Skorr walked towards the large garish building where the evil ones were quartered. Death's Veil was light as air in their massive right hand and they flexed their crusher in preparation to tear through walls and barriers. None would stand in their way, none would live to tell of their retribution.

Skorr stomped around the last corner and was met with a hail of gunfire. Every single shot found its mark on their body, and had absolutely no effect whatsoever. Skorr continued towards the evil ones, as they approached, the vile creatures screamed in fear, but Skorr ignored their pleas and cries. Cutting down all in their path and a few who were trying to flee. One of the insignificant worms managed to dodge their swing and threw something at them. An explosion rocked Skorr back an inch but otherwise had no effect.

With shrapnel pining off their armoured glacis they stepped towards the final soldier, the small creature tried to flee but was grabbed in Skorr's crusher. Skorr brought them close to their eye as they squirmed in Skorr's crushing grip. With a flick of their arm the man was sent smashing into a nearby wall with enough force to crack the thick concrete.

Turning towards this fortress of sin, Skorr approached the pitiful barricade of the doors, and plunged their crusher deep into the thick armour plating. With a mere shrug, Skorr ripped the massive multi-ton armoured door off its frame and cast it aside like a candy wrapper.

Stepping into the fortress itself Skorr noted the strange architecture, smashing a few expensive looking pieces to the ground in contempt, Skorr walked down the main entrance. As they neared the first set of doors a shout was heard and the doors flew open with a bang. Skorr was hit with multiple high caliber bullets as well as a grenade launcher and a missile fired from a shoulder held launcher. Skorr roared in anger, though they were unharmed, the insult was grave.

That these tiny flecks thought to harm them, the destroyer of Grask and the Baron of Fighstrom. Skorr rushed forwards and swung their sword in a terrible arc, smashing the closest of the enemies to pieces. Advancing, their feet crushing bones to powder and flesh to paste, Skorr stabbed out impaling a soldier on Death's Veil. Flicking them off like a piece of detritus they clove another in twain and used the flat of the blade to send another smashing through a wall.

With the last one dispatched with a mighty stomp, Skorr continued down the entrance into a narrower hall. The walls were close, but there was room enough to continue. The floor creaked with their steps and Skorr surmised that there must be a sub floor beneath. They would investigate it later, but for now they would kill.

Skorr was once again fired upon as they walked down the long hall, the shots came from a room near the end. It was large and Skorr could detect a large energy source in the room, but was unable to place its origin.

Smashing the doors asunder Skorr had just a moment to see the large armoured glacis of the tank in the center of the large bay before they were smashed off their feet by a titanic blow. Skorr was shocked, they were unharmed but it had been so long since they had felt even the tiniest tinge of fear. This served to fuel Skorr's rage that such pitiful technology could give them even the slightest moments pause.

Swiveling their arms back one hundred and eighty degrees they pushed themselves to their feet with a single shove. Flexing their knees they took a step forward then dodged to the left faster than should have been possible for their nearly 13,000 kilogram bulk. The tank's shot flew past them and obliterated a wall further down the hall. Skorr rushed the tank while it was loading, the tank's tracks threw sparks as the driver frantically tried to widen the distance between them.

Skorr closed the distance in seconds and smashed their crusher through the upper glacis of the tanks armour while grabbing the barrel in their right hand and wrenching it off the turret with a heave. Digging their feet stabilizers into the solid duracrete, Skorr held the 54 tonne vehicle in place, the ground cracked under the strain and Skorr roared in genuine effort. Punching into the compromised frontal armour with their right hand, Skorr peeled back the thick armour like aluminum foil and exposed the terrified driver.

Skorr's eyes flared so bright with hate that for a moment the horrified man was illuminated by the savage orange glow, then Skorr brought their fist down like a hammer of the gods with such force that the tank rocked forwards under the blow. With the death of the driver the vehicle stopped moving and Skorr released it. Rolling their massive shoulders, Skorr walked to the side of the massive armoured fighting vehicle and casually smashed the turret off its chassis. Reaching inside they pulled out another terrified crewman and dashed them to the floor with a crunch. The turret still had a soldier in it and as Skorr walked around to the other side where it had landed, the man crawled out. The soldier's arm was clearly broken and they looked up at Skorr with wild eyes.

