Untold Stories of a Galaxy - Kysaek: The Beginning

“I’ll tell you,” laughed the warden of the guards, in his bunkered surveillance room, “Twenty-six, plus six big zeros, and that’s just for her.”

“Who pays that kind of money?” asked an inferior guard in front of the counter. Like the warden, he also wore the colours red and black, the distinctive mark of Neo Solaris. “And that’s for being alive? PGI?”

“No, that’s Waev, Waew, Wa-, something like that. I can’t think of the name right now, but it was a corporation, and after what allegedly happened on Trayden, I’m not surprised that all the bounties have gone up."

“Oh yes, someone probably wants to have plenty of time to talk to the whole gang.”

“We don’t have any specific information yet, but it’s doing the rounds everywhere. There must have been a real war between some companies on Trayden and Kysaek allegedly started it,” said the warden. He sat behind thick panes of glass secured with energy shields and operated the only access to the cell wing, where he could see both the area in front of and inside the wing through the glass. “If it had been up to me, I would at least have disposed of the miserable aliens directly. Together they’re all worth a lot alive, though. The colonel said something about over sixty million foreign currency.”

“Unfortunately, nothing we’re going to see.”

“We’re not mercenaries either, but the capture serves a higher purpose and is one of our greatest successes here on Anuket so far, with little effort.” The capture of the wanted men had indeed been a small effort: Two trucks, in a stealthy night and fog operation and defended solely by a unit of high-tech bots, had been no obstacle for Neo Solaris’ raiding commando.

“And how long are we keeping this lot here?”

“I reckon at least two days, although the colonel wants to keep the doctor. He must be some kind of genius when it comes to weapons,” said the warden, glancing at the only barred window in the wing, through which the midday sun was shining. Apart from Dorvan, Wolfgang was the only one not in the small prison block. Neo Solaris wanted to use the doctor compulsorily for the research and production of weapons. The scientist was also to explain the design of his special bot, which was actually Dorvan’s inactive shell. “However, this Wolfgang is an annoying wanker and as for the rest: the longer our operation in the consulate lasts, the tighter the controls over Anuket become. It’s getting harder and harder to get our ships and people off the planet or to land here.”

“Two days, eh?” the guard murmured darkly. A human was a human to him. “But if we’re keeping the doctor and the woman is really that good, we should also try to get her on our side, or what do you think?”

“An alien girlfriend like that with no real use?” the warden asked in disgust. “Are you serious?”

“Anyone can lose their way. Maybe she just doesn’t know any better.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, but please. You can suggest it to the colonel ... if you feel so strongly about it.”

“What do you mean so much? It was a thought, nothing more.”

“You’d better leave it at that. For me, that troop in there is just proof that co-operation with aliens doesn’t bear fruit, otherwise they wouldn’t all be here now.”

“How true, how true sir,” nodded the guard. “I’ll continue my patrol. I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll be here, as always,” the warden replied. As he went about his work, he didn’t pull a leg and slumped back in his chair.

A overseer and a couple of cheap bots in the small cell wing. That was nothing that couldn’t be managed. However, the time had not yet come. “By the ancestors, I want out of here,” Vorrn complained. Everyone had to play the part of the prisoner, but the Hishek’s acting made the boundaries between theatre and reality too blurred. He was extremely convincing or simply in his natural role. “Let those xenophobic bastards show me what they can do when I’m not tied up and herded into a cell.”

“Go ahead,” Tavis said. He lay relaxed on a modest cot, sharing the cell with his belligerent companion. “If you say it several more times, maybe the warden will deactivate the energy wall and we’ll find out how this scenario turns out.”

“I suppose you’d like that, eh? If that happens, I’ll use you as a shield.”

“As long as you don’t wake me up, then please.”

“Do you hear that?” asked Vorrn. “He wants to rest now. What are you paying him for?”

“You know that nobody gets paid here,” replied Kysaek. Her cell was parallel to that of the two men, but she was alone and in the Neo Solaris wing there wasn’t the height obstacle that there had been in the consulate. “And I think he does a lot for free help, just like you.”

“I have a reward. It’s the fight and the death.”

“Yes, and both are paid for by others and not by me,” Kysaek replied. She stood in front of the energy wall of her cell and couldn’t help but look at Vorrn’s martial and battle-scarred face. Apart from the consulate prison, she had only ever seen him with the metal bonnet on his head. It wasn’t every day that Kysaek saw such features on a Hishek, or to be honest - she hadn’t seen any of the lizards like this before. Scaly knobs rose on the upper edges of Vorrn’s snout, like tiny horns, and they followed the contour of the upper jaw. It reminded Kysaek of old-fashioned goodnight stories of mythical creatures on Earth called dragons.

