I am here, where is here? Alive. Unharmed. My ears are popping, that's weird... The building, I am thinking I am still Alive which means yet again Argos was right! I looked around to see crystal shards laying mixed with the rubble of the building, so I stood carefully, walking in what looks like the shortest route through the rubble. I don't know how much time has elapsed since I was at the top of the building so I need to get to the fight. Everything I passed over was gray with black dust or smudges on it that's all there was gray and black everywhere, no blue shards of glass, no gold outcropping from the window seals, no books or trinkets. I survived with luck but no one that would have normally been in the building would have lived, I had to hope that the kid and the man survived, for my sake and for my sanity let them have lived. I remembered plunging my rapier into the building I guess I had a really good grip on it because it's still in my hand but for the burst to decimate a building I was definitely lucky to be alive. Amongst the ash, I felt cold and alone, weird because I have never felt alone but it is the truth.
I was almost to the edge of the rubble when a mechanical voice sounded from a nearby building, "You are finally awake?" Forget mechanical that is maniacal! "That was Impressive, surviving where most would crumble but do not mistake my words to mean that the danger is gone." The fact that I don't know who I am talking to does not help the fact that I theorized that the Racalnas would invade by force since I basically just told them that getting rid of the planet wouldn't work, guess that means I need to get my bearings, "I am heading over to the east business district, that is where you will find the main bulk of the Racosan forces but where are my manners you don't know who you are talking too." With that, the spectator took off the heavy helmet piece of the black armor. Shiro! The helmet hit the ground and soon the rest of the heavy technician armor fell with leaving what I would call an assassin uniform with weapons hanging from every area that would not affect movement. The forest green eyes looked into my soul judging me before she smiled in her playful manner, " when you are ready to play hero, we need you desperately so don't take too long, you know where to find us."
Without haste I started to run once I made it out of the rubble, I had no time to lose, Shiro probably had a shuttle or a fighter to get to the other side of the city, I had to use my legs. Wait where was Argos, he hasn't said anything or made his presence known to me since before the capital building was destroyed. So I called out, "Argos!"
I knew if he was still alive he would respond and I was right, within moments his blue haze appeared, "Yes!" High optimism, I think he liked the fact that we saved the world, well mostly but I think it's time to finish the job.
"Find someone in the east business district that is about to die, prepare relocation!" I calmed myself not knowing who I was about to save but I might just get there before Shiro, how cool would that be, not that it matters that the new technology is cool, it might be a step above the Racosan's technology.
I nodded to Argos knowing he would get the hint so I readied myself to stab at whatever or whoever would kill for less than a good reason, it's a bad thought but sometimes since that night in the woods I ask myself if they even have souls, they live and think so I must believe that they do. Argos's reply was simple and straightforward like before, "Relocating!" This time, he was more sincere about the possibility of survival and that in itself was obvious. So I held my sword waiting for an instant of dizziness to take me and when it did I forced myself forward letting the blur consume me for the moment knowing that if I failed in this moment I would die and save one or I would live to tell everyone that we can win this war, with a huff I closed my eyes so I could see again so instead I felt instead of looking, I knew Argos would guide me into the enemy instead of an ally with my status. Argos can think a lot faster than I can and he is neurally linked to me, allowing him to read my thoughts almost instantly, I know he won't let me down, he can't, I have to believe that as if my life depends on it because the simple fact is that my life does depend on our working together. I was left with only my feelings as I felt a slight resistance to my movement which could only mean that I made contact with something, the liquid drops I felt on my right-hand were thick unwanting to move, blood, that's all I could believe and I knew when I opened my eyes that my victim would be the first and only thing I saw and strangely I was fine with that so I opened my eyes.
I took in the thoughts of what I had done never flinching though I knew that I was scowling at myself, no growling, this was wrong so wrong but also too right to have not done it, I used my left hand to push the Racosan off my rapier allowing him to fall from the four-story building. I turned around to see who I had saved only to see one focused sniper, the only person that I had known all my life that was just as important to me as my wife and unborn child, Zane, I had saved my mate, no! No, that's wrong, I still love him but he is not mine, his heart belongs to Collin here which is fine, Collin will treat him right, probably better than I could and that was fine by me even though it hurt it was best for him.
He hadn't noticed I was there, it was fine, I sheathed my rapier and pulled out my experimental sword allowing the blade to shift to an eighty degree angle compared to its normal set up, the other shifts went unnoticed by me but they got Zane's attention and I put my left hand on the underside of what had been a blade segment but was now a grip. "Tanem, I am glad you are alright but don't scare me like that again! Okay!" He wasn't speaking about me appearing out of nowhere, no this was about my plan to save the planet, I could not say that I would never scare any of them again so long as Zane, Rehana, and my child were safe.
I only smiled, "No promises Commander!" I looked out to where the Capital building used to be to see a fighter within seconds of the building, "we are at war." The fighter landed on the roof and Shiro stepped out, a smile on her face saying just how impressed she was.
