Chapter 29,
It was five after 9:00 P.M. from the spot Sylux and the Space Pirates were on Pyralan. Ridley was escorting Sylux to the holding cell where Samus was being held. Sylux wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings but he noticed a few things, one that this Space Pirate facility seemed to have a green hue, but that was likely from the lighting. The other was that through the windows throughout the hallway the Pyralan night sky was tainted a crimson red, the color of blood, and the ground would soon be spilled with that same color later on… assuming diamonts even bled, Sylux mused.
Ridley looked at Sylux with suspicion; he naturally didn't trust him, which was due to his long years of fighting. But still, he wasn't too worried, Sylux was just a tool, and he would be thrown away when he lost his usefulness.
"You will be permitted ten minutes, and I hope you use them… wisely," Ridley said with a sly look, he knew exactly what Sylux would be using the ten minutes doing, and he almost pitied Samus.
Ridley pressed a few buttons on a key pad near the cell door. When he finished typing the code in the door opened and Sylux walked through. Ridley made sure the door was closed before he beckoned a patient Weavel out of the shadows where Sylux had never even looked.
"You know you can't trust him, he will try to withhold some sort of information from us, have you considered that he may be on the same side as the diamonts, especially if it's true that there are other hunters with the diamonts."
"Weavel, what if I was to tell you that he and Samus have been spending a lot of quality time together," Ridley stated plainly.
The two walked a path up to a room where they could spy on Sylux and Samus without their knowledge. Ridley continued while they walked, "We have been watching all air traffic on Pyralan, which is how we knew about the hunters in the first place; I can pinpoint all five of the enemy hunters exact locations, obviously Samus and Sylux are here. Before you found them we were watching them, whenever their ships were in the air, Samus and Sylux were traveling together, but when Samus' ship went down she join Sylux's ship."
"We know about the other two hunters because scouts just hours ago saw an unidentified ship go into Anemen they claim it to be owned by one, Spire, our little spy Zeroun identified his ship. He told us that we can expect a Kriken warrior named Trace to be with him, perhaps with a Vhoson, but he wasn't sure about the Vhoson," said Ridley, feeling very smug about knowing all this.
"What about Kanden?" Weavel asked bored.
"Who?"
"Kanden, he was one of the seven bounty hunters in the Almbic cluster, if the other six, including me, are here, it seems that he should be too," Weavel said.
"Oh…"
"You have no idea-,"
"Go, find him quick!"
Weavel was about to go but then he paused and turned back to Ridley, "It's strange isn't it? All the hunters, reunited once again, almost like fate isn't it?"
Ridley turned his back to Weavel and stormed into the surveillance room. Weavel chuckled, he knew he had hit a sore spot on Ridley and nothing pleased him more. He went up to the control room.
Ridley stepped into the surveillance room; it had old but still useful LED screens all around. They were all tuned to the same channel, Ridley looked at one and what he saw shocked him. Samus Aran was on the ground, all cut up and bloody, with Sylux standing over her. He was screaming something about someone named Tyler Harrison.
Horrified Ridley flew down the hall way and quickly opened the door to Samus' cell.
"WHERE IS HE? YOU KNOW!" Sylux screamed and kicked Samus. The female bounty hunter cried out in pain as Sylux's foot crashed into her stomach, the fact that Sylux was wearing armor and she wasn't made it all the worse.
Acting quickly Ridley grabbed Sylux and slammed him into the wall. The dragon was thrice the size of Sylux, even if he had armor on.
"WE WANT INFORMATION, IF SAMUS IS DEAD WE DON'T GET ANY."
Sylux was clearly crazed by hatred, "LET ME AT HER, SHE KILLED HIM! I KNOW SHE DID!"
Ridley dragged Sylux out of the room and set him down, "You're out of line, Sylux. The agreement was that you could kill her by noon tomorrow and you would question her tonight."
"Well, maybe I'm not satisfied with that agreement! I haven't waited over five years for that moment just so you could come and save her, I thought you hated her just as bad as me!" Sylux said angrily.
"Yes, but I know when to hold back, did you get any information tonight?" Ridley asked fuming.
"I would have if you waited a little longer," Sylux tore himself away from Ridley's grasp and walked down the hall.
