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  Marhal as a moon was enigmatic; mostly due to the lack of an electro-magnetosphere. Not only did that mean there were occasional gamma bursts but also the onerous management of electronic guidance systems. Countless miles of jungle, a wide see that hugged it, and no clearings to support communities, there was likely not anyone on it. No one but the wretched enemies.

  “We’re chasing ghosts” replied S’tiri

  “Not necessarily, I have an A’tai agent that was sent straight from Okan headquarters waiting for further orders from me.”

  S’tiri’s eyes widened even more. A’tai special forces on Marhal was a strong indicator that Irinan government had some sort of intel that the moon was important. He didn’t rank high enough to know what it was.

  “I’m sending you to guide her and two others. Meet up with Sogul Clune and Moshe group. An ordinance squad.” Runen’s eyes made their way to both Donas and S’tiri in the same drift.

  As Runen began to step back to her original position, her armor glistened. White pearlescent and designed to the heel with markings, the powered armor showed no scuffs or scratches. Runen must’ve landed not too long ago. She hadn’t had a tangle with the enemies like the majority of the soldiers.

  S’tiri felt he understood the circumstances. The Elassi were definitely on Marhal, and even more grimly, there were some sort of advisors. The only puzzle piece missing was why they chose a jungle moon ten warp jumps away from their home world.

  “Wherever I’m going, I’m taking Donas along. He’s a tough soldier,” said S’tiri. At the battle that had taken place when their first drop ships landed, he had witnessed his strength firsthand.

  Runen’s posture was almost as if she ignored the comment; and she did.

  “Rendezvous with Sogul Clune and Moshe group at the Drugen plains. There’s a small clearing there and it’ll be a trek but you’re going on foot after that” said Runen as if S’tiri never spoke. “Take him with you” she waved her hand flimsily towards the two, standing next to each other, she meant it for Donas.

  “Suit up,” she added

  A moment later S’tiri and Donas were gathering equipment by a dropped weapons station. Armor ready and shiny like new, the cell packs for their carbines wrapped around their waists and shoulders. Donas was greedy in a sense; grabbing for ammo like it was the last that he’d ever get a chance to.

  The two were clipping carbines to their suit mount while a Volga skidded across muddy sludge. The small hovercraft was substantially vulnerable, but fast. The pilot of it placed his hand firmly on a holoscreen that controlled the seat sets.

  “Moshe group is under fire as we speak. I just got a com message from Sogul Clune in the Drugen plains.”

  “How far is Moshe from this position?” S’tiri quickly replied.

  “Four minutes but we’ll be dropping into a battle zone” the pilot responded just as quickly and pushed his hand on a holoscreen acceleration.

  S’tiri sat back in the adequately small seat with Donas panting in the seat next to him. More battle, he thought. His dark eyes dilated as the Volga sped up at a remarkable speed. A coarse jungle wind gusted past them in an intense blast. The two soldiers placed their helmets on where a receptive display appeared. It showed ammo count in the carbine, shield resonance, and armor integrity.

  Before S’tiri finished a check of his receptive display, the pilot began to slow down. All of them could see heavy fire exchange from three different points towards the plains.

  “I’m stopping short, unless you want to get a head start on dying” the pilot slyly mentioned.

  As it came to a stop, S’tiri and Donas hopped out of the Volga; it easily cleared four feet from the ground. Both of the soldiers aimed down their sights moving in a linear formation towards the fire. As they maneuvered to the edge of jungle where it met the plains, a second didn’t pass before cell fire directed itself from the jungle brush on both sides.

  S’tiri sighted eight soldiers returning fire back to all three points. Some with their helmets on others with them off, and at least a dozen Irinan bodies that riddled around the plains. The soldiers were taking cover behind two downed Volgas. One insufficiently positioned from the fire being taken from the left of the brush.

  S’tiri and Donas went from slow maneuver to a full sprint towards the downed Volga on their right. Cells hummed past their helmets but the shields held up, polishing off what didn’t miss them, which wasn’t many.

