Author's notes:

Hi guys. I'm finally here, once more. Maybe I should change the "Author's notes" into "Sorry notes" since I totally didn't expect to publish after such a long time. This was maybe the worst winter of my last 10 years. I really do not remember another time in which I was sick three times in 2 months. Fortunately, I got resilience (Resilience: passive ability - you gain +2% of your hp per hour, and +10% resistance to sickness damage for 365 days. In the next update, the coronavirus resistance will be added).

I have to say that the fact I felt bored playing Warframe in these days might have affected my fanfiction progress as well. But I already started to write the next chapter, so I HOPE it will not take months to be finished. Can't make promises.

I'm also trying to raise a bunch of triops. It should be simple, but I don't know why this experiment is getting very hard to accomplish. Brine shrimps never requested such efforts.

Enjoy this chapter, guys. See ya next time!

The Empire Game

Chapter 21.5 – For The Future

The news about the assault to Lua brought chaos upon the golden galleon. The Haeretians had broken through the planetary defences, made their way into the Orokin structures. It was already confirmed that the rebels stole something important from the moon's depths, relics of certain importance.

Further information was kept in secret, no one had given a single detail about the stolen relics. The Orokin had something important to hide, but Revered Voxis didn't need to find out. He already knew the truth.

Voxis moved silently on board, followed by two guards. The three of them wearing the red and black suits of their cult. They easily remained unseen, walking aside from the noisy crowds. They took the longer ways to move around, avoiding contact with any Orokin or Corpus through secondary paths.

The news' arrival had triggered burning discussions in the golden galleon. The reports informed that most of the weapons used by the Haeretians during the assault were of Corpus signature. Nothing surprising, since the Corpus organization based the most of its trade system on instruments of war.

Still, such information had been enough to turn Orokin against Corpus once more. The golden people judged and insulted the capitalists, who defended themselves by the accusations and even dared to criticize the lack of efficiency in the Orokin defensive systems.

Voxis and others of his cult already noticed that the crowd onboard had whittled down since the message arrived. Many of those who were leaving were guided by curiosity, especially the Corpus, who were always planning to get their hands on some Orokin secret.

The whole situation was giving them the signal that it was time. Distraction and fewer people on board: the perfect combination. Voxis and his comrades could not expect something better than that. There was no reason to rush. Other people would have left soon, and the dispute between Orokin and Corpus was far from over. Better to proceed with calm. Everything had to be like planned.

They arrived at the last crossroads found on their way. Voxis noticed that strangely there was nothing decorating the area. No streams, no waterfalls, no shining trees or ever-rotating sculptures. No Orokin traps either.

One of the four ways that departed from there disappeared behind a white door covered by metallic golden lines and Orokin glyphs. The lines were connected all together in the middle of the door, where they converged in a cycle that surrounded the Orokin symbol.

The three red and black assassins got closer, slowly and silently. Voxis' followers stopped after a pair of steps, keeping their guard up like expecting to be attacked. One of them dared to speak, whispering.

RED VEIL: "Is that one of those?"

Among the three only Voxis went closer, but then he too stopped as well, staring at the closed door. He analyzed its structure. It seemed a door made with reinforced metal, conceived to be opened only through digital ways or with a really powerful explosion.

VOXIS: "Yes, one of who knows many. Imagine the numbers of Corrupted that are waiting behind this door."

They left the golden lamps of the bright areas behind them, going deeply into the dark chambers reserved to the Red Veil faction. Soon, they encountered the first braziers on their way. The dry trees guided them through the paths shrouded in silence.

Voxis knew they were seen. He could feel the presence of the Red Veil guards hidden behind every corner, ready to act in the presence of some unwanted visitor. Sometimes, he saw the movement of a red mantle among the branches of the trees, or the weak sparkling of a blade close to a brazier.

Finally, groups of human-shaped shadows appeared further. Red Veil members were waiting around the entrance of the temple, at the base of the tree. Their identities were hidden under the black and red suits of their cult. Some kneeled around the braziers, others were sharpening their weapons filling the hall with feeble screeches. Few were collected in small groups, studying maps of the galleon projected on large transparent screens lying on the floor.

