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Dark Lord Substitute

Chapter 11

By Draconicon

Bertram's shuttle returned to the Indomitable in glory, though without much in the way of fanfare. The various soldiers that served under the Dark Lord were too busy being stunned at the fact that they were still alive, and more, that their forces had been reinforced to such an extent. The fact that they were doing this well was probably unheard of, in their minds. In no prior cycle had the Dark Lord been this lucky, or this decisive in his handling of the Allied Systems.

Quite honestly, Bertram couldn't blame them for being so surprised. It had been his plan, and he didn't quite believe that it had worked, either. He shook his head as the shuttle docked, a thought sufficient to bring the ship to pieces and open a hole for him to disembark. The soldiers, mostly rats with a few hyena officers scattered through the crowd, turned to face him and saluted. At least, those closest to the ship did. The rest were still staring at the wall with the broadcast of the battle going on.

If you can call it a battle, he thought, shaking his head as the display replayed the way that the Deep Den ships had fallen to the Indoctrination signal. That's a trick that won't work twice.

But for the moment, it didn't need to. It had been enough to get them a full fleet that would be more than enough to outnumber the rest of the Deep Den for the rest of the war. Provided that the rest of the Allied Systems didn't get off their asses, they would have enough men to completely swallow the various Deep Den planets under their flag. With that, they'd have some bargaining power.

Some.

He hoped.

Shaking his head, the armored ram strode through the crowd. They turned when he approached, formed a small aisle for him to walk down, and then went back to staring at the impossible display on the screen. Despite seeing it three, now four times, they still didn't seem to believe it.

He stopped thinking about it, and rode the elevator down to his quarters. The doors opened, followed by a soft beep in his helmet.

"Sir, the Generals would like to see you."

" ...Send them in."

"They will arrive shortly."

Bertram debated between getting dressed and leaving the armor on, and decided to halve it. It wasn't like they hadn't seen him naked before, and it wasn't like it was going to bother him to do that again. Besides, he had to deal with King Soledad, still, and doing the broadcast with the mouse king back to his home planet of Mistrum, just to ensure that they were all good with being slaves under him, and then...

Well, there were a hundred other details. He wasn't going to bother trying to remember the ones further down the list right now. Generals, the officers of the Deep Den, then Soledad. That was all that he was going to try and keep on top of at the moment, and that would have to do.

As the pieces of his armor fell away, exposing him and every inch of his body, the door opened. Mark looked right at the ram's cock for a moment, staring for a half-second before whipping his head up and to the side, while Zelda walked in and narrowed her eyes.

"And what is this?"

"I think the phrase you're looking for is, 'And what is this, Dark Lord?' Let's not break decorum," he muttered, shaking his head.

"You - ugh!"

"I am not going to be rutting either of you, if that's what you're worried about. I'm not naked for that. Just for the thing with King Soledad, later."

"You might want to put some clothes on for the officers, Dark Lord," Mark pointed out, the male hyena leaning against the wall. "They're going to want to see who their new master is, sooner or later."

"I'm aware. I'll be dressing for that. But for now, what do you want?"

"What the hell are you going to do with all those ships?" Zelda asked.

He shook his head. He supposed that hoping for some decorum from Zelda, or at least, a little bit of respect, was a bit futile. All things considered, he should have expected that, considering her utter fear of being a slave, but he had hoped that she'd start getting over that once she started getting used to the idea. Mark had. Apparently, the same maturity couldn't be expected from the other sibling.

Rubbing his forehead, he glanced at the wall. Once more, the ship bent to his will, opening a porthole that allowed them to look out into empty space, and then down at Outpost Zonga below.

It was quite the fleet, really. The ambassador Lazir had brought with him multiple capital ships and many fighters. They were in orbit around the planet now, and if it wasn't for the fact that they were all under Indoctrination - at least, base Indoctrination - he would have been worried for those still on the surface. As it stood, they were almost more of a parade formation, and they were...

