Thursday, June 16, 2022

The power of Friendship, Chapter 20: First blood


full image - Repost: The power of Friendship, Chapter 20: First blood (from Reddit.com, The power of Friendship, Chapter 20: First blood)
“Admiral Eashia, I presume. I do not often deal with people of your…station but it seems we might have something for eachother.”Eashia received a call from an anonymous person on Culumander. The call was untraceable and the voice was distorted. The higher pitch suggested either a hdril or perhaps a female peldaran.“I am quite busy and I hope you understand that if you waste my time, there will be repercussions.”“Of course admiral.” The tone dripped with sarcasm and disdain. “I was out on my morning walk this morning and I stumbled upon the strangest creature, bipedal, small tuft of hair on its head and quite vicious.”Eashia took in a sharp breath, her heart started pounding. Someone had found her deathworlder. She forced herself not to sound overly excited. “Who are you exactly?”"Just a friend who would love to have a little trade. Anyway, I took it home of course, along with the rest of its pack. And I would just love to send them up to you, with a nice bow tied around them as a gift…”“But?”“But since our mutual friend Zantor no longer has any staff to arrange for ships to legally embark into space, we are stuck here, legally speaking.” The voice mocked a sad tone. “Now I would be willing to give you this creature, but I need you to…do a few more raids like last night.”“First of all, who do I speak to, and secondly, how do you know of my interest?”"I am a person of knowledge and a little critter told me of your woes."The dark screen flicked on, showing the human on the floor of a containment crate. “We have been feeding the squad a small dose of neuroblanc to keep them nice and calm.”"Suppose I would want this creature, what is it you need of me? Certainly a person of knowledge like yourself can arrange something trivial as paperwork.""I can and I will, but it has slowed down our planning and messed with my schedule. But if you want this beast, then I would like you to send down some of your strong boys and girls to Culumander. Knocking on a few doors, roughing some people up."“Alright, I could call in a few more squads, on your competitors I take it, other…criminals.”The voice on the other side mocked that of someone hurt. “A criminal? Oh no I am one of those who look out for my friends. Bah, I don’t care what you think of me. You will receive your little deathworlder after we have conformation that the following eight places are raided. They are armed and dangerous.” A message was sent from a scrambled sender with different coordinates of the planet.Eashia shook her head. “You will send him to me now, I am sure you have recorded this conversation so you have that over me. I will fulfil my end of the bargain, I give you my word as admiral.”The voice on the other side went quiet for some time. “Very well, we will send the creature your way, the rest of the squad follows when we have heard of your valiant exploits. But where would you like us to send him to exactly?”Eashia pressed a few buttons on her wrist device to call in her aide. “Eeo’sa, handle this contact for me. Send them our location and prepare the crew of cruiser 243 to engage in counter terrorist organisation on Culumander.”“Yes Ma’am.”The screen went black and silence rang out into the room. Eashia could hardly contain her joy. The human had tried to run, but luck did not favour him. She returned to her private quarters and closed the door behind her, locking it with her personal seal. She then walked over to another door, one that the cleaning crew or maintenance crew had not opened since she took residence. She used another seal along her personal biometrics to open it.A cold light shone out over various metal implements, a wide array of tools that were prohibited for interrogation by galactic law, a set of heavy metal cages and other such ‘toys’. He was a deathworlder after all, she was sure he would need what she had here to bend him to her will.She entered and closed the door behind her.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Matthew kicked on the lower hinge several more times before the metal was truly deformed. The other hinge was higher than he could kick. He picked up the discarded rolled up foil plate and began hammering away.It didn’t take long before he realised it wasn’t having the same effects as the slightly more precise but harder kicks.Beyond the door he heard several people running. “Hey, what are you doing, stop that racket!”Matthew paused for a moment and heard the almost audible confusion. “Did…did that do the trick?” “I don’t know, open it up, Xora have your neuroblanc darts ready, we don’t know what this creature will do, it should be knocked out cold.”A key turned in the lock and Matthew felt his