“Which I guess means you’re outrageously lucky or a cunning leader,” Vorrn uttered with flared nostrils. They made his long snout tremble and the light-coloured scars on his dark scaly skin appear even more pronounced for a moment. A long time ago, someone must have rammed something sharp into Hishek’s face and pulled it through from front to back. One of the horn knobs on his nose was half broken off and another right next to it was missing completely, while the healed but distinct scar went all the way past his left eye and there were a few single puncture scars along the way. “Personally, I think you have the luck of fools.”

“You have to build on something and what was that about the gift from the ancestors?”

“That hasn’t changed. I have one and you have the other.”

“And what exactly do you have? Is it some kind of cultural thing that makes you want to fight and kill a lot?” Kysaek asked, lacking any in-depth knowledge of the Hishek. That was only option one for her, however, and she took a more crude view of number two. “Or do you simply enjoy violence?”

“The two are not mutually exclusive,” Vorrn remarked. He was like a restless animal in a cage, cut off from his natural environment and eager to be free. That made him more talkative. “And what you do for 221 years is a permanent part of you, but from a short-lived species like yours, I don’t expect or need understanding.”

“Fighting for over 200 years? Yes, I imagine that’s quite monotonous as a human being. But I’m sure it’s really down to the aforementioned lack of time luxury.”

“At least humans are doing something, despite having so little time. They talk as much as Eporanians, Calanians and Talins, but they usually do something,” said Vorrn. His moderate respect for Kysaek did nothing to detract from his honest respect for humanity. “Without the humans, who knows what would have become of the galaxy.”

From her cell, which she shared with Re’Lis, Thais spoke up. “The humans didn’t win the war alone,” she said, “it was all of us together.”

“Only in the second half,” Vorrn replied. He hadn’t forgotten anything and made that clear. “In the beginning, the humans fought alone, even though they warned everyone about Solaris. The Hishek were smart enough to listen carefully, as were the Davoc. The rest only got involved when they realised that there was no escape and the First Ones revealed their true colours.”

“Still, they weren’t alone.”

“Yes, I heard that. Are you trying to express your offended Talin pride or what’s the point? Because it only emphasises my point of view.”

“No, it’s more to expand your view,” Thais said. She wasn’t the least bit angry, on the contrary. “Maybe our group is no different. Maybe it’s just one more person behind whom everyone unites and does something.”

Vorrn remained sceptical. “We’ll see. Trayden was a hard-fought victory. Repeating that here and now would be conducive to your philosophical talk.”

“Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you!” the overseer yelped from his bunkered counter. He had no idea what the Hishek meant by repeating himself. “At best you are food for Genra and Negdrog, pathetic alien trash and alien friends! Your journey ends here!”

“My offer still stands, you xenophobic loser,” Vorrn growled. “Let me out and show me your human superiority over an alien.”

“As if I would waste my time with an animal.”

“An animal that’s much sta-”

“Vorrn!” Kysaek intervened loudly and sternly. Maybe that was a way to get out of the cell and maybe the Hishek would even manage it, but it was too early and the actual plan was different. “Stand down or I’ll come over and beat it into you!” She wasn’t putting on a show or trying to win the Hishek’s respect with her rough demeanour.

Vorrn looked at her with his widened lizard eyes, but apart from a vibration of the vocal cords, nothing came back from him and he nodded.

“Animals, I’m telling you,” the overseer said more relaxed and continued to insult. “And like a good animal, it obeys its mistress. At least one good thing can be said of you, alien friend. You have your monsters under control.”

“Whatever you say,” Kysaek replied and left it at that. She had to collect herself and just wait, because it couldn’t be long now. A scout probe should hopefully have tracked the route to Neo Solari’s hideout when he was captured and as soon as General Akaro was on site and launched his attack, the group would start their breakout.

Less than a day later, it was just before dusk and after the shift change, between the warden and his deputy, when the deceptive silence in the block was broken by a loud bang and a considerable commotion. All the prisoners rushed expectantly to the energy walls of their cells and the alarm, which howled like a squeaky drill in short bursts, startled the deputy warden. “What’s happened?” she enquired over the radio frequency of her system. “Are we under attack?”

“Affirmative!” a male voice reported back, while new impacts followed. “It’s the consulate! They’ve found us!”

“Damn it! What are the orders?”

“Seal off your block and send the guard units to the intersection!”