"Where are you going, I haven't dismissed you!" Ridley yelled.
"I'm no Space Pirate," Sylux said and continued walking.
Sylux called his ship and waited for it to come. As he waited he heard a voice in his head.
emThat was beautiful acting/em, the SYLUX armor told him.
"I'm afraid it wasn't all acting," Sylux said ashamed under his breath, "it awoke old anger and hatred. Is that what you wanted?"
em I could care less how you feel about Samus Aran, my old hatred for the Federation was more or less programmed, and that specific program is deteriorating./em
"You told me before that you had a spiritual awakening, is it all the same? What do you mean programmed?" Sylux asked, he was feeling more confused than he had ever felt.
The Delano 7 appeared over the horizon and shortly after it was floating by Sylux. The SYLUX armor said, emI will explain all after we save you, Samus and this entire planet, agreed?/em
Sylux paused, despite the suit telling him he was just acting in Samus' holding cell, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed causing Samus such pain, and that was what made him feel so terrible.
Sylux walked into the ship and flew off to a nearby plateau where he could spend the night in safety. Sylux turned his ship into security mode, the ship would alert him if there was any danger, and he took off the armor. SYLUX came off without a complaint, which further confused Sylux. Did Sylux really hate Samus? One the one hand, she was a kind person who did what she thought was best, but Sylux couldn't help but feel that it was her fault that his brother was lost. She did take Tyler away from him when he was trying to get him back.
In reality Sylux knew in his heart that it was his entire fault. He was the one who had scared Tyler into running away when he killed the Galactic Federation Troopers, Sylux just couldn't accept the truth, and until he did, he would never get anywhere in his search.
Sylux chose not to think of such a sore subject any more, he called Spire on the Ethercom.
Spire was standing in front of a few thousand Diamont warriors. They looked at him as a god, someone who could teach them how to defeat the Space Pirates.
"I have a lot of experience with the magmaul; it has been my main weapon for as long as I have been a bounty hunter. It's usefulness…" Spire went on. As he spoke Trace stood atop the wall with the black spiked diamont elder named Ashen. Ashen was already a talented warrior and also the youngest elder on the council so he didn't need the basic training that Spire was offering.
The two patrolled on top the wall observing the landscape for any blind spots or points of weakness they could be. Despite it being the dead of night, the two had plenty of light from the moat of lava surrounding the city.
"While the lava would be a natural defense against Space Pirates, if they ever come, aren't you afraid of the psycho lava hands coming to attack you guys?" said a curious Trace.
Ashen smiled, "A very good question Kriken-,"
"Stop calling me that!"
"-A good question with a good answer. Look to the north what do you see?" asked Ashen.
Trace looked there was a long glowing red line of lava, it was a flowing river, Trace told Ashen that was what he saw.
"Indeed, but do you perhaps see a dark line separating the river from our lake here?"
"Yes,"
"That's a dam; it was created by our people for the very purpose of keeping those vile veins out of our lava. It is completely safe."
"What if it is broken? What will you do then?" Trace asked worriedly.
"There is only one way to destroy it that I am aware of, a diamont must be willing to shatter his own crystals (I'll have you know that our crystals are extremely difficult to shatter), load a shard into his arm cannon, go underneath the lava and fire it into a weak spot in the dam; for there are only a few substances that can stand the heat of lava on this world, that is the dam we created, and us. Also, our crystals are the only things hard enough to break the dam," Ashen said, "and it is so unlikely that any diamont would willingly break his own crystal that the odds of that dam breaking must be around 1000 to one."
"You sound pretty confident. Remember that there are millions of Phazon corrupt diamonts down there just waiting for a command from the Space Pirates," Trace said worried.
"I am a witness that Phazon weakens your body structure, despite the increased strength and agility of the corrupt diamonts they are easier to kill if you have not noticed."
Trace thought about that, "Oh, your right,"
"You see, Trace, that is why I believe we should worry more about aerial attacks…"
Meanwhile, as the two argued, down by the river was a gang of Space Pirates leading them was the commando: Cerian. He walked up to a red-spiked Diamont shackled to a rock. The diamont had a broken spike on his right shoulder.
