The pic is something like what Faoe might appear as from inside the mountains.
Hope you enjoy, and I hope you like sci-fi as much as I like writing it!
Planet: Faoe
14 minutes till ceasefire. And...
‘There are still men out there who do not know about it! They will die without our aid as they continue to fight…and this cause will be lost, just as all good causes on Faoe are.'
These are the thoughts racing through Aegis Thearo's mind as he and Irliss Eloken move stealthily through a district of the city, deep inside Constellation territory.
Inside, he actually believes what Ethiir said earlier, about there only being a slight chance of any allies surviving this far outside of friendly territory. In a city like this, no one could last long. But if there is one thing he knows for certain- if there is indeed anyone cut off out here- it’s that he has to try to save them, or they will most certainly be killed- another casualty added to the endless list of this desert's forgotten names.
He sighs heavily. 'Forgotten names…'
Most of us really can't understand the full gravity of those two words. They are, after all, just ink on a page… Or so it would seem.
But to this soldier they are so much more. To him, they come with every bit of stark reality conceivable; they are lives that will never more go on… Men and women…vanished…
He thinks often of what remains- those who remember them, if only for a short time- their families, their friends; all loved ones… 'Do they remember happiness?' he wonders. 'Or rather sorrow, misery- all the thoughts of days taken away from them- days never…never to be lived again; replaced by loneliness and anguish…’
These thoughts plague him relentlessly day and night, hardly ceasing for a moment. Everywhere he goes, everyone he sees, shows him the all-too-familiar reminders of this misery.
The pain he sees- or imagines he sees- in the eyes of those around him, wounds him to the core!
And the names... Oh, he can remember so many names! Darril Shies, Judith Alsaris, Hent Conners, Jameis Odat, Kanya Hanner, Shaezo Octose, Aliisha Cone, and many, many more… He can remember them all so well…and yet…
Many days he wakes up to wonder if can remember any of them at all! They seem so familiar, but so vague at the same time. When did they live? Where did they live? How did he know them so well?
…He doesn’t remember, and somehow knows that he doesn’t want to remember either- knows that it will hurt too much if he does. Inside, for some reason, he can’t shake the thought that it was his own fault- whether through negligence or purposefulness. They are all lost forever because of Him.
And it runs deeper than even that. Many times he has dreamed and imagined himself…ruthlessly Killing them! (A haunting thought if ever there was!) The pain that always comes with that destructive image is never far away.
'Their voices…' he thinks for probably the ten-thousandth time. 'Everywhere, their voices… Why can they not just leave me be? Why can I not just forget that they ever existed? What loathsome deed did I commit to deserve this Torture?'
The truth is...he doesn't know. He doesn't even know how old he is, who his family is or was, where he came from; or even whether there is a home for him to return to.
It is a strange sort of amnesia he knows he suffers from, but one he does not want to be relieved of. The pain he suffers from it he would willingly accept, were it to keep him from the awful guilt he fears memory would inflict.
But acceptance comes with a heavy burden. The misery of those men and women comes back to him in the strangest of ways. For every day he feels their anguish. There is not a single pang they endured, not one single sigh, that he too does not feel. They shake him often during his waking moments, and terrify him out of the few minutes of sleep he catches. They brake through the mental barriers he constantly erects, like a sword through paper, and drive from his face the stoic look which he uses to disguise the pain.
To sum these thoughts up, they bring him low, even in times like this when his focus needs to remain strong.
'Who are you?' he asks again and again; till, through fear, he flies from any answer they may give him- their silence and misery accusing him in ways which he doesn't understand.
To face that answer, he knows, is to accept something awful about himself. So instead, he just hopes- hopes that one day they will simply fade from memory, and leave him in peace. But that thought is near laughable, a hope barely worth clinging on to. For ever since he can remember- however long that may be- they have been here with him. His only lasting companions.
Today has been particularly hard. All the weary faces he has seen along the way have reawoken those bitter thoughts. That look Ethiir Regal gave him in the bombed-out hut stung hard. He came here, to this accursed city, to try to alleviate pain, to stop sorrow. It sounds foolish even to him, but still worth trying to obtain. Pain is what those forgotten people in his memory suffered… No one should ever have to suffer like that again.
Following closely behind Aegis, as the two pin themselves against a house’s concrete wall, Irliss notices the heavy expression on his partner's face. "Hey lieutenant, man, are you good?" he asks, concerned, clapping him on the shoulder.
Aegis is angry with himself for failing to hide it away, but manages to respond through pursed lips, "Fine." Then changing the subject to the problem at hand, as he so often does, "We have got to be nearing them by now."
Irliss suddenly reaches out, grabs Aegis's arm, and yanks him back behind the wall he was so clumsily exiting!
"‘Cry Babies’!" he whispers. [Cry Babies is his name for Constellation Ushering Sigh heavy tanks.]
Aegis curses under his breath. 'Better, lieutenant!' he commands himself. The two crouch low to examine what they’ve stumbled into more thoroughly.
At first glance it doesn't really look that bad to the untrained eye. Running parallel to the gulley they are in, a couple of unsuspecting Ushering Sighs patrol back and forth along a two-hundred-or-so meter stretch of old outer-city highway. Apart from that, there are no other hostiles in sight. (Seems like a cinch job sneaking by them, right?)
(But no! You're wrong! It ain't that simple!)
You see, despite their heavy armour and big (thing-a-mi-jig) howitzer on top, these tanks are susceptible to a key element of city warfare: (can you guess it?) surprise attack, my friend! Surprise attack. And they know it too. So the Constellation generals have come up with the idea to use these powerful weapons platforms, in many cases, just as bait. (You know- wait for some dumb Neanderthal man to blast away at it with his 'Slug' Launcher, singing to himself the entire time about how much he loves blowing stuff up, and then have your snipers pop out of hiding and mow down the easy- some might say weird- target. Now That’s a cinch job!)
