Tender Empress
Your final message reaches us on a wisp of tachyons
To tell the tale of your death
Your beauty drives men mad
Though full ten thousand years have passed
Since your days of glory
We mount our ships in search of you
We come on wings of fire
Tempted by the light of your ending
Drawn like a moth to a flame
We fly farther than we have ever
Longing to know you
Who you were, what you were
For months we labor in flight
Traveling where we have never trod
Braving dangers that dwindle our numbers
At last we see your star on our horizon
Still unquiet with the throws of your death-song
Our fair ships battle bright hell to come closer
At last we see your world beneath us
A message of anguish and longing greets us
A tale of your last mighty days
Tender Empress
Your visage lay before us; your siren song compels us
Though we doom ourselves to land among your ruins
Our last ship lands, knowing it will never return
The last of us stand before your gates
Your citadel beckons with wonders untold
Standing perfect among the blasted ruins of your world
We know you died in battle against an unyielding foe
Preserved you did your final armies to someday carry on
And bring to the stars your glory once again
Your warriors stand silent, rank upon rank
Awaiting naught but your command
To once again take arms against your foe
A million ships lay harbored, protected by your shining shield
Would that we could pass unhindered through
That we might study as we worship you
Your image draws us near
A portal beckons and one reaches out
The portal opens and we are one less
Your silent temple lights with our sacrifice
We feel great engines beneath our feet
They stir and marshal their energies
We see the spire of your resting place
In the center of your glory
Haste we make to covet what though wast
Tender Empress
Twenty ships, five hundred men were sent to seek you out
All driven mad by your unearthly beauty
Only ten of us survive
We reach your palace of silver and jade
And dare to breach the doors
Another falls and we enter
We march through silent halls
The boot heels of our armor
Ring like a sacrilege in your temple
At last we find our treasure
Lying upon a bier of pure white
Your delicate features ensorcel us
With reverence we approach
And touch your bier to honor you
And we find a message there
Tender Empress
The truth plunges us into despair
No queen of stars and beauty
But a conquering vixen
Your ruthlessness unfolds
Of the many worlds you have raped
And of treasures that you’ve stolen
You leave a final message:
To waken you from your slumber
Will take a kiss and cost a man his soul
We know not what to do
We cannot breathe your air
Our final ship will shelter us but for mere days
We make a pact amongst ourselves to end ours days
We will move our ship to your bright citadel
And destroy your beauty and your villainy
We turn to seal our fate
But one of our numbers, his final senses lost
Opens his faceplate to air not fit for us
Before we can stop him from his horrid fate
He places a gentle kiss upon your elfin lips
And as the light dims in his eyes we see yours shining bright
We know our doom, cursed be we
For unsealing you from eternal night
Your warriors awake, the screaming starts
God help us, this ‘aye night!