“Yes sir!” replied the warden’s deputy. A few minutes later, she had no idea what was about to happen and was taken aback and unprepared when the light defence weapons and bots in front of the cell wing suddenly switched off. “A system failure?! Now of all times?”

“Correct - a deliberate manipulation,” said Dorvan’s bot, coming out of the corridor in front of the wing and without any resistance, it was able to tamper with the door’s connections.

“What are you! Stop it right now!”

“Negative. This is an internal breach and I need to free my allies.”

“You, you, what?!” the woman blinked, trying to make a call for help. “Cell block here! I need reinforcements now! That was a trap!” However, her realisation did the representative no good, as her communication had long since been overridden, the gate opened and everything else inside the block also failed. “HELLO?! Can anyone hear me?”

“That’s much better,” said Kysaek, smelling the sweet odour of freedom. “Now we need equipment. Any idea where to find some?”

“I need direct access to the systems, then I can download the schematics of the base,” Dorvan’s bot replied, pointing to the bunker. “That would be a good place, but it’s occupied.”

“Open the tin bucket and I’ll do the rest,” Vorrn offered. Not only was the bunker opened for him, but the protective flaps on the glass were lowered and the lights in the control room were switched off so that nothing could be seen inside and the Hishek disappeared around the corner of the entrance.

A blink later, Vorrn’s animalistic roar, the panicked scream of the representative and a short burst from her magnetic weapon could be heard. It cracked and popped, like a bar brawl, only this one ended very quickly with the slippery tearing of flesh and splattering of blood, and Vorrn emerged with two plasma assault rifles in each hand. “That’s enough for me to start with, and there are a few more weapons.”

“Base schematics are loaded. More equipment isn’t far from us,” Dorvan’s bot said as he accessed the system at the counter. “Only Wolfgang is away from our actual destination.”

“He’ll have to manage on his own for a while,” said Kysaek, as they all knew the risk of the mission. Still, not everyone could go with her. “Dorvan, can you make sure that Doctor Askar, Dios and Kuren are kept safe here?”

“That’s not a problem,” the bot said as he came out of the bunker and the defences came back on. “Everything in the cell block is now under our control and can be operated via the system. That should provide enough protection for the untested fighters when we’re gone.”

“If that isn’t reassuring,” Kysaek replied, handing the Galig doctor a pistol. “Keep an eye on everything here.”

“Not my area of expertise, but this should be manageable,” Re’Lis said. She released the group equipped with the captured plasma and magnetic weapons from the block via the bunker and closed the entrance to the prison with an additional fire door.

Kysaek’s escape had so far remained undetected, entirely according to plan. She was to ensure that the suspected hangar of the base was quickly brought under control in order to prevent Neo Solaris from escaping and to gain access to the enemy small ships there. Before she could do that, however, she needed more artillery and protective gear, all of which was stored in a chamber at the end of the near section. With each passing metre, however, Kysaek’s unseen advantage ended.

At first, the bots were meagre, with their frequented command receivers no challenge for Dorvan and his digital skills. Sometimes only his eyes shone and sometimes he moved his hands. His movements had lost none of their magic and he didn’t need to fire a single shot to win. He either set the enemy machines against each other or took over their systems so that he could overload the power lines and the machines collapsed in a lightning storm.

Unfortunately, this didn’t work with non-mechanical targets, and the group came across them when the storage location for their weapons was already within reach. An eight-man unit from Neo Solaris secured the equipment and more robust and tangible tactics than hacking were needed against them.

This wasn’t Trayden, though, and no one had to fixate on a horde of enemies and small armies or run around an open battlefield. It was a piece-by-piece fight, in a tight environment, with everyone doing their part.

Thai’s powerful prismatics alone were an almost insurmountable target for the enemy’s plasma rifles. The protective energy covered the entire corridor so that no shot could penetrate it. On the other side, the Talin’s allies were able to fire through the barrier, forcing Neo Solaris’ hand.

Retreating was probably a foreign concept to the xenophobic soldiers, however, otherwise they would have admitted defeat to inferior aliens, so instead they carried out some rash and impetuous attack manoeuvres, which left them vulnerable.

With an assault weapon in each short hand, Vorrn had plenty of firepower even without his personal toys, and he exploited his targets’ weaknesses to the second. Aiming was not possible for him with this weapon stance, but he didn’t need to. He was pretty good at continuous fire on his own, and he had the support of Tavis. Together, the two of them worked better in battle than outside of it, and what they didn’t catch, Dorvan took care of.

Kysaek did the rest by acting cunningly and taking on the targets crouching behind the corners. All she needed, however, was a little bit of a defender’s foot, which she caught with her prismatic, as if with an invisible lasso, and then pulled out of cover with a jerk, at the mercy of death.