(So, I'll tell you right now, buddy- If you're ever just walking down the street and you spot a Constellation thug, don't mess with him! These guys are smart fishies!)
"What-cha think, lieutenant?" Irliss asks, as they stalk a bit nearer to the highway, crouching. "We don't have enough time to find another way around. And from the way those 'Babies' are movin' their turrets around, Walters and his men must be dug in close by."
"Right”, he responds. 'Count on Irliss to notice what some would consider meaningless details, but which actually crucial.' He then takes another look at his timer- 6 minutes! "Blast it!" he curses just above a whisper. It definitely is crunch time for them! Time to make a decision fast; banish all other thoughts…or try to, at least.
His eyes suddenly widen as an idea strikes. "Irliss, do you still have your 'Slug' launcher?"
Irliss frowns. "‘Course I do. But you know it's not gonna do a mite of good against those behemoths."
"Nor does it have to”, Aegis replies excitedly, taking off his backpack and reaching both arms into it.
"Hey, whoa! You're not Seriously considering fighting them two, are ya!?" Irliss asks in utter disbelief. "Lieutenant, they're Heavy Tanks, man!"
"And we are desperate men”, he counters, pulling out four or five glowing red 'Bang' grenades from the pack. "Desperate men…"
"Do desperate things- I know; but…"
"Right”, he answers, punching a blue button on his gauntlet, activating the explosive devices. They light up a blazing red. "Now go, sergeant. Run! alongside the road; draw away their attention."
"And when those pesky snipers pop out of the woodwork? What then?"
Aegis smiles. "That is why you have this." He taps the 'Slug' Launcher.
That makes Irliss grin broadly. "Blow them up!" he cries gleefully, switching his combat armour's joints into a quicker gear. He then prepares to bolt away-
Aegis grabs his arm. "Irliss…listen… If something happens to me…do not stop running until you are somewhere safe. Do you understand?"
"Yeah right!" he scoffs, "No way, man- we're partners; we got each other’s backs no matter what!"
"Irliss!" Aegis pleads forcefully, but the big man has already bolted out into the open, dumping a 'slug' at the closer tank, putting it on two wheels for a moment!
Its partner up the road quickly notices the runner and swivels around sharply, spitting dozens of rounds of heavy cannon fire at him!
But Irliss is a sprinter by nature; he's fast- faster then the tank can turn- and keeps one step ahead of the shots. Then, having loaded up a second 'slug', he fires again! This one only narrowly misses going down the second tank's barrel!
Startled by the near miss, it veers sharply, punching right through a small building, and disappearing under the avalanche of bricks!
At the other end of the highway, the first Ushering Sigh crashes back down onto its four wheels, just in time to see its fellow tank being buried under the building. The pilot, furious, aims his big howitzer directly at Irliss, who's already a hundred yards up the road.
"Irliss!! Heads up!!" Aegis screams as he races toward the tank.
The driver sees and hears him coming on a fast collision course towards him, but stays on target regardless, firing a mega-blast at Irliss’s back!
The shell misses by mere inches! Booooooom!! It slams into a rotted out newsstand just feet behind him, hurling boards and earth in every direction! The blast wave scoops Irliss's feet out from under him, and then pummels him to the ground!
Still he grins broadly, pumping his fist while lying flat. “Mmmm! that felt good!”
And that is when things start to get a little bit rough; because, just as predicted, out pop the snipers- three of them; two on the rooftop of a two-story building across the street from him, and the other mounting a high-calibre sniper turret on a guardrail atop a water tower, not far up the street.
The latter of the two fires first, his heavy rounds exploding on the dirt just inches from Irliss, hurling him over onto his side!
But the big Phantom soldier snaps back up and continues running, despite the hail of fire from the two positions.
Aegis, in the meantime, hurls himself up on top of the Ushering Sigh tank. Its auto-turret next to the top hatch spins around on its moorings to shoot him, but is just as quickly smashed clean off by a speedy kick from the soldier! His eyes dart around, searching for any weak spot to stuff his active grenades into… But he finds nothing- not one small crack, not one indentation in the armour!
…There is of course the top hatch; but he knows that it would take a whole lot more than a man’s strength to pull that open. These vehicles are designed to be impervious to any attempt at boarding, and that includes by Phantom soldiers- augmented though they might be. But unfortunately there aren't really any other alternatives right now, so he seizes the handle and gives it a desperate yank, hoping against hope that maybe they forgot to lock it up when they started their patrol this morning…
And he gets quite the shock! Not only does the hatch tear off, but its entire holding frame comes off with it, leaving a shocked Aegis- with hatch in hand- staring down a gaping hole at the two occupants of the tank!
I couldn't tell you who’s more surprised- he or they! Both parties just stare for a moment, mouths wide open.
He gives them a quick 'I don't know' look before he recovers his senses and whips the 'Bang' grenades down the gaping hole. Turning, he dives off the tank!
…Only he doesn't land on the pavement next to it. Instead, much to his surprise, he soars almost seventy feet through the air and crashes through a colossally thick garage door on the other side of the street!
Baaaaam!! The first Ushering Sigh lights up the dim evening street like a firecracker! The shockwave, fuelled by its ammunition and fuel rods, knocks down anyone and anything within a two block radius!
The fight ceases for a moment as everyone takes it all in. "BOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOOM, BABY!!" Irliss shouts from behind a collapsed wall. "HEY, PUNKS! THE SECURITY ARE IN TOWN, SUCKERS!!" He has to dart for cover again as a rain of bullets pellets him once more.
But as for Aegis, who landed on his back amid a bunch of dusty, rotted-out machinery, the look which he wears isn't one of jubilation, but rather one of complete horror!
His hand; it’s Red! GLOWING RED! He rips his sleeve back up his arm, only to be met by an even more terrifying sight! There is something on his arm! It’s long and black- definitely some form of metal! But, to his even greater horror, he quickly discovers that it isn’t on his skin, but rather Inside it- only partially visible, but definitely still there!
