Scorpion - The Rae Wars

by Kyle Mata

  “Code received. Welcome home, Commando.” The video feed closed, and the gunships and a majority of the fighters headed back toward the nearest satellite space station. Two fighters remained as an escort. Karr offered Roux a hand up.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “It’s okay,” Roux replied, taking his hand and sitting back in the pilot seat. Karr sat down beside her and typed coordinates into the navigational computer. “Go here, and I will request landing clearance.”

  “Are you a pilot, Karr?” Roux asked, noticing his familiarity with the co-pilot controls.

  “When you board enemy vessels for a living, it is good to know the basics. More than once my evac ship has not come back for me.” Roux pressed the ship forward into a steep dive into Shadowri’tira’s atmosphere. “That being said, I would prefer my boots on solid ground any day.”

  Once the Athena’s Owl broke through the cloud layer, over the equator, Roux saw dozens of large structures, skyscrapers, and even monuments. She expected to see a few buildings in a tight circle and each of those circles would be kilometers apart, surrounded by lush jungle. While there was still plenty of jungle, the cities were far more advanced and striking than she had ever imagined. As she flew lower, she noticed that nearly every building was fortified, and it was not unusual for a business tower or large home to have gun or missile turrets bristling off the peaks. Among the streets were normal speeders and vehicles, but she was surprised to see massive mech-suits, almost twenty meters tall, walking in pairs, each armed with weapons the size of a land speeder. To Roux, they looked like overgrown Shadowri, due to the similarities between the mechs and the Shadowri personal armor.

  “What are those?!” Roux asked, pointing at a pair of the mechs.

  “Guardian Walkers. Walkers integrate with the Shadowri armor and act as a massive extension to our suits.”

  “Incredible, are they new?”

  “Fairly. My great-grandfather helped design the original prototype,” Karr replied. Roux could not tell for sure, but she thought she sensed a hint of pride in his voice.

  For a while they flew over a section of dense jungle toward a gigantic volcano. There was a massive ditch surrounding the base of the volcano; Roux assumed that it existed to reroute lava flows. There was a small city on the opposite side of the volcano. Karr led her toward a landing pad.

  “This is Karr Mun’tyre in Athena’s Owl, requesting permission to land at pad seven,” Karr said to another individual in Shadowri armor. She didn’t have a helmet on, though.

  “You are clear to land. Wasn’t expecting to see you back here, Karr. It’s good to see you.”

  “Thanks, Jennda. It is good to see you too.”

  Roux put the ship down with finesse and grace on landing pad seven. No one rushed out to begin refueling or repairs. It was just a block of stone near the outskirts of the city with a charred number seven painted on it.

  Karr climbed down into the passenger bay, followed by Roux. Daena and Thomas seemed to have cut off a relatively tense conversation as the Mason and the Shadowri entered the hold.

  “What’s the plan, Karr?” Daena asked, thankful for his entrance. She didn’t distrust Thomas, but she felt better—safer—when Karr was nearby.

  “I am going to talk to my stepbrother; he is a Noble, and he is probably my clan Archon by now. He will bring up the Rae with the Gunda’Clan.”

  “And then what?” Thomas pressed, a bit of anger in his voice. “I already told you the Shadowri aren’t going to do anything about the Rae, not unless the Rae try to invade. This was a waste of time and fuel.”

  “We will not know if we do not try,” Karr replied.

  “He has a point. We have the proof and a compelling argument. The Shadowri are certainly a force we want on the side of humanity,” Daena added.

  “It’s true, the Shadowri are statistically the greatest warriors of the AE era,” Roux mentioned.

  “You all have to stay here though,” Karr said, stepping toward the exit ramp controls.

  “What, why?!” Roux asked, devastated.

  “Offworlders are not allowed on the planet. I will be back soon.” He lowered the ramp.

  “What do you mean, ‘are not allowed’? What will they do? Shoot us?”

  “I do not know,” Karr answered, stepping onto the ramp. “I have never seen an offworlder set foot on Tira before.” Karr stepped down onto the stone platform and watched as Daena raised the ramp, because Roux could not bring herself to do it.

