Resonance of the Stars: Bleak Horizon

Lucas smirked, he was practically begging to give up what they wanted now, a bit further and he would be voluntarily screaming out the information.

"Seriously, you hungry? I haven't had anything since we landed."

This man was vicious, cruel, a pig. He had insulted Lucas' friends, he threw his own men away in the field of battle to serve a tyrant in the name of pride.

Lucas was going to make sure that pride was his undoing.

"I'm ravenous, that sounds like a great idea." Michiko played along. Gris started to sweat "Eat like the pigs you are, it makes no matter to me!" he snarled. Though apparently it did matter, quite a bit in fact. The beaten and nearly broken man tried to bait his captors further by attempting a feeble kick in their direction. The poor fellow did little more than rattle his chains. It was a laughable folly, so that's just what Michiko did.

Her laughter echoed through the room and was especially loud in Colonel Gris's ears. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" he shrieked like a child. Unfortunately that did nothing to quell her laughter. It would only take a gently breeze to push him over the edge now, Michiko had no doubt that Lucas would be an even more effective version of that gentle breeze.

Lucas shook his head with little more than a stifled chuckle.

"This is pathetic, let's just go, there's honestly no point to us even being here."

He quietly stood up and looked to the door, a dark glower hiding in the shadows of his bangs.

"I mean, what're we even wasting our time here for? I'm sure our own surveillance could turn up much more useful material than this...thing...ever could, he couldn't even last five seconds against me."

Laying insult after insult into the conversation would normally be a bit heavy handed, even for this type of interrogation, but Lucas could see that this man was not bright, and would easily fall for simple reverse psychology techniques.

"As if this toad was given any viable information anyway."

He kindly offered Michiko his arm, a gentlemanly gesture which he was certain would tip the man beyond the point of madness, coupled with blatant insults to his authority and level of competence. With any luck, this would be wrapped up in seconds.

"Your surveillance is nothing, your world is nothing, your nothing is nothing..." the whispered babble was deeply disturbing. The man had fallen so far there was no way to scale the jagged chasm he'd thrown his life into. "just like mine..." An almost inaudible beeping started. Michiko noticed, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

Gris looked up, the look in his eyes was one of pain and remorse. "I was promised so much...but all I've ever received is shame." Just like everything else that made up this man, his spirit was weak. It took a lot less to break him than Michiko thought it would. She raised an eyebrow.

"He awaits you in Das Herz Novaria...the capital." Gris admitted after a long silence. "We could have assumed as much." Michiko spat. "I suppose so, but could you have assumed that he plans to awaken the..." Just then the beeping got louder, Michiko was sure Lucas could hear it now too. "What IS that?" She questioned no one in particular. Gris looked up, revealing a sad smirk. "That my dear, is your cue to leave."

She looked briefly at Lucas, wondering if he knew what this man could be talking about. Then the realization hit. Her eyes widened "It's A FAILSAFE EVERYONE OUT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. In a few very short seconds the room was going to get very messy.

The realization was all to clear to him. This man was a tyrant, he wasn't going to be foolish enough to not have a backup plan. In olden times cyanide capsules were used, it was no surprise that captured operatives had suicide contingencies. What mattered was, he and Michiko NEEDED to get out.

Fortunately for him, Michiko was already ahead of the game. Before he could even finish uttering the order to move, she'd grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door, while he grabbed the handle and allowed the momentum to pull it shut behind him.

"Lock it down and clear the area! NOW!" He ordered as he felt himself get pulled further away from the room.

The door closed not a moment to soon. The shock waves from the explosion assaulted their senses and blew the heavy heavy door off it's hinges. The world became an undecipherable reality to Michiko and Lucas. They were deafened, blinded and thrust forward violently by the blast. Shrapnel scattered in all directions, but by some miracle Michi and Lucas remained unscathed.

The explosion could be heard and felt through every corner of the base. The two interrogators needed a minute or two to recover from the jolt, in the back of Michiko's jarred and confused mind she wondered how the rest of the base had fared.