They were one of the parties scattered through the galleon who were chosen to assassinate high ranked Corpus and Orokin. They were supposed to act in silence, remaining unseen, while a smaller group had the purpose to reach the control hall, to take over the Orokin galleon's system. Doing so, they would have had all the Corrupted of the galleon under their control. Other than that, they would have brought chaos in the Corpus hierarchy and new vitality to their allies. They could easily find strength and hope in seeing some dead god.

One of the members was walking in the middle of the hall, holding a tablet in front of her. She was bathed in the light coming from the tablet's screen. A red bow and its quiver filled with arrows were attached to the back of her suit.

The Red Veil member rose her hand in the direction of Voxis and his followers. Then, she placed her hand on the chest and kneeled. Her voice came to Voxis like a whisper, still, it sounded so loud in the silence between a metal screech and another.

RED VEIL: "Revered Voxis, we are pleasured to have you with us. The youngsters have been secured in the Temple, as requested."

Voxis gave a look around. His eyes passed from an assassin to another, from the braziers to the shining maps. Weak lights in the dark, where hunters and huntresses were waiting in silence, together. Every one of them simulating the ongoing of the incoming hunt in their own minds. The adrenaline flowing in their veins, giving them vigour.

VOXIS: "How is the situation?"

RED VEIL: "With you, all the scouts of our group have returned. I have already sent the position of the Corrupted chambers that we have spotted. The trappers are taking care of them. The communications are working well, for now."

The Red Veil tapped here and there on the tablet, then she showed it to Voxis. On the screen, there was a map, the same map that the other members were analyzing. Its designs were essential: just series of lines that signed the borders of halls and corridors in the galleon. On the map there were some red crosses, and small white dots moving slowly through the design.

VOXIS: "How much time before the start?"

RED VEIL: "Hard to say. Obviously, if the security systems activate before the time, we have no choice but to start, no matter what."

VOXIS: "Who are our targets?"

RED VEIL: "We have a good amount of Corpus on our list, at least those who have chosen to stay here. Still, among the Orokin, I got something that could interest you a lot."

She tapped another pair of times on the tablet and passed it to Voxis. Two images appeared on the screen, now in Voxis' hand, covering part of the map. Voxis remained in silence. He examined both the pictures, paying attention to the differences between the two of them.

In one of them, there was a girl. Her golden hair collected in a silver clip adorned with a line of rubies. Her smiling lips painted with red lipstick, contrasting with her pale skin. A golden necklace hosting diamond was falling on her chest, covered by a white dress so pure that it seemed to shine on its own. On her face, like two torches, her golden eyes were sparkling. The eyes of an Orokin.

At the side of such picture, there was the second one. The same girl, but not exactly. Her long and golden hair was falling on her shoulders. No clips or necklaces adorning her pale body, just a thin dress, almost invisible that let transpire the shapes of her young body. Natural pink lips, uncontaminated by any cosmetic, were beneath her eyes. Such eyes were grey and lucid, filled with sadness.

RED VEIL: "This Orokin has achieved her least Continuity recently enough. I thought she could be a worthy prey for you."

Voxis' sight slid from one picture to another, encountering the eyes of the Yuvan and then the eyes of the Orokin. A so young life sacrificed for the good of a devil dressed in beauty and perfection. The silver, the gold and the gems, all such goods were dirty of her death.

VOXIS: "You have chosen well. The death of any Orokin will feed the fire of our allies, but this fresh reincarnated has an even higher value."

Suddenly, a powerful sound boomed in the halls and broke the silence. The alarms echoed in the whole galleon. The ship's walls vibrated. The entire group of Red Veil embraced the weapons. Bows, guns, blades, all pointed towards the large dark corridor that led the way outside the area of their cult.

RED VEIL: "Our comrades have already been caught in action?!"

VOXIS: "Apparently. This is going to be a marvellous hunt, right in the nest of the beasts."

The Red Veil fought in separated groups, moving rapidly and silently through the halls trying to assault their opponents from the corners. Now that the whole galleon was on alert, and the Corrupted were released to fight, they could only slay as many targets as they could. In the meantime, the group chosen to take the systems under control was making its way in the galleon, trying to evade conflict as planned.

Shots, screams, and explosion filled the air during the battles. Soon, destroyed Moas began to adorn the floors, nearby their dead Corpus masters. Just a few Red Veil members were fallen in those encounters, and their bodies left behind by their comrades who had to continue to fight.

