I DO NOT OWN SPOP OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN MY OC'S.

Warning: This chapter contains swearing, Injuries, Death, Blood, gore, and rape/nonconsent

'Thinking'

"Normal speech"

Computer messages

"Mechanical"

"Memory"

Chapter 8 - The Dominoes Start To Fall

He sat against the cold concrete wall, the cold seeped through his uniform and into his skin. He took a rag out of his bag and began to clean off the mud that clung to his weapon. A large man stood over an electric lamp as he told a story. "Oh you should have seen it, when me and Leon shoved up the Elexans didn't know what to do. They scurried around like cockroaches ven vee started shooting down at them. Then out of novhere Burkhart comes out of novhere and sends their squad leader flying out a vindow. I mean, those had to be the saddest excuse of infiltrators to be ambushed by this mountain. You don't vanna get close to Festung with his Kriegshammer".

Burkhart jumped up on a crate and held his large warhammer like a golf club. "Here stands Burkhart lining up for a shot and HE HITS A HOLE IN ONE"! The man first spoke softly like a golf announcer before shouting. Hans and Leon shout before picking the larger man up and carrying him around as if he had just won the most important golf game in history.

"Festung! Festung! Festung"! Nardo chuckled before setting his blaster rifle to the side and walking up to the three rowdy Grenadiers. "Alright calm down you Idiots, you'll get your melons blown off by enemy snipers". "No need, I'll do it for zem". A red dot appeared on Burkhart's forehead. "Ah fuck off Rorey, you couldn't even hit- heads up"!

Burkhart quickly scooped up an empty can and threw it high into the air.

Rorey's headgear immediately closed as he raised his rifle before blasting the can into a small shower of debris. His helmet opened again to see Burkhart charging at him with open arms. "Scheis-" was all he could mutter before being tackled to the ground. Rorey groaned as he looked up at Burkhart with a glare. "Get off me you fat bastard". Burkhart slowly got up with a large grin. "Festung 17, Snorey 16". Rorey dusted himself before looking up at Burkhart.

"Smug fat bastard-" Rorey muttered as he lifted his trench shovel. Only to be held back by Nardo. "The last time you tried that, you ended up giving him another point. Heh, you two looked like a newly wedded couple in bed". Nardo began to chuckle as Rorey grumbled when he backed down before going silent. He suddenly snickered before walking off, no doubt crafting some nefarious prank on Burkhart.

He left the marksmen with his schemes to go see how the others were doing. He walked through the empty hallway, the previous furniture was either broken or being used as barricades. The ragged holes from the broken windows showed the orange sky.

He could see a few "Moons" dotting the sky along with the occasional shooting star. In reality the moons were either giant starports, shipyards or defense platforms. The shooting stars were in truth debris or destroyed star ships coming into the atmosphere. He knocked on the doorway as he entered the room to alert the others he was there.

Petra, their heavy ordnance specialist looked up from her book. "Sup Chef, vee pushing zee Elexanz yet? I vant to use zee new rockets we kot". Nardo slowly shook his head with a grin. "Not until we get more bodies and air support punches through that blockade".

"vell tell them to hurry up, it's been too long since I've blown someving up". "Petra, you just blew up some poor bastard for poking his head out a window". Anna, one of their medics, was sitting next to the other medic Benard. "hey! Not my fault he gafe his position away vile in the perfect spot for me. If he didn't vant to explode he shouldn't hafe popped his tiny head out".

Nardo snorted at this, he turned his sight to the shattered window. His eyes narrowed to see movement before the ruin shook from an explosion. The four quickly crouched down as dust fell on their helmets. "Well looks like you have an opportunity to blow more shit up. Don't go using it all up like last time. I don't want to have to shoot at a Howler for 30 minutes again". "FUCK YA" Petra yelled as she picked up her grenade launcher.

Nardo ran back to the room where the other Grenadiers were. As he ran in he could already see and hear them firing their hail guns. The LMG's muzzle flashing purple as dozens bolts of plasma flew through the air. "Brink it on you bastards, you're not taking this spot, you're not taking anymore spots ever again"!

Nardo ran to the radio and began to turn to the main channel to call for reinforcements. A stray shot punched through the radio causing sparks to fly everywhere as it was destroyed. "Fuck! Who the hell moved the radio"! Leon swore under her breath before looking back at Nardo.

"That's my bad Sergeant"! "Goddamn it Leon, your talks with your boyfriend are going to get us killed. If we live through it I'm taking you radio privileges away"! He ran to the window and slammed into the wall as he knelt down for cover before springing up and locking on a charging body and shot at them with deadly accuracy "He's not my boyfriend"!

Nardo's sight began to darken and blur as the sound of explosion, blastor fire and screams once again faded and became distant. His eyes flickered and he slowly came back to his senses. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and gave out a heavy sigh as the memory went back to the depths of his mind.

