Chapter 7: Alken
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Bogon, Ratatosk System in the Igdrasil Sector. 9 December, 19:37 Standard Time
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Angela leads the five-person Ta'ree entourage to the temporary brig, wondering why the Proconsul didn't leave behind his four intimidating guards. They would look ordinary enough since many armors cover their wearer completely from shoulder to toe, but theirs covers every square inch of them from top to bottom, and the slightly globule helms give her the unnerving impression that they are staring at her. The fact that they haven't put away their Blasters adds no reassurance.
Security chief Cross reaches the doors to the stripped-down quarters. Currently the door is guarded by a pair of Megacorp security robots. She nods to the nearest one and it turns around to open the door. As the door opens with its ever-so-slight hiss, Angela thinks she hears the Proconsul mutter something about police drones.
Angela takes a step towards the door, just enough to block it, then turns around. "You're going to have to leave your guards outside. No weapons in the brig."
Without missing a beat, the Proconsul replies, "Unacceptable. I am an official of the Ta'ree Oligarchy, I am not to be without escort."
"And this is my ship. I am the security chief. The rules are simple: no weapons in the brig. Either your guards stay outside, or they leave their weapons behind."
The Proconsul squints, thinking. After a few seconds, he turns to the two guards keeping formation behind him.
"Iktarana nabisai tongu ka."
"Nala haten mai ku, rama irangul agleshpa." A synthesized, androgynous voice answers, but since none of the four black-clad guards move, Angela can't be sure which one replied.
"San hon tuma, arla morken se."
The Proconsul turns back around. "One of my guards will surrender his weapons to the others, and that guard will accompany me. Is this acceptable?" The Proconsul throws out the last sentence as a sneer.
Still, the Proconsul will not leave until he has seen and spoken with Rusko, and the captain ordered her cooperation, so Cross yields. "Fine. Your guard leaves all his weapons with your other three, and those three stay out in the hall right here."
One guard hands his Blaster, then a few other weapons Angela hadn't noticed to the other guards. After the weapon drop-off is finished, Angela steps through. The guard marches through the door, his heavy kuh-thuk footsteps making her nerves jittery, and the Proconsul follows last. Angela closes the outer door and waves to the guard sitting on a recliner inside.
The guard waves back, then gets up to open the doors to the stripped-down bedroom. Angela notes that although the Megacorp security robot has made no large movements, it tracks the black-clad Ta'ree guard with its eyes. The inner doors open and Angela steps through.
Rusko stands up and steps forward, not bothering to fake sleep this time. Angela walks farther into the room and waits, which surprises Rusko. Not only was he not expecting her back today, he wasn't expecting her to bring in anybody else. Then the Ta'ree guard steps in with his usual steady, slow but unstoppable march.
Rusko's eyes widen to impossible proportions. The fear is evident on his face, and he begins to instinctively backpedal, slipping on the smooth metal floor. He falls on his backside, but the only indication that he was aware of the fall is a twitch from his tail. Rusko continues to back up, his feet and arms thrusting him away from the guard until the prisoner lombax's back hits the wall.
"It's got Alken armor! We've been throwing everything we have at it, but-"
Abruptly, the transmission from the entrance of the compound is cut off. Rusko swallows, his tail twitching nervously as he re-adjusts his grip on his grenade gun. Behind him are strategically stacked crates, with carefully positioned snipers and automated turrets. Rusko hears a missile explode and swallows. I hope that we can at least do some damage to this damned 'angel of death'.
A few yards ahead are the thick section doors. Unfortunately, they aren't blast doors and the Alken has placed a charge on it. Rusko remains ducked behind his cover, his eyes squeezed shut and his ears pressed flat against his skull in nervousness. Then, suddenly he feels a wave of pressure.
Rusko sees the flash and pieces of debris, what once was the door, go flying over the barricade cover. The defenders stand and unleash everything they have. Rusko pauses in momentary surprise. Rusko had heard of 'Alken' referred to by the singular, but now, standing here watching it, he is surprised to actually see that there is only one opponent.
The Alken stands there, silent and intimidating. It is clad entirely in black armor. The armor is sectioned, some of it shimmering like a perfect mirror under the fluorescent lights, deflecting their illumination, and the dull parts so black they seem to absorb light. The rather bulb-like helmet completely hides any trace of the Ta'ree wearing the armor, giving Rusko the disturbing feeling that this beast of destruction is staring straight at him.
Rusko snaps out of it and squeezes down on the trigger, sending a shock grenade at the Alken. His grenades join the lasers and other explosives that strike the Alken, but all of their blows seem to glance off harmlessly. Rusko watches his grenade hit and he instinctively squints his eyes. The weapon goes off and the Alken barely flinches at the force of the enhanced grenade.
The Alken holds out its arms, laser chainguns in both hands. Laser fire erupts into the barricade like a disjointed stream, and Rusko hears screams around him. His sense of sound begins to return and he is dimly aware of the snipers. The laser fire spraying at him penetrates the crate behind him, and the barricade erupts in a fireball, throwing Rusko aside like a rag doll.
A loud 'PA-SHRAK' rips the air as the sniper fire resumes, a depleted raritaranium slug splits through the explosion. The sliver-shaped projectile races straight and true on its path to the Alken's neck.
. . . Rusko's heart sinks when a yellow energy shield pops into being around its head and body, deflecting the shot. Rusko tries to lever up his grenade launcher and send the rest of his clip at the Alken, but his arm doesn't respond. A gray starts creeping in from the edges of Rusko's vision and he is dimly aware that the laser fire resumes. A scream reaches his ears just before unconsciousness claims him.
Rusko is only peripherally aware of Angela and the Proconsul's presence as the Ta'ree official smirks and dryly states, "Hello, lomban."