In the heat of the moment, all he can think is, 'PULL IT OUT!! PULL IT OUT!!' and claws away at it like an insane man! But to no avail! He shakes his arm with all his might- which right now is apparently able to smash through a nearby stone column like it was made of sand!- but it does nothing to free him from this…this glowing metal Thing!
Yet all at once, it's gone! receding back beneath the skin from whence it came, and leaving behind only a slight glow on the outside, which quickly vanishes as well.
Even in his panicked state he can tell that whatever it was, it most certainly wasn't trying to hurt him. Quite the opposite. It must have been what gave him the strength to rip the hatch off, and enabled him to jump so far. …Could it somehow be here to help him? Here to free him from…? And then they strike him full force... memories of times and places long buried beneath the surface, playing like a movie before his very eyes! He sees a ring, an enormous steel ring, housing an ensemble of murderers, with he in their midst! His…his Brother is here too, a hateful man like the rest of them- a murderer!
His brain throbs violently under the blast of thoughts. "STOOOOOP!!" he screams at them, driving the images away from his mind. They vanish, leaving him on his knees, profusely sweating.
"Aegis! Are you alright!?" Irliss shouts from down the street, having heard him scream.
He can't even utter a faint reply, but only lies there, panting heavily; eyes staring up at nothing…
Until he slowly becomes aware of heavy thuds slamming into his armour- explosive sniper rounds! Somehow, that finally jogs the energy back into his veins! He jumps to his feet, blocks a second shot with his outstretched hand, and races in a zigzag up the middle of the street at the two snipers, eyes alight again.
He doesn't even make it to them. Just before he reaches the structure, a 'slug', fired from an adjacent building, rips through the superstructure, smashing four pillars in succession, till the entire right side of the building collapses amidst a pool of bricks and mortar! (And down go the goons… Awww.)
Aegis slows his momentum by diving into a roll, then jumps up through the window of a building off to his side, avoiding the collapsing wave of rubble.
Foooom!! The ensuing dust quickly spreads like smoke through the surrounding area, which Irliss uses to get to a vantage point where he can “smoke” the third sniper. (FUNNY!!!???) From there he can see where the 'slug' came from- a small band of three or four battered and weary-looking Faoeian Security soldiers hiding inside a collapsed shop. Walters’s men! He raises his hand in a relived salute.
Meanwhile, the dust from the collapse creates a zero-visibility situation inside the building for Aegis- highly dangerous for someone who might be on the receiving end of a sniper’s scope right now! This is all he allows to play through his mind, as he feels around for something to take cover behind...only to realize that he can see everything almost perfectly through a strange manner of yellow illumination, which highlights any objects in the room!
No time to think about that now. He looks down at his watch- 3 minutes! They are out of time! Sgt. Walters’ men are just across the alleyway! 'Move Soldier!'
He sprints for the back exit until he can again see the group of them not twenty feet off, beside a low, flat wall. He opens his mouth to call out to them- only to watch them disappear underneath a pile of stone as the second Ushering Sigh (the one who reversed into the building) bursts out through the wall beside them, runs them down mercilessly, then rams Aegis, punching him hard in the stomach armour before he can even react! It drives him backward with inexorable force through the wall behind him, across a dirt road, and through a tall stone monument, before finally slamming him violently into the side of an old warehouse- back first!
The fact that it didn't just shoot him down means it's here for one thing- sweet revenge!
For a moment Aegis is paralyzed- unable to move; but as the cobwebs clouding his vision begin to clear, and he can see his precarious position, he foolishly tries to push the tank off of himself...and finds it actually giving way!
Bad idea. Maybe had he played dead instead of fighting, he would have been released by the armoured giant- presumed dead. But, even with his newfound might, his retaliation only works to incense the operators of the beast, who put the vehicle into overdrive, and (literally) push him slowly into the concrete wall! Even the collapsing slabs of stone and the choking dust do nothing to stop the mighty vehicle, shoving with all its might, engines screaming like the Banshee herself!
Suddenly Irliss pops into view, 'Slug' launcher in hand; and, without a moment’s hesitation, pumps one into the side-tread of the tank!
No effect! The steel beast doesn't even take notice, but only keeps pounding harder- having already forced Aegis through nearly two feet of solid mortar! (Heck of a well-built warehouse!)
Almost at the point of unconsciousness- yet incredibly still alive- Aegis reaches out a hand toward his friend; and, unable to speak, waves him off; his eyes pleading with Irliss to leave him, complete the mission… Let him die.
Will that mean peace at last?
Irliss won't do that. When he joined the Phantom Droppers twelve years ago, he did it for two reasons; (1): because he was a loser, living out on the streets of a small town on the western hills, too afraid of duty to return to his wife and seven children, and getting himself into heaps of trouble (HEAPS!); (2): because he was sick of watching peoples’ lives ruined just because he wasn't willing to try to help them. Yes, he was afraid of what it meant to devote your life to another, but he was more afraid Still of allowing that fear to control him.
So he returned to his family, raised his children properly, and then came here. Why? To help others instead of just himself.
I'll bet you didn't think a big guy like him was capable of thinking about high ideals like that, did you? Well, allow me to tell you that, even despite his confusing exterior, Irliss has, many years past, set his heart in the right place. He does believe in placing others before himself…
And does believe that it is worth it to die for others.
And so, throwing away any fear for his own life, he loads up another ‘slug’, cocks, aims, and fires again...
This time the Ushering Sigh takes notice, having been almost punched up into the air when its rear right tread was hit! Aegis watches in despair as it swivels its turret around to aim at Irliss…
He is standing in the middle of the main street, without anywhere to run or hide, and with only one shell left in his pack. He loads it and fires in one smooth motion!
Paaang!! Unfortunately, the loud sound isn't reflective at all of the effect. The 'slug' grazes harmlessly off of the impenetrable armour, leaving him staring into the eerie blackness of the inside of the beast's turret…
For a nanosecond which seems like an eternity, Aegis looks out from the rubble to get one last glimpse of his friend…before the deafening roar of the turret sounds!