Well, many. And that many ships would be difficult to properly position around a single planet. More to the point, they offered a few problems by keeping them here, mostly in the nature of supplies. Without another planet to supplement their resources in-system, there would be an issue seeing to it that everyone got what they needed.

However, having this many ships solved another difficulty. One that could be handled as soon as the personalized Indoctrination was complete.

"I'll be sending them to Sur's Den," Bertram said. "Under Mark's command, of course."

"Me?"

"Why the hell him?" Zelda asked, narrowing her eyes.

"One. Because he is trustworthy, and we know him. Better than we know the admiral that commands the fleet for Lazir. Two. Because Mark is sufficiently gentle that he can ensure that Sur's Den sides with us without making the locals need a mass secondary Indoctrination to avoid further rebellion. Three...I don't entirely trust you, Zelda."

"Likewise."

"And that is why you are remaining here...and if you continue to act like this, you will leave me no choice but to put you through Indoctrination. Properly."

He did not want to do that. King Soledad had come through Indoctrination with a mind intact, with his skills as a diplomat still strong. That was something that Bertram wanted for all his officers, but when it came right down to it, he would take a loyal, stupid officer over someone that was looking to stab him in the back for something that wasn't even his fault. He wasn't going to risk his life if someone wasn't going to do the smart thing and give him a fucking break.

Zelda finally looked away. He nodded at her, waving his hand.

"You are dismissed."

"Yes...sir..."

She departed, and the wall closed behind her. Mark winced, the male hyena shaking his head.

"I'm never going to feel comfortable seeing that."

"I'm never going to feel comfortable threatening it, but she seems intent on pushing our comfort zones, doesn't she?" He shook his head. "I'll draw up the orders of your reassignment as quickly as possible. I want you underway by tomorrow, if possible."

"That soon?"

"Sur's Den is the crossroads into the richest cluster in the system. If we hold that, then we can ensure that we have all the resources we need to keep the war going. If we don't, then we're going to be dealing with more problems that we don't need. Our army can only march as far as our supplies will carry it."

"We're not exactly marching, you know."

"..."

"Sorry. That was pedantic."

"Yes, it was."

"Can I get some understanding by pointing out that you being naked is very, very distracting?"

"Is it distracting because you like what you see?"

"Yes."

"Then yes. Also, noted. You may go."

"Thank you, sir."

A half hour later, after ensuring that the various officers of the Deep Den were properly installed in the Indoctrination chambers throughout the Indomitable, Bertram went back to the broadcast chamber. The mouse was waiting for him, the king looking up at him with a slight smirk.

"Are we going to finish it this time?" King Soledad asked.

"Provided that we aren't invaded, yes."

"Good. I was...enjoying myself, last time."

"I'm sure."

He smiled, glad to have at least a small moment where he wasn't being held accountable for all the wrongs of his 'side' in the war. After all, he had been summoned to lead it, and he wasn't exactly given free reign with that. All he could do was his best, and thankfully, so far, that had been better than what people expected.

The ram aimed the cameras down, something that allowed him to keep his face from being on-screen. That would allow him to not wear the helmet - thank god - and still allow the armor to be seen from his waist up, and from his knees down. The dark paneling would make it clear to the people of Mistrum just who their king was servicing.

He gripped his cock at the base with one hand, giving it a few strokes to keep it hard. The kneeling monarch chuckled, the mouse running his hands up along the exposed fur and flesh of the ram's thighs.

"Are you that unattracted to me, Dark Lord?"

"I'm making sure that it's looking like a proper conqueror's rod."

"Considering the size, forgive me, but you'd need more creative camera work for that."

"...Was that a crack about me being small?"

"I merely mean to imply that there are mice that match you, Dark Lord. Not many, but some."

Bertram cracked a smile despite himself. It didn't offend him, honestly. He knew that he wasn't the hyper-endowed man that some might have expected from someone with his title. That didn't mean that he was doing badly, though. Seven inches was more than enough, and he knew for a fact that Soledad would be slobbering on him in short order. He tapped a few keys, and the broadcast began.

