Razordon
pyro-dragon
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Got another short story here
There was a great hubbub around the return of the Star Canoe fleet. Many were eager to learn of the results of the expedition, of news on the whereabouts of the Slann. And a great amount of speculation; they hand brought back the Slann, the Slann was dead, the fleet had been attacked. That was for the chittering of the Skinks to worry themselves about. Xi-Boc was interested in the facts from an operational and security perspective.
He paced back and forth in the Saurus Temple Guard barracks, occasionally pausing to pick at some corrosion on his wristbands, gifted to him after leading a suicidal charge against the cursed ratmen some century or so before. he'd been the only one to return too, after having been excavated from the mounds of bodies.
A Skink messenger eventually turned up with grave news. The squad of Temple Guard sent into the stars had not returned. There was, however one warrior did return and was waiting down in the regular barracks.
Ka'rah stood to attention, laser rifle by her side, cold slit eyes staring straight ahead. Dozens of other Saurus were busy preparing themselves for duty around her. When Xi-Boc entered, they stopped and turned standing themselves at attention in his presence. He walked directly up to Ka'rah.
"Are you the one from the fleet?"
"Yes"
"Only survivor?"
"Negative sir, there were twenty saurus aboard. Seventeen have returned"
"But you were the only one to survive the boarding action?"
"Affirmative."
They stood for a short while, staring.
"You are one of the New Brood, yes?" The question was of a rhetorical nature. The bright orange dorsal scales were an unmistakable mark of those spawned on this new world.
"Affirmative. Second spawning."
The question was more of an accusation. The old warrior was mistrustful of the new spawnings. The orange dorsal spikes indicated clearly that this saurus was not one of those who had come with the temple-ship fleet from the World That Was.
"Come with me, I want a full report on the actions of the boarding party"
Xi-Boc turned abruptly and stalked away. Ka'rah breathed a sigh of relief and followed him.
He lead her into his private meditation chamber and let out a guttural rumble. A slender Skink entered moments later with a data pad and stool.
"This is Aktaka, my scribe. He will note what we discuss for later consideration." the old Saurus explained before turning to face Ka'rah. "Now, tell me of the operation, how you came to be involved and what happened to the Starseer's retinue."
Ka'rah stared into the cold, yellow glare. She nervously flicker her tongue. "I am unsure why I was selected. It appeared to have been an unplanned decision to include me. I was called up just before the mission commenced. There is a great suspicion over my generation. We have not yet been tested in battle. I suspect it was a sense of curiosity that informed the Starseer's decision."
The Old-Blood simply grunted. Ka'rah continued, "He had access to a greater number of warriors aboard the fleet but, from the briefing he gave, he did not expect enemies, let alone enemies in the number we encountered. Even will all of those on board we would not have enough for the resistance we encountered. While I understand a Starseer has great powers of divination, those powers were largely based on the ability to tap into a geomantic web. We do not have access to that here."
She was looking for any kind of reaction in the Old Blood. His adjutant was scribbling rapidly on his tablet. She plunged on, "The first five levels were clear as we ventured further, following the signal and the Starseer's instincts. Greenskins were encountered on the 6th level behind locked door that had to be broken through. We were unable to ascertain the numbers, position or strength of the enemy and so they were able to setup and ambush. Correct weapon choice was hard to make in the instance due to enemy use of ranged weapons but at close quarters. Sticking with close combat weapons helped for repelling the initial ambush but showed severe weakness when ranges rapidly changed. Mixed range combat with- "
"Enough! You talk too much soft-scale. Your kind always do. Twittering on like Skinks." Xi-Boc roared.
His words echoed away leaving just the sound of burning torches. The Old-Blood pointed at two bullet wounds on her battle-scarred hide. Blood still oozing from one of them.
"Is this how they went down? Their decades of war experience now obsolete?"
