A/N I noticed that their hasn't been a fanfiction on the Vortians attempting some sort of uprising. So unless google was wrong, this is a first. I did have to throw in a few new characters since the only ones I can use would be Lard Nar and Larb and having it with just those two would be boring, especially at the scope the story is going to be. wellhope you enjoy this one-shot, enjoy!
The Vortian Uprising
by
Cooljoe64
Beta'd by Zim'sMostLoyalServant
REEDUCATION CENTER, PLANET VORT
It was a dark night, and more quiet than usual. Commander Rark was in charge of this "reeducation" center here on Vort. This was the place where dissenters, rebels, protestors, former government officials, basically any Vortian who was a threat to the Irken Empire, was held. As of now, this center held 3,000 Vortians, along with a few high-level prisoners. Personally, Rark hated his job. He hated Vortians. He never got why the Tallests didn't just wipe them out instead of enslaving them – as far as he was concerned, they didn't even deserve to live.
"Status report," he said dully.
He was sitting in a chair, the floor a little elevated to overlook two technicians.
"All patrols report," ordered one as he pushed a button to activate the coms.
"Patrol one, nothing to report."
"Patrol two here, nothing to report."
"Patrol three, nothing to report, again."
The technician released the button before leaning back on his chair. Commander Rark held his head with his right arm as his left rattled his fingers against the arm of the chair. This was why he hated this job; NOTHING happened. The Irken Defensive System was so high-tech that alarms didn't even go off anymore. This dull job was gnawing him. Irkens were bred for war, not for sitting around overlooking an inferior race.
"So… anything happening?" he asked, desperate for some form of conversation.
"Not really," the Technician responded.
Rark sighed as he stared out of the window.
"I hate this job," he muttered.
…
"Alright, let's resume our patrol," said the Irken, who sounded extremely bored. He and two others were patrolling the gateway to the center. Of course, since the Irken Defensive System practically exterminated anything that was non-Irken, the job had gotten dull and thus they weren't really patrolling, more like lazily sitting around.
"Ha, resume patrol, that's a funny joke," a soldier replied.
It was starting to get dark fast, and the automatic lights kicked in. They resumed marching around. Meanwhile, on the roof of the prison was an Irken soldier half awake, half asleep. As he tried not to doze off, he swore he heard something. Turning around, it was too late before a silenced shot went off, rendering him dead.
"That was easy," said Lard Nar, dressed in a jumpsuit.
"Yes, thank god laziness is common with Irkens."
"Alright O'Roni, where to?" he asked through the com on his ear.
"There should be a shaft in front of you." Lard Nar looked around before pinpointing it. He lifted it open, surprised that it was not locked. He hopped down, finding himself within the air ducts. "Go straight, and then go left. It will take you to the control room."
Lard Nar trudged through, careful to not make too much noise. Within a minute he found himself staring down at the control room, with only one technician overlooking the bazillion monitors. He quickly forced the shaft down before shooting him in the back of the head and then in the Pak for good measure. Pushing the body away, he drew out a chip concealed within his jumpsuit before plugging it in. The computers did the rest, uploading the virus and overriding all Irken security.
"Let them be free," he said, before going back the way he came.
…
"Um, sir, we have a problem," the technician said to Rark. The group was still within the communications tower.
"Ugh, what now?!" he said dully.
"We seem to have a virus within our systems."
Rark's eyes perked up at this. Before he could say anything, the lights went off. The lights outside revealed a few figures on the windows. Rark's fear level went up.
"What the-" and then a blaze of gunfire tore through the complex, tearing up the technicians into pieces and leaving Rark riddled with bullets. A small bomb was thrown in and the figures skid down as the top of the tower exploded, setting it ablaze. When they got down, Lard Nar meant them.
"That was easier than expected, O'Roni," he complimented.
The figure he addressed as O'Roni, dressed in a jumpsuit along with his face concealed with cloth, undid it and smiled.
"Indeed my friend, a small victory, but nonetheless a victory," He spoke in a tone that was deep with wisdom yet commanding.
Screams were heard along with brief gunfire.
"Seems like payback has come," said Lard Nar.
"It has, come now," he motioned, "Former commanders, soldiers, and workers, and those who just want to help, are held here. We have to move fast – we managed to block their security system, but it won't hold for long."
The group made their way indoors to see many Vortians moving about. They approached a group of dead Irkens but could care less. Making their way towards an elevator, they went down a few floors. Lard Nar looked around. There was O'Roni, along with two others he did not recognize. He decided to break the ice; never hurt to know whom you fight alongside, right?
"So… what's your name?" he asked the Vortian near to him.
"Mira," she replied.
"Ah, and you?" he asked the last one; however, he didn't get a reply.
"He's my brother, Durlian, he's mute," Mira said.
The elevator came to a halt and a dinging sound was heard. As the doors slowly opened, they revealed dim white lights with a very metallic setting. A few lights were red, representing the lockdown it was under.
"The emergency power is on but there don't seem to be any guards," Mira commented.
O'Roni didn't say anything, but merely looked around, trying to reassure himself that a trap was not set. Reminding himself of the limited time, he decided to step out. He held his breath for a second before he realized nothing happened.
"Alright, let's move," he motioned.
The group of four went down the one hallway, the doors, despite looking as if they were on lockdown, automatically opening up for them. Lard Nar decided it was because the security system was down. As they went down further, a voice could be heard.
"Be ready," said O'Roni
"Why isn't Commander Rark answering!?" screamed a voice.
The Vortians saw a circular room with two Irkens, one taller than the other. Both were soldiers, their purple armor gleaming in the dim lights. Both had those dreaded shock spears that every enemy of the Irken Empire feared.
"Don't know; it seems something has gone wrong up top, a full scale riot perhaps?" said the other, shorter soldier, overlooking a few monitors that were now blank.
