Chapter 23: Crimson Terror

It appeared an eternity that the smoke hung in the room. But such was the nature of the bar. For as long as patrons slumped across the faded chestnut serving area, as long as they sat in the heavy, musty chairs and indulged in every swill it had to offer, the poisonous cloud would remain. Dark, orange glows emitted fresh wisps, racing out from cigarettes, cigars and the occasional pipe.

And just as much as the tar-stained nicotine addled vapor, rumors too hung stale in the air. Loosely they flowed from the patron's lips in-between sips of liquor and puffs of smoke. Some discussed a recent tournament in a far away land. Others turned to the back door, speculating upon an entrance to a secret base. The remainder, those of quick ears, pondered upon the recent threats the dry, arid planet had found itself under.

In another section of the bar, there was a slightly more active section. Men sat in a circle, cheering and hooting, as a female danced gracefully in the center, elevated on one of the dingy tables. She wore crimson red clothing, and very little of it, as her pale skin was the dominant feature she displayed to the men.

Within the much-discussed back-room, a creak could be heard. Old mechanics began churning, creating a minor chugging sensation. But the patrons continued their activities, with far more important items on their mind.

In a separate room, the floor of solid stone now opened, revealing a set of stairs emerging from darkness. The entrance to Z's former compound was now witness to a far more nefarious purpose, as the suited figure of Mura emerged from the shadows. Her crimson hair was worn like a flaming crown, framing amethyst eyes which appeared to possess a red glint from sheer bloodlust. A smile that only a killer could wear fit naturally upon her face. Her ascent was slow and methodical. She savored every footfall taken, before she reached the door. With a creek, the entrance swung open.

Despite her psychotic visage, few patrons paid her mind. But of the few that had, there would only be one that gave her his explicit attentions. The man who would antagonize her wore an undersized tank top, showing off the labors of his body. He affixed his eyes on the murderous maiden currently passing him by. The ambiance of the bar was pierced with a whistle that would have made a pack of wolves green with envy. Mura came to a stop.

She turned round, her eyes veering to the man who had given her the stunning nonverbal compliment. He smiled as Mura approached, mesmerized by how she looked, and ignoring how she looked. The man grew giddy as Mura leaned forward, placing her hand on the side of his head.

With one swift motion, Mura's hand shot up, separating the man's head from his neck. She clutched the dismembered cranium of the patron like a trophy. All activity within the bar stopped.

Mura's excitement flared as she felt the faint rumblings of several ki signatures in the bar. Those that held them stepped forward, with looks rather unaccommodating to a figure such as hers.

"You messed around in the wrong neighborhood, little lass." one of them taunted. But there was very little playfulness among the now aggressive denizens, as fists clenched, and aura's flared.

Mura drew her attention from her soon-to-be opponents to study the head in her hand. Fresh blood still dripped from where the neck had been ripped off. Staring into soulless eyes, she said to the head, "Don't worry, your death will be the gentlest today."

With that, big burly bodies rushed Mura, and inside the once somber bar, chaos erupted.

...

Dawn pierced the sky. Yet, despite the beginnings of a new day, the ending of another was in order. In the plane of dunes, there lay a small stone. Upon that stone, in acrylic tongues read the name of one who was barely known.

Long shadows surrounded this stone. Every member of Z stood in a somber circle around it. Even Percy and Oriko had come out to join the ceremonies, though they stood at a comfortable distance behind. Closest to the stone was Phonium. His eyes burned with fire that could melt the Capella suns ten times over. His fists shook, threatening to draw his own Namekian blood if he were to squeeze any harder.

"I wish that little rat was still alive." he growled, as nothing of Grimhilde, but the stone stared back at him.

"I don't," he heard from behind, "I'm glad the guy's gone."

Percy could only be excluded for so long, as he made his way to the center. His hands were in his pockets, and his figure was hunched. He appeared somber, clearly understanding the weight of such the occasion, but the mischief he lived by would not leave him so easily.

