by Aer-ki Jyr
Cor’san headed back down to the lower level and opened up the storage bins built into the walls and ceiling, seeing a satisfactory amount of volume despite the compact nature of the quarters. He didn’t bother unpacking, for he knew he had to rendezvous with the others shortly, so after a quick stop in the restroom and a reset to his quarters’ security code he headed out into the very large hallway and moved down to the intersection, following the route the Archon had instructed him to take.
Passing few others in the residential section, he met up with the other Scionate and waited for the last of them to arrive while the Archon stood passive once again. As soon as the last of them caught up they moved off through the unfamiliar geography of the colony to a training center where the group had exclusive access to a large chamber with nothing inside it except for padded walls and floor…and a control panel on the wall.
“I was told you all speak English,” the Archon began. “Is this true?”
“We speak your tongue,” one of the Scionate said, with Cor’san and the others having to have spent more than a year to grasp the basics of it…but it had been required prior to entry, which was one reason why there were so few volunteers. Others had been willing, but balked when they heard the traditional trade language would not be used, not wanting to learn a third tongue.
“How well remains the question, but you will learn in time. If there is something I say that you do not understand, it is best if you ask for clarification,” he said, removing his helmet and tossing it to the side. “First things first. You’re here to learn how to fight properly. That I will teach you, but I want to know why you are here and not in your own military. You first,” he said, pointing a finger at Cor’san.
“We are part of the Scionate military,” he said with a low growl, “but our worlds are not under assault and our leaders will not deploy us to the war zones. They want us as a defensive force. I want to fight our enemy before he gets to Scionate worlds. The same is true of all of us here.”
The Archon looked around as he continued to disconnect and peel off his armor. “Good. Now on to step two. You don’t think there’s all that much we can teach you,” he said, picking up on their thoughts, “and the training you’ll go through here is an annoyance that you’re willing to put up with in exchange for a chance to fight. Time to end that nonsense.”
The Archon stepped out of his boots and collapsed his armor down into a small wad that he then attached the helmet to, setting it aside underneath the control panel as he input the scenario he wanted. Suddenly wall compartments opened up and large objects came out, startling the Scionate as they floated into various positions, setting up 22 vertical pillars in a wide circle with plenty of space in between them.
“Your objective is simple,” the Archon said as he walked towards the arrangement. “Throw me outside the pillars. Organize yourselves and devote as many of you as you think it will take. Injuries are not the objective in our training, nor will they ever be. Your objective is to move me, my objective is to stay inside. Am I clear?”
“What is ‘clear?’” one of the Scionate asked.
“In this context it means ‘do you fully understand me.’”
“We understand.”
“Good. Once I reach center you may begin.”
Cor’san and the others exchange glances. Despite their reputation, the Archons were puny. This one massed less than half of what they did, and while well-muscled, it didn’t look like it would require more than two of them to remove, giving the Human the benefit of the doubt. To that end one of the others stepped forward alone and dropped into a reduced height stance as it crept forward into the circle as the Archon made it to center and turned around, starting to move a bit in response to Hra’ton’s approach.
The Scionate began with a simple jump lunge, reaching up into the air and coming down on the Archon with his front paws…but the Human deftly moved to the side and the Scionate missed cleanly. They both reset, getting a couple of meters between them, then Hra’ton jumped at him again, this time without the arc up.
With almost a comedic grace, the Archon reached out and placed a hand on his head, pushing it down as the Human rolled across the Scionate’s back and stepped off behind him…again avoiding the attack.
“You are quick, Human,” Hra’ton said as he turned around.
“It will take more than one of you to have a chance of moving me,” the Archon taunted. “Far more than one.”
“We will see,” the Scionate said, upping his game and coming at the Archon with a serious attempt, combining several movements that were meant to disguise his true angle. He nearly got hold of the Archon’s arm in his mouth, going for a hold rather than a bite, but the Archon slipped aside at the last moment, causing him to miss.
Then the next thing he knew he had a foot in his side and he was flipping over through the air as the Archon bodily threw him across the circle. Hra’ton flipped over midair and fell onto all fours, looking back at the Human and wondering how he had the strength to lift him.
“Come on, guys. This isn’t even hard,” the Archon said, waving the others forward.
Cor’san stepped up next to Hra’ton and the pair exchanged a few words in their native language. From there they split and got on either side of the Archon before moving towards him in a flash of motion. Cor’san swiped his front left paw at the Human’s thick leg while Hra’ton jumped to his head as a distraction. Cor’san got a light grip on the leg, then felt it go limp as the Archon moved it in the direction he was swiping.
Then his paw got pinned under the Human as it dropped down to the ground, causing Hra’ton to fly over his body and land next to Cor’san, missing him by a few inches…but the Archon held onto his paw and reached forward, getting an arm around his neck. Suddenly Cor’san was yanked to the side…then the Archon vanished.
Out of view the Human passed over Cor’san’s back and jumpkicked into Hra’ton’s side, knocking him down as the Human backed out from the two as they quickly recovered and got to their feet.
