A Mandate Of Sword And Railgun

Mage

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Part 5

Just a Loresinger

Experiments.

To promote the advancement of cyber-tech and exobiology, a whole lot of important experiments had to be conducted. Since no proper scientific test could be performed without a subject, many critters needed to be procured. It was the barbarian semi-sentients and the defectives, whose expiration provided some modicum of meaning to their otherwise useless existence.

It was all in the name of science, you see.

Matriarch Senis casually strolled down the main corridor of her lab, a cup of cold movlefe in her claws. She was doing incredibly important field work, breakthrough research, yet all that her sisters provided her with was secondhand weapons and a pittance of a grant. To compensate she had to run a lot of “side” experiments, each providing her with yet another, miniscule financial boost.

This was her reality and, unless Senis elevated herself to the position of an Elder Matriarch, there would be no change.

Security, even if this planet’s owners boasted complete control over its entire surface, was slowly becoming an issue. Her main problem was that by her government’s decree, even a field laboratory of import like hers did not necessitate the deployment of military troops. So, no scores of expendable Vaugn soldiers under her beck and call, and definitely no specialist shield teams.

Though, just as it was in all things, not everything on this miserable planet was doom and gloom.

The Jaern priesthood, true to their end of the bargain, provided Senis with a personal bodyguard. One of their number, a powerful and always vigilant Soul Huntress, calmly strolled behind the Matriarch. During Senis’s decade long stay on Avern’a, Hixa had to use her telepathic powers only thrice.

This telepath and faithful servant of her god, could bend the will of would-be assassins and saboteurs, extract all relevant information and then force them to kill each other. Which she did and in the most brutal, efficient manner the Matriarch had ever witnessed in her entire life. The control Hixa exerted upon her telepathic powers and the Unlife abilities gifted to her by The One were marvelous to behold.

Senis was not a naive moron, however; she never assumed that her having one powerful bodyguard would ensure the safety of her entire operation. To achieve this, she spent most of the small grants and hired a bunch of mercenaries “on the cheap side.” This was not an oversight on her part, but part of a clever money saving scheme. Of course, all of them had to be female since she couldn’t stomach the sight of a non-chipped, armed and uncontrolled male in her vicinity.

By hiring mercs in bulk The Matriarch saved a lot of money.

The next thing she did was to pay the most experienced among them bonuses, so they would train the rest. With the weapon shipments sent by her sisters, Senis armed the most promising and skilled mercs. It took some time, two and a half years in fact, but in the end she had a small army of well trained, all-female soldiers.

This arrangement was highly beneficial for both sides. The hirelings got free equipment, training, a steady employment, adequate pay and Senis – security. If and when one or more of them developed unhealthy ideas, she could always rely on Hixa’s ability to detect a potential problem before it became deadly.

That and Senis was not one of these wimpy, average sentients. She had army training and could hold her own in a fight – with proper support, of course. One heavily armored, exoskeleton assisted suit stood ready for battle in the corner of her office. She had guards, computer controlled defensive systems to back them up, and plenty of weapons yet, having extra precautions never hurt nobody’s scales.

The best defense of all was “invisibility” – the location of her laboratory was a closely guarded secret. Plus, she had a top-notch electronic warfare suite which could spoof not only the hand-held, but even vehicle scanners. Add to that her facility’s efficient stealth shield, and even if someone deliberately snooped around, they simply wouldn’t know where or what to look for.

The Vaugn halted before one of her newest subjects – a pregnant Avern’a woman – and checked her scan data. Every bio-tank had its own integrated scanner and she only had to wave her claws for its holo screen to appear. Senis sipped some movlefe while she punched in another parameter, changing her experiment’s original goal. The tank’s automatic injectors administered another, and this time much heftier dose of mutagen.

The substance Senis tested was something she painstakingly replicated from the semi-restored research of Matriarch Vlenti. Powerful and rich, the otherwise successful scientist and her brilliant team perished, when her station fell from orbit. Uncorroborated reports from the field stated that a single Human male telepath was responsible for Vlenti’s demise and yet, most of Senis’s peers scoffed at the very idea.