"Please, don't kill me, I have a family!" The man wailed as Skorr approached them.

"Is that supposed to make me spare you?" Skorr asked the man contemptuously.

The man seemed surprised that he was still alive and rapidly spoke "I-I-I didn't want to do it. But I don't have a choice. The Administrator… she has control over everything here, she would have killed my family if I hadn't done as she said." The man cried.

Skorr stopped at that. This man was clearly their enemy, yet they had someone they cared about enough to risk death to protect. Could they really fault this man for such actions?

Skorr turned their eyes upon the crying man and leaned down slightly "You are lucky I am not what I once was. I too am fighting to protect my family. This Administrator harmed my family, took the one closest to me. I will do anything, anything, to get her back. Tell me where this Administrator is, and I shall go in peace." The man's eyes bulged as Skorr's words sank in.

"Yes, I will, I have no love for that treacherous slime. She has done nothing for the people of Geodrome but allow crime to run rampant in the streets. She occupies the furthest chamber on the lower floor. Just continue to the left and take the elevator shaft down, it should be big enough. Once down there just continue till you reach the end. She may have defenses or weapons I'm unaware of so be cautious." The man said, wincing as they jostled their arm.

Skorr stood straight and remarked "You have the bearing of an honorable man. Tell me, what is your name, that I may remember your courage for all eternity."

The man stood painfully to his feet and leaned against the shattered remnants of the turret before replying "The name is James, James Dutchman, and I wish you the best of luck in killing that cowardly bitch."

"Well then master James. Till we meet again in the void of Oblivion's End." Skorr intoned. The man nodded jerkily and Skorr turned to gather their fallen sword. Walking towards the indicated hall, Skorr stomped down it for a moment before once again coming under assault. This time they didn't even slow as they marched implacably towards their enemies.

Skorr killed the offending soldiers and turned to the elevator, rumbling to themselves they tentatively stepped one foot onto the large service elevator, testing its strength. As it was designed to carry cargo many times their size it didn't even twitch. Stepping onto the platform, Skorr hit the large switch that controlled the lift.

As the lift descended to the lower level, Skorr readied themselves for another assault. As soon as the lift cleared the top of the lower level an explosion rocked it and severed the cables. Beginning to fall, Skorr lept from the platform and just managed to land on the floor as the lift plummeted down the long elevator shaft to smash to pieces far below.

As they tried to rise they were assaulted with all manner of weapons, from the firearms that they had been fighting against, to plasma weapons and beam weapons. One of the enemy soldiers even had a strange weapon that seemed to be firing explosive crystals that shattered upon contact with their armour.

Skorr gained their footing and took a few steps forwards before planting themself like a statue. They stood impassively for a few moments as the soldiers slowly began to realise their weapons were having no effect. Slowly they stopped firing in confusion, perhaps assuming that they had managed to immobilize them somehow.

"Any of you that throws down their arms now shall not die by my hand this night." Skorr declared as the last weapon fell silent.

After a moment one of the soldiers' stood and yelled "This is the one that killed all of our boys up top. Let's show this asshole a lesson." They threw a small canister at them which promptly detonated as the enemy resumed their ineffective fire. Skorr sighed internally but figured it had been worth the shot.

Walking forwards casually they swung their sword in an arc that decapitated three soldiers in a single blow, before their bodies had managed to hit the floor, Skorr reversed the swing and bisected another that was attempting to lob a grenade. As the upper half was thrown back, the grenade detonated killing another two soldiers with red hot shrapnel. Skorr stepped to the left and used the sword to smash a soldier from a large mounted gun before wrenching the large automatic weapon from the ground with their crusher. Lobbing the twisted hunk of metal like a ball, the mass smashed another soldier against the ground with the snapping of bones.

Skorr was rocked to the side by a massive blow, looking in the offending direction they noticed a man on a mounted gun of some sort, it was mounted to a small utility vehicle with a flat bed and small cabin. The soldier yelled to the woman in the cabin as Skorr started towards them. The tires on the vehicle spat smoke as it lurched into motion, Skorr was rocked back by another blow from the weapon and they roared in frustration as the vehicle began to pull away from them in the expansive room. Thinking quickly Skorr reared their right arm back and hurled Death's Veil at the offending vehicle like a javelin.

