“Ahhhh,” Kashikoi shouted as she awoke. Her screaming was brought on by two things, her recollected memories and the fact that she was flying.

Lyle looked over to her, “Oh man, I thought it would last longer than that.”

“Land this damn thing,” she shouted.

“No can do. We’re thousands of feet up. Just sit. We’re almost there. That is if your little disc doohickey really is accurate.”

Kashikoi started pounding against the cockpit interior, “Let me out! I hate flying! I hate it! You drugged me you damn creep!”

Lyle groaned, “That wasn’t really my call.”

Eventually though he stopped arguing with her as a sight met his eyes. High above the clouds, floating on its own power, was some sort of station.

“That’s the Emperor? I’d heard stories before, but I never imagined,” Lyle shook his head as he saw a bay door open automatically.

Kashikoi twitched her ears, so that is what she had a key to then.

Skillfully, Lyle guided his craft to a landing in the bay area and powered down. Kashikoi sighed, grateful for the hated noise to be off and also to be on something more stationary. She leapt from the cockpit and ran from the aircraft as fast as she could, after she’d snatched the disc from the pilot.

“Hey, Kashi! Wait up,” Lyle called.

“Go away,” she shouted back.

The youngman groaned, “Come on! Be reasonable. We don’t know what’s in this abandoned station.”

That at least registered with the Neko and she let out her breath in a huff, “Fine.”

She had her omni gun out as Lyle joined her with a pistol in his hand; it was a slugthrower. Her eyes settled on it.

“I like the loud noises it makes, scares the hell out of people who aren’t used to them.”

“Hmm,” Kashikoi said as she changed her pistol into carbine mode.

“Oh that’s awesome!”

“Shush!”

**

A much more primitive and rickety craft was making its way to the Emperor. Murtaggah and Oniji were within as well as a dozen of his gang members. They had come across the Emperor before but without the key its secrets were barred to them.

“I told you they would come here eventually,” Murtaggah said absentmindedly twirling his scrap metal shank.

“So you did. So you did…” Oniji nodded.

“We board through the emergency hatch we discovered when we first came here. No lackey of a baron is going to stop us from gaining the Emperor.”

**

Kashikoi and Lyle made their way through the twisted metal halls of the station, what struck the courier most about the interior was just how well polished and maintained it was. The ancient station seemed like it had just been assembled.

“It’s uncanny,” she said aloud.

“What?”

“How well kept this place is.”

Lyle shrugged, “Well I guess isolation. Still, I know what you mean. There’s no dust or lights burned out.”

A sound began to echo off the walls, an odd rustling sound. Quickly, the two plastered against the walls and aimed their weapons down the hall. A small disc shaped robot came into view, brushes slid from beneath its metal frame as it polished the floor.

“Oh, that explains that then. This whole station is manned by robots still carrying out their programming.”

Kashikoi flicked her tail, then a thought came to her, “Lyle.”

“Yeah,”

“If there’s janitorial robots, you think there’s, uh, security robots?”

He paled, “Slag, you’re right.”

As if their words had been the trigger, an alarm began to blare.

INTRUDER ALERT. HOSTILES PRESENT. LETHAL FORCE AUTHORIZED.

“What’d you do!”

Lyle threw up his hands, “Nothing!”

There was the clatter of something metallic and a lot of them.

**

“Damn that clumsy oaf,” Murtaggah cursed as his men traded shots with the mechanical terrors that had set upon them since one of his men tripped some kind of alarm.

A large humanoid shaped robot with a gun mounted arm blaster fired on them as it clanked towards them. Its mêlée arm had been shot off by Murtaggah’s pistol.

“How many of these damn things are there,” Oniji asked as he and two others concentrated fire with their shardguns.

Glowing bits of crystal plastered the metal chasis and one projectile found its way to the center eye of the robot. There was a shower of sparks as the bot fell over with a loud clang. The raiders had lost three of their number already, and there seemed to be no end to the mechanized security forces. More were charging towards the raiders arm guns, firing.

“Grenades,” Murttagah ordered.

Oniji and two others nodded as they chucked their grenades which were in actuality crude pipe bombs. One was promptly shot just as he threw his bomb. The raiders all hit the floor covering their ears, there was a moments delay before the fuses reached the explosives and the bombs detonated. The sound reverberating against the walls and sent the station to shaking.

When the smoke had cleared they gazed upon a chaotic sight, blackened metal from the explosion, bits of metal littering the floor, and two of the robots were still operational. Crawling towards them without their legs joints, still determined to eliminate the intruders.