Phonium was not so amused, however. He whirled around, enraged. "Because of him, this creature only tasted freedom for one meager day! He couldn't bear the sight of her not being under his thumb! If he were alive ..."

"Phonium," Reitoko injected, "Justice upon the dead has passed. It does not help us to linger on it."

Off to the side, the Smithers were huddled together mourning on their own. Mrs. Smitter was kneeling down, head hung over her shoulders. Repeatedly, over and over, her head shook to the side, sending her chestnut brown hair in to an oscillating wave. Each strand appeared to have lost color over the course of a few hours. Over her, stood Mr. Smitter, placing a hand upon his beloved's shoulder.

"How?" Mrs. Smitter questioned, "How did that madman outsmart me? This is all my fault!"

"Yeah, it is," the engineer acknowledged with much indifference in his voice. And yet, his eyes were suspended in tragic moisture as much as his wife's, despite the arid air.

Victor let out a gasp, as he sharply turned towards his father. "Dad, how could y-"

The back of Victor's shirt was pulled, giving the wrinkled cloth even more folds than before. Mr. Smitter had taken his hand off of his wife's back, and it was now on Victor's. Sand bunched up as Victor was dragged away, as his mother mourned, illuminated by the rising sun.

Mr. Smitter brought Victor's face to his own. His gaze was stern, yet at the same time, there was pain. "Right now, she just needs to calm down." he explained, "If we try to coddle her, we'll just drag this out."

Victor's eyes narrowed, darting back to his mother's fallen form. "I hate seeing her like this." he seethed.

"You're not the only one" Mr. Smitter agreed.

Once more, Ovosh was the newest active member of Z. The stone in the ground still appeared very much alive, the word "Grimhilde" staring back at her. Her eyes fixated on this. Her mind wandered to the fate of the ashes buried beneath the sand. Would they mix in with the sand, leaving nary a trace? Or would they be swept away by the wind? But the stone remained, it's engraving etched in the folds of her gray matter.

But as she tore her eyes away from it, she saw another that could not so easily. Phonium's sight remained fixated upon the grave. His face was of stone, as was the rest of his body. Not even a statue could have remained in such a position for so long.

Suddenly, she felt a familiar tremor within the depths of her soul. Raw, untamed power roared in the distance. Ovosh arose, frantically turning as she attempted to discern the source of the energy. However, all that could be observed was nothing but soft sand and the rising sun. The scale and magnitude of the ki signature was all too familiar, for she had felt such a force before.

But, this particular presence was different. Ovosh could feel her legs shaking, and her throat clenching, as if she were being choked from a distance. It was as if malice itself had been given form, and had arisen from nothing to hold the entire planet at its mercy. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see others, Reitoko, Phonium, Oriko; all taking notice of the rising power in the distance.

Reitoko's head went on a swivel, before fixing in one particular direction. His eyes narrowed and focused, as he noted, "That's where our previous base was ... "

His eyes widened, and his pupils shrunk, as realization, terrible realization took ahold of him. "EVERYONE HURRY!" he shouted, "IT'S HER!"

"This soon?" Phonium questioned.

Reitoko nodded frantically, "I'm surprised she didn't strike sooner. We'll have time to mourn later. Move now!"

The sorrowful mood of the morning had now turned into terrified urgency. Phonium and Oriko already had flared their ki power, auras surrounding them as they lifted off into the sky. Reitoko soon followed. Meanwhile, Percy and Victor immediately scattered for the Iceni, the ship resting in an underground hanger below the Z compound.

Ovosh immediately took off towards the bulky freighter. But, as Percy spotted her closing in, he held out a hand, bringing the girl to a skidding stop. She raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Kid," Percy explained, heavy breathing embedded into his speech, "I hope you didn't forget that you can air dance now. No need for my piece of junk to slow you down."

"You'll be able to catch up, right?" Ovosh asked.

