Episode 4--The Star of Sorrow II: Hunters' Banquet

Gyula drops a red capsule into a glass of wine. You people call us vampires with contempt, but we're not foolish enough to make you our prey, he says; there are other ways to quench our thirst. [==Blood substitute. Most vampires in Trinity drink this instead of human blood--it's the rare renegade that still preys on Terrans. Most of them like it with added seasoning, too, ranging from sugar to opium and heroin.] He drinks down the glass and explains his desire for revenge, saying Esther should understand. His wife Maria loved the people of Istvan, and would roam the streets by moonlight handing out candy and medicines, even though he disapproved of such charity toward Terrans. One summer there was an outbreak of plague; she went out to distribute medicine and never returned. She died at their hands, he snarls, and slides a gun across the table. Take it, he says; take revenge if you can. Esther reaches for it but Abel stops her. I won't let you kill anyone, he says sternly, but levels the pistol at Gyula himself. You can use the Star, can't you?--he asks. The Duke smiles: I knew you weren't just a priest. Guns are drawn all around the table. In the ensuing scuffle Abel is thrown against a wall and stunned. Vampire!--curses Esther and fires at Gyula, but with inhuman speed he's already behind her and twists the gun out of her grip. The blood about to be shed, he says, is an offering to his wife.

At the Vatican: Francesco criticizes Caterina's hesitation and demands that the Pope authorize the attack on Hungaria. Little brother sighs and says yes, that will be for the good of the people, then asks timidly if this means war. Both Caterina and Francesco assure him it's worth it to avert a much larger battle.

At Gyula's mansion: Esther is now dressed in one of Maria's gowns, much like the one in the portrait ("You look much more human in that than in your bloodstained nun's habit," he remarks.). She asks him what the Star is. The Star of Sorrow, he replies, an inheritance from my ancestors and my wife. In addition to her kind heart, apparently, his wife had a brilliant mind: she was an electrical transmittance programmer, with the skill to run the relay satellite set up by her predecessors. The satellite was supposed to provide power for the city by transmitting it via microwave from solar modules on the moon. She hoped to see Istvan prosper and become the Pearl of the Donau once more, but the Vatican turned on us, growls Gyula. They claimed that the satellite was a weapon, that we were planning mass slaughter, and used the power of the Church to brainwash the people into killing Maria. Abel---tied up and bound to his chair--says that neither Gyula nor Esther should kill any more, that revenge doesn't accomplish anything. Nonsense, retorts the Marquis bitterly: who takes revenge to accomplish something? --Sit there and watch the Vatican's downfall. And he steps into the elevator with Esther. Abel leans into his ropes: I must stop the Star, he says, or Rome will fall.

In the control room downstairs, Gyula checks the screens, sees the Vatican fleet approaching and fires off a shot. Esther protests that he's killed enough but he says this is a fight for survival between her people and his, Terran and Methuselah; co-existence is wishful thinking, a mere delusion. ---There's a huge explosion outside--he goes to his screens and is startled as the screen brings up targets in Rome and Londinium. Why is the East Bank burning? Who input coordinates for Rome and the Empire?-- What program is this?

It's just as programmed, Your Excellency, says a calm silky voice, and a hologram transmission materializes: it's Dietrich von Lohengrin. Esther is stunned to see him. My program activated with your first shot, he says; now the Star of Sorrow can't be stopped by anyone, and the whole world will burn. Two idiots blinded by revenge, you were so easily used...he adds to Esther that playing dead was fun, and both she and Gyula demand to know his plan. Unlike your crude thinking, he says, we work toward a refined and majestic goal. They both gasp.

Vatican ships swoop low over the city; a familiar shape dives from one of them and shoots its way into the room where Abel is imprisoned. Tres-kun!--he cries in relief. Tres clips off his ropes with one precision shot [sugoi!] and tells him that the Star of Sorrow was activated 768 seconds ago, and the 8th Squadron has been annihilated. I'll leave that to you, calls back Abel, dashing out of the room. Positive, concurs Tres. As troops rush toward the mansion he steps onto the roof: --you're surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender!--the Gunslinger surveys them: embedded combat program running in genocide mode, he says calmly…

Gyula accuses Dietrich of trying to start another war between the Empire and the Vatican, and he applauds. Marvelous, he says, exactly correct. Have you heard the name "Rosenkreuz Orden"? The Marquis hasn't. You may be happier not knowing, says von Lohengrin, and he smiles. I adore you, Esther, he says sweetly: every time you kill you justify it by saying it's for the good of others, though it's nothing but murder. You're so cute; I love you. She protests that she never wanted a war, and he says he'll teach her the "magic words": "Restore the world with our flames", the Star of Sorrow's self-destruct code. Ja ne; 'bye! And he dematerializes.

Esther races for the control panel but Gyula throws her aside; they argue over the need to stop the Star. I knew I should have killed you earlier, he says, and a blade slides out of his sleeve. You know the code, I can't let you live. They struggle, he hurls her to the floor and poises the blade over her--and in races Abel. Gyula at once lunges at the priest, stabs him through, but Abel pulls free and throws him across the room. What? a lowly Terran?--he's astonished. Abel steps forward. Esther-san, I leave the Star to you, he says, and as she rushes to the control panel he takes off his glasses, closes his eyes…

And Gyula stares: what the hell are you? --Marquis of Hungaria Gyula Kadar, says Kruznik-Abel severely, for murder and fomenting revolt I am taking you into custody. Gyula cries out that he'll never give in to the Vatican, and leaps into the air drawing back his blade; Kruznik-Abel stands squarely between him and Esther, and black wings break from his shoulders, form themselves into his whip-blade. With one swing of the black weapon Gyula is brought down and falls hard to the floor. Why don't you kill me, he gasps. My mission is to stop the Star, says Abel--now just Abel again--not to take lives.

--But the "magic words" Esther is trying to input aren’t working, and Abel takes the keyboard. Be quiet, he snaps, and gives the Star of Sorrow a command: "Maintenance program, voice recognition system, administrator mode." It promptly recognizes his voice, to Esther's amazement. Told to search all operational system shutdown commands, it responds that there's only one, and it can't run that unless given a password above administrator level. Abel doesn't hesitate. "United Nations Military Outer Space Program, Colonel Abel Nightroad, assigned to Red Mars Project Maintenance and Security," he replies: "identification UNASF 948R MOC 666 02AK." Esther stares in disbelief. Password confirmed, says the Star: will run the 3090 protocol and self-destruct. It does, in a blinding fireball, and the room goes dark.

The Star is no more, Gyula moans in pain, and--rips off his own arm, saying he refuses to go to Rome and be executed by the inquisition. Blood sprays the portrait of his wife. He apologizes to Esther, saying he knows he took away someone dear to her; she should kill him now if she still desires revenge, as he hasn't long to live. She says nothing, and he coughs up blood and sinks down; she gathers him into her lap. He gazes into her face with dim eyes, manages to speak. "I only wanted to see you happy, Maria...why did it turn out this way...?"--Esther chokes up, realizing that in his dying moments he imagines her as his lost beloved. In compassion and pity, she holds him close. Arigato, anata--"thank you, dear"--she says gently. He dies in her arms. As she prays for his soul, the ancient creature fades into a shower of light.

And we see her boarding a train for Rome, seen off by Abel, telling the spirit of Mother Laura that now she has a dream: peace between humans and vampires. Even if she can't do very much to make it a reality, she'll do her best: it's her way of honoring the dead. And we see a rose on Mother Laura's grave.

...go on to Episode Five.

...return to Trinity Blood Episode Guide.