The Kunar homeworld of Yara offered little in the form of beauty and comfort. Jagged mountains and flowing volcanoes cut into the planet's otherwise smooth, flint-colored surface. Small specks of Zanathum metal ore dotted the land. A small charcoal moon hung above the distance.
The Dendrac system, and Yara especially, had been bustling with life once, foliage and creatures as far as one could see. Nothing was the same after the War. The Kunar of the past had committed many sins, and now their descendants paid the price.
Among the many physical reminders was the Privarium, a large black obelisk that erupted from the earth and metal like a rotted tree born of the planet's mass. It housed everything for the Kunar: a capital city, schools, military bases, and research stations. Above all else, though, and at the very top of the Privarium itself sat the chambers of the Regime.
It was here that Ravig watched as the clouds writhed like snakes of ashen matter. His attention had drifted, as it often did during Regime meetings. Words snapped back into coherency.
"And that is exactly why you need to ensure that no more information gets out. We cannot risk a full-scale revelation of all that we've worked towards," High Lord Regal spat at the group assembled before him. His face was full of disdain, his golden claws dug deep into the Zanthum throne that he sat on.
"My Lord, I assure you that -" Rana, Overseer of Intelligence, began to respond.
"Assure me of nothing, Rana. This failure is on your hands so I want nothing but absolute execution of my command," Regal fumed.
He lurched forward in his seat, the sway of his opulent robes causing the embedded jewels to sparkle.
"I have been summoned by the rest of the High Prime to explain my case. Do you know what that's like, forced to bow before those filthy Chyl and Humans?"
'I know a thing or two about bowing before filth,' Ravig thought, careful not to let his face betray his thoughts.
He looked at the rest of the Regime. Their stoicism meant they most likely thought the same.
Rana stepped forward, the lank of her face and body giving her the appearance of a sharpened saber.
"It will be done, my Lord."
Regal craned his neck toward Ravig, his most-trusted advisor.
"Make sure that Rana takes care of this, or you will take care of her."
Rhessian, the jester-like Overseer of Special Operations, let out a cackle from his place in line. His crooked posture and vibrant mask betrayed a truly frightening individual.
"Yes, I'm sure Ravig would relish the chance to take care of Rana," he quipped.
Regal paid no attention to the words of the off-kilter Overseer. Instead, he turned his attention to the older Kunar hunched over and rambling quietly to himself.
"Any update on our project, Rickus?"
The Overseer of Research jumped at the mention of his name. He looked up immediately, eyes covered by a rounded violet band.
"Completion timeline estimated one solar year, Lord Regal."
Regal finally stood. Ornate etchings trickled from his chestplate down his robes and into the billowing cape behind him. He took one step, then another, the jangling of his bejeweled armor filling the air. A sense of anger blazed around him.
"I will say this once, and only once," He shouted, bladed finger pointed at his Overseers. "Take whatever resources you need and get your jobs done! Not in a year, not in days, but now!"
He disappeared in a plume of golden dust, appearing again by the window that had originally captured Ravig's attention.
"My domain will expand," he stated in a calmer tone, "Whether you all are at the helm... or not. Now be gone."
Ravig and the rest of the Regime said nothing as they turned and exited Regal's throne room in synchronous fashion. Ravig knew to utter any type of retort would be met with deadly consequences, and there would eventually be a better time to air his criticisms.
The Overseers continued down the inky halls of the Privarium and around a corner until they reached their spherical debriefing space. Ravig took a seat in the corner as the rest spread out. Tension stayed tight within the group until Rhessian broke the silence.
"Quite the outburst, yes?" He snickered. "Our great and powerful leader is afraid of the Humans and... Chyl."
Disgust riddled his voice.
"To think that we've stooped so low as to apologize for our actions."
"Hush, Rhessian," Rana snapped from the opposite end. "Lest you forget who it was that sent the very squad I'm now having to cover up for."
Rhessian laughed and twirled up to Rana, at least a foot of difference between their height. He looked up into her periwinkle eyes with a deranged smile.
"Rana, love, let's play nice before you make a mistake you can't take back."
A bubble of frigid dark matter crept up behind Rana. It ebbed and flowed in a manner that defied the laws of physics, sending odd vibrations across the room. Rana didn't flinch. She didn't need to.
Ravig moved quickly over to Rhessian and dug his hand deep into the jester's shoulder, pressing him down. Rhessian's laugh grew a little more unhinged as a result.