"If that's the case, then procedure calls for us to liquidate top-level prisoners. Come now, let's get it over with."
The two soldiers started to march away, leaving what looked to be the security center.
"Mira, you're up," said O'Roni, grinning at the easy task, but a little on edge; he didn't know for sure when the security system would kick in.
Mira approached the controls before a wire came from her wrist, connecting it to the computers. Tapping a few buttons, she was in within a few seconds.
"It looks like there is one prisoner here, located a few hallways down. Simply take a left, then a right, and midway there should be that cell," she said.
"Gotcha. Alert the others to start evacuating the prison, Nar come with me, Durlian, stay here, and Jura keep watch, I want no surprises,"
Durlian merely nodded while Mira tapped a few buttons to keep herself in the system. Lard Nar and O'Roni started to power walk through the hallways.
"How come we didn't just shoot them and then get the prisoner?" asked Lard Nar.
"Because I don't know how tough those bars may be. Better to let them open it, then risk not knowing how to ourselves."
The duo traveled a little further before approaching the particular cell.
"That's funny, where are the GAHAHAHAHAHA," a wave of electricity shocked a paralyzed Lard Nar. O'Roni spun around, but didn't react fast enough and was shocked as well.
"I knew it, we were being followed. Come to rescue him?" asked the taller soldier. The collar was hiding his mouth, but Lard Nar swore he was grinning.
"Alright let's get this over with," the guard said, pulling a blaster out. Lard Nar tried to push himself up, but his body refused. He then felt the gun right behind his head, "So long, inferior."
A shot went off and to Nar's surprise the soldier fell on him. The shorter one darted his head before falling backwards as another shot met his head. Nar then felt a pair of hands grab him and soon saw Durlian.
"I thought we told you to wait," Lard Nar joked. Durlian merely smiled.
"Well, I couldn't hope for better timing," grunted O'Roni.
"So how do we get through these bars?" Lard Nar asked.
"Improvise," O'Roni said, grabbing the shock spear before plunging it into the lock. Sparks went off for a few seconds before the door clicked open. The room was very dark as the light slowly took over. And there it was, a Vortian wrapped up in a white jacket with multiple burn scars. He was currently muttering something they couldn't hear.
"Prisoner 777, his name is no longer known," said O'Roni, "He was the top researcher before and after the Irkens came. However, they found out he handed the Defective Zim blueprints to The Massive and he was sent here."
Lard Nar could only look on with sympathy. All he had gone through was being detained in a prison that he had easily escaped from. This guy had to go through much worse.
"As sad as it is, we have to hurry. Durlian."
Durlian stepped forward and 777 started to jerk away whimpering, begging for his life. Durlian snapped something open before holding 777 and forcing him to sniff it. 777 eventually went limp and soon started to snore. Durlian hoisted him on his back while the other two started to make their way back to the security center.
"We have to leave, now," said Mira.
The monitors were blinking fanatically with a countdown timer.
"Security systems kicked in and must have realized the situation was unsalvageable," Jura panicked.
"Then let's hurry," commanded O'Roni. The five Vortians quickly ran to the elevator, O'Roni adding, "With any luck, we shouldn't blow up."
It was a joke to try and break the tense atmosphere and everyone chuckled. When they got to the top, the prison for the most part was empty.
"Mira, contact that pilot, we need to get out." Lard Nar ordered. As if on cue, the wall was blasted open, revealing a stolen Irken ship.
"Need a lift?" asked the pilot.
"Shut up, and get down here, no time for jokes!" yelled O'Roni.
Frantically getting on, the ship started to reel backwards before thrusting out, just as the prison started to explode.
"Well… that was close," Lard Nar said, getting a little laugh across the now tiny ship.
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"This has ice? I HATE ICE!"
The drone cringed in fear before being shot. It was Overseer Seno, only achieving this rank because of his height. He had no antennae, due to an accident that he refused to talk about. The right part of his face was scarred and darkened, like black colored over green. His whole right arm was also robotic and his Pak also had a giant scratch going diagonally across it. He wore some pinkish robes, symbolizing his authority. Right now he was in a conference room, a rectangular table seating him and a few scientists… the scientists who had designed the security at the reeducation center, and thus the reason they were all here. The few monitors lying around showed a few Vortians infiltrate the place with ease.
"Alright, so explain to me who those people are, why didn't the system stop them, and WHY did it blow up? Honestly, that was stupid, now we have to build a new one!"
One of the scientists, the tallest one therefore having the "honor" to speak first, began shifting nervously before saying, "Well, those are Elite Vortian Soldiers, similar to our elite. Our system was hacked, from where we don't know. The system must have determined it couldn't regain control and therefore decided to self-destruct."
For everyone else in the room, they were glad they were shorter, because Seno right now was staring into his soul.
"You're fired," said Seno.
The scientist suddenly seized up and started to jerk before collapsing onto the table. Everyone else tensed up, trying to avoid looking at him now.
"Build a better system, fix those flaws, now beat it," he ordered, making everyone jolt upwards and rush out the room. After being sure he was alone, he started to laugh.
"You see the looks on their faces? They keep thinking I have some supernatural power," he laughed.
From the shadows came an Irken wearing black robes, his head like a slanted square, his eyes covered with dark green shades. This was due to when he spent time in a Vortian "research" station during the invasion. Whatever happened, he preferred not to talk about it. In fact, he rarely talked at all as a result of what he went through. The Tallest were going to kill him, determined that he was "Unfit" and therefore defective. But Seno saw potential and thus made him his bodyguard.
"The poison is deadly," he muttered darkly, showing a small pistol in his hand.
"Indeed Riker, kills fast, probably the best bio weapon we've made," said Seno, removing the micro-needle on the scientist, "Well, come now, we have to see the damage these "Elite" Vortians did."