Percy's voice grew more urgent, "We're support. Don't wait up for us, we'll be fine, now go!"

Ovosh soon joined the rest of Z into the sky. Turning back she could observe both the Smitters, as well as the duo of Percy and Victor scuttled towards their own craft in preparation.

...

Desert landscape passed on in a tan and blue blur. The full fighting might of Z was brought to bear against desert winds. Four streaks of white traveled across the clear blue sky. Leading the pack was Reitoko. Despite nothing but sand dominating his sight, his eyes frantically darted around the landscape. Flanking him was Phonium and Oriko, who, despite their speed, were as still as statues. Bring up the rear was Ovosh, struggling to catch up.

The Arcosian squinted his eyes, partly due to the sheer assault of air blasting his pale face, and in part to distill his focus in the search for his prodigal student. As a wildfire, her ki blazed in the distance, far enough that an encounter was not imminent, yet Reitoko could smell the ash.

In an instant, as if a torrent of water had been brought forth, Mura's fiery signal had been quenched. His eyes widened, frozen in their perpetually shocked state. "I can't feel her anymore." he shouted back to the group, "She's disappeared!"

Phonium grimaced at the news. The malicious sensation that had set Z off in the first place had vanished. Now, it felt as if he were flying in a torrential ocean, with nary a spec of land in sight. He began to speculate, "She must have-"

At their destination they did arrive. Each member came to a stop, suspending themselves in the air. Their journey was not exhaustive through any stretch of the imagination, yet heavy breathing caught the lungs of each of them. As they peered around, there was no sign of Mura, nor her malicious stench. Soon, all eyes could only settle upon the town just against the horizon, and what they saw stole away their labored breath.

The low, unimpressive skyline was clogged with thick black smoke, spewing from key clusters among earthen structures. Fresh fires were burning, eating away what skeleton was left of the town, as well as providing an ominous orange glow to the obsidian clouds spewing from the ruins. Z, from their vantage, were not close enough to observe every horrific detail, yet the stench of death filled their nostrils.

One by one, each Z member descended, but their landing was less than graceful. It was as if, for a moment, they had lost their powers of air dancing and sunk like stones to the ground. Not one looked to the other, and words of discussion were naught. The horrific sight before them held their mouths shut, and their gazes captive.

A few moments later, the Iceni lumbered in, coming to a halt from extreme speeds. It was followed by a sleeker, cleaner ship that contained the Smitters. Both hovered in the air for moments, before they too descended. Once they had landed, their occupants immediately debarked, rushing to meet with the rest of Z as the burning corpse of the town dominated their vision.

Reitoko felt a steady breath begin to return to him. One of his hands by his side formed into a fist. His teeth threatened to shatter, as they gritted against one another. Trauma had been cut through with razor sharp focus, as he decided immediately upon the next course of action.

"No doubt she's been here." he said, barely in a whisper, "And then she scurries off when trouble comes her way. How dare she!"

"We should go to town," Percy somberly suggested, no sign of the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "See if anyone survived."

Reitoko's head bowed down as he considered this. "If she was in a merciful mood today," he grimly objected, "there will be none."

The Arcosian leapt up, flying towards the fiery horizon. Ovosh prepared to follow, but felt a familiar, heavy hand upon her shoulder.

Phonium shook his head, lending stern instruction to his student, as well to the others. "Oriko, Ovosh, stay back and guard the ship, there's no telling if Mura is hiding nearby."

Ovosh nodded hesitantly, before doubling back. Oriko soon followed her, and both of Z's own made the Iceni their sanctuary in the field of destruction.

Through smoke and flames, the Namekian traversed. His stone cold eyes only saw broken buildings. Other shapes also greeted his sight, but he did not mull over them for too long. There was a sting that antagonized his eyes, but he could not tell if such a sensation was from the particles suspended in his path, or something else that had swelled up within.