It blasts Irliss across the highway and hammers him into the water tower on the other side, burying him in rubble amidst a fury of orange fire.
Maybe Aegis would have cried bitterly, or maybe he would have just stood in stunned silence, unable to believe his eyes; but his enemy never gives him the chance to decide which. The operator punches the throttle again, pushing away with every ounce of the engine's power on the pinned soldier, crushing him harder and harder into the wall!
Aegis can't breathe, can barely see. Coming ever closer now, he can feel his life fading away- death’s welcome black walls closing over him. He is not afraid; it doesn't matter to him whether he lives or dies anymore. As far as he can remember, it never did. Life has been troublesome- to put it mildly. When the last time was that he was ever really happy, or ever really at peace with himself, he does not know.
It is easier to just go- die. This way is easiest anyway, for he has no choice. No conscience, no guilt is forcing him to hold onto life now…
In peace he allows the blackness to settle in… 'Take me away, my brother’, he says to Death. 'Take me to a home far away from misery, far away from anguish. From night I receive you, glad for the coming of first light…for the passing from life…' His eyes begin to close…
And that is when he sees those haunting black plates come out once more over his arms! No, not just his arms this time! he can feel them emerging from all over his body; even pulling over his head and eyes!
The tank stops pushing. Aegis can imagine the horrified look the pilots must be giving him as they stare wide-eyed at the metal revenant from behind their view screen!
They don't even get a chance to react to what they see…
Aegis feels his mind being rolled to the back of his consciousness like you or I would roll a tire out of our way, and feels something else slipping in to take its place! A shrill call screams forth from his cybernetic face- which now looks more like a metal ghost's skull, with howling orange eyes- before this creature stretches out its hand above the front of the tank, and then…
A single wave of glass-like light emerges from the hand; and, in a flood of scarlet, the Constellation mega-tank blows like a weightless toy twenty feet into the air, and gets hammered into the third storey of a small office complex, finally embedding itself upside down!
After a moment, the two pilots spill out of the back hatch onto the floor below and run off into the building just as fast as they can, screaming incoherently about the ‘return of the Dreaded Ancients’!
Having apparently completed its task, the black skeletal armour once again retreats back inside its host's body, leaving him lying in a slumped position amidst a pile of rubble inside the warehouse wall, staring mutely at the pilots as they run off.
He says nothing. He thinks nothing.
Time passes without his recognition of it.
In the sky above him two glass-winged King-ships arrive to locate the missing survivors. Their diesel-powered heavy turrets blare fire at the distant sniper tower, tearing it to shreds.
This doesn't exactly surprise Aegis; he had counted on his captain to do something to help- though using the King's personal ships was not among his list of possibilities. Aboard the vessel he can see Ethiir and Donold pointing down at him. They must have informed Zeelu about he and Irliss coming here, he surmises; his dazed mind playing through the details like they were just moves in a board game.
An alarm is ringing, coming from his watch. It reads, ‘Time Expired’. His mind somehow deciphers what that means. "We did it”, he hears himself say, as he watches a group of badly injured men emerge from a basement about a block down, lead by a wounded Sgt. Walters- who is missing an eye.
The King-ships land nearby. Faoeian soldiers pile out to escort the half-dead squad aboard.
At length, Constellation soldiers arrive on the rooftops, but no fire rings out from their rifles; no tanks arrive to blow the wounded to pieces; there settles in only a strange quiet. The entire city settles into a peace not heard before in Acastid for many years. A peace like a wandering child finally returned to his home.
He sees Ethiir running over to him, then holding her arms around his shoulders as two Phantom soldiers carefully pick him up, place him on an all-terrain gurney, and take him to the closer Red Banner King-ship.
His face remains void of life as the ships take off, headed back for base camp. Now, more than ever before, his mind is bombarded with painful questions he does not want to know the answers to- never wanted to know the answers to…
'Why did it not just let me die?' he moans interiorly. 'It would have been so easy…so easy… And poor Irliss; why did it not save him instead?'
As the flight continues he feels like all the energy has been completely drained out of him. Even if he wanted to sit up he knows that he wouldn't be able to. However, the idea of facing a hundred nightmares in sleep isn't exactly an appealing thought. He can't deal with that right now- or ever, really- and tries knocking back the waves of unconsciousness that are washing over him, but with limited success.
Then he feels himself being carried by two Security soldiers toward the exit ramp of the King-ship. They are back at Basecamp.
Zeelu is there, watching him; and though he can see a small fraction of resentment in the man's eyes, he sees pride in them, too- pride at Aegis’ ability, pride at being the one who trained him to this level of efficiency- though he doubts if Zeelu knows exactly what the details of the battle were.
But right now he is tired…so very tired. He tries to lift up his arm to brush it away, but doesn't...quite……
Later.
Ethiir sits on a couple of crates in the command building, observing the damage and destruction around her mutely. Her jaw feels dry and weary from tensing, so she just lets it hang down.
Below, both sides are using this opportunity to re-collect all of their stranded pockets of men, women and children- many of whom have been isolated for weeks, if not months- and to round up and treat their wounded.
And there are a Lot of those. Already Ethiir has seen hundreds of them stagger- or even crawl- into the camp with no one around to give them a helping hand. Many are either near death from gunshot and/or shrapnel wounds, or are already passing away. If they are lucky enough there are some family members or friends nearby to wail over them and cling to them tightly in their last moments; if not, they die alone.
"Now you can see first hand the work of the Constellation, madam”, Zeelu says pointedly as he walks past her to hand a young civilian- Mex Vomer, she heard his name was- an ice pack to place on his knee- which is giving him considerable pain by the look on his face. Mex starts apologizing to Zeelu about how he and the captain’s son were unable to escape the city due to road blockades. Zeelu places a hand on the youth’s shoulder reassuringly.
Aegis is here, too. Shaj Kinnesfield and another Phantom are tending to wounds he received to his torso.