They walked out of the conference room; outside was the enormous control center, the hub of all Irken operations on Planet Vort. Here was where the occupation forces were directed, communication with the many bases, snack conveys sent throughout the planet, and where they could pinpoint every threat. The mood was normally calm, but due to the recent hacking, it was chaos. After all, no one ever hacked, well, successfully hacked, the Irken Security System here on Vort. The fact that a vulnerability was exploited, and even worse not found, sent everyone in the station on edge. Seno determined it was someone on the inside, most likely a sympathizer.
Despite how the empire liked to boast to itself over the fanatic dedicated loyalty all Irkens had, it was no more than a myth. Even though the Control Brains controlled their thoughts, that little space all Irkens had for independent thought always grew into something. It was the reason some Invaders were better than others. Hell, Skoodge did that! Despite being the second shortest Irken and sent to a planet where Invaders died before, he won. To top it off, he was the first Invader to succeed. However, because of that, he went against the norm on height – he was supposed to fail but didn't and as a result was shot out of a cannon.
"What's the situation?" Seno asked a passing technician.
"Sir," he saluted instantly, "We have not found where the security breach originated from, the base is completely gone, we've only found dead Irkens and Vortians, but we did manage to salvage Commander Rark."
"Good, I need someone to pin this on when the Tallest find out."
Overseer Seno went down the stairs. Many Irkens were sitting behind the many monitors. Overlooking them was one giant one showing a map of Planet Vort. Currently they were in La'ko, formally the capital of Vort. There were two more major cities. Out to the West was Ch'neeko, once known for its wealth and prosperity, now reduced to a slave city. Yet it was now known as where many rebels were located. It was the reason the reeducation center was built, to control them. Yet with the loss and mounting reports of conveys carrying arms being raided that were usually ignored, their hold on that city seemed weaker.
"Send General Larb there and have him purge that city. We need to keep this contained," ordered Seno. He got a few "yes sirs". He then looked to the city in the East, its name long forgotten even by the Vortians. All Seno knew was that it was transformed into the largest military research station in the empire and also a massive slave camp. A few smaller ones dotted the map, but militarily they were unimportant in Irken eyes.
"Sir, should we alert the Tallest?" asked an officer.
"No, they're tied up in a war with the Meekrob, we have the resources to contain this," he responded.
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A few days had passed since the center was blown up. In that period, General Larb was sent to Ch'neeko. The shuttle descended to the ground and he got off. He was enjoying his new rank. The success of his mission (and his height) gave him a rank he had always dreamed of. Marching with confidence on the ramp, he looked at the city. It was dead. A slight pang of guilt hit him. He remembered the once lively city, the happy faces, and children playing around. He quickly looked away. The problem with being an Invader was you met people. You had to blend right in and so you slowly infiltrated the government and as a result became close to people… a little too close.
'All in the past,' he thought.
He remembered when Skoodge contacted him. He had said he was now in a winnable position but was conflicted over his desire to achieve the respect he always wanted and the fact that the rat people were misunderstood and actually very peaceful. Larb simply whipped up a patriotic speech and played into his fantasies of how the Tallest would respect him. Result? Shot out of a cannon.
'Didn't mean for that to happen,' he thought.
He should have seen it coming, though. The Tallest hated short people, and would never allow them to win. Yet if Zim did conquer that planet, they would acknowledge it, just to keep away from him.
'Funny how they fear the shortest Irken of all,' he chuckled.
"Sir, orders?"
General Larb now had one hundred Irken Elite Soldiers at his disposal (it came with the rank). He knew Seno wanted this city purged, but decided against it.
"Secure the city, make our presence known. We need to remind the city what will happen if a riot occurs."
"Yes, Sir."
The elite started to march off the shuttle, unloading gear from cargo of snacks to Megadoomers.
'I really hope we won't have to use them.'
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"There it is."
Four Megadoomers were marching alongside a 12-foot hovercraft. It looked like a rundown train, the purple paint long gone and replaced with an ugly brown.
"After this we should have enough," said Lard Nar.
It was another raid on this convey of arm shipments. This one was particular tough, however. The once marching soldiers were replaced with those deadly machines. Whether it was to stop the raids or maybe protecting something more important was unknown. But they were going to raid it regardless.
"This will be easy, especially since we built those things," said Mira.
"Come, let's go," said O'Roni.
The three Vortians were behind a steep hill overlooking the convoy.
"Alright, let's do this," said Mira, before firing a little device towards the group of Megadoomers. They briefly paused before shooting in their direction. The firepower rippled through the rock, forcing them back.
"Mira, any time now," Lard Nar said, avoiding the blasts.
"Give it some time," she responded, looking at her watch.
"4, 3, 2…"
An electrical shock went off, stunning the Megadoomers and rendering them useless. Two of them caught fire and burst into flames. The other two collapsed, just as the pilots jumped out. The two Irkens were then screaming at each other. A few other Vortians jumped from their hiding places and opened fire. After a brief firefight, the two Irkens lay dead, whilst only one Vortian was injured.
"They are relying too much on their technology," said O'Roni, walking down the gravel and surveying the situation. The smell of burnt corpses and metal filled the air. A few other Vortians surrounded the cargo craft.
"Open it up," ordered O'Roni.
Two Vortians hopped up, pulling the doors open. Automatic lights kicked in, showing many blasters and other weaponry.
"This is the largest yet," said Mira, stunned.
"Indeed, come on, let's hurry up," said O'Roni.
Unknown to them, a camera was watching them, broadcasting feed to the Irken Hub in La'ko. Everyone in the room was dead silent. Seno was pissed; he had armed up the convoys with the Megadoomers, and due to the war with the Meekrob he couldn't simply replace them. Irken war resources were all being directed towards war, not occupying. The fact four Megadoomers were wiped out in one small fight made him know he had to be more careful. He could not waste what he couldn't afford.