They could sneer and deny all they wanted – she wasn’t risking her own scales!

Some of her resources were invested in one, brand new and quite powerful psychic nullifier. She always wore it, no matter what her daily task was or where she had to go. Jaern were never to be fully trusted, for who knew what secret commands were given to Hixa by her Mother Superior?

Senis very much wanted to know:

“What kind of a mutant would this poor excuse of a female give birth to?”

The Jaern were in urgent need of a brand new batch of war beasts to throw against local resistance forces. If successful, she could make lots of money on the side, selling these chipped with Vaugn mind control cybernetics, disposables. She being a scientist and cyber-tech specialist, there was no shortage of said chips. They were perhaps one of the Matriarchy’s best products; manufactured and sold in the billions to various Cartels or Slavers.

Otherwise, this particular experiment was ordered by a sister of hers, and its success carried with it the promise of another, this time much heftier grant. With this new financial injection, she could purchase more equipment and expand her base of operations.

The test subject enclosure was in need of enlarging...

The Matriarchy looked down on all semi-sentient animals, who, instead of cloning, grew their offspring inside them. These things would spawn from their host and out into the galaxy, just like the filthy parasites that they were. Dirty, chaotic, and thoroughly disobedient, what all of these impudent animals did was endanger the only thing which mattered to the Vaugn – their One, True, and Just, Matriarchal Order.

Today was the day when Matriarch Senis would initiate a brand new cyber-tech experiment, and she was giddy with excitement. The filthy Avern’a male was purchased from a group of savvy road bandits, who did ask a steep price. Since her mercs weren’t blind, they quickly noticed that boy had rare genes, and so they paid the sum in full. Upon delivery, she made sure to give them a bonus and promote their sergeant to full lieutenant.

Efficiency and even some semblance of loyalty, could easily be achieved, by virtue of providing monetary incentives.

She finished her movlefe and disposed of the cup, throwing it down the nearest recycling shaft. It didn’t take long for her to check all ongoing experiments, save and backup all research data. Before ordering two extra security guards to join her, Senis’s long stride already took her to the subject enclosure.

The Matriarch didn’t have to wait long, only a star-minute, and the mercs marched beside her, Vaugn-made PPGs in hand.

If someone eventually discovered and then attacked this lab, they’d have a bad day. In close range firefights and constrained by the corridors’ size, any enemy would suffer horrendous casualties. Moreover, the computer controlled automated defense turrets were fitted with good quality Taz’aran particle-beam guns.

Then there were the force fields and the traps...

Senis punched in the code with eager claw and strolled inside her subject enclosure. The Matriarch watched how virtually all cage residents followed her movements, a mix of terror and hate oozing from their eyes. She sniggered and, after poking the belly of another pregnant Avern’a female animal with her claw, moved further inside.

“Guard, I want this parasite-carrying female put in a bio-tank, and as soon as possible. Mark her as Vlenti mutagen test stage two, and link me a confirmation on my PDA when you are done.”

“It will be done, Director Senis.” – Replied the guard, and after unlocking the cage, quickly dragged the weeping pregnant woman.

After another guard came and replaced the one who carried out Senis’s order, the Matriarch walked over to the boy’s cage. Around the age of thirteen, if not culled, Avern’a males grew quite strong, big, and resilient. Senis snarled at him, revealing her long, sharp teeth, but instead of terror, his eyes radiated calm defiance.

“What, do you think that someone will come and save you, parasite?” – She asked coyly, while studying him with her medical scanner.

The boy was beaten almost to a pulp; he’d suffered multiple lacerations and several of his ribs were broken. Then there was the issue of his severe malnourishment, dehydration, and blood-loss. Everything combined, this male animal was not supposed to exhibit such calm a demeanor. Moreover, Senis knew well how to discern if there was still hope in one of her experiments’ eyes.

Instead of spouting yet another one of these angry, full of deathly promises statements, the likes of which she’d heard a thousand times before, her newest test subject... smiled. Confused, Senis blinked a couple of times; her eyes and scanner once more looked for something she could’ve missed, yet found nothing.

