Chapter 2: High Command

"I believe it is official. Our people on Aether have gone nuts." Elite unit # 004 remarks casually after everyone has finished reading the latest report from Aether.

"Not that we can blame them. Have you seen the casualty reports from that base?" Elite unit #003 asks.

"It really is a lost cause, when you consider what they're up against." Elite unit #002 nods in agreement.

"So…what are we going to do about it?" Elite unit #005 steeples his elongated fingers together as he leans back in his chair at the seat of the council table. Contrary to popular belief, it is 005 who is in charge there, not 001. His luminous blue eyes rove the suddenly silent table of other elite units, all genetically engineered and trained to be the best of the best of the best in every way possible. They are the taskmasters of High Command, overseeing the various bases and colonies and making sure everyone is doing their job. They send backup troops and munitions to certain colonies when they deem it necessary, and send instructions as to what each colony is to do with its resources. They are the brains behind the network of pirate bases. Problem is, they are a lot of ninnies.

Lyzu sighs with exasperation. Sometimes it seems like there isn't enough Tylenol in the entire galaxy to deal with the massive headaches these meetings give him.

"For Zebes' sake, send some troops to help the poor bastards! Isn't it obvious that they're desperate?"

There is a collective swiveling of heads as every blue eyed gaze in the council chamber turns upon him. Lyzu folds his arms across his chest and glares back at them all stubbornly. He is a young elite, and yet he has already earned himself a praenomen. His career had had a very interesting beginning. He was just about to leave some backwater planet after a successful diplomatic mission (read: intimidation of some underground connections) when he was cornered by a gang of bounty hunters. The hunters were feeling quite good about themselves, having killed all his guards and successfully surrounded him and were holding him at gunpoint. No one had ever captured an elite space pirate before, and the hunters were quite giddy about their accomplishment. But you can imagine their surprise when Lyzu threw off his cape, whipped out his blades, and promptly proceeded to beat the crap out of them. He slaughtered the lot, save one whom he simply left unconscious. He needed someone alive to tell the story, after all. He then calmly piloted back to Command and casually informed his superiors that he needed a new set of guards, as his old ones had been terminated. When the astonished higher-ups had learned the whole story, they immediately elected to give him a praenomen. Lyzu, which literally means "guard-less" (roughly translated, "needs no guards"). Though happy at first to receive such an honor, he was slightly dismayed when he learned that any elite member who has earned a praenomen shall instantly be promoted to the council, regardless of age. Not that he's the only young person there, he remembers with a cursory glance at 006 and 009.

"Desperate they may be, but desperation does not prove worth." Elite 008 says slowly.

All the other Elite units who are still paying attention to the conversation nod in agreement. After his initial outburst, units 010 and 007 had slipped back into their whispered argument about who could peg the largest number of warwasps from outer space with a three shooter gunship, and 006 and 009 had returned to doing…something… under the table. 009 would smile over at 006 as she fidgeted a little in her seat, and then suddenly 006 would sit straight up with his eyes wide while trying to suppress a shudder. Lyzu isn't sure what exactly it is they're doing, but he has a pretty good idea and he does not wish to know details.

"Aren't they mining phazon up there?" he asks pointedly.

"Yes."

"Have we not already agreed that phazon is the key to galactic dominance?"

"We have agreed to such."

"And what other colonies are mining phazon?"

Silence. Lyzu sits back in his seat triumphantly.

"Very well, Lyzu," Elite 005 begins, his glittering eyes peering lazily at Lyzu from beneath half lowered lids as a smile tugs at his lipless mouth, "since you are so concerned over the welfare of the base on Aether, why don't you go down to oversee the operations there yourself?"

Words escape Lyzu as he stares at his superior.

"Why yes, why don't you go handle it Lyzu?" 008 chimes in, a similarly evil smile lingering at the corners of his mouth. The other council members (the ones who are paying attention) all bear similarly evil expressions as they vocalize their assent. Lyzu is not very well liked by the council, and they have been looking to get rid of him for a while now.

Lyzu narrows his eyes and begins to think. He knows going to Aether is suicide, just as well as the rest of the council knows it. And yet his mouth slowly curls into a smile as he turns to regard 005.

"Alright, if you insist. But I will of course require additional munitions and troops- as well as all the parts they have requested for repairs." he says evenly.

005's fists clench as he struggles to keep his tone outwardly pleasant, "Yes…yes of course…I trust you'll set off immediately?"

"As soon as everything's ready."

"Very well then. Council's dismissed!"

The word "dismissed" was hardly out of his mouth when 006 and 009 shot up from the table and ran out into the hallway. Lyzu shook his head and got up at a more leisurely pace. He, along with the other council members, slowly filtered out of the room- except 010 and 007, who were now arguing about how many geemers they could hit with a galvanic accelerator cannon while sitting blindfolded on the back of a moving transport.