Murttagah flattened his ears as he finished one off with a shot to the eye as his subordinates finished the other.

“I will not be stopped now,” Murttagah growled.

**

Kashikoi and Lyle hunkered down by a flipped over metal table in what had probably been the stations messhall when it was active. The table was turning to molten slag as blaster shots from the attacking robots impacted it.

Kashikoi snarled as she fired three shots into one of the robot’s chassis. The automaton made a distorted vocal expression as it frizzed out and fell. A second fell from a bullet through its single photoreceptor, it was the only place Lyle’s slugthrower could harm the robots.

Two down, but dozens more were converging on the two’s cover.

“The mean bots are going to flank us pretty soon,” Kashikoi said as she propped her omnigun on the table and fired blindly in the robots direction.

“Yeah, and I’m on my last magazine. How many of these things are there?”

The tramp of heavy metallic feet drew closer and louder.

“Too many!”

As they cowered, her eyes spotted something. The kitchen that serviced the messhall, was but a few feet away.

“Through there!”

“Why?”

“Because it hasn’t been cut off yet.”

“Goodpoint. Heeeioooww!”

They both ran for the kitchen doors as blaster shots arced by them. Past long disused ovens, grills, and pots they ran. There was a crash as the large robots crashed through the kitchen doors. They exited through a rear door finding themselves in yet another featureless drab hallway.

Trusting fate, the duo turned and ran right. They had made it to a junction where a second hallway branched out. Kashikoi ducked and pulled Lyle down with her as a burst of crystalline shards flew over their heads.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Two raiders stepped out from behind their support columns.

“Throw your guns down, now,” One shouted.

Neither of them did as Kashi smirked.

“Yeah, about that.”

The tramp of metal feet sounded as the raider’s eyes widened.

Kashi and Lyle leapt into the adjoining hall as the raiders and robots exchanged fire.

“That’ll buy some time. Have fun back there!”

“We can’t keep doing this.”

“I agree.”

Her eyes settled on a door, it had a circular insignia upon it, just like…

“In here,” she shouted as she fished the disc key out and pressed it to the insignia. Nothing happened.

“Come on! Come on,” she shouted as she kept pressing the key upon the circle.

The sounds of the shootout died down as there was a cry of pain from one of the raiders.

“Am I doing this right,” she exclaimed.

The gunfire had fallen silent.

Lyle swallowed as he aimed down the hall, ready to meet his end fighting.

There was ding that emanated from the door and the doors opened.

“Ooooh, it’s an elevator!” Kashikoi exclaimed.

“Get in,” Lyle grunted shoving her in and following as the doors shut.

Within was another circular insignia and a number of symbols.

“I don’t read ancient,” Kashikoi groaned.

“Me either. Just pick one, anything is better than here.”

“Hope so,” she said as she shut her eyes twirled her finger about and randomly pressed a button. The lift suddenly accelerated and they found themselves hurtling up. The lift suddenly came to a stop with a simple: *Beep*

The doors opened and they found themselves facing a large chamber. Holographic displays, consoles, and chairs formed a circle in the center. However, Kashi and Lyle weren’t paying any attention to that, they were looking at robots aiming their wrist guns at them.

“Get us out of here,” Lyle shouted.

“I’m trying,” Kashikoi replied as she fumbled with the disc key.

There was a flash of blue from one of the holographic displays and then something odd happened. The robots stood down as the stations automated voice spoke.

ACCESS ID SCANNED. BIOSCANS ADDED TO PERSONNEL ROSTER. WELCOME TO THE EMPEROR

Hesitantly Kashi and Lyle approached the nerve center. The displays showed schematics of the station and security footage from the interior and exterior. One of the displays showed flashing red dots.

“What’s that mean,” Kashi asked as she pointed to the section.

HOSTILES WITHIN THE BASE.

One of the security feed footages shifted to show Murttagah and three of his raiders as they welded a door shut behind them.

“That should buy us some time,” Oniji stated.

Kashikoi put her hands on her hips, “Those meanies! I wish I could taunt them.”

OPENING COMMUNICATIONS.

“Wha… I didn’t mean…”

“Hi,” she shouted and was satisfied to see one of the raiders jump.

From his position Murtaggah snarled.

“Oh, the baron’s pet.”

Kashi put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips in a pout.

“I am not a pet! I’m in command of this… uh… Emperor. You can’t have it. It’s mine now. Nyah!”

She ended her speech by sticking her tongue out.

“Why don’t you surrender? You can just sit in a brig and not get slagged by robots. Just say please!”

Lyle gawked at her and her taunting.

Murttagah chuckled.

“Really now?”