"One did. But not before taking down many foes. The fighting was in tight confines, in the bowels of the temple-ship. The other two went down fighting hoards of greenskins, hand-to-hand. The battle was lost from the outset, there were just too many. "
Xi-Boc considered this for a moment. He then reached out for Ka'rah's weapon, picking it up and turning the laser rifle over a few times, running a claw along the serrated blade at the end.
"And this is what saved you?"
She lashed her tail back and forth in frustration. He still seemed to be admonishing her for the crime of being young. She kept her voice calm and level out of deference though.
"As I have previously stated, the fighting took place in close confines for the most part. I perhaps killed as many with my blade as I shot. "
After turning the weapon over one more time, he handed it back.
"Five of your charges were killed, along with the rest of your squad. You did not meet your primary objective and were forced into a fighting retreat. You failed your mission." He spat out.
The room echoed into silence again.
"But you fought well and killed many enemies, and remained alive. You can wear your battle scars with pride. Now leave. I have much to contemplate."
The grizzled old Saurus turned and walked towards an alter at the far end of the room. Ka'rah stood for a moment, stunned at the sudden change in sentiment. Aktaka tapped her on the shoulder and lead her out of the room.
After closing the doors Aktaka turned to Ka'rah who was still standing in a state of confusion in the corridor, "He is extremely uncertain about what the future holds for him and his generation. Stubbornness and prowess with club and spear have always been his greatest strengths, and it has been for those that came before him for thousands of years. Now, things have changed. The old certainties have vanished and he still mourns for the old world and those who were lost in its destruction."
"He's still mourning after twenty years?"
"Well he has lived a long life, over eight centuries, and such a passing of time is such a small part of it"
He tapped at a few things on his tablet before looking up.
"Don't you also feel it? I've heard that the New Brood have feelings of loss too."
"For a place we have never know. Yes, its sometimes there at the back of my mind. I've seen it too. Or thought I've seen it. In dreams…"
"It's something to contemplate on, certainly. Now, I am sure we both have duties to attend to."
The Skink tapped a few buttons on his tablet before disappearing down another corridor.
Ka'rah pulled her own tablet out from its holster on her belt and looked at it, swiping a few times. The scheduled duties had been changed and she was now expected to be in the jungle somewhere north east of the city. A good forty-two run. But first, she needed to bathe and eat. There had been no time to rest since disembarking from the Star Canoe.
He paced back and forth in the Saurus Temple Guard barracks, occasionally pausing to pick at some corrosion on his wristbands, gifted to him after leading a suicidal charge against the cursed ratmen some century or so before. he'd been the only one to return too, after having been excavated from the mounds of bodies.
A Skink messenger eventually turned up with grave news. The squad of Temple Guard sent into the stars had not returned. There was, however one warrior did return and was waiting down in the regular barracks.
Ka'rah stood to attention, laser rifle by her side, cold slit eyes staring straight ahead. Dozens of other Saurus were busy preparing themselves for duty around her. When Xi-Boc entered, they stopped and turned standing themselves at attention in his presence. He walked directly up to Ka'rah.
"Are you the one from the fleet?"
"Yes"
"Only survivor?"
"Negative sir, there were twenty saurus aboard. Seventeen have returned"
"But you were the only one to survive the boarding action?"
"Affirmative."
They stood for a short while, staring.
"You are one of the New Brood, yes?" The question was of a rhetorical nature. The bright orange dorsal scales were an unmistakable mark of those spawned on this new world.
"Affirmative. Second spawning."
The question was more of an accusation. The old warrior was mistrustful of the new spawnings. The orange dorsal spikes indicated clearly that this saurus was not one of those who had come with the temple-ship fleet from the World That Was.
"Come with me, I want a full report on the actions of the boarding party"
Xi-Boc turned abruptly and stalked away. Ka'rah breathed a sigh of relief and followed him.
He lead her into his private meditation chamber and let out a guttural rumble. A slender Skink entered moments later with a data pad and stool.
"This is Aktaka, my scribe. He will note what we discuss for later consideration." the old Saurus explained before turning to face Ka'rah. "Now, tell me of the operation, how you came to be involved and what happened to the Starseer's retinue."