Skorr's aim was true as the hunk of titansteel slammed through the cabin, the driver, and the engine causing it to flip and smash into a nearby support pillar. The man on the gun was thrown to the ground with bone shattering force and lay still, Skorr stomped over ignoring the small arms fire still peppering them from behind and dragged their sword from the wreck with an awful screech of shearing metal.

Turning, Skorr peered through the dust kicked up by the crash and looked for a new target. Seeing a small group of soldiers hiding behind a large stack of metal crates they began thundering their way towards them. The soldiers realised that they were in danger and tried to scatter, this only made them easier targets as Skorr cut them down with mighty swings. One of the soldiers was firing a plasma gun that exploded violently as it overheated, seeing that the man's wounds were probably fatal, Skorr left them to their torment, the horrific screams making a small part of them smile in savage delight.

How long had it been since they had stalked the fields of battle without restraint. To savage those unable to defend themselves. Skorr felt themselves slipping and pulled up short. Pushing those intrusive thoughts down deep they reminded themselves of the reason they were here. They were not here to kill these wretches, they were here for the treacherous Administrator.

With this new mindset Skorr turned from the broken remnants of the defending soldiers, those left too terrified and mentally broken to put up any meaningful resistance to them. Walking through the carnage they had inflicted, Skorr watched for any sign of an exit.

Seeing a small hall that led off from the cavernous storage room, Skorr walked to the door only to be met with yet more gunfire. By this point Skorr was no longer enraged, they were just annoyed. Walking calmly to the firing slits, they smashed both arms through the wall, crushing both the weapon emplacement, and the soldiers manning them. Satisfied that they were no longer a threat, Skorr continued onwards into the narrow hall.

Their shoulders scraped the sides as they walked and chips of shorn duracrete rained down on the floor as they forced their way to the end of the hall. By this point Skorr was unsurprised in the slightest when they came under fire again as they neared the end of the hall. There were two more gun slits to either side of a pair of heavily armoured doors.

As Skorr reached the end, they repeated their earlier action, smashing an arm through each of the firing ports and crushing the guns and gunners. Retracting their arms they turned their attention to the pair of doors. Smashing their crusher into the gap between the doors they grunted as the doors resisted admirably. Stepping back and putting their considerable mass into another blow, they were rewarded with the scream of tearing metal as one of the doors buckled inwards. With another titanic blow the way was cleared. Forcing their 360 centimeter frame through the doorway, they stood straight in the larger room which was filled with ostentatious decorations and garish paintings. Skorr scanned the room and found it empty of lifeforms. Rumbling in frustration they stomped over to a large wooden desk.

The desk looked old, and was covered in intricate carvings and reliefs. Skorr took a second to study it before giving it a mighty kick which sent it splintering against a series of bookshelves on the far wall behind it. Skorr straightened in surprise as the heavy desk smashed through the shelves and revealed a dark passageway that had been hidden. Walking towards it they saw that it was wide enough to accommodate their bulk, barely. Squeezing into the narrow corridor, Skorr forced their way down a long tunnel.

Eventually the tunnel led Skorr into another room, this one had a few lockers and a single room with some basic living quarters, and an elevator that looked as if it led to the surface. Skorr rumbled in frustration as they saw the shaft was too narrow for them to traverse, Grunhort had likely escaped this way.

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Taking note of the shafts' location, Skorr turned and tracked back towards the entrance as fast as they could. Skorr thundered through the next hall into the large storage room they had entered using the elevator shaft. Looking around quickly they scanned the room for additional exits, finding another shaft that seemed to lead out into the city itself Skorr rushed to it and activated the lever to rise. The lift rose with painful slowness as Skorr’s eyes flared angrily. Grunhort was escaping at this very moment and there was nothing they could do to stop her.

As the lift reached the top Skorr took off at full speed, smashing their way through shipping containers and stacks of crates, they blew straight through a wall and out onto the street with sword held at the ready. Several townsfolk who saw the monstrous figure barrel straight through a thick concrete wall screamed in panic and fled. Skorr paid them no mind, they were unimportant. Checking their relative position Skorr began towards the location of the shaft only to see a trio of armoured transports driving in their direction. Skorr began to run at them and was met with a hail of high caliber gunfire that spranged off their armour like angry hornets the size of dogs. Weathering the storm, Skorr caught the first transport before it could flee, scanning it quickly they determined that their target was not inside and simply smashed the heavy vehicle out of their way with contemptuous ease. The massive armoured truck’s side caved in and the truck itself flipped onto its side from the force of the blow that sent it skidding into the side of a nearby building.