“Load his cage on the grav-trolley and move it to operation room six. Alert one of the medical teams on stand-by; I want them there, waiting, and ready for surgery.” – She swiped over her PDA, sending the surgery mainframe another one of Vlenti’s restored files, and continued:

“We will follow Vlenti’s procedures to a Tee. First the subject’s eyes will be replaced with cybernetic pain inducers, then, after two hours of regeneration in his bio-tank, all limbs...”

The Matriarch could not follow through, because another voice, one terrible, emanating power voice, boomed from her comm link:

“I SEE YOU!”

* * *

Reia, the Cowled One and their allies waited; their vehicles, weapons, and minds ready to act at a moment’s notice. Earlier this morning the Knight joined them, after a stealth drop pod deployed his power armor, landing in a deep crater near their position. The young woman was perhaps the first Loresinger to see one of these Terran Star Knights, and from up close.

The mecha he piloted was unlike anything she ever sang about; most of the olden Avern’a machines carried melee armaments. This one, however, was armed with something which resembled the assault rifles of her kin, but streamlined and fitted with a bayonet. The knight’s mech carried a laser sidearm on its waist, plus multiple spare power packs and compact grenades.

Painted in gray, jet black, and with silver outlines – this machine looked like one of the soul reapers from olden Avern’a songs. Ancient legends spoke of the Cull; they came for those who did evil deeds, and chased them without mercy. They would crush the sinner’s body and then disintegrate their very soul with holy fire. Reia was unsure if there was even a bit of truth behind this legend, but that Star Knight did indeed look the part.

Before dawn broke, he dismounted his mech and walked among them. The man was tall, clad in jet-black, outlined with silver armored suit. Mag-locked on his belt was a long, Terran-made vibroblade and a heavy railgun pistol.

He and the Cowled One bowed to each other, shook hands, and then the Knight opened his faceplate. Oval shaped, the man’s face was stern and on it he carried many a battle scar. His short hair, once dark, now sported many silver threads, yet the Knight’s youthful features betrayed someone of a young age, not an elder.

“Honored to meet you, Loresinger. I am Sword Brother Bennett of the Star Knight Order. ” – The man addressed Reia with his surprisingly soft, yet stern-sounding voice.

“But you can call me Bruce.” – He added, a warm smile on his scarred face.

Reia looked up after the Knight bowed to her, and by habit, searched for the ever-present pain in a man’s eyes. Before, when she gazed deep inside Sam’s eyes, the young woman found well-controlled, obedient suffering. This time it was different, and she almost lost herself inside these calm, green eyes. For instead of defeated fears, she found sharp weapons and a thick armor, all under the grip of an ever-vigilant mind.

“I heard back from my brother through the Link. This is how I know exactly where Matriarch Senis’s laboratory is.” – She pointed out one barely visible and totally indistinguishable from its surroundings, hill.

“Does your Link say anything about the number of troops present, the size of that lab and its defenses?” – The Knight asked Reia, a small tactical map of the surrounding area projected on the holo-display of his faceplate.

“There are turrets in the hallways and many guards, all female. The cages around him are all occupied – he counted more than one hundred women and children. Some of my people, the Avern’a, others were alien. More my brother could not see, for he was sedated and... beaten.”

Sir Bennett linked his comms with those of the truckers, their mixed troop of ex-adventurers, and alien mercenaries. His eyes studied their faces, which, upon them hearing what Reia said, became alit with hope. Yet that was not the only emote shining out of their eyes. The Loresinger could physically feel the righteous anger emanating, like an ever-growing in strength aura, spreading around these tormented people.

“I will forge a breach for us with my power armor.” – Calmly strategized the Knight - “Then you and your people will follow me through, guard my flanks and rear. I and the mercs will kill every guard, while Sam and his truckers secure the victims. Alone, you might have had a chance to save the kidnapped, but together...” – he made a short pause after all of their comms reported readiness to receive orders.

“The Cowled One and I will ensure the doom of that monster, Matriarch Senis! Not one more innocent sentient shall suffer under her claws, after we are done with her.”