"Came to save your miss, Ravig?" he teased, head twitching slightly.
Ravig said nothing. His claws dug deeper. Hatred for the jester bubbled inside him.
"I get it, I get it," Rhessian said, squirming under Ravig's clutch and dissipating his Kanushin. "But don't forget that I have friends too."
A slam reverberated the floor underneath the Regime as Rhug acted on his cue. Ravig turned, already knowing what he would see.
The Overseer of Enforcement was the biggest of them all. Armor held tightly across his hulking mass, struggling to stay together. He growled, took one more step forward, and looked Ravig dead on.
"Rhug does not like when you threaten friend."
Though his speech was slow and marred, menace filled every word. Rhug took another step forward. Still, Ravig said nothing. His grip tightened. There was nothing about Rhug or Rhessian that warranted backing down. Not when Rana was involved.
"Boys, please," Rana called. "I actually do have a situation that needs a more... delicate... touch."
"The girl?" Rickus inquired.
"No," Rana responded. "Ravig will see to the girl. I need you two to take care of one of our own."
Ravig removed bloody claws from Rhessian's shoulder. Rhug backed away slowly in exchange. Ravig smiled. Rana was the cooler head of the two, but together they made a deadly pair.
_____________________________________
Diah looked around at the tattered tents, dilapidated huts and crumbling houses with a sense of unease. It bothered her that people were forced to live this way when some of Atania's wealthiest lived just levels above. Even when she was parsecs away from home, there was no escaping inequality. It just took on a different form. She chewed her cheek a little in frustration. Diah saw Zaius watching her from the corner of her eye.
"It's hard, isn't it? To watch people struggle when they've done nothing wrong?" He said, following her gaze.
Diah blinked, pondering the harsh reality before her. She turned and looked at Zaius, nodding slightly.
"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts," She answered. "I just pictured things being different here on Tovarro."
"A lot of people come to Tovarro in search of better lives," Zaius explained as they walked through the dilapidated neighborhood. "Most just end up somewhere here in the Embankments though. We're tucked away under the Stock Docks, so TovaSec doesn't bother and they've kind of formed a bustling little community of their own. Tovarrans on these floors can really only rely on ourselves."
Diah listened intently and watched as two small children chased each other around a broken cart. Neighbors gossiped and pointed across the way. A man stopped another and pleaded for food. Their clothes were worn, unraveling and caked with various muck. Zaius lightly tapped her shoulder twice.
"Come with me," he said, tilting his head toward a cluster of buildings down the makeshift road.
The two walked, Zaius in the lead and Diah closely behind. They arrived at a house with a large red metal door covered in laser scuffs and dents. Zaius knocked loudly, then took a step back. The door creaked and whined as it opened. Zaius stepped inside, beckoning Diah to follow. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.
As she entered, her eyes adjusted quickly from the bright light of the faux sun to the warm makeshift candlelight of the building. There was something peaceful about the space. It exuded a sense of belonging, a feeling that anyone would be welcome no matter their past or their destination. Zaius shuffled up to an elderly man seated on a disheveled pile of disintegrating pillows and cleared his throat. The man didn't move.
"Quite a mess you got into upstairs," He said, his voice soft and cracked. He stood slowly as his bones settled with a loud pop. He turned, facing Zaius with milky white eyes.
"Word travels fast, eh, Molkin?" Zaius said with a note of exasperation.
Molkin didn't respond. He moved carefully past Zaius and toward the doorway. Diah was confused.
"How is he able to move like that when he can't see?" Diah leaned in and whispered to Zaius.
Zaius looked at Diah, then motioned at the air around them. White particles floated around, dust-like in their appearance and size. Diah took a step forward and studied them closer. Kanutic particles.
"He's using his Kanushin to map the space," Diah thought aloud. Zaius made a noise of confirmation behind her.
"I can still hear too," Molkin said from the doorway as he turned toward the duo. He had been waiting patiently for them to follow. "You two need to get out of here as soon as you can."
Zaius gave Diah a perplexed look then inched toward the old man.
"What do you mean, Molkin? I was hoping you'd know someone that could fix my little problem."
Zaius waved his arms in the air as the white particles swirled around them. Molkin dipped his head, as if listening intently to some silent voice.
"My boy, I've done a lot for you but I can't help on this one. There's something unnatural going on there. It's... bonding."
Diah and Zaius looked at each other with the same troubled expression.