Skorr began to run at the next two transports as they turned and tried to speed away. Skorr used the same trick they had earlier, throwing Death’s Veil like a spear, they destroyed the rear axle and halted the vehicle with the grinding screech or tearing gears. Again scanning the armoured truck and finding Grunhort absent they turned their attention towards the last truck. It was currently speeding away as fast as its armoured bulk would allow, Skorr ripped their sword from the totaled transport and gave chase.

Skorr’s footfalls made the ground shudder as they put all their focus into chasing down this elusive quarry. They had sheathed their sword in order to better balance themselves as they ran after the fleeing vehicle. The building alongside the roads were filled with the screams of civilians as they watched the enraged cyborg chase their prey. Skorr was only just able to keep up, but they had the advantage on every corner, where the transport had to slow at each corner so as to not flip over, Skorr just dug their foot stabilizers into the dirt and leaned the opposite direction taking the corners at a full sprint, tearing great gouges into the duracrete roadways. Skorr was gaining on the transport and the driver seemed to figure that out as they changed their tactics, instead of turning in an attempt to lose Skorr they instead turned down a narrow alley that was just wide enough for them. Obviously they thought this would deter Skorr for some reason.

Skorr didn't even slow as they smashed through the alleyway, the flimsy walls offering virtually no resistance to their gargantuan bulk as they forced their way after the offending vehicle. Skorr barely noticed the crash as the left building gave way entirely, crashing into itself in a cloud of dust and screams.

The vehicle had managed to gain a scant few meters with the new tactic however, and as Skorr exited the alley they were met with heavy machine gun fire as another vehicle pulled up from a side street and began to pepper them with fire. Skorr swerved to the right and smashed the unarmoured truck with their fist sending it cartwheeling into a building before its fuel tanks ignited and it exploded in a massive fireball that flattened the building. Skorr grimaced internally at the thought of any innocents that might have been killed but continued after the transport all the same.

With a roar of frustration they saw something that made them slow slightly. The transport sped past another vehicle that rolled out into the street on wide treads, Skorr got ready to dodge as the tank swung its gun in their direction. Sensing the detonation before the round had even exited the barrel, Skorr dodged to the side with a speed that should not have been physically possible for such a large being. Continuing onwards they tried to dodge another shot, but the gunner was wise to their tricks and skewed the barrel to side as they fired, the shot clipping Skorr’s armoured shoulder. Skorr lost their footing from the blow and was thrown into a nearby storefront, smashing through the glass window they found themselves on their front inside a small store. Quickly getting to their feet Skorr’s upper body crunched through the low roof and into the second story, but Skorr paid it no mind as they crashed back onto the street.

Skorr once more charged the armoured behemoth in front of them, deciding not to dodge they instead leaned into the next shot, taking it straight to the armoured front, the blow rocked Skorr upright and almost off their feet but they managed to staggeringly regain their footing as they finally got within striking distance of the vehicle. With a bellow of fury Skorr rammed the front of the tank with their armoured shoulder and as it rocked back under the impact got both arms under its lower hull, with a herculean effort, Skorr flipped the tank entirely over onto its roof. The tank smashed down with enough force to shatter the windows of the nearby buildings, Skorr ignored the now helpless war machine and sped off after the transport.

The fleeing vehicle was just visible on Skorr’s sensors as it tried to double back, thinking that it was unobserved. Calculating the trajectory Skorr turned and smashed through the building next to them. Continuing onwards, heedless of the devastation they were inflicting, Skorr crashed through into the next street right in front of the fleeing transport and turned, smashing both arms down onto its hood as it tried to screech to a halt. The heavy truck rocked forwards under the blow and the engine died immediately. Skorr reached through the armoured window and dragged the driver out, crushing them contemptuously, they dropped the body to the ground before scanning the vehicle.

