Act One | Chapter Four | Episode Seventeen: Brief Reprieve

“Prepare Valeviynellin to accept the K-8,” Voiyn refused to betray his injury.

“Docking bay opened Valegbosh,” OhkBD’s voice came through the comm.

NaN eased the sleek black vessel into the gaping bay doors. Voiyn hovered, wounded, behind him as he landed the prized ship. As the landing gears touched down NaN leapt from his seat to take Voiyn to the much more suitable examination compartment.

Voiyn stopped him, engaging the same communication panel, “OhkBD, Vahl. They will be on us soon. Transfer all power to our defenses.”

“Understood,” OhkBD replied, than Voiyn allowed NaN to help him limp off of the docking ramp.

Voiyn was heavy to move. NaN was dragging him through the empty hangar bay when the thought occurred to him, “How is JOS?”

“He’s stable. He suffered some bruising, and broken cartilage,” Voiyn said. “We’ll see him in the examination compartment.”

Together they limped their way through Valeviynellin eventually making it to the compartment. The door slid open rousing JOS from his sleep whom stared in a confused dazed at the image of the great reptile being helped onto the long table. Purple fluids leaked from the hole in the lizard’s golden omnisuit. NaN found himself confused about what to do for his savior after getting him to the room. He began looking through the storage for anything for biorepair. Piling all the objects of his finding upon a service tray.

Unloading close to the entirety of the room that he could fit he rushed back over to the prostrated Voiyn.

“Wha.. going on?” JOS grumbled.

NaN shushed him, and waved to tell him to ignore them. NaN looked at Voiyn sympathetically, eyebrows scrunched in concern. “What do I use?” his voice was struggling to fight his building anxiety.

Voiyn forced himself onto his arm to see better. NaN watched, trying to guess what he was looking for despite his complete lack of experience. Voiyn glared at something, NaN started touching things within the radius of his vision. Voiyn grunted his disapproval until NaN finally touched what he wanted. Pulling the tool out, it was reminiscent of some medieval torture device. Some congealed substance was frozen out of the nozzle, and there was a trigger on its hand grip.

“Stick it in. Then squeeze,” Voiyn said, in pain.

NaN did as he was told, the thin device went into the hole with ease. Then violently expanded causing Voiyn to groan. At the squeeze of the trigger NaN felt some resistance as the device was backed out of the bloody hole. There was a viscous milky substance left behind. Already he could see the synthetic material bonding to the surrounding flesh.

“Woah… that’s insane,” JOS slurred in NaN’s ear.

NaN didn’t allow himself to scare. “Are you gonna live?” he asked. Then added, “Or am I going to have to care for you ’til you become geriatric?”

“I’m okay, I feel like I’ve been smashed in a compactor,” JOS didn’t seem to comprehend the other question. “More importantly, what’s wrong with him?” he asked.

“He received a…”

The door slid open revealing two concerned alien faces. They pushed through into the compartment together. “What’s wrong?” “What happened?” “Is it going to be lethal?” “Voiyn do I need to beat this little thing?” “What’re we gonna do when they arrive?” “Fight, what else?” “How’re we going to fight them against without Voiyn?” “Same way as always you ovelie.” “But…”

“Silence your foundling wining,” Voiyn snarled.

The whole compartment became instantly quiet at the sound of the Valegbosh’s voice. “Valh take NaN to the guns. OhkBD keep the ship functioning. Keep all of our defense batteries on maximum. JOS get back on the exam table.”

Hearing this was enough to rouse the Pack to action. Instantly Valh grunted toward NaN then walked away into the belly of Valeviynellin. NaN was quick to be on his heels not wanting to be left behind. He overheard OhkBD fussing over a disinterested Voiyn as the door slid behind him.

Valh was half a corridor away, NaN kept pace. He’d been on the weapons deck before, however had never had the opportunity to fire the Graelos, rapid firing six-barreled legiteon guns with a projectile the size of his hand. Any successful shot would be devastating for any erstwhile ship on the receiving end. Adrenaline made his heart race as he winded into the gun deck just behind the hulking Vahl.

“We don’t have time to go over the specifics. Get in that seat,” Valh pointed to the leftmost seat. NaN obliged. “The left sick, pull to reload. Right stick, rotate to aim, pull out to fire. The harder you pull the faster it shoots. Do not pull it all the way out, you will eventually burn the barrels.”

NaN sat in the black seat, which lifted him on hydraulics sensing his weight. The controls stayed level in front of him, he seized them. The ships brain recognized his prints, activating the view screen and loosening the controls. NaN swung the weapon around to feel out the controls.

“They’re comin’. Follow the targeting glyphs with the trail reticule,” Valh called out to him.

NaN sat nervously, a cold sweat filmed on his hands.

A white glyph appeared from the left side of his viewing screen, NaN breathed in deep. Breathing out he steeled his nerve, and began to fire on the incoming ship.

It is my very great honor to bring you the first book from the fluxDominion,

THE CARNAGE OF PALTOCK

The most important piece for any historian of the fluxDominion. Written by Toretia Wailxl the personal assistant to the mightiest of Supreme Leshers, Umixquios the Grand. About his life and how he became the Grandest Umixquios in Preshood history.