He gestured to Oniji who was off screen. Nodding, the rodent type jacked a handheld device into the wiring of the security cam. The scanner flashed as he nodded.

“Got a trace,” he whispered.

The robots had begun to fire on the door, the metal beginning to glow.

“Scared,” Kashikoi taunted.

“Hardly. You’re clever, I’ll give you that much. Too clever to keep being a pawn of the baron of Aerios. You are nothing to him. We’re nothing to him. But that could change. With the Emperor we can bend him to our will.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You don’t know? You really don’t know?”

“I don’t get told anything!”

“Why don’t you ask, and then I’ll have your answer. You better decide soon, because I’m coming for you. These robots can’t fit into maintenance tubes.”

“Maintenance tubes,” Lyle grunted.

Kashi watched as two of the raiders cut their way through a hatch door with a plasma torch.

“Uh, oh,” she muttered.

“Ask,” Murtaggah rumbled as he disappeared through the hatch.

TARGETS LOST.

“Great,” Lyle groaned.

Kashikoi’s tail flicked back and forth as she thought in confusion. Turning to the consoles she spoke.

“Uh, excuse me. But what exactly is this place.”

THIS IS THE EMPEROR. THE ULTIMATE TOOL FOR MAINTAINING PEACE AND STABILITY. THE STATION IS COMPRISED OF THE LARGEST MASS DRIVER CANNON.

“Mass driver canon!?” Kashi and Lyle both exclaimed.

Kashikoi turned to the consoles, “You’re a weapon?”

AFFIRMATIVE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BROWSE TARGETS?

A display of possible targets appeared before her, arranged within a sphere. There were floating cities, Aerios and Iris among them. Ramshackle shanty towns on the surface and fortress like structures. Her eyes widened. The whole world could be targeted from the Emperor. Her ears twitched as she put a hand to her mouth.

ARSENAL INVENTORY INCLUDES SOLID SHOT OF VARYING YIELD, HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELLS, AND NUCLEAR PROJECTILES.

“Nuclear,” Lyle stammered incredulously.

Kashikoi was beginning to think she knew how the ancients ceased to exist. The Emperor was aptly named, whoever controlled it could rule over the entire world. None would oppose them. She thought of Murtaggah having control of the station and shuddered. She thought of the baron controlling the station and shuddered as well. She looked again at the targets on display and said the first thing that came to mind.

“Target yourself!”

A pause.

YOU WISH TO ENACT SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE? CONFIRM.

Lyle looked at her, his mouth agape.

“Kashi…”

“I’m not letting anyone have this kind of power. You got a problem with that?”

Lyle shut his mouth, “No. You’re right. No one can be trusted with this power. I’m not loyal to the baron. I’m just a pilot for hire, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a conscience.”

Kashi smiled at him, “I knew there was something I like about you!”

She turned back to the console.

“Confirmed self destruct.”

UNDERSTOOD. SPECIFY TIME FRAME.

Even though her pocket watch was stuck at 12:00 she still looked at it.

“Uhhh, fifteen minutes?”

FIFTEEN MINUTES INITIATING PROCEDURES.

With that red lights came on as an alarm blared.

SELF DESTRUCT IN FIFTEEN MINUTES! ALL PERSONNEL EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.

“Let’s get moving,” Lyle called as they ran down to the lift.

Now that they had seen the schematics they knew exactly where to go. The count went down to ten minutes as they took the lift to the hangar level.

“Now I’m not going to have to knock you out to get on the craft this time right,” Lyle asked.

“I don’t know.”

The doors opened and they ran for it.

“What do you mean you don’t know!?”

Their vehicle was just beyond the doors. As they passed some crates, Oniji and another raider sprang upon them. Lyle was tackled by Oniji and the two rolled around on the floor. Kashikoi meanwhile had swept her foe’s legs and he toppled to the ground hitting his head on the metal floor. She ducked as a second raider swung a metal prybar for her head, she yelled as she gave him a forward kick and sent him lurching against the crates. Before he could recover with his prybar she had driven her palm down upon him and laid him out.

Lyle stood up from where he had punched Oniji into submission. He did not notice the figure behind him.

“Lyle!” Kashi shouted, but it was too late as a shard of metal suddenly protruded from his chest.

Lyle screamed in pain and clutched feebly at the shank before it was cruelly extracted and he was shoved forward to the floor.

Murtaggah stood over him brandishing his shiv, “I estimate he has less time than this station, if you want to say goodbye. And give me the key, I won’t be denied the means to change everything.”

“You’re a sick monster!”

“Monster? Don’t you see? With this weapon we, the downtrodden, can put the barons in their place.”