Kyuba awoke with a start, clutching a knife in his hands raised up for defense. "We are under attack!" He jumped out of his bed grabbed his scythe and stepped out of his tent, timing his exit perfectly with his helmet falling in place resting upon his shoulders. "WHO THE HELL....IS BLOWING UP MY CAMP...AND THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO BETTER...."

Lucas quickly got to his feet. This was the first sign of what was to come, death and destruction in the line of war. There were no lines that the enemy would not cross, and thus, he had to be prepared to cross them as well. Such was the way of war, the way of battle.

Give no quarter, lest it be taken from you in turn.

"Get the security teams in there! I don't care if you have to get it with a damn toothpick, if there is ANYTHING to be found in there that can give us an edge, I want it! When it's done, hose it down and get everything cleared up. Someone get me eyes in the sky, I want to see just what we're up against out there, give me a village, a town, a damn hut! Anything in the area so we can expand!"

He stretched out a helping arm to pull Michi off the ground, ready to retake focus and structure in the camp. It was war, and it was time to bring that realization to the opposition. One platoon had already been defeated, but that would hardly spell the end. It was time to expand, and it was time to begin the construction of a full-fledged rebellion.

Michiko grabbed Lucas's hand. As she rose strange words flashed through her mind. "On our darkest day even our star will grow dim." She placed her index finger on her chin, completely absorbed in thought. The explosion shocked some kind of memory to the surface, but what was it?

She snapped her fingers loudly when it came to her. "Lucas..." she interrupted. "I think I may know a good place to start. If we can take it, it will be an excellent base of operations."

"Go on, where is it?"

Time was of the essence, and war had begun. This was Michiko's world, and she would know it best out of all of them. He was ready to listen to whatever she had to say.

"Someone get the cleanup crew in there already! Get me intel and clean that room NOW!"

"It's called Aduro Mesto. It's the city of purity. It's where our Sanctuary was built. It won't be easy, but I'm certain that if we can take it my people will gain confidence in us and our cause." Michiko's face was alight with hope, but then she remembered who they were working with. "There's only one thing... The cultists are not going to be allowed in the Sanctuary... Not even Kyuba. It's actually unheard of to bring them into the city in the first place... Do you think Kyuba will understand?"

Lucas sighed, this was a complication. Kyuba was one of his strongest, his right hand, his enforcer. If he could not have him by his side, he may end up facing problems.

"I don't know, but he'll have to manage. If he can't be with us in the city, he can be working something else, the perimeter, setting up security measures to keep the city safe. Whatever we can't do while we're in there, he can do instead. But we need to get moving and we need to start making headway. It's time to make the enemy realize just what we are."

Kyuba had regained his cold composure by the time he had reached Michi and Lucas. He felt by the looks they gave him that he was about to receive some unpleasant news. "Well," he said with a snarl, "What is it...I can see the apprehension painted upon both your faces..."

Once more, he sighed. He did not intend for apprehension to make its way into his expressions, honesty was always the best policy when dealing with Kyuba.

"We have a lead, but you and the troops will be unable to enter the city. Michiko, Zach and I will have to handle this alone. I want you and a platoon setting up a perimeter around the city once we get there, I need someone to be my eyes and make sure nobody's going to sneak in under my nose and make the situation more complicated. You may not be allowed in, but there's no rules about outside of the city."

Blunt. Honest. Efficient. The traits of a military commander. The traits Kyuba was trained to respect. If there was any way to handle a situation where Kyuba would be forced to remain uninvolved, Lucas knew this would be it.

Kyuba looked Lucas dead in the eyes not giving an inch and gaining none in return. "Even the lowest ranking of my men can hold the perimeter of a city...but if the full force of the enemy comes after you...we may not have the ability to maneuver as we please...so I propose a dual front." He walked over to a nearby table and cleared the useless junk on it with a swipe. Pulling a map out he pinned the four corners to the table. "I'm guessing this[/i is the city in question...", he said marking one of the cities on the map. Take a large amount of our troops and surround the city...but give me a single Helraid Squadron of my choosing and we will take the fight [i]here." He pointed to another city far from the so called Sanctuary. "My men have reported there is MAJOR activity here...possibly a base of operations...but supply lines are seen running through this city THEN out to other directions."

