EP13:
Scene 122:
The Imperial Master was very pleased with his new Commander, if only he could have a few more of Makara's ilk...
Her report, via her male-alter ego symbiote was enjoyable viewing for him. Considering the work involved in creating the first of the great Thalian Symbiotes, he surmised that it was worth the effort. They were not merely implants, to construct these new creations the Imperial Master had returned to his Thalian Planet homeworld and had imbued the initial device with part of the very essence of one of the Thalian elders that resided at the planet's core. The unrepentant evil that had been captured and held within the tiny face belied it's corrupting powers on it's host. Blessed with a sense of itself, it would be able to operate without direct input from the Imperial Master, and would guide and assist Makara's own twisted personality in carrying out the Master's orders more effectively than Thalian Commanders past. If successful, this would become a blueprint for his future elite commanding officers. He decided to test Makara some more...
Scene 123:
On board the victorious Battle Cruiser, Makara was in her private quarters. Thalians still needed to replenish themselves, even if the ever efficient nanites had eked out the time available between recharging. The Imperial Master's familiar hologram appeared in her room, her symbiote immediately turned all attention to it, the cup of Thalian ale she was about to imbibe was held motionlessly to one side.
"Makara, you have done well, now it is time for us to defeat the Thalidians, remember, they have already proved themselves worthy in battle against us.
"We will not disappoint you, Imperial Master" came the almost monotone reply.
"Do not fail me, you would not wish to incur my wrath".
"By your divine guidance".
Scene 124:
As he broke off primary communications with Makara's symbiote, the Imperial Master noted that her unique bi-gendered make-up seemed particularly suited to the dual roles of symbiotic co-existence between bionic and organic.
He turned his attention to more pressing matters.
"Caliban, have you perfected the laser mental energy assimilatron?"
"It is almost ready to be tested, your Imperial highness".
"You have 100 parsecs!" he snapped.
"By your divine guidance" replied Caliban.
Scene 125:
Caliban turned to face poor Midia, her head completely covered by a device not that unlike the laser memory dissimilator.
"My dear, you will soon be providing us with all the information we need". He allowed himself a little chuckle as he got on with his gruesome task. Midia tried to scream, but found her voice unable to make any sounds, maybe she had already screamed herself hawse.
Scene 126:
Makara's victory over the Thalidians was as swift as it was brutal:
As her battle cruiser dropped out of hyperspeed, she relayed her tactics:
"Orion, slow to full impulse only, we will surprise them and pass through their outer defences."
Orion turned to the Termoid crew: "Maintain course, ahead full impulse", he commanded.
The huge ship's momentum blasted it through the outer mists of planet Thalide, and as expected, the advanced mode attack screens went blank.
"Shields up", Makara snapped.
"Shields!" repeated Orion, his words copied by Termoid bleats.
The cruiser charged into the inner atmosphere of Thalide, homing in on the last known co-ordinates of the main source of Thalidian defences, gleaned from the previous unsuccessful assault.
"Delta Laser, Now!" Shrieked Makara.
As the ship sped towards the planet's surface, Orion began to panic, "D-delta laser?".
The tip of Makara's sword showed she meant business.
"F-fire Delta Laser!" uttered Orion.
The large weapon was hurriedly brought to the edge of the craft's capacious maw, and a triangular blue bolt of energy was released forth.
"Now! Share ALL power, between shields and reverse thrust!" Screamed Makara.
Scene 127:
The Thalidians were caught totally unawares, their main flight defences struggling to get airborne. At close range the concentrated Delta Laser beam tore a huge gash though the very crust of the planet, a canyon appeared and the huge Kathaar class cruiser's lights dimmed as it's power surged to slow it's descent, planetary rocks and debris were flung everywhere, and bounced off the ship's shields as it used every last emi-milliton of the depth of the new canyon to slow down.
Scene 128:
On the bridge, the Termoids were thrown asunder, Orion hit his head, and Makara, a raging red tyrant, clung to her command post and screamed "Hold steady!"
An audacious and very risky attack, every last ounce of manoeuvrability that the vast vessel had to offer was used up, but work it did. The cruiser swooshed through the canyon it had created where once the Thalidian main defence force was housed. Slowing and turning to face the remaining disarrayed forces, as Makara hysterically bellowed:
"Orion, launch all carriers, full scale assault! Annihilate them all!"
Struggling to his feet, and genuinely scared of his Commander's apparently totally insane streak, he literally ran from the bridge, issuing orders as he went.
Scene 129:
Soon enough, waves of attack craft piloted by slightly disoriented Termoids poured from the scuffed but still sound battle cruiser. If they were flustered, it was nothing to the panic and confusion of the remaining Thalidian forces they faced. The ensuing battle saw casualties on both sides, but ultimately, the Imperial Alliance had crushed its toughest foe to date.
Scene 130:
A defiant Makara made her report to the Imperial Master. Her symbiote relaying the results of the battle, also the tactics used to achieve them. The total daredevil nature of Makara's plan being laid bare, the Imperial Master was less than impressed.
"Makara, you arrogant fool, you are no use to me and the Alliance if you are dead!"
"But we were victorious!", retorted Makara, a rare outburst at her Master.
She was sent reeling back in her command post, as her symbiont relayed the Master's disapproval at her insolence, through the medium of pain. She was caught off guard, luckily her symbiont was able to override her actions and grab the balcony rail and silence his other half.
"Imperial Master we beg forgiveness" the symbiote grovelled.
"Very well, but I will brook no more of these outbursts! Return to base Immediately".
"By your divine guidance".
Scene 131:
The huge craft altered it's course and accelerated away at Hyperspeed, it's harvester cells full of captured Thalidians ready for bionic implant and acculturation to the burgeoning Thalian forces.
Scene 132:
Back at the Imperial Master's fortress, sinister events were unfolding.
"Caliban, I have been patient enough! Activate the laser mental energy assimilatron, Now!"
In his gruesome lab, Caliban hurriedly rushed to complete his evil work of genius:
"I am ready, Great Master" he said, trying to hide the apprehension in his voice.
"Excellent, with this new device, I will be able to access untold minds many millitons away!" The Imperial Master waxed.
"Activate the device!"
"By your divine guidance", came the submissive reply.
Poor Midia was restrained with the vast machine poised over her, she had blacked out many times due to abject fear and malnutrition. With hindsight, her Thalian captives might have taken more care of their valuable asset had they known what was about to unfold. She began to black out again.
"Oh no you don't" smiled Caliban, and he reached for a dial and turned it slightly. This action caused a syringe to move, injecting more neural stimulant into Midia's frail body. Her eyes were forced wide open once more. Caliban turned to face a lever and grasping it, he pulled it towards him. Power cells began to charge the energy ray above Midia's head, as the power increased, a high-pitched whine made itself heard. The purple ray began to play down upon the magnification filter over Midia's forehead. The filter glowed orange, then red, then purple, as it attained it's infiltration frequency. Midia's feeble body writhed and her spine arched with pain, yet she made no sound, the assimilatron forced forth her incipient telepathic ability, and through connections to an outer transmitter/receiver array, projected the metaphysical beam out across the galaxy, directly towards the co-ordinates of the Planet Esper!