After Duke Yote returned, he lay low for a full two weeks. Killing nearly half the nobles in the Hive City was no small undertaking. It required extensive planning.
Duke York forged alliances, plotted schemes, and traded favors. Finally, two weeks after receiving his assignment from Li Qinwu, he made his move!
It was a dark, moonless night, with a cold wind howling through the air. A damn fine night for murder.
Staking his family's reputation on it, Duke Yote gathered all the Hive City's nobles under a false pretext: the old governor was dead, a new governor had to take his place, and the planet's interests needed to be reshuffled and redistributed.
Inside an enormous noble banquet hall, more than five thousand nobles from various families gathered for a meeting to divide the spoils.
Aside from younger members of their own families, none of the nobles were allowed to bring guards. Everyone in the hall was of noble blood.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen!!"
From the seat of honor, Duke Yote shouted:
"That traitor, the old governor, is dead! His Lordship the Inquisitor has promised to make me the new governor!!"
His voice carried through the hall, and the crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
Duke Yote lowered his hands to quiet everyone, then promised with a beaming smile:
"Once I become Planetary Governor, I'll introduce new tax laws.
You'll pay tax for breathing in, tax for breathing out, and tax for holding your breath!
We'll show those Hive City yokels that the three great burdens of oppression are back!!"
The five thousand nobles fell silent for a moment, then burst into cheers, chattering excitedly among themselves.
"I support all those taxes!"
"That's how it should be!"
"We should ration the Hive City's air from now on. That'll squeeze