stress and adrenaline rise. They were coming in, he wasn’t ready, he didn’t have a weapon. The lock was unbolted and he saw the door swinging inwards before it got stuck on the broken hinge. Someone pressed against the door. “It’s stuck, what did the beast do?”Matthew reached around the door without looking and felt the feathery coat of his captors. He grasped as tightly as he could and yanked the creature through the small gap. “ARCH!” The sound would have been comical if it weren’t for the fact that these people were slavers. The hdril in his hand writhed in his grip and screamed bloody murder.Time slowed down for Matthew, here he had a sentient being in his hands, a cruel creature that would have no qualms of hurting others and worse. He saw his hand wrap around the long neck of the writhing and squealing avian. “You hurt my friends, allow me to repay that favour.” He felt his hand tighten around the feathered neck, it didn’t offer much resistance, it should have been harder. Outside the door another hdril screamed in panic. "No no no no!" A ‘crack’ was heard and the writhing stopped. Matthew felt the shattered bone pierce the skin of his hand. He turned around and wrapped his hands around the edge of the door. Behind the door the screaming didn't end.With a strength he didn’t know he possessed he pulled on the door. The metal screamed in protest, but Matthew would not let up. These people would pay, and they would pay in blood. Not just for him and his squad, but for every poor soul that they had hurt.The three hdril behind the door stepped back as the door was bent out of the way far enough so they towering human could fit through it. Xora, one of the hdril that had first subdued him trembled and aimed the dart gun. He shot at the creatures torso.To their horror the creature dodge out of the way with an insane speed, literally slapping the dart out of the air with its hand. It’s eyes looked at them. Eyes filled not with hatred, but with fury. A rage that superseded rational thought, the look of a predator that had been unleashed from captivity. Xora tried to scream, their legs would not obey because of the recent injury, their throat managed a soft croak before the human dove at him.Matthew grasped for the hdril holding the dart gun. He wasn’t thinking, he was riding his body, as in the back seat of a car. He grabbed the creature by the neck and arm and just ripped. It didn’t even had the chance to scream. Warm liquid dripped of his hands. The other avians beside him started to bolt.“Oh no you don’t.” He wasn’t sure if he said it or just thought it. He leapt after the slavers and managed to get two hands filled with feathers between his fingers while he landed on his stomach.“OW ow ow ow, please, no….please no no no.”-------------------------------------------------------------------------Sila screamed in pain when their psychic connection to their sibling was broken. They felt a pure panic right before the connection was violently broken. Another hdril came running concerned. “Sila, what is happening, Sila what is…oh no…no no no please no!” They stopped as they felt a phantom tug on their feathers. A panic spread from their own connection and they could hear their third sibling also cry out in panic and pain. Their chest felt broken, their neck felt twisted and their heart had trouble beating.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Matthew stalked through the long hallways of this building, he wasn’t unto space yet, gravity was the same and he could see the outside through high thin windows. He came to a corner and heard a panicky sobbing around it. He peeked around and saw two hdril, carrying dart guns holding their head while swaying back and forth like small scared children. One of them saw him and screamed in fear, firing the dart gun at him. “MONSTER, IT’S THE MONSTER!”Matthew managed to dodge the poorly aimed dart. “I will show you what a monster I can be, you goddamn slaver!”-------------------------------------------------------------------------“Good afternoon ambassador Zantor.” Eashia spoke through the large screen. “That is royal ambassador Zantor, Admiral Eashia.” He was sitting in his living room, his villa had also been raided during the night, windows were broken and everything was turned inside out. The raiders had found his vast wealth, killed or arrested most of his staff. The only light point of this whole situation is that the human had escaped.“Have you come to gloat? You have taken everything I worked towards.”“Not quite my dear, your deathworlder has been found. I soon will have him as well, but there is one thing more that I need from you.”“You can space yourself, why would I even consider helping you?” He spat.“Because your hoard has not yet been documented, I may show leniency if you do me a favour.”The peldaran perked up, but remained cautious. “What kind of favour would that be? Anything I can do, so can you with your network.”