Seeds of the Pirate Rebels

by Gregory Johnson

  The Argon Royal Class Shuttle Craft known as the Dark Rider was entering the atmosphere of Layardia when the outer hull was buckling, and smoke was beginning to spew from the exit ramp. Lord Malsvir was awed at how the atmosphere was denser with water than it was on Argon's atmosphere. The water was dense enough rupture the seals of the landing ramp. Corvet`e was fixing the ruptured seals in a bit of a alarmed state.

  “Lord Corvet`e you need to fix the helm when you get a free moment. It isn't responding the right way,” Lord Malsvir ordered as the Dark Rider took a sudden nose dive from a gravity well on the planet. “This planet has very unusual atmospheric anomalies,” Lord Malsvir said dryly, as the Dark Rider was hit by a bolt of lightning.

  The Dark Rider's engines began sputtering as if they hit by a zotium torpedo. Lord Malsvir noticed the were down the entire trip to the Pirate Rebel Base. Lord Malsvir glared at Corvet`e, as the Ghost-drive computer reported not functional on the instruments.

  “You idiot! You should have turned the shields on when we left the War Shadow. Now, we have no Ghost-drive until we return to the ship for repairs. I hope the rest of the mission goes smoother than this, Corvet'e, for your sake,” Malsvir snapped. Lord Corvet`e gave a cautious nod, as he sat back in the copilot's seat. “My grandfather will not be as understanding as I am. Now Lord Corvet`e, when we finish this mission, Emperor Malsvir will want my personal and professional opinion of your performance on this mission. Do you understand that, Corvet'e?” Lord Malsvir smirked as he landed the Dark Rider on the roof of the Holy Temple of Light that the Talyardians used to worship Yahweh. It was an older building that the local Talyardians had abandoned for a few generations. The Pirate Rebel Allegiance was using this old 'sanctuary' as their now former secret base. How fitting that the Pirate Rebel would use an abandoned temple of the Talyardians deity to strike at the War Lord Empire and try to restore freedom to the universe.

  Corvet'e left the Dark Rider and headed for the communications chamber of the former PRA base. He walked with urgency in his pace down the corridor toward where he thought would be the Communication and Tactical Center of the PRA base. This was his first time in a PRA base, so Corvet'e was grasping at straws when he was looking for the CTC in this place.

  Lord Malsvir was looking for War Spy 313 the easy way. He called War Spy 313 via wrist comm-unit. War Spy 313 gave him directions to get to her location the quickest way possible. Lord Malsvir was able to retrieve the Grand Admiral of the PRA easily with help of War Spy 313. War Spy 313 was waiting for Lord Malsvir in front of the entrance to the underground shuttle bay.

  “Hi, Dan. How goes things with the Emperor?” War Spy 313 asked curiously.

  “Hello, dear. My name is Sverak Malsvir now. I am a War Lord and I will be your War Master when Lord Corvet'e fails this mission. Now, where is the Grand Admiral and leader of the PRA?” Lord Malsvir requested from War Spy 313, as he noticed the priced leader was nowhere in sight.

  “Why did you change your full name when you got promoted to War Lord?” asked War Spy 313, as Lord Malsvir looked at her with impatience.

  “It is tradition,” snapped Lord Malsvir. “Lord Corvet`e was known as Kyle Hackman, a farmer from the Chess Tribe. Now, where is Grand Admiral H'Ackre-Limwin that you claimed to have captured for Emperor Malsvir and save the War Lord Empire from this madness called freedom,” Lord Malsvir replied to his wife. She looked at Lord Malsvir as if she offended by his changed attitude.

  “Don't you snap at me, my dear Lord Malsvir. I have her in the Detention Area, Detention Cell 23, two levels down and she is safely behind a restraining field,” War Spy 313 replied, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.

  Lord Malsvir saw he had hurt his wife, and decided to leave her alone in the corridor. War Spy 313 was about to let him leave her there when she thought about the Grand Admiral in Detention Cell 23; still wounded from the battle. She realized something, as her arrogant husband was about to enter the elevator.

  “Wait, there are security procedures I need go through to release her from her cell. I, alone have the clearance,” reported War Spy 313, as she entered the elevator with Lord Malsvir.

  “You need space from me, I thought I would give it to you,” replied Lord Malsvir, as the elevator left the floor and went down two levels to the Detention Block.