His attention was grabbed by a group of familiar ex slaves coming aboard. Upon a closer look he could see it was some of Scorpina's crew. The scorpion kin and lizardfolk looked a little worn with the lashings visible on their backs. They seemed to be happy to be in the Horde's fold again. "I told you the Horde wouldn't forget about us".

Nardo gave a small smile as he walked up to the freed Horde soldiers. "Welcome aboard, It is good to see you back safe". He turned to the Deck Captain. "Make sure these men are fed, make sure all of them are fed". The beastman gave a salute and started to yell out orders.

Nardo was thanked by the surrounding freed slaves. It did warm his heart, he continued to aid the medics with the injured. It wasn't long until he noticed the slave ships nearing his ship and the freed slaves on his ship slowly surrounded him. He noticed a few ex slaves approach him. Their bodies were dirty with grime and sweat, the clothes they wore were stained with blood and who knew what other things.

"E-exuse me sir, what are you going to do with us now"? Nardo could see that this group still had their shackles clinging to their wrists and ankles. "What am I going to do? I'll tell you what I'm going to do". The skinny humans and lizardmen looked up at him with nervous eyes.

"I'm going to get those infernal shackles off of you. No free man should wear such degrading things". "Y-you mean-". The freed slaves looked up with hope. "Yes, on this day you are no longer slaves. That goes for every single one of you "! Nardo yelled up in the air for everyone to hear. Nearby Horde soldiers and ex slaves jumped back from the sheer volume from the giant.

"On this day you are no longer slaves, but free men and women! You shall never wear chains ever again! The Horde is here to put an end to the Thunder Wave's reign of terror! You've seen that we can take these bastards on! But we can not take on the rest of their fleet without your help! Help us free your brothers and sisters and finally bring an end to all slavery on these waters! I know you must be starving and tired! You will be fed properly, you will be given rest! If you still wish to flee we will not stop you! But if you want to stay and fight, if you yearn for justice for their crimes and sins as I do! Then join us, and together WE WILL MAKE THEM PAY"!

Nardo was met with cheers as the freed men realized that their hopes were true. He could see them hugging each other and celebrating. Nardo started to keep to his promise by taking the shackles off the nearby ex slaves by literally ripping them off.

Later that day

The sun was nearing the horizon as the sky was beginning to turn a deep shade of orange. Nardo had cleared the area in the back of the ship. That was where the pirates were currently chained up at. There were a total of seven of them. Standing tall with his arms crossed, he sneered down at them. He reached down and grabbed the farthest one to the left by his shirt. "I'm only going to ask this once. How did you know we were here". He practically growled.

The pirate responded by spitting in his face. Nardo let the man go and wiped it off his face. The pirate chuckled as Nardo glared down at him. A hint of red sat at the edges of his eyes. He turned to the other six. "Let me show you vat happens if you don't komply". Without any further warning Nardo grabbed the offending pirate's arm chained up and yanked as hard as he could. A sickening pop was heard as the man's wrist was dislocated before his hand was ripped off completely when the cuff would not yield.

The pirate gave out a cry before he was thrown to the deck and a foot stomped on his back. His back was cracked as Nardo grabbed both arms and with a grunt ripped them both off. The same way a child might rip off the legs of a bug. The pirate tried to scream but was unable to with the wind crushed out of his lungs. After throwing the limbs overboard. Nardo stepped off and slammed his arm down for his claws to hook into the pirate's flesh. He clenched his fingers and lifted the armless man up.

He brought his arm back before throwing the pirate overboard. Blood showered on the remaining pirates as their armless comrade flew over them. A splash was heard as the man crashed into the water. The Horde soldiers that blocked the paths to the rest of the ship were shocked by the brutal execution. One even ripped her helmet off and ran to the side railing.

Nardo grabbed another by the neck and brought him to his face. "You look a little bit smarter san your frient. You've seen vat happens to those who are disrespectful to me. So you better show me respect by telling me what I want"? The pirate's confidence had vanished and was replaced by a look of terror. "W-we were just out looking for more sorry souls to profit off of". The grip tightened as Nardo bore his teeth. "Don't lie to me".

The man looked up in fear at the incisors that could no doubt rip out his throat with ease. "I-I s-swear, ask the captain"! Nardo turned his gaze to the right to see only one not meeting his eyes. The man whimpered as Nardo let go of his neck. The sound of his heavy boots hitting the metal deck got closer to the pirate captain. The man kept staring down until he saw two large black boots in front of him. "Is he saying the truth"? Nardo squared down so he was closer to the prisoner's eye level. "Or was he lying, and vasting my time". The Force Captain growled, giving the fearful pirate a side glare.