“Leave her electronic and automated defenses to me.” – Stated the mage, one hand pointing at the hill Reia marked, his teal robes gently shimmering, fluttering in the wind.

The yellow eyes glinted thrice and then the robed man spoke with a much sterner, angrier voice:

“We must be quick, precise, and attack with the utmost of care. Many lives depend on our actions today, some of them unborn. Hurry, for I can see that monster now, I peered inside her lair and witnessed the full extent of her crimes!”

Sam’s hands clutched his weapon, a plasma thrower, so hard that Reia heard its handle creak. The men and women gathered behind him now looked a bit taller; it would seem that their eyes emitted the same, faint yellowish glow, which came from the mage’s mask. They uttered not a single word, only angry sighs, the gnashing of teeth, and hastened breathing could be heard coming from this vengeful crowd.

“I will guide you to the prison using my Link. This is all I can do and I know it is not much... but... I am useless in a fight... ” – Reia stopped after she witnessed smiles blossoming upon their faces.

“With your holy Avern’a power, you will enable us to save not only one, but hundreds of lives!” – Bruce knelt before her, one hand on his heart, the other rested upon the handle of his sword.

“Saint Reia, never think of yourself as useless. Even the Cowled One couldn’t have discovered that hellhole on his own!”

“I... I am just a Loresinger.” – confused, she examined Bruce’s smiling face and asked – “Why do you call me a saint?”

“Because in the eyes of my brothers and sisters, all members of our Order, you are a servant of Life Eternal.” – After Bennett said this, he walked off and mounted his mech.

“True, It would’ve taken me quite a long time to find that hall of torture.” – stated the mage and after the knight dashed forward, assault rifle ready to fire, continued:

“Now, stay close to me, watch carefully, memorize, and... listen.”

Reia nodded and ran next to the mage, who was now floating a couple of feet above the ground. He stopped for a short while, only to whisper something in that strange language of his. The Cowled One waved his gloved hand in the direction of Senis’s lab; which was now in full view, gate, outer constructions and all, despite the elaborate stealth shield hiding it.

A wave of shimmering energy emerged from his fingers and, after hitting the closed shut gate, the entire hill shook violently. Then, just as Sir Bennett landed his mech before it, the gate swiftly opened. To their terror, those who defended Senis’s facility, instead of some poorly armed band of resistance fighters or desperate adventurers, they faced a Knight.

Weapon firing, Bennett dashed inside; he mowed down a dozen guards with his initial attack alone, and not one defense turret fired at him. Behind him came the mage and, hand waving in the air, masked lips uttering another chant, turned Senis’s defenses against her underlings.

Vehicle engines rumbling, their allies charged forth; they showered anyone around the lab’s entrance with a merciless barrage of beams. They dismounted and quickly followed sir Bennett’s power armor deeper inside the facility, shooting on the move.

Once inside, Reia asked the Link another question, begged for direction. Never had she concentrated so well before, and despite the terrible chaos of battle, which raged around her, the Loresinger felt content, happy even.

She was Avern’a and for one such as her, the death of any invader was cause for a celebration. Moreover, the moment when many would be saved loomed ever closer, and she felt emboldened. Never had she sent and then received an answer from the Link so clear, loud, and in such a short time.

Reia saw through the eyes of many, some not even aware that the Link existed. She addressed the mage after hearing her own brother’s words, and gazing upon the face of Senis herself.

“There! Beyond this gate, the second corridor on the left, then forward all the way. Quick, this is where most of them are!” – She said that and then the Link showed more images, sounds and... feelings.

The Loresingers were trained to resist strong emotion, even a telepath’s touch to an extent. This torrent of terror, pain, and horrendous occurrences however, they almost broke her. Reia felt to her knees, blue tears of blood running down her face. The young woman screamed terrified since it was their suffering which she now felt.

“Arise!” – The mage’s powerful voice boomed in her ears.

“Bend not your knee before hardship and pain, for you are Avern’a – the daughter of great people! Face this, but upright and with every bit of faith in your people’s future that you have.”