Her eyes narrowed, “You’re just as bad. Maybe worse.”

“Well I tried.”

With that he lunged for her.

Kashi stepped to the side as she struck her palm against his weapon hand and redirected the shank. She then followed up with an elbow to his face which sent him stumbling.

But Murtaggah retaliated with a cross punch to her jaw and she grunted from the blow as she was sent reeling. Murtaggah pressed his attack, nailing her in the stomach with a forward kick and sending her to the deckplates.

“Oof,” she grunted as her world was sent spinning.

She regained enough of her senses to roll out of the way as Murtaggah pounced on her, intending to pin her with the shank. She stumbled to her feet as he rose. Yelling, she delivered kick after kick to his torso. The raider took the blows as he snarled and advanced. She attempted another kick only for her leg to be caught and she found herself tipped over.

“Why don’t you just be still and take it,” he growled as he hefted his weapon again.

“Screw you!”

He shrugged as he trotted towards her and stomped down on her torso repeatedly. She grunted and writhed in pain with every stomp. Despite his attacks, she lashed out with her legs and caught him behind the calves, sending him teetering over.

Murtaggah hit the floor as his weapon was dropped and Kashikoi sprang on him. Straddling his chest, she started raining punches down on his face.

“Enough!”

He swept his arm up and slammed it against her as he bucked her off. She went sprawling as he flipped her on her back and clamped his hands around her throat, squeezing the life out of her.

Kashikoi gagged as she choked and her vision became blurred, the only thing she could see clearly was his hate filled visage.

In desperation, she reached up and grabbed his wolf ears. She twisted and pulled them with all her strength. He stayed clamped for a time as he bit back pain, but then he finally shouted in pain as he took his hands from her throat to grab at her wrists.

The two struggled as he attempted to pin her to the floor but Kashi managed to get enough leverage to bring her knee into his stomach. She squirmed out of his grasp and crawled, her hand clutching the hilt of his shank as he grabbed her ankle and pulled her closer.

Shouting in desperation she turned and drove the weapon into the side of his neck.

Murtaggah’s eyes widened as his own blade sank deep into his veins.

“No,” he sputtered as he shuffled away, clutching at the wretched piece of metal he had taken so many lives with.

He fell to a sitting position.

Kashi did not give him a second thought as she ran to Lyle.

“Lyle,” she called kneeling by him.

He spoke weakly, “Looks like we’re done for.”

She sighed as she took the phial from around her neck with the glowing liquid.

“Looks like I’ve got to use this.”

Before Lyle could question her, she had pulled the cork and poured the contents upon his gaping wound. The substance bubbled and spread turning into blue foam that gave a cooling sensation.

“What,” Lyle asked as he looked at his wound. The substance had hardened into a blue plug which formed on the entry and exit wound.

“That’s only temporary, should stop infection too. We need to get you to a proper hospital though.”

“Right,” he grunted as he got to his feet with her supporting him.

THREE MINUTES TO SELF DESTRUCT.

“Better move, or we go kablooie!”

“Yeah.”

They managed to get to the aircraft and started up as the computer got into the sixty second count. Kashikoi screamed the whole time. Whether from the imminent explosion or being in another aircraft was unknown.

They cleared the Emperor as it suddenly exploded into a giant fireball. The shockwave sent the craft spinning out of control as internal alarms blared.

“Hold on,” Lyle shouted as he fought with the control stick.

The craft came back under control after a bit and he set course for Aerios. He looked over at Kashi no longer screaming, but sitting in petrified terror.

Lyle sighed.

**

The baron glowered upon his throne.

“So let me get this straight…. The station was rigged to explode?”

“Yup, all kablooey,” Kashikoi responded.

Lyle who was next to her also nodded, “Yeah once we set foot on the station the thing began counting down and all doors were locked.”

“Hmm,” the baron grumbled. “I suppose that explains that fireball everyone glimpsed.”

“Afraid it was not meant to be found. The ancients are known for taking precautions,” Lyle said.

“Yeah, they were super crazy,” Kashikoi added.

The baron steepled his fingers, “Hmm, well it’s back to square one for me then. I’m confident a new opportunity will present itself and I know a courier I just might send.”

“Who,” Kashikkoi asked.

The baron shook his head, “You’re both dismissed, but I will not be paying one bit to either of you.”

“Awww,” Kashi pouted.

“Fair enough,” Lyle replied.

“Get out of my throne room,” the baron rumbled.

After they had left he rubbed at his temples. “Kashikoi... Some days I think she’s more trouble than she’s worth.”