Chapter 25

Weavel had warned Angseth that the other Siafu might not take to her readily, Even though he had already announced and notified those in charge that she would assume temporary command of the invasion forces. Angseth had already guessed to that. Their culture had been so thoroughly destroyed by years of Ridleys rule that their social hierarchy had been reduced to primitive levels. The strongest individual was generally the leader. That worked well to Vera's advantage especially among the Siafu because brawn didn't always equal brains, although their commanders seemed to have an even balance of both.

Weavel had taken control of the Behemoth, with the combined forces of the other Siafu vessels, the Juggernaut, Abomination, and the Nightmare at his command. It was up to him and Briar to convince Admiral Arget'ni that they intended no ill will against Confederation vessels or troops. Angseth traveled to the Nightmare to meet her boarding party and their drop ships. Weavel had issued two loyal bodyguards, Fenris and Loki, to be at her side at all times. Even though they didn't have as much armor as some of the others she encountered, their quick movements and stunning grasp of Standard helped push them a little higher in her thinking. Even now she could see what Weavel was up to. He was trying to promote more brains in the system. She wished him luck. As much as she had wanted to turn down any escorts he could have given her, she knew that they were necessary. She still hadn't gotten fully accustomed to her new cybernetics, and her dreaded limp was back. As Vera stepped out of her transport into the docking bay of the Nightmare, she could see several drawn Plasma Scythes from the Elite onboard the ship. Angseth had anticipated a fight; she just didn't think it would be this soon.

Fenris and Loki stepped in to block the attack, but Angseth told them to stand down. If she were to take command of these troops, then she would need to do it under her own steam. At the time she hadn't realized that just the act of activating the Battlehammer would have affected the Siafu the way it did. Of the five Elites that had drawn weapons against her, three withdrew and stepped back. The remaining two jumped at her in unison. Angseth had never used a Battlehammer before, but she did know some basic swordplay. The Battlehammer was nothing like a normal sword. It was indeed a Plasma Scythe The outer sharpened edge could deliver a nasty cut, but the inner edge was the focus of attack power. The blade was marvelous for close quarters combat, but also helped to deflect mid to long range weaponry as well.

Vera drew her arm back, winding up for a healthy blow. It wasn't difficult to track the movements of her foes. The Phazon that flickered along her skin and visor provided her with the ability to understand her foes intentions, and the power to counter them. She swung, neatly cleaving the first attackers Plasma Scythe in two, along with taking his head clean off his shoulders. Within the same movement, she turned her wrist slightly, and then took a half-step forward, driving the point of the Battlehammer deep into the chest of the second attacker. She finished taking her step, bringing her feet together, and lifting his still squirming body high into the air before her. Angseth felt rage and satisfaction well deep inside her. Satisfaction and pride, and much like she had done to Ridley hours before, her soul exploded with all the emotions she tried vainly to contain. The burst of Phazon traveled up her new cybernetic arm and into the body of the Elite impaled on her weapon. It danced for a moment before turning to ash and dust.

She quickly brought the Battlehammer down, flicking what ash and bone that remained off the surface before deactivating it. Angseth turned to the remaining three Elites, the Phazon traveled down her body before dispelling at her feet, vaguely resembling lightning. The last three fell to one knee, weapons at their side, heads bowed. She heard clicks and chirps fill the room as the amassed army of Siafu in the docking bay dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully. Vera turned her head toward one of her bodyguards. "What are they saying?"

Fenris stepped forward and whispered near her external microphone. "They are saying 'Our Phazon Mistress has returned to us! Glory to the Siafu!'"

Fleet Admiral Arget'ni sat quietly in the briefing room aboard the Salem, surrounded by her advisors and generals, along with the entire administrative staff of the Salem. All were silent as they studied the data coming from the perimeter. The Kriken were coming in fast. The battleships out there were not enough to cause the Kriken to even so much as pause in their approach. And if matters couldn't get any worse, now scans reveled incoming Pirate ships. Their forces were as ready as they could be aboard the Salem. All they could do was wait for the Kriken and then Pirates to come in range.

"We've just lost contact with the Mabus, and the MacArthur. Mines have been placed around the perimeter of the Ring," Admiral Keeton of the Salem reported. Like most of the settlers in Draco, he was human, although his purple eyes and long ears betrayed his mixed heritage. "Most of the external weaponry had been knocked out by the Pirates, although the engineering teams you have sent seemed to have gotten a few of them operational."

Arget'ni nodded once, acknowledging the information. "Have they managed to get the jump gate working again?"

"We haven't received any information since the engineering officer from the Mabus sent his assistants away."

"What? Why?"

"We have been unable to contact him since."

Arget'ni addressed the woman across the table, General Isoke of ground forces. "Gather some troops that aren't needed elsewhere and go down there to see if they need any assistance. We need that gate."

"Yes Admiral," she saluted and left.

Admiral Arget'ni ran her fingers over the holo keys, monitoring the Kriken's approach. They were still too far away for the weapons on the Salem to do any good. With their supplies so low, they needed to make every shot count. Mirson's assistant Anderson coughed once at her side. He appeared to be more sensitive to the air quality on the Salem than most of her other officers. Anderson had given her nothing but sound advice since he boarded her ship a month ago.

"Admiral," the com blipped.

"What is it?"

"We've just received a com from the Mabus. Captain," here the coms specialist paused. "…Captain Briar wishes to speak with you directly."

Anderson coughed suddenly, pausing a moment to pull a tissue from his pocket.

"I'll take it," Admiral Arget'ni checked her scans once more. If the Mabus was able to get through the Kriken masses, then perhaps the Mac Arthur had ridden the storm as well. She pressed a holo key and waited as Briar's image appeared above the table, flickering unsteadily for a moment before growing solid.

"Fleet Admiral, please forgive the poor quality of the signal, I'm kinda borrowing a com line."

"I read you loud and clear Lieutenant. What do you have to report?"

Briar fought the urge to correct her yet again. "I know that you've probably already seen the Pirate ships coming in on the external scans. I request that the Salem nor any of the other vessels fire upon them. They're on our side."

"What?"

"Captain Angseth has made a bargain with their leader, they wish to help us defeat the Kriken."