He smiled a wicked smile, "Lucas...let me make a mess here...it will pull the reinforcements AWAY from you...allowing even the blundering idiot and his overgrown mutt to get in and out with ease..."

Lucas smirked. It was situations like these which put his mind at ease, knowing his second was a master tactician in regard to the art of war, it gave him a grand edge.

"Alright, you have my full support. Take whatever you need, get the troops ready, and prepare some volunteers. It is time that Noir saw just how dangerous we can truly be. If this works, we will have taken two fronts at once, and provided a major headache for the enemy." Looking around and preparing, he fixed his glasses and began to pace some more.

"Give me a couple of hours to prepare, set up the squads, I want to run some scans and make sure everything is in place. Check in with your resonarks, make sure everything is squared away, and get back to me on the double. Michiko? Anything we need to know and prepare for? WHERE IS THAT CLEANUP CREW?!"

Michiko searched her mind for anything else she could remember about the Sanctuary. "It's a fairly average place of sanctity, I'm not sure what your customs were on Eden 13, but here this sort of thing is taken very seriously. A lot of our history is kept there. It's vital to the morale of my people. I know if it's liberated we will have a much easier time finding new recruits for the rebellion."

She sighed and turned to face Kyuba."I just want to make clear that my personal feelings and preferences are in no way associated with your exclusion. I'm certain your plan will assure our victory." Michiko had never been fond of Kyuba's religious convictions, but they'd been through so much as a crew that she'd grown to respect him for who he was.

"Oh and Lucas, I almost forgot, there are a large number of interconnected sewer systems that run through the city. I know they are sure to be guarded, but honestly...they are so repulsive that I'm certain they are not going to be guarded well." The thought of traipsing through the most disgusting filth her planet had to offer was a far from appealing thought, but then again they were already doing that metaphorically.

Lucas grinned. Underground passages meant easier access, and above all else, the element of surprise.

"They see us as rats anyway, time to start working like them..." The time had come. To begin war, and to liberate the land, one city at a time, guerrilla tactics would need to be prepared. Noir was a tyrant, and it was time to strike fear into the heart of the beast with inspiration and awe.

"Kyuba, gather some of your finest men. Take as many troops as you need for your assault. Prepare yourselves, have a hearty meal, make sure you are ready to face the trials ahead. Once you and your men are ready, bring them to me in the war room for a full briefing. We want this done, we have to do it RIGHT. Your men won't be allowed in the city, which means we will be on our own, so any advantage you can give us could very well save our lives."

He straightened his back, posture rising and standing tall, adjusting his glasses with a proud grin.

"This is it people. It's time to start fighting back."

He was nervous. He couldn't deny it even if he tried. This was an assignment he was not anticipating handing out. His team functioned best as a cohesive unit. They were his squad, his force. But to make this work, they would have to be divided. Many against one. Odds against them all. They were the underdog, and they knew it, by all reason there should be no chance for them to survive. But, that was what gave them their greatest strength. The odds were always against them, they were always on the losing side. People underestimated their might. It was what allowed them to survive betrayal. It was what allowed them to continue their fight, their war. As hard as it was, this was how it had to be, whether he liked it or not. He was going into battle without his full team, and he knew it, leading a strike force of two to three against an entire stronghold. He was afraid, but that didn't mean he wasn't ready to fight.

Kyuba noted Michi's words with a nod and attentively listened to him...His eyes narrowed more as Lucas neared the end of his speech...he could nearly smell the fear emanating from the young leader...but this fear was different, it was not a desperate fear, it was the fear the sent electricity down ones spine...the fear that fueled men of war...a fear that prepared the mind and the soul. Lucas had come a long way since they had first served together and he felt something he rarely ever felt...respect.

Easy Kyuba don't you dare get soft... He bowed low in an almost mocking fashion and moved to push past Lucas but stopped and did something that shocked even himself. He put a firm hand on his leader's shoulder and looked him right in the eyes. His own eyes betraying emotions Kyuba never let himself feel. "Don't you dare die...", he began and then the typical sneer found its way upon his face and he removed his hand as quickly as he had placed it adding, "I am NOT going to babysit Zero just because you went and found the favor of Shiira..."