“I need access to the information stored on the exploration cruiser, the Resting Nest. I could gain permission but that takes time, time I frankly do not wish to spend.”“And why would you want that information?” Zantor kept his composure. He knew damn well what she wanted, she wanted the location of the human home world. Well if he could retain his wealth for such a small price, he just might give it.“Don’t play games with me royal ambassador. We need meat to throw at the Outliers. You and I both know the potential of these humans, they would make perfect soldiers…if we train them up a little.”Zantor smiled a bit. “Train them? I have tried training that human some manners for over a month and he showed no progress.”“I can be more persuasive than you can be.” She smiled sinister, and a shiver ran over the ambassadors back. “Y-yes I believe you can. Well I agree to your proposal, on the condition that this raid never happened and your word that you will not interfere with my work again.”Eashia cocked her head a little. “Always the negotiator, very well, there will be no reports of the raid outside my office. If I get access to the Resting Nest and its data storage within 1 [week].”-------------------------------------------------------------------------Matthew stood in a room, his hands were bloody and he was bathed in sweat. There were at least six dead hdril in this room alone. He had killed them with his bare hands. Their claws had scratched him a little, but nothing that wouldn’t heal. He rummaged through their pockets and found a ring with different keys on it. He had expected there to be high tech key cards or something, but apparently even in space it is sometimes cheaper to just make things without needing a power plug.He could hear the echoes of their death screams in his mind while he walked down the hallway he had first come out off. The two dead still lay there in large pools of blood. On the entrance of the hallway was a keyhole with a large switch. He tested a few keys out until he found the right one and pulled the switch.All cell doors unlocked with a heavy ‘clack’. “guys?” He opened the first few doors and found them empty. He went through two corridors before he heard a soft mumble inside one of the cells. He opened the door further and saw a lethargic Bellan looking at him.“Bellan, hey!” He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, she blinked a few times but didn’t seem to fully see him. “Dammit, this shit did a number on you didn’t it?” He hoisted her over his shoulder and walked out of the cell in search for the rest of his crew.-------------------------------------------------------------------------I heard the door open, I saw the light getting brighter. It was Matthew, now why was he here? Did he also enjoy the safety of the darkness?“Hey buddy, Kylam, you there?”I heard him ask me and I felt myself nod, but I couldn’t find a reason to care much about it. “Goddammit not you aswell, Bellan is here with me, I need you to stand my friend.”He pulled me to my feet and the world spun around me. I grabbed his leg to stabilize myself. “Wh…where are we going?” I asked dazed and confused.“We are getting off planet, this place sucks and we are all out of friends it seems.”“Oh, are friends important?”He stood beside me in silence for a moment before he knelt down to meet my gaze. “Kylam Goldscale, you are one of the only friends I have here, I have done bad things your behalf and I would do so again in a heartbeat. But right now I need you to focus, can you do that?” I felt his warm hand pat my cheek a bit. I nodded and slowly stepped outside my safe darkness into the dangerous light. Beside my cell sat Bellan, staring at the ground in silence.“Alright you two stay there, if anyone you don’t know comes this way, just shout alright. I am going to find Oiola. Everything is going to be fine.”I heard the lie, even in my confused state I heard something off about his words. Something in my friend had changed, something deep and terrible. He walked around the corner and sat down next to Bellan, my tail reached for hers. “You ehm…you okay?”“Yeah…I am fine, I guess.” Her tail wrapped around mine if a bit loose.I think we have been drugged. We suffer from apathy, lethargy, numbness of the mind. What do you think?”“Probably neuroblanc, perhaps laced with…things...stuff."I swore softly under my breath. Matthew will be back soon, can you walk?”She nodded softly and I got up, I don’t know why I got up. I reached down for her to get up when I didn’t as much hear, but I felt someone behind me.“Lets go guys, I got Oiola, Kylam get Bellan, we are moving out.”I turned around to see Matthew. In the light I got a good look at him, his hands were bloodied, scratches ran over his arms and legs and his eyes were different. Before they had always looked pleasant, now something foreboding looked at me, something predatorial. I nodded and heaved Bellan from the ground. “Come on dear, let’s go.”