"Am I hearing this correctly?" Arget'ni was skeptical.

"As I speak to you, I am using a com line from the Pirate vessel, Behemoth. Their General wishes to speak with you."

The officers gathered in the room as Weavel's image flickered above the table. He didn't skip a beat as he began to speak. "I am Weavel, Prince and commanding officer of the Siafu."

"The Si-who?"

"We are a faction that have broken away from Ridley's command with the aid of Samus Aran and Captain Angseth. She has returned and is enroute to the Salem now. I would like to repay their efforts."

Arget'ni studied both Briar and Weavel's holos. Anderson coughed again. "I wish that was my decision alone to make. I appreciate the offer, but I cannot guarantee the safety of your vessels or crew. There is still much hate between our peoples."

"I understand that. I can assure you that my troops will not come in contact with Confederation forces. The Siafu and Kriken are also enemies, we know more about their battle tactics and abilities than the Confederation."

"I can issue the order, Prince, but I cannot stop the men from firing upon you."

Briar then spoke up. "And that is where I come in Admiral."

Once again she studied each face. One feline and obviously none too pleased, the other an unreadable mask. "What do you have in mind?"

"Something myself and Angseth use in training simulations, the Battlegrid. Each Confederation soldier has a specific com frequency, as do Pi-Siafu troops. I can use the systems on the Mabus to load a detailed map of the decks and floors of the Salem, then keep a live-update of the location of our forces. Since the Salem is broken into two main sections, the Ring and Central Core, the Siafu will take position and defend the Ring, while the majority of Marines can be moved to the Central Core. That will allow the Siafu to navigate without the risk of encountering our Marines."

Arget'ni glanced upward at her officers, they seemed tired, skeptical, and afraid. But then again, their own supplies were low, and fending off the Kriken was not going to be easy. Finally she asked. "Anderson?"

"I must admit that I am intrigued. First that woman turns back an entire fleet, then manages to…" his throat began to tickle, causing his voice to raise an octave. "...recruit some of them. The Battlegrid will be like shooting fish in a barrel provided we can keep an accurate tally and fix on the," this time he stopped completely, and proceeded to cough so loudly Arget'ni was certain he would rupture a lung. "Kriken,-ahem. I think we should give it a shot."

"Admiral," another of her generals spoke up. "You can't be seriously considering this. They are Pirates, and that guy there is one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy!"

Arget'ni scanned the holos once more. The Kriken had just reached the minefield around the Ring. Beside her Anderson cleared his throat again. "The Petreaus is a diplomatic vessel. As a Fleet Admiral and its Captain, I always try to take the peaceful path in a conflict. If you have truly abandoned your pirate ways Weavel, and you can keep a grip on your men, then you are welcome to aid us. However, if you betray me, and in that, also betray Lieutenant Briar, Captain Angseth, and Samus, know that I will personally take out a price on your head and send Aran after you. Are we clear?"

"I swear, no harm will come to Confederation troops by my men."

"Good, Welcome aboard."

Once the order had been given, the remaining Siafu ships quickly moved to their assigned positions. Angseth had readied several boarding crews for the Ring. The Siafu and the Kriken arrived at almost the same time. The Kriken locked their bodies together to form simple machines or clusters to penetrate and invade several parts of the Salem simultaneously. The red wasp-like wave slammed into the Ring and spilled over to the Central core. Immediately Confederation forces opened fire at the invading masses. Angseth guided her Siafu troops to key landing zones and the battle began in earnest.

The Siafu fought like demons, tearing through Kriken bodies and pieces of shielding and bulkhead. Several of their drop ships landed and docked near airlocks, while others dispatched troops along the surface of the station itself. Angseth rode with the main force, Loki and Fenris at her side. As promised the Confederation forces had cleared out, leaving the Ring and most of its weaponry to the Siafu.

"Keep an eye out, some of the Marines hadn't cleared out just yet. Keep the Siafu away from decks G and H, fourth quarter," Briar instructed over her com line.

"Will do," Angseth opened the com files. "Synchronizing com link frequencies in three, two, one…" Briar and Weavel complied, and her HUD loaded a map of the Ring along with the corresponding locations of the Siafu and Marines in the area. As an added bonus, Brair also included a hotline straight to Admiral Arget'ni. The map also filled with the current data on known Kriken intrusions. "This will help immensely," she arrived in the primary command center of the Ring to find several Marines and a few officers waiting for her.

"I never thought I'd never see the day when I would allow Pirates to enter my station."

"I apologize Commander Gretak." Angseth gave him a passing notice. "Please evacuate the Ring. Leave this to me."

"I hate to go against the Admiral's orders, but I don't like this one bit."

"That's not my problem commander. I currently have over two hundred Siafu at my disposal, and I'm so jacked up on Phazon that I don't know which end is up. So you will obey orders, or I will kill you."

Commander Gretak froze mid-step. Angseth's gaze was cold and heartless, and in that moment he knew that she would back up those words. "Your orders then, Captain?"

"Evacuate to the Central Core and assist in the assault there. I've got the Ring under control," she turned toward the control console, then began uploading the map and communications programming. "Loki, Fenris, I'll need your help to relay orders to the Siafu troops."

"Yes Mistress."

Angseth hesitated at the word "Mistress" but whatever floated their boat, and kept them under her thumb. "I don't know what you call your platoons or squads or whatever, but I need a good amount of force to move around the Outer Ring to secure several heavy artillery nests. Each nest needs about five bodies to run it." Loki immediately turned and screeched some sort of command. Angseth then updated the information and relayed it to the Admirals. "We have engaged the enemy," she watched on exterior monitors as the Siafu confronted the Kriken. "And it seems that we have a prayer to win this one now."

Dr. Bearn had her hands full with evacuation procedures. Part of the Central Core of the Salem had been set aside for emergencies such as these. The area encompassed a central part of decks K, L, and M. This area also had an interior hull and could be completely shut off from the rest of the station. It was equipped with moveable walls and planar shields that allowed for more versatility in the space. Advanced medical facilities had also been placed here, along with a secondary command post, where the Admirals and other CO's had gathered. The lower section of M had been made of moveable floors and walls that could form an emergency hangar for ships to land for evacuation purposes. The hangar itself had a straight shot to the jump gate that was contained in the Ring. Considering the situation, the retreat point was ideal.