" People of Mistrum," he said, activating the voice modulator at his neck. " You see at my knees, your king. A mouse that has elected to willingly serve, even without the Indoctrination driving him."

It was a half-lie there. The standard sort had been dropped, but a custom one that had lighter restrictions and allowed him a different focus would be more difficult for the average citizen under his little empire to detect. Plus, it sold a better story. He grabbed King Soledad by the back of the neck, moving the kneeling mouse so that the monarch was under his balls, pressed right up against them.

" He will serve willingly, and he surrenders his planet to me, properly. Don't you, Slave King?"

"I do, my lord."

" Say it."

"I surrender...I surrender my planet to the Dark Lord...and all those that live upon it...are commanded to surrender themselves."

The mouse king, despite his teasing, was already panting softly. He clearly had his own urges in mind, his own wishes and wants. He nuzzled upwards, pressing his nostrils right against the ram's testicles, panting as he puffed air in and out. The warmth was enough to keep Bertram quite hard, too. Quite hard, indeed.

He smiled, slowly tilting the king's head back. His shaft slid along the lips until the tip rested at the end of the mouse's muzzle.

" You surrender. And you become a slave, willingly."

"Yes, lord..."

" Show your people what you are, slave. Show them what a slave king does for his master."

Bertram groaned as he felt the first little kiss to his tip turn into a long, slow suck. It was just as good as it had been under the desk when he had been negotiating with the fox diplomat, and yet, this time, knowing that it was being seen by an entire planet, it was somehow better. He groaned again as the king reached the base of his shaft, one hand coming up to fondle his balls, and he pressed down firmly. The feeling of that hot puff of air right at the base of his cock, the little lip-locked 'kiss' to his crotch, the eager suckles along his shaft: it all played a part in making him hornier than ever.

Oh, he was going to give them a show. A good one, too.

Two hours and a shower later, he arrived at the Indoctrination chambers holding Lazir and the admiral that had been brought on to lead the fleet. They were both seated at the rear of the open, hazy chamber, the pair of them chatting with one another about something or other. Bertram glanced at one of the rat techs.

" Anything I should know?" he asked, his helmet once more giving him the voice of doom.

"Nothing at the moment, sir. They've been chatting for the last hour."

" Has anyone bothered to listen to them?"

"..."

" That would be a no."

"That would be a no, sir."

" Then I shall speak with them myself. Data?"

"Yes, sir?" his AI responded.

" From now on, ensure that all prisoner conversations in the Indoctrination chambers are recorded for later study."

"Of course, sir."

" And you."

The rat gulped.

" This was your mistake. I will allow you to find a chance to correct it. Do not disappoint me."

He left the control chamber, going down a level to the entrance to the chamber itself. The door opened as he approached it, the average prisoner looking down. The Indoctrination waves in the chamber had, by now, instilled in all of them a fear and respect for the Dark Lord, as well as a requirement to keep him alive. There was much left to do, but the various officers didn't seem interested in bringing harm to him now.

However, there was something else rather interesting. Across the room, he could see that Lazir and the badger admiral were not just chatting with one another. They were surrounded, loosely grouped with all the other officers that had been captured. The Dark Lord tilted his head to the side, fascinated despite himself.

Hmmm...

He approached with the thunk, thunk, thunk of heavy boots that was completely unavoidable with his armor. They turned, of course, and their chatter fell silent as he came near. The fox diplomat bowed his head, getting to his feet and marching past the rest of his kind, standing between Bertram and his people.

"A cheeky trick, oh Lord of Darkness," the fox said, a twinkle in his eye as he chuckled. "I should have expected a lie from the great enemy of my people."

" You are all together. Why?"

"Why not?"

" Other captives have wandered, avoiding each other. Is there a reason that you stick together, instead?"