Grunhort was indeed inside, as well as eight others in some sort of heavy armour. The soldiers protecting her seemed to expect Skorr to open the back doors, instead Skorr plunged Death’s Veil through the side of the truck at waist height and dragged it towards the rear doors, smashing all eight soldiers apart in one fell swoop. Only then did Skorr sheath their blade and wrench open the rear doors and pull out the near unconscious with shock Razah’Vool Administrator.

Holding the shivering female gently lest they cause too quick of a death, Skorr turned and made their way back to the entrance of the palace.

**********

Samantha waved the others forwards as she cleared the last crossing. They hadn't met with any resistance beyond the first four guards, but she wasn't taking any chances, not with Creesh injured and Jessie occupied with carrying her.

Samantha entered the long detention hall with caution, watching both ways for threats, she stalked forwards followed closely by Grendel with his many guns drawn and pointing in every direction. As she neared the end of the hall she gasped and ran to the nearby cell. Inside was Neirdith, she looked awful, her armour had been removed and she was strapped to a bed with leather strips. Her shirt front was soaked in dark blue blood, but it had the look of blood that had been sitting in the open for a while, not the bright color of freshly spilled blood. Looking at the door, she tried it and cursed as she realised it was locked.

“I could go see if one of those guards had keycards on them.” offered Jessie as he saw her problem.

“That won't be necessary.” Samantha said quickly as she once again pulled out her tool pouch and began to rummage around in it. Pulling out a few small devices she passed them over the lock before typing onto the screen of one and plugging another of the devices into it. She passed it over the lock a few more times before shaking her head and attaching another chip like device to it. This time as she passed it over the lock it emitted a small chime and the lock clicked. Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she replaced her tools into her pouch and hung it back at her waist.

“Woah, you just picked an electronic security lock in like twenty seconds, where did you learn to do that?” Jessie asked her with awe.

“I was raised as a criminal, by criminals. No matter how hard you might try to be better than them, you are invariably going to pick up a few skills and tricks.” she said in response.

Standing, she entered the room and sliced the restraints with a single claw. Lifting Neirdith with a huff of effort she walked out of the room and said “Well, It looks like we just need to get her back to the ship. I can hear her heartbeat, it sounds alright, though she has lost a lot of blood.” Smantha remarked.

Creesh whistled softly and said “If Skorr hadn't already killed all of them, I would kill them all myself for doing this to her.” Her fierce words were tempered slightly by the fact that she was currently being carried in Jessie’s arms like a child.

Grendel said “I will now take point, just in case there have been reinforcements of some kind.”

Samantha glanced at her assistant and tried to reach the ship or Skorr, but there was no signal getting through. Whatever Skorr had done, they were still being jammed. They made their way cautiously back the way they had come. Eventually passing the four guards' corpses, Samantha paused to shift Neirdith's weight and almost dropped her in shock as she noticed her eyes were open.

"Holy shit Neirdith, you almost gave me a heart attack. I'm so glad to see you are awake, that means you aren't as hurt as I was afraid you were." Samantha exclaimed.

Jessie stopped and rushed over, still carrying Creesh "Wait, she's awake, let us see."

Neirdith tried to raise her arms and hissed in pain, tensing for a moment before again relaxing. Looking at Creesh she asked in a quiet horse voice "Creesh, you are hurt. What happened?"

Creesh ducked her head in embarrassment and replied sheepishly "I may uh, I may have tried to fly down a flight of stairs to catch some bad guys off guard."

Neirdith looked at her with a strange expression before saying "Now that sounds like a story and a half. Samantha, where is Skorr?"

Samantha gave her a wide smile and said "Oh them, Skorr is just picking up a package for you. They went off to get the Administrator for you."

Neirdith gave a chuckle that devolved into a fit of coughing, bright blue blood dribbled down her chin as the wracking coughs subsided. Samantha and the others began up the stairs as she watched her captain with concern. When Neirdith was breathing smoothly again Samantha shifted Neirdith in her strong arms again and Neirdith wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Samantha noticed the wound in Neirdith's other shoulder as she draped her other arm across her stomach. "Jeez Neirdith, how many times did you get yourself shot?"

Neirdith grimaced as they walked down the main entrance hall towards the exit "I don't know, a couple?"

Jessie called back "A couple more than you should have is the correct answer. Seriously, what were you thinking, is this Yquillan guy really worth this much trouble?" He speculated incredulously.