  “You need me. Now, quit coddling. I am a War Spy first, your wife second. I can handle things a lot more than you think I can. This way, my Lord,” War Spy 313 said, as she motioned toward the Detention Cell that H'Ackre-Limwin was in. “As promised, the Grand Admiral of the PRA, my Lord,” The Grand Admiral was burned and bruised throughout her body. The Talyardian Grand Admiral was beaten by the looks her to near death. She needed medical attention to be coherent for interrogation.

  “What have you done to her?” Lord Malsvir asked as the Talyardian looked at War Spy 313 and then at Lord Malsvir with pitiful eyes. “My Master did not want her to be permanently damaged. She looks like you beat the hell into her,” Lord Malsvir snarled at the War Spy.

  “I have done nothing to her, that she didn't inflict during the battle. The Detention Cell, 23 in particular is designed to torture Talyardians. They are more like us than you think. This facility might have been abandoned by the Talyardians of the present, but those torture tactics are still in their past. I have discovered that Talyardians bruise only as defensive action. I never inflicted those wounds on the Grand Admiral,” War Spy 313 reported to Lord Malsvir, as she observed how the Talyardian had taken the truth. A tear of sorrow fell down her face as if trying to get some sympathy from the War Lord. Lord Malsvir smiled at the Talyardian venomously and spat in the Grand Admiral's face with more distaste for the PRA than before.

  “So, those bruises caused from the Detention Cell's own torturing conditions. The Talyardians of old were a race after my heart. The War Lord Empire would like this place well documented for their own experiments and research on torturing other races,” replied Lord Malsvir, as he grabbed the Grand Admiral, and left the Detention Cell with War Spy 313 at his heel.

  “Where is your shuttle located, Lord Malsvir?” War Spy 313 asked curiously.

  “On the rooftop's shuttle landing pad, my dear,” Lord Malsvir replied softly.

  “You know they will be sending a rescue party to aide their captive Grand Admiral,” War Spy 313 pointed out to Lord Malsvir.

  “I am well aware of that fact, my dear. Emperor Malsvir has a flotilla from the Erif- Ki, a flotilla from the War Lord Empire, and three Shadow Hound-Class Freighters orbiting this planet. The Emperor is well prepared for any rescue mission or for any fleeing starships from this planet,” Lord Malsvir smiled.

  “What about the Pale Dragon and the traitorous Captain of the Shadow Hunter? If the Pirate Rebels have a way to upgrade the Pale Dragon's primitive systems, they could easily punch through the both flotillas and destroy the Shadow Hound-Class Freighters. As I recall, the flagship of War Lord Empire was nearly defeated by the Pale Dragon before its rumored upgrade,” War Spy 313 pointed out to Lord Malsvir.

  “For the record, the War Shadow has never engaged the Pale Dragon in battle. The Pale Dragon has battled three or four ships from the War Fleet and destroyed only two of them. Also, they were destroyed by the Pale Dragon's space fighters, not by the Pale Dragon herself. And another thing, Grand Admiral H'Ackre-Limwin stop this charade, I know you can try to fool others with it, but not me,” Lord Malsvir replied coldly to the Talyardian Grand Admiral.

  “I am sorry, Lord Malsvir. I heard rumors from my PRA shipmates that the Pale Dragon forced the War Lord Empire's flagship to retreat in a battle over Tricetus,” War Spy 313 reported to her husband.

  “I wanted those rumors to happen, to see if they would reach the rest of the PRA vessels.” H'Ackre-Limwin finally spoke to her captures.

  “She speaks. I knew you were faking your injuries, H'Ackre-Limwin,” Lord Malsvir spoke in a surprised tone.

  “I am not that pathetic fish-necked cretin. You should show some r
espect to your former Master and Emperor.” Emperor Malsvir's voice came through the mouth of the Grand Admiral.

  “Master, I forgot that you were telepathic, but the War Shadow is in orbit of Layardia. This is out of your telepathic range. You should not try to overextend your powers just to see this through to the end. You strain yourself, or possibly destroy yourself,” Lord Malsvir replied with caution in his voice.

  “I am not telepathically linked to this creature, I found the correct frequency to the Grand Admiral's universal vocalizer and hacked into it.” Emperor Malsvir's voice replied in an irritated tone.

  “The Talyardian is very weak from the holding cell I placed her in, my Emperor,” reported War Spy 313, as Lord Malsvir hoisted the semi-conscious H'Ackre-Limwin over his shoulder.

  “What have you done to our special guest, War Spy 313?” the vocalizer stated in an icy tone.