Michiko raised an eyebrow and fought very hard to stifle a giggle. It was a very serious atmosphere, but somehow the dynamic in the room was comforting. She remembered a time when Kyuba scared the living starlights out of her and Lucas was fighting to find his stride as leader. Now here they all were, a team, and a good one at that. Her planet lay almost in ruin, but she was finding it much easier to have hope now that things were falling into place.

She wanted to let them have their moment of man-motions, she really did, but optimism does crazy things to a person. Michiko had no choice but to solemnly approach both of them and do something entirely out of character. Without any indication of any kind she threw her arms around them, sandwiching them together in a surprisingly strong hug. Her arms were ice cold, but her sentiment was warm. "On behalf of my people, I thank you." She whispered softly before immediately releasing them.

As she walked out of the room she left them with "Don't worry boys, none of our emotional outbursts will leave this room. None of this ever happened. Please excuse me, I have some medical supplies to prepare."

Lucas blinked, completely caught off guard by Michiko's actions, and Kyuba's as well. His team was growing closer, almost overnight, and he wasn't sure if he should have been surprised or simply accept the good. This was no time to be caught up in one's own mind, it was a time to prepare.

Smiling, he watched Michiko leave with a nod, silent acknowledgement of her words and their value, and then once more to Kyuba in response to his.

"Get moving guys, we've got a long day ahead of us. Make sure you're ready before we get moving, we've only got one chance at this, and we've got to do it right."

Walking to leave the room, looking back and seeing the cleanup teams begin their work to salvage the ruins of their interrogation room, he sighed and turned back to the rest of the campsite.

"I'll be in the war room, I need to go check in with Mirik and see what we've got so far. Anyone needs me, they know where to find me."

He stepped out into the daylight, passing troops left and right without any sense of acknowledgement for their presence or existence. Something had changed. He knew it, he saw it. This was a new dawn for the Coalition, and if there was to be any chance of survival, he would have to embrace it, and ride the waves to victory. Now was the time for preparation, he would make his rounds, contact the children for the first time that day, and go over the layout of this ravaged land, decipher what Mirik had uncovered, form a plan. Because in times of adversity and uncertainty, the only step to take is forward.

The only course of action is go.

Taken by surprise at the sudden intimacy of the actions of Michiko, Kyuba felt all emotion drain from him except a cold rage that seemed to emanate from his heart and crawl through his veins with every heart beat. Taking a deep breath he allowed the frosty aggression to pervade his very being until it became all that he could feel. This was the real Kyuba, a cold blooded psychopathic priest, hand of the Icy Goddess of Death Herself!

Kyuba slowly walked away from the scene with a determined if not poised stride. The air grew cold as he approached and in his wake the air grew thick and a strange solemness permeated the very ground he strode upon as if consecrated by the unholy man. He found his was towards the security tent and vaguely noted the presence of Zero.

"Chief of Security....put the word out. I am activating the Hellion Contingency." Kyuba felt a glee he had not felt of late at the reaction of the officer as the words sunk in. His eyes grew wide and Kyuba could sense the fear reaching into the man's mind as he heard the words very seldom uttered by anyone. These were more than words, they were a death sentence for those unlucky enough to bear the mark.

Kyuba waited only a second before he grabbed the officer by the neck and slammed him on the nearby table. He ripped the mans shirt showing his bare chest wll tale which bore the tell tale mark of a pair of scythes held by a lich in priests robes. "As I thought....Poor little man..., "Kyuba whispered as he leaned in close just inches from the mans face, "Are you scared? Do you not wish to die?" The man nodded eyes full of fear and tears. Kyuba picked the man up and slammed him on the table again. Two men moved and grabbed the officers arms as two more grabbed his legs holding him firm, their faces emotionless stone masks.

"I will show you fear...those who refuse the Hellion's call...refuse the kiss of he Goddess...DIE" The officer screamed as Kyuba removed a small wickedly sharp sickle from his belt. He made a long slash across the man's stomach causing the man to squirm and writhe as blood poured out. Setting his sickle aside Kyuba reached into the incision and started to slowly pull out the man's entrails.