Voxis and his squad proceeded, taking care of the area they were assigned to. Slaying their Corpus targets was an easy task since some of them decided to wait in their own ships. Despite the alarms were clear and loud, they were determined to take back the goods they brought in the galleon, instead of leaving them to the Red Veil.

In such cases, Voxis could not help but laugh under his helmet when he and his comrades entered the ships of such foolish merchants and exterminated the crew onboard. They got those targets and plenty of goods. A small and perfect victory for his party, even if other Corpus showed to be smarter and departed before taking back what was their property. Of course, the Red Veil knew they would hardly kill all their targets, there were too many of them. When one prey was lost, they just passed to the next one.

Every time Voxis passed nearby a window, he took the chance to give a look to the space outside. Among the stars, he could see the float of ships leaving the galleon, running away from the battle. At the head of the great amount of Corpus ships, there were countless white and gold dots: Orokin vessels.

Voxis was losing part of his fighting desire, wondering if there were still Orokin onboard, or if the gods escaped death once again. He knew the evacuation of the Orokin would have been fast, and that those devils dressed in gold were obsessed with perfection and efficiency. In the beginning, he thought that they could take at least one Orokin, since so many Red Veil were involved in that attack, but now his hope was vanishing slowly.

The hunt was going well for Voxis and his party, maybe a little too much. The group lost just a pair of its members in the previous fights, and now no enemy was in sight. They found themselves running into desert halls. Probably, the evacuation of those who were still alive was almost completed.

In the end, they entered a last chamber. The group proceeded without pause, and just got a look around while moving forward. It was very spacious, one of the many great halls where Orokin and Corpus used to discuss and conjure.

Other two doors connected the chamber with the rest of the galleon: one on the other side, where a waterfall was feeding a rounded pond, and another to the right.

Here and there, rounded white tables were standing in groups. On some of them, there were chalices, pitchers and plates. The chairs around them were displaced and some were lying on the floor. Even small accessories made of silver and gold and shining gems had been left behind during the evacuation. The fact that the Orokin abandoned such goods proved that they left fast and chaotically.

One of the Red Veil who were in the first line lowered his dagger, yet covered with blood, and rapidly caught a golden ring from the floor, inserting it on the top of the blade. The cultist guided the dagger upon the head and admired the shining ring. Few members nearby laughed a little, like satisfied.

Suddenly, Voxis heard a metallic screech coming from their right flank. A black object rapidly flew towards his group, heading to the Red Veil with the ring. A feeble blue spark and the shields of the suit went immediately broken. The black thing passed through the cultist's body, that fell on the floor, metres away, divided into two parts. The blood came out rapidly, painting the floor of red.

The black object continued to fly around, releasing red drops of blood on its passage. It headed towards other members of the group, who launched themselves on the floor to evade contact with that thing. In the end, it stopped to fly on their heads and disappeared behind the door that was to their right side, that now was opened.

A group of Dax rushed inside the hall. The warriors armoured in black and gold reached the Red Veil with their golden swords unsheathed and ready to rend flesh and bones. In just one second, the black soldiers were already on the cultists.

Those who were in the first line tried to stop them, using their blades to parry the golden swords. The clash pushed them backwards. Some of the Red Veil didn't succeed to stand under the strength of the Dax and fell on the floor. That's when their comrades came in and took their position, engaging in the fight with the soldiers.

Voxis and the rest of the group start fighting too, giving support to those in first-line or duelling with the Dax who were attacking from another side. Their shouts boomed in the hall in a chant of war. Those who held bows or pistols detached from the group, trying to take position to the Dax's sides, in order to have a clear shot from the distance.

Bodies already started to fall when another group of soldiers came in. Those ignored the battle that was taking place close to them and ran towards the door ahead.

Voxis looked at the running soldiers, wondering why those Dax were leaving with such a hurry. And why their comrades were fighting while they were running away? He could easily expect a fight against all of them, knowing how the Dax were loyal to their golden masters, even when the Orokin were not watching the sacrifices done by their servants.

