by Aer-ki Jyr
The Yisv turned at the next available corner, launching himself into a coast/jump over a small pile of rubble from a crater about 120 meters up on the building that had been blown out, then he reformed and kept running until he got near the targets, hearing the sound of their infantry weapons shooting inside the building.
Onnet didn’t hesitate, running into the nearest door and heading straight for the attackers and the panicked, desperate minds inside that were being gunned down. A few were intent to fight back, but they were disappearing from his mental view as they were among the first to die.
When he came into sight of them the solid mass of his body blurred and shot straight for them, wrapping around one soldier’s arm and shifting into a liquid/gel state where he could take about any form he wanted. He yanked the weapon free as he rotated around the Trinx, spinning him like a tornado and throwing him into the nearest soldier, knocking them both down as his wispy cloud remained behind, taking two shots from the others that were now focusing on the Yisv.
Staying in cloud form he drifted over to them, then snapped back into physical mode when he was only inches away, punching both apart for a moment as he extended his arms back out as gel and latched onto their weapons, turning them away from his solid body before he got one wrenched free. He tossed it to one of the nearby rebel Trinx who was laying wounded on the ground, then spun one of the soldiers around and threw him closer…where he was gunned down from two meters away.
Flashing back into a cloud he avoided massive damage from another pair of shots, but with each that passed through he lost body mass, though it wasn’t going to matter for this small engagement. Continuing to use his agility and evasiveness to his advantage, he worked the remaining 4 Trinx soldiers over and eventually killed them all with their own weapons.
Onnet reached down and picked up two of the rifles with gel-like limbs and gave them to the nearest rebels/civilians.
“Stay here and stay alive. Give us time and we will free the planet,” he promised before heading back out on the streets to hunt down more extermination squads.
4 months later…
Prefect Nesfa stood behind a wall of guards, the last left as he, and a few Regents as they held within the Ancient shell. They’d retreated here as the rebels and the invaders took section after section of the planet away from them. It seemed right that if they were going to make their last stand that it should be here, in the presence of the Hamoriti they were sworn to protect and in the presence of the Ancients’ legacy.
He stood with the others ready to fight, knowing that fleeing further into the shell was pointless. This was where he would meet his end, and do so with his loyal kin.
When he heard the defensive emplacements outside open fire again he knew the invaders were here, meaning it was time to move forward. He wasn’t going to give any orders from this point on, there were infantry commanders better suited to that. Now he was just one Trinx out of many, and that both humbled and freed him to the purpose of doing as much damage to the enemy as possible before he died.
When the wall of bodies before him moved forward he went with them as the noise of weaponsfire intensified. The defensive batteries that the Trinx had installed just outside the aperture were adding to the shell’s own defenses as the infantry were firing from just inside the Ancient facility so not to get caught in the crossfire. When one of the Trinx in front of him fell, the Prefect could see what was occurring ahead and he stepped forward shoulder to shoulder with the others behind a low barrier as Star Force troops were falling back, several of which appeared to be injured.
Two physical shields of their larger soldiers blocked for them, then there was a pause as the batteries fell silent and both sides were out of vision of the other. He knew there were more enemy soldiers just beyond the entrance, but how long they’d wait before making another assault was the question. He was sorry to see that, once again, the only bodies on the floor were his own people, and he adamantly committed himself to killing at least one of them before this facility was taken.
In the silence a soft set of footfalls was heard, echoing into prominence before the source came into view. Nesfa wondered what it was coming their way, for it didn’t sound like the grouping they’d need to get through the defenses. Then, in casual disrespect, a single Archon walked out at the end of the hallway and stood there looking at them. The Trinx didn’t fire yet, wondering what was happening, and the Archon stood just outside the range of the shell’s weaponry, creating an awkward silence until the set of pink armor began to lightly walk forward.
Nesfa and the others opened fire with their infantry weapons a split second before the larger cannons let loose, but the Archon just kept walking as the energy was stopped by a translucent wall before it. A few more steps up and the shell defenses kicked in, adding to the torrent that the individual was weathering. As it continued to walk forward it reached behind its back and pulled out two narrow cylinders, one in each hand. When the shield wall fell a lot of the energy strikes missed the Archon’s narrow frame with the others hitting a different shield covering the pink armored plates.
Both cylinders suddenly extended into poles, and after another casual step the Archon bolted forward, dodging some of the larger energy blasts as it closed ranks. Nesfa didn’t think it’d stand up to much more damage, but it was the only enemy soldier coming. He kept firing as fast as he could, only managing a few hits before he lost control of his body and dropped his weapon as he fell twitching to the ground.
A moment later he stood up grasping for his rifle. When he got it he saw the pink armor flashing around in front of him, slashing at the troops with some kind of swords and taking them down with single hits. It was within the doorway now, somehow having gotten past the barricades outside. Knowing this was the end he fired another shot, cursing the single Archon that simply…would…not…die.