Her lips parted and she kept it quiet, "Damn hero types, Tanem, glad you got some pep in your step I will ask later but for now, they need you down there, I will take care of things here and meet you down there in a few minutes, not like you will leave anything to me!" Well she is right, all I did was nod as I made my way to the stairs and opened fire with my mini-gun at the stairs, maybe fifty rounds left my weapon, that's all it would take to kill anyone at this point under me on the stairs but no one should be here anyways, the building was unstable leaving only the Racalnas without that knowledge. This is it, how could I have not seen it earlier, the dream I had before we reached Aden and before Zane got married to Collin. I had to fight harder than I had been, my best friends husband was at risk but then again we all are so I ran down the stairs looking out a window and stopping as I saw a pulse blast hit a building causing it to compromise in sections and allow rubble to fall to the depths of the cityscape, this was the fate of my home, I would fight for her, die if I needed but I was going to save my friend, my best friends husband, and my crewman if it cost me my life. I saw Collin close to the building being followed by an army of Racosan soldiers, not exactly like my dream but I could not let the differences change my stance. I said army, more like five soldiers but still he is way outnumbered so I brought my weapon to the bearing that would give them the most damage and opened fire, I don't know how long I kept the fire on them but when I stopped my onslaught I was running down the last flight of stairs. I couldn't wait, I needed to kill the last of them before something bad happened.
I left the building, letting my sword return to its normal stance instead of being a mini-gun, I only saw two Racalnas Officers and I know they knew I was here so I wasted no time in cutting the closer officer down while the other took aim at me but before he fired I heard a snap. I was fine but I will admit turning to see a Racosan floating in the air with a broken neck is the scariest thing to see but I had to be glad it was not me.
I spoke, "Collin quit playing, get me three of the best people you have!" He came from nowhere actually appearing in front of me and putting the now dead Racosan down by just letting him go as he gave me a small smile as he started doing exactly what I asked via his comm unit, soon if you included me there were five here at the bottom of the building Zane was keeping an eye out from. "Let's show these bastards off our world, Zane gives me cover Collin give them hell, everyone else protects the unarmed civilians but hit the enemy hard". How long had it been? I know the ten-minute mark is getting closer, that is when I panicked in the dream, I would not risk a life, I can save him. Something I had not seen hit the ground, not bad could just be rubble or that's what I thought till it started moving and was all I needed to panic now, "fall back, Everyone fall back!" I heard shots being fired, Collin had taken the rear of the retreat and when the machine stood up I knew we were out of time, "Collin! Fall back." All I heard after that was a reply that ended in an agonizing scream as it's immediate response, I could only think to do one thing so I hit my comm unit, "this is captain Tanem Jax to any medical personnel in the immediate proximity I have critically injured...". I was choking myself with my failure to save my friend, my best friends loved one, this is all my fault but he was not quite dead. I had to make us hold out just a little longer so help could arrive and hopefully, save Collin.
I don't know how much I can do but I can not just sit down and give up, "Crimson, Argos, lend me strength!" That was all I managed to say as I charged into the area I had made my small group leave and as I was in the range of weapons fire I added one more to it, "Delta, save me again!"
I was not alone but in a sense, I was Zane was the only person I heard on the comms, "Tanem, what's going on, you ran off alone! Tanem, respond! Please?" He was hurt, he had seen what happened or most of it in any case but I could not let my concentration break. I saw my sword burst into flames as I ran through the slowed down city-scape, using just a rapier I hit the mechanized unit more than once in critical areas though only two seconds had passed since I first started my attack, moving to a safe distance for it to explode I sat down before allowing time to resume to a normal pace. How could I be so stupid as to risk Collins life? To leave my best friend alone because I was distracted by trying to save that same person? I got up and started walking back to where I had left Collin.
I was in no rush but I couldn't let Zane think I was dead either, "I am on my way back, have any medical personnel shown up to take care of Collin?"
He was quick in response to my question which didn't surprise me but what was surprising is that he was concerned about me knowing Collin was hurt, "Doctor Eron arrived just after you ran off, you have been gone five minutes but she claims he will be fine but he will definitely not like what he finds when he wakes up. I am with him more or less, he is still out for the count and I am keeping an eye out for any more Racalnas that might think about interfering with the doctor as she works..." A deafening siren went off silencing both me and Zane.
The sound soon ceased and some women started speaking, "Attention Saltaner, I am Colonial Tares Galek! Surrender the leader that caused this riot to us or I will continue to send forces down to your planet, in the end, you will lose, you have twenty of your minutes to decide! Colonial Galek out!" That is a good way to piss me off but it left me with no alternative. I started to take my armor off activating my comm , I placed my rapier on the ground as I spoke.
"Colonial Galek, my name is Tanem Jax..." I hesitated, I know that I won't like the outcome, "I surrender on the terms that all your forces leave Saltaner with me!" My time to demand and possibly fall in the process. I saw Shiro running my way, she would try to stop me but I had to stop her protest I could not let those monsters destroy my home. DAMN THEM! This is my home. This is where I grew up. Even though I need help, this I must do on my own.
"Shiro, I know you won't like this but I need you to put your trust in me, I need you to let them take me, let them try to keep me. I need to show them what we are, it may not make much difference but I have to try, just if it means that they leave this world. I don't know what I am trying to do in the end but please don't let me fall." I take my pistol, not the standard fleet model but the one that was handed down to me when my family died, the one that survived the burning of the original Jax Manor and I handed it to Shiro. The look of confusion that I see on her face faded when I handed it to her, "Wait, let me leave the system but don't let them win by keeping me locked away." As I walked away I continued to strip off the weapons and armor plating that I was surrounded in, leaving nothing by the time I was in custody.