“I could do this all day,” the Archon mocked, “but for your sake let’s skip to the end. All of you come at me at once. You need to know how powerful I am.”
The Human waved at the others with both arms. “Come on, get in here. I’m serious.”
“You are quick, Human,” Hra’ton said, “but we won’t need all of us.”
“You won’t be able to with all of you,” the Archon responded. “But I need all of you in here and trying to prove a point.”
“As you wish,” Cor’san said, gesturing to the others just before he ran towards the Archon again. This time the Human didn’t move, and the two bodily met each other. Paws and fists flew, but Cor’san found himself without breath as the Archon palm-punched into his ribs several times. He got in at least one good swat, claws withheld, and knocked the Human aside just before he felt himself get tripped and go down.
By the time he got back up he saw the Human in the midst of the others, hitting them in very deliberate and odd ways. Most bipeds used their fists as weapons, but this one didn’t. He most certainly used his arms, but it was the side of his hands, his forearms and elbows, shoulders, head…he was using just about everything but his fists and knocking down the Scionate left and right.
That shot a bolt of adrenaline into the pack, and they no longer held back, feeling the light stings of his hits. They didn’t go for claws or bites, but they were going to knock him down and out of the circle without the restriction they had been planning on using. With that energy surging through them they started circling and lunging in coordination with one another, starting to make hits while being taken down time and again, then just as it seemed they were about to get the upper hand Cor’san’s head went dizzy and he fell.
He shook it off a moment later, only to stand up and have it happen again. His body seemed to betray him and he toppled over, smashing his muzzle into the lightly padded floor.
When it stopped he lifted his face up,
but didn’t try to attack…which was when he noticed the others in the same position, all on the floor looking up at the Archon in the center.
“I love that look,” a voice said from outside the ring as another Scionate approached, this one wearing a distinctly Star Force uniform. “But they didn’t do poorly.”
“No they didn’t,” the Archon agreed as the other Scionate walked inside the circle.
“I am Ske’ro’ta,” the slightly smaller Scionate said, using a three syllable name that shocked Cor’san and the others almost as much as their mysterious ailment. “I am a Star Force Scionate, born amongst your previous worlds and unwanted, then given to them as an orphan. I spent my previous few years of life on a Nexus world, learning their ways and becoming one of them. Like you I want to fight our common enemy, but here you will not be able to maintain your previous identity. While you may keep your names, everything else has to change.”
“What you just witnessed,” Ske’ro’ta continued as he paced around the perimeter of the others, who remained sitting or standing as they listened, still wide-eyed, “is a secret known to only a few. The power of the Archons is not a myth. They are far stronger than even the rumors say, and as you felt first hand, they have special abilities. Not all Humans do, and the younger Archons don’t attain them until later on in their development, but what just happened to you, after getting your asses kicked in hand to hand, was a disruptive energy field that causes your nervous systems to malfunction, equivalent to white static in technological combat.”
“He generates it biologically, and as you have already noticed, it gives him a significant combat advantage. Do not underestimate their power, skill, or drive. They are your superiors, and from them you can learn much, but if you are to become a part of Axius then you must willingly become part of Star Force, because they are one and the same. The Alliance Defense Force is not a cooperation between the races, we are a single entity and you must join us. I will admit it is far easier for me and the other orphans. We were unwanted and discarded, but we have been trained from birth, and as such we have a head start on you.”
“It is true we have not seen combat, I will grant you that, but there is much we will help you learn and you will help us. But above all, we learn from him,” the Scionate said, gesturing towards the Archon with a flip of his head. “He is your master now. Treat him with respect, for he possesses powers that our enemies cannot contend with, nor can we. They will protect the ADZ, and perhaps even defeat the lizards in time…yes, that’s what we call the Cajdital here. But there are too few Archons to fight alone. Their numbers will never rise high enough, for they are the elite of their race. It is up to us and others to fight alongside them. They lead, we follow, and together we will prevail.”
“You will be the first ADF Scionate in this colony, but there will be more to come in time. We will learn to work with other races, combining their strengths with our own and covering for their weaknesses, as they will cover for ours. How this will all work out is unknown, for we are building the ADF at present. What it will eventually become is uncertain, but you can be assured that if we contribute what we are able, they will find a way to make the most use of us.”
Ske’ro’ta bowed his head to the Archon respectfully, then kicked one of the other Scionate that was still lying on the ground. “Get up. This is not a time for rest.”
“No, it is not,” the Archon agreed, letting his guard down as he sensed the Scionate were no longer eyeing him for a takedown. “We are all warriors here, so let us dispense with the civilities that many races have when dealing with others, Scionate included. You came here to fight, and you will, but first we must build an army. You are among the first. The example you lay down, others will follow, just as you will learn from Ske’ro’ta. Others will hear of what you do here and more volunteers will come. Younglings will be born in this colony and join. More Nexus individuals will come to us. All will remake themselves into ADF troops…or they won’t.”
