Galactic Calendar 259872/ 2000 [ Sol Year 4387/ Day 152 of 365. Sol standard year]
Days after of Crash landing/ 0
Unknown Island / Unnamed Cavern
Galactic Standard Time / 1730
As the dust erupted around them, Je’ndra reacted, barking orders before it could clear enough for them to see what had impacted and made the cloud. “[Protect the prince! Whatever comes out of there we burn it to ashes!]”
Je’ndra didn’t expect much of a threat. Her team was one of the best on their base, that's why they had been given the protection mission. They had fought vile pirates, depraved cultists who wanted to kill civilians, and Aether-using beasts. Few things would even give her team trouble, whatever this thing would likely die in minutes. And her whole team knew that too, she could see it in the way their vitals were spiking, they felt the same. She felt a smirk forming on her face as she summoned her weapon, the other doing the same. This was just like every other battle, nothing would change her team’s will.
“[Let’s show this thing what we can do! It’llll…. It’ll],” Ken’tricx trailed off as the dust settles around them.
Je’ndra didn’t make a sound. She knew that anytime other time, Olv’xic would have made a joke about how Ken’trixc was scared, but right now they all were.
a twenty-foot-tall robot made of black metal stood before them. Its face had four eyes around a central spike made of a white crystal with a jagged tip. Its body was humanoid, with two arms and legs. The arms ended in a blank circle with eight jagged white crystals set at the edges. The feet of the robot ended with five talons facing forward with two spikes on the back. The toes and spikes were made from the same white crystals as the ones on the arms.
“[A… a Firstborne Destroyer!?]” Olv’xic stammered in shock and horror.
Je’ndra knew exactly what he was feeling, to face one of them with a whole team was the stuff of nightmares. But here and now, without the rest of their team, the very idea was almost suicidal! But they were soldiers, protectors and they would handle this like they had all their other foes. They might be going to their death, but they would meet them like true members of the army.
“[I was right. ALL FORCES MOVED AROUND! DON’T GIVE IT A GROUP TARGET!]” Je’ndra bellowed as she ran, her blades disappearing as a green metal pistol formed in her right hand. “[Tar’lroia, fall back to the Guard! Olv’xic, lead the way to the tunnel! Ken’tricx, Ro’borlar with me! We’ll buy time!]”
Je’ndra summoned her pistol to her hand, aiming it at the Destroyer. She started to run to the right, getting off a few shots as she moved. Meanwhile, Ken’tricx and Ro’borlar moved in opposite directions, trying to split the Destroyer’s attention between them.
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Kon’gric held up his arms and two large blue energy tower shields formed to cover him and Ar’thor as Tar’lroia and Olv’xic fell back to cover them. As a group, the three of them moved towards where the Olv’xic’s drone had found the tunnel.
“[What in the void are Firstborne doing here?! First those bugs and now these things!?]” Kon’gric asked aghast as he locked eyes on the battle.
“[How dangerous is it?]” Ar’thor asked as he watched Je’ndra jump at it with her blades.
It dodged her and she landed behind it, charging at it in an instant. As her blades were about to hit the Destroyer, an energy shield blocked the blow and released a flash of light. Je’ndra was thrown up into the air, towards the wall. She hit it hard, fell to the ground, and for a moment she was still before she got back up, still holding her blades.
As Je'ndra tried to recover, the Destroyer moved its arms to point at her. She realized what it was doing and crossed her swords together moments before the Destroyer fired a blast of red energy at her.
As the energy covered her, Ar’thor felt his heart stop in horror. Lady Je'ndra was so strong, if she could die like that, what chance did the rest of them have to survive?
Ar'thor watched in shock. Ken’tricx and Ro’borlar didn't react. Ken’tricx just summoned his rotating guns and fired on the construct. Ar'thor stared in shock at what he saw, how could it have been hit, and why weren’t they reacting to Je’ndra’s death? His older brother would say that whenever he lost comrades he would turn it into fuel for his aether skills. But why weren’t they even reacting to her death, it's like they were nothing but constructs, was his brother wrong?
In moments he had his answer, the energy beam died down Je’ndra was revealed behind an energy shield. Spinning her swords she charged forward with a savage yell. As she neared the Destroyer, she leaped at it and this time she slashed through its right arm, severing the limb!
“[Not that dangerous really, but where’s there one there’s always more. We need to get away……. But how can we?]” Tar’lroia wondered as she aimed her bow at the Destroyer, wondering if she should risk a shot. But if she did that, then it might zero in on them, and that would put the prince in danger.
“[But if you can kill them all fast enough……]” Ar’thor trailed off as he watched in horror as the Destroyer sent a bolt of energy from its severed arm and pulled the maimed limb back to its socket.
“[Yeah, they can repair themselves mid-battle, and they can call in more of them. The only way to handle them is to use either overwhelming power or the weight of numbers. And we’ve got none of those things!]” Tar’lroia said with a bitter tone, wondering if this was her friend’s last battle.