"Him no, but the information he is carrying, most likely. As much as I hate to admit it, being owed a favor by the CIA is kinda too good to pass up. I just didn't think it was going to be anywhere near this much trouble to get it." She finished weakly as Samantha stepped out past the ruined entrance into the city.

"Well I'll be crushed." Said Grendel "It looks like Skorr has a present for you Neirdith." The large man said with a hiss of disbelief.

Samantha looked towards the gestured figure and saw Skorr standing in the open space in front of the palace. They were holding the limp form of a Razah'vool in their massive hand.

As they approached Neirdith managed to raise a hand to wave at Skorr. Skorr rumbled in anger as they saw her wounds and squeezed the limp figure in their hand slightly. In response the figure stirred and let out a faint shout of discomfort before once more going limp.

"Neirdith, I had feared you had been sent to the void. It warms me to see that is not the case. Next time I am coming with you, I don't care how much of a fuss that I cause." Skorr rumbled determinedly.

Neirdith gave a weak smile and replied softly "Skorr, next time you are welcome to join me. I shouldn't ever be afraid to have you at my side. I won't leave you like that again." She said with a sigh.

Samantha smiled at her admission. "We should get back to the ship as fast as possible. We have no idea how many more of them there are." Creesh said from Jessie's arms.

Samantha nodded and said "Skorr lead the way. Don't hesitate to drop that slimeball if you need to, I'm sure a few broken bones are the least she deserves for what she is guilty of." Skorr rumbled in an agreeing way and started off towards the ship.

As they made their way through the eerily quiet streets, they kept watch for any signs of enemy activity but saw none. As they passed a side street Jessie stopped dead in his tracks staring at something a ways down the road. Samantha looked towards the large mass of metal and scrunched her eyes. Why did it seem so familiar and yet unknown at the same time?

Jessie finally exclaimed to Skorr "Holy shit Skorr, did you do that?"

Skorr replied calmly, "Indeed, they were blocking my path, so I facilitated their destruction."

Jessie stared at Skorr in disbelief, as if his own eyes were seeing something impossible "Yeah, but a fucking tank!?! How did you even do that to a tank? Don't they weigh like sixty tons or something?"

Samantha did a double take and her own eyes widened in shock, that's why it seemed familiar. It was indeed a tank, but it was flipped completely upside down and had impacted the road with enough force to create a small crater. Neirdith seemed surprised as well and kept glancing between the ruined machine and Skorr, her indigo eyes wide.

"Jessie, we need to proceed to the safety of The Shining Knight. When we are safe again I will recount the entirety of my exploits to you in great detail as I possess perfect recall. But now is not the time." Skorr said in their deep bass.

Samantha and the others continued after Skorr as the metal titan turned and continued onwards. Jessie just kept muttering 'A tank?' To himself quietly and Samantha tried to ignore the questions threatening to spill from her own lips.

After the stressful journey through the city, the sight of the docking area brought a surge of elation to Samantha and she picked up her pace in response. Skorr continued to scan the surrounding area and stopped next to the airlock motioning them inside. Grendel elected to remain outside with Skorr until they were all safely inside.

Tahj was standing next to the entrance with a pair of stretchers ready to go. "Oh, I didn't know you were bringing a third." Tahj said to Skorr as they laid the unconscious Razah'vool on one of the gurneys.

"That's fine, I can still carry her." Jessie said, referring to Creesh.

Creesh took the opportunity to taunt him giggling "Still can't keep your hands off me can yoouuueek!" She ended with a shriek of surprise as Jessie apparently pinched her. "Oh I'm not going to forget that. Just you wait till I can walk again." She threatened only half jokingly.

Samantha smiled to herself as she laid Neirdith gently onto the remaining stretcher. Putting her hand on her uninjured shoulder Samantha asked "What is the plan? Are we still headed to Highland?"

Neirdith tried to nod and said "Yes, as soon as Jessie has returned from the medical room I want you to take off and set a course for Highland Station. You have command for the moment Samantha, I trust you."

Samantha felt her eyes water a bit at Neirdith's words of confidence before replying "I won't let you down captain." As she was wheeled away. Repeating to herself softly she said "I won't let us down."

[Additional short story in the author's note below]