Lilith's Shadow Omnibus: Volume 2, page 1
Lilith’s Shadow Omnibus
Volume 2
Benjamin Medrano
Contents
Foreword
I. Queen of Diamonds
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Epilogue
II. Queen’s Journey
Prologue
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Epilogue
III. Queen’s Gambit
Prologue
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 117
Chapter 118
Chapter 119
Chapter 120
Chapter 121
Chapter 122
Chapter 123
Chapter 124
Chapter 125
Chapter 126
Chapter 127
Chapter 128
Chapter 129
Chapter 130
Chapter 131
Chapter 132
Chapter 133
Chapter 134
Chapter 135
Chapter 136
Chapter 137
Chapter 138
Chapter 139
Chapter 140
Chapter 141
Chapter 142
Chapter 143
Chapter 144
Chapter 145
Chapter 146
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About the Author
Lilith’s Shadow Omnibus Volume 2 by Benjamin Medrano
© 2022 Benjamin Medrano. All rights reserved.
Contact the author at BenjaminPMedrano@gmail.com
Visit the author’s website at benjaminmedrano.com
Sign up for the author’s mailing list at http://eepurl.com/cGPT-b
Cover Art by Mario Wibisono
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The following characters are the property of Patrons from Patreon and are used under license. Clever Croc, Damper by Godeater, Ruby Cacophony by Jesse Cunningham, and Silent Note by S. Nutter.
For Baloo. I’ll never forget you.
Foreword
This book is composed of three volumes of Lilith’s Shadow: Queen of Diamonds, Queen’s Journey, and Queen’s Gambit.
After I decided to publish Born a Queen, I set out to figure out the overarching themes of Lilith’s shadow, so that I could hit the notes that I wanted. I wanted some elements that played out across single books, some across a couple of books, and some across the entire series that I had planned. Fortunately, I had plenty of elements to draw on from Born a Queen, and there are still more which I didn’t use. Which isn’t to say that they won’t be used!
Even so, I think that the overall plot elements of Lilith’s Shadow were among the most ambitious ideas I’ve attempted to date, and I was careful to keep track of all sorts of things to get them as accurate as possible. Hopefully you enjoy this volume, as Amber’s schemes slowly build to a crescendo!
~Benjamin Medrano
Part I
Queen of Diamonds
Prologue
Wednesday, May 21st, 2031
Destruction Corps Headquarters, Unknown Location
“What a mess,” General Mayhem said mildly, and Commodore Catastrophe suppressed a wince.
The others around the table had varying reactions. Major Destruction just looked bored, while Corporal Punishment looked concerned, Ensign Exterminator shifted uneasily in his chair, and Admiral Apocalypse just looked attentive as she steepled her fingers in front of her. It was rare for this many of Destruction Corps’s commanders to gather in one place, and Commodore Catastrophe did not like being the one whose performance was in question.
After a moment, General Mayhem looked up at Commodore Catastrophe, his brown eyes deceptively mild and his salt and pepper beard carefully trimmed. “Commodore, what do you have to say for yourself?”
“I advised against the attack, as Hill is LANCE’s headquarters, and Archon is located too near the base. If you or the major were with us, I would have gone ahead with the assault, but under the circumstances it didn’t seem advisable. We might have been able to capture the alien, but it likely would have died, and based on what I’ve heard, most of its equipment was destroyed,” Commodore Catastrophe said, looking back at him fearlessly. “The tools might have been useful, but it wouldn’t have been worth the losses we’d have incurred if we’d succeeded. Besides, I doubt the military will be able to keep anything they discover to themselves for long, not with how many moles they have.”
“Agreed,” Ensign Exterminator chimed in, his voice higher pitched than most of the other men around the table, though he didn’t look like he was concerned about that. The tall, thin man had overly prominent ears, the criticism of which was what had driven him into their arms, Commodore Catastrophe guessed. “I already have some preliminary information from my agents. Not enough to make use of yet, but the alien appeared to have turned the project it stole from Paragon State into some sort of faster-than-light drive system. Additionally, its tools were stored in a machine that compressed space, allowing it to carry far more than normal. I look forward to getting schematics into Da Vinci’s hands.”
“He’d have made quicker work of it,” Major Destruction rumbled, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed. Commodore Catastrophe opened her mouth, only to be interrupted.
“That doesn’t matter. The problem is that this entire endeavor, as well as the events in California and Libya, have cost us resources. Worse, they’ve damaged our reputation,” General Mayhem cut in. “Some people are beginning to view us as laughingstocks. This is intolerable, and we need to send a message.”
“I could bombard New York, and see how strong the shield they have is,” Admiral Apocalypse offered eagerly, the brunette sitting up straight.
“No, your battleship is still hidden from the world governments. I’d rather make a decisive strike than a statement with it,” General Mayhem said, his gaze drifting around the table slowly as Admiral Apocalypse sat back in her chair, obviously disappointed.
Commodore Catastrophe considered for several moments, then asked quietly, “What about the Vegas Hero Convention? We’ve been discussing striking there several times, and I could always try to draw in Lilith, Morgan, and Warden.”
The others looked at her skeptically, with Major Destruction frowning heavily. He didn’t look happy, and after a few seconds he spoke. “You think that would work? They’re mages, the two dangerous ones, anyway, so couldn’t they just escape? Warden can teleport, thanks to that idiot Blue Impulse.”