"No, the lad wasn't, about me being the Captain. The boy was spouting the truth, we had no idea the Horde would be foolish enough to send more ships to their doom. We's be simply searching for more slaves to capture. The lot we got from your ships weren't enough for King Damiana apparently, so we were sent out to capture more. Now I'll make a deal with you. I'll tell you all that I know, and you'll spare me and my men". Nardo thought for a moment. 'Enemy intel would surely be useful. We have been going through this with limited vision'. With the answer obvious now he sighed. "Very well, but know this. If you sound like you're pulling shite from your arse than I'll make your death a painful one. Now, speak".

The blackness of night covered the sky like a thick blanket. With only the moons giving off a dim gloom. The waves were calm, softly brushing against the Horde ships and the newly added slave ships now named freedom vessels by the Horde's newest allies and hopefully new additions. The sails were rolled up with anchors sitting at the bottom of the sandy ocean floor.

The small island was covered by sleeping bodies all huddled around dying campfires. The warm tropical air was only interrupted by the occasional breeze. The drones used the wrecked ships to fix the new additions to his fleet. Nardo leaned against the railing looking up at the starless sky. 'A day's worth of rest should have them up and running tomorrow. Lord above knows it's going to be a few days before we reach the next target'

The next target was a town, mostly known for it's sugar cane farms. No doubt a good place to pick up more bodies. He was thankful that all of them wanted to fight the pirates. He was prepared to get out of this encounter with a single ship but the added three gave him hope.

The wounded would be sent back to the Horde's home port tomorrow on the sloop. He would lose a few hands making sure they got back safely but he wouldn't have to worry about the injured. He licked the inside of his teeth still tasting the fresh fish they had raided from the barracks pantries.

It had been a long time since he had eaten anything that wasn't a cube. He had forgotten what real food had tasted like. knowing he was going to go back on cubes once he got back to the fright zone made him want to stay out here longer. Perhaps he could delay his return once he had rescued Scorpina.

His thoughts darkened as his thoughts went to his captured friend. He wouldn't admit it outloud but he had taken a liking to the Scorpion woman. Nothing romantic, she was far too young for his tastes. Most women were too young for him here. Not that it was a problem, he wasn't at all interested in dating anymore.

He didn't think it would really be a concern of his at all. He had enough on his plate as is. Back to the matter at hand, he was really betting all of his luck that Scorpina would be locked up in the capital. 'I could have a small fleet stay behind in case she isn't there. No, I have too few troops as is, I'll barely have enough once I free all the slaves on my way there.

Plans and ploys to even out and counter what the pirates could throw at him. Nardo spent an hour playing mind 4d chess against the enemy before he decided to call it a night. He needed to be well rested for the coming days.

Several ember basins hung on the ceiling. Cut marble flooring and polished granite walls made up the luxurious room. Several women sat on thick, plush cushions. Most being of scorpion heritage. They quietly gossiped as two heavily armored guards stood at the large double doors. Scorpina sat on a purple chair staring at her tied up claws.

The guards had covered her stinger in a leather strap so she couldn't sting anyone. It was the same way with all of the other women. She gloomy stared at the tray of fruit at the center table for them. She waited for any word that anyone was coming to save her.

She could still hear the screams of her soldiers when the pirates first attacked. How they were butchered when the pirates boarded them. Even when she was dragged away she could see some of the pirates jumping on the women like beasts. She couldn't believe when they needed her most she froze. Maybe she wouldn't be in this mess if she snapped out of it and led her men. Maybe she wouldn't be in King Damiana's harem.

She was lucky so far that he was giving her time to get used to being here. She had watched many of these women in here leave with him and come back the day after. She knew her time was running out though. She didn't want to be with him at all. 'Damn it Scorpina, why did you have to freeze like that'.

"Hey, you feeling ok hun"? Scorpina looked to her left to see a woman placing a claw on her shoulder. "Oh I'm just beating myself up Nida. I just hope Father or anyone gets here soon". "Sweetie you can't keep hitting yourself in the head for what happened. Damiana threw everything he had against you, you did the best you could". Nida tried to comfort her but only partially succeeded.

Nida has been here for only a year, but she knew a lot of the ingoings of thunder waves. Nida was the one to convince Damiana to give her time to get settled in. Scorpina was thankful for Nida for what she had done for her. She only hoped she would be able to repay her if she was rescued. WHEN she was rescued, she wouldn't lose faith, she couldn't lose faith.

The guards suddenly opened the large doors as someone neared. She looked up to see the pirate king himself standing in the doorway. Her heart began to beat a hundred miles per hour when he stared into her eyes. A smile grew on his face and she could see his yellowed teeth, many of which were gold plated.