"What do you mean bonding? It's a piece of machinery. Is that even possible?" Diah asked. She had never heard of anything like that happening before. Then again, there was so much she was shielded from on Vensha.
Zaius examined his arms closely. To Diah, everything looked the same as it had when they first met.
'Surely there would be some sign of change, right?' She thought to herself.
"You can't see it," Molkin responded to Zaius' actions. "It's happening on an almost cellular level. It's recycling your energy in a sense. Putting back exactly what it's taking."
Diah watched Zaius shake his head. She could see the frustration and disbelief plastered across his face.
"So there's no removing it?"
Molkin stopped and looked toward the ceiling for a long moment. Zaius sat in silence, waiting on an answer. Diah, feeling the awkward air, paced the room with folded arms.
"The only thing is to trace the shipment back to its sender," Molkin finally answered. "They could answer what process those gauntlets are putting your body through."
Before Zaius could respond, Molkin put a finger up in the air to stop him. Diah stopped and turned, having sensed the change too. The air around them had suddenly turned still and the noise of the busy Embankments had gone deathly quiet.
"Go out the back door and down the corridor. There's a chute that will take you down toward the Underside," Molkin explained with a hurried breath.
Always alert, Diah grabbed Zaius' arm and pulled him towards the back of the small home.
"Come on," She ordered, her sense of danger screaming at her as Zaius tried to debate.
The two went out of the back door and out into the tight corridor that ran along the two houses. A crowd of people were running in a state of panic in the open area just off to the right.
"What the hell is going on?" Zaius asked, moving toward the crowd. He seemed frustrated and slightly scared.
Diah grabbed his arm again, shaking her head. Her intense glare met his. She knew that something was very wrong.
"You heard your friend. We need to go," Diah stated succinctly. She wanted Zaius to understand and to listen.
"I'm not one to leave my friends behind," Zaius retorted, yanking his arm away from her.
Diah put her hands to her temples in anger. This human was going to drive her absolutely crazy.
'Why do I care so much about what he does, though?' Diah asked herself.
*****
Zaius spun and jumped towards the top of Molkin's roof, leaving Diah behind. He desperately needed to see what was going on. As he pulled himself onto the flattened surface, he immediately understood the severity of the situation.
"Where is Zaius Veer?" The familiar and very irate voice of Areshia yelled at the gathered crowd.
Her forces had corralled as many as they could into the circular center of the Embankments. The citizens stood huddled, voices of fear and panic mixed together. Areshia stood at the front, an injured Jix to her side.
"I'll ask one more time: where is Zaius Veer?" Areshia screamed, anger flaring in full force.
The crowd shuffled as Jix stepped toward them. Areshia's forces encircled, blasters pulled. A smaller-framed man moved toward the head of the crowd.
"He isn't here, Areshia," Molkin called to her. "We haven't seen him in a very long time."
Jix stopped in front of the elder, ready to strike.
"Let him through," Areshia commanded.
Jix moved aside and Molkin continued his journey toward the intimidating Ixr. She sniffled and played with the holster of her solar pistol.
"Please Areshia, I speak for us all when I say we want nothing to do with him. We haven't seen him, so let us go," Molkin begged.
Areshia licked her lips with a slight smack.
"I hate liars."
She drew her pistol and fired three fatal shots through Molkin with incredible accuracy. The crowd screamed and smashed into one another in response.
Zaius tried to leap up in anger but a hand quickly wrapped around his mouth and pulled him back down.
"I should have left, but I still need your help," Diah said. She held Zaius tightly as he tried to struggle against her grip.
"Burn this place to the ground!" Areshia screeched at her forces below. Zaius observed as they started firing haphazardly into the now-scattered crowd. Jix grabbed a nearby civilian and tossed him through a pile of crates.
As the chaos expanded, Zaius fought harder against Diah's hold to no success. He was determined to help no matter what it cost him.
"I don't abandon my friends either, but if we stay here, so will she. Way more innocent people will die," Diah explained to him.
He huffed and pulled his face away from her hand. He looked into Diah's eyes and took a breath to collect himself.
"I'm only leaving if they come after us and away from everyone else. They don't deserve this. Otherwise, I'm turning myself in. We have to stop them!"
Diah nodded, releasing her grip. Zaius turned to face her, ready to listen now.
"Distraction, then chute. Nothing else," Diah relented.
"Nothing else," Zaius agreed.