  “I’m on Shadowri’tira and I have to wait in the ship,” Roux pouted. “This is so unfair.” She was more heartbroken now than she had been when she broke up with her ex-boyfriend.

  “Well, I’d rather not get killed, so I’m okay with it,” Daena replied. Thomas offered a slight nod in agreement.

  “The Shadowri were not always like this…” Roux said under her breath.

  “What do you mean?” Daena asked, just barely hearing her.

  “The Shadowri used to accept people from any and all walks of life. If they wanted to be a Shadowri, they were welcomed to attempt the trials and earn their armor.”

  “Why did they change? And when?”

  “Mason history is unclear on when the culture shifted so dramatically. I was hoping Karr could tell us.”

  Karr trudged off toward his former homestead, which was at the center of the Clan-city. Mun clan was the third largest clan on the planet. The second was Gun and the first, which was the Gunda’clan, was Xerr.

  He walked up to the house he grew up in, took a deep breath, suppressed the memory of his last visit home, and knocked on the thick metal door. He hoped his stepfather wasn’t home. Karr’s mother and blood father fought in a very costly battle when Arbenn was only two years old and Karr was just a newborn. Their mother came home, but their father did not. He died saving her life and the lives of a dozen other Shadowri. Karr’s mother, Tigeva, married their stepfather, Xander, when Karr was thirteen and had just finished his trials. Xander’s first wife was killed in the same battle as Karr’s father. Karr believed Xander only married his mother for the political power. His theory was reinforced when Xander and Hector took on the clan name Mun’tyre, rather than insisting Tigeva take his surname. The ‘tyre’ suffix is only added to surnames of the originating clan. There is no law stating one must be a ‘Tyre’ to become an Archon, but Karr had never seen a non-tyre become Archon. Karr’s real father would likely be Clan Mun Archon now, had he not died.

  After a moment, the heavy door slid open with the silent power of magnetic energy.

  “Karr?”

  “Hello, Xander.”

  Karr’s stepfather, Xander Mun’tyre, stood before him; his armor was a shade of dark gunmetal blue, the common color of clan Mun. Karr pulled his helmet off and clipped it to his belt, a sign of greeting. While most Shadowri would take off their helmets to greet a clan member and slide up their faceplate for a fellow Shadowri, Xander left his helmet on.

  “What are you doing here?” Xander asked, ignoring Karr’s greeting.

  “I need to speak with Hector.” Karr stood at the same height as his stepfather. He stared into the dark red visor of the man’s helmet.

  “Your brother is at Central. He is the Clan Mun Archon. He’s a busy man.”

  Xander turned his back on his stepson and stepped into the open-air courtyard leading to the main section of the homestead. Two Guardian Walker mechs stood powered down in the courtyard. Karr noted the wear and cracks on the seals and joints. Despite how resilient Kesbar metal is, wires, gaskets and seals still have their limits; the mechs were beginning to show their age. Karr’s parents had not been called into service for many years now.

  “Where’s mom?” Karr asked, walking behind Xander.

  “Hunting Iron Mongi.” Xander pushed open the large door leading into the main house. Inside was Arbenn, Karr’s sister. She was typing away on her large portable data station. She looked up from her work when she heard her stepfather walk in. Her arm
or was a practical gloss black with touches of emerald details to display her own artistic prowess and individuality. Most Shadowri of the clan Mun wore some shade of blue on their armor, yet Arbenn and their mother did not. He always appreciated that, but he never understood why.

  “Karr?” Arbenn immediately stood and pulled off her helmet. Her face lit up with a grin. She and Karr shared the same bright blue eyes, a trait passed on to them from their father.

  “Hi, Arbi.” Karr said, matching her smile. They hugged with a clack of metal plates.

  “I haven’t seen you in years. You look good you little runt.” Arbenn playfully pushed him, though he stood nearly a half meter taller than her. “I see you’re still sporting the ‘factory setting’ dull gray armor. What brings you here? Aren’t you working for the Masons?”