"You're a thug and a villain, it is the greatest dishonor in the world, for a diamont to have a broken crystal!" complained Zeroun, the infamous diamont who betrayed his kind by reveling the location of Anemen, and just barely he had reveled to the Space Pirates the secret of how to break the dam holding back the Phazon corrupted veins of this planet.
"And you're a traitor; I'm not sure which I would rather be. It is time, as soon as you do this one task, you're free to go," Cerian said.
"You're lying, as soon as I break that dam you're going to want to find another use for me!" Zeroun said.
"Likely, but think of this, if you don't, I'll kill you," Cerian said cruelly.
Zeroun shot dagger eyes at Cerian, "Fine, my shot won't break the entire dam but it will put a fine hole through it."
"It's all for the better; that way your diamont friends won't know right away that the veins have broken through," Cerian said and undid his diamont companion's bonds.
As soon as he was free Zeroun took the red crystal shard and shoved it into his arm cannon. He walked under the river of lava and seconds later the Space pirates could feel a small shudder, and the river level behind the dam began to decrease largely as the level of the lake began to rise a little. Shortly after that Zeroun was running up the river slope chased by a vein covered in lava.
"Excellent job, Zeroun, now, let us return to the army, and tell them we were successful," said Cerian as the group tied up Zeroun and they all went the rejoin the Space Pirate army that was making its way towards the city.
Back inside the city Spire was taking a short break in his lesson. He took a deep breath and was about to go back to his lessons when he got a call on his Ethercom, it was Sylux.
"Sylux, this had better be important," Spire said.
"Actually, I was just hoping to say hi… of course it's important!" Sylux said annoyed.
Spire couldn't help but smile, "What it is?"
"You can wipe that smile off your face; the Space Pirates are sending an army to some Diamont city. It's going to be a massive genocide where they slay every last sane Diamont!" Sylux said urgently.
Spire tried to gulp down a large knot in his throat, "A-are you sure?"
"Positive."
"O-ok, I'll tell Trace."
Sullen but quickly, Spire climbed up a staircase to the top of the battlements and yelled for Trace.
Trace and Ashen came running towards Spire.
"What's with the stony face, Spire?" Trace asked, "Do you get it Ashen, because he's a rock and he has a worried look on his face."
Ashen merely looked at Trace as if he were a drunk at a church, and by the size difference between the two you might believe it. Trace looked away quickly, saying sorry as he did so.
"Anyway, Sylux just told me that there was an attack headed for the city, it was just as we feared," Spire said.
"You're sure?" Trace said.
"Unless there is another Diamont city,"
"There's not," Ashen said in dismay.
"I'll go check this out for myself. Spire, I'll need your ship to get across the lake of lava," Trace said.
"Don't be seen," was all that Spire said in reply.
Noxus and Kanden were now in the coldest part of the planet. They were far enough from the surface and yet still in the crust of the planet. They had no river of lava following them down to the heart as one had before; the river had long since branched off from their path. The only way the hunters could see was from the night vision in their helmets.
"Is it just me or is the cave getting smaller?" Noxus asked as he ducked under a stalactite.
"I think we should be turning into our alternate forms pretty soon," Kanden said. Sure enough a few hours later the two were in their respective alternates crawling through long networks of tunnels that looked as if they could have been made by worms.
There was a noise, Kanden and Noxus paused to hear it better. It was the sound of something slithering along the tunnels coming towards the hunters. Suddenly a giant vein came into view. When it noticed the two hunters (as strange as it seems that a giant vein could think) it advanced for the kill.
Kanden acted fast and released three tail bombs from his Stinglarva. They slithered towards the vein and exploded on it. The vein recoiled and quickly slithered away.
"It seems we are even closer to heart than I realized," Kanden said, "I expect we only have a few more hours to travel through these tunnels."
"Only," Noxus said in sarcasm.
Spire had gotten lucky. Old laser turrets had been found in the city and were now being mounted on the wall. They were the kind that was built for anti-air, with pivoting chair and everything. The diamonts had about twelve of them and they were now being mounted all along the length of the wall. They would be excellent against the assured aircraft the Space Pirates would use.