The people of both the Salem and Seattle were scared, they were tired, and the presence of pushy Marines wasn't making it any better. The citizens of the Salem were a little more jumpy than those of the Seattle. Those of the Seattle just wanted the confusion and loss to stop. The Marines had been loading dropships for the better part of the last hour, and each ship was crammed to capacity. Several temporary medical stations had been erected to aid the wounded, and they were many. Everything from missing limbs to extreme bronchial infections due to poor environmental conditions were clogging up the medical stations. Even more Marines had been pouring in since Admiral Arget'ni had dictated that all Marines retreat to the Central Core, leaving the Ring to be defended by a second party, whoever they were. Civilians of course had priority over the Marines, but most of them had already been stabilized.

Sakari had been making a few rounds, checking in on other medical officers and a few of their more critical patients. Her com beeped and she cursed. The cryo pods had been moved from the Mabus and were now housed here. She had hoped to safely place them on transport vessels before they finished thawing, but an internal alarm had already been tripped. Admiral Mirson's life signs had been detected and he was about to wake up. Dr. Bearn quickly cut her tasks short, then ran through the crowded halls until she reached the storage room that contained the cryo pods. Several Marines had used them as tables to enjoy what could be their last meal.

"I need all of you to move."

"Come on Doc, we've been on guard duty for twelve hours straight, let us at least eat!"

"You'll be eatin' the wrong end of my rifle if you don't move yo' ass right now!" Sakari quickly moved some of the food canisters aside to another "table," then checked the read-out along the side of the cryo-pod. Admiral Mirson's life signs were stable, and getting stronger by the minute. "This couldn't have come at a worse time," she breathed, yet stood ready with her basic equipment to ensure his vitals remained stable. As soon as Mirson was breathing on his own, the pod vented the air inside, the lid lifted, then broke apart in segments, exposing the Admiral.

Mirson coughed, his lungs still adjusting to the difference in pressure and air quality. His eyes slowly opened, his pupils dilated for the moment so only a thin rim of their normal brown was visible. "Where?" His voice cracked.

"Admiral Mirson? I am Dr. Sakari Bearn, Medical Officer of the Battlecruiser Mabus. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," he attempted to sit upright.

"Please lay back down sir, your muscles still might not have recovered from your stasis sleep."

"Stasis?"

"Please listen to me Admiral, I don't have much time and there is a lot you need to know. You are on board the Salem."

"How did I get on the Salem? The last thing I can consciously remember is attending the annual Summit on Norion."

"Norion? Admiral, a summit meeting hasn't been held on Norion for…five years sir." Dr. Bearn felt her heart drop to her stomach. The Admiral had been in stasis for that long and didn't know it.

"What kind of joke is this? I demand to know who is behind this!" he sat up again, and this time succeeded.

"Admiral, please relax. I will get some water for you. As soon as I've made sure that you've recovered, I will take you to the command center."

Mirson suddenly reached out and grabbed Dr. Bearns arm. For an old fart that had just come out of a five-year cryo, he still had an impressive grip. "Please, tell me if my daughter is alright."

"Yes sir, she is." Sakari addressed the marines that had been enjoying their meal a moment before. "I need all of you to guard this man with your lives, make sure he is comfortable."

"Who is-"

"You better show some respect. Stand at attention in the presence of a System Admiral," Dr. Bearn then stepped into the main corridor. First to get a canteen for the Admiral, and secondly to find another commanding officer to assist in getting the Admiral situated and briefed. As she stepped into a supply closet, the floor and walls around her began to vibrate and shake violently. Sakari jumped into the corridor, and began looking around. At first she thought that the Kriken had already penetrated this deeply into the station. She looked up as the ceiling of the hall bowed downward, and rolled quickly out of the way. She pulled her small pistol and took cover behind a crate. The ceiling bent and shattered, spilling a very large and glowing yellow creature into the emergency shelter. Her com line suddenly cackled to life with one long mournful howl.

PEEEE-NEEE-LOOOO-PEEEEE!

Sakari covered her ears, even though the voice may as well have been inside her own mind.

The floor was tougher than Kanden had anticipated, but it was still no match for his MIGHTLY MIGHT! Kanden pauses to examine his surroundings. It seems as if Kanden has mighted himself smartly into the tender meat of a Leaper colony!

Dr. Bearn aimed her pistol at the things head, then hesitated when she saw her husband drop down shortly after. "Zaine! What the hell is that thing?!"

"It's a-"

Kanden steels himself against the gore, and glances around the room. Could Penelope be here? She is close, Kanden can feel her pain! He senses that she is somewhere near! Be strong Penelope!

"Zaine! Get it out of here!" Dr. Bearn yelled.

One of the Marines behind her called out from his gurney. He had been placed there to recover from a vicious bacterial infection in his lungs due to poor suit maintenance. "Are there still civilians out there?"

"I was told that everyone had been evacuated and sent here." Sakari kept her sights on Kanden as it began to walk up the hall.

Kanden roams the halls, searching frantically for his beloved. No! He does not see her here! Where is Penelope? Where is Kanden's love?!

"Penelope? Does that thing still have family out there?" the Marine sat up, one Private Jones. "I knew we must have missed someone!" Before Either Zaine or Sakari Bearn could interject, Jones turned around and announced to his two companions. "Hey! Did either of you search decks P and Q?"

"No, we had been told that they had been cleared before we arrived."

"That thing still has family out there! Maybe even kids! And I'm just laying here!" Jones swung his legs off the side of the gurney.

Kanden suddenly spins around to face the pathetic Marine. Yes, the small, frail, sickly, pathetic human is right! He is indeed just lying there, marinating in a rich, hearty broth of misery and suffering. It disgusts Kanden to his soul! Kanden reaches down and grabs the Marine by his collar.

Jones yelped as one huge fist grabbed the bottom plate of his suit, then lifted him off the gurney and into the air effortlessly.

Do you have family out there, in the battle? Kanden inquires, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Well, not really, my squad is still out there, fighting off the Kriken."

Then why linger here? Why don't you go to them?