"I have no idea how a guy can get pushed through a wall and take as little punishment as he has!" Shaj keeps saying in amazement. Nor can the two of them get over the fact that Aegis and his partner destroyed two (count 'em two) Ushering Sighs.
He’ll survive though. She already asked them about that. She even offered to help the smelly goofs with whatever they needed, but was met with a rude response along the lines of, "This is our line of work; not something an 'Otonoliss' would know anything about!" Nor did they care when she informed them that she too was born here. 'They're Morons!' she thinks.
Her step brother, Donold, is sleeping on the floor beside her. 'Amazing that anyone can sleep at All here!' He isn't doing as well as she had hoped though. The doctor, who took just a brief look at his back before running off to his next of many patients, said that it could take years to heal, and that he Certainly would never drop again.
Of course, that didn't gel too well with her stubborn brother, who swore up and down to the doctor that he would be dropping back into combat again within a month. The doctor didn't have time to argue and took off, leaving Ethiir to give Donold a good tongue lashing on how foolish and stupid she thought he was being. All to no avail, though. Like just about every other thick-skulled dummy here, her stepbrother is just too committed to “his brothers”- the people he fights alongside day and night- to even imagine leaving them. 'So Faoeian!' she thinks; irritated, yet somehow still proud of him.
*Click* The communications array turns on. The command post is being hailed.
Before she can even start to stand up to answer, an anxious King Shunt practically pounces onto it, jabbing frantically at the 'respond' switch. "Yes!?" he answers a mite too loudly (actually, it's more than a mite). “Nature surface receiving you! Yes!?"
Captain Riss Len-Quéd's face appears on the screen. *"This is the Chariot. Is everything prepared for the talks, King Shunt?"*
Emasse smiles, relieved, and releases a breath. Then, looking at Zeelu steadily, he says, "I think you'll find us quite prepared, Captain Len-Quéd. Bring your ship down and we shall talk."
Riss looks a bit concerned. The Chariot landing amidst territory controlled by not only the Great State, but also the Constellation, was never part of the deal; and with good reason... he was hoping to keep tensions as low as possible. But Ethiir, who finally manages to get to the screen, gives him a confident nod. That reassures him a bit and he nods to someone off-screen. *"Alright, roger that. Prepare for entry."* The screen flicks off.
Ethiir wordlessly walks back to her makeshift seat and plops herself back down. 'Finally!' she thinks. "The end of this Nightmare!'
That word ‘nightmare’ reminds her of Lieutenant Thearo for some reason, and that horrible expression she had seen briefly on his face. She turns to look at him and is startled to see him sleeping with eyes open, emptily staring at the ash clouds above with that identical same haunting look!
She finds her heart bleeding for him, but is at a complete loss as to how she might help.
"Yeah-heah-heah!" Ja-ça cheers at the good news; then adds with impish patronization, "uh...sir."
From his command seat, Riss smiles, then addresses his bridge crew. "Ok boys, we've been up here long enough, I think. Let's show the good citizens of the nature below something they won't quickly forget, shall we?"
"Gee-up”, Roice agrees from his seat at the back.
Riss flips a switch, and the helm in front of him, in turn, opens up on either side to reveal two control bars with grip handles on the ends. (Think of them as a steering wheel, but for a ship as big as two hundred transport trucks! AWWWWSOME!) Riss works the controls, veering the ship hard to starboard, which takes them rapidly through the atmosphere below...
Mex grunts in pain. His knee is still sore, partially from the boulder that landed on it a couple of weeks ago, but mostly from the 'heroics' he performed to save a young woman's life not three hours prior- or at least that's what Ganju keeps calling them. Cute kid- annoying, but still cute.
The crazed young woman had walked straight out into the open street! So, assuming she had lost her mind, Mex jumped out of his hiding spot and tackled her out of the line of fire, bashing his knee good on the pavement as he did so! ‘Blast it hurts!’ he complains to himself, trying to distract his mind from focusing on the pain by pulling an old toy out of his coat pocket and staring at it. The toy is a pretty popular one among Faoe teenagers, an action figurine of the great King Easerphay Septae (the King who founded the Great State some 5,000 years ago).
The distraction doesn’t work. Instead he can only complain, 'Some people! They just go completely crazy when they find themselves in desperate circumstances!' It's been happening more and more lately, too- or, as far as he can tell anyway. More and more folks just going outright cuckoo in the head!
He almost grins. 'And guess who's job it is to take the brunt of the beating for their mistakes?' It seems to him that that burden always falls on the ones who can cope better with the stresses of this warzone; namely him. 'And my knee!' he adds, clutching it like a long lost brother.
“Ah! Pain's good for ya's!" an annoying voice pipes up. He turns to see Ganju sauntering over. The little brat then double-taps his sore knee! "builds up your spunk."
"AAAAAAH!!" Mex cries out as shocking pain shoots up his leg. "Ganjy! when I can get up again, I'm gonna clobber you!"
"Sorry, partner-pal”, Ganju replies, plopping down beside him. "Didn't know you were that wimpy."
Mex tries to seize the little rascal, but isn't nearly quick enough with his busted leg to prevent him from easily hopping away, skipping off into the cluster of activity happening all over the command post.
The young woman beside him- the same one he saved earlier- finally speaks up, after brooding over her near-fatal mistake earlier. She's quite a pretty girl by anyone's standards, with a straight, narrow face, brown hair, and standout blue eyes. "Your young friend is unhealthily mischievous, isn't he, Mr. Vomer?"
Mex frowns, trying to gel with that name. "It's Mex, Miss Enegross", he replies bashfully. "Uh- my dad's name was Mr. Vomer."
She just nods, still deep in thought. Finally she responds, "Well, my mother's name is Miss Enegross. So just call me Siva."
"Miss Enegross is your mother's name? Not Misses?" Zeelu asks her as he approaches the two of them, with a steaming bowl of stew for Mex. "Is your father not still alive and well?"