He brought his hand up and did a come here motion with his finger. She began to panic inside 'Please no, not now, not ever'. She felt Nida rub her back gently. "you have to go, it only gets worse if you make him wait, it only hurts at first. It will feel good afterwards". Nida knew that Scorpina had never been with anyone before. She wanted her first time to be with that special someone someday, Not this disgusting man. She slowly stood up and began to walk towards the man.

The pirate king smiled at this and placed a hand on his hip as he continued to move his finger in a 'come here' motion. "Come now my precious jewel". He said as he looked over her as if she was a tasty meal. She grimaced slightly before she quickly brought up a false smile. She hated when he called her that, as if she was some trophy.

To hear this evil man call her that soured her mind. She would have to keep up a smile though. Nida made sure she understood if Damiana was happy things would go smoother. Putting on a smile and giving him compliments was a good start. "Yes my ravishing King". She spoke sweetly, she was barely able to swallow back the disgust in her tone. She wanted to throw up for saying anything remotely positive to this man.

He gave a low chuckle as he took her claws in his hands. "Nida darling, come here". The woman stood up and swayed her hips as she walked up to the Pirate King. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders and guided them to his quarters.

They walked down the hall passing many exquisite and expensive looking pieces of art. "Do you like them? It took me years to gather such beautiful pieces. But none comeclose to you, my crown jewel. Princess of the Scorpion kingdom, mine alone. Hahaha and thanks to you I've got the best weapons the Horde has to offer. Soon all the clans shall bow to me. And I have you to thank".

He held Scorpina's chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "Such pretty eyes, I can't wait to hear you begging my name". He gave out a dark chuckle as they entered his chambers. A few tears fell from Scorpina's face. 'Please hurry, anyone'.

A week had passed since the first battle and Nardo's fleet had doubled in size. The assault on the sugar cane farms was a booming success. Using the slave ships as trojan horses. The 'slaves' had pistols hidden on them as they were brought further and further into the town. He was told the confusion on the pirates face when the chains suddenly dropped was priceless. The pirates were barely able to put up a defense as the rest of his troops spilled out onto the docks and flooded the town. The few ships that were there were quickly dealt with.

While not all slaves joined him inthe end. The number that did was still great. Unfortunately the number of pirates wielding his weapons was growing. The Horde's armor if it could even be called that. Did very little against the hot plasma. Let alone swords and other weapons. 'From what the Captain had told him among other things, the Horde ships had been added to Damiana's personal fleet. They were trying to figure out how to pilot them when the Captain had left. It was a high likelihood that they figured how to use them by now'. He decided to wait until later to come up with a plan to deal with them.

Had he been sent here to conquer these islands instead of a rescue mission, he could have used less aggressive tactics and played it more safely. The number of casualties would be lower but time was not on his side. The longer he took the farther spread out the original forces were, and the more likely something bad happened to Scorpina.

He would no doubt have to deal with the other pirate clans after he rescued her. While he had no problem facing more pirates and freeing more slaves. Hordak would probably bring him back and replace him with someone else once he returned to the fright zone.

While there were some Force Captains who could handle the remaining pirates. He knew he was still the best suited for this. He breathed out a deep sigh as he looked out towards the horizon.

They were nearing the capital, only a single town and a handful of outposts stood in his way. The pirates' dependency on slave armies would be their downfall. With each victory their numbers grew and while they were weakened from years of abuse and mistreatment. The ex-slaves were motivated with a burning desire for revenge. they fought harder than most Horde soldiers. It had been a long time since he had seen that kind of fire in a person's eyes.

Once he too held such a fire, a fire that craved for justice and righteousness. It reminded him when the Elexans first came to his planet and brought destruction to their cities. He had seen the Elexans do many atrocities during the first War of Crystal. While what he was doing now was, less than pure, it was necessary. Let the lord above filter through the filth for the few decent men he said.

A growl started to grow at the back of his throat as he thought in the past. "S-s-sir, are you o-ok". He snapped out of his train of thought as he stared down at a deckhand. He had a mop in his hand with a blood stained mop head on the deck. 'Cleaning duty' "ah I'm just thinking of the past". "N-not a good time I would think"? Nardo looked into the man's eyes with a hard stare.

"I-im s-sorry Sir, I o-over stepped". Nardo could see that he was making this little human uncomfortable so he tried to soften his gaze. "No, you are not, and yes they aren't the greatest memories. No war has ever produced any good memories in the history of time". "Ah, I h-heard rumors that this was your first time fighting at all".

Nardo scoffed and chuckled at the same time he leaned against the railing.

"Rumors rarely ever hold truth to them, remember that. Noo, I fought in three wars before I came to this world and joined the Horde. More like 2 and the beginning of one to be honest". The Horde soldier's eyes widened and a small gasp could be heard. "You mean the rumors are about you being an alien are right"? Nardo looked at the nightly horizon that was only lit by several moons.