“Not according to Da Vinci’s tests,” General Mayhem interjected, his tone musing as he looked at Commodore Catastrophe thoughtfully. “We’ve trapped a member of the Atlantean Ascendancy in a similar situation, and despite being able to teleport, he’s been unable to free himself. That means that the plans should work. Of course, with heroes involved it’s entirely possible that they’d come up with some way of escaping either way.”
That caused a wave of grimaces around the table, and Corporal Punishment spoke up. “If they do, wouldn’t that undermine the entire attempt? I mean, we’d have failed again.”
“Not necessarily,” Ensign Exterminator said, his voice thoughtful as he tapped his chin slowly. “As long as we manage to trap the heroes, as long as we manage to injure or kill a few of them… I believe it would strike fear into the hearts of many of our foes.”
“Indeed. And even if we can trap them for a short period, that may be long enough to strike elsewhere to good effect,” General Mayhem said, considering for several seconds, then nodded firmly. “I believe it’s a good plan. Any objections?”
“If I can’t use my battleship… no, I suppose I don’t,” Admiral Apocalypse said, and a murmur of agreement ran through the room.
General Mayhem nodded in satisfaction, focusing on Commodore Catastrophe again. “Then the decision is made. Commodore, you’re in charge of the project. If we can kill them, so much the better, but at the very least I want them trapped for as long as possible.”
“Yes, sir,” Commodore Catastrophe replied, relief flooding her as she straightened a little. It was a chance to prove herself, and at least the task played to her strengths.
“As for the rest of us, I want to figure out where to strike while they’re occupied,” General Mayhem said, his smile vanishing and turning almost hard. “While we could attempt to take down one of the class S heroes since none of them tend to go to the convention, I believe that may be biting off more than we can comfortably chew. Options?”
For several seconds the room was quiet, then Major Destruction spoke up, grinning slightly. “Pearl Harbor?”
General Mayhem sighed, looking at the rest of the room as he asked, “Any serious suggestions?”
“Cape Canaveral?” Admiral Apocalypse suggested, tilting her head. “While they don’t usually have that much cutting-edge tech, I seem to remember they have a launch around that time. It might be valuable.”
“Not a bad idea,” Ensign Exterminator said, smiling slightly as he continued. “Beyond that… let me see who’s confirmed they’re going to be there, first. I suspect several tech labs are going to be vulnerable…”
As they spoke, Commodore Catastrophe sat back in her chair, considering her own task. Drawing in heroes wouldn’t be too hard, so the important thing would be timing her strike properly and drawing in Lilith and the others.
At least Archon wasn’t likely to show up, as the heroine rarely left Paragon City.
Chapter 1
Tuesday, May 27th, 2031
Eden Manor, Glendale
“I think I hate dice,” Lilith said, glaring at the dice that had betrayed her again.
“I don’t blame you. I mean… you outnumbered Gina’s army ten to one!” Rachel said, staring at the board, then at the dice. “Even if the defender has an advantage, this is ridiculous.”
“Mm… true, though it is nice to win for a change,” Gina said, grinning wryly as she plucked two more of Lilith’s armies off the table, leaving only a single lone army in the Philippines. “I thought I was about to lose! You going to attack again?”
“I can’t. I only have one army left, which means that I’m doomed,” Lilith said, sitting back in her chair, resigned to losing yet again. Rachel was about to take part of Africa, she suspected, which wouldn’t help at all. She pondered, then asked, “Circe, has my luck been any better in card games?”
“No. According to my analysis, the only times you have successes with dice or cards is when it would put you into an even worse situation. It defies my understanding of statistics, and I find it truly fascinating,” Circe replied, prompting a giggle from Rachel, who then flushed.
“Sorry, sorry… I shouldn’t laugh, but it’s… well, a little funny, considering everything else you can do,” Rachel said apologetically, shaking her head. “If we weren’t using the same dice, I’d wonder if they were weighted.”
“Fair,” Lilith said, sighing heavily. “I suppose that’s it for my turn. I didn’t even take any territory, so no cards for me.”
“True. Now, let’s see… Africa or Europe?” Rachel said, taking the dice and examining the board closely. She’d already taken both North America and South America, along with pieces of Asia and Europe, so Lilith suspected she knew who was going to win the game. It was just a matter of time. Rachel placed her new armies rapidly, obviously having planned out her offense while Lilith had been losing.
“Mistress Lilith, you’ve received an email that you may be interested in. It’s from Director Esparza,” Circe said, a note of bemusement in the AI’s voice.
“Oh? What does he have to say?” Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow. “Does he have the samples already?”
“That isn’t addressed in the email. He says that he’s contacting us on behalf of Carolyn Ritter, current head of the Vegas Hero Convention committee. He stated that she considered contacting you via your contact form, but believed this would be more reliable and would ensure you knew the contact was legitimate,” Circe said, sounding ever so slightly miffed. “As if I would have mistaken it for anything but what it was.”
“It isn’t like she’d know that. VHC, though? That sounds promising!” Gina said, looking at Lilith in interest. “Maybe your heroics at Hill got you an invitation! Maybe as a guest of honor?”