  “I only placed the Grand Admiral in a holding cell that was designed for Talyardian Rebels from the Great Talyardian Empire's time. I had no idea that the Ancient Talyardians were psychotic to their prisoners. I think we could learn from the Ancient Talyardian Archives, and use them to aide our cause, Emperor Malsvir,” War Spy 313 replied with a cold icy stare aimed at the Talyardian Grand Admiral.

  “War Spy 313, you will research all there is to know on this Ancient Talyardian Society that the Talyardian Government failed to destroy in their Ancient Archives and Archaeological Research Data will be brought to me personally. Is that understood, War Spy 313?” Emperor Malsvir ordered through the now-unconscious Talyardian Grand Admiral's universal vocalizer.

  “Yes, orders heard and understood. I will research all of the intelligence that I can on this planet. Lord Malsvir will be handing you the Grand Admiral when he docks with the War Shadow. I will also try to keep my cover intact, as a Pirate Rebel on board the Crimson Stingray,” requested War Spy 313, as she saw firefights in the sky like she had never seen before.

  “Correct, War Spy 313. You will stay as a floater with your cover still, as a Pirate Rebel Allegiance officer on board the Crimson Stingray. Now, Lord Malsvir will return to the War Shadow, as its captain. Farewell, War Spy 313, until we meet again.” War Spy 313 left down the corridor to start on her research mission to send to the Emperor.

  After War Spy 313 was out of sight, Lord Malsvir stared at the now empty corridor where she was. Lord Malsvir continued walking toward the Shuttle Landing Pad on the roof of the Ancient Talyardian Temple. The Grand Admiral started to regain consciousness when he arrived on the Shuttle Landing Pad. The Grand Admiral struggled in his grasp, as she saw where she was headed.

  “Easy, this will be completely painless. You are now my prisoner and listen to me. So, stop struggling in my grip,” Lord Malsvir told his hostage on his shoulder.

  “Let me go! I am a War Lord! You are War Spy 325, not a War Lord,” The Talyardian shouted to Lord Malsvir from behind.

  “Well War Lord, what is your War Title?” Lord Malsvir replied coldly back to his hostage.

  “I am Lord Cheveal of the Talyardian Empire! You are insulting my Sacred Temple by landing that monstrosity on the Slave Loading Prisoner Transfer Station. This Emperor Malsvir is a disgrace to the title. Your Emperor Malsvir thinks he can control the universe through chaos and war,” The Talyardian spat out, as she was thrown into the shuttle's cargo bay.

  “You are not War Lord Cheveal of Bowdoia. You are full lies and deceit, now aren't you, H'Ackre-Limwin. I suppose the next thing you will tell me is: the only true way to control the universe is let peace and freedom reign,” Lord Malsvir argued with her, as he strapped his safety harness on. The Talyardian laughed coldly at the statement, as if she not insulted, but rather amused by the what he quoted from the Pirate Rebel Allegiance's philosophy.

  “Foolish boy, trying to prove himself a man. I am not that heretic that calls herself a Talyardian. I am now Emperor Cheveal of the Talyardian Empire. The clumsy excuse for a Talyardian Pirate is now stuck in the main computer of my Sacred Temple. Thanks to your wife for throwing the Talyardian Pirate in what she thought was a holding cell was in fact my meditation cube. I was able to transfer my aura into that cube when the Ancient Talyardian Empire was defeated by its cousins the Bowdoians,” the Talyardian replied with that same cold tone.

  “So, the Ancient Talyardians have found a way to transfer memories into a mind cube. I'm impressed by this technology. Now, Master Malsvir will soon learn how this is done,” Lord Malsvir smirked at the thought.

  “You are foolish to think that I would tell my secrets to an Argoni whelp like this so-called Emperor Sjach Malsvir. Oh and, another thing that was not memories I had transferred to the 'mind cube' it was an aura cube. This is the soul, as you would it, of Talyardian Lord Cheveal in the body of this Talyardian Pirate. My meditation cube was a pro-type of something far greater than what it appeared to be. My soul was trapped in that 'mind cube' for three hundred years. The female Argoni was a fool to think that my meditation cube was a holding cell designed as a torturing cell for my people. If the female Argoni would have researched my people and their history, she would have known what it was,” the Talyardian bashed Lord Malsvir verbally, as shuttle's thrusters lifted off the Sacred Temple of Lord Cheveal and headed for the War Shadow.