"Yes, that would be one of the few times rumors spark any truth. Yes I am from space, a moon countless light-years away. I'm not even sure what its current status is. It was in the middle of a war when I left it". The deckhand followed Nardo's gaze and looked out at the sea. "You said you fought in three wars before this. Who were you fighting"?

Nardo's eyes dimmed as he let the floodgates open and memories filled his mind. "We called them the Elexans, I never knew the reason behind it. Maybe after some predator or something. Though you might know them by the First Ones".

The deckhand's eyes widened. "I remember my grandma telling me stories of the First Ones. She told me that they were explorers. The first ones to come to Eternia". Nardo chuckled at the lazy name. "Is that how they got their name here? Huhuhuu because they were the first ones on this wet rock"? The young man laughed a little when he thought of it. "I guess it's kinda a silly name now that I think of it".

Nardo sighed before stifling a yawn. He decided he had spent enough time wondering what the pirates could pull. He wasn't any good to his men tired. "What is your name"? "O-Owen Sir" he said with nervous tone. "Well Owen I'm going to call it a night, why don't you take a break". The young man stepped aside "Goodnight Sir thank you sir". Nardo tipped his hat then walked inside the ship to his quarters. He had all day tomorrow to plan.

Later

The sun like moon had yet to rise from the horizon but Nardo stood on the deck with Maximillian. "Your mission is to scout the defenses of our next target. The drones have gotten as close to it as possible but I still need more information on the specifics of their defences. You will take this skiff and go to the port city before us. Stay out of sight and learn all you can about their defenses''. The reaver brought a clawed hand to his chest "it sshall be done Forcse Captain".

Max hopped into the skiff hanging on the side of the ship. The chains disconnected and the light hovercraft fell. Its engines hummed as it slowed its descent only touching the water with the bottom of its belly. Water shot up and away as the skiff rocketed away. The engine hummed loudly as it was pushed to its limit. Max moved the stick slightly from time to time to keep himself on the right path. The salty wind blew against his face. The back of his lips peered back into a smirk.

He had always loved this feeling and the new salty smell was fresh and lovely.

He had spent all of his time in the ship with Wojciech. Several times they almost started to tear at each other's throats because Wojciech wouldn't shut up.

It was as if some divine power decided to spare Max from another minute from Wojciech's yammering. He was finally outside on a mission. He neared the city that he was supposed to scout. It was already morning and the moonlight had been out for a few hours. He looped around and approached the unpopulated side of the island. Max slowed the speed as he went up the beach. As he hovered into the brush he could hear birds and various other animals giving out their calls. It sounded alien and bizarre to him. No hum of engines or tools being used. The many different smells flooded into his brain as he slowly separated them to different plants and animals. He lowered the skiff and covered it with leaves and sticks to keep it camouflaged. The slick moist leaves felt nice in his hands.

Once he was done he lowered to the ground and picked up a clump of dirt. It was damp and smelt of earth, decay and life. He lifted his snout and took in a deep breath. Feathers, birds, lizards, blood, a predator eating its prey, smelt like a feline. Before he got lost in the many wonderful scents he shook his head to refocus. He stood up dropping the dirt and began to stealthy crawl towards the town. He heard the faint sound of something being chopped. After a minute of silently making his way to the source he saw what was causing it.

A man in dirty ragged clothes hacked at a large tree with 2 others in similar clothing. Max noticed something glimmering around their necks. Metal collars, these were slaves working. Symbols began filling his eyes, they roughly translated to 'illegal illegal, judicial action required'. Max had to ignore the orders, if he tried to free them now he would surely be caught. Then the pirates would know they were coming.

So he lowered back into the shadows before disappearing completely. The man looked over at the tree line. 'Odd, I could have sworn something was watching me'. A crack of a whip thundered in the air. "Back to work you lazy worm"! Barked a fat balding man.

Max circled around to an area of forest that was closer to the town. Half of the town laid mostly flat on a plateau before meeting the sea. The other half gradually went up a small mountain before ending at a Fort that sat on the highest part of the island. Trees stopped growing at the bottom of the rocky steep slope. Climbing up the steep cliff face during the mid-day would be suicide.

Going through town could work. Plenty of alleyways and cover to sneak in. But all he would be able to do is scout the town. While still valuable knowledge to know he was most interested in the fort and what its defenses were. Still he had to start somewhere. He scanned the outskirts of the city to see if any guards were watching the treeline. None, and why should there be. Who would be stupid enough to be this deep in their territory.