"I…"

Don't you-and here Kanden's voice cracks for effect, a small weakness seemingly exposed in his otherwise impenetrable nature-LOVE them, Marine!?

"I …"

If you love them, then go to them! Do not let them perish like squishy vermin underfoot! Fight with them! Love them to your end, which may well be deep within the corrosive innards of some Kriken, but die with pride! Honor with all your Marinely MIGHT your BROTHERS IN ARMS, Kanden screams! These complaining immobile sacks of meat scattered around the room disgust him! Muster your gun, your courage, heart, soul, spleen, bladder and FIGHT! With that he drops the stunned Marine back onto the gurney, he crosses his arms and shames the others around him for their cowardice. Kanden would turn his back but he does not harbor complete ill will to such ilk. For Kanden is merciful.

Sakari watched stunned as the injured around her began to move and stand from their beds and gurneys.

"He's right. What am I doing here when I should be out fighting the enemy?"

All around her, Confederation forces suited up and began taking up their weapons once more. The ones with missing limbs complained about their inability to fight. Dr. Bearn turned to see one man stand, bandage up the stump of his left arm, then slip into armor and joined the mass exodus out of the safety of the med bay.

Yes! Yes! Fight for love! Fight for Penelope!

"And Bridget!"

"And Jennifer!"

"Ricky!"

"Freddy!"

"Ganthatrkaua!"

…Yes, yes, them too! Fight 'til you die! FOLLOW KANDEN!

One enthusiastic Medic charged ahead yelling, "Follow Kanden!"

Commander Bearn glanced apologetically at his wife and her empty med bay. "Uh…I need to,"

"Follow Kanden, babe."

Zaine kept close to Kanden as he traveled through the emergency shelter, scaring the civilians and causing the Marines to go on alert. He seemed like a big glowing Pied Piper, somehow inspiring Marines to join the battle once more. All the while triumphant and inspirational music played over Bearns com line, and the lines of those that Kanden came near. The mega-maggot was making a B-line right for the hangar bay, passing through doors, the occasional wall, and any group that stepped in his path.

He reached the bay, and paused momentarily to assess his surroundings. The bay doors were closed, and would remain so until they received the go-ahead from the jump gate. Groups of drop ships sat clustered with citizens inside, crying children off all species, but mainly human, sat in a line on the floor of the bay. Bearn wondered if he could get a few of the other troops to help him immobilize Kanden, but also knew that the beast wouldn't come willingly and possibly put many lives needlessly in danger. Kanden began walking again, right for the primary doors.

At first it seemed as if Kanden would force open the main hanger doors and let in a flood of Kriken, but the bug-man turned on his heel, still spouting nonsense over the com lines and lamenting Penelope. Instead Kanden approached an air-lock, calmly activated the door, stepped inside, closed the door, then jettisoned himself into space.

For a moment Bearn couldn't digest what had just happened. The thing really was crazy. It had just committed suicide. Bearn quickly switched to the executive com band and was about to ask for an external view feed, when a shout from one of the fighter pilots positioned in the space between the Core and the Ring interrupted.

"What the heck is THAT!? Looks like a…man?"

Bearn ran to one of the control stations and pulled up the image on a holo monitor. Kanden wasn't visible, but in his place was a bright glowing yellow-green dot. It slammed into the first cluster of Kriken, there was a bright flash of light, and then the Kriken scattered. The dot kept going along his path.

"Bearn, this is Briar. What is that missile that was just shot out of the emergency bay doors?"

Zaine sighed. "Maaaan…"

"Could you repeat?"

"It wasn't a missile. That's the prisoner I was chasing."

"I'll do a background check. What is the prisoners name?"

"Listen long enough and you'll hear it."

Sacul didn't understand what her brother had been bitching about all this time. Granted they hadn't seen each other in years but it seemed as if he didn't change in the least. He was still cranky, grouchy, and results-driven. He had asked her to keep the bad guys off his back while he got the jump gate running, and that so far had been the easy part. Sacul flit around the room, halls, and external areas like a cybernetic fairy. Her advanced Chozo armor rendering most of the Kriken she encountered to paste. But in the end she felt that she would thank her brother. Sacul had been waiting for an opportunity to test out the newest weaponry on her armor. Well…that and Kriken was a Chozo delicacy.

The first wave of Kriken had been laughable. They had crept in through an air-lock, eating and chewing away at the metal and shielding. Sacul had been met with the first blast from an Imperialist she had ever been on the receiving end of. The Imperialist was the Kriken weapon of choice, a mid to long range beam weapon that hurt like hell if unprepared. That was the only free shot Sacul allowed them to get in. Her armor was equipped with a micro munitions factory that allowed for a never-ending supply of missiles and charged pulse shots. She had also worked to amplify the maneuverability of the suit as well. The down side to all the advancements had been the decreased defenses, and her susceptibility to recoil from her larger weapons. Of course the idea of all the fire-power had been not to get hit in the first place. All those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as she let all of the missiles and charged shots in her arsenal fly at her targets. Insectine bodies scattered and splattered all over the halls and external hull.

"Sacul! Would you please stop playing around and keep an eye on the gate?!" Serec hissed over her com line.

"Little Bro, do you want me to baby-sit you or the gate?" she snapped back. But she had been trying to be careful with the Kriken. She wanted to save at least one or two of them for potential steaming in beer later.

"I almost have everything ready, but a couple of the generators on the gate had been knocked offline."

"And you want me to go out there and fix it right?"

"Precisely."

Sacul headed for the nearest hole the Kriken had made in the stations hull. "Will you be alright Serec?"

"Yeah, I have a few ceiling turrets to keep me company. Now get going!"

Sacul cleared the entry point with a few well-timed explosives, sending masses of Kriken back into space where they were then picked off by incoming fighter pilots. In the distance, she could see the Central Core covered in a carpet of red and purple bodies, eating and chewing, absorbing pieces of the Salem into their collective. She turned her attention to the jump gate, located roughly fifty yards from her current position, and covered in Kriken. Sacul charged up another beam attack and began clearing a path through them, advancing slowly and trying not to get flung out into space. Out of the corner of her scanners, she noticed a bright glowing yellow dot. Even in space, where light and dark seemed to play odd tricks, she could make out the hue and color of this object clearly.