He jumped over the roof and down into the mob below. Zaius weaved between civilians, landing blow after empowered blow into Areshia's henchmen.
He spotted Jix and Areshia turn toward the commotion. He moved toward them, spinning and twisting into a green blur. Jix uttered a violent growl in his direction and stomped his foot.
"Get my gauntlets!" Areshia ordered Jix, taking aim at Zaius with her pistol.
Jix charged at Zaius, but he was already prepared. He leapt to the right and dodged with ease. Jix sped past and crashed into the side of a house with a loud bellow. Zaius let out a sigh of relief.
The house fell into a pile of rubble as Jix smashed back through the remaining structure. He punched a chunk of metal plate off with his lone arm, launching it toward Zaius.
Zaius wound his arm back and punched forward, sending a concussive blast and the incoming plate back toward Jix. It smashed into him and sent him tumbling across the ground.
"I hope that knocked some sense into you!" Zaius called out in jest.
Areshia screamed into the air and fired rounds into the area around him. Zaius slid and faced her. She squinted an eye, put Zaius in her pistol's sight, and went to squeeze the trigger.
A long purple needle shot past her, slicing through her jacket and against her right arm. As it hit the floor with a crackle, three more came toward her. Areshia stepped and avoided them all. Zaius and Areshia traced them back toward the rooftop and the pink-skinned Chyl shooting towards her.
"Well this just got interesting!" Areshia yelled at Zaius with a devilish grin. "You have a cute little friend to help you out!"
She switched her firing stance and blasted the walls around Diah. Diah rolled along the rooftop and landed back in the corridor as Areshia's shots followed her trail. Zaius started making his way toward her as she pressed her back against the wall and moved out of sight.
"Distraction done. Let's go!" Diah yelled at Zaius, waving at him from around the corner.
He looked over at the body of Molkin laying still in the muddy road. Jix picked himself off the ground as Areshia continued to fire in Diah's direction.
'I could finish this, here and now,' Zaius thought for a moment.
He looked back at Diah and noticed the fear on her face. It wasn't for the situation, but for his own wellbeing. The look in her eyes was different this time. Not intense, but tender.
His body moved on its own as he ran towards her. Something about that look sparked a feeling inside him. Like he couldn't let her down.
He placed his arm on her back as he got to her side, pressing her forward with him toward the large silver grate at the end of the pathway. With another quick blast, Zaius busted the grate wide open while Diah pierced pipes full of steam behind them. Laser fire pocked the area.
Diah's hand clasped Zaius' as the two jumped into the chute and down the sliding silver pathway to the Underside.
_____________________________________
Ravig watched hundreds of Reclaiments march in time like black ants busily building their hive. The view from the command deck of the Quantic Requiem always allowed him to see things from a much bigger perspective, something he valued more than when he was mixed among the soldiers themselves. After all, his soldiers were just a means to achieving greater success.
Long arms wrapped delicately around Ravig's chest.
"I love it when you're deep in thought," Rana whispered teasingly in his ear.
Ravig smiled, one of the only times he would let himself be fully vulnerable.
"I just came to watch the drills. I've been carefully examining their marching patterns for any gaps."
Rana's hands sensually traced the outlines of Ravig's armor.
"I have a report for you," she cooed. "Then maybe you can find time to run a full inspection for me in return."
Ravig turned his head to the side, eyes meeting Rana's.
"I'm listening."
"There seems to be word that our little pink headache has gotten into more trouble on Tovarro. Mixed up with the likes of Areshia Divaris and her crew of miscreants," Rana explained. "I'm wondering if we shouldn't extend a nice bounty to keep Divaris from being too heavy-fisted. Under the table, of course."
Ravig breathed out heavily. He never liked dealing with mercenaries. They were sloppily trained, hard-headed and incredibly egotistical. His eyes darted across the rows of ants below. There was no force in the galaxy as well-trained as his Reclaiments. He had personally made sure of that.
"Fine," he finally responded. "But I'm sending a small recovery team of my own to ensure that the aristocrat ends up back in our control."
Rana chuckled and turned Ravig around to face her. Her sharpened fingers caressed his rocky cheek.
"I'd have it no other way, my love. Now, about that inspection."
The viewing shutters of the Requiem closed.
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Ravig has returned, and with friends! The Regime has a lot of plans in motion, so keep reading to find out what all they're up to. In the meantime, be sure to vote and comment if you're enjoying this so far! -CSG