  “Where’s Sogul Clune?” S’tiri shouted to the three soldiers taking refuge behind the destroyed Volga. Two of them ignored it as they picked up enemies in the distance. They were efficient marksmen. One did respond. Another refraining from firing nodded at the other Volga.

  He bared an insignia of a medic on his armor plates.

  “Where’s the scientist? How the hell did you get pinned down?” said Donas, hoping the medic had answers.

  Arhel was his name according to the symbols he bared on his neck. He gave a faint look of confusion “The grooti ran into the jungle half an hour ago.” He let off a couple plasma cells shots as if to feign being in the fight. “We dropped right into a trap. The Elassi are in that brush.” S’tiri gestured to Donas to move toward the other Volga.

  He took a quick glance over the Volga at cell fire; he caught a sight of an Elassi soldier. Another sprint to the rest of the squad at the other Volga. Sogul Clune was more than unjaded by the firefight.

  S’tiri couldn’t get a word out.

  “She went forward, shot her way through the fight.” Clune’s gestures of disbelief were more than an adequate display.

  How does a scientist shoot her way through a full-scale exchange? thought S’tiri. His thoughts transpired into an actual question.

  “She’s not a scientist, or at least not only. Haven’t seen skills like that from any soldier.” Clune articulated. S’tiri thought it very perceptive of the Sogul to come to that conclusion. It was one that made sense.

  A soldier threw a plasma grenade over the Volga into the cover of the jungle. A few bodies hurled outward with limbs spread across the plain floor. The amount of returning fire began dwindling until there were just about none. Those that died left the rest without a united force.

  After a long enough fight, the soldiers came out of cover slightly. Still alert at their unpredictable surroundings. S’tiri shifted his mounted carbine to his side and took position closer to Sogul Clune.

  “What’s the plan then?” he said.

  “We’re going after her, she has a comm link. Shouldn’t be difficult to track her down. U-Nine will hold up here while you and I push forward.”

  Clune nodded in the affirmative. It was bold to speak out to a Sogul, but Clune knew orders and S’tiri was essentially an acting Sogul alike. Runen had it in his future.

  Clune gestured to three of the soldiers to start setting up a perimeter. Arhel, the medic, didn’t need direction. He started checking the men on the ground immediately. It was if he heard the groans of plasma wounds from them. The other soldiers were less adamant to check the survivors.

  Sogul Clune led them up into the same jungle section just ahead, S’tiri and Donas followed one behind the other. Bodies riddled the jungle floor, Elassi in different colored uniforms all dying for a similar cause. S’tiri wasn’t sure exactly what that was. Clune grunted to get the others attention and pointed ahead to where a trail of bodies painted a clear path the scientist had gone to.

  These are gashes from a blade, thought S’tiri. Simultaneously Clune uttered from in front of him. “See these wounds? They were done with a serious piece of work. Had to be A’tai issued. My guess is a Slickblade.” You could only get them from one place, and that was from the deep depths of what many Irinans thought was the shadow government of their societies. A’tai had too many facets.

  S’tiri nodded but Clune was looking forward. The three of them kept eyes clear on all their surroundings. Native animals were noisy, the cracking of branches and sway of large leaves almost mimicked
a frequency.

  In the distance, was what looked to be a tiny clearing; nothing that could’ve been laid out by map scanners. Sogul Clune approached it with the two behind him but stopped in his tracks. “My R.D. is out,” he said.

  At the same time S’tiri and Donas pressed buttons at the base of their helmets that contracted them. Their receptive displays were out as well.

  “What could take out our displays?” Donas asked with a stern look of confusion.

  S’tiri took steps in front of Clune and noticed that something was off about the little patch of green. He held his carbine up and shot into the distance. The cell didn’t make it past the clearing but instead bounced off of revealed metallic object.

  “It’s one of the Poloron sites” said Donas.

  “That’s what it looks to be.” Clune replied.

  A cloaked Poloron Missile site. S’tiri motioned towards it looking for an avenue to disable it. It wasn’t clear but it seemed as though the cloaks had some type of effect on the displays. Poloron does emit a certain frequency. One that could temporarily shut down displays. It didn’t match any technology that the Elassi were known to have. So, S’tiri thought.

