The journey back home was only a few hours rather than the years it took to reach Earth. Kraken docked automatically once it left warped-space. It's scars from the shrapnel of the downed drop ship were visible from the Space Port, a jagged piece still protruding from it's hull. Normally, when a mission returns they hail their superior and relay the details of success. Xiloch is going to deliver the news in person, more often than not a sign of failure. The arm cannons had done their work patching him and the others up, save Gridt, but in failing this mission, they might as well have bled out on Kraken in Warped-Space. They didn't talk much during travel, each of them knew the price of failure, especially on a vital assassination mission. No one talked about Korth's ship exploding in Earth's atmosphere. They weren't sure if they were sold out or their luck was just that bad.
Kraken docked and having already gathered their gear Gridt, Trik, Jir and their leader disembarked with the air of defeat surrounding them. Xiloch's head was lowered at a strange angle trying to compensate for the immense pain of his recently mended snout. His right arm was in a sling, the cannon wasn't able to completely mend his crushed bones and fragments were littered throughout his forearm. Considering his arm resembled paste before the cannon did its work Xiloch couldn't complain, at least he'd be able to keep his arm, his life however was another issue. What remained of Korth's gear would be picked up by his family, seeing as how there was no body left.
"This is bullshit. We were told their heavy weapons were off-line!"
"We should've pulled back when we saw the Guardians."
"Who the fuck scouted?! I want their heart!"
Xiloch slammed his fist into a nearby wall. "WE chose to continue after realizing their heavy weapons were functional, BUT YOU LOST TWO LIMBS TO A GRIDTESCH AND CONTINUED YOUR MISSION!"
Jir quieted down. He had been waiting for the time when he'd come face to face with a Gridtesch. He let the thought of prestige get in the way of his mission but at least he had his trophy. Xiloch got uncomfortably close to Jir's face, fighting the urge to reopen his healing shoulder.
"There are few Halgred I've heard of who were both great fighters and totally incompetent. But you - you're a new breed entirely. A disgrace in your grave but a monument for taking down a Gridtesch."
"I'm not dead yet Xiloch."
"BUT YOU SHOULD BE! The egg you so hated was the only one to kill an Automaton and he destroyed a Guardian before he was called back... his drop ship exploded in the atmosphere." A few seconds of tense silence passed before Xiloch continued. "If you speak again Jir - I'll present your heart to the War King myself."
The threat served to silence Jir as they continued to the debrief hall. Out of all of them Trik was in the least trouble seeing that he managed to extract all the information he could from the Shinimorte's main computer and got a total death count, confirming at least that part of the recon information. He'd been friends with Gridt for years though and the thought of her facing execution wasn't fun to entertain.
They'd left their gear in the supply room and haggardly made their way to the room they'd gathered in before leaving for Earth. Xiloch breathed deeply and was jolted as he grabbed the door handle by a thud from the other side. He pulled his hand off the handle and looked over to the security camera. A voice replied from it's speaker.
"Come in Xiloch, bring what's left of your team."
Xiloch quickly opened the door, not at all surprised by the voice of The King of Conqueror's. The body that had slammed against the door slumped to the ground and was immediately dragged back into the room by King Draconisis.
"Trik's report explains that things were not quite as we were told from the recon mission. Judging by your appearance and the obvious missing Egg, the failure report was indeed, correct."
There was a simmering anger beneath Draconisis' tone and it shook Xiloch and his team to their cores as their King sat the nearly dead recon soldier in a chair. Draconisis' nose flared and his scales seemed to vibrate with anger as he punched into the soldier's chest.
"You're lives are spared this day Xiloch, it was the treachery of these three that caused your recent... failure."
As Draconisis spoke he motioned to two other recon soldiers, one dead, the other with fear in his eyes. Draconisis pulled his hand from the chest in front of him, fighting against the assorted arteries and parts connecting the heart to the dead soldiers body.
"However the report did mention that... Jir managed to take down a Gridtesch. A noble feat Jir, I bow to your strength."