Ar’thor stayed silent, looking at the battle as the Firstborne Destroyer threw its arms out at Ken’tricx. It caught him and threw him into the air towards the right wall. Ken’tricx hit the wall against his back and fell to the ground. He got back to his feet and summoned two large missile batteries, four missiles wide and tall, a single battery ten feet tall. Without a word the two batteries fired four missiles together, they shot through the air and hit the shield. The force of the blast set the Firstborne construct back towards the cave mouth.
Ar’thor looked at the construct, trying to think of anything at all to defeat it. He remembered what his grandfather said, all problems had solutions if you could just find them. If he had all the pieces of this puzzle, all grandfather would have said that he just needed to find the puzzle’s picture. He looked at the people guarding him, and then he realized who was before him. As his mind replayed what he knew about him, he felt his mouth widen in a victorious grin. He had found the solution to this puzzle.
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Olv’xic looked at the battle, trying to figure out what he needed to do. The Firsborne construct was being held off, but how long could that last? And with only one member of their team with heavy weapons, they would be overrun before the others made it here.
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“[Don’t worry sir, we’ll find a way to get you out of here alive! Nothing will get to you my lord!]” Kon’gric promised but Ar’thor pushed himself up over Kon’gric’s shoulders.
Olv’xic watched, he could see that the little prince had something to say, he only hoped it was valid.
“[We can use these bugs!]” Ar’thor said with a grin under his mask.
Olv’xic looked at him and then he felt a grin form as he started to understand just what he meant. If those things hadn’t burned through the rubble to open up the tunnel, then they could use them but only if they moved now! “[Olv’xic to all points! The Prince suggested we set the bugs against that thing! But we need to move now if we want it to work!]”
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Je’ndra heard Olv’xic words over the comms and thought about everything she knew about the bugs and saw the prince’s plan. The idea could work. But there were a lot of moving parts, and if they were off they might be in…….. Her thoughts died when the Destroyer got back to its feet and slammed its two arms down, narrowly missing Ro’borlar.
She gritted her teeth behind her mask, there were no good moves here. They could stay here, and fight where it had all the advantages. Or go deeper into the cave; hoping this thing will follow them. And that hinges on the hope that the bugs are trying to repair the damage to the tunnel they did, and not making a new one. And the fact that all of them were in here when the capsule crashed……….
Je’ndra went still as all ways that this could go wrong, and how bad it was went through her mind. With no other good choice, she made a decision. “[Fine. Olv’xic leads the way! Everyone else keep fighting, we might have a chance here!]”
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Olv’xic looked at the battle before nodding, summoning two pistols to his hands as he ran into the tunnel. This was the prince’s plan, and he had to admit there was a chance it would work. But then again this was an impossible position to be in, even for one like him. He kept a scowl off his face as he ran, holding onto old lessons as he did.
He loved the fact that he wasn’t required to eat with the others, and that he was able to use the Medical Automation if he needed to. He once more thanked the religious laws that allowed their medical privacy, which kept his secret for so long.
And here he was, on this planet alone. Sooner or later he’d have to show them what he was, and then……. It was a good thing to be on the team, maybe he could escape into the Federation after they got off this rock.
But his thoughts died after he reached the place he was looking for. Calling up an Aether Skill, he put his hand on the wall and felt what was behind it. He felt a grin form on his face as he sensed what he had been hoping for.
“[Everything is ready boss-lady! Just get here, we’ve got maybe a few minutes to do this!]” Olv’xic said with a grin that slowly died as he felt the bugs increase their speed. “[Boss, move! They're speeding up, so move!]”
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Je’ndra heard Olv’xic’s voice as she landed from a jump to the right of the Destroyer, a grin forming on her face. “[You heard him, move! Feed Aether to your boots, and run to the tunnel! Kon’gric go!]”
As Kon’gric backed up into the tunnel before would escape, Je’ndra dashed over to the tunnel mouth. As the rest of her team joined her, she looked at the Destroyer with a glare.
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As one, the Ancients moved, running faster than they had been observed doing before, the Destroyer just kept firing at where they had been. They moved into the tunnel, the Destroyer looking after them, nothing had gone as its simple mind. The Firstborne Destroyer’s mind was simple, it would follow its commands but actions like this that went against projected actions stumped it. All it could do was send a message to command and request new orders.
Destroyer Construct 10394 to Command, enemy Templates retreating. Requesting new orders.
Report received, return to base. Observer Units will track them on the face of the installation. Calculations show that….
Negative.
Query, explain.
Enemy Templates retreating into the cavern, not…….
PRIMARY COMMAND OVERRIDE!! Chase down enemy Templates and chase them out of the cavern! Continue activity of Destroyer and other life forms lowered to secondary concern! Level Omega Directive; Keep Template group from getting deeper within the cavern!
Command received, complying.
With its orders updated, the Destroyer moved towards the tunnel. All it could do was follow the orders it was giving. Its mind was so simple, it didn’t even think about why the Omega level directive was given. All it ‘cared’ about was following the orders to their letter.
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Je’ndra ran at the rear of her team, looking over her shoulder in confusion. Every time she encountered a Firstborne construct, they would always attack without rest. This one wasn’t for moments that were an eternity for a construct of its kind, it had stopped. Only now was she hearing the sounds of its movement into the tunnel behind them, it should have done that sooner! Nothing about this made sense!
