Galactic Calendar 259872/ 2000 [ Sol Year 4387/ Day 152 of 365. Sol standard year]
Days after of Crash landing/ 1
Unknown Island / Unnamed Ruin
Galactic Standard Time / 1830
As the group looked out at the direction the strange creature had come from, their weapons in their hands. Ro’borlar activated his armor’s sensor suite, focusing on the tunnel ahead of them. He scowled as he saw movement coming from 100 yards away. “[Contact! 100 Yards and closing!]”
“[It must have come from a path we missed! But how?!]” Je’ndra snarled as she summoned her pistols.
All Ro’borlar could do was agree with her, and the fact he missed it was a mark of shame. But then a strange thought went through his brain and he almost fell over. He looked down at the creature, gazing at its mouth, seeing what he thought he would. He was about to say something when a beep brought his eyes back to the HUD and he cursed again. [Five more of them! Coming in fast, they’re already at 50 yards!]”
His system detected movement and he was starting to hear noise from ahead. Strange crude sounds but signs nonetheless that something was coming. But beyond that, he couldn’t see anything. And that was the problem, because even with everything he had he couldn’t see anything at all. He looked down at the dead creature and without a word, pulled out a small spike he threw into the corpse.
He hated these kinds of fights, they were always hard and on the edge of life and death. But that was when he had been fighting Aeher using sentients, something that was always hard. The one thing he hoped he was wrong about was the Aether using. If they had to deal with Aether using sentient too, then this planet was officially on his ‘destroy’ list!
“[Where are they? I mean I see them but where are they!?]” Tar’lroia demanded as she panned around the tunnel, trying to find whatever was coming at them.
“[ABOVE! The ceiling! Firing!]” Olv’xic said moments before a bolt of plasma flew over their heads.
As one they all looked up, seeing the bolt of plasma Olv’xic fired hit the ceiling. After that came a screech of anger from the darkness. The bolt’s impact explosion illuminated a white spear. It was being held by a small white hand but before they could see more darkness returned.
“[WHAT ARE THEY!?]” Ken’tricx snarled as he panned his rifle, trying to find what charging them.
“[Weapons! Whatever these are, they can think!]” Kon’gric growled.
“[No hostile actions!] Ar’thor’s voice over their comms caused Ro’borlar to almost fire before he registered what his prince said. “[Move away, back now! This might be a hunter after its prey!]”
Ro’borlar could see what their prince meant, and he hoped whatever this was could understand their actions. If it wasn’t that evolved, then it might still be at the ‘kill everything different to eat it’ stage. And that would make this so much harder. But he kept quiet and moved away from corpse slowly, leaving what had to be its kill between them and the hunter.
His eyes were on the location of the creature and he finally saw it come out of a hole in the wall. It was small, maybe at most two feet tall. It had pure white skin and three milky eyes above a round maw of needle-like teeth. It had two arms that ended in four claws, and on the right one was a long spear that was at least a foot long. On the tip of it was a large red crystal, and it was pointing right at them. As he watched, the creature moved down the wall with three long legs that ended in spikes. As it reached the dead creature the hunter looked at them and hissed, a foot-long tongue shot out of its mouth. When the tongue retreated the hunter glared at them before it grabbed the dead creature and moved away, keeping the group in sight.
Ro’borlar looked at where the creature had been, a thousand questions on his lips. That thing, that hunter, it had been bigger than he thought it would. But then he only had the logic of his world to go on. That hunter was just the next sign that whatever this place was, it wasn’t normal.
“[The bugs were one thing, but that? I think wherever we are it has to be in Federation space, probably one they were keeping quiet about. But how did the ship crash here?]” Kon’gric asked as he looked around at the others. He frowned and looked at Jen’ndra. [Leader Xond Azorinic, how did we miss where that thing came from?]”
“[I guess we could have missed a hole for something that small. But we should have detected the airflow. I can’t explain it],” Je’ndra said and Ro’borlar only snorted.
“[If the prey thing didn’t make the new tunnel],” Ro’borlar said and he felt the others stare at him. He didn’t pay attention, he kept his attention on his HUD, keeping an eye on the tracker in the corpse. It showed the hunter moving away along the same tunnel the group had traveled down. As he watched, the hunter moved into one of the walls around 70 meters down, and Ro’borlar released his breath. “[And I was right, I think.”]
“[How can you even sa…..You put a tracker into the corpse, didn’t you?]” Olv’xic asked and Ro’borlar nodded.
“[It went through a wall about 70 meters from us. We should double our watch once we make it to the cave-in],” Ro’borlar said as he desummoned his weapon.
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Olv’xic just mask palmed and felt a headache forming behind his eyes. He couldn’t believe Ro’borlar sometimes, he just couldn’t. An unknown sentient is contacted, and he desecrates the being’s kill. That hunter might have been perceived as anything, from being shamed and having to hunt them down. Or maybe it was a challenge, that the hunter must now hunt the party down for a fight to the death. All Olv’xic knew as he glared at Ro’borlar was that this whole place suddenly became even more deadly to them.
