Above: There be Otonoliss!
Planet: Otonoliss
Word has traveled with alarming speed across the nature; even reaching, at length, the ears of the C.F.T trainees and their captain, Riss Len-Quéd: War has erupted on Iron Shore! And Otonoliss will answer her sister’s cry for help!
Now while the homeland force on this powerful nature is indeed plenteous, and could deal a powerful blow to the Censure Rite invaders, there is still little doubt in anyone’s mind that they would be heavily outnumbered and outgunned by swarms of the Incite’s nearly limitless fleets… an armada numerous as the wheat shoots in a thousand acres of farmland.
The people were quick to demand an explanation from Argin Aszen as to how he would proceed with this unprecedented offensive against an unbreakable foe. He, in turn, gave them his answer…
To dispatch only the Cosmic Flare Troopers aboard the Chariot to the besieged nature. Once there, they will mark as many of the enemy targets as they can, just as planned, and then Otonoliss will dispatch those targets from hundreds of galaxies away!
Meaning Otonoliss Will fire…for the first time in her three thousand year history!
“This! This Is history!” Aszen had screamed to all of Otonoliss from atop a balcony, standing before an assembled crowd of millions! “Today...the work of a trillion hands comes into full blossom! (he actually finds a way to say ‘blossom’ toughly! No Fooling!) Our highly trained, highly skilled Cosmic Flare Troopers will set out upon the Tri-star’s rising…and we will claim our place in this universe.” [Now the Tri-star rising refers to when a certain three-star constellation follows Otonoliss’s rotation to the point where it is directly above the city of Inquina.] (Which is only about four days from now!)
Riss didn’t like the sound of that one bit, and personally visited with the Prime Advocate to request more time for his men to train. After all, Most of them have never even seen a suit of C.F.T armour! But it was to no avail; Aszen’s heart is set upon an immediate departure, no matter what corners the trainees have to cut to prepare themselves for it.
Riss is quick to address them all upon his return, and doesn’t even try to whitewash the situation.
“Men”, he says, pacing before them as they all line up at attention inside a large hangar bay. “We’ve been given a pretty crummy assignment by the ruling powers. By now, you all probably saw it on the tele-caster, so I won’t waste my breath explaining it; but instead I’ll just say this…” He pauses to encompass all nineteen of them with a cool, measuring gaze. “I don’t believe that an eye has ever seen, or any legend been told of a band of guys as capable as you.” He looks at them again; more slowly this time. “You haven’t needed Roice, Ja-ça or I- or anyone for that matter- to teach you what you’ve discovered. You’re all perfect soldiers in my book.”
He pauses for a moment before he finally says, “Look, Aszen made it pretty clear to me that my job is terminated if I can’t meet his deadline… But I don’t give a hoot about that if it means sending you guys off to your deaths before you’re ready.”
Ja-ça nods to him in approval- not that Riss actually needs it; but he decides it’s nice to have anyway. “Guys…” he starts, taking in a long breath. “I uh…I’m willing to leave the decision up to you. Do you wanna go on, or head back home? I wouldn’t blame you one bit for choosing the latter…” He tries not to look too pleading. This job was supposed to be the answer to all his childhood dreams. Instead it’s more likely going to be one big nightmare!
But still, he would rather lose everything than send these men, who he’s quickly come to respect, off to their deaths.
Lucaus looks down the line of trainees. “Hey”, he addresses them. “We weren’t given a choice on Faoe. Why take the easy way out this time?”
Surprisingly, Aegis too, steps forward. “We came here to do a job…and that was to save people. We are more easily able to do that here than back home. And if this means we are to die for duty…then I say, let it be here, under Captain Len-Qued.” He returns back into line.
Riss nods to him, fighting to hold back tears of emotion.
Donold holds up his fist enthusiastically. “I came here to smoke me some Censure Rite pigs! Anyone else!?”
They all raise their arms and roar their affirmation.
Ja-ça looks at Riss with an approving grin.
He nods back. “Alright then!” he says; once again pacing before them. “If we’re all decided then, I suggest we bump up the training a notch. Starting right now we’re going to work eighteen hour days; we’re gonna start practicing the job you boys are here to do… Oh, and one other thing-” He suddenly whips out a revolver from his holster and aims it at Lucaus Endre’s head!
The weapon is no sooner at arms length then the Constellation captain twists it out of his grasp, and spins it around to point at him!
Riss grins as he receives the weapon back and returns it to its holster. “Perfect soldiers”, he repeats.
“You might wanna say you’re gonna do that before you just do it next time, maybe”, Ja-ça remarks in his usual cut-up tone. “I mean, just to spare us from getting startled out of our wits!”
He grins broader, enjoying the reaction of his friend.
