Checkmate on Tamaran
a Teen Titans fanfic
chapter one: prologue
"Alert. Alert. Enemy forces approaching. Repeat, enemy forces approaching. Evacuate all citizens."
the planet of Tameran. Such a magnificent, beautiful land. Until two Tamaranian weeks ago, when the Tec'Shakal invaded, ravaging the entire planet, leaving only the capital city left standing. Billions dead or dying, women and children slaughtered without mercy, and the blood of the innocent staining the very sky. Armies of the massive, inhuman beasts in bloodstained armor; toothy jaws snapping; muscly, animal like legs marching towards the mountain holding the massive city.(think Covenant from Halo, only with claws, fur, a serpentine tail, and yellow snake like eyes)
In the capital, the royal military was busy funneling civilians into the underground catacombs, desperate to save as many as possible, when they heard the rhythmic thunder of the Tec'Shakal marching to exterminate their species.
In the throne room itself, the king of Tamaran waited, no guards, no armor, not even a dagger to protect himself, waiting for what he was sure was his and his peoples certain demise. he could already hear them climbing the steep cliff side, clawing their way through his soldiers on the way.
Calmly, the old king reached for the communicator on the small table beside him, and pressed the only button. Following a small burst of white noise, a frightened female voice answered, "y-yes, my Lord?"
In a calm, commanding voice, he told her, "Contact lieutenant Kruxarr'i. Tell him 'knights to E-3'. He will understand."
"U-u-understood, sir. I-I will tell him at once. Uh, my Lord?"
"Yes?"
"Are you afraid?"
"Of what?"
"Death."
"no need to be. My daughter,Koriand'r,is out there. As long as she is safe, I am content. If I am to die with my people, so be it. It is my duty as ruler of this land.
"...Understood, Your Highness."
at that moment, the Tec'Shakal burst through the doors at the end of the room, but did not advance more than a few steps in. the King found this odd, but was soon granted an explanation. Those that had entered began to step aside from the doorway, only to reveal the General of the Tec'Shakal marching toward the throne like it was reserved for him.
The King was indeed frightened, but he would never admit it. He swallowed his fear, and addressed his "Guest" in a civilized manner. "Good morning to you, sir. How may I be of assistance?"
The massive beast of a warrior stopped in front of the Tamaranian leader and held a dagger to his throat. "Don't toy with me, worm," it spat in a surprisingly humanoid voice, but much too deep to be truly human. "Tell me. Where is the map?"
In the blink of an eye, the old king had rushed forward, knocking the dagger away from his vitals, and had forced the monster against the back wall by the entrance, two ornate twin short swords holding the General on the wall by his dagger. "I have no idea what you're on about," the king said, a crazed look in his eyes and an unsettling grin on his face. "I'm just here doing my job! Ruling over my people, maintaining the peace in the land; you know... politics!"
The General gritted his teeth, sparks from the gnashing blades sizzling in the still wet blood staining his helm. "silence!" he roared, throwing the king with a push of his rough, scaly tail. The king slid a decent distance, losing his weapons while steadying himself, until he came to a stop, kneeling, in the middle of the room. The General stomped towards the now defenseless leader, fuming. "Iwas going to make your death quick and painless," he growled, flipping the knife in his hand so the blade faced the floor. "but now, I will enjoy watching you suffer!" Now standing in front of the old man, he plunged the dagger into the shoulder of the king, who let out a pained wail as the blade thrust itself deep into the meat of his arm.
The wounded royalty fell to his hands and knees, his vision blurred by pain. He reached for the blade in his shoulder and painfully removed it from his person, his blood spilling faster from the wound.
"Foolish Tamaranian," the General chuckled, shaking his head. "Now your just going to die faster."
"Kind of the point..." the king groaned, already feeling numb and cold from the massive amount of blood he had lost. "This way... you cannot interrogate a dead man..." the king begin to chuckle uncontrollably, confusing and enraging the Tec'Shakal in front of him, until blood loss threatened him with unconsciousness. "Koriand'r... I'm sorry..." the king thought, his vision fading.
As the king fell to his side, the General allowed an evil grin to creep onto his face. "this is the end of you, King of Worms" the beast stated like it was obvious, which it was.
"Goodbye, Aleksund'r..."