They had also found a weapon that Spire had never seen before it was called the Lava Cannon, and it launched a spray of lava at foes, Spire was dieing to try it.
Spire was just about to go get a load of ammo from the storehouse in the middle of the city when Ashen stopped him.
"Spire, look at yourself, your exhausted," Ashen said concerned.
"I'm afraid, Ashen," Spire said earnestly.
"Aren't we all? Ashen said, "I would not tell this to anybody, but our chances of victory are little to none. We simply don't have the manpower to fight against them."
At this Spire's ship came roaring above the two diamonts, Trace had returned. As the ship hovered above the ground and Trace jumped out of the cockpit.
"This looks bad, the army is camped about a mile off," was what he said as he walked up to them.
"Could you give us a little more elaboration, perhaps? Like, how large their army is," Spire said impatiently.
"Well, if you would like an image, the army could easily fill this city and the lake surrounding it," Trace said subdued, at which both Spire and Ashen swore simultaneously, Trace continued, "If you want a number I would say around… 300,000, give or take a few thousand, and that's just foot soldiers. I haven't even worked tanks and ships into that figure."
Spire was faint, "How many people do we have?"
Ashen's voice was dark as he said it, "10,000 at best,"
"We've already lost," said Spire in despair.
"Perhaps not," Trace said.
"What do you suggest?" Ashen asked Trace.
"Well, I know of some people who would come at the first mention of Space Pirate army," Trace said.
All three looked at each other and said all together, "The Galactic Federation!"
"How do we contact them?" Ashen asked.
Trace looked at Spire, and they nodded, "Sylux," they said together.
Sylux had tried to call Noxus and Kanden, but he couldn't get a hold of either. He didn't know this but they were so far underground that their Ethercom couldn't pick up any signals. He gave up and was about to go to bed until he received a message from Spire's Ethercom.
Spire explained everything, from the feeble defense the Diamonts were trying to put together, to the size difference of the two factions, and finally Trace's idea.
"No! I might as well turn myself into the Federation!" Sylux said incredulously.
Spire paused, Sylux had brought up a good point, "Well, I know this isn't the best option for you but it would be for the greater good, it's a risk I think is worth taking."
"Well, maybe I don't think so!" Sylux said.
"Please, you're the only one who can stop the Space Pirates now," Spire was pleading.
Sylux sighed, "We'll see,"
"Will he do it?" Trace asked.
"I don't know," Spire said worried.
Ashen looked at the others, "Well, the only thing we can do now is get a bit of much needed rest, Gorval will handle things while we sleep and if the Space Pirates attack while we are asleep than he'll wake us."
Eyes cast down, Spire nodded in agreement.
Nobody slept well that night, Sylux was tossing and turning worried about Samus and the Galactic Federation, Spire was having a nightmare about Anemen City in flames, Trace, being an extremely light sleeper, awoke every time a Diamont ran past preparing the city for defense against the invasion. Kanden and Noxus weren't even aware it was night as they traveled down the length of the vein created tunnels, and the further they traveled the warmer it got, they knew they were close. Countless more Diamonts and Space Pirates alike were dealing with the prospect that this may be their last night… ever.
When dawn came Weavel arrived at the Space Pirate army camp. It was a mess of people taking down tents and preparing for the war to come. When he passed various soldiers they stopped what they were doing and saluted.
Weavel walked up to a certain Space Pirate who was obviously a newbie private. When the Pirate saw Weavel he dropped a load his sack of personal belongings he had carried. A picture fell out of it and Weavel picked it up. On the picture was a family of Space Pirates.
"Is this you?" Weavel asked the private, pointing at the father in the picture. The private hastily nodded.
"Cute kids," Weavel said and threw the picture back at the private, who caught it.
"Tell me, soldier, who's in charge here?" Weavel demanded.
"Um… he's over there."
Weavel looked where the Space Pirate pointed. He was looked at Cerian, the Space Pirate Commando. Weavel walked towards him.
Cerian was busy looking over the battle plans, he didn't notice Weavel coming up behind him, and Zeroun, who was bound beside him, didn't care to point it out.
Weavel grabbed Cerian by to haunches and slammed him to the ground. "If it isn't my old friend, Cerian, does Ridley really think you could lead an army to war?"