She closed the distance to the jump gate, and had almost set her foot on the gate itself when the com in her helmet was suddenly overridden by a strange signal. It almost sounded like….music?

I…Am…Kan-den man! I-am-Kan-den-Man-I-am KAN DEN MAN!

Sacul paused for a moment, and watched as the glowing yellow dot grew closer, gradually taking on the form of a humanoid creature. It didn't seem to wear a suit, and maneuvered in cold space as if it had been born there. Sparse black-toned armor covered key points on its body. It was grabbing Kriken in mid-air and using them as improvised weapons to smash and destroy other Kriken. Sacul couldn't hold back her laughter as it tore a few limbs from one Kriken and began to use them as nunchaku to attack others in the area.

He…Will…Find his meal! In the cri-spy Kri-ken field!- Prepare! For Kanden is coming!

The yellow thing, this Kanden, flew through space, spinning and flinging the Kriken legs, and landed heavily on the main frame of the jump gate, blasting Kriken off in several directions.

"Sacul! Have you checked on the generators yet?"

"Not yet, I'm making my way there now," Sacul began sprinting toward the gate, the Kriken had lost interest in her and now turned on the bigger threat, Kanden. She slowed as she neared the gate's frame. The Kriken were piled four deep atop and around Kanden. "He's like a big bug zapper," she mumbled. Every few moments, her com screeched from electrical and radiation interference, and Kanden's body would explode in yellow-white light, sending charred and baked Kriken remains into space. "ooohhh….roast Kriken…I haven't had that in a loooong time."

Hehehe…the Kriken still rush Kanden stupidly. So moth-like these clattering crustaceans, in their suicide flight to the ethereal flame that IS Kanden! Perhaps Kanden has been too easy on them, perhaps they are too stupid to realize that their ultimate demise is at hand! Kanden has warned you once! Kanden has been merciful! But Kanden's mercy reserves are burning fumes in their desperate struggle to keep running! Once exhausted, these reserves will resort to their secondary source, and begin to broil the viscous goulash that is sadism! O' tragedy! Kanden can already feel the bloodlust surging to the surface—does this register in your oatmeal-like brain pulp as I grasp your cranium in my hand, young Kriken drone? Despair not, as I lubricate the outer hull of this rusty vessel with your gelatinous headstuffs, foe, for the rest of you may relish in the seething Nirvana of Kanden's empty gut later on! For now, the Jaundice Juggernaught feasts on DANGER, to fuel his pursuit of Penelope, his illusive sweetness! Kanden will barter a loan for an infants breath of tolerance—SLA-CRUSSSHHH—for he can no longer afford mercy!

Sacul had long ago hit the record button to examine the interference on her com at a later date. Hell, anything that could hack through a Chozo encryption was worthy of study.

Kanden raises his fists high into the air, and summons the power within him! His body glows with passion and strength! Strength for Penelope! Strength for the smiting of their foes! THA-WHAM! He slams his fists to the floor! Sending waves of crippling power through the fragile metal and into the skeletal frames of the surrounding Kriken! They scream and cry in pain! But Kanden pretends not to hear! Kanden has no time for the weak! For Kanden is strength incarnate! A God worthy of the title 'Saffron Seraph!'

As his fists hit the frame of the Gate, Sacul watched as the force of his Volt-Driver jump-started the primary generators. She commed Serec. "Hey, uh…try it now."

"Okay, initializing….and hey! How did you do that?"

"That wasn't me. That was the glowing yellow thing over there."

"The energy anomaly I've been tracking?"

"Energy Anomaly? More like Autonomous Wrecking Ball."

"Yeah, I'm alerting the Admiral that the gate is operational and they can start sending ships through."

"Where's the exit point?"

"Just outside the London."

Sacul cackled. "You're sending them all clear to the other side of the galaxy?!"

"Can you think of any place safer than the Cygnus sector right now?"

"Well, sending em there would work, but,"

"I can't make an exit, I can only send them through to the very end of the bridge."

"As long it doesn't fry the Human's form of comprehension of time-space too much."

"I know it's a lot like giving a cockroach a ride on a space shuttle, they can't understand let alone care, but it's for the better."

"Wait a sec, the big guy's doing something." Sacul skittered a little further up the surface of gate to gain a better perspective of Kanden's actions. Kanden charged another Volt Driver, this time focusing the energy into one point, and blasted another hole in the hull of the Outer Ring. "The Confederation's gonna have one huge repair bill when we're done here." Kanden then slipped inside, taking all of his ridiculous com interference with him.

"See if you can keep the Gate clear of Kriken while it charges and the transports go through. You don't need to kill them all off, just don't let them chew on the Gate too much. As ships go through, they'll get the jolt of their lives," Serec ordered.

Sacul looked back over her shoulder toward the Central Core, and the empty space separating them. Kanden had left it a wasteland of Kriken bodies and random pieces of debris she supposed were fighters at one point in time. "I'll do what I can, but I think the battle has moved on."

"Sacul, these are Kriken, the battle is never over until the last one is dead."

Angseth released a breath she didn't know that she had been holding as orders for evacuation were finally relayed over the com lines. I knew we could count on you Serec. Admiral Arget'ni authorized the remaining battleships to enter the restricted space between the Outer Ring and the Central Core to provide cover for the escape pods and transport vessels. Meanwhile Angseth had her hands full with the task of defending the Ring from the invading Kriken. The Siafu were brave and self-less to a fault. They would stand their ground to the last man, but lacked certain battle strategies that would ensure their victory. They tended to believe in brawn rather than brains. If this was all that was left of the Siafu, then Weavel certainly had his work cut out for him.

Vera quickly relayed new orders to the gunners around the Outer Ring, as well as keying Briar in. "Provide cover fire for the transports. Kill any and all Kriken that enter your sights. Aim true, if any civilians are caught in the crossfire, I will personally hunt you down and rip out your hearts."

Several squeaks and affirmative growls responded. Briar began relaying new orders and coordinates to the Admirals. Angseth went back to studying the maps and Battle Grid. She tried not to make any sudden moves, and tried to clear her mind by breathing deeply. There was a pain deep inside her chest that made itself known with every beat of her heart. Her stomach twisted and churned. Too much. I took in too much Phazon. How long can I tolerate this before it kills me?