  “I am, but I need to speak with Hector.” He wanted to tell Arbenn about the Rae, but not in front of their stepfather. Karr knew Xander would laugh off Karr’s claims regardless of how much proof his stepson had.

  “He’s at Central. I was just about to head that direction on my way to the workshop. I’ll give you a ride and we can catch up.” Arbenn reached for her data station and tucked it under her arm as she headed toward the door.

  “Powa,” Karr replied, following her.

  “Bye, Dad.” Arbenn called back.

  “Have a great day, enjeen.” Xander called to his stepdaughter affectionately. Karr turned to look at his stepfather; Xander matched Karr’s stare but said nothing. The door shut, ending their tense stare down.

  “Dad still isn’t very happy with you, Karr,” Arbenn said, getting into her ground speeder.

  “I know,” Karr replied, latching into a passenger seat. He never called Xander ‘dad’ but he didn’t particularly mind that Arbenn did.

  “If you would just apologize, I’m sure he’d forgive you.”

  “Apologize?” Karr asked, genuinely confused. The speeder lurched forward. Mun clan-city was equal parts structure and jungle. The ancestors of Clan Mun chose this location because it was very defendable, and history had proven them correct at least three dozen times.

  “Yes for—for doing what you did.”

  “I did nothing wrong,” Karr replied flatly. “And you helped.” Arbenn frowned inside her helmet but decided to drop the subject. After a few moments of silence Karr finally spoke up. “Listen Arbenn, there is something I need to tell you…”

  “Is your hair really naturally red?” Roux asked Daena, stroking a strand of it. When Daena had her helmet off, her dark red hair flowed freely down her upper back.

  “Yes, it is, is that unusual to you?”

  “Of course, it is! Red heads have been extinct on most planets for centuries.”

  “I thought they were a myth,” Thomas added.

  “My whole family has red hair—well, on my mom’s side. And luckily, I don’t have the pasty white skin my father’s side of the family has. They use up an entire container of suncover liquid whenever we go to the waterfront,” Daena added with a small laugh.

  “As fascinating as Daena’s hair is, I’ve had enough waiting around. Let’s go find Karr,” Thomas said, stepping toward the ramp control console.

  Roux was up in a flash and stood between Thomas’s outstretched hand and the console. Daena and Thomas were quite surprised by the woman’s speed. “Is your logic control board loose?” Roux asked. “You want to go wander aimlessly around Shadowri’tira? You heard Karr, we’ll be put to death!”

  “I find it hard to believe anyone would murder a group of people in broad daylight simply because they weren’t native. And besides how would they

  know?”

  “Do you have a massive full-body suit of powered armor lying around?” Daena interjected. “Because that’s probably a huge give away.”

  “There’s no way everyone on this planet has a suit of armor. Think of the costs,” Thomas rebutted. “It’s probably only the Commandos, and they probably don’t even wear it when they are home.” The logic seemed reasonable to Daena. Judging by the looks and functionality of Karr’s armor, it would have cost a small fortune to manufacture on any Coalition world.

  “What do you think, Roux?” She looked to Roux for guidance, as she was the closest thing to a Shadowri expert on the ship—at the moment, anyway.

  “Well… I don’t really know to be honest. When we flew in, we were too high to see anyone on foot. I guess we can give it a try. But we must sterilize our clothes, no foreign insignias of any kind. And certainly, no foreign weapons.”

  “Fine,” Thomas said, removing his rank and naval insignia. Unknown to either of the ladies, he kept a small pistol in the concealed holster in the small of his back. Daena began pulling her Defender plates off until she was just in a black jumpsuit. Roux pushed a button on her flight suit and it seemed to shimmer as it changed color entirely, to a sharp black. Once all of them were ready, Thomas lowered the ramp and the group walked off in the direction Karr had, headed for the city.

  “How do you plan on finding him, Thomas?” Daena asked. Roux was bobbing along the path examining the trees and craftsmanship of the stones beside the path. They rounded a corner near a black rock outcrop and found themselves facing several buildings.