"Ah, that. Well, would you wish to be alone in the face of the enemy?"

Bertram remained silent. The impassive exterior of his armored mask did not shift, of course, and it eventually drained the smile off the fox's face. He waited for a few moments longer, and the Indoctrination did most of the work for him. Lazir sighed, shaking his head and shrugging.

"We are a social people, Dark Lord. We congregate. We care for each other. We do not like to be alone; even among foxes, our dens are open to others."

" And you speak for all of them?"

"He's our speaker," another of the group said, a feminine badger that narrowed her eyes a thim. "We trust him."

"Yes. And I care for them. It's why I was chosen to talk to you; I speak with authority, and understanding. Well, except in the case of you, apparently; I was very off the mark in that case."

" Clearly."

Still, it offered him some insight. The rats and the other species that were under his banner were very much the sort of species that could work in unison, but there was definitely some herding going on with that. The species of the Deep Den, however...

If they work in groups, communes, that might make them that much easier to control...

Particularly if they had a hierarchy, as seemed to be the case with the locals on Outpost Zonga, with the moles and shrews on one end, and the snakes on the other. Both burrowing, but with one side definitely getting all the benefits that the others were denied.

He glanced past Lazir, nodding at the older badger in the corner. The badger looked up at him, then glanced away.

" And him?"

"Admiral Tardak? Oh, he's good. Very good. As a matter of fact, I imagine that you would have been obliterated if I had listened to him before coming in-system. A blunder on my part; true to form, I succeed at everything, and then fail utterly at the very peak of my career."

More and more, Lazir struck him as a bit of a diva, but one that had gained a great deal of support from his people. Certainly, those that had been captured clustered around him far more than the military officer at the wall, which spoke to his charms and charisma. More to the point, it told him that the record the fox boasted of was probably real; nobody would stand by someone that had failed them to this extent if they weren't sure that he had a way to get out of it, even if there was no evidence that he might.

Which would be useful to me...

He glanced at Tardak. The badger didn't meet his eyes, but the HUD on the helmet told him where the badger was looking: at the gaps in the wall and the floor, searching for loose panels, or emitters. Learning, seeking out the way that the room worked, trying to break it down and understand it. The badger, despite his advanced age and refusal to meet his masked face, was certainly not an idiot.

And if Lazir believes that he could have won if he hadn't listened, then he's probably right...

If he could turn Tardak properly, then that would give him a new military officer, someone that could replace Zelda if he really needed to go that far. He didn't want to, but it would give him an option, and more to the point, it would put Zelda on notice. She was not irreplaceable.

And it would show the rest of the galaxy that I am not merely putting my captives down as slaves. They are still useful. They can be given good places under my banner...

The more that he thought about it, the more the option appealed to him. He nodded,

" I see. Well. I can assure you that you will find some happiness in my service."

"Forgive me, Dark Lord, but I have a hard time believing that. You know, what with a relationship built on lies and all."

" That is understandable. But perhaps I should allow you to speak with King Soledad. He has recently given a broadcast of his willing surrender to me, with the new terms that we negotiated."

"...You negotiated?"

" Indeed. When one comes in good faith, rather than to attempt to kill me, I can be very reasonable. If I am approached otherwise, however..."

There. The idea of a vulnerability was planted in the fox's mind, which would likely lead to something more...interesting...further down the road. And in the meantime, he would have the opportunity to plant different thoughts in the diplomat's mind, a few different personality tweaks, while gradually leading the entirety of the captured officers into his service merely by collecting their superior officer and their most-admired diplomat.

He nodded at them, taking his leave. His plans were slowly taking form, and better, coming to fruition.

The End

Summary: Bertram starts down a road of stabilization, both with those that he's captured and those that already serve him.

Tags: M/M, Mouse, Ram, Hyena, Fox, Badger, Slaves, Indoctrination, Mind Control, Nudity, Oral, Blowjob, Exhibitionism, Sci-Fi, Series, Patreon, Teasing,