Focusing all the strength she had, Reia managed to stand and pointed at one corridor in particular. With blood on her lips, she shouted:

“I know where she is... Senis and her Jaern follower have my brother with them!”

“Guide me.”

The mage followed stumbling Reia down the corridor, a shimmering field shrouding both of them. Indeed, the guards fought back; they fired many barrages of PPG fire every time the mage or his companion were in their sights. Not one of those hit, and, confused, these otherwise well-trained soldiers fell, slaughtered by invisible doom. As he floated, guided by Reia, the Great Cowled One unleashed his magics with precise, accurate sweeping motions.

The corridors where he passed through were soon soaked in blood, littered with the sliced to perfection bodies of Senis’s guards. Some of the Matriarch’s underlings, especially her officers and sergeants perished in extreme agony. Chunks of flesh falling off their bones, as they coiled agonizing on the floor; instead of cries for mercy, they could only spew coagulated blood and their own innards.

Before five star-minutes passed, the entire facility was torn asunder by these mad, vengeance-craving leftovers. People who should’ve died in one or another battle, but didn’t. Adventurers, whose companions sacrificed themselves so they could escape, live to see another day. The truckers and their leader, Sam, who came to Avern’a to haul lifesaving cargo.

Today they were all transformed into a merciless band of justice-serving warriors.

Indeed, Senis’s guards were well-trained and armed with devastating PPG weaponry. In any other instance, victory would’ve been theirs – any other day, but not today. The guards fired thick bursts of plasma from their bulky armaments, yet their aim was obscured. Something or someone had infiltrated the augmented targeting devices of their armored suits. Moreover, their many cybernetics suddenly defied them and in some cases, even murdered them.

The base’s automated defenses were killing them.

The towering power armor piloting knight was mowing them down with barrages of armor-piercing laser beams.

Then there was the raging crowd of ex-adventurers, mercs, and truckers, who plowed through them with unnatural, terrifying to behold, ease.

Matriarch Senis assumed that these well-trained, armed and sufficiently paid women could stand against any enemy. The hands which helped her “scientists” torment innocent, helpless sentients, alas, they were helpless. When pitted against those who suffered, those who lived with the pain of loss, those whose loved ones had been forcefully taken, Senis’s all-powerful guards failed.

For their hearts were full of malice, not bravery, and their minds laden with layers upon layers of craven cowardice. Fake soldiers they were, undeserving of this most holy, lifesaving title! Their souls long gone, sold for profit generated by the slow, torturous deaths of innocent people.

Five more minutes passed and, there were token few of Sanis’s guards still alive. They attempted everything to save their hides, yet their everything was for naught. The ex-adventurers found one or another of their mutilated comrades, all floating near-dead in gloomy bio-tanks. The truckers saw relatives and family members lying naked, eviscerated on operating tables. The mercs witnessed what was left of their mutated brothers and sisters in arms writhe in agony, caged like beasts.

No amount of decats could stave their vengeful intent and the guards died... all of them.

Bennett was forced to dismount his mech, because the lab’s inner corridors were much smaller. He joined the mage and followed Reia’s lead – soon, the three faced Matriarch Senis. Just as the Loresinger had warned them, a Jaern Soul Huntress flanked her, ready to do battle. The Vaugn herself was clad in heavy armor, and protruding from her thick gloves was a set of powerful vibro-claws. Plus, there was a small particle-beam shoulder cannon, sticking up from the Matriarch’s left shoulder armor.

Behind them, shackled in his cage, was Reia’s younger brother.

“Halt males! You make one step, and that young one behind me will die. I need utter one voice command and his dirty little heart will stop... forever.” – Senis’s obnoxious to listen to voice echoed across the corridor.

Even though she sounded quite sure of herself and that threat of hers, potent, the Cowled One sighed annoyed. He then canted his head to the right and made a quick, rather simple gesture with his left hand. Barely standing on her feet Reia blinked, cleared the blood tears from her eyes and then saw faint, golden threads emerging from his fingers. These flickered in the air and, after piercing an invisible wall, wavered out of existence.

“Say when.” – Brother Bennett addressed the mage, completely ignoring Senis’s threat, his sword readied, and muscles coiled, ready to charge.