He quickly made his way across the fields. Using the sugar canes as cover before stopping between two huts. A few people were walking about on the main road. He made his way deeper into the city. Some of the old huts were elevated by beams to keep them from flooding. Others were cheaply thrown together with whatever there was at hand. Max crawled under the older buildings and went behind and over the newer ones without a sound.

He came across the first obstacle, a wall with a gate. The gate itself was made of wood and the wall only went up around 8 feet. Easily climbable especially with vines growing on it. If Max were to guess it was just there to separate the pirates from the slaves and poor. Not built to defend against a competent attacker. Two guards could be seen under a wooden cover above the gate. No doubt just there to look into the village to see approaching slaves. Other than those two there was no one up there. Max tripled checked to make sure it wasn't a trap. After finding No one else he hooked his claws into the stone and made his climb up. He hugged the walls using the vines as cover. It took only a matter of seconds before he reached the top. He leaped across the walkway and down to the other side. He landed with grace and made little sound.

With speed he ran into an alleyway. Out on the street, people in normal clothes walked around doing errands and shopping. Children played out on the street while women and men talked, laughed and gossiped. Max watched for another minute before sneaking around. Sneaking around the alleyways observing everything. The number of guards were light, the most he saw at once was three. For a pirate city the crime rate seemed low. Though it probably helped that they were all criminals that stole and pillaged as they liked across the seas.

Eavesdropping on conversations proved to be useless. Either they were talking about prices at the market or how Sarah was cheating on her husband with two other men and a woman. Max was about to give up on eavesdropping when he heard something interesting.

"I haven't heard from Mike in three weeks. I worry something bad has happened to him". Two women and an old man by the sound of their breaths and scent. "You worry too much, you know letters can be slow at times". The other women spoke "No this time is different I know it. I knew it was a stupid idea to attack the Horde. Why did King Damiana have to be an idiot and pick a fight with the Horde". "Hush now Valerie, do you want the guards to hear you. You remember what they did to old Willy when he made that joke about the King". The old man said in a hushed tone. He could hear them shuddering "don't remind me uncle".

The three were silent until the second women spoke again. "On the topic of the Horde. Did you hear who the leader of the fleet was"? The old man grumbled "I hardly think it matters. Poor bastard is probably dead or being ransomed". "Oh I think it matters because apparently it was none other than princess Scorpina". Valerie said with a whisper. "The princess of the Scorpion Kingdom"? The second woman gasped, the old man sighed. "Poor girl, Damiana always had a fetish for scorpion people. No doubt she's now a part of his, 'group of wives'". The three changed subject to a more lively topic. Max decided he had spent enough time here. He turned to leave when he heard the sound of plate clinching against each other. Max quickly looked around before lifting his talons and moving to hide behind a crate.

Soon steps could be heard as two guards neared. "Ah I'm so bored". A gruff woman's voice said with a yawn. "Why are we even doing this shit. No one's stupid enough to attack us". "I hear ya but orders are orders, ya wanna get flogged for not following em". A man responded "leave the flogging to the slaves. I'm just saying I'd rather be out with the raiding party". Max waited there until he could no longer hear them talking. Once he was sure that the two had passed he peered around the box. 'Noone there, perfect' he continued his scouting mission by observing guard patrols, layout of the city and total defenses. It had walls here and there with little gate houses. They were mostly there for division more than anything else. The walls were thick but they lacked any battlements besides cover. The trade city seemed to rely on the fleet for defense. The only defensive structure was the fortress that sat on top of the hill.

The road up to it was rocky and barren. Little to no cover for him to hide behind. Plenty of guards patrolling it's walls and road. Max was trying to figure out how to get in or a closer look when he found himself looking at a sewer grate.

It was the only way to get in the fortress that he could think of. With a grumble he found a manhole cover. It seemed to be near the market so there was plenty of noise to cover the sound of metal grating against stone. Even with his strength it was a struggle, the cover was solid iron and was awkward to pick up. He saw a ladder and went down halfway before grabbing the cover again. He slid it towards him as he climbed down before it clumped down in its fitting. He jumped down with a splash, the stench of feces and rot hit his nostrils like a rail gun. It was times like these he wished his nose was cybernetic and could be turned off. Rays of light could be seen every once in awhile down the tunnel.

He walked down as quiet as he could. Though No one would expect someone sneaking in the sewers. Rats ran away when they saw him coming. He walked in the muck for some time before entering a large chamber. A set of stairs was seen at the other side. He walked towards it until his instincts yelled at him to dodge. Right as Max jumped back a giant croc jumped from the depths and snapped at the reaver. Max flipped mid air and summer saltered back several feet. With its ambush ruined it bellowed loudly and fully stood up. It looked like a giant alligator but with silver veins on it scales with blue dots everywhere. Black expressionless eyes stared at Max as if he was prey. 'Creature corrupted with Elexan technology detected. Proceed with extreme caution'. The beast was large, taller than Max even with its low posture. It was the size of a school bus. The thing could easily crush Max if he was not careful.