Ka'rah stared into the cold, yellow glare. She nervously flicker her tongue. "I am unsure why I was selected. It appeared to have been an unplanned decision to include me. I was called up just before the mission commenced. There is a great suspicion over my generation. We have not yet been tested in battle. I suspect it was a sense of curiosity that informed the Starseer's decision."
The Old-Blood simply grunted. Ka'rah continued, "He had access to a greater number of warriors aboard the fleet but, from the briefing he gave, he did not expect enemies, let alone enemies in the number we encountered. Even will all of those on board we would not have enough for the resistance we encountered. While I understand a Starseer has great powers of divination, those powers were largely based on the ability to tap into a geomantic web. We do not have access to that here."
She was looking for any kind of reaction in the Old Blood. His adjutant was scribbling rapidly on his tablet. She plunged on, "The first five levels were clear as we ventured further, following the signal and the Starseer's instincts. Greenskins were encountered on the 6th level behind locked door that had to be broken through. We were unable to ascertain the numbers, position or strength of the enemy and so they were able to setup and ambush. Correct weapon choice was hard to make in the instance due to enemy use of ranged weapons but at close quarters. Sticking with close combat weapons helped for repelling the initial ambush but showed severe weakness when ranges rapidly changed. Mixed range combat with- "
"Enough! You talk too much soft-scale. Your kind always do. Twittering on like Skinks." Xi-Boc roared.
His words echoed away leaving just the sound of burning torches. The Old-Blood pointed at two bullet wounds on her battle-scarred hide. Blood still oozing from one of them.
"Is this how they went down? Their decades of war experience now obsolete?"
"One did. But not before taking down many foes. The fighting was in tight confines, in the bowels of the temple-ship. The other two went down fighting hoards of greenskins, hand-to-hand. The battle was lost from the outset, there were just too many. "
Xi-Boc considered this for a moment. He then reached out for Ka'rah's weapon, picking it up and turning the laser rifle over a few times, running a claw along the serrated blade at the end.
"And this is what saved you?"
She lashed her tail back and forth in frustration. He still seemed to be admonishing her for the crime of being young. She kept her voice calm and level out of deference though.
"As I have previously stated, the fighting took place in close confines for the most part. I perhaps killed as many with my blade as I shot. "
After turning the weapon over one more time, he handed it back.
"Five of your charges were killed, along with the rest of your squad. You did not meet your primary objective and were forced into a fighting retreat. You failed your mission." He spat out.
The room echoed into silence again.
"But you fought well and killed many enemies, and remained alive. You can wear your battle scars with pride. Now leave. I have much to contemplate."
The grizzled old Saurus turned and walked towards an alter at the far end of the room. Ka'rah stood for a moment, stunned at the sudden change in sentiment. Aktaka tapped her on the shoulder and lead her out of the room.
After closing the doors Aktaka turned to Ka'rah who was still standing in a state of confusion in the corridor, "He is extremely uncertain about what the future holds for him and his generation. Stubbornness and prowess with club and spear have always been his greatest strengths, and it has been for those that came before him for thousands of years. Now, things have changed. The old certainties have vanished and he still mourns for the old world and those who were lost in its destruction."
"He's still mourning after twenty years?"
"Well he has lived a long life, over eight centuries, and such a passing of time is such a small part of it"
He tapped at a few things on his tablet before looking up.
"Don't you also feel it? I've heard that the New Brood have feelings of loss too."
"For a place we have never know. Yes, its sometimes there at the back of my mind. I've seen it too. Or thought I've seen it. In dreams…"
"It's something to contemplate on, certainly. Now, I am sure we both have duties to attend to."
The Skink tapped a few buttons on his tablet before disappearing down another corridor.
Ka'rah pulled her own tablet out from its holster on her belt and looked at it, swiping a few times. The scheduled duties had been changed and she was now expected to be in the jungle somewhere north east of the city. A good forty-two run. But first, she needed to bathe and eat. There had been no time to rest since disembarking from the Star Canoe.