“It is done, my friend.” – The mage calmly answered, and then his masked head turned around, glowing eyes focused on the Matriarch.

“Halt?! Free men and women take no orders from degenerate Vaugn scum like you. You hold no dominion over us, nor that tortured youth! The force fields, sensor mines, and yes, even the slave collar you placed around the boy’s neck, I have disabled them all.”

“Who do you think you are, male!? You dare...” – Senis once more screeched, while her shoulder cannon aimed at Reia’s brother.

“Teal Death, this is him, the great and mighty alien mage!” – Hissed the Jaern priestess – “You were right to activate your psychic nullifier, Senis.”

“Nullifier? Oh, how very amusing. Utterly useless, but still... amusing.” – Snorted the mage and then his hand pointed at the boy’s cage.

“I am afraid that the boy is quite invulnerable to your pitiful weapon, Matriarch. Now, while I and your lovely cannibal friend here hurl magics at each other, you Senis, you will face a Star Knight.”

Reia was at the end of her strength and could barely stand upright, leaning against the nearest wall. One terrible second before Sir Bennett charged forth, sword raised above his head, she felt someone’s vile cerebrations slithering inside her mind.

“Choke yourself!” – Echoed an order inside Reia’s head, and her hands trembled, her fists clenched.

She fell again, this time on one knee, fighting desperately against this overwhelming willpower. The invader’s mind, someone who ate her people while they were still alive and screaming in agony, was now inside her own. Slowly, while she watched how the Knight charged and then clashed with Senis, Reia’s hands closed around her throat and... squeezed.

It was a battle of wills and her own was not mighty – Reia was just a Loresinger. She was not a trained warrior, possessed no armaments or wore thick armor.

Wisdom, knowledge was her weapon!

One thought arose shining at the center of her mind and she shouted, beckoned those who connected with her through the Link, to do so once more. Indeed, alone she was incapable of defeating a mighty telepath, yet Reia now realized what she was.

Avern’a, the daughter of ancient, mighty people, whose strength came from unity and togetherness – she called for the aid of all experiments. It was with the utmost of concentration and her last bit of strength that the Loresinger managed to do this. Facing the screaming, wrapped in multiple layers of torturous pain sentients, the Jaern Soul Huntress recoiled and her grip over Reia, lost.

The unconscious Avern’a did not see what happened next, though her brother saw everything. His eyes gazed upon the power of the Great Cowled One, as his magics clashed with those of a telepath serving The One.

Gray, burning with purple flame lightning hit his teal robes and vanished into thin air, bested by some invisible force. A torrent of glowing hot, gray fireballs swarmed at him, yet with a flick of his wrist, he summoned another magic. Cloud of shimmering, golden particles, enveloped the Jaern’s projectiles and devoured them without fail.

The mage floated in the air, his robe shone with silvery light, the yellow crystal eyes of his mask were like two little suns. Reia’s brother witnessed two brilliant beams of white light, which hit the Jaern and blasted her left arm to gory chunks. Screeching, she summoned more gray flames, yet these gifts from her Master could not save her. The mage flew ever closer and made a couple of sweeping motions with his hands.

The Soul Huntress fell apart – gory chunks of bleeding flesh rolled where she once stood, magics swirling around her, body aglow with Unlife blessings.

Matriarch Senis fared no better; she did and quite skillfully parry the Knight’s first attack. Then, no matter what the Vaugn tried, neither of her moves fully connected. It was as if this man who fought her, he’d already killed the Matriarch in his mind, and every move of his was but a reminder of that inevitable future.

Senis cleaved, clawed, leapt in the air, pressed her entire body weight in every strike. She put every ounce of power that exoskeleton of hers gave her, yet could only rend the Knight’s chest armor. In her desperation, she fired at the boy, but just as the mage had avowed earlier, her beam bounced off an invisible shield, causing no harm.

First she lost one of her hands, which flew in the air, hot blood gushing from the wound. To her credit, Senis did not falter and tried one last, desperate attack. Instead of clawing, she stabbed and nearly pierced her enemy’s belly, but he deflected the blades. That attack of hers was like a candle’s last, brightest flicker before darkness came back.