"Mistress, the Kriken have invaded the Ring, their numbers flood the inner halls." Fenris reported.

Vera nodded. "Gather your Elites. It's time we entered the battle."

"As you wish Mistress."

"And quit calling me Mistress." Angseth downloaded the appropriate maps and Battlegrid, then left it all in Briars hands. Somehow deep within her, she knew that a bit of killing would do her some good, allow her to burn off all this excess energy, make her heart cease fluttering and maybe return her stomach to normal again. Yes, kill. Kill and never stop killing until the halls grew slippery from spilled blood. That caused her to smile. Oh Anger was such a tangible beast now. She didn't want to keep it caged any longer. All of her life she had suppressed all of the anger and frustration so that she would fit into normal day to day Confederation life, bowed to her superiors, ignoring her inner voice telling her to obliterate everything in her path. Now she no longer cared for morality, for rules, for chain of command. This was war, and everything was fair as long as she was still alive, and they weren't. It had taken her a long time to realize that life wasn't fair, there was no overseeing force out there to justify and enforce right and wrong, there was only the strong and the weak. Primal thinking had saved her ass in the past, and as her newly acquired Battlehammer split open her very first Kriken skull, Vera realized what a sweet, strong, heady elixir the pain and suffering of others could be.

They were faceless blank mobs composed of thorns and liquid. She remembered nothing except the bright flash of blue as her Battlehammer found one victim after another. The Kriken, a feared race? She snorted with disgust that she had ever believed it. They ran toward her, equally as dumb and tactless as the Siafu that fought and died around her. Her body reacted without conscious thought, bitter and angry as she slaughtered her way through dark halls. Angseth had become the raging Demon that Weavel had cleverly distanced himself from by staying aboard the Behemoth.

And Vera would have continued to carve herself a path of bodies if it weren't for a wayward Volt Driver attack that snapped her out of her rage. From somewhere to her right, a slow-moving beam of yellow energy slammed into her right hip, sending waves of electricity through her new artificial leg and arm, shorting out the circuits within. She fell to the floor, the chaos clouding her mind cleared allowing for a moment to gather her wits. All around her Kriken and Siafu battled, Plasma Scythes cut the air and Kriken weaponry fired. Angseth watched her HUD as her new cybernetics began a reboot procedure that would take a few moments to complete.

Angseth lay still, the fingers of her left hand interlaced with the loose grating on the floor. If she stayed in one place she could wait it out and join the battle once her limbs recharged. She watched through Phazon haze as another bright yellow bolt flew into the room and lay waste to half the Kriken and Pirates present.

And what does Kanden find here, previously obscured by the oceans of Kriken? A dead Marine?

Vera felt her eyes widen behind her visor as a creature that appeared to be half-maggot half-man stepped from an adjacent room and into the small corridor. It came closer to her, her cybernetics were still rebooting. She never had to worry about that with the Chozo mechanics. Ridley had really screwed her over when he destroyed them.

What is this little pathetic Marine doing so far away from the others? And fighting alongside Pirates no less. Kanden is intrigued.

Angseth suddenly grabbed the grate under her fingers, and rolled, lifting it from the ground and using it as a shield between herself and Kanden.

Kanden is shocked! It's alive!

Angseth braced her right leg underneath her, then swept with her left, trying to knock Kanden's feet from underneath him. As soon as her heel connected with the maggoty flesh, it absorbed all impact, rendering her attack useless. Not wasting any time, Angseth rotated in the opposite direction and growled as she pulled the grate through the air towards the glowing man's midsection. Wanting to completely nullify the enemy before her, she aimed for the wall on the other side of him as she swung. The attack found its mark, but only served to drive the maggot man backwards into that wall and did not do much at all to stun him. However her second objective had been completed, she had bought herself enough time to allow her limbs to finish rebooting, and they were now fully operational. Angseth hissed in anger as she tossed the grate, now twisted into a useless metal hunk, away from her and burst her Battlehammer to life.

Kanden honestly did not see the hapless marine earlier, so thoroughly entrenched in Kriken-tangle as to be indiscernible. It makes sense that he is angry with Kanden, but what rage! So soon after taking a hit from Kandens mighty beam, and with formidable strength and speed! Kanden dares to guess that this marines tortured soul has been, perhaps, energized by Kanden powers, and evolved to a higher, closer-to-Kanden state of being! Such would make for a formidable foe indeed, but in all seriousness, even as the soldier's bizarrely powerful and unmarinely energy sword wisps with a song towards Kandens face there is no ill will within for this fellow Fighter for Might and Right. Nay, for now Penelope is still the quest, and Kandens marvelous defensive stratagem shall be known!

Kanden honestly did his very best to proceed down the corridor in the direction he believed was the end of his path, while deflecting Angseths relentless attacks. However, try as he might, Kanden could not make any progress, and was actually doing his very best to stay on his feet, to his great surprise. Meanwhile, Angseth had made it up in what remained her mind that this glowing hulk would pay for incapacitating her, and making her all to aware that she was still vulnerable, that she was still far from repaying Ridley or finding Samus. Raw anger drove her every move, not so much valid reason anymore. She managed to knock the maggot man to and fro with enough effort, but the creature did not seem to be accumulating any noteworthy damage. This only served to make Angseth even angrier, and the sickening pulse of Phazon began to renew steadily.

Whoa! This guy is REALLY taking being shot accidentally HARD! He should be happy that he's still able to move! To jump, laugh, cry, sing, perform cruiser splitting upward kicks at Kandens groin! Kanden will be significantly more discrete when ka-powing large nests of villains from now on. You just never know if there might be a short fused mega-marine nestled in there for warmth. HEY YOU! MARINE! KANDEN DOES NOT WISH TO DO BATTLE WITH YOU! Understand? Kapice? Comprende? Wakarimasu? Spreken se commo—

The glowing giants internal monologue was silenced as he was kicked through the wall and nearly back into space. If not for a lucky snag of torn hull in his hand he would be set adrift in the vacuum and back to square one. Even as he pulled himself back towards the inside of the hallway, Angseth grabbed hold of Kandens elongated neck with one hand and primed the Battlehammer with the other. As Angseth swung the blade, she heard a strange sound, like jello being quickly sucked through a copper straw as she watched the yellow creature shrink before her.