-------------------------------------------------------------------------Matthew lead his squad away from this place. He had seen an exit during his search for his friends. The place was dead silent after the fight in what looked like the office. Damn, he wanted to check if there was any information on how to get off planet, but he didn't dare to go there again. Partly because of what he had done and partly because some sort of alarm could have been raised. When he lead the way out the main door he saw a large space ship. It wasn’t fancy, it even looked a bit derelict. It was a smaller cargo ship no longer than a 100 meters and 40 meters tall. The ship rested in what looked like some type of scrapyard. Heaps of junk of all types were strewn around, but beyond that were high buildings. Was this in the middle of the Capital? He saw a few of the taller landmarks from here.A small forklift kind of vehicle drove into the bay door of the ship with a large containment crate, much like the one they had been kept in. He pushed his squad into a recess of the building and looked out carefully. Another forklift vehicle came out of the ship and hauled in one of the last few portable cells that stood outside. Three hdril and a peldaran talked to each other nearby. As far as Matthew could see, they were unconcerned and had not heard the violence inside.Should he kill them? Last time was in a fit of rage, it was basically self-defence. He looked down on his still bloodied hands and sighed. “They are already bloodied, and it’s not like they are innocent people.” Wait, was that line of reasoning not something psychopaths told themselves? No he wouldn’t kill unless he had to. Matthew returned to the rest of his squad and instructed them to move as fast and quiet as they could, they would sneak on board and figure things out from there.After the last cell was loaded onto the ship the squad hurried along side of the building, rushing from scrapheap to scrapheap to stay as covered as they could. They made some sounds along the way but Matthew kept a vigilant eye on the peldaran and hdril on the other side of the area. Either the xeno's had a poor hearing, or they just didn't pay attention.The loading door was huge, easily 20 meters wide and 10 meters high. They snuck onto the ramp and hurried inside. There they hid between several of the containment crates. It was no easy feat for the still half drugged squad. Matthew had to pull them along and guide them into their hiding spot.They sat there for ten minutes. Which seemed to last an eternity he feared they would inspect the crates and find them, or that the ship would just sit there for another day. He could hear the peldaran and two hdril enter the ship. "Have you heard from the office? I mean we told them to be ready or take the next ship.""They are probably faffing about with some of the cargo. Feeling up the junkies or something." The bay doors suddenly started to close with a loud hiss. "I guess they are taking the next ship then." The soft humming of the engines who were brought to life and the shudder of different systems coming online. Dim lights illuminated the cargo bay.It was the moment that the ship shuddered once more and that they all felt the ship lifting off that Matthew spoke again. “Alright, I will go look around, I want you all to sit tight and keep silent, can you do that?”Kylam and Bellan nodded slightly, Oiola seemed more awake than the reptilian peldarans were. “Be careful alright.” The gratitude and worry in her eyes was sincere. He returned her plea with a smile. "Careful is my middle name."-------------------------------------------------------------------------“YOU WHAT?!” Eashia shouted at the criminal who had contacted her. She hadn’t want to speak to the bastard again, let alone get bad news. “We…we don’t know what happened, it is a blood bath in here.” She gave them a cold stare. “Of course it is a blood bath. It is a damn deathworlder. Have you not increased the amount of drugs?”“We did, we tripled it. How the hell were we supposed to know those beasts cannot be poisoned?” There was some hesitation in the creatures attitude. “Well, what else?”“There…there is a possibility that it has stowed away on the last shipment. It is headed for the G.C. core worlds sector, but we aren’t sure.”“Tell them to shut down the engines and have them fire their emergency beacon, I will have some patrols search for them. You better hope the human is on that ship or I will come down to that planet and find you myself. And trust me when I say that I will do to you whatever that human did to your men, tenfold.”​​(I have quickly reposted with a proper title this time)


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