Without a single word, he sent a request to Je’ndra for a private talk, and within moments her mask icon was on his HUD. “[We’re gonna have trouble with that hunter, aren’t we?]”
“[Yes, we are. The path to the doors, how’s the signal?]” Je’ndra’s question stopped Olv’xic short.
He gazed at his display, seeing the signal and what they saw as they followed the strongest source. He saw a passage about 50 meters ahead, and then he blinked as everything suddenly made sense to him.
The hunter, must not have been alone. There had to be more. If they prowled the tunnels for food, they had to have found the cavern. If they found the cavern, they found the creatures within. If they found the creatures, one or the other must have attacked first. Then that means the damages they saw must have been from combat. And the battle must have been against either the three-legged beings or the bugs. The way the false mites were spread out meant they were waiting for an attack. If they were covering three ways into the cavern then that meant attacks could come from all of them. So that supported the idea that they were more of the little things. And they were standing around on the path that the hunters used to attack the cavern. And a scout just left to go back to its people that new food was waiting for them.
“[Boss, we need to move now! Even going back the way we came and charging along the left would be better than going on!]” Olv’xic barked as he turned around, only to come face to face with Je’ndra.
“[Why, what did you figure out warrior],” Ar’thor asked over the open line and Olv’xic went still.
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To even talk to a royal at his rank, was near heresy. But if he was right, then they were all in very real danger.
“[Those things in the cavern? They were in defensive positions around those three tunnel openings. They had to be defending themselves from the bugs and probably the hunters we just met. We have to move now, get ourselves beyond the cavern to keep those things between us. That’s why the hive was so far up, they were hiding from what’s down here!]” Olv’xic said and looked around. He saw the others straighten up and saw the shields of Guard Kon’gric flare for a second. “[We can’t stay here, we have to move fast!]”
All Olv’xic did was look straight at Je’ndra, willing his leader to understand. If there was a single chance that they would live beyond this day, they had to move now while they still had time to do so. They just didn’t have a choice, they had nothing but a terrible path to follow. She had to see that, there wasn’t any other way to go.
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Je’ndra looked at Olv’xic, trying to understand how he figured everything out so fast. Once he said it, it was so obvious that she almost cursed herself for not seeing it. And Olv’xic had seen the creatures and the cavern for what it was in an instant. That was interesting, very interesting.
But that wasn’t important right now, the situation they were in was. if the tactical data she had just been handed was true, they did need to move. “[We go back now, Guard take the middle! Olv’xic with me! Ken’tricx and Ro’borlar, Rear guard! Tar’lroia with the Guard! Fast travel everyone, Aether speed once we make it to the cavern, we’re going right!]”
As she turned and started to run, the others fell into step behind her. As they moved, her thoughts went to Olv’xic. This was the second time in the same day that he had shown that he was more than what he usually was.
She was starting to wonder just what he was hiding. The few times she had seen him go beyond what he normally did were easily explained. But now? There had to be a story behind him, why he was using only one name, how he never said anything about where he was from.
But as they ran back down the tunnel, she put that aside. Now was the time for action, the time for battle. And she had to keep all her attention on what was happening now.
“[Leader, do you think he’s right? Will more of those things come after us?] Ar’thor’s voice caused her to wince.
“[It makes sense, and it explains everything. But I don’t know how we’ll get past those things my prince. Maybe…..],” Je’ndra began only for Ar’thor to interrupt her.
“[I will talk to them. I will get passage to the gates from them. But stand ready to use everything we have to get there],” Ar’thor said stoically and softly with a hard edge to his voice.
“[My prince, how could you……],” Je’ndra asked softly.
“[I have the skill; Mind to Mind. I’ll fall asleep after using it, but it’s the best choice we have],” Ar’thor said softly.
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The hunter moved through the passage the beast had made, happy beyond words. Behind it four more of its kind followed. One was armed with a spear, another two with crude bows and arrows while the last held a club. They looked at their hunt-leader, some of them were confused. The prey had died and to make it even better, they had found more! But they had have light throwers like the Creators things did. But there were so few of them, that was wonderful! This meant that that power wasn’t just theirs, that it could be taken! Once the horde was called, they would swarm over the strange prey.
As it turned a corner it came out into a large cavern. It saw others of its kind, some of them cutting into more dead prey beasts as it approached. The hunter threw the corpse it was carrying at them and moved on, ignoring the screeches behind him. It didn’t care, it had more important things to do. once the master knew what it found, they would all hunt.
It looked down at another part of its kind cutting into the prey beasts. One of them pulled back ass a purple liquid came out of its corpse. It grabbed a crystal bottle and let the liquid fall into it, leaping back before it got onto him. The hunter only chittered and moved on, looking at a sizzling hole being formed in the rock of the floor.