"Well then," he stated, hands clutched behind his back, head drooping. He turned from the monitor to face his staff… his useless staff, "Clearly arming up the convoy even more proved fatal, while it's a minor setback, I don't want losses that bad. Contact General Larb."
The giant monitor flicked for a second before Larb stood in front.
"General, why have you not purged the city?" asked Seno.
Larb fidgeted for a second before answering "Sir, Intel shows the city is filled with rebellious forces. As of now it's contained, but if I provoke them, then I may lose control and this may spillover."
Seno growled in frustration. Why couldn't the freck'n General do as he was told?
"General, we are Irkens, we can handle anything. You say you have it under control, but I doubt it. Another shipment of arms was raided."
"Did you try increasing security?"
"YES I TRIED THAT ALREADY!" Seno snapped, leaning forward as if trying to imitate Larb with his height despite being miles away, "You are in charge of the City of Ch'neeko! These rebels have been collecting arms for the past few months, attacks against us have been steadily increasing, and the reeducation center was the most deadly one! They are getting bolder General, and they are becoming organized! An uprising is becoming more and more likely!"
"Oh? Should I alert the Tallest of our problem?" asked Larb with a smug grin.
Seno balled up a fist at him, teeth gritting, attempting to say something… yet nothing came because they both knew the answer. Seno would never allow himself to ask the Tallest for help – too much pride, not to mention the doubt the Tallest would have in him. Sure, he could spin it in a way it would favor him. But they would probe him for more details.
"Just use your "Intel" and kill them off – find out where they are, where their leader is! Oh and Larb, DO NOT FORGET WHO IS TALLER, because I am, I rank above you which means you follow MY orders! I'll let you do it your way for now, but refuse my orders again, and YOU can explain to the Tallest why you refused a direct order from someone taller!"
By the time Seno was finished his chest was puffing, his face was covered in sweat, and he was hutched over while looking exhausted. Larb merely stared at him, not with anger, but defeat. Before he could speak, he was cut off, the monitor reducing his image while going back to the map of Vort.
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"RUN! GAGAHAHAH!"
"Move it!"
A group of three Irkens were running, two males and one female. The female was missing her leg and clutching one of the males' shoulders.
"We have to get out of here," she said, fear taking over. The three Irkens started to look around, trying to find where it was. A few tentacles then came from the roof, wrapping up the lone Invader before pulling. He didn't even have enough time to scream before the sound of crackling bones was heard. The other two kept running/limping, hoping to get away.
"So I take it they're screwed," Seno said, overlooking the cameras, each showing how the twelve Irken team was taken down one by one. A scientist coughed uncomfortably before answering.
"Well, it's a dangerous monster. Based on the information we've collected so far, it's been growing and seems to have a made its lair in the area. Chances of controlling it… um, well, unlikely?" the last word was said nervously.
Seno looked at the papers he'd gotten. What they were looking at was Vort Research Station 9. Formally where Vortians and Irkens had worked together but also notorious because Zim had once worked there (not to mention that's where the first and only female Tallest had died). One of Zim's many creations was the Infinite Energy Absorbing Blob or also known by its codename Cthulhu. No one really knew the exact reason why it was made. Every assistant he had seemed to die in his own private lab (which had been sealed shut ever since the incident). Seno however saw potential in controlling this creature, in case the Vortians got out of hand. The only problem was the creature seemed angry 24/7 and practically killed on sight. Technology was useless, since it was made of energy.
"Okay, think people, how can we control it?" A scientist raised his hand.
"Well, like most pets, they are attracted to their owner, so maybe if we-" he jerked a little before collapsing. Everyone went silent and turned their gazes elsewhere.
"No way are we going to contact Zim," said Seno, marching out of the room along with Riker, who always seemed to pop from thin air.
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It was nighttime now; it would be extremely dark without the lights. General Larb stood out on the balcony. It used to be some wealthy Vortian's house, now it was his. Still, he could care less about that. The silence outside was maddening, driving him up the wall. He looked at the plate of nachos. Picking a chip up, he saw the melted cheese simply drip, slower now that it was cold. He was going to eat it but chose not to. He looked to the city again; his keen hearing could hear a few celebrations. What they were celebrating he didn't know, but he supposed it was a way of keeping their hopes up… hopes soon to be crushed.
He looked at his Irken-Pad, the Intel he had received. He followed Seno's orders, gathering Intel up, and what he got he wished he didn't. The city was crawling with rebels. And that meant their families were rebels too. Yet it wasn't their hub; he didn't know yet where they were gathering, where the raided weapons were being stored. But he knew the second that he did he'd have to issue the extermination order. That or Seno would pull rank and just blast a crater into the planet if he didn't pick up the pace.
"I've grown attached," he said to himself. He never confronted anyone on this for obvious reasons. He would be labeled a defective and shot (After Zim's trial, the Control Brains basically decided to just have defectives shot). He saw a few Ring Cutters dock at the station. It was his own little air force to use against any threat within the city.
"Whatever happens, happens," he said, before headed back within the house.
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Lard Nar looked outside, admiring the stars and the lone purple moon. It was strangely calm tonight. Usually after a raid, Irken patrols would be sent in a vain attempt to find them. Security around the area would be tightened. Yet it seemed nothing would happen today, in fact nothing had really happened in the past few months. Other then the patrols, nothing seriously happened, which was increasing people's fear. Were the Irkens preparing too like they were? Were they waiting for them to strike first? The latter seemed likely when Larb, that Irken, that conqueror, was stationed within the city. While he was thinking, he failed to see the person behind him.
"Hey."
He jolted in surprise and turned to see Mira.
"Yeesh you scared me," he said, clutching his chest.
"Everyone is a little on edge, come now, the meeting is going to start," she motioned.