His eyes were filled with an unholy glee as he cut up the man's chest and did the same thing with his lungs and eventually his heart. The man's last vision was of his own heart as it was slowly crushed in Kyuba's gloved hand. Turning to one i of the men he spat on the corpse. "Chief Security Officer Golk, make sure this...mess...if displayed where everyone can see it. Let them know what it means to refuse the Goddess...AND FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THAT IS DEATH GET ME MY HELLIONS AND GET ME THEM NOW!"

Zach had jumped to battle awareness level at the appearance of Kyuba the coldness emanating from the man, slightly a nerving. The sudden slaying of the other priest was quick and to the point.

'Well that was anticlimactic. Hmm i guess there's enough blood hmm?' Zero mused. Zach rolled his eyes. He turned and saw Golk's face split in it's own manic glee and rush off to follow orders. Zach turned back to Kyuba and took a deep breath.

"So was his death necessary or just for fun?" Zach massaged his forehead with one hand. "Never mind don't answer that. So two questions. Are there new orders and what exactly, if it's not an a occult secret, is the Hellion contingency?"

Michiko busied herself with preparations, but once everything was ready the only thing left to do was wait. Finding a quiet corner was no easy task. The entire base was swarming with nervous cultists. Their energy had definitely changed. She couldn't imagine why, after all, they were going out to attend to the will of their deity. She thought they lived (and died) for that sort of thing. She decided to ignore it, they were Kyuba's problem after all.

Unable to find any place that was reasonably comfortable she picked a less frequented spot and sat on the ground. She allowed her eyes to flutter shut. It was always a good idea to get extra rest before a battle. What Michiko got was more of a meditative state than a nap. Haunting images flashed through her minds eye. Things they'd seen, things they very well may see soon, all took turns displaying themselves. It was disturbing, but somehow she found herself desensitized to them. She didn't feel connected to them at all, almost like she was just a spectator.

Now she saw the interrogation room escape. She remembered the feeling of complete disorientation.."On our darkest day even our star will grow dim." That was the phrase that came to her in that moment of chaos. She knew it was something important, she just couldn't recall what it was or where it was from. "Ugh!" she grunted in frustration, involuntarily interrupting her state of mind.

When she tried to get back to her place of objectivity she fell asleep. The haunting images came back, but this time she felt very connected to them. They were just as vividly traumatizing as the moment they'd happened. Stuck in her nightmares, Michiko could only hope something would wake her up soon.

Kyuba's temper was not to be tried today, let alone by a "Lesser" being. Quicker than lightning Kyuba's scythe came up under Zero's neck positioned perfectly for the kill. "NEVER....question me in my own camp..." Kyuba calmed and lowered his weapon adding, "The sentence is normally death...but I will spare you this once for believe it or not you have earned a small amount of...respect." The last word hissed out like poison spit by a viper. "Find Lucas and pester him for your orders...but first..." Kyuba smiled showing teeth, "You asked about the Hellion Contingency...Well it is very simple....."



"HE DID WHAT?", the fury in Agnes's voice alone was enough to bring the courier to his knees, but her long sword aided his head in the same regard. "Remove this..FILTH...from my presence." The new head of the council paced the holy chamber with frustration, bursts of blue and gold fire shooting out from under her robes at each furious outburst.

She was collected but far from calm as the other council members headed her summons, meeting her in the holiest of holy rooms upon the ship, one all entered once...but few ever entered twice...and some who never left. Agnes stood in front of a Colossal monument to the goddess. A naked human female with eyes of crimson. At her feet lay a gateway twice as tall as Agnes and filled with a blue flame much like that of the Corpse Pyre Kyuba wore in his hair during his unholy sermon.

"Welcome esteemed members of the council...I trust you all know why I have called you to this chamber..." A small voice piqued up from the council, the newest member, a small shady female with a mousy voice spoke up. "As..I am new I have not had the pleasure of being informed of such secrets." Agnes closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she was already growing to hate this new and more than likely temporary member of the council, but urgent matters were at hand and that called for poise if not patience.

"Well...regardless of Sister Teintra's rude interruption," she made sure to enunciate the title to make the insolent brat fully aware that she was by no means an equal...she had not yet earned the title MOTHER, "It has happened...Kyuba Genrei has called and activated the Hellion Contingency." She was not surprised in the slightest as many of the council forgot their decorum at the mention of the news. Even Teintra knew the danger of the word...if not the full implication. "Do you know what this means?" one of the more senior members cried out in panic.