"No sir”, she replies, looking up. "He died in the River Carnage war, serving with a Phantom regiment."
Zeelu looks intrigued. "Hmm, I am sorry to hear that. Colonel Lyonem Enegross was his name, I believe?" She nods. "He was my commanding officer when I fought in Avalirst mid-city", he continues. "A most patriotic man for our country, my dear. A man well worth imitating." Then, looking over to the corner where Aegis Thearo is lying, he adds, "Would that we were all so steadfast in that belief."
Taking the bowl from Zeelu, Mex sheepishly offers it to Siva, saying, "You could probably use this more than me, ma'am- uh, Siva." And he's not just doing it to be nice to the girl. Really! It's actually more because all evening long Zeelu has been running around like a drugged lunatic, fetching him just about everything he could possibly ever need, from soup to nuts! (HA! See how I put 'soup' in there like that!? Ha ha! …Are you proud of me???)
To both of their surprise, the young lady drains the whole thing in about 10 seconds! She then hands it back to the captain, hoping, of course, for a second helping.
Zeelu chuckles, but heads back to fetch some more anyway.
Mex looks at her curiously. "I take it you haven't eaten much for a while?"
She scoffs. "That's how the Grand Constellation treat their prisoners- like we aren't even human beings; starving us like animals!"
"You were a prisoner?" Mex asks.
"Let's just say my mother and I were under 'house arrest' (she makes quotes with her fingers). When he rescued me, (she nods at Zeelu) I didn’t know what had happened to my mother, so I started wandering around looking for her; and just about got myself killed in the process..."
"Yeah, I know that part”, Mex replies, still holding onto his knee.
"Sorry”, she finally says, looking at it too. "…It was pretty stupid… I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt because of me."
Mex manages a smile. "Hey, ‘we all make mistakes’- Zeelu always tells me that. That's why I'm here for ya”, he finishes, feeling awkward.
"Mm-hmm”, she smiles, and then heads after Zeelu, leaving Mex pondering over their conversation as he always does- sometimes against his will.
But his thoughts are interrupted as the entire camp starts all at once to point up at the ash clouds above, gawking open-mouthed at what is emerging from them.
It is a sight that neither Mex nor most of the primitive-culture citizens of Faoe have ever seen. An enormous airship- by their standards of course- lit in brilliant blue lights, reflecting shining patterns onto its sleek, silver body, arrayed all across with decorative patterns of orange and rust colours.
It is the Chariot- the pride of Otonoliss; captained by one of their Finest (just ask him, he'll tell you). The ship looms over the red city for a few moments, illuminating the rooftops and sky-scrapers in blue, as though attempting show off its grandeur. ‘Just like a predator showing its mighty fangs to its downed prey’, Mex thinks, before it finally settles down in a cloud of dust upon a hillside just outside of the main area of the metropolis.
The docking ramp on the underside of the ship lowers to reveal two of its strangely-clad passengers. For Mex, this is the first time seeing a real life, born and raised on Otonoliss, citizen. And somehow it isn't exactly what he expected.
Their garb is normal enough- well, normal enough for high-class people anyway- very ornate white coats with fancy orange patches on their chest and upper arms, dark pants with royal blue markings here and there, and…shiny boots! That strikes Mex as a little bit unusual. Yes, many royal soldiers keep their clothing well tended, but to take time out to shine boots, when they're just going to get dirty again right away, seems like a foolish waste of time to him. An old saying on Faoe is, 'Boots get dirty; don't bother shining them.' But, then again, so is, 'This place stinks!' And Mex tends to agree more with the latter one. So maybe polished boots aren't such a bad idea after all. But, putting aside the way they dress, the most unique feature by far that these Otonoliss men possess, besides their comparatively small build, is the bright blue lining which follows the pathways of the veins over their entire person- save only for their face! (Oh, and the hair! They don't have blue hair!) Mex can't even begin to imagine what purpose that could possibly serve.
The two blue-lined men just take in the awed stares of the crowd for a moment, then start their way down the ramp toward the three waiting troop-carriers supplied by the Great State, which are to take them to the King of the Seat himself.
And as for the King, he is watching the two enter the centre vehicle- a long boxy machine, armoured to the nines- wearing a look as though he's ready to jump for joy. Zeelu, not so much.
Lucaus is angry. Very angry. It isn't hard for young Jose Phate to guess why, either.
The huge man barges right out onto the open street, past the startled Great State guards, and plows through anyone who tries to stop him from reaching the troop-carrier. Once there, he slams his mighty fists against the thick door of the vehicle.
"Back off, scum!" the angry driver shouts at him.
Lucaus doesn't even hear him. "Len-Quéd!!" he bellows. "You are not exempting my men from this, you hear me!!?" He deals the door another heavy blow, this time actually rocking the vehicle! "This bargain includes us as well!"
Jose and five or six other Quell soldiers finally catch up and put restraining arms around him, stopping the giant from doing anything he might later regret. He doesn't fight them off, (thankfully!) but only stares, seething, as the vehicle continues on as though not even seeing him there.
Inside the troop-carrier, Riss bops the top of the drivers seat. "Wa-wa-wait”, he says quickly. "Stop; let's just hear him out." He addresses it more to Ja-ça than anyone else.
"Not a good idea, captain”, Ja-ça chides. "That was never part of the deal. Let's just keep it moving. This place gives me the creeps."
Riss pops the door hatch open anyway. "Let's just hear him out", he repeats.
Ja-ça rolls his eyes and exhales slowly. "Whatever you say”, he says, not making any move to come with him.
"Thank you, number one”, Riss replies, enjoying his authority as captain a little too much. He exits onto the street to meet the rapidly oncoming Constellation captain. "Captain Endre”, he addresses him formally, offering a hand. "It's quite an honour meeting you face to face at last-"
Lucaus explodes on him, swatting it away! "Then it is My honour to tell you, Len-Quéd, that, were you not a man under the white banner, I would have you and your entire crew sentenced to Death as deserters for this!"