Ja-ça shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “Now you know what to expect from our ‘fearless’ leader, boys”, he says to the group.
They all continue to stand at attention, although Donold grins from ear to ear.
“At least they know respect!” Riss teases, and then jumps back to avoid the quick punch from Ja-ça.
“Am I interrupting any ‘family time’?” Roice Son-ky asks as he walks towards the two, dressed in a full suit of shining silver and black armour, patterned with orange details. He ruffles Ja-ça’s brown hair as he walks past him.
“A little late to the party, Big, Tall and Scary”, Riss replies, loving to criticize Roice’s laid-back approach to everything. “I see you brought your suit of Trooper armour with you for a bit of show-and-tell.”
Roice shrugs. “Naw, not ‘tell’…” The black visor then pops up over his head from out of his chinstrap. “Just ‘show’!” the quirky light-face says in a deep artificial voice as it appears on the visor. And with that, he points his arm up and fires a cable out of the upper wrist plate, which fixes itself onto one of the rafters holding up the tall roof.
Within a second he has zip-lined up, and continues forward by taking great strides from one beam to the next in monkey bar fashion. He reaches the far window…and smashes right through it, disappearing from sight!
The sound of a cable punching through a wall can be heard before the veteran C.F.T comes smashing back through the hangar door below the window, and lands feet first, sprinting blindingly fast towards the group!
(And then- Oh No! he rams straight into them, knocking people to and fro like bowling pins!) (Actually he doesn’t.) Just before he hits them, he dives thirty feet up into the air over their heads, and lands with a mighty clang on the other side of them, executing a picture-perfect ‘war hero’ pose! His gaze looks off victoriously into the distance, while he rest his rifle on his shoulder…
And then he starts doing a robot dance! Inside his C.F.T armour!
The trainees roar in laughter and excitement, some even demanding an encore.
“That I leave to you”, Roice replies, pointing behind them.
They all turn to look quickly…
to see the locker panels on the back wall hiss open, revealing cryogenic compartments, each containing a fully equipped suit of Cosmic Flare Trooper armour!
“Woah-ho-Yeah-Heah!!” Donold exclaims in jubilation, hobbling over as all the others rush past towards the compartments, each one labeled with its trooper’s name.
Even Aegis looks excited, Riss notes with a smug smile across his square jaw.
Lucaus observes his own curiously, and then looks over at some of the others. “They’re different colour designations”, he remarks to Riss.
Ja-ça answers, “They’re for different teams, Captain. Even numbers for all four colours: Orange, Blue, White, and Red.”
Roice continues, “Orange team are called Sunburst, Blue are called Waterlog, White are Frost Bite, and Red: Laser Light. We’re still working on the four team leaders; but Sunburst- the orange dudes- are my guys, and Blue team- Waterlog- will be under command of the Frontier Keeper here.” (He points a hand to Lucaus Endre.)
“How many per team, sir?” one of the older Constellation soldiers asks- although it’s almost impossible to distinguish between members of either side now as they are all dressed in the same garb: grey jacket with orange detailing, and black pants.
“Well, there are only twenty of you- including Roice”, Riss answers. “So, for now, I’ll split you up evenly amongst them. One or two of you per dropship max.”
“And there are how many fighters exactly?” Aegis asks.
“Twelve”, Riss answers.
“Three for every squad”, Roice pipes in.
That raises a few eyebrows.
“And they’re four-man ships, right?” Donold asks in disbelief. “One pilot, three C.F.Ts?”
“That’s correct, Master Sergeant.”
It’s Cpl. Edmund Facier who finally speaks. “We appear to be a little short of staff.”
“Wait”, Lucaus interjects. “I have a feeling that you have already solved this little problem of ours. Haven’t you, Captain?”
“Very appreciated faith, Captain. Yes, I did”, Riss replies. “Due to the rushed state we find ourselves in suddenly, I have requested that trained members of the Otonoliss Sky Diving-slash-Incursion Brigade be requisitioned to join our number; as well as a few others whom I’m friends with.”
“Oh boy…” Ja-ça rolls his eyes.
And then in comes about fifteen more tough-looking guys; most with the distinct blue lines of Otonoliss men, and dressed in black (probably to make themselves look tougher). They enter the bay through the smashed hangar door, looking at it curiously as they walk around towards the group at the C.F.T lockers.
“I know those guys!” Shaj Kinnesfield exclaims.
“Can’t even buy us a good hangar door, Riss?” the rough-faced guy at the front of the oncoming group calls. “I thought your wife owns this place?”
“Manages it, Gateless!” Riss calls back. The two bump shoulders in bro-like fashion when Gateless gets to him.
“Ethaan”, he corrects Riss. “Ethaan will do.”
“Ahh, too bad”, he replies. “It’s so much more fun to say Gateless.”