He took one last look outside before following her and soon they came upon a cave. It was one of the many caves they carved into this mountain, a whole network built here, where they stored the weapons and supplies along with the computers they used. It was also where former government leaders met, yet most of the Vortian Generals controlled it, Generals like O'Roni. Lard Nar was a part of the inner circle because he was the head scientist on Vort. Not to mention formally an Elite Vortian plus experience in starting up his own short-lived resistance. A few soldiers guarded the entrance, and as he walked inside, the darkness became light. Stepping in revealed how it was like rush hour.
Thousands of Vortians working at their stations. In one area, Vortians were being trained how to use a weapon, others serving as the brains of this place, some had retreated to their beds while others grabbed a bite to eat. Within this large place lay a certain room where the leaders of this resistance would meet. Lard Nar made his way and as he walked in he took a look around. There was O'Roni, one of the greatest Vortian Generals. There was Mira, head of the Vortian Elite. He was a bit surprised by that, but she was one of those leaders who rarely showed themselves publicly. Hell, most Vortians within this mountain didn't know her position. He then noticed they were a few members short.
"Um, where are the others?" he asked.
Mira also gave a questioning look to O'Roni, wondering where the others were as well.
"They bailed," said O'Roni, head drooping down.
"What do you mean they bailed?" asked Lard Nar. He already knew the answer but refused to believe it.
"That Irken General caused quite a stir here. Many were convinced they were out of their league trying to fight him. And I often start to doubt it myself."
Lard Nar couldn't believe what he was hearing. The fact O'Roni was expressing doubts was unbelievable. Then again, he knew the General was tired, yet still after everything they had been doing…
"We can't quit now! Not after everything we've accomplished! We took down a whole prison, raiding and training for the day we can beat the Irkens!"
O'Roni still had his head drooped down but raised it to speak to Lard Nar.
"And what happens if we don't win? Things are bad now; it will get worse if we lose."
Lard Nar growled in frustration but didn't know what to say. He was never really good at spurring people, probably why his own little resistance fell apart. Something then popped into his head. He walked over to him, leaning down and put a hand on his shoulder.
"You keep saying we are earning small victories… maybe we should earn smaller ones."
O'Roni perked an eyebrow.
"I mean BIGGER ones, yes, maybe we should, um, uh crap."
It sounded so good in his mind but trying to form it into that "wise" sentence was a fail. A clap was heard behind him.
"Well I do give you credit for trying Nar, ha, but you are right. We can't give up, in fact were just getting started," a familiar purple-skinned Vortian said.
"777? Shouldn't you be resting, you still haven't-"
Mira was hushed as he walked forward.
"Come now, you need me, more than ever," he said, opening a laptop, "We are shorthanded, but we can make up for that with knowledge."
Sitting down on the table and opening the laptop, he attempted to set up a connection. The trio just watched, paying more attention to the numerous scars he had than listening.
"Now don't tell anyone this, but I know a certain someone who can help. Whatever you do, don't panic," he said.
"Well who is it?" asked Nar.
"MY TALL – hey… you're not my Tallest!" the person on the other end pointed accusingly.
Lard Nar's heart skipped a beat seeing the Irken on the screen. But that wasn't what shocked him, no it was the fact he recognized this particular Irken. What was his name?
"Zim, I have a little offer."
ZIM! He was that scientist here years ago! Old memories stirred up in Lard Nar where he started to remember that small green guy, always extremely militaristic to the point a few Vortians had gone missing when they made jokes about the Irken leader. He remembered the screams of pain coming from his lab, always breeding horrible creations. He then remembered the first words that were spoken to him:
'Dookie, that thing will never fly!'
Ah yes, that was when he was designing The Massive, that dreaded feared ship.
"So just give me the communication channels and blueprints to all the bases on Vort and I will send you the newest laser cannon we've been designing and I'll throw in a Megadoomer, batteries included, how does that sound," 777 said as if he was on a game show.
Zim meanwhile was fidgeting excessively. It was obvious he wanted those weapons badly.
"DEAL! Now gimme, gimme, GIMME!" he screamed, arms outstretched as if the weapons would appear out of thin air.
"First give me what I need."
Zim shuffled through a few things before pulling out a chip. Plugging it up to his computers he uploaded it to 777.
"Well there you go," he said nonchalantly.
"Great, thanks Invader," Lard Nar noticed that last word seemed to make Zim's smile widen, "Your package should arrive in… now."
A giant slam was heard on Zim's side and he wasted no time in bolting upstairs. With that done, 777 closed the connection and turned to face the trio of leaders.
"Look O'Roni, I can understand your doubt, but you don't know what goes on in those prisons. If you think things are bad now, they will be worse, even without an uprising. The sad fact is there's a long-term plan for Vort, and we won't be a part of it. I've done my part, now the decision is yours. I wish you luck on whatever paths you chose," he said, walking out the door, leaving the three to dwell on what he just said.
While Lard Nar and Mira had already made up their minds, O'Roni was still hesitant. He had faced off the Irkens before, and knew how destructive they were. He suddenly pictured a massive charge of Vortians being slaughtered. A full assault would be suicide, so they would have to strike within the city. And now that they had blueprints and the communication channels, it would be easier. Yes, the more he thought… he realized that he had to do this. No one had as much experience as he. Yes, he was born for this.
"I'm in, now let's get started," he smiled.
"Now that's the general I know," said Lard Nar with a smile.
The trio sat in a semi-circle before holograms appeared.
"Okay, Larb's house is here, it's the tallest one in the city so it won't be hard to find. A few Irken patrols are around the city. The majority is concentrated near the house along with a few ships. I was hoping the major attack would be in that area and possibly secure Larb. From then we can attack the rest of the Irkens. Mira, how reliable is our sympathizer?" asked O'Roni.
"I think we count on him or her," she responded.
"Good, tell them to cut off communications between Larb's forces and Seno's. If we move quickly we can take the city before reinforcements arrive. If we succeed, we can spur others, if however we falter, then I doubt others will come to our aid."