He got two more shots into its armor, gratifyingly seeing one hit and blast a puff of material away instead of hitting shields before the Archon dashed forward and whipped one of the swords into the side of his head.
Then all was blackness.
When the Prefect woke it was to his great surprise that he was still alive. Despite the numbness pervading his body, he was thoroughly confused as to his whereabouts. He wasn’t in the Ancient facility or the corridors outside. He was inside a small room of alien manufacture and laying on a cushioned platform.
He sat up, suddenly finding himself in different clothes, also of alien design. His head was tingling and it didn’t occur to him that they were of Star Force make until a screen on the wall suddenly activated and an image of a Human appeared.
“Hello. This is an automated message triggered by your waking,” an image of an Archon appearing outside its armor said. Nesfa could tell by the uniform it wore, and it had the same disgusting pink identification stripe as the one that he’d thought had killed him. “You Trinx scum are now prisoners of the exalted ass kickers known as Star Force. We didn’t feel like killing you, so we took your planet from you while preserving your lives. You’re welcome, but don’t mistake the fact that we know this is also an added insult. You wanted to die, so we denied you that, thus preserving your life and spiting you at the same time. That’s how Star Force rolls,” the Human said with a disgusting smile.
“Now, so you’ll be aware of what’s happening, we’re giving you a chance to earn your freedom. Not easily, but it’s there if you want to pursue it. We didn’t spare you just to stick you in a cage and see you rot to death, so you’re going to be given access to training facilities and challenges, as well as instructional material, once you arrive at your final destination. At the moment you are on a transport ship heading there and will remain in this small room for the duration. Using this panel you can view a variety of information to pass the time, but physical training will have to wait until you arrive due to space restrictions on the ship.”
“The purpose of this training is for you to prove yourselves worthy to be released
. If you wish to just sit there and slowly wither away that is your prerogative, but we are not going to kill you. Right now you may be defiant. If not that’s good, and you can get on a fast track to eventual release, but if you’re someone who needs some convincing then the isolation you are going to endure may act as motivation.”
“Your journey onboard this ship will be a solitary one, but so too will be your prison. From this point on you have no civilization. You are an individual, and your training will require only yourself. Others would be a distraction and a hindrance. You have to stop being Trinx and aspire to something more. If you don’t care for this that won’t change your situation. You will die here, alone, unless you train to attain self-sufficiency. In that way you will eventually kill yourself or you’ll learn and change so that you’re no longer our enemy. Either way, the Trinx civilization that we came here to destroy will die.”
Nesfa stood up on wobbly legs and punched the screen, but his fist only bounced off the thick, transparent material.
“So get used to your current situation…or not. From this point on I don’t care. I’ve provided you with a path to freedom while sparing your lives. That is the extent of my mercy. What becomes of you from this point forward is up to you. You’ll be kept safely away from anyone you could possible hurt, so you’re no longer a threat. Your planet is now mine and also not your concern. Unless you earn your freedom you won’t be seeing it or anything else again aside from the prison you’re heading to.”
“Fortunately a lot of your former people saw reason and surrendered. We’ll deal with them in varying ways. We’re not giving up on anyone, but we can’t make anyone change. Only nudge you along a bit. The boredom you’re about to endure if you refuse to cooperate will be that nudge, but ultimately if you don’t choose to try then this is where we part ways, never to see one another again, and I say a very heartfelt ‘fuck you’ and end this message.”
The Archon winked and the screen switched over to an options menu.
Rage boiled over inside Nesfa but he didn’t strike the screen or anything else again. It would do no good. He was so angry it literally seeped through his body without an outlet, for he knew he’d already lost everything. His people had rebelled, his planet was lost, the Hamoriti which had been the sole focus and purpose of his civilization was now in the hands of the enemy, and he was a prisoner helpless to do anything about it. Even if he could somehow escape and summon an army it would do no good. Once they awoke it there was no way the Trinx could reclaim it. Their only hope of that lay in advancement that was now out of reach with the loss of the Ancient shell and its captive.
Now he was the captive, not even having been allowed to die in defense of his people and holy cause. He was…spurned, and every second that passed he found his anger was all he had left to cling to.
8
February 26, 3292
Paquat System (Star Force territory)
Vikod (Trinx homeworld)
Oni strode down one of the Trinx streets, the invasion of Vikod long over and the mop up operations on the other planets nearing their end. There was no weaponsfire incoming, just odd looks from the red-skinned, twin headtailed people rallied in protest. They were not going to mess with her, knowing her abilities, but they and the rebel leaders were why she had come down to the planet and they all knew it.
Her brilliant pink armor clashed with their deeper red as the wall of Trinx parted to allow her access to the building they were protesting around. The armed guards there had not been firing back, merely keeping their kin out, but they too did not try and hinder her passage.
