The Emperor stood on cold, black stone. Stars shined in the window. A man moved behind him. The man was his general. The general pushed a knife into the Emperor's back.
Kael Vireon felt a cold shock. He made no sound. He looked at the stars. The world went black.
His mouth opened wide. A single, high sound escaped his lungs.
"Waaaaaah!"
The sound came again, louder this time, tearing from his throat.
"WAAAAAAH!"
Bright light burned his eyes. His small arms and legs kicked the air. He could not stop them. He could not control the awful, continuous wail that came from his own mouth.
A woman's face appeared above him. It was blurry. Tears ran down her face, but she was smiling. She held him. Her skin was warm.
"He's beautiful," she whispered. He understood her words.
He tried to issue a command. Release me. The only thing that came out was another choked, gasping cry.
A man's face appeared beside the woman's. He looked tired. "He has your eyes, Elara."
The woman, Elara, laughed a soft, shaky sound. "He has your lungs, Thalen."
They wrapped him in a soft blanket and placed him in a wooden cradle. He watched them leave the room. The crying finally stopped. His small body was exhausted. His throat was raw.
He lay there, staring at the ceiling. The mind of the emperor was a silent storm inside the infant's skull. He cataloged his situation. He could not speak. He could not command his limbs. He was a prisoner.
Hours passed. The door creaked open. Elara returned. She lifted him from the cradle. Her movements were gentle.
She held a bottle to his lips. Warm milk filled his mouth. He drank. His body's hunger was an instinct he could not fight. For a moment, looking up at her face, he felt calm. He saw the powerful emotion in her eyes again. It was a warmth aimed at him. A feeling with no conditions.
It was utterly alien.
Then, a different warmth spread suddenly in his clothes. It was wet and unpleasant. The smell was immediate and foul.
He froze.
The full reality of his situation crashed down on him. This was not a dream. This was not a temporary prison. This was a complete and total humiliation.
His name was Kael Vireon. He had commanded star fleets. He had decided the fate of trillions.
And he had just shit himself.