  He pulled out a small vibrating blade and broke the panel adjacent to where the site was directed. S’tiri fiddled with wires; Clune and Donas were on alert. Aiming down their sights, Donas grew weary. “I see something” he whispered. Clune’s carbine raised even more.

  A black figure moving too quickly that couldn’t be seen clearly. The soldiers began to sway to keep an eye on it. S’tiri remained focused, but a heavier breath came over him. In the blink of an eye the black figured stopped. I soft and light voice came from in between the three of them.

  “You’re ruining my surveillance” said the soft voice. The three soldiers aimed their guns directly toward each other. In the middle of them stood a thin Irinan woman. She was dressed unlike anyone else; a suit-up that matched that of a high-ranking officer. S’tiri and Donas lowered their weapons; Sogul Clune decided to lower his with less insistency.

  “Chief Science Officer Z’oni A’kellia” she said.

  “You’re an assassin” responded Clune. Finally, his carbine at his side but ready.

  “I am a scientist for the A’tai,” she said sternly. “They sent me here to survey and execute a marked leader. Some sort of war aid sent to help the Elassi.” her voice became a little more defensive as her accent grew noticeable. Highborn, thought, S’tiri. She continued. A’tai Intelligence has reason to believe that there is a coalition in the works. That’s all I can say.”

  The three soldiers looked around at each other briefly and back to her.

  Donas jabbed the back of his carbine at a thick tree trunk. “Then what the fuck are we doing on this moon? Risking our lives.”

  “You don’t rank enough to know that bit of information. Not even you Sogul Clune”

  “What’s the next move?” said S’tiri, deflecting the confrontation.

  She made her move towards the site and turned back. “There is an underground base here. I tracked a small infrared signature that powers the cloaks. Its north of here - “

  Z’oni was interrupted by a transmission that burst out of Sogul Clune’s com-link. Sounds of a firefight echoed through and a voice that cracked with a tone of fear. It was Arhel.

  “Is anyone there? Can anyone respond? We are taking heavy fire. Moshe is in need of reinforcements.” Sogul Clune looked in the direction in which they had come from. His eyes darkened and had a tint of fury behind them. Clune was a Sogul and knew that orders took precedence. Even if it meant leaving those he had trained.

  “Hold your position” Clune’s words were as sharp as daggers. Reluctance never more noticeable. None of the others bothered to comfort a leader essentially sending men to their deaths. It was in all of their thoughts. War is war, and orders are orders.

  “Shall we head on course?” Z’oni broke the silence.

  They pushed forward with Z’oni guiding them through jungle that only became thicker as they went along.

  Minutes later, the group spotted a cave entrance of the right side of a cliff. It would prove hard to get to being bridged between a waterfall and more vast jungle. Z’oni pulled out a belt utility that she shot into the cliff side to repel down. It was another indication at the growing fact, she was a high ranking official or an agent of the government. To S’tiri, both seemed rather likely. He and the other soldiers’ unhooked grapples from their armor that were obsolete in comparison. One by one they descended.

  Each dropped down into the cave only to see wide caverns that were lit by artificial lights. Crates riddled the flat area. Donas and Clune aimed down their sights and spread out as if to secure what was left. Z’oni strutted over to an arrangement of portable terminals; the holo-screens displayed battlefront reports and a hail link to an unknown coordinate ready at voice command. At another terminal were advanced sensor scans of the surrounding miles of jungle. A premium frontline base with no one in it. For the all the planning that seemed to have taken place there, no one to be seen. Could it be abandoned? The question lingered vividly in S’tiri’s mind.

  “I have to report back to the Cruiser.” Z’oni stated. She took her first steps toward the entrance.

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible” A growly voice from behind a crate became revealed. The scaly sapient unearthed himself. His light armors the color of night. He wasn’t Elassi for sure. He was far too large. Elassi’ had an unbearable look. Four light sensitive eyes for which they were goggles over, and rather bulging dorsal bones. There was no mistaking the difference.