“And who are these men?” Lucaus asks, slightly irritated.
“They’re the guys we’ve been training on for over the last week and a half!” Shaj says excitedly. He takes another good look over the whole group. “They all are.”
“Hey, you’re right, Big Pig!” Donold adds, just as excited. “Too bad they didn’t do much in the way of winning though, eh?”
“A mistake that will surely be corrected on the battlefield, young soldier!” Ethaan Gateless shoots back at him. “However I must note that I, in fact, (The Great Me!) did not lose in my competition against you people.” He looks at Aegis…who looks back at him.
“And I was facing off against a good soldier”, he continues, staring Aegis in the eye. “Easily the best of you. I only won because he allowed it.”
Aegis doesn’t contradict him, doesn’t want the word about his being distracted by Bruce Cavalar to be let out of the bag. That alone is why this man- obviously the scarecrow soldier- was able to successfully blow up his target, and thus win the match.
‘Bruce Cavalar…’ Aegis forces the thought from his head.
Ethaan then walks over to stand beside the big Faoeian. “Gentlemen, this man is indeed an extraordinary warrior. And Riss, you’d be stupid not to make him one of your squad leaders.”
Riss looks thoughtful, and slowly nods to himself. Aegis silently hopes that he isn’t agreeing with Ethaan on this one. Not that he doesn’t want to lead one of these teams; he actually feels quite confident that he would do an adequate job- if not an exemplary one… It’s just that……he’s afraid he might fail again- only worse next time. He might get some of these men killed because of it. Because he can’t control his thoughts.
“Alrighty, boys!” Ja-ça addresses the entire bunch of them. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and only a little time to do it in. So introduce yourselves to each other, grab a suit of armour, and then follow me! We’re on to the next phase of your training.”
It isn’t long before everyone grabs a pull-cart, loads their assigned suit aboard, and follows Ja-ça and Roice down towards another compartment of the facility (this includes Gateless and the men who arrived with him).
Riss though, walks over to Aegis as he’s finishing packing up his suit and stops him for a moment. “Just a second, Lieutenant”, he says to the big man (who actually stands almost a full head taller than him). “I’ve been…considering what Gateless said…” he pauses. “Do you think you’re up for the leader role, big guy?”
Aegis lets out a long breath, and finally answers, “In my opinion, sir, no. But if you still think me a good option, then I leave the decision to you.”
Riss nods, but quickly replies, “I still think it’s a good idea. So if you’re willing and able, I’m putting you in charge of squad Laser Light.”
Aegis looks melancholic. “Yes sir. Thank you, sir”, he responds like a good soldier.
“Good man!” Riss slaps him on the arm. “Let’s get going after the others, Squad Master.” He hurries off.
Aegis follows, unsure whether to be happy or not.
The next few days are spent acquiring skills in the trainees’ new C.F.T armour. They learn to utilize its incredible strength and near-invulnerability to any type of weaponry, as well as take full advantage of its blinding speed, both while running on the ground and while swinging from its two hundred-meter-long cable.
The back section of the facility has proven invaluable in their prepping, giving them long acres of waist-high vegetation to enhance their skills on, and also providing their most excited enthusiasts with a nice, long runway to jump across to the opposite land-plate, before it rises or sinks too far out of reach. (The jump is only about 150 meters… I could jump that… Yeah.) Once across, they utilize their position to continue to new land-plates, using their cable guns to cross any gorge where the plate is too high, and swan-diving down into the bushes and trees when the plate is too low.
Traversing ten, twenty kilometer-wide land-plates takes them only a hour or so by the end of their final day; with every moment a massive adrenaline rush!
Lucaus and Aegis- now the leaders of Waterlog and Laser Light teams, respectively- are the fastest and most accurate without a doubt, with the Great State and Constellation members not far behind. But, Roice has to admit, even Gateless and the rest of the Otonoliss boys are coming along much better than he ever could have imagined. It was his belief that they could never measure up to the standard that this mission required from its C.F.Ts; but he’s starting to wonder if he was wrong about that.
Poor Donold. He just watches them all intently the whole time, as if he could somehow train his mind to be a C.F.T where his body is unable to.
Roice walks up behind him and pats his shoulder encouragingly. “Cheer up, home-brew. If I can’t put you out on the field with the guys and me, then I’m gonna make sure I get you flying one of the dropships or something.”
Donold’s face lights up like a silver dollar. “Yes sir, that would be just perfect!” he exclaims.
Roice is a little bit taken aback by the sudden rush of enthusiasm. “Uhh… Ok- uh; do you wanna learn to start flying one of them right now?”
“Yes sir!” comes the instant answer.