“That was almost fun,” said Vorrn as he secured the perimeter and opened the chamber he was looking for. “But I hope that wasn’t all, or I’ll be sorely disappointed by these alien-hating vermin”

“I’m sure you’ll be fully satisfied,” replied Tavis, while everyone hurried to help themselves to the equipment in the storeroom and stock up according to their talents.

Only Tavis, who had to make do without various of his tricks, was at a disadvantage here.

“What are the ongoing instructions?” asked Dorvan’s bot. Apart from his weapon, he didn’t need anything else, as he had everything else with him and was standing lookout.

“You and Thais are looking for the doctor,” said Kysaek as she changed into a nano suit with her prison garb and put on armour pieces over it, which unfortunately had the colours black and red. “We’ll make our way to the hangar and secure it. As soon as you have the doctor, join us.”

“Wolfgang is a traitor,” Vorrn grumbled particularly clearly. Was he showing an explicit dislike for the doctor or his actions? “Don’t you care about that?”

“And you’re a lurid beast and a ticking time bomb,” Kysaek countered fearlessly. “Hardly any difference to me, and besides, you’re coming with me, so you don’t have to worry about the traitor.”

“Yes, at least I don’t have to deal with him.”

“Do you think the two of them will manage to free him on their own?” asked Tavis, more concerned than doubtful.

“Dorvan has the necessary technical expertise and Thais is a strong fighter. I trust the two of them to do it.”

“Yes, your task is more difficult, Tavis,” Thais replied, appreciating the trust. “We’ll manage and get there as quickly as possible.”

“The way will definitely be clear,” Kysaek nodded as she loaded her Magnet assault rifle and watched Vorrn and Tavis’ fiery readiness. “Let’s give Neo Solaris back what they did to the people of Anuket.” Their path was clear, in every way. The captured schematics from Dorvan had been transferred to temporary captured vortex cuffs and were enormously helpful to Kysaek.

The limited yet well-fortified base was a set of buildings that stood on the surface but were firmly embedded in the mountainous surroundings. Their lower levels were half bunkers and connected by a network of tunnels that led everywhere. It made it easier to reach their destination, but the longer that path was used, the more it became an incalculable risk.

“They’re trying to attack us from all sides!” said Kysaek when she was attacked from two directions at a crossroads. Only there was no one behind her. “We need more freedom of movement and there’s a lift up ahead! Time to go to the surface!”

“I’ve got our backs!” replied Vorrn. The continuous and barrage fire in the cramped corridor was an ideal playground for his two assault rifles. Neo Solaris could do no more than hide. “They don’t stand a chance! Clear the platform!”

One less side of attackers meant an easier advance for Kysaek and Tavis, simply because of the smaller number of targets. Three soldiers faced them and were soon either bleeding from the woman’s bullets or burnt by the Palaner’s plasma charges. “Up, up!” shouted Kysaek and she set the leisurely lift in motion.

Vorrn was still halfway up, but suddenly he sprinted off in a hurry and overcame the height to the ascending lift with a considerable leap. His landing caused the metal floor to shake and the lift’s bolted connections to creak badly.

Kysaek and Tavis got a real fright, but the lift kept going and held up.

Vorrn took it in his stride. “It only breaks what I want to break.”

This didn’t inspire faith in the passengers, but that was quickly forgotten, as the enemies below were closing in on the lift in increasing numbers. It was already close to the automatic exit hatch, but the damage caused it to stop abruptly and it was still a good three metres to freedom.

This was no problem for Kysaek, however, and she simply climbed cheekily over Vorrn’s tail onto his back. The Hishek growled, but she had already opened the hatch and saw the back of an unsuspecting soldier.

“You’re on Lift Nine?!” the man murmured, obviously engrossed in radio traffic. He spun round with his weapon drawn, right into Kysaek’s fast-approaching hands, and she pulled him down into the shaft. The soldier rushed past her and the lift, screaming and breaking his neck as she climbed up.

Tavis tried to get out the same way, but as soon as he was on Hishek’s back, he was catapulted out of the shaft by the lizard and landed roughly at the top.

At the same time, the damaged platform under Vorrn broke away and he jumped onto the lift rail, to which he clung with the claws of his feet and used his mouth to pull himself out of the shaft as a biting force, while the platform buried some of the enemies standing at the bottom underneath it.

However, neither the lizard nor anyone else was granted a break, as a small unit of Neo Solaris was approaching and was covered by a Blockade Breaker. The group was no match for the military Void Body and fled from the shots of its large, deafening cannon into a building.