Max ran to flank it on its left and pulled out his two sided spear sword. It seemed to struggle to turn fast enough to face the reaver. It gave out a hiss as Max ran up closer and stabbed it in its side. Dark blood leaked from its wound as Max tore the blade out. The croc leaned to its right before pushing itself to the left to roll on top of the smaller combatant. He jumped back and with the momentum he stabbed the blade into the ground and spun around. Pole vaulting over the rolling beast. Landing with a roll he quickly turned to see the beast hitting the wall causing dust to fall from the ceiling. Max took this time to run at the beast. Just as the beast was recovering Max leaped into the air and brought a blade down into the beast. The croc hissed as it wiped its tail at the reaver but missed by a few hairs. Taking a few more quick slashes at the hide Max backed away as the croc turned towards him. It charged towards him with its jaws wide open. The first bite was easy to dodge but he could feel the second almost touching his chest. The veins on the beast glowed blue as it reeled back and opened its mouth. Max felt his spines stand up as he dropped down to the right as a cold beam shot out. He could feel his left shoulder burning as it froze. Taking a few long strides back Max waited to see if anymore beams came. The beast seemed to be tired out slightly but it quickly recovered as it ran at Max once again.

It hopped into the air and tried to chomp down on the reaver once more. Max was able to roll out of the way once more but the left shoulder was slow to act. The beast turned around and snapped at Max another two times. Max after the last bite, stabbed down at the jaw only penetrating the top jaw. The croc shook its head in pain. With the sudden Jerk Max lost his grip with his weapon. The beast was able to shake the weapon loose and fling it across the room. Max pulled out his pistol and took off running. Firing shots where ever looked soft. The croc's thick skin had protected it from most of his blows. Only the heavy blow seemed to do any true damage to the creature.

Five red bolts of plasma reached their target true, charing the scales black. It gave out an annoyed hiss as it turned to face Max. The reaver was quick to holster his pistol and retrieve the sword spear. The creature gave out another loud deep bellow before it charged again, with greater speed this time. With the distance between them Max was able to plan out this next move. As the beast hopped at Max to crush him with its jaws. Max leaped to the right and quickly gained footing to leap again to stab into the same deep wound. He was carried somewhat with the croc as it met the muck again. Once his feet were back on solid-ish ground he plunged the blade deeper into the wound. Even pushing with his other hand on the cross guard. The beast garbled in pain before leaning to its right and trying to crush Max with its weight.

Max let go of the handle and quickly climbed over the beast and leaped off landing on all fours. The sewage water was up to his chest, it splashed onto his shoulder burning slightly from the toxicity. Though the beast had suffered a worse wound. As it rolled against the weapon stuck in its side. It went in deeper and before it could stop itself, the weapon with the weight on top of it. Impaled the beast completely, with the momentum of the roll the beast stopped on its back. It gave out a low bellow before it slumped down. The weapon was jammed 3 quarters in the creature. With Its head half submerged in the sewage, the water slowly leaked into the beast. Blood flowed out of its major wound like a small waterfall and mixed with the water. Maximillian gave out a sigh as he walked up to retrieve his weapon.

As he got closer the veins on the creature began to glow a brighter blue. It began to spasm rapidly as its eyes turned from its normal black to glowing light blue. It garbled as it flipped back to its legs before it spat the sewage at Max like an attack. Being so close to the creature gave him no time to dodge so he covered his eyes as he was showered in poisonous mist. The beast reeled its head up and gave out an unnatural screech. It then jumped at him, knocking Max to the ground roughly. The speed was nothing like before as it skidded on the ground ten feet away before drifting back towards Max.

Quickly getting up, Max was able to jump out of the way in time. The beast not done once back on the ground and facing Max, ran and jumped at Max again, this time colliding with Max and throwing him to the side. Shaking his head he looked over to see and hear the beast giving out another screech. Getting up Max could feel pain all over his body. Pulling out his pistol he readied himself for another round. The beast jogged up and reeled back to snap at the reaver. After jumping back from two other consecutive bites. Max aimed at the creature's head and shot as fast as he could. 10 shots peppered its face leaving smoke rising off of it. Somehow the smell got worse as it burned the sewage covered monster.

It staggered slightly giving him a chance to run up as he shot the remaining 5 shots at its front left leg. Sliding to its side Max grabbed the little handle that was visible. His own veins glowed a red as special hormones flooded his system. With a great pull Max ripped his weapon free causing the beast to fall to its other side. Throwing his spent weapon away he wasted no time. He lunged at the fallen beast and savagely slashed at its flesh. Spinning around so both blades had its fill of blood. The beast however wasn't just going to lay there and take it. With unnatural strength it hopped up knocking into the reaver. It spun around and snapped at Max. The reaver gave out a pained scream as his left arm was bitten into. The beast shook its head, taking Max off his feet and flinging him around like a dog toy.