  “You talk very feisty for an old Talyardian Imperial Lord. We are headed for the War Shadow, and you will meet the true Emperor of the War Lords. He will be your master when he gets through with you and this Pirate Rebel Allegiance. The Talyardians will pay for betraying us to the Pirate Rebel Allegiance and allowing those freedom fighters to have a base on their planet,” Lord Malsvir reminded the Talyardian Lord, as he saw the Battle over Layardia take place before him.

  “You think your Emperor will save you from the wrath of my weaponry orbiting Layardia. You are foolish to think I was unprepared for an invasion on Layardia,” Cheveal stated crisply.

  “There were no orbiting devices when we came here to crush those miserable Pirate Rebels on one their own bases of operations. They have become thorn in my Emperor's side, one that he would anything to remove,” Lord Malsvir requested from the former Imperial Lord of Layardia.

  “Anything. Well, my orbital weaponry has never been activated since the Fall of Talyardian Empire. I will aide this Emperor Malsvir in his campaign against the Pirate Rebel Allegiance,” as Cheveal spoke a network of plasma and zoton energy activated from debris from an ancient graveyard of Talyardian WarShips. The Talyardian laughed teasingly, as the shuttle was surrounded by a net of zoton energy from debris field.

  “So, 'Lord of Talyardian Empire.' Nice ruse, Grand Admiral H'Ackre-Limwin. As I recall, the Pirate Rebel Allegiance was founded on the 'Talyardian Empire' and its ideals. This was a trap laid by you, so you could never get captured on Layardia. The Ancient Talyardian Empire was never like the War Lord Empire. Nor will it ever be, with the sentiment of freedom and peace,” Lord Malsvir mocked.

  “You insult me, Lord Malsvir. I was about to deactivate the net field, but since you wish to die rather than live to deceive another day. I will refuse to assist you in your predicament,” the Talyardian said with amusement in her face.

  “You really are who say you are, Lord Cheveal. I will accept your aide against the Pirate Rebels, but you will have to convince my Emperor and former master that you are who you are inside that body,” He replied with confidence.

  “It will be my pleasure to convince the Master of War Lord Empire, and the Emperor of Argon. I will do my part,” the Talyardian looked at the energy net that has now trapped the Dark Rider inside it.

  “The mission was to bring my War Spy and the Grand Admiral of the Pirate Rebel Allegiance. So, where is my War Spy, Lord Malsvir? Oh, and the next time you decide to abandon me on an enemy base, I will kill you in ways you could never imagine,” replied Corvet'e, as he came out of the cargo bay of the Dark Rider. Corvet'e looked at the Ancient Talyardian trap and then at the hostage. “What is Lord Cheveal doing here, rather than the Grand Admiral?”r />
  “Lord Corvet'e, I was not planning on leaving you on Layardia. Our Master gave me instructions to leave the base with the Grand Admiral. War Spy 313 was to remain on the Crimson Stingray with her cover intact after she downloads all information from the Pirate Rebel's main computer. She will be giving me any data she finds through my wrist comm-unit,” reported Lord Malsvir, as he raised his right wrist to show the wrist comm-unit.

  “I was uninformed of this new plan that Emperor Malsvir has set in motion. How did he inform you and not me?” Corvet'e asked his follow War Lord.

  “This is how I was able to talk to Lord Malsvir when you were busy jamming the communications devices. I am finding it difficult to contact you...”

  “I see my signal jamming devices are working a little too well. They are even jamming universal vocalizer on Grand Admiral H'Ackre-Limwin. Emperor Malsvir's technology is more advanced than anything I have ever seen,” Corvet`e marveled his work.

  The Dark Rider vectored hard to the left, as a torpedo was about hit to the Ghost-drive nacelle. The maneuver was hard enough to throw Corvet`e into the Talyardian Grand Admiral. The prisoner was thrown into the control council that the copilot would use. Sparks flew from the copilot control council, as the Dark Rider flew straight toward the War Shadow. The Grand Admiral's vocalizer was destroyed, as it was smashed into the control council.

  The Dark Rider was under siege from the space fighters of the Pirate Rebel Allegiance and the Talyardian space fighters known as Sabers were in pursuit. The Dark Rider was five kilometers away from the War Shadow's shuttle bay, as a Sphinx Diablo fired at the Dark Rider's left nacelle. The Dark Rider's shields were compromised and the engines were on fire from a zotium torpedo. The Dark Rider was losing control with its descent toward the War Shadow's shuttle bay.