He focused on one particular structure, touched the least by the destructive might of Mura. The clay-colored structure showed a few cracks upon its face, along with a few missing chunks, but there was little doubt overall to its structural integrity. Grimacing, Phonium descended.

He flew through one of the windows in the middle. There was no glass to impede his landing. His sight traced upon the clutter that had been no doubt caused by the recent cataclysm.

As his eyes settled upon the back of the sand-colored room, the Namekian was rendered frozen. His normally stoic, stone-cold expression had morphed into something beyond recognition, as that was the only reaction he could muster to the absolute horrific sight that lay before him.

…

Outside of the ruined town, Oriko and Ovosh stood watch near the hangar bay doors. Both veered their heads from side to side, keeping an eye out for danger, and speaking not a word to one another. Victor, meanwhile, sat upon the landing ramp, his golden hair hanging over his face, twiddling his thumbs.

Percy had retreated back into the cockpit, now observing the various monitors upon his dashboard. Near the center, the radar sent out green waves away from the center. Another line swept around the radius of the circular display, like a clock hand on an unspecified time scale. After each pass, nothing had been revealed. Not a single dot made even the suggestion of an appearance.

Percy closed his eyes, letting out an exhausted sigh. He then turned 'round and exited, walking nearly aimlessly, until he was stepping out of the landing platform.

The morning sun was beginning to turn into noon, and Percy's eyes were hard to adjust from the relative darkness of the Iceni's interior. Placing a hand on his forehead, a measly defense against the twin Capella suns, Percy began two walk towards where Oriko, Ovosh and Victor had gathered.

"Alright kids," he addressed, garnering all of their attention, "the coast is clear so far let's go help ..."

"No," the baritone voice of Phonium declared from above. Slowly, his form descended, before touching down upon the sandy ground. His face bore upon it, great despair and dread, though to those he presented it to, this was a source of great confusion and worry.

Percy, however, was the first to act. "No?" he questioned, "What do you mean?"

Phonium's neck barley turned to the now serious captain. "I can use your assistance Percy, as well as Oriko's," he declared, a green finger pointed towards him. "But Ovosh and Victor, you have to stay."

Immediately, outrage consumed Victor. "Why not?" he objected, "We want to help!"

The Namekian's eyes grew wide. His voice had descended even lower than before, and reeked of desperation and devastation. With the shake of his head, he objected, "You don't want to go there."

"I can handle it." Victor asserted, narrowing his eyes at the Namekian. The boy's posture straightened while his fists clenched.

But the stone cold stare of the Namekian caused the young mechanic to freeze. It was as if the fragility of his being had become bare and apparent to him in this very moment. Further elaboration of his right to observe atrocious aftermaths fell victim to trembling lips.

"No, you don't," Phonium repeated, "Maybe when you're older. But you don't deserve to see such things."

A shadow was cast over the group. It was quite a small one, and as it came into focus, the Napoleonic stature of Reitoko became clear. Upon his face was nearly the same expression that Phonium once wore. But, unlike Phonium, he refused to make eye-contact with anyone else. Instead, he listlessly floated to the ground. A twitch in his fingers showed as he landed.

The remainder of Z gathered around him. But, instead of addressing him, Reitoko held his hands out, and stared at them. His eyes were blank, as if he was not looking out of them, as if he was looking at something else.

"There's no point." he simply said, eliciting looks of confusion from several of the Z members. His eyes closed, and he exhaled.

"We're done here." he continued, his distant state becoming closer, "As expected, no one survived."

Immediately, Victor and Percy bowed their heads. Ovosh looked to the village, unable to observe anything else than smoke, flames and debris. Meanwhile, the Smitter's both beheld one another.

The time of mourning was cut short, as a notification beep sounded on a device upon Percy's hip. Percy retrieved the device, glaring down at it, before directing his sight back to the Iceni.

Without asking Percy's permission, or even notifying him, Reitoko bolted towards the ship. The captain did not protest, but followed his leader. The rest of the group followed.

