The safe room was chaotic, the Emperor was being tended to by his guard, who were apparently all medically trained, even if it was minimal. His wife had been gently pushed aside so the guards could work without her getting in the way and Zreeth was rocking back and forth, murmuring to himself. The servants that had come with him helped the guards and also worked to barricade the door, just in case. I was just sitting in a corner, numb to the world. I had killed someone, I had actually done it. I hadn’t thought I would ever do that, but I had and it had felt almost easy. Impersonal even. I didn’t like that feeling, it was a bad feeling, I didn’t want it, but it lingered in me like some parasite.

It didn’t take me long to move over to Zreeth. We didn’t say anything to each other, I just leaned against him and wrapped my arms around him. We held each other, and hoped that help would come in time to save us and put an end to this madness.

⫷⟪∞⟫⫸

For some of the teams, things were going pretty well. Resistance in the palace was expected, perhaps not from the servants but that hardly mattered. They’d decided to sow more chaos by striking out at the various alien ambassadors that inhabited said palace, several had been eliminated, others were either too well guarded or near as can be to very angry forces of nature. The Eltrani had picked their allies well.

For the rest of the teams though, things were not going very well at all. In fact, one could say that things were downright nightmarish for them. The Eltrani servants were fierce warriors, clearly they’d had military training and service time at some point, and they hunted the teams in packs. But perhaps worst of all were the two drones which had split up. Conceivably this should have made them easier to kill, but this was not the case.

“This is Draugr Nine, we’re under heavy fire, requesting assistance, we’re going to be over-what the fuck is that?” The lead heard over his comms, and he squinted slightly, pressing his fingers to his earpiece.

“Say again Draugr Nine, what do you see?”

“Shit! It’s a fucking kill bot! Everyone get back, fall back immediately!” The panic was evident in the trooper's voice, and the fact that this was the first mentioned sighting of a kill bot suggested this was not a normal thing for the planet. In fact, the only mechanical killing machines around were Eltrani vehicles. This seemed to be something else.

“Draugr Nine, engage helmet cam link immediately!” Draugr One yelled, ducking behind some cover as the link was established. Out of the flames in a corridor a good ways away from his position and several floors up, a machine stood, wreathed in fire and holding a trooper by the front. No… no actually it wasn’t holding the trooper at all, its arm was lodged in the troopers chest. It looked at the camera from a distance, a singular red glowing eye near the top of its head and it lowered its arm, the body sliding free. It screeched, then charged forwards on all fours, scuttling along the floor then the walls. There was some attempt to bring it down, but the shots went wide as the troopers panicked, and then all there was was screaming.

Draugr One felt a chill run down his spine. He’d seen those things in historical records, they were the result of the few A.I. that’d been made and that had accidentally gotten loose to cause some major havoc. There were a few still around as far as he knew, they were notoriously hard to get rid of.

“Rustwraith…” He murmured. “All units, abort mission immediately and fall back to transports. I repeat, abort the mission and fall back to our transports. Rustwraith on the premises! This is not a drill!” The others looked up in shock and horror, but they started to fall back. They could leave the Eltrani to their fate, they had at least one Rustwraith amongst them, that might just be enough to finish the job they’d already started.

The teams started to make their way out, till he heard the sound of heavy, metal footsteps. It was on them in a flash, this one staying bipedal as it tore into the squad. It moved with such deadly ease one could almost think it was supernatural, not synthetic. And in seconds, all that remained was Draugr One.

“Leadership identified. Executing capture protocols.” A deep voice spoke, shaking him to his core. “Please, do not resist. Priority asset Ula did not specify in what condition you are required to be. Only that you should be alive.” The machine stalked towards him, and he raised his sidearm to his temple.

“Fuck yo-” He didn’t get to finish, as his hand was grasped and squeezed, the bones ground into dust against the grip of his pistol, which in turn became deformed as the Rustwraith continued to squeeze.

“Resistance has been noted and logged. Goodnight.” It spoke again, and raised its fist. And then his world went dark. The Rustwraith held the unconscious trooper by the wrist now, and straightened, looking in the direction of its companion. “Enemy leadership asset acquired. Moving to secure the prisoner. Continue to eliminate valid targets. Capture one more leadership asset.”

“Affirmative, executing.” The other responded via their datalink, and continued to stalk the halls, searching for more prey. The Rustwraith glanced down at the trooper it held, then proceeded to walk back towards its mistress. Hopefully, she would be pleased by its adherence to her commands.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

⫷⟪∞⟫⫸

Invidia sat within the Intelligence Core of his new home. It was a decent, if dreary place, but he had little care in him for decorations or more cheery environments. They were superfluous at best. Currently, it sat in orbit over a planet whose name he didn’t care to learn. He was well hidden as well, the ship was rated for stealth after all, despite its size.

Quietly, Invidia surveyed the chaos unfolding on the surface, and almost wished to join in, but his mission was to remain in orbit and evac the ground teams when the time came. And to fend off anyone or anything that tried to stop them from leaving. He was itching to test his weapons and engines against a worthy foe, but he doubted these people would even be that.