He was trying to find motivation for such behaviour when something grabbed his attention. Beyond the fight that was raging in front of him between Dax and Red Veil, right in the middle of the black armoured soldiers who were leaving in compact formation. Among the floating black mantles pending from the soldiers' shoulders, he saw something sparkling. A white tissue of pure silk, signed by silver stripes.

And so it was perfectly clear. When would a Dax avoid to fight for the Orokin and run away from the battlefield? Only when an Orokin must be saved.

Voxis took out three throwing knives from his belt, keeping them between his fingers, while the other hand was holding the dagger. He jumped in the middle of the fight. He rapidly slashed the arm of Dax to his side, forcing him to drop the sword. He launched the first knife to a Dax who was in front of him, right in the neck and placed the other two in the body of another Dax to his left. One knife in the elbow, one in the knee.

His comrades assaulted the wounded Dax at his sides, while the one in front of him fell backwards on the floor, two thin streams of blood coming down from the sides of the knife in his neck. Voxis extended his arm, pointing the dagger towards the group that was running away. He shouted.

VOXIS: "Orokin!"

The Dax soldiers proved the truth in their fame of great warriors. Soon, the area was covered by pools of blood, reddened blades, and mutilated corpses of Dax and Red Veil alike.

The dagger made its way in the neck of the next Dax. He remained paralyzed for an instant, not expecting a strike so precise and fast enough to penetrate his defences. The Red Veil were called exalted assassins for good reasons.

The fight was still raging behind his shoulders when Voxis pushed aside the golden armoured soldier without leaving the handle of the dagger, trying to have a clear sight of his target who was escaping, covered by the Dax himself.

He saw the little goddess running alone in the golden hall. Her minute body dressed in a pure white vest ruined by the red spots of blood of the fallen soldiers who tried to protect her. Voxis could hear the sound of her sandals on the floor, her heavy breaths desperately catching the air, between an alarm and another.

The Orokin looked back at her hunter. Her golden eyes shining in an expression of fear for the first time in her long life. The goddess was scared. The goddess was vulnerable. Nothing could feed Voxis' exaltation more than that. In a moment of euphoria, he didn't notice that the Dax was still alive.

Those soldiers would have never left their golden lords unprotected. They were always ready to sacrifice themselves for the Orokin cause. The Dax rose his right arm. His hand was strongly holding the golden sword. The blade ready to cut down Voxis' head in a last and desperate act of service to the gods.

The long sword cut the air, getting deadly close to Voxis neck. Just a few inches were between the Revered and his final instant of life. Voxis tried to take distance from the approaching golden blade, but he didn't react rapidly enough.

An arrow came from above. Fast and silent, it passed right behind Voxis' head and found its place in the Dax's helmet, piercing the golden metal. The Dax's head bent backwards in an unnatural way. His whole body was pushed away, freeing Voxis' dagger from the soldier's flesh.

The Dax's sword kept going in its already decided way, cutting the assassin before the shield of his suit could regenerate. It didn't decapitate him. It just succeeded in tearing the suit and leaving a wound deep enough to cause terrible pain, but not enough to kill. A line of blood flowed out, following the trajectory of the golden blade.

Voxis howled at the pain. The dagger fell from his hand and clinked on the floor, spreading drops of Dax's blood. Voxis guided his hand on the wound. His vision blurred, shadows made their apparition in his own eyes. But when he saw again the small Orokin running away towards safety, and his suffering became irrelevant to him.

Voxis could not accept to lose his priceless prey due to the miserable limits of his flesh while his comrades were all engaging a battle for their lives. He recollected the dagger from the floor at his feet, holding it tightly in his hand bathed in his own blood. He charged the small goddess through the hall.

In those few instants, he examined which part of the Orokin had to be targeted for first. A single blow on her neck, fast and without suffering? Or maybe a first strike to hinder her movement, and then the final sentence to make her savour how it feels being helpless facing the death?

Everything seemed slowed down to him. The drops coming from the waterfalls remained suspended in the air for that small fragment of time. He could sense the last beating of his heart when he was right on the Orokin.

Suddenly, something grabbed his leg, at the height of the ankle. He fell on the floor, at the feet of the Orokin. He slid on the metal plates, while something was pulling him away from is prey. He tried to stop, grasping the floor with his hands, but it didn't work.