Jir wasn't sure if he should be happy or terrified that the King's attention was on him. He made a fist and lifted it to the air as was expected when acknowledged for taking down a Gridtesch, but other than that he said nothing. He stole a glance to the address camera's in the room and when he noticed the King standing back up he lowered his fist slowly. At that moment the secondary arm cannon signaled that it had done what it could to Jir's regenerating shoulder. Draconisis crushed the heart in his hand as his wings slowly unfurled. He shot across the room in the blink of an eye, tackling Jir into the wall behind him. Draconisis dug his claws into the freshly healed shoulder and roared in Jir's face.
"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU THINK TAKING ON A GRIDTESCH WAS A GOOD IDEA ON A MISSION YOU UNDERSTOOD TO BE IMPORTANT?!"
"... Father."
The Wyvern Princess standing by the briefing table spoke flatly as Jir struggled not to scream in agony. Draconisis seemed to stare right into Jir's soul and proceeded to punch him in the face repeatedly, denting the wall behind him until he heard a satisfying enough crack.
"I see your Gridtesch trophy was well earned."
Draconisis folded his wings neatly behind him and slowly pulled his hand from Jir's shoulder. Jir fought as hard as he could to remain standing and not utter a sound. Every inch of him wanted to pass out but he knew if he showed any weakness, his life was forfeit. His every thought at this moment was stand and remain conscious. Draconisis slowly walked back in front of Xiloch, Gridt and Trik.
"I also read that you fought the Immortal Xiloch. Did you manage to kill him?"
"No. He switched bodies with one of the younger automatons before I crushed his head and removed his fluid pump."
"Slippery bastard that Immortal."
Draconisis walked over to the briefing table and sifted through Trik's digital report, blood still coating his hands.
"He crushed your arm I see."
"Correct my King. He was still able to pilot his personal Guardian in the smaller automaton body he switched to."
Draconisis raised an eyebrow. "His personal Guardian. Trik did you not see this occur?"
"No my King. I believe Xiloch engaged the Guardian when Kraken's computers were momentarily disabled."
"Fair enough. Now, Gridt. The data on your fight I found very interesting. You only managed to injure Captain Lancieta Steegle and some Neo-Humans?"
Gridt swallowed hard as she prepared to die in that moment. She removed her shirt and made two parallel cuts over her heart with a knife.
"You say the humans appeared to have become as tough as we are?"
Gridt was confused that she was asked a question instead of killed.
"I know this to be true War King."
Draconisis stayed quiet, waiting for Gridt to elabourate.
"I had slammed one human into the ground multiple times and threw him at least 90 feet and through the wall of a building while snapping off his tail. Another human managed to break through the cockpit of my mech without mechanical assistance. One was capable of camouflage, it took a fair amount of my own punches to break a few of that one's ribs. It was able to break through the scales on my shoulder."
She motioned to her shoulder and Draconisis walked closer to investigate. Gridt refused to use an arm-cannon to completely heal her wounds. She cleaned her wounds herself and left them undressed. Draconisis examined the bite marks on her shoulder and lifted up her nearly limp arm which was pockmarked with bullet holes from 30mm ammunition.
"Your arm as it is, is useless Gridt."
Draconisis motioned to the shaky Jir. Jir initiated the transfer sequence on his arm-cannon as fast as he could. It slithered across the ground, up Gridt's side and swallowed her arm.
"You faced the formidable automaton in her battle suit, two guardians, and 3 Neo-Humans who seem to be as tough as our people and you came out with some bullet holes and a bite."
He placed a hand over the cuts Gridt made over her heart, pulled his shirt up and spread the blood over his chest.
"You heart is your own Gridt."
"You honour me War King."
"You honour your name!" He paused in thought before shouting to Xiloch. "Assassin!"
"Yes War King."
"I'll leave the execution of the last traitor to you. Show our people how you deal with traitors."
At the command of his King the rage Xiloch had been repressing exploded. He dashed over to the soldier kicked his knee backwards and lifted him up by the neck. The species of this soldier has an exoskeleton that reinforces various points on their body, like the neck. Xiloch's arm muscles bulged as the soldier desperately flailed to break free of his grasp. His exoskeleton started to fracture, then crack. When blood started pouring from his mouth Xiloch threw him to the ground, stomped on his stomach-cracking a few ribs, plunged his hand into his chest, roaring as he ripped the heart from it and crushed it.