Act One | Chapter Four | Episode Fifteen: Combat

Voiyn stepped through the portal connecting both ships. The Golden Reptile was lit by the emergency lights to dread effect.

Nothing in the first compartment, mostly ammo and things of low value stored in synth-metal crates. His magboots active he had no problem stalking through the flotsam. There was no code required to exit this space, he pressed the switch. On emergency power the doors slid open slowly.

They were yet unaware of his presence, giving him a little time, he thought.

His boots clicked against the ground, he followed his instinct to the left. A hatch began to open, he readied himself for the fight. A pair of sycophants wet themselves at the sight of him, both barely up to his hips. The pair cowered back into their compartment for safety. None were safe here.

He closed the distance slowly, growling. Through his vocal emitter Voiyn’s long growl sounded like some dark god from long ago. Fearful, the iyediu* backed into a corner.

Having them cornered, Voiyn leaned forward putting his large golden helmet microunits from either face. “Where is he?!” Voiyn asked through clenched teeth.

Both unable to speak out of fear pointed further down the corridor. One swiped of his palm and both were unconscious. Slamming his right palm into the first, who’s head struck the other in the swelling brain gland that protruded from the side of its head.

Forgetting them he continued on. They had been helpful but not specific. The more time he spent here the more chance he’d have to fight someone with real skill. He opened every door in his path, and peon after peon attempted to attack him. So many that the corridor was strewn with bodies floating, or stuck to the bulkhead at random some missing body parts. There were a few more doors before he reached the rear of the ship, if those iyediu* were wrong, he’d be taking them back with the foundling. There was something unusual about so many crewmen aboard the ship, however it matched the rumors about the Seven Hounds Bounty. The faces never wanting to dirty their hands unless it was worth it.

Two more doors that he’d had to crack with OhkBD’s programming and there he was bundled up, floating aimlessly throughout the compartment. Even through his rage Voiyn had to suppress the urge to laugh. Cutting the bonds with his clawed gauntlets finally the gag. “Valgebosh! I can’t believe you came,” NaN shouted, ecstatic.

“There’s no time. Let’s leave,” Voiyn began dragging him through the corridor from which he’d just come.

Moving through the littered bodies, some of whom where now awake, he noticed a figure in the distance. She was moving towards him, part of him wished she’d tried to highjack his ship, the optical lock would focus and burn the eyes off anyone whom hadn’t been registered by him to fly it. The creature seemed feminine, a black mask covered the face, and her body seemed wrapped in a similar material.

She was using the walls to bound in his direction, Voiyn put a hand up to signal NaN to stop. Data streamed into his oculars as the K8’s brain examined her. Projecting the data in fine streams. A targeting glyph pointed at the upper left of her abdomen, and one at the base of her skull, the weakest points on her body. Voiyn wanted to maim, not kill. She was within a body length and he readied himself for the attack.

The black figure leapt forward, thrusting a foot out to stomp his helmet. Casually Voiyn moved his head out of the way, whilst simultaneously grabbing her leg at the knee. To his surprise she used the momentum she’d built to fold back over, as she kicked out of his grasp he felt a slice against his thigh. He watched her slip through his legs, swimming in the lack of gravity. Stepping back, he swung his elbow where her head should have been behind him. He’d missed the mask by a finger width. Fortunately NaN had leapt back out of combat range. Carrying over the rest of his momentum he lashed out with his right hand, full extension rotating of the shoulder to grab the mask of the wretch. Catching it he squeezed with all his might, the poly-synthetic mask burst into a glitter of the glossy black. His claws had marred the already mangled face beneath in four even trails from each corner of her face. Carrying through with his attack, he lifted one of his magboots off the deck and slammed it into her chest. A sickening crunch reverberated through Voiyn’s leg he was sure that he’d broken a few things within the foul thing. The force sending her flying at speed down the corridor, the shard that had been her weapon floated harmlessly before NaN.

Voiyn motioned for him to take it. He did with the look like when he’d been purchased to crew the Valevyinellen. That maternal instinct in Voiyn swelled with pride. He ignored it as quickly as it had flooded him. Finding the compartment he’d entered was simple enough, making sure that NaN boarded the ship first, lest there be any unexpected surprises. Voiyn entered behind the floating child magboots falling heavily on the bulwark of the K8’s hook. “To the cockpit. We need to leave. I need to go repair my epidermis,” Voiyn commanded.

They split directions, as Voiyn made it to the biorepair deck, he heard the distinct closing of the hook. The two wires chinking as they disconnected from the Kal’rax Fnerckt. Voiyn sat down to examine his wound, it wasn’t too bad though the blue blood was seeping out rather profusely. Her weapon was clean so the wound was as well. He grabbed an auto-suture and began stapling the gash with sterile twine ensuring that his omnisuit was not included. Finished, he stood and limped towards the cockpit where NaN awaited him.

White hot pain suddenly lanced through his torso, he knew their escape had been too easy.

It is my very great honor to bring you the first book from the fluxDominion,

THE CARNAGE OF PALTOCK

The most important piece for any historian of the fluxDominion. Written by Toretia Wailxl the personal assistant to the mightiest of Supreme Leshers, Umixquios the Grand. About his life and how he became the Grandest Umixquios in Preshood history.