“You will combine with us or go a separate way. If you want to remain Scionate military, then the Scionate military is where you belong…not here. When I give orders they are to be obeyed, not because they are orders, but because I know better than you. Compliance isn’t about position, it’s about wisdom and who is right. As we build the ADF, if you have suggestions then speak them. If you spot problems, speak them. This is a team effort, and while you have much to learn, you are quadrupeds. I am a biped. There are things you will know that I will not. We share, we learn, we rise together. Clear?”
“Is that why you didn’t want us to bring our armor?” one of the Scionate asked.
“You will receive new armor,” Ske’ro’ta answered. “Better armor, when you have earned it. ADF armor.”
“How did you do that to us?” Cor’san asked the Archon.
“Which part?” he asked, knowing what he meant, but he needed to teach them to be specific.
“The part where I lost control of my body and fell.”
The Archon nodded. “It is called Fornax. I can direct it against a single individual or release it in a limited radius to affect all that are near. My strength is limited, so I cannot hold the effect for long, but I can repeat it numerous times. Would you like another demonstration?”
“Yes,” another Scionate said, standing to his full height.
“Ready yourself,” the Archon warned. “I will hit you with a weakened version. If you focus you should be able to remain standing.”
The Scionate clenched up. “I am ready.”
The Archon stared at the cat-like alien and held the gaze…then it shook on all fours and collapsed to its knees, but fell no further.
“Good. You handled that well.”
“I do not like that,” the Scionate said.
“Nor do I,” the ranger admitted. “The others can do it to me as well, but I have learned how to minimize it. We face two very different enemies, three if you count the Nestafar. How we fight them has to be based on learning where we are weak and adapting. As unappealing as it is to be hit with a Fornax blast, I am rather used to it now, and when sparring with another Archon it is simply one means of attack out of many. We learn, we advance. Those who do not learn, will lose, and I will beat that lesson into you if I must.”
“What other powers do you possess?” Cor’san asked.
The Archon smiled. “A few, but for today your lesson is over. Now it is time for you to teach me. This room can be configured into many arrangements, including obstacles courses. Scionate are supposed to be faster than Humans, and I like a challenge. Let’s compare your speed to mine, shall we?”
Ske’ro’ta ran off over to the wall and adjusted the control panel with a claw tip, sending the pillars back up into the air and bringing out a lot more of various sizes, all of which lowered to the ground save for where the others stood. Those pieces waited in the air for them to move aside to the start area, then they settled down into position.
“I will go first,” Ske’ro’ta said. “You will watch and learn, then you will go in groups of three. The computer will record your progress and times. The Archon will go in the fourth group along with two of you. For the sake of our race’s pride, you had better beat him.”
With that little barb Ske’ro’ta toed the start line and pressed the start button with his chin, which started a three tone countdown, after which he was off.
The Scionate lined up in groups of three, with the Archon settling into the fourth row, one spot ahead of Cor’san as they all watched their fellow Scionate so they knew how to move through the course, despite the fact that it was fairly obvious, after which the first trio went, with the others following and watching, attempting to beat each other’s times.
When the Archon went Cor’san was relieved to see that he couldn’t keep up with the Scionate on the running segments, though he did pull back a bit moving through some of the obstacles…and he did appear to be trying, for he was scurrying about in a blur, with his reflexes showing to be
considerably better than theirs…but overall he was the slower, so when Cor’san took off he found his mind back on firm ground. The Human might be powerful…far more powerful than he could have imagined. Scarily so. But as he had said, each race had advantages and disadvantages. Running was theirs, and it felt good to be able to defeat him in this.
When Cor’san had arrived an hour ago, he had felt superior amongst the other races, then when he’d been taken down by the Archon’s invisible attack he’d felt inferior. Now he felt on equal standing, with the inkling that the coming days of training were going to be far more interesting than he and the others had expected. The idea of becoming ADF troops didn’t seem like a procedural hurdle anymore. It felt like a very powerful team he was joining, and with his pride kicking in he felt like adding to it where he was able…and that was a sentiment the others would share as well in the coming days.
6
December 1, 2521
Kentir System (Epsilon Region)
Pollus
Chitticki woke up to his alarm, a rhythmic booming that continued to get louder until it cut out, then it began to repeat again, soft at first, until he crawled out of his sleeping tube and hit the off button. The Irondel yawned and stretched out his four legs, curling his back up into a ball then twitching all his muscles loose, finding he was still sore from yesterday’s training.
He walked over to his vid screen and input a few commands onto his keyboard, bringing up the most recent statistics from the ongoing competition and finding a few changes having occurred over the past 10 hours as he slept. Beta regiment had notched up another pair of challenge victories, catching them up to within 6 points of Epsilon, which had the overall lead in their ADF training. Chitticki was a member of Alpha regiment, which was last out of the 5 groups, but not too far behind the others…and every month that passed brought them closer to their first level of graduation.