Once inside she proceeded to a familiar location, the headquarters for the interim government that was holding Trinx society together while Star Force began to rework it, though she’d only been here in person on two previous occasions. Most ‘visits’ were holographic in nature and the occupants of the chamber she entered were going to wish that had been the means she used to communicate to them regarding their refusal to comply with one of her orders.
A pair of partially repaired vassal guards parted for her at the entrance, with her quietly walking inside rather than making a storm of flying bodies and broken walls. Rather, she simply walked up to the three Trinx seated at a far too large table and stared at them through her helmet, saying nothing. She kept that pose until it began to unnerve them, with Chosan finally standing and facing her, not knowing what she was going to do.
“How do you wish to proceed?” he asked tenderly, knowing she could snap him in half if she so wished.
“The order will be followed, one way or another. The question is how you wish to proceed,” she said through the opaque faceplate with her armor translating.
“We cannot give up our newborns.”
“Can and will,” Oni said defiantly.
“Not willingly,” he said, matching her tone.
“I accepted your surrender on the agreement that you would follow orders. You are not following them now, so where does that leave you?”
“Why must you take them from us?”
“So they will start out fresh in Star Force. You know the reasoning.”
“It does not justify this kidnapping.”
“Rescuing,” she clarified. “They’re better off in the maturias.”
“Taking them away from their parents is not better off.”
“Your civilization failed, and is now being destroyed. Indoctrinating these younglings into your ways then forcing them to change rapidly thereafter is both inefficient and cruel. Better that they learn from the beginning rather than put them behind schedule.”
“I thought that you were going to allow us to keep this planet?”
“The Trinx will keep it, yes, but they will be my Trinx. And my Trinx do not ignore my orders. The infants will join the younglings in the maturia as planned.”
“Will you not even allow them a single year with their parents?”
“No. They will begin in the maturia immediately.”
Chosan bit his lip, obviously containing his anger but knowing that there was no way to force her hand. “So we are just supposed to help you slowly deconstruct our society piece by piece?”
“Yes.”
“How can you be so cold?”
“Cold?” Oni said, anger beginning to seep into her voice. “We are helping you ungrateful bastards that murdered my brothers and sisters and killed far more of our allies over some stupid ego trip. We also removed your corrupt government for you, not to mention are giving you the very big honor of joining Star Force. We are doing you a huge favor, but we are going to do it our way, in every single circumstance. There is no compromise, no negotiation, and your present freedom is dependent on you willfully complying, otherwise you will go to the prison facility and handle your conversion training there rather than here. What part of that is not easily understandable?”
“You spared us, and for that we are in your debt, but you are also destroying us in another form, and that we cannot tolerate.”
“You will tolerate it.”
“No,” another of the Trinx leaders said, also standing, “we will not.”
“Fine,” Oni said, falling silent for a moment as she accessed both of their minds and rendered them unconscious. As they fell she telekinetically grabbed them and pulled their bodies across the table, dumping them next to her feet as she looked at the third leader. “How about you? Prison or work with me?”
“Even if I agree to do so, the crowds outside will not permit the infants to be taken. Handing over the younglings was tenuous enough, but that was in the aftermath of the fighting and everyone was reeling from wounds, emotional or physical, and didn’t have time to fully think things through. They were just happy to still be alive and not in a prison. Now that some normalcy has returned they are thinking, and they’re thinking that they cannot give up the responsibility of their children to Star Force. To do so would be dishonorable, and after all the dishonor we have suffered to add to it would be an even g
reater tragedy.”
“At least you can talk,” she offered. “All of Star Force raises its younglings in maturia. They are not the responsibility of the parents after birth. The annexation of the Trinx means you will also operate under these protocols. I made that clear over a year ago.”
“Yes you did. People are rethinking the wisdom in complying.”
“Fortunately for those infants I’m not giving their parents any say.”
“If you force this, the planet may well revolt.”
“If it comes to that, so be it. At least then I’ll know who are really serious about working towards a new future and those who are just paying lip service to it. I originally planned to ship every one of you off to the prisons and let you work your way out of them gradually, and I still have that option. The transition will go more smoothly if you comply, but it will go more rapidly if you don’t.”
“You still require our assistance if you want the secrets to our technology.”
“And you want to use that as leverage to force a measure of compromise?”
“If necessary. I do not want to end up fighting my own people again.”
“The answer is still no.”
The Trinx raised his hands helplessly. “Then we are at an impasse.”
“Wrong again,” Oni said, blacking him out and pulling his body through the air until it landed on her left shoulder. She telekinetically picked up the other two and placed Chosan on her right shoulder before stacking the other guy on top of them across both her shoulders. Using her arms and Lachka to hold them in place she began walking back the way she’d come and passed by the vassals who took immediate objection to what she was doing and attempted to help the Trinx as per their programming.