  “Bargaining chips just fell right into my domain.” He spoke placidly while stepping towards them. “You uncovered my prosaic base. That I will give you. However, we tracked you from as far as the Drugen plains.” Concurrently, Elassi forces uncloaked from all around them. It was what S’tiri was expecting. It was how many should’ve been in the cavern when they arrived.

  “Remove your weapons” the coarse being’s voice became more assertive in tone. The soldiers did as so, relinquishing their only tools of escaping. There was no escaping with three soldiers, even if Z’oni threw up her black figure decoys. She laid her weapons down as well. As she stepped back from them, S’tiri caught her movement out of the corner of his eye. She had tapped a small part of her wrist behind her back.

  A locater beacon, he thought. Now all we have to do is survive until they arrive.

  Chapter 3: Nario

  “This is Venture Three-Five-One for approach to Brios.” The pilot of the Venture, Korisnov, relayed through the link to Lanx Proxima System Defense with a thick Old Russia accent. The most heavily defended system in the galaxy. An adaptive language modulator connected to the com device. Through it Korisnov’s words were seemingly clear to the other side.

  The dense system held three gas giants with heavy gravitational pulls on the outer most orbits of a class G white star. Over millennia, the inner most planets formed an alliance; The Lanx Republic. Son-Hedra. A warm archipelago planet home to the Voathi, a race of bipedal arthropods with bulging eyes and fur, was the closest to the star. The furthest from the star, Phobetor, a small rich and verdant world home to the Phobetians a hardy species with no eyes and grey skin. Right in the middle lied the capital planet; Brios. An ocean world with vast floating cities controlled by the Zuri an amphibious race that were at the forefront of the Lanx Triumvirate.

  “Proceed on your forward vector. You are cleared for Skyrift docking.” A scratchy voice came out of the com-link. The slight delay in the translation gave insight to the process of the translator still adjusting.

  Korisnov gestured to his co-pilot, Halle, to prepare for an orbital dock. Most of the passengers were already buckled in. Nario had a soup of nausea that lingered under his chest. He didn’t know whether it was the circumstances or the fact there was no landing on the surface.

  The Skyrift was a colossal rotating ring that orbited with the planet. The o
nly way down was to dock and take a rift shuttle to one of the cities. Korisnov had never done it before such a maneuver that involved docking by Humans were only just now venturing into diplomatic policy at an intergalactic scale. By a selection process that might as well have been drawing straws, the alliance sought the Lanx Republic to be the starting point to a new age. With shocking decision officials in their government must’ve decided

  Despite being one of the best pilots the Federation Navy had to offer, it was no walk in the park. Begin orbit. Maintain prograde thruster bursts. Level out enough for the docking clamps to lock.

  Korisnov began orbit. Check. Maintained a prograde orbit with the Skyrift. Check. Leveled the small ship. CLUMP. The docking clamps tightened around the airlock of the Venture. Korisnov patted Halle on the back and with sigh added. “Run through diagnostic procedures. I’ll check on our guests”

  Passengers started unfastening from their seats. Nario, sweatier than he’d like to be, rose adjusting his ambassador uniform. Nario was uneasy as a result of his newfound responsibilities but held it under a professional exterior.

  Vice Ambassador Rhion stood from out of the passenger seat. His legs wobbly from extended rest. The two were old friends. Served seventeen years together in the Federation Navy aboard the Celestial, Edison, and Paladin, three of the most renowned Battle Cruisers. Both had considerable accolades. Along with them were a staff of officials representing branches of the Federation. Mercury, Mars, Venus, the moons and rocks leading to the Jovian system, all colonized; all equal so they would like to think. Those beyond, were primarily governed by corporations. It took centuries just to piece together the interplanetary machine that was the Federation. The inner planets flourished after a large terraforming period; nothing as glamorous as it sounded. The outer planets were left to fend for themselves. Corporate giants funded colonies and cities in order to gain a foothold. The aftermath of their efforts resulted in an indistinguishable divide. Anything past the asteroid belt being referred to as the Brink. If there was any time to begin xeno-political campaigns on a deliberate scale, it was right now. As a result, the staff and ambassadors were accompanied by a guard team of marines.