(Sector Eleven Military Base, Planet Nemo, Leo’s POV)
*WHIP*
*WHIP*
*WHIP*
Constant whipping sounds filled the air as Leo mercilessly struck a tied up Yu Zu with a leather whip, each blow landing with a sharp crack that bounced harshly against the metal walls of the dim holding room.
Yu Zu was bound securely to a reinforced chair in the center of the chamber, his wrists lashed to the armrests, ankles strapped to the legs, his body already marked with angry welts and shallow cuts that throbbed with every breath he took.
His hair clung to his forehead in sweaty strands, his chest heaved rapidly, and his voice broke in hoarse cries as the next line of lashes burned across his already tender skin.
"Stop... stop, you bastard... it hurts...!" Yu Zu said, his words spilling out between sharp, ragged whimpers, as he flinched helplessly against restraints that did not even creak.
Leo watched him quietly for a moment, his gray eyes calm and observant, as he traced the whip along Yu Zu’s trembling thigh, not striking yet, simply letting the other man feel the cold promise of pain that was yet to come.
"The Cult remembers..." Leo said, his voice low and steady as he gently tapped the whip against Yu Zu’s leg, keeping the rhythm slow on purpose.
"Every humiliation you inflict on us, every insult you broadcast, every life you trample under your false sense of righteousness... we remember all of it," Leo said, as his lips curled into a faint smile that never reached his eyes.
*WHIP*
The next strike landed in a place that made Yu Zu’s entire body jerk violently, a strangled scream ripping out of his throat as his head snapped backwards from pain.
"Arrrghh... not my balls!" Yu Zu said, his voice pitching high with panic and shame, as his eyes watered uncontrollably, his breath turning into broken gasps.
Leo lifted the whip again, this time letting it rest across Yu Zu’s lap with deliberate cruelty, as he leaned in close enough for the Commander to see the faint amusement in his eyes.
"Tell me Commander, you enjoyed watching Veyr being humiliated, did you not?" Leo said, his tone conversational, almost gentle.
"You must have laughed with your comrades and underlings when they replayed those scenes in your briefing halls.
You must have pointed at the screen and chuckled.
So now, I’m making similar content, but this time, it will be us that enjoy it."
Leo said, as Yu Zu swallowed hard, his expression twisting between fear and remembered arrogance.
*WHIP*
*WHIP*
Two more sharp blows landed in quick succession, one across his torso, another across his rear crack, each one drawing a different pitch of cry from Yu Zu’s throat, as the Commander squeezed his eyes shut, his pride and composure crumbling with every passing second.
"The Cult remembers," Leo said again, his voice firm now, each syllable carrying a cold promise.
"We do not forget. We do not forgive. We return what you give us... tenfold," Leo said, as he snapped the whip once more, not striking this time, just letting the air crack so close to Yu Zu’s skin that he flinched like he had been hit.
*Whapack*
Near the corner of the room, hovering silently at eye level, was a recording device that captured everything.
It recorded Yu Zu’s contorted face.
His trembling lips.
His strained breathing.
It recorded the sound of the whip, the raw fear in his eyes, the way he tried to stay defiant and failed every few seconds when another wave of pain broke through his resolve.
"Please... stop... men... please come save me," Yu Zu said, his voice cracking as he tried to speak toward the camera, even though no one was yet on the other end of the transmission.
"Do you hear him?" Leo said, glancing briefly toward the hovering recorder with a faint smirk.
"This is the mighty Commander of Planet Nemo. The pillar of this planet’s strength," Leo said, as he gently tapped Yu Zu’s chin with the handle of the whip, forcing him to look into the lens.
"Open your eyes, Commander. The universe will not spit on you if they cannot see your face," Leo said, as Yu Zu shuddered and reluctantly forced his swollen eyes open, tears clinging to his lashes.
"Good," Leo said, his tone softening slightly, not with mercy but with satisfaction.
He then turned fully toward the recording device, stepping close enough that his upper body dominated the frame, as he let the whip hang casually from one hand.
"How many days did you give the Cult to save Veyr, if we could?" Leo said, his gray eyes narrowing slightly as he addressed the unseen audience on the other side of the future broadcast.
"Sixty days, was it not?" Leo said, tilting his head, as he allowed a brief pause, letting the number linger for those who would eventually watch this, before continuing.
"Fine. I will return the favor," Leo said, his voice turning cold, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"I give you cowards living on Planet Nemo six hundred minutes to save your Commander before I execute him and release this recording on the GalaxyNet," Leo said, enunciating each word clearly so that no one could pretend they had misheard.
"Come save him, if you can," Leo said, stepping aside so that Yu Zu was once again visible in the frame.
"Speak," Leo said quietly, his eyes fixed on the Commander.
"C... come fast, men...!" Yu Zu said, his voice shaking desperately as he tried to straighten his back, even though the restraints bit into his raw skin.
"He is just one Transcendent... surely the lot of you together can take him down... please... save me...!" Yu Zu said, his words dissolving into a broken plea as his voice cracked under the weight of his own fear.
Leo watched him silently for a heartbeat, then gave a small nod, satisfied.
"That should be enough," Leo said, as he reached toward the recorder and cut the live feed with a simple gesture.
A few swift commands later, the file was packaged and transmitted through the local military network, piggybacking off their own encrypted lines, as it was sent to every military base, across every sector of the planet.
"Run to me," Leo murmured, more to himself than anyone else, as he glanced once more at the broken Commander tied to the chair, his eyes once again brimming with tears.
"Let us see if my strategy is successful or not.
If your men love you enough, it should save me a lot of time and trouble.
If not.....
Well, at least I have a humiliating video for the universe to see..."
He mused, as he cracked his neck and walked out of the torture room, back towards the open base.