After slamming Max into the ground twice it flung him into the air before crashing into the water. The sewage did little to cushion any of that. Max slowly stood back before reading his weapon on his right arm. His left arm hung usessly down as his elbow and shoulder were dislocated. Thanks to the Hormones Max couldn't feel pain.

Max ran towards the beast with his weapon in hand. The beast in turn reeled its head back and shot a ray of cold at Max with a curve. With extra strength in his legs he jumped higher into the air to avoid it. Max may not have been able to land on the beast but he was right in front of it. Thrusting his weapon like a spear he cut right through a cheek exposing the long line of serrated teeth. The beast replied with a bite only to miss as Max jumped high up again.

He crashed down and impaled his blade through its skull with a loud crunch. Max lost his footing when the monster shook and stomped around. Screeching a horrible noise as it breathed icy mist. The veins slowly dulled before the light in Its eyes vanished. It was as if it was frozen in time, silently screaming to the sky before it fell down into the water. The sewage freezing around the monster as the last bit of magic leaked out.

The veins in Max also faded away as he fell to his knees. He sucked in heavy breaths of toxic air. He needed to get out of this place. He could feel his wounds burning and felt sick in his stomach. He slowly got up ignoring his legs screaming at him to rest.

He felt bruised all over from when he was a chew toy for the beast. He ripped his weapon free, ignoring the bits of bone and brain stuck at its edge. He saw a smaller tunnel that had a slight glow of light. He couldn't sneak into the fortress in his current state. Not only would the guards smell him a mile away now that he was drenched in shit. His left arm was broken in two separate spots. He could feel that some of his ribs were cracked.

Overall he felt like the shit that covered him. Also could taste how he felt. Lord above knows how badly he wanted out of this rotten hellhole right now. He ran as fast as he could towards the light and entered the tunnel. After a minute of going through the tunnel he saw several bars blocking him from the outside world. He could see the ocean as birds flew in the clear sky. He searched himself to find the small plasma torch he had brought. After several tries a blue flame hissed out the nozzle.

If it was something his creators knew how to do it was to make something that could survive an explosion and still work fine. He brought the flame to the bars and began to cut the metal. After all the bars had been pushed out, he looked out to see waves crashing against the Cliffside 20 feet or so below.

He clipped his weapon to his back and stowed the cutter away. It was a manageable distance and he didn't see any rocks at the bottom. Without a second thought he leaped out into the salty water. He briefly felt the wind beat against him before crashing into the water. He felt the grim wash off his scales as he began to swim towards his skiff. It was a bit difficult with only one arm, the limb waved in the water as he kicked his legs.

He only came up to the surface for air before sinking back under to stay out of sight. It wasn't long until he came up to the beach where he had hid his skiff. He went up the beach a ways away before going up the shore. Once he reached the trees he circled around before reaching the hiding spot. He moved the branches aside and grabbed a canteen. After emptying half of it into his stomach he set it down and walked away from the skiff. He could feel his stomach gurgle and churn. His kidneys worked in overdrive to clean the toxins and disease from his blood.

His throat burned as he emptied his stomach. It wasn't all out but he had cleared a majority of the filth out. Hints of purple blood could be seen in his vomit. It seemed he had more than cracked ribs inside. It wasn't a lot so Max didn't worry too much. He made his way back to the skiff to patch up his wounds the best he could. After he had disinfected the cuts and wrapped them up. He made a makeshift splint for his arm using sticks and bandages. Once he had done all that he could for his wounds he pulled out a device from the skiff.

After extending the antenna and turning the device on. He turned pressed in a code and waited. Very soon his call was answered by a Horde operative. "The ssserpent hass nessstled in itss nesst". The man nodded before the call was switched to Force Captain Nardo sitting in his massive captain's chair. The reaver than began to report what it was able to find.

AN:Guess who's still kicking and singing! First of all I would like to apologize for taking so long to make/edit this chapter. I've been busy and lazy, not a good combo when something needs to get done. Anyways I was going to do more things before Adora, Catra or any of the others showed up. But I've realized by how much I write and the amount of time passes before another chapter is made. By the time any of the princess crew shows up it'll probably be next year. So I decided I'm going to change the mental schedule I have to help speed things up. Most likely after Nardo frees Scorpina (Not the most creative name I've made I know). Don't worry I'll still show what Nardo had done during the first war. After all, I've shown what "memory" looks like since CH1. Before this gets too long Imma head out for now. Until next time, I wish you a good day.

Translations: Festung = Fortress kriegshammer = warhammer