That feeling of "what if" came upon them, each having their own vision of a bad case scenario. Mira meanwhile took a look at the holograms highlighting every Irken position.
"There's only foot soldiers here, the only serious threat are those Ring Cutters. If we can knock out the air support fast, we can surely win."
"Okay, that's one threat down, but what about Larb? He's really fortified in," Lard Nar chimed in.
"I have a solution. Mira, I want your best fighters to go in and secure Larb; he's protected except on the roof. If you're willing to."
Mira looked a little uneasy. She knew the mission was potentially suicidal but it was also something else. It was the fact she would have to confront him, and knew it wasn't because of what he represented, more of the fact she wanted to get some answers.
"You can count on me," she said.
"Great. Nar, you'll be with me, we're going to attack the docking station and help secure the house. I'll brief the other commanders. Now get organized, let's do this."
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"They're all dead, sir."
"Seriously?" Seno gritted his teeth, attempting to contain his rage. The eighth team of Irkens they had sent to the research station were dead. It seemed this monster could not be controlled. He was seriously considering having General Larb send his forces there. Yet with the lingering rebel threat, he couldn't.
"Sir, we have data from the attackers on the reeducation center," a technician spoke up.
On the giant monitor popped up pictures of a few Vortians. The technician started reading what they found out.
"O'Roni, formally a General for the Vortian Army. After the capital fell, he fled and went into hiding. He's believed to have founded the resistance, starting with the bombing of a snack convoy. Assassinated Colonel Fluga, was detained, helped lead a prison riot and escaped."
"Mira, formally head of the Vortian Elite, fled, went into hiding, resurfaced in the assassination of Colonel Fluga. Lard Nar, head of the Vortian Military Research, designer of the Massive, detained, escaped, started the short-lived Resisty group. The others are unknown as of yet."
Seno didn't say anything. He considered contacting Larb to see if he had found anything but that would most likely boil down to an argument. He could care less who was who; what he really wanted was to know where these people were!
"Well, my crap quota has been filled up for today, prep another team, and um, just leave me be," he said, stressed out enough. He looked around for Riker; always disappearing, that one… well, not really, more like hiding in the shadows. He looked around as he walked and did not find him. After turning his head back, Riker popped up right in front of him. He jolted a bit. He really hated when he did that. But it was pushed aside and Riker followed his lead.
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The next two days were strangely calm for the occupying Irkens. Larb passed his days formulating a strategy in case the rebels made their move. It was terrible; it didn't really have any strategy or tactics. The whole plan heavily relied upon firepower. He assumed the attack would take place outside the city and he could use the Ring Cutters to blast them into pieces and have his elite wrap up any survivors. The only issue was if the docking station was put out of commission. But he assumed the rebels wouldn't be that suicidal. Still, he had asked Seno to send him two laser cannons that would be stationed in an isolated spot with the city. His radio then clicked.
"General, cannons are in place, give the word, and we'll let them off."
"Understood," he replied. He looked outside, confident he wouldn't fail. He was ready. But then that guilt came back. He knew the city would be incinerated and Seno would seize the opportunity to issue the extermination order. He hoped the attack came from outside the city, where he could isolate it and prevent it from spilling over.
…
For the past two days, Mira had listened to the communications with glee, helping O'Roni tweak his plan. As he stood in front of the younger commanders, she decided to chat with Lard Nar.
"Leave it to O'Roni to develop battle plan in only a few hours."
"You'd be surprised what he can do, especially with plans for every position in the city. By the way, do you know where the cannons are?"
"Unfortunately I don't, they didn't update the positions."
"We'll be fine," Lard Nar reassured her.
"Alright everyone, let's move out," O'Roni announced, "Remember the plan – anyone who acts too soon, I will personally snap their neck if I get out alive."
A few laughs were heard and then the seriousness came. Many Vortians gathered up their weapons, secretly hoping their training paid off. Nervousness became rapid; many had families within the city. They knew if this failed, a purge of those they loved would be affected. All the more reason not to fail. A hand landed on Lard Nar's shoulder.
"Are you ready, my friend?" O'Roni asked.
"Of course."
…
"This is a horrible plan."
"But you just said it would work."
Lard Nar grumbled to himself and kept driving an outdated hovercraft. On paper, the plan was simple. Deliver the cake they had to get past the checkpoint and to the docking station. From there the attack would begin, signaling the others. The radio clicked and they heard a few Irkens talk about how dull the day was.
'Not expecting us, that's good,' he thought, trying to keep himself from getting nervous.
"Alright, we're here Nar, please don't get us killed."
Lard Nar couldn't help but laugh and then more weight was put onto his shoulders. The "what if" feeling came on again, but he quickly shoved that aside, intent on not failing. A tall Irken approached him, obviously the commander at this checkpoint.
"Cargo, inferior," he said with utter disgust. Lard Nar could already tell this Irken was looking for a reason to shoot him, but he didn't let it get to him.
"We're carrying the cake you guys ordered," he said.
"Open the back doors, inferior," the Irken ordered.
Lard Nar did as he was told. Two more Irkens approached the back. Lard Nar's heart started beating rapidly. What if they found the others? However, the Irkens were so fixated on the cake, they failed to see anyone who was underneath the covers.
"Looks delicious – I mean, clear sir," said the Irken, correcting himself.
"Proceed, you inferior," the commander said.
Lard Nar was getting a little ticked off by that but ignored it. It would be foolish to act when they were so close. They stopped a few yards from the house and the Irkens unloaded the cake, while one stood guard, watching Lard Nar and O'Roni.
"If he doesn't like the cake, you'll both be shot," one of the Irkens said.
"About that…" said O'Roni as he hit a button. The Irken then froze in place.
"What did you do?" asked Lard Nar.
"Tapped into his Pak and put him in limbo. You have to love we've practically built everything they use."