The hunter moved on, past a few more of its kind. These ones dressed in leather robes and were moving among eggs, each one a half foot tall and wide. The hunter nodded, not slowing down as it continued, its goal in sight. The four of its kind that were following it peeled off at this point. Each of them moving towards another area of the cavern, leaving the hunter alone to continue on.
After another few minutes, it finally got where it was going. Before it was a large tunnel entrance ten feet wide and tall. Before it four of its own stood there, each one holding a spear and foot-tall shield as they stood guard.
They barked at the hunter, screeches that the hunter returned, and it was let in. As it passed by them the others glared at it. The hunter only moved on, ready to do its duty.
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As they all ran, Tar’lroia kept her eyes on her HUD, trying to see if her sensors noticed anything. With the reality that more tunnels could be made by what was down here, she was nervous. This was a security nightmare, they had to move fast and hope speed could keep them safe!
And she cursed whatever was wrong with this planet! Creatures with acid strong enough to melt stone? What had happened to evolution here?! Even some of the wild worlds they had been sent to for missions hadn’t had things like this one! It was like this whole place was some kind of bio-weapon lab gone wild!
Tar’lroia went still, her mind going dark places. She just stood there, the others moving past her as her mind went into overdrive. As she tried to think of anything to disprove her wild thought, she found nothing. She was about to bring up her wild idea when Je’ndra spoke.
“[All forces listen to me],” Je’ndra started as a map of the cavern with the creatures appeared on Tar’lroia’s HUD. Four symbols moved towards the creatures while the remaining three stayed back.
“[When we get there I want everyone but Olv’xic and Kon’gric to watch the back. While the Prince talks to these things with his Aether ability, Kon’gric, Olv’xic and myself will cover him. Everyone else doesn’t attack. They make the first move we burn our way through them. Any questions?]” Je’ndra asked and Tar’lroia blinked.
For a moment Tar’lroia wondered why she was being sent to the back. But then she almost spoke up and then stopped. Aether abilities to communicate with other beings held nothing back. If she spoke up and told them of her theory, those things would know it too. If that happened, those things might kill the team as offerings for their creators. No, the best thing to do was not say a thing.
“[Got it, boss, I’ll drop a sensor pod back here, if anything comes we’ll know. Want me to set up a boom-boom surprise?] Ken’tricx asked with a little hope in his voice.
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The hunter cried out in pain. It had lost all of its legs and one of its arms, and it whimpered as its master stood above it. When it had come into the chamber, it expected many things but this. when it had tried to pass on the news of its find instead of being praised it was insulted. Its leader had said something about how it was a coward. It should have fought and brought one of the dead bodies of the light throwers.
Never mind that it was only a hunter, never mind that it had been sent out to die alone if more of the prey beasts were there. That it had done everything its master wanted, and it was being punished for not going beyond its orders? When it had protested, its master had ordered it to be killed. It looked up at the master’s four guards, each one eating one of its limbs. Already the master was bellowing for the horde to prepare for war, that it was time to kill the false mites! That they and they alone would take the power of the light throwers.
As the hunter stayed there, the guards threw the remains of its limbs away. They spat at it before they followed after the leader, as outside calls for war sounded. It was alone, with only its limbs and some food alone in the chamber. It stayed there, the wounds it had taken scabbing over as the sounds of many feet leaving echoed off the walls.
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All Olv’xic could do was stare at Je’ndra, shocked beyond words. But not too far gone to have missed Ken’tricx’s suggestion. For a second all he could do was stare at him, trying and failing to speak as his mouth opened and closed.
“[Are you stupid?! We can’t bring the roof down on our heads! If we have to escape, that’s our only way!]” Tar’lroia exclaimed and
“[And my Prince will know that soldier and the creatures will know it too! We can’t do something like that while asking to pass through their territory!]” Je’ndra spat harshly
“[I thought it might be nice, a way to keep those hunter things out. Bad idea then?]” Ken’tricx asked and Olv’xic sighed and shook his head.
“[My friend, things here can tunnel through the rocks. That means these tunnels are only here because it’s easy for them to use. if we break the tunnel, anything could happen],” Olv’xic said and he saw Ken’tricx shuffle his feet.
“[It is standard ops],” Ken’tricx like a child being scolded.
Olv’xic just sighed and ‘masked palmed’ at the mental image that was created.
“[Any other it would be. But they’re right, we can’t let the Prince’s negotiations be in jeopardy],” Je’ndra said as she flashed a few hand signs. Olv’xic read them and grinned a little. Lady Je’ndra was that kind of leader, one who found ways to get around problems. All they needed now was for the ‘talk’ with these ‘false-mites’ to go well, and they were going to be just fine.
But then Olv’xic went still as he felt her eyes on him. The only bad thing about that was that she remembered things. And that was bad for him.