»»---Echo---««

Chapter 1 - Accelerator

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Darkness.

Darkness was something I had become familiar with. Darkness and the grime that seemed to coat the walls of the ship I could never find my way out of. I didn't get many chances to try and escape, considering I spent most of my time on this ship in a coma, but today was different. I had hope that he woke me up for good reason and not just conditioning. Maybe it was another mission.

I'd been on here for... I'm not even sure how long, but I was very young. Sometimes when I am awake I get to sit and listen to the emperor grumble and rant on and on. I try to think back to my life before the ship. My life before all I ever knew was darkness.

Nothing.

Everything before I came here was a blur. No family, no memories, no life before everything went to darkness. Sometimes I question if I was born here, but seeing the various monsters and aliens that came and went made me believe otherwise.

They hated me. Hated me for being something called 'human'. I'm not sure what that word meant, but I grew to hate it over the years. Hated myself for being it.

When I woke up from sleep one of the Krybots snapped the collar on. I groaned. Another mission. He never gave me the collar unless it was for the mission.

I was marched down to the Emperor's chambers with a sword pressed into my back. What a great way to wake up right?

The Emperor stood waiting, his glowing eyes no longer scared me like they did when I was young, but instead of kneeling I did my signature bow with a sly smile, "My lord."

He grumbled but didn't retaliate to my disrespect, "We have taken all we can from the planet Merlandia."

I watched quietly as he approached his scrying bowl.

"Their life forms have fled and now their planet is useless to me."

I gazed into the bowl seeing the planet that was once lush and beautiful now brown and dying.

"Destroy it."

I knew exactly what he wanted me to do with that order. I did my best to hide the tremble in my hands, my only sign of morality left in me, as I pressed the launch button letting the planet be reduced to nothing but ashes. The Emperor was ruthless. Life meant nothing to him as he takes and takes from planets then destroys them in his desperate search for power.

He wanted to be a god.

His laughter was unsettling as the ship kicked into overdrive to avoid the blasts. Where we were going I wasn't sure, but this must be my next mission.

*✧ ─ ✧*

"The Sirian space web, I know that Anubis 'Doggie' Cruger is still alive. That web is strong, and I need a proton accelerator to move my ship through it."

He turned to me, handing me a tiny gadget that I could use to communicate with the ship.

"I have a contact on the Earth planet who will be able to retrieve one. My ship may not be able to get through now, but you can. Go get me what I ask, and let no one stop you!"

His grisly tone sent shivers through my body.

"Yes my lord," I bowed again with a hand over my chest as a symbol of allegiance.

Was I really going to Earth?

*✧ ─ ✧*

How did I let this mission go so wrong?

I truly thought it was going to be easy. Go to Earth in my human form, get the accelerator, kill the informant, then return to the ship in the same pod I had landed in. It was supposed to be simple.

Now, I ran through the cities tracking down the supplier. Of course he decided to run when he saw my com link in my hand. He knew I worked for the Emperor.

I had lost him. I looked down to the ground and let my armor form around me, using my scent tracking and night vision to lead me to him. I turned the corner to see him standing on the edge, "Don't!"

He jumped. I ran after him, passing some humans loading into a truck. I leaped over the edge landing swiftly on the concrete below.

The informant wept laying on the ground in pain. Bones stuck out of his leg as he tried desperately to crawl away.

"Where is it?"

He laid down letting his head hit the ground.

I looked around desperately trying to find the accelerator he had in his hands mere minutes ago. Nothing. I rushed forward picking him up from the ground by his collar, his leg dragged against the concrete causing him to whimper in pain, "Where is it?"

"You'll never find it."

I let go. The informant dropped to the ground with a yelp as I dug through my pockets for the charge.

"Please don't," he whimpered.

I sighed, finally pulling the charge out and turning it on, "Sorry. Should've given the Emperor what he wanted."

I walked away while listening to the beeping get faster and faster. Then, boom.

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So excited for you guys to read what I've been working on for the past few months. Let me know what y'all think in the comments below!

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and as always I hope y'all are safe and happy and may the power protect you!