She now held in her hand the lower half of what looked very much like a maggot, only about 2 feet in length and most of a foot wide, glowing yellow-green like the monster it once was and brandishing a skull-like pattern on its front half. She held the giant bug only for a moment before her Battlehammer cleaved it into two unequally sized parts. The primary body flew forward, bounced off of her helmet like a soccer ball with small legs like a horseshoe crab and back into the hallway, leaving what remained of it in her grasp. It resembled a shiny, black thorn about the size of her hand with a bulbous gland at the base, and it blinked a faint, yellow light just before it detonated.

The blast sent her tumbling back into the corridor, and with good timing at that. The hole into space began to rapidly close with emergency sealing foam. She heard the skittering of the maggot bug nearby, and wasted no time in firing her converted Battlehammer at the source of the noise. Vera gained her feet with a snarl, and gave chase. The bug wriggled out of the debris then made a break for it down the hall in the direction the yellow man had been heading. Angseth missed a few shots that would have found their target had her rational mind not kicked in briefly to consider, at least for a moment, what the hell just happened. A creature twice her size, outweighing her by at least several hundred pounds, shrunk down to the size of a watermelon, threw itself at her head and made off like a frightened squirrel while its rear end blew up in her hand. Never mind that Chozo tech allowed her to do pretty much the same thing, the strangeness of that event warranted at least a mental hiccup.

Kanden, now a tenth his size and five times faster, skittered his way swiftly down the hall into the company of some pirates. He was surprised to see some had made it this far, but they were too engrossed in their fight with the Kriken to see him enter the corridor. Pirate and Kriken alike jumped with a start as Kanden quickly slithered between, over and under alien feet on his way to the other side of the skirmish, both parties blinking curiously at the thing that just zoomed by.

One side, people! Friend and foe alike, or just foes, well any individual present, really. Kanden must break through, BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE! Kanden does not fly in fear as it may seem, PERISH the thought! Kanden wishes to lead his most feral opponent to a more suitable battle venue, far from the frail corpses of unsuspecting onlookers! In what remains of Kandens nearly extinct mercy, Kanden does you all a favor! No, no need to thank Kanden, for conquest lies ahead and Kanden must not dilly-dally! The Beast with the Burning Blade has reminded Kanden that time is of the essence! So out of the way! Vamoose! Flee! See, Kanden did his best to warn you, did he not!?

The owner of the feet Kanden eventually smacked into the air wound up belonging to general Fenris, who as it turns out was a few seconds away from being decapitated by the Imperialist of one of the more skillful Kriken marksmen that Kanden had passed up the hall earlier. The unlucky assassin was promptly descended upon by a group of nearby Siafu, who swiftly pried the weapon from its claw (at the shoulder) as Angseth ran past them. Upon reaching Fenris, she actually paused to grasp his arm and hoist the soldier to his feet, who seemed confused afterwards but it was difficult to tell with the limited range of Siafu facial expressions.

"You're still alive." Angseth stated.

"…You care?" Fenris inquired.

Angseth shrugged as she limped down the corridor, but now with a slightly quenched fire of rage from the subtle drops of mental clarity. The oddness that just took place over the last twenty minutes was just too mind-boggling to let slip by. And that…crazy rambling she heard over her com. Was it coming from the yellow maggot-man-bug? All the same, whether or not the thing was some new Kriken weapon, which was absurdly unlikely, she still needed some answers and whatever it was it was powerful enough to brush off her heaviest hits and keep going. Things were still volatile here.

Hangar B! Yeah, that's the ticket!Kanden proclaimed as he read the large door at the other end of the big room he had just entered. Daddy's coming, baby!

At a few inches from the door, Kandens skittering flight ended abruptly as a plasma shot ricocheted off the floor just ahead of him, followed by a fierce shout of "HOLD IT!" several yards behind him. Kanden curled his segmented bug body in on itself as he turned to fix his gaze on the attacker, and the glow of his body rippled with disapproval.

…Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, Kanden has fought his way through the labyrinth of death and BEYOND the Kriken swarm to take back the treasure they have stolen from him! Be forewarned, tenacious Marine, not to test the elasticity of Kandens patience, for like his mercy it too is finite. Kanden will not be barred from his desire a second time. She lies within this gate, and you will regret denying her freedom! If your decision is made, then show Kanden your TRUE MIGHT!

Angseth was dumbfounded by the Shakespearian epic that was spewing out of this creatures mouth. It almost sparked enough of a laugh from her to forget her rage entirely. This thing was so obviously not affiliated with and in no way like the Kriken, but it was just too strong and technologically advanced to be an ordinary civilian. The yellow monster was also completely out of its mind, no doubt the poor victim of some Rovian lobotomy experiment gone awry, and probably deserved a great deal of pity from any normal individual. But when the beast suddenly transformed back into the humanoid hulk it had been and aimed a live arm cannon in her direction Angseth was immediately brought back to reality, and so was a great deal of her rage.

Now she remembered. The thing had shot her, it was a threat to her plain and simple. Raising the Battlehammer and switching to long-range mode, Angseth advanced on the maggot-hulk while the two warriors traded shots. When they were close enough, they exchanged munitions for fist and foot, clashing and striking at one another with equally explosive force. None of the attacks, throws or shots were killing blows, but rather attempts at placating either party. The only body taking severe damage was really the room itself, and after nearly half an hour of mindless brawling it looked nothing like the brightly lit, pristine chamber it once was. And in its center, the two warriors, exhausted and hardly able to stand, regarded each other carefully and wracked their minds for any stray plan that may have gone unnoticed in the soup of aggression.

"…Who…WHAT are…you…? I completely forgot…why we were fighting in…the first place." Huffed Angseth first, finally finding the breath to speak.

…Kanden…is…what Kanden is. Kanden is Kanden…That is an…explanation in and…of itself. Kanden has…no clue who you are…um…Kanden narrows his eyes so…that the vision can sharpen to see…the nameplate of "Jones", the Marine?