Riss swallows, but still manages to smile. "And why is that, captain? Our loyalty to you and your people is now just as constant as ever-"
"A fact made very apparent by your allying yourself with these filth!" Lucaus cuts him off again, gesturing up at the King and his guards watching them from the first floor of a nearby building. "They are the sworn enemies of both our peoples! They are the infection; we- the surgeons!" He jabs a finger into the Guardsman symbol on Riss's shoulder, actually making him wince! "And yet You”, he continues furiously, teeth gritted. "have chosen to make Them your band of...proud fighters!" he practically spits. "Your Elite men. And you'll watch with adoration as this scourge fulfils your peoples’ will! …You'll witness the Red flag of the Great State fly proudly above the Otonoliss banners!" He pauses only to breath hot air into the face of the Otonoliss man a full head beneath him. "The dogs will be let in, Mr. Len-Quéd."
From the rooftop nearby, Zeelu watches the events unfold with satisfaction. Beside him, a crowd including Mex, Ethiir, Donold, and everyone else in the command centre gaze down as well. Being within earshot, they hear for the first time what Otonoliss will ask of them- why all the events of the day have taken place.
Zeelu doesn't take his eyes off of the commotion, but watches his chief lieutenant, Aegis Thearo closely out of the corner of his eye. He sees him sit up in his cot, listening attentively. Zeelu frowns. 'What is your angle, Thearo?' he thinks.
Getting inside the motivations of his men- apart from the emotional ones (he’s never understood those much)- has never been a problem for Zeelu. People are simple, he has always thought; they get by on their own till trouble hits, and when it does, flock toward a leader like little children to their mother. It is their nature- to be afraid, to look for another to fly to for protection. He has been that someone. He has been that leader. They flock to him, they all do, whether they know it or not.
But not Aegis. The man is strong; he doesn't need another to be strong for him (or so Zeelu thinks). He doesn't flinch in the face of war; he doesn't need others to be brave for him. He fights like a spectre warrior from one of the old fairy tale books; he doesn't need another to fight for him. 'So what does he need?' Zeelu asks himself, just as he has a dozen times before. 'What makes the man tick?' He doesn't know; hasn't ever found out in the many years Aegis Thearo has served under him. All this time, one question has never really left his mind: What really drives him?
As he is pondering this, the war of words between Lucaus and Riss is continuing below.
"Your idolization of them is misplaced, Guardsman of Otonoliss!" Lucaus shouts at a flustered Riss; who is quickly beginning to lose patience with him.
Riss decides to try giving him some type or other of stalling answer, hoping against hope to somehow calm this raging giant down enough to dive back into the troop-carrier and hit the gas!
No such luck! His number one, Ja-ça steps furiously out of the vehicle, slams the door behind him, and charges over to back up his friend!
Within a second, he is right by Riss’ side, staring defiantly up at Endre. "Strong talk, Small-fry! coming from a punk whose obviously small IQ couldn't even drag his petty self out of an equally petty war!"
Lucaus's eyes open wider than his men have probably ever seen before- judging from the amazed looks on their faces. For a moment, it seems as though he might bring his mighty hands down on Ja-ça to crush the comparatively tiny man (and Ja-ça is even 5 foot 11!). The Quell soldiers get strong grips on Lucaus and brace, prepared to hold on for dear life, while Riss reaches his hand down to rest on the ivory handle of his ceremonial double-barrelled pistol (soon perhaps to be not-so-ceremonial).
Ja-ça just looks smug. Riss wants to punch him so bad right now.
Finally Lucaus finds his voice. "In comes the mouthy lackey to do the captain's work for him!" he spits out. "Do you weaklings not even possess the spirit to let your commanders fight for themselves!?"
Sensing an imminent boiling-over point, Riss tries to put a restraining hand on Ja-ça’s arm . "M-my friend speaks out of-"
"We butt in because they shouldn't even have to hear such contemptible nonsense as this!" Ja-ça shoots back at Lucaus, brushing off Riss. "Hey listen, punk! You weren't invited! So why don't you do yourself a big, bloated favour, and go find yourself a real war to fight in, Endre!"
Lucaus looks enraged enough to break through his men like twigs and pulverize Ja-ça in his fury; but instead shows a good deal of restraint by grinding out, "Your disregard of our cause only shows me what little honour you people possess."
Riss looks exasperated, but Ja-ça doesn't back down. "'Discipline!?'" he mocks. "like you!? A mad brute who'd turn savage if it wasn't for his men having the brains to restrain him!"
This time Lucaus Does advance toward him- dragging four men in tow, not withstanding their pulls and pleas! He ends up only about a foot from the dauntless Ja-ça.
But he makes no attempt to break free, only stares with unblinking eyes down at him. Finally he manages, with the most disgusted look on his face, "You're not even worth the little effort it would take, Lu-den."
Curiously enough, Ja-ça actually begins to slowly smile. "Right answer”, he says at last, nodding.
Riss blinks in surprise, not exactly sure what to make of that. Usually when Ja-ça gets started there's no way man or beast can slow him down!
Lucaus too just stares, without even blinking at his adversary. "What are you talking about?"
"You answered right, Captain Endre”, Ja-ça says again, proudly. "I insulted you, and you held your own. You could've killed me at any moment."
"Then let's just be happy he didn't”, Riss quickly interjects, grabbing his friend by the arm. "So we'll just be leaving now and getting this road on the show-" He pulls him back toward the truck.
"Hey-hey-hey-!" Ja-ça protests.
Lucaus quickly pursues and grabs onto Riss's arm. Before he can even open his mouth Riss spins on him with unchecked fury in his eyes. (He hasn’t been this mad since last year at his mother-in-law's yearly reunion! …Whoooooa, he’s mad!) He shouts furiously into the Frontier Keeper’s face. "What, can't you leave it at an apology and just call it a day!? You didn't maybe get in enough insults or something, is that it!?"