"True. Durlian, you ready?"
Durlian, along with two others, removed their blankets, and merely nodded. Grabbing a few backpacks, they hustled out. Moving like the wind, they went downhill, easily avoiding the skeleton crew who did not get to eat the cake. Eventually, they made it to the docking station and started to place bombs that looked like little balls of metal. Putting at least one on each support beam, Durlian leapt up and emptied the rest onto the dock before retreating back down. The trio finished up and went further behind the docking station.
"They're ready," said Lard Nar.
"Good. Mira, how's your position?" O'Roni asked into a radio.
"Communications are cut, we're ready when you are General," Mira responded.
"Good, let's do this."
Pulling out a controller, he started counting down.
"5… 4… 3… 2… 1… and…"
INSIDE THE HOUSE
Larb was watching the view outside before a knock was heard.
"General, the cake is here," said the elite soldier who entered the room.
"Ah, good, a snacking is just what I need to start-"
BOOM!
An explosion rippled through the house. It hit Larb's floor blowing the balcony, window, and part of the floor off. He barely had enough time to dodge the debris. Another explosion was heard, more powerful, and he looked outside to see the docking station burst into flames.
OUTSIDE
"Let's go," said O'Roni, jumping from the car and letting lose his gun, killing the confused guards at the checkpoint. By now, a few more explosions were heard throughout the city, along with war cries that only Vortians made. If one could see the situation, they would see isolated Irken patrols desperately trying to defend themselves. Gunfire erupted on every street and the Irkens were slowly losing control. Back at the house, more Vortians poured in and started to surround the property. Those alive inside quickly started to fire back, fully intending for the house to not fall.
In Larb's room everyone was panicking, and he was too shocked to even give orders. The surprise attack had thrown everyone into confusion and reports were flooding the radios over being surrounded. Larb, the General that was supposed to be the leader, merely stood like an idiot. This was a common problem – since height outranked everything, many Irken commanders had little experience and always used the firepower they had to win. But in this case, with his air support gone, he had no idea how to handle the situation. Then there was the fact it was a surprise attack. The Irken military utterly failed to prove any knowledge on what to do when you were surprised attack.
"Orders, sir?" said an Irken, having a clueless face.
"Um…" 'What to do, what to do, what to do?!'
The smell of smoke filled the air and he realized those dam firebombs the Vortians had were eating away at the house. Outside, Lard Nar was helping throw the makeshift firebombs, killing those shooting from the windows. They wouldn't be enough to burn down the house, but enough to kill the enemy. A few screams were heard and a few Irkens even jumped from the windows in a vain attempt to put out the flames. Mira then clicked into the radio.
"Guys, they're warming up the cannons, my team can take over, take those out," she said.
"I believe I'm the one to give orders," joked O'Roni, earning a few laughs, "Nar, you and Durlain take a few others, and go and take out those cannons before they let loose."
"Yes sir," Lard Nar said, moving from his position.
While he moved out, Mira started her attack. Using a few Voot Cruisers the Irkens left lying around due to them being outdated, they positioned themselves in front of the roof before firing. The roof was shredded; opening up the window, she and her team jumped down into the gaping hole. The few dazed Irkens didn't stand a chance and were blown away. She motioned for the other three to come with her and she popped up a hologram.
"Okay, Larb is located here, there shouldn't be too many guards, most of them are in the second floor… or were," she grinned, knowing that cake had taken care of most of them, "Alright, let's move out."
Kicking the door in, they were immediately greeted with a blaze of gunfire.
In Larb's room, the situation was getting worse. Looking at a hologram map, he saw the city was falling to the Vortians. He recently gave the order for those outside the city to retreat towards the cannons. He was hoping he could defend this house, but it looked more and more unlikely. Still, he would try to bunker down where his laser cannons were.
"Contact Seno, and tell him we need reinforcements," he ordered.
"Sir, all communication between the city and Seno has been cut!" an officer replied.
He was about to speak but another soldier did first.
"Sir, Vortians have penetrated the roof and are making their way here."
Larb rubbed his temples; everything was falling apart.
"Alright, let's get out of here, we're moving base," he ordered.
It was at that moment the door to the room burst open, throwing everyone off guard. Three Vortians rolled in and unleashed hell upon his men. You couldn't say it was even a gunfight, because the Irkens barely had enough time to react. Larb ducked behind his desk while seeing all his men drop like flies. He then realized he was cornered. He heard footsteps and then a familiar voice spoke.
"Hello, Larb."
"Oh, damn it, out of all the people, it had to her," he whispered.
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"Look out!"
Durlian ducked just in time as Lard Nar shot an Irken. They had managed to capture one cannon and hoped to use it to hit the other, but they didn't know how to control it. The Irkens picked up on this and were attempting to take the cannon back. Someone grabbed Lard Nar's head and slammed it into the controls, and before he could react a fist slammed into his stomach. An arm wrapped around him, and then a blade was at his throat. He then saw Durlian in front of him and heard a voice behind him.
"Drop your weapon or your friend – GAH!" he was freed and saw the Irken clutching his throat where a little blade had landed. Lard Nar wasted no time before shooting the Irken in the chest.
"Thanks, Durlian."
He nodded before shooting his gun, trying to keep the increasingly desperate Irkens at bay.
"How the hell do you shoot this thing?!" he screamed, slamming a fist onto the controls. A blast was let off and blew the other cannon to pieces.
"Yes!" he screamed, but then saw the cannon give off a shot before falling. He felt Durlian grab the back of his collar and leap off the cannon before it exploded. The four mechanical legs gave way and collapsed onto the ground. The Irkens' expressions were priceless, giving off that "what the hell just happened?" vibe. The Vortians on the other hand gave off a similar feeling.