“Ok, well, uh… It takes a little while to get the hang of it-”
“I already know how to fly at least a dozen Great State birds, sir! So you could just show me the basics while we’re underway to get me up to specs!” Donold says in one breath. “Uh…if you don’t mind, that is…” He looks as though he’s about to burst in anticipation waiting for Roice to respond.
Roice’s better judgement, of course, tells him that it’s absurd, that there are pilots who train for years to fly these dropships. But still, he likes to see a bit of enthusiasm. As far as he’s concerned, it takes a guy a whole lot further in half the time than someone with all the training in the world who doesn’t give a darn. Besides, it also gives this little fellow a good outlet for his energy. Roice likes Donold. The idea of spending his time training a fun-loving guy while underway- where he’d normally just spend the flight in his quarters, bored stiff- doesn’t sound too bad to him at all.
“Don’t mind one bit, kid”, he responds, putting an arm around Donold’s shoulders. They start walking back toward the Ceaderen Keep in the distance. “You and me are gonna have a blast, my friend.”
“Can’t wait, man!” Donold replies, hobbling as fast as he can to try to speed Roice up.
Aegis awakens.
It’s departure day. The great lights hanging from the roof- a good twenty kilometers above their heads- are only a dim, pale blue right now. It is still nighttime; probably a good few hours before they light up again. He straps on a belted coat over his night garments, and heads out into the chilly air on top of the wall.
He can’t sleep; the dreams don’t leave him for a second- the bad ones. Maybe he should look for Ethiir; they have become quite close over the last couple of weeks. Still though, it does seem pretty ridiculous to wake her up at this time of night over bad dreams…even if she would say that it’s okay. She almost seems to enjoy talking to him when his mind is a mess- which is often. And it helps; perhaps just because it’s a distraction, or maybe something else; he doesn’t know.
He has noticed the feeling of being less alone though, even if it does come with a sting of guilt. Abandoning all those hearts into oblivion claws away at him hard, dragging him down to the most miserable conditions now and then. But the more he thinks hard on the matter, the better it seems to just let them go… allow the tearful voices to settle into peace…into silence.
Across a jungle gorge, on the wall running parallel to his own, he sees her, Ethiir, exiting from the ladies’ chamber, disheveled-looking; obviously suffering from lack of sleep as well. Odd, since she won’t be accompanying them on the mission to Iron Shore this morning. Not that she doesn’t want to go of course, but Captain Riss Len-Quéd isn’t taking aboard any guests on this trip; so she, being non-military, can’t even use her status as an ambassador to come along.
She talked Aegis’s ear off the other evening about how disappointed she was to not be able to come. Maybe that’s what’s causing her sleeplessness. Either way, it looks like she has spotted him too, and after a brief gazing pause, begins to move along the wall towards him.
Something about that gaze felt different to him… so deep, so loving. He wonders if she thinks of him almost like a pet… always in needs of nurturing. Then again, he often does need it; so he wouldn’t blame her if she did. He takes in a breath and moves toward her as well.
Along the way he turns into a small hut to make a corner and…Stops dead!-
Bruce Cavalar stands before him! His face looks dreadfully menacing and distorted in the dim light of the hut!
Aegis freezes in his tracks; all the forgotten fear returning to him like a dagger to the heart! He wants desperately to run, or even just to scream aloud! but neither of them happen as he can only stand there paralyzed- fear draining away the ability to move!
Bruce walks up to him without wearing any similar reaction whatsoever, but instead leers a twisted smile, which makes his handsome face look terrible and horrifying! He is mute for a moment, watching the fear play through Aegis’s wide eyes. “You do not remember me, do you?” he asks.
Aegis can’t answer.
From across the gorge Ethiir sees Cavalar talking to Aegis, sees the look on Aegis’ face; and then doubles her speed towards them- fearing terrible things.
“Of course not; after all…it has been Millennia…” Bruce says slowly, causing Aegis’ heart to leap up into his throat!
He can’t accept it; can’t accept the truth. Regardless of how much he has suspected it already, he can not accept the thoughts as being truth! “NO!” he pleads, falling down onto his knees before Bruce Cavalar. “No no no no no…!”
Cavalar looks briefly at something nearby and then seizes Aegis’ shoulder, saying to him in a low voice, “Bring it to me…and I will set you free again.”
Aegis looks over at the sound of approaching foot steps. Ethiir enters, shouting at Bruce, “What are you doing!” Then she blinks in surprise…
Aegis looks back to him; but there is no one there anymore! Bruce has vanished! But he certainly left his mark. Aegis feels sick with fear and confusion and leans his head wearily against a railing. “‘I will set you free’…” he repeats over and over, despite the consoling words from a confused Ethiir; until the lights in the sky once more slowly come to life to usher forward a new day…
Usher forward a historic day…
Aegis Thaero...what is up with you?
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The Warlord Domination, Sovereign Race
Science FictionBefore 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...