"OF COURSE WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IMBECILE!" Anges erupted in both flames and anger. "The question is...what are we going to do about it? First I believe our newest member needs an introduction into why this mess is so....messy" Agnes and the council walked over to a large pool in the center of the room and stood around it staring into its black depths. The water rippled and gave way to a vision. It was the very chamber they were standing in now but everyone on the council looked much younger.


A young 15 year old Kyuba had just finished his basic training and he and his class of 100 would face a test unknown to them...and then they would be fully initiated into the fold. He looked around eagerly and hungrily as they lead the cadets into the chamber. Immediately Kyuba's attention was drawn to the unholy monument. For the first time he stared upon the visage of the Goddess in more than just dreams and imagination. The sound around him became a rush of wind as he felt his own heart beat within his chest. Little known to him there were screams as the cadets were being disrobed and led one by one, forcibly in some cases, into the fiery gate.

Most would come out the other side unharmed and shaken, some would come crispy and soulless, a ghoul for the church's manual labor, but others some crying some grim and none happy, came out with a mark of a Lich somewhere on their body. Referred to as being kissed by the goddess, this mark meant they were destined and bound to answer the Hellion's Call, an ancient and powerful group of soldiers hand picked by the Goddess herself. When called upon these poor unfortunate souls were forced to answer or die, disobeying any order from the Commander of the Hellion Brigade meant immediate death.

Existing as a failsafe against Council corruption, those under the call obey only the Commander because the Commander represents the will of the Goddess. This very simple fact is grilled into each and every recruit's brain long before they graduate.

Kyuba, not hearing any of this nor caring walked out of line and shuffled towards the statue in a trance. He ignored the cries for him to cease and even disabled several armed guards who moved in to stop him. His breathing grew more intense and a chaotic laugh poured from his mouth attached to a face of wild features. His natural black hair flew free of it's ties as he jumped head first into the flames fully clothed.

A sound that was a mix of a man screaming, a woman laughing, and a baby crying rang throughout the chamber. The portal exploded in flame , baking any near enough. As the smoke cleared all that could be seen was a naked smiling and panting Kyuba on the other side. His hair transformed into the white/silver he carries to this very day. His chest adorned with a Lich wearing a crown. The symbol of the Hellion Commander...a sign he was truly chosen by the Goddess.


The water faded and calmed as the vision ceased. The council member's were silent, most of which were reliving a terrible day which they had longed to forget. "I trust you all understand what this means..." Agnes whispered just as pained as the rest of them but not pained enough to notice how frail the newest council member was. "Sister Teintra...are you alright?"

The young priestess strained herself out and the color returned to her cheeks. "Yes...thank you Mother Agnes...I am fine. I do not think for even a minute that my...connections...keep me safe here.." Agnes smiled, good the girl knew her place. Now back to the one who didn't. "So...Kyuba has obviously activated the Hellion Contingency...he is also the only person in history to EVER willingly plunge themselves into the fire of the Goddess. This makes him dangerous...even if he isn't planning to use the hellion brigade to take us down...he could gather the full strength of his army...beyond what he has under his command now and turn on us."

Teintra spoke up knowing there would be some retribution but Shiira be damned she was a member of this council and her voice would be heard. "The Hellion Brigade doesn't even take up ten percent of our numbers...why is this a threat." One of the other council members, a tall gangely fellow sniped in before Agnes could. "Because...stupid girl.....the leader is Kyuba Genrei...if anyone could overthrow us..it is him...and let us not forget he is backed by his squad of incessant pains in our asses."

"ENOUGH!....We will move forward as planned...it is not yet time to make any move, but be warned...Kyuba Genrei thrives on fear blood violence and death...he is the ultimate tool of the Goddess but that does NOT mean we cannot gain glory of our own. You are all dismissed be ready for when I call you again."


"And that...is the Hellion Contingency....Now if you will excuse me...I have preparations to make" Kyuba walked off leaving Zero alone to digest the information.