Cerian stared blankly back, "Weavel?"
Weavel raised Cerian to his feet and after a moment the two were clasping each others arms, laughing like best friends.
Weavel chuckled, "Look at you, leading armies now, huh?"
"Well, what can I say, I'm just that good!"
"Meekness never was one of your strengths," Weavel laughed.
"And subtlety definitely isn't one of yours," Cerian replied with a smile, "Too bad, if you were a little less bitter and sarcastic Ridley might actually not hate you, then you would be here alongside me."
"As a matter of fact, Ridley, himself, sent me here to help you out, nothing against you of course. He says, and I quote: 'if you're such good friends with those hunters than you better be down there to!'"
"Typical Ridley," Cerian laughed, "I will be glad to have you, though, it'll be like we're back in the academy!"
Weavel nodded, "Definitely."
Cerian turned away from Weavel and yelled to the army, which was done cleaning up camp and was now assembling in their positions, "The time has come! We assault Anemen City this day!"
Trace was woken up the sound of someone yelling into the speakers, it was Gorval's voice. He looked up and saw Gorval standing before the entire army of Diamonts. He was making his final speech before the battle. Trace quickly woke Spire and the two of them joined the group.
"This is our final hour, the quiet before the storm. It is here we make our final stand." Gorval said.
He continued, "I'm not going to lie and tell you we're going to win. We are out-numbered, out-powered; we lack proper training for battle, and we have no form of vehicles or Ships to use against the Space Pirates."
"Where is he going with this?" asked Spire.
"I think I know, just wait," Trace said interested in Gorval's Speech.
Cerian continued, "Everything we have worked for relies on this victory! The Pirate code tells us never to be overconfident, so I will not assure you of victory, but remember this: We outnumber them at least thirty to one!"
"-But we have something the Space Pirates will never have: honor. It is a trait deeply imbedded into our souls and it is the trait that will help us survive the day. You see, the Space pirate may have the numbers, but we have the spirit! We are defending our lives, families, and homes. That will give any man a strength he never knew he had," Gorval was saying with a power that made you believe his words. He was a natural born leader.
"Now, follow me, men! Together we shall rid the planet of this scum!" Cerian said and began marching north, the direction towards Anemen City. Close behind him was Zeroun, still bound, and Weavel, still bored. After them came the huge army, full of courage and pride.
Equally full of courage and pride were the Diamont survivors. Gorval's speech had filled them with a confidence that they didn't have before. They busily all went to their different posts.
Trace and a few hundred diamonts went to the top of the wall, Spire and his group was covering the mounted turrets, and Ashen was in charge of the troops on the ground. Everyone waited.
It was dead silent, there was a cough and a sniffle here and there, but nobody talked they just waited. Eventually there was a noise heard from the distance.
People began to talk excitedly as a sound that was like thousands of clapping hands was heard. As diamonts tried to scan the horizon looking for the oncoming army Trace used his imperialist to zoom in. Through the scope trace could see the army. The sound that everyone was hearing was the sound of all the troops marching.
Trace examined the army looking for weakness in their ranks. Now all the diamonts could see the army and the whisper of all them behind trace was giving him a headache as he tried to examine the army. Trace spun around to tell them to shut up, and as he turned he saw something else in the skies. Hundreds of Space Pirate troopships and interceptors were headed at top speed for Anemen city.
"SHIPS!" Yelled Trace and fired his imperialist in the direction of the incoming starships. Of course it didn't hit any of them but that wasn't what Trace was aiming for.
Spire heard Trace through his intercom and saw the beam of the imperialist. Spire told his troops over the radio where to aim.
The ships arrived at lightning fast speeds. The interceptors fired a barrage of missiles at the turrets and they returned fire. The interceptors twisted and turned back the direction they had come from. Through the smoke their barrage had created Spire had seen the troopships dropping off their load of Space Pirates.
"Trace, they're on the wall!" he cried.
Trace was already aware of this as he shot a Pirate through the head. His men quickly took the Space Pirates down.
"Well, it's begun," Trace said. The army was so close now they're shapes could be made out with the naked eye.
Trace's troops made surprisingly short work of the Space Pirates. The new lava guns helped a lot