As she turned the corner she smiled. Olv’xic was waiting for them by a tunnel deeper into the ground, and Je’ndra saw a mark he made on a rock. That had to be where the tunnel had been, and where they needed to hold the Destroyer.
As Kon’gric carried Ar’thor, Olv’xic nodded at them as they moved by him. “[Good idea my prince! This should work!]”
Je’ndra nodded as she joined the others, all of the team getting behind what cover they could. Je’ndra looked beyond them, seeing Kon’gric forming his shields as he and Ar’thor went against the wall in what she hoped was a small dead-end. Without a word, they were a team and they knew what they expected from their comrades.
They didn’t have to wait long before the Destroyer came into the chamber, its eyes glowing brightly as it looked at them. As one the group prepared for it to attack but all it did was stand there, watching them.
For moments they didn’t breathe as they kept their weapons raised and aimed but didn’t fire, wondering what it was doing. However, before anything else could happen the rock that Olv’xic marked exploded.
From the dust came screeches as more of the insect charged out of the smoke and attacked the closest thing, the Destroyer. They swarmed it, it swung its arms around, bashing and breaking chitin with each swing.
“[Fall back, down the tunnel! It’s working! Formation Central now]!” Je’ndra barked as she watched the carnage. The Destroyer was being hit by acids from some of the bugs as others attacked its limbs with their mouths. While they were damaging the Destroyer, it was giving almost as good as it got.
For a moment Je’ndra almost wanted to go back, help the Destroyer kill the bugs. It acted unlike any of the Firstborne’s creations she had ever heard of and she wanted to know why. But then she looked around the tunnel, a strange feeling going through her. For a second her thought almost made her pause, but she buried them. She turned and ran down the tunnel, back toward her duty to protect the prince, her thoughts hidden away for now.
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The Destroyer fought against the swarm, wondering how it could carry out its mission. The orders it received were impossible to carry out. The tunnel had offered no way for it to get behind the Ancients and chase them out. It had been trying to figure out how to get around them when these things attacked.
As per its revised protocols, it was fighting against them with everything it had. They were too close for it to use its range weapons, and they were damaging it faster than it could fix itself! It had lost sight of the enemy Templates, the last sight it had recorded was one of them looking at it before it left.
It would have felt shame and anger if it was more advanced, but it didn’t feel anything. If it was of a lower rank it wouldn’t even understand what had happened, but it did so it had to call its command, it had to complete that much of its duties.
Final Report of Destroyer Construct 10394. Mission failed due to interference.
Report. Enemy Templates status?
Unknown, Destroyer Construct 10394 ambushed by unknown biological templates. Biological templates destroying Destroyer Construct 10394 beyond repair functions. Mission Status; Failed
…….Report received. Destroyer Construct 10394; Send mental echo for reconstruction and improvements.
Acknowledged.
As the Destroyer fought on, the construct's eyes suddenly glowed pure white bright enough to stun the bugs for a moment. The flash only lasted a bare second, but after it the Construct moved forward, the bugs swarming after it.
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Je’ndra looked over her shoulder and felt a spark of fear. She detected the change in what she had heard, not the sounds of battle but the echo. From what she was hearing and her armor’s system reported, the sounds were getting closer to them.
“[MOVE FASTER! THAT THING IS dragging the swarm to us! Ken’tricx drop Anything to buy us time!]” Je’ndra roared as she tried to run faster.
Ken’tricx didn’t even say anything, as Je’ndra passed by him all he did was held a hand behind him. Moments later a small sphere of energy formed, dissipating to reveal a five-foot round sphere that dropped to the floor of the tunnel.
“[Keep moving people! We’ve gotta get around a corner, cause this tunnel will send a wave towards us!]” Ken’tricx bellowed through the comms, and to her shock his words made them move faster.
“[Ahead of us is three tunnels! Right forward, left forward, and forward! What’s our course!]” Ro’borlar asked over the comms, and that was a good question. Stay the course and go forward or go left or right? But what was the best choice to make?
Je’ndra stayed silent for a few more seconds, then she nodded. “[Use your skills Pathfinder! Take us down and deep, find us a hole to ride out the explosion!]”
“[Got it boss!]” Ro’borlar said as he fed aether to himself, activating one of his skills. Within moments he had his answer and frowned, not expecting the result he got. “[We’re going down the right! It curves so prepare for the dip!]”
As they ran down the tunnel, Je’ndra only hoped that they would survive this nightmare.
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Farther up the tunnel, the Destroyer had fallen after one of the bugs had spat acid at the back of its ‘head’. After it had fallen, the bugs converged on it for a moment before discovering that this wasn’t hiding meat under its shell. But before they returned to their nest, they scented the smell of meat, and much of it within the tunnels. As one they ran towards it, never stopping when they saw a large sphere ahead of them. They kept running until they reached it and it exploded, sending a wave of force and fire through the tunnel in both directions. After the blast wave flew through them, the caves were as silent as the dead.