Then the Matriarch fell; kicked swiftly in the chest, after her right leg was chopped off by the Knight’s sword. Then, her other hand impaled into the floor by his sword, Bennett placed his boot upon her faceplate.

“This is the fate of your debased order!” – Said the knight, before he firmly put his foot down, crushing her head.

The Cowled One picked up Reia’s unconscious body, while Sir Bennett ripped her brother’s cage open and pulled him out. He then injected the boy with some medigel, healing the worst of his injuries and carefully helped him up. With his aid, the youth could walk and after removing the slave collar from his neck, the Knight asked:

“What is your name, young man?”

“I have just turned thirteen... until then, boys grow up without a name.” – Answered the tired Avern’a youth, his voice raspy and legs wobbling.

“But... why?” – Sir Bennett asked the boy with a troubled voice, while he reached with his hand to support him.

“Because every Avern’a male under the age of thirteen is considered to be a living corpse.” – The mage answered instead.

“The road parasites caught me while I was returning back to my home bunker. Reia is our Loresinger, and by olden tradition, names those of us who survive...”

His tired eyes darted between the two men while they silently walked down the corridor. Soon they reached the entrance and he saw many loaded trucks leaving the lab. Before Bennett mounted his power armor, the mage’s eyes glinted once and then he said:

“I have compressed and uploaded that monster’s entire database on your mech. Your brothers and sisters will find these files rather disgusting, yet by studying the Matriarchy’s genocidal war crimes, many lives could be saved.”

“Then I shall endeavor to deliver this data to them, quickly.” – Stated the Knight, after his power armor closed shut.

Immediately, its pilot warmed up his engines, shooting tiny streams of drive plasma in the air. Limbs moved, heatsinks hissed, his maneuvering nozzles twisted around, as he did a system checkup before flying away.

“What now, Sciencer?”

“This task of mine is completed.” – The Cowled One said after he placed Reia on the Volga’s rear seat.

He helped her brother on the front seat, his head canted gently to the left and then the mage stated:

“Many other, similarly gruesome tasks await my attention. Teal Death, the degenerates who prey on the unfortunate call me, and rightfully so. For this planet to finally be free, all of their debased kind must die. But, that will happen later... now...”

The Cowled One raised his hand and waved at Sam, who’d just helped load the last of Senis’s bio-tanks.

The trucker’s entire face was covered with smut from using his plasma thrower. Skin covered with soot, the otherwise pale Terran looked like a coal miner, and now his crystal blue eyes stood out even more. He gave the mage a questioning look, before this one said:

“Sam, tell your people to follow me – we are going to one of my places of power. Everyone will be safe there.”

Sam waved back and then gave the rest of his truckers a sign to follow the mage.

“Farewell Sciencer, until we meet again!” – Said Bennett, before his mech flew up and then, leaving a long trail of drive plasma, aimed for the stars.

The Cowled One sat behind the wheel of his Volga, turned her engine and, after he closed the door, whispered behind his mask:

“Cometh the day of Starfall and Terran judgment, you stay safe Sword Brother.”

Engine rumbling and tires screeching, the Terran-made car moved ahead of the column. Following the silvery vehicle, these loaded with wounded, malnourished sentients machines sped up.

Ahead was a wide road, which up until recently teemed with raiders. The convoy easily drove around their no longer smoldering remains, and by the evening time, reached a ruined village. Yet, when they dismounted their trucks and cars, the motley assortment of freedom fighters, ex-adventurers, and mercs, witnessed a greenish spot at its center.

There, in the bombed basin of one ancient fountain, a small lake of clear water reflected the sunrays. Sweltering hot this part of Avern’a was indeed, but some growth sprung under the rubble. Flowers, their colorful leafs dancing in the wind, they waved in utter defiance of the post-apocalyptic scenery around them. Moreover, there were many other plants which sprouted through the cracks, piercing slagged concrete, dusty bones, and even rusty metal.

Life... it endured and even flourished, when those willing to fight stood their ground.