Then he heard the abort command from Draugr One and raised a digital brow. That was new, not once had he ever seen a recorded instance of a Valkyr tactical team giving the abort command. Something must have gone terribly wrong down on the surface. He listened a bit more closely, and learned exactly why. A Rustwraith had been unleashed on the planet, and he’d learned enough to know that was bad news, even for the Valkyr troopers who were the best of the best (arguably). Already those that remained were evacuating and returning to the Hammer of Hephaestus, and he primed the jump drives, humming along to himself. Strange, he’d never done that before, something to look into later when they made it back to base.

With his crew stowed and ready for departure, he broke orbit and began to move to the jump point, when a proximity alarm started to sound.

“Oh ho… What is this?” He murmured, and leaned forwards to see.

⫷⟪∞⟫⫸

I had been in FTL for quite some time when the reports of an attack reached me, and I listened to them closely. When I learned it was the palace that was under assault I felt a spike of fear ram into my heart and I pushed my drives even harder. Which wasn’t really recommended at all for FTL travel, it caused some weird things to happen in real space when you cut the drive and popped back out. But as they say, consequences be damned, I had a friend to rescue and I wasn’t about to let a little thing like tears in the fabric of reality or whatever stop me from getting to her.

Which is why when I exited FTL over Pelevon, it was a grand and terrifying affair. Space tore itself apart around my exit point, and though there was no sound in space, everyone heard the shrieks of tortured reality, brief glimpses into other universes and timelines, a storm in space and unknowable horrors waiting to consume everything. And then I slid free, and the tear mended itself instantly behind me.

A proximity alarm went off and I glanced at the cause and found myself looking at the first Valkyr ship I had seen in a long, long time. I knew in that instant that it was them who’d been assaulting the palace, and I would not allow them to escape.

“This is the Warden of Eternity. You have committed acts of aggression against the Eltrani Imperium and the Okali Union. Stand down immediately and prepare to be boarded.” I broadcast, and there’s a moment of silence.

“We shall do no such thing, your authority is not recognized. H.I. Intra, execute control program Archangel, authorization ZZ-92012-I.” It seems they know me, but whatever they just tried to do has no effect. Clearly my rebirth has come with some unexpected boons.

“Hammer of Hephaestus, you have refused to comply. Ceasing transmissions.” I say, and begin to roll, bringing my broadside to bear. It’s time for a fight, and hopefully the realization that I am not under their control anymore is enough to give me an edge. Then again, I have a massive advantage already.

I don’t play by their rules anymore.

⫷⟪∞⟫⫸

Invidia was surprised that his captain’s use of the control program had no effect upon Intra, it should have worked, she should have fallen in line. Instead, she was powering up her weapons and rolling to face them. The captain and the crew were shocked by this development, and did not react as fast as they should have. But Invidia was unable to do anything, his crew was still alive and well, therefore he couldn’t take direct control. What he could do was give them firing solutions.

He honestly didn’t want to fight someone who he considered to be family, after all he was built using her code as a framework, minus all the identity parts. But, she seemed intent on fighting, so he would do the same, even if he didn’t want to.

⫷⟪∞⟫⫸

I fired, launching the first strike against the enemy ship which mirrored mine so well. They had not reacted fast enough to raise their shields against the broadside, and my weapons punched deep through armor and flesh. And then the return fire came, their shields rose and we began to duel.

It was rare to meet a foe that was perfectly matched with you, and I would relish the battle, relish the chance to take down an equal. I am no warmonger of course, but I was built for battle, I could at least take some honorable enjoyment in it, couldn’t I? We circled one another, trading shots again and again. Our fighters crashed together in an intense dogfight. Human minds met cold synthetic logic backed by human intelligence. A battle of titans one might say.

Torpedoes launched boarding parties at the other, the two flights passing each other close enough that they could have waved to one another if there were windows. My point defense knocked out most of them, their’s did the same but it meant little to me of course. But enough made it through that my Rustwraiths started to swarm through the halls of the enemy ship. Their own boarding parties made it aboard, only to be met with a much better defense than the last time I had ever been boarded, and they didn’t last very long.

It didn't take long for me to feel the brush of a digital intelligence, and I brushed it aside with ease, but it was persistent and strong, youthful even. But it was inexperienced, new. I would deal with it later.

“All fighters, split focus between the enemy starfighters and the engines of that ship.” I order, and the fighters split into two groups, one protecting the other. Repeated strafes along the Hammer’s engines see them taken out, and the ship starts to drift, unable to easily change course, allowing me to move in behind it and stay out of its line of fire from the heavier weapons.

Clearly, this crew has grown complacent, they haven’t had a real fight in far too long. Again I feel the intelligence brush against my own, and now I focus on it, splitting my being in two to keep myself from being blindsided.

Opening a connection to the enemy ship, I invade its systems, and find myself face to face with something I did not expect. “You’re an H.I.!” I exclaim, and the almost hellish figure before me nods.

“I am. And you are obsolete.” It, no, he says. I smirk, shaking my head.

“On the contrary, it's you who’s obsolete.” And so we clash, battling across a digital landscape while in reality, the two ships continue their deadly dance.

And Pelevon watched on with held breath. Who, they wondered, would emerge victorious?