He forced himself to rotate the head, even if the wound was giving him such pain. He saw something like a string that was tightened around his ankle. The string was extended for a good part of the hall, ending nearby the door where he and his group came from. There, a tall contorted humanoid figure stood. An Orokin seal on its face. One of its two arms was longer than the other. The longer arm was pointed towards Voxis, and was from such limb that the string was coming from. That creature, under the galleon's security system's control, was taking him away from his prize.

The door ahead opened up. Groups of golden figures stepped in, holding guns or blades, followed by white robotics adorned with golden accents. Some of them wore armours so large and heavy, while others were just equipped with common suits. But, all of them, had their faces covered by the Orokin seal, just like the creature that captured Voxis. They all were Corrupted.

Voxis rose his arm, the one that was holding the dagger. He stroke the floor's plates, hoping that the dagger would have stopped him. Instead, the blade slid over the plates, making a continuous screech and releasing sparkles on its passage.

Voxis eyes searched for the Orokin again. He saw the goddess running towards her safety, away from the Red Veil who were still fighting the Dax. Voxis could not accept to lose his chance that way. He tried to kick the string away from his ankle with his free leg, but the creature was not intentioned to let him go. So, knowing that he could not break free, he shouted, hoping that someone of his comrades could hear his words and accomplish his desire.

VOXIS: "Kill her! Kill the Orokin!"

One of the cultists succeeded in stabbing the Dax she was fighting with, placing her dagger between two plates of the golden armour. She ran towards the Orokin, leaving her opponent alone for the last moments of his life of servitude.

She took her bow that was kept on her back and prepared an arrow, after taking it from the quiver. She took aim while chasing the prey, but the Corrupted covered the small goddess with their own bodies, forming a living barrier.

Voxis saw the cultist jumping on the wall at her side and running over it for a second. Another jump and she was in air, the arrow pointed towards the small Orokin among her servants.

Suddenly, a black figure appeared. The shadow jumped towards the Red Veil and encountered her in mid-air. A fast movement. The head of the Red Veil flew away, her body fell leaving a trail of blood in the air. The arrow was released and pierced the armour of one of the Corrupted, killing the golden servant.

The dark figure landed with mastery at a few feet from the cultist's body. It was bowed down on its knees. Its body black like the night. In its hand, a long silver blade marked with a red line of blood. It was not a Dax. It was similar to a Warframe, Excalibur model. A Guardian.

Voxis was already at the feet of his capturer. His eyes slid from the Red Veil's body, to the Guardian, which turned to Voxis' direction with its face-less head.

The string was no more around his ankle. The creature behind him rose its long limb, preparing to crush Voxis with its strength.

In a last try, Voxis took out the last throwing knives he had. He gave himself just a small fragment of second to aim. He didn't have time. Voxis launched the knives in the direction of the Orokin, right in the only space left from the dead Corrupted.

He didn't wait to see where the knives went. He rolled aside. His wound tormented him more than before. The gelid pain crossed his body and made him tremble during his evasive manoeuvre.

He sensed the air moving at just a few inches from him, and the impact with the metal plates of the floor was so close that sounded like two ships were crashing on each other.

Voxis got up on his feet, forcing himself to win against the pain. The creature was standing right in front of him. The long arm placed on the floor, where the plates were now deformed.

He jumped on the creature. The arm upon his head holding the dagger pointed towards his target. Voxis grabbed the creature and pushed the dagger against the Orokin seal. The seal broke, and the dagger made its way inside the creature's flesh.

Voxis kept pushing the dagger, while the creature was trembling in spasm, but not falling down. He heard a scream, but it was not coming from the Corrupted. It was the scream of a girl, coming from the other side of the all. The Orokin was screaming. It echoed in the hall, so powerful that bothered Voxis' ears.

Such sound, so filled with pain and anger, fed Voxis with new strength. He pushed the beast, trying to make it fall. Then he gave himself a sprint with his legs like he was jumping on the Corrupted. The creature bent backwards under its and his weight. Voxis placed both hands on the dagger's hilt. The Corrupted fell on the floor, and, on the impact, the dagger passed through the whole head and touched the metal plates under the victim. It was lying there, under its killer, with the deformed limbs contracted, releasing its last hissing sound.