  “I don’t know, maybe ask someone? It’s a clan-based city, they should know who Karr is, right? Roux, the Shadowri speak human, don’t they?”

  “Yes, they have several words unique to their culture, but most of their language is standard human.”

  They walked between buildings and suddenly found themselves at what appeared to be a marketplace. In the center of a ring of dozens of shops stood a metal statue of a Shadowri holding his or her Tirium sword high up into the sky.

  “Oh, you must be joking…” Daena said, seeing dozens of Shadowri walking about.

  “They all wear armor?” Thomas asked in disbelief. Every Shadowri in the circle strode about in armor identical to Karr’s, but with varying paint schemes. Only the smallest children were without powered suits, and even they wore armor similar to that of the Nightfang. It wasn’t powered, but it looked heavy.

  “Incredible,” Roux whispered under her breath, taking in the sight.

  Although they stood off to the side of the market, having stopped on the path they were on, they stuck out like a herd of Mountain Rhinos in a data tablet store. Every Shadowri man, woman, and child stopped and stared at the out of place bunch.

  “I think we should go,” Thomas said quietly.

  “Good idea,” Daena added. They quickly turned and started walking hastily back toward the rocket.

  “Hold it!” An augmented voice came from behind them. They all froze. Having seen what Karr was capable of by himself, they all figured obedience was their best bet. A pair of Shadowri jogged over to them. “On your knees! Hands on top of your heads!” The voice commanded; they obeyed, some more grudgingly than others.

  “Well, we weren’t shot,” Thomas said, with a half grin toward Daena and Roux.

  Daena shot him an angry glare.

  CHAPTER 11

  DISARMORED

  “This is serious, Karr. You’re lucky you got out alive,” Arbenn said as they pulled up to the Central structure. If anyone in the galaxy other than Karr had told her about the Rae, she would have likely dismissed them as a liar. Central was aesthetically pleasing, yet tactically sound. It looked something like a hybrid between a stealth fighter and a medieval castle.

  Karr shot her a look under his helmet. Spending your entire life surrounded by people wearing helmets, one gets used to reading the emotions and gestures displayed in even the subtlest movements.

  “Okay, fine, you know I don’t worry about you in combat, but still. And if anyone finds out you brought offworlders here you’d be…” She allowed her voice to trail off.

  “They will not.” They got out of the speeder and headed into the Central building after Arbenn input her code into the door. They went to the elevator tubes toward the center of the building and
hailed it.

  “I just hope Hector listens to you.”

  “Me too.” They stepped into the tube and went down two stories underground, to the command bunker where the Archon’s office was.

  They approached the heavy airtight entry. Arbenn input her code to let Hector know she stood at the door. It hissed and slid open. They stepped inside. Hector sat behind a massive wooden desk, made from a Claudius tree, the largest tree species on the planet. His armor was the same gunmetal blue as his father’s, but Hector’s had the addition of dark purple sigils on his helmet, chest, and arms. He stood and removed his helmet upon their entrance. Hector had the same dark eyes as Xander; they also shared the same square jaw.

  “Arbi, it’s so good to see you. It’s been quite some time since you visited.”

  Arbenn removed her helmet and they hugged with a clack of armor.

  “Hello, Hector.”

  “And who’s this?” Hector gestured as Karr removed his helmet. The pleasant smile dropped off Hector’s face. “Karr.” Hector stated quietly, as if seeing a ghost.

  “Hector.” Karr shared his gaze.

  “What… brings you back to Tira?” Hector asked, offering a hand to shake.

  Karr grabbed his forearm and the stepbrothers shook firmly. “There is something you need to know about.”

  Karr proceeded to tell Hector all about the Rae, what he had seen, and he showed him the video from his helmet cam. He left out the parts about his companions.

  “What do you want me to do about it?” Hector said finally, after chewing over everything he had seen and heard over the last few minutes.

  “What do you mean?” Karr asked. “All of humanity is threatened by the Rae, Hector. Not sure if you remember from that Archon throne of yours, but we are human.”

  “So, what? If the Rae come to Tira, we’ll obliterate them, like we have every other invasion.”