When Ja-ça doesn't say anything, Lucaus answers him in a gentle tone, "I want my men to be given a chance, sir. That is all I want. Leave me behind if you wish."
Being past his point of no return- temper wise- Riss is completely ready to give him a flat out "No!" (and maybe even add in a wave and a "Bye-bye Sport! Thanks for asking though!") when Ja-ça interrupts him with a round of clapping.
"Oh yeah!" he remarks. "Again, right answer! You are in my friend!" He looks over to Riss, who's jaw just fell open. "Yeah, he's in, Riss. We need him; and more of these guys, too, if we can get them."
I couldn't tell you who's more surprised- Lucaus or Riss. They both just stare at him like he has two heads. Riss beats Lucaus to the obvious question. “What are you on about, number one?"
Ja-ça smirks. "You know, you should confide in me more often, Captain-Sir. I wanted to see how much the Frontier Keeper here wanted this." He looks over at him. "You've given me more than enough evidence to merit an invitation to the team, sir!" He salutes.
Riss looks both annoyed and dumbfounded at the same time. "What!? Ok, look Ja-ça … You aren't seriously telling me that you were just putting on being mad the whole time? And what's all this garbage about us assembling our own team anyway? We're not the geniuses behind all this."
"Why so many questions, Cap'?" he replies, feigning irritation at Riss being stumped; though actually thoroughly enjoying himself. "This isn't a political debate for cryin' out loud."
"I trust I need not remind you, Commander Insubordination, that we are under direct orders from the Prime Advocate himself to recruit only members of the Great State Allegiance. So ha!" he smirks, satisfied.
"Hmm…" Ja-ça replies matter-of-factly. "Well, if memory serves, we're here to collect the best soldiers for this thing possible." He stops to gesture at Endre and his men. "I think we may have just found some of them.”
Riss frowns at him. 'Ja-ça can be like the kid who never got spanked!' he thinks to himself; though he does find himself starting to see logic in the man's idea.
"Look, captain…" Ja-ça continues. "we were told to find men who can not only do the job, but are also motivated to do it."
"And you think these people are motivated, do you?"
Ja-ça glances over at Lucaus and his men; the giant is staring intently at him for the answer. "I know they are."
"Give us a chance, Captain Len-Quéd”, Lucaus almost pleads. "You and your people will most assuredly not regret it." He waits for Riss's answer.
Riss takes a few moments to ponder it over before finally saying, "Just remember, number one, that this was your idea. That’s what’s going on the paperwork."
"YEEE-HAWWWW!!!" Ja-ça screams, jumping on top of his buddy and violently ruffling his hair! "That's my boy Riss!"
"Captain!" he reproves quickly, pushing him away; though smilingly.
"Thank you…from I and my men, for this privilege, captain. We owe you a debt of gratitude”, Lucaus says, as formally as teeming excitement will allow.
Just then King Emasse Shunt arrives on the scene, escorted by a good dozen of his burgundy-clad guards. The king throws out irritated palms as he hurries over. "Can we Please get to the heart of the matter Captain, Len-Quéd?" he exclaims. "Need I remind you that this treaty is a tense one at best! These Constellation…" he changes his mind about what he was going to say when he sees Lucaus. "...Men are quite likely to break it at any time now."
"No, King Shunt, they won't”, Ja-ça says with unrestrained pride. "not anymore. Captain Endre and his men will be joining us on this."
The King looks disapproving, but doesn't object (openly). "Very well then. Come now, time is of the essence!"
"Yes sire!" Riss says enthusiastically, glad to be getting to it at last; though not disappointed with the days results so far. 'This is actually getting interesting’, he thinks.
The two Otonoliss men then follow the king and his escort into the first-floor doorway of the command centre.
"Not bad, huh?" Ja-ça says, grinning from ear to ear.
"Wow, Ja-ça!" Riss replies, clapping his partner on the back in mock flattery. "I didn't know you were smart!"
As the troop passes beneath his line of sight, Zeelu turns around scowling, and prepares to go back to whatever task he had been doing prior, in a show of defiance for all this to anyone else who's still watching…
Until he notices Aegis watching as well- weak, leaning heavily on the railing, but still watching attentively.
As the crowd turns and forms an almost nostalgic migration downstairs to the lower level, Aegis makes his way slowly after them.
Zeelu doesn't look him in the eye as he walks past, but still addresses him, saying, "Our people will not swallow this rot, lieutenant." Then he turns to face him. "See that you don't either."
To his amazement, Aegis almost laughs at the near-threat. "Speak for yourself, sir”, he says in a raspy voice. "Some of us might not go the way you think."
Zeelu looks at him, hardly even recognizing his friend. "What do you want, Aegis Thearo?" he finally asks. "I and the men under me hold you- in particular- in great esteem. You know that. Why ever would you even consider betraying that trust?"
His response takes an agonizingly long time to come out; when it does, it’s slow and…painful. "I do not want esteem… I do not want trust… I am a soldier. I need neither."
That enrages Zeelu more than anything else he could have said. He moves over to stand beside the big man; and, without looking at him, says, "Know this, Thearo. Any man who follows Otonoliss today is a deserter, and I will see them shot for it." He gives him a “you get it?” look.
Aegis nods. "Yes, sir”, is all he says, and then walks downstairs anyway, as though having not even heard Zeelu's dire warning.
The captain finds saliva foaming up in his mouth as he stares in disbelief at the back of one whom he has held only ever in the highest regard...
Until now.
THE CHARACTERS ARE FORMING BIG TIME, I TELL YA!
LEAVE A LIKE IF YOU'D BE SO KIND, AND LET'S GET THOSE COMMENTS COMING! THANK YOU.
ESTÁS LEYENDO
The Warlord Domination, Sovereign Race
Ciencia FicciónBefore Earth were the days of the Warlord. Now an official AMAZON KINDLE ebook (also available on various other ebook and paperback sites) 94,000 thousand years ago, in the age of terrifying alien Warlords, humanity struggles to hold back the onslau...