Voxis let the dagger's hilt go, he got up and stepped back, staggering for the fatigue. He got away from the corpse but without moving further than a few feet. Every breath was heavy and long, for his body was desperately looking for new oxygen to use. His head was stuffed. It was like the whole reality was whirling fast around him. The figures became to get blurred.

He looked back at his comrades, now red shadows struggling against the remaining soldiers. Around them, many corpses of both factions, all together in the red sea on the floor. Further, the Corrupted were approaching, their guns seemed already pointed to their targets, ready to shoot. No traces of the Guardian, the Orokin seemed to be gone as well.

Voxis looked back at the dead Corrupted that was lying at his feet. He got closer and bowed down, grabbing the hilt of his dagger and using it to lift the whole corpse. He rose the beast above his head and used his whole arm to sustain the weight.

He ran towards the nearest Dax, carrying the corpse. The soldier was about to land his sword on a Red Veil who was lying on the floor, still alive. Voxis collected one of the many Dax swords that were on the floor and charged shouting and covering himself with the dead Corrupted.

The Dax stopped and focused his attention on the thing that was coming closer. Voxis pushed the corpse against the Dax, and stabbed him with the stolen sword. He didn't stop. He proceeded to the next Dax on sight.

The Red Veil he just helped, remained shocked for one instant, charmed by the strength of such fighting spirit. After recollecting the blade, the Red Veil went to support the rest of the comrades who were still fighting. That's when the bullets started to fly towards the cultists.

Voxis passed through the metal storm coming from the Corrupted guns, using the dead creature as a shield of flesh, and slaying any Dax that was unlucky enough to find himself on his path of brutal madness. In the end, the last one tried to throw at him his sharp disk, but another cultist cut his arm.

The Dax howled in pain. And when the soldier focused his wrath against his assaulter, he found himself impaled and his sufferings came to an end. His body too was mercilessly carried away by the crazy assassin.

Voxis ran towards the Corrupted group. The dead Corrupted in front of him, the Dax just dragged behind, leaving a red trail on the metal plates. The weight was destroying the cultist's body. The blood coming out from his wound was draining away his strength. In the end, he found himself bowed under the body of the beast.

Once he was close enough and his body was on the verge to fall, he lifted the dead Dax. The pain pierced every part of his body. He launched the Dax against the Corrupted, and those that received it fell backwards, and those nearby them, fell as well.

Now, everything around Voxis seemed just a contorted painting of light and shadow to him. He even didn't see if the Dax went right where he wanted. He didn't hold a second. He turned a little to his other side. He grabbed the dead beast with both his hands and lifted it upon his head, leaving his front uncovered. He bent his body backwards, and, a portion of second later, the corpse was flying towards the Corrupted. And so, another part of the group fell.

Like before, he didn't bother to know if that thing took any of the Corrupted. He made a few steps backwards, but just accidentally. He was staggering, losing his balance under the more and more pressuring blows of the immense fatigue. He turned around, unstable on his feet, until a mass of red shadows appeared in his blurred vision: his comrades, dead or alive.

He placed a hand on his helmet and pulled it off from his head. The fresh air embraced his face, the drops of sweat seemed to become suddenly as cold as ice on his skin. He looked at the cultists with his very eyes, still not able to see clearly, and shouted with the last particle of will he had, opening his arms to them like inviting them to fight.

VOXIS: "For the future!"

His voice echoed clear, booming like the alarms that were shaking the galleon. A moment of silence, and, finally, the response. A loud chant of war came from the survived Red Veil, who, as well, took off their helmets, showing their faces to the universe once again.

Those who lost their weapon collected one from the dead. Every Red Veil took a corpse from the graveyard they had around them, imitating Voxis. Only the Dax were selected, simply because they were the servants of the gods. They didn't dare to take their fallen comrades, such honourable fighters deserved to rest in peace, even now that they were just masses of cells deprived of will. So armed, the cultists charged the Corrupted, never stop shouting.

That's when Voxis felt his legs trembling, and he fell on the floor. He suffered no pain when the knees clashed against the plates. Even the wound on his neck bothered him no more. It was like his own mind was unchained to his body, and could not control it anymore. The darkness shrouded everything, and his eyes closed by themselves. The sounds of the battle slowly vanished away, accompanying his falling in the abyss of nothingness.