The Irkens seemed to give an alien feeling to the Vortians… defeatism. Because after that, their Paks opened into jetpacks and they bailed. The Vortians could have gunned them down but chose not to because the moment was symbolic… the Irkens were retreating… they had won.
"Did… did we actually win?" Lard Nar asked, seeing the last of the supposed Irken Elite fly off.
Durlian's eyes opened wide before shaking his head "yes".
"We won… we won!" exclaimed Lard Nar, hugging Durlian. The rest of the Vortians started to cheer at the victory.
"We won… we won" Lard Nar continued, tears running down his eyes.
O'Roni overlooked the damage over the city. Currently, they were working on putting the fires out and pushing out the last pockets of resistance. The wounded were being attended to while the dead were being put into a pile. His radio clicked and Mira spoke.
"General, Larb has been captured."
"Good keep him detained," he responded.
He kept watching, his eyes not staying in one spot for long, and then someone came up behind him.
"Well, it seems you were successful," said 777.
"Far from it; this is only the beginning, and that's what worries me. The Irken Empire will not give up as easily as they did here. I never thought so far ahead. Tell me 777, what should I do now? Because I don't know how to act next."
777 didn't speak, which only gnawed at O'Roni's mind. After what seemed like forever, he spoke.
"You'd be surprised at what life throws at you. Wait a little and your opportunity will come."
With that he walked off, leaving O'Roni to think about what he said.
"I hope your right."
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If one could describe the mood at The Hub in La'Ko, it would be silent… extremely silent. When the Irkens who escaped from Ch'neeko had given word the Vortians seized the place, he asked them all to meet him privately. Right now a few Irkens were busy cleaning up the blood and body parts from around the room. Seno was leaning against the wall, covered in blood, his face unreadable. But most people could feel the aura of rage within him. The fact he couldn't vent his anger onto Larb because he was captured only made it worse. And he was already angry enough when the Irken Elite admitted to bailing out.
"Disgraces," he muttered.
He now wished he hadn't left Larb in charge. That day where they clashed he should have simply dismissed him and had that city burned down, exterminated. Now he had to ask the Tallest for help. The loss of Larb and his men along with the ships and cannons were huge blows to his own forces.
"Sir," a technician approached him, walking with caution.
"Yes?"
"Another security breach was found; the Vortians have access to our communication channels and have access to all the city layouts along with our positions."
Seno's rage shot through the roof, but mostly out of disbelief at an even bigger security breach. He saw Riker even had his eyes propped up, which was rare.
"Do we know who do did this?"
"Unfortunately we don't-"
The technician's collar was gripped and Seno pulled him in.
"THEN FIND OUT WHO DID IT! HOW CAN WE FIGHT IF SOMEONE IS SPILLING OUR SECRETS SO EASILY?! FIND HIM, FIND HIM, FIND HIM!" he screamed, dropping him and watching him scurry across the room.
"My staff… so useless," he clenched his fists and wanted to hit something, but the walls were steel and would hurt him, and he would not hit Riker. His Pak then beeped and his monitor shot out. He immediately saluted, seeing the taller Irken.
"Overseer Seno reporting for duty."
"Ah, Overseer, you are to attend the ceremony for-"
"I'm sorry sir, but a… situation calls for me to remain here," he said.
"You me the revolt."
Seno's heart skipped a beat; how did they know?
"Don't look so shocked; the news has been spreading like wildfire across our enslaved planets. Tell me this, is it true Larb has been captured?"
"Yes," Seno said meekly. He could see the taller Irken's face change to a look of disappointment.
"Well, we're putting Vort's issues on hold, but we will send you resources to combat them. Also, as I was saying earlier, you are to attend the crowning of the new Tallest."
"New Tallest?" Now Seno was confused but also afraid. What happened to the Tallest?
"Yes, get this – in the midst of attacking Meekrob, a stray shot from light-years away tore through the Massive and blew it to pieces. The Meekrob seized the opportunity and crushed our attempted invasion. We've traced the shot to its origins – guess what, Zim apparently has the newest laser cannon."
Seno stood with his jaw gaping open.
"We don't know how, and we don't care. The Control Brains are quarantining his sector and have ordered no one within 12 light-years approach him."
Seno stood in shock. What was with this Irken? Now four Tallests lay dead, the Control Brains were terrified of him after the attempted trial, not to mention how he hacked the Massive, sent that planet that wiped out half the armada during the organic sweep of Blorch… And that wasn't mentioning how in his youth he had nearly destroyed Irk. The official policy towards Zim was to keep him as far away as possible, but that seemed to have failed.
"So… putting that aside, who's the new Tallest?"
"It was supposed to be Kove, but he died on the Massive. So now the brains are seeking out the tallest one. It's going to be hard; The Massive's destruction is a serious blow, but we'll talk more on that matter later, just attend."
"Yes sir, Overseer Seno signing off."
The monitor popped back into his Pak.
"What a day Riker, what a day," he said as he walked out of the room, while mentally conjuring up plans to wipe out that city.
'It's not over yet, I'll secure more firepower and blast a crater into the planet and crush this petty uprising, and if Larb's still alive I'll have him proclaimed a defective and shot.'
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Larb sat in the corner of his cell. He knew he was dead. They were currently celebrating the capture of the Irken who conquered Vort. The cell was definitely not like the most comfortable couch. He heard some footsteps and thought it would be a Vortian wishing to gloat or scold or vent anger on him.
'Oh well, better than the alternative,' he thought.
The fact he was captured would render his height useless; he was an embarrassment to the empire for this. He then saw Mira standing outside his cell.
"So…" he began, "Want some closure?"
Good, bad, ok? Helps to leave constructive criticism to improve. I do plan to do a sequel of this one shot as the fight itself and maybe one more so it meant be a trilogy, is not over but that depends if this will take off. Well hoped you enjoyed it, see ya
Oh one more thing, I already know who I have planned to be the next tallest, think you can guess which person it will be?