The chief judge is my brother in law," Nash bragged loudly. "The city prosecutors work directly for the Wu family. You will not even see a courtroom today."

Nash smiled a cruel twisted smile.

"You will disappear into a black site before midnight," Nash promised. "Get on your knees and beg for mercy."

Ryker did not blink. He reached his free hand into his jacket pocket.

"He has a weapon," Evelyn shrieked from the back of the room. "Shoot him."

Ryker pulled out a heavy circular medallion made of solid black tungsten.

Ryker tossed the metal disc onto the hardwood floor. It landed right at Nash's combat boots.

"Pick it up," Ryker commanded.

Nash glared at him. He wanted to shoot this arrogant cripple right in the face. But something about the heavy black metal caught his eye.

Nash slowly lowered his gun. He crouched down and picked up the medallion.

The metal was freezing cold to the touch. The front of the medallion featured a deeply engraved nine clawed dragon coiled around a bloody sword.

Nash felt all the breath instantly leave his lungs. He flipped the heavy medallion over with shaking fingers.

The back bore a single ancient character stamped in pure gold. It read Sovereign.

This was not a movie prop. This was the absolute highest military seal in the entire country. It granted the bearer the absolute authority to execute any corrupt official without a trial.

Nash realized the horrifying truth. He had just pointed a loaded gun at the supreme ruler of the northern borders. He had threatened his beloved wife.

The color completely drained from Nash's face. His hands shook so violently he dropped his own pistol onto the floor.

Nash fell hard onto his knees. The heavy body armor crashed loudly against the wood floor.

He placed his hands flat on the ground and pressed his forehead firmly against the floorboards. It was a flawless military kowtow.

"Forgive me," Nash screamed into the floor. His voice cracked with sheer absolute terror. "I did not know it was you. Please spare my life."

The entire unit froze in complete confusion. They had never seen their ruthless commander beg like a beaten dog.

Lieutenant Cole stepped forward from the formation.

"Commander?" Cole asked in deep confusion. "What are you doing? This man is a suspect. Get up right now."

Nash snapped his head up. His eyes were wild with unhinged panic. If his men disrespected the Sovereign they would all be executed and buried in unmarked graves tonight.

Nash lunged upward. He grabbed Lieutenant Cole by the heavy tactical vest and threw him violently to the ground.

Nash pulled back his armored fist. He punched his own lieutenant directly in the face with all his strength.

A sickening crack echoed loudly through the dining room. Cole screamed in agony as his jaw shattered instantly.

"Shut your mouth," Nash roared at the bleeding officer. "Kneel down right now and beg for your life."

Nash turned back to his stunned men. He drew his backup weapon from his thigh holster and aimed it at his own squad.

"Every single one of you drop your weapons and kneel," Nash screamed hysterically. "Do it right now or I will shoot you myself."

The twelve heavily armed officers did not hesitate. They immediately dropped their rifles. They fell to their knees in utter confusion and deep terror.

Evelyn watched the scene unfold in absolute horror. Her powerful savior was now groveling in the dirt at Ryker's feet.

"Commander Jung," Evelyn shrieked. "Have you lost your mind? Arrest him. He is just a crippled piece of trash."

Ryker looked down at Nash. The silence from Ryker was far more terrifying than any shouted threat could ever be.

"You take bribes from the Wu family," Ryker stated calmly. "You use military assets to intimidate innocent civilians. You are a traitor to your sacred oath."

Nash pressed his face harder into the wooden floor. He was sobbing openly now.

"I was blind," Nash wept loudly. "I was greedy and stupid. I will confess to everything. Just please do not execute my family."

Ryker did not offer any forgiveness. He pointed a single finger at Preston Wu and Evelyn Lin.

"Clean up your own mess," Ryker ordered coldly. "Get this filth out of my sight before I lose my patience."

Nash jumped to his feet. He was desperate to prove his immediate usefulness to the Sovereign. He turned toward Evelyn with a murderous deadly glare.

"Arrest her," Nash ordered his kneeling men. "Arrest both of them immediately."

Two officers scrambled up from the floor. They grabbed Evelyn by her blouse and slammed her hard against the nearest wall. They slapped heavy steel handcuffs tightly onto her wrists.

"Let go of me," Evelyn screamed at the top of her lungs. She kicked wildly at the officers. "I am the matriarch of the Lin family. You cannot do this to me."

"You are absolutely nothing," Nash spat directly in her face. "You just offended the highest authority in this country. You will rot in a dark cell for the rest of your miserable life."

Other officers grabbed Preston Wu by his broken mangled arm. They dragged the unconscious billionaire out of the room like a heavy sack of garbage.

Evelyn continued to scream and curse violently as they dragged her out the shattered front doors. Her shrill voice slowly faded into the distance.

Nash turned back to Ryker. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on the floor. He did not dare look the Sovereign in the eye.

"My Lord," Nash whispered weakly. "I will place myself in military custody tonight. I await your final judgment."

"Get out," Ryker said simply.

Nash bowed deeply one last time. He grabbed his bleeding lieutenant by the collar and backed out of the room quickly.

The Vanguard mercenaries melted back into the shadows of the estate. They disappeared as silently as ghosts.

The massive dining hall was suddenly dead silent.

The overwhelming chaos of the last hour was finally over. 

Chloe stood completely still. She looked at the fresh blood pooled on the floor. She looked at the shattered crystal glass scattered everywhere.

She looked at Ryker standing tall and perfectly healthy in front of her. The reality of the unbelievable situation finally crashed heavily down on her exhausted mind.

For three long years she had lived in a constant panic. She had fought every single day just to keep him breathing.

Now the supreme city commander was weeping and kneeling in her dining room. It was simply too much for her to process.

The heavy adrenaline that had fueled her survival was completely spent.

Chloe let out a very soft breath. Her bright eyes rolled back slightly in her head.

Her thin knees buckled beneath her. She fell forward blindly into the empty air.

Ryker closed the distance instantly. He caught her waist right before she hit the hard ground.

He lifted her effortlessly into his strong arms. She felt incredibly fragile and light. She was practically fading away from severe malnutrition and endless stress.

Ryker pressed her head gently against his broad chest. He could feel her heart beating a very fragile exhausted rhythm.

He looked down at her pale beautiful face. A cold terrifying fury settled deep into his bones.

The people who did this to his wife were going to suffer unimaginably.