“Team Bullseye, what’s your status?” asked General Akaro over the radio frequency.

“We’re still alive!” Kysaek breathed with a heated mind. “And the hangar is not far away - how are you getting on, General?”

“The main gate and its defences have been destroyed, but the narrow passage there makes it difficult for us to get in. It will take us some time to break through completely.”

“Perhaps we could speed up the process,” Galaen suggested in frequency. “My strike team has identified a possible landing zone in the base, but the air defence is too strong. If Kysaek could take them out, we could land and attack from two sides. That would probably shorten the battle and minimise casualties.”

“But that wasn’t part of our mission!” said Kysaek, while Vorrn and Tavis fended off some attackers at the door and secured their position.

“Battles require flexibility.”

“Not the first time I’ve heard that. What would we have to do and where?”

“According to the schematics sent by Dorvan, it would be wisest to switch off the central energy supply. It’s east of their position, two sections away from the hangar.”

“But we’re already so close to the target and it’s getting trickier, especially for our small group!”

“The general is in charge of this operation,” Galaen replied routinely. “He will decide.”

General Akaro’s order was unexpected, however. “The plan is well thought out, troop supervisor, but Team Bullseye is in the hot zone voluntarily. You are best placed to judge whether this additional target is within the realms of possibility.”

“Your intention in all honour,” Kysaek said honestly. It wasn’t cowardice, stubborn self-protection or the blunt execution of an order that led her to her choice. “We’ll take the hangar as planned, because if we deviate now, you’ll get in faster, but Neo Solaris will also retreat faster, and that affects the hangar as well. It could jeopardise the whole plan.”

“Understood, Team Bullseye,” General Akaro confirmed. “Continue your mission as planned. We’ll try to reach you as soon as possible.”

“You can count on us, General”

Kysaek was really thriving in this battle, as she had never dreamed she would. At first she thought it was like when she was full of eagerness to go to the Luna Alliance, fuelled by desires and fantasies. But now she could really make a difference, or rather prevent it. She wouldn’t fail again, like on Trayden! This was far more than a mere fire in her chest - she felt the guilt and was filled with pure rage, at herself and for her opponents! With this ecstatic fervour, nothing and no one could stop her on her way to the hangar.

“We’ve found Wolfgang and freed him!” said Dorvan over the radio.

“Good work! How is he?” asked Kysaek. She stood on a narrow, elevated walkway of the two-level hangar, the dawning sunlight streaming through the extremely wide, open bay door as she engaged in a firefight with the control room personnel.

“He has no permanent damage.”

“Don’t talk like I’m not here!” Wolfgang complained. “And no damage, my arse! It remains to be seen whether I can ever get this mindless talk of inferior aliens out of my head!”

“Yes, there’s definitely nothing wrong with you,” replied Kysaek. She shattered the windows of the hangar control room and the shards of glass trickled onto a Bolt Dropper below.

But one shattered disc was not enough to lure the defenders out of their protective hiding place. A missile, on the other hand, was, and it had advantages. He attached the projectile under the muzzle of one of the assault rifles like an attachment with a handle. He then launched the warhead into the disc-less control room and, for his largest, the projectile produced a fierce jet of flame. Anyone who didn’t jump out of the room or flee was immediately incinerated and those who fled were caught in the deadly crosshairs of those lurking outside.

“They’re the last ones!” said Kysaek as she used a crane cable from the ceiling and slid down from the catwalk. A few bots and automatic light guns were no longer keeping them from securing the hangar - for now.

“We should be careful,” Tavis said. He scavenged ammunition from a dead soldier. “I don’t think all the forces are fighting the consulate.”

“I doubt that Neo Solaris has enough courage left, but let’s just listen in,” Vorrn suggested and picked up one of the enemy helmets. Thanks to its frequencies, it provided information about what was happening in the enemy’s ranks.

“The main gate is lost!” a woman gasped. “Retreat to the first main building! We’ll gather there and set up a new line of defence!”

The prison warden demanded another report. “Are the prisoners still not caught?! Status report!”

Less willing to resist, another man came forward in the firefight. “The base is now under attack from three or four sides! They have us surrounded!”

This was emphasised by an extremely fearful soldier. “My unit is dead! What is this? I can’t macrawrr-!” he bellowed into the frequency with his last breath and a loud bang, very close to the hangar, cut the connection.

“General Akaro’s troops are pretty fast,” Tavis noted. Between a heavy line of crates and a bolt dropper, he kept an eye on one side of the hangar. “Neo Solaris doesn’t stand a chance.”