It had never occurred to Vera that the Luminoth didn't bother to research the proper way to spell her name when they made her armor, and she had been walking around with the wrong name on her suit this entire time. Angseth could not audibly sigh loud enough within the confines of her helmet, so she unlatched and removed it for the time being, just so that she could get her bloody point across "…My name…is Angseth, you moron. And just what the hell does that mean, Kanden is Kanden, anyway? It doesn't explain a damned thing! Are you someone's idea of a joke, some random prank? I can't even take fighting with you seriously if you're going to narrate it second by second! I'm done anyway, I just don't have it left in me, so now it's time for some answers. And if you have any vocal chords please use them, because you talking and playing random sound bites in my head is really irritating."

Kanden does not know what you want Kanden to say. It is the inner ear of the listener that Kandens melodious voice finds, as well as various other frequencies of a number Kanden has not completely found limits to. All of the confessing that needs confessing has been confessed, with the exception of Kandens quest. Kanden must find his beloved Penelope and carry her to the safety of the stars, away from this inferno of plasma shots and Kriken guts. Kanden acknowledges your strength and skill, Marine Angseth, but every moment Kanden is not searching for his beloved is a step towards her DOOM!

Just when Angseth thought things couldn't get any stranger, she could almost swear she could see some of the floor through the Kanden-things foot. She wasn't gawking for long before her helmet began to speak with Weavels voice, and she slipped it back on to catch the middle portion of his broadcast.

"…And you don't have any idea what it could be?" she asked after listening for a moment. "Two clicks out from the station, and nothing else in the area that could be localizing energy there, not even a Kriken cluster? …They're thinning out? Well, that's a relief at least. Maybe there is a shred of hope for us after all…I'm…I'll have to explain later," Angseth stated, as she stood while chancing a small glance in Kandens direction.

As Kanden himself began to stand, the gate of Hangar B began to buckle and groan under the damage it had taken during the battle. It finally gave and fell away from the two with a thunderous crash, revealing several neat rows of fighter class ships in the room on the other side. Kanden gazed into the quiet hangar for a little while with an illegible expression.

"Tell everyone to stand their ground and fight off the remaining Kriken as best they can, and keep an eye on the spacial disturbance. I'll be making my way back momentarily. Angseth out," Angseth closed the com, lifted her helmet visor and glanced at the Kanden creature again, just to make sure it wasn't exhibiting anymore strange behavior, "Just…stay out of trouble, alright? If you're able to help fight off the Kriken then I suggest you do so, if you want to save any family or loved ones still aboard the station. I assumed all civilians had been moved to a more protected location, but after running into you I guess anything's possible. I'm going this way, do whatever you want." She stated as she walked to the way they came in.

…Kanden is glad to see that these fighter ships are still space worthy! Fine vessels they are, worthy of Kandens approval! Should he see fit to propel his comrades to safety, Marine Angseth would be wise to stuff them-with great care of course-into these craft of such noble caliber! Ha ha ha, the Kindness of Kanden astounds even Kanden himself! No, no need to thank Kanden. Your brutal onslaught earlier is thanks enough! Now, with no more delay, hasten I to dearest Penelope along the crimson thread of passion! Kanden HOOOOOOO!

Briar scanned the numerous holo windows around him, keeping track of troop movements of both Confederation and Siafu forces. It seemed as if the Kriken tide had reached it's apex. Their forces were still horribly outnumbered, but at least no more mangled red bodies were coming in from the void. Nevada was so busy keeping his temper and everyone's locations in check that he almost missed the live feed from the main view screen of the Mabus. He had closed down a few windows to make room for more maps and schematics when his attention was completely stolen from his work.

A horizon line split the screen in two, bright white, giving Briar the momentary impression that he was looking out a window on some forgotten world. The line was soon joined by another, slightly below and to the left, starting as a bright pinpoint of light that flattened, and expanded left to right. Nevada felt an ache begin in the back of his mind as his subconscious tried to unravel the meaning of these lights. A third joined the first two, above the first line, and expanded just as the others had done. Very slowly Briar reached for the com line. "Weavel?"

"I see it."

"So you have any idea what it may be?"

"No."

The midpoint of each line grew brighter. Briar checked his scanners, but they didn't seem to register anything out of the ordinary. From each of the midpoints, an ovular pod emerged, silver-white in color, organic seeming and slick. As the pods emerged, the horizon lines disappeared. The pods continued along their course, then slowed just out of the range of the weaponry of the Mabus.

Seams began to form in the skin along the exterior of the first pod. The pod broke apart in pieces, exposing other components and surfaces within that, in turn, also broke apart, unfolded, spun, and joined with previous cast-offs. Briar watched slack-jawed as three large vessels seemed to form from nothingness, each and every last panel interlocked with other panels, folding out from the ether, as if someone had opened a gateway into another dimension where all of these components were kept. Nevada's head began to ache when he realized that was exactly what was happening. In the space of moments, three Chozo vessels had fully formed, each larger than the Mabus and Behemoth combined.

The Aphelion, the Corona, and the Eolian, all hailed the Mabus at once, causing the Battlegrid along with the coms systems to crash. Briar watched helplessly as the combined efforts of the highly advanced Chozo computer systems, raided the exposed information, then carefully rebooted each one back to its former function. Three holo grams sprang to life around him, each showing a Chozo in various stages of battle dress. The one to his left began to make complex movements and patterns with his fingers, and then a synthesized voice spoke over the comline.

"Forgive our unintended intrusion Captain Nevada Briar, we came to investigate a sub-spatial phenomenon that may be hazardous to the Salem."

After reading the file that Vera had given him, Briar knew all too well that the Chozo never went out of their way for anything, not even to save a Confederation station. For the moment he had no grounds to question their presence, but they would be a welcome addition to the limited Confederation and Siafu forces. Nevada growled when Weavel's comlink came back online. "Mind helping us with a few of these Kriken first?" He hissed.

"Are you under attack from the Kriken, or Gamma Fleet?" The computerized voice inquired.

"Gamma Fleet is on our side for the moment. Please refrain from engaging them."

"Understood."

Nevada gave them the security code to page Admiral Arget'ni in case they needed more information. The three ships broke formation, then silently and gracefully approached the Salem. Briar felt a weight lift from his chest. Re-enforcements had arrived, and they couldn't ask for anyone better than the Chozo.