Reitoko entered the cockpit, noticing the blinking red light at the center of the dashboard. As he shifted to the front, the rest of Z filed in, immediately cramping up the small space. Ovosh and Victor had to lounge about in the hallway, trying to poke past larger bodies in order to see what had captured the attention of the packed inhabitants of the cockpit.

Percy had, by luck of the draw, and by his own ingenious ways, managed to be nearest to the front, right next to Reitoko by the time the group had gathered. Upon noticing the notification upon the dashboard, he reached out with his hand, intending to press the button and view the message. As quick as lightning, the white tail of Reitoko struck, slapping away Percy's hand, resulting in Percy giving the Arcosian a quizzical look.

"Trace the message's location," Reitoko instructed to the captain, before turning back to the cramped audience behind him. "Everyone, prepare to move quickly."

A black nailed hand approached the button. There was some hesitation in the Arcosian's action, but only for a brief moment. With an electronic whir, the message, the call was now processed by the on-board computer.

A connection was set. In another location, another place, yet still somewhere on the planet, the exchange had begun.

Within the Iceni, Percy had already gone to work with the task assigned to him, tapping on several consol controls to the cockpit's side in an attempt to trace the call.

A screen from within the dashboard was flipped up through automatic mechanics. The black screen, upon its full revelation, was immediately filled with the visage of Mura's face. She was smiling, displaying teeth that threatened to make sharks green with envy. Several Z members, including every Smitter backed away from the screen, as if they were expecting Mura to jump through and strangle them.

Unlike the others, Reitoko could not help but lean forward, almost bringing his forehead in contact with the pixilated image of Mura.

"The audacity," he growled, now not paying mind to his now captive audience, "Not even when you left me did I think you could sink so low."

Mura closed her eyes, and threw her head back, as her voice was filled with faux-anguish. "Oh dear me master!" she exclaimed, "I'm hurt!"

"What possessed you to do such things?" he accused, his anger growing, "To men! To women! To ..."

As quick as a switch, Reitoko's enraged rant had gone down to a whisper, as he forced the last, forbidden word out of his mouth.

"... children."

"Why do you care?" Mura responded, folding her arms and rolling her eyes, "you can do far much more damage with a flick of your fingers. "

As a demonstration, Mura flicked her own fingers. There was a sound of rumbling through in the audio. Cries of terror soon followed, before they were suddenly silenced. Despite the horrified reactions of the various Z members, Mura pressed on, uninhibited.

"You're living a delusion that these people's lives matter. I'm fine with that. As you can imagine, however, I possess innumerable advantages because of this."

"Coward," the Arcosian spat back, "You experience joy whenever you torment the helpless, yet as soon as your betters arrive, you run with your tail between your legs."

"Coward?" Mura repeated, putting a hand over her mouth, though that did not hide the fact that her grin was growing even wider. "My my, such hypocrisy, coming from a shrimpy little Arcosian who has done nothing but run."

"If that's how it is, then fine Mura." Reitoko declared, "Name the time and the place, and we can settle this. No more running. No more dishonorable tricks! No more shameful acts! Warrior to warrior. No more, no less."

Mura rolled her eyes once more. "How do I know you're genuine? The minute I gain the advantage, and believe me, I will, you'll crawl back to your little friends."

As soon as she reached her conclusion, another popped in her head. Everyone inside the cockpit could see the light bulb going off in her head. "No ... wait! Of course!"

" What is it!" Reitoko demanded, leaning into the screen.

"The town of Sunder will be perfect for our final showdown."

Recognition crossed Reitoko's face, as he recognized the name of the town the Z currently resided. As if reading his mind, Mura nodded in accordance, "Yes. And if you want to save your little conscious, you better make sure your lackeys are clearing out as many insignificant lives as possible. Otherwise, I'll have to fill the time waiting for you to grow a spine, and there are plenty of towns that will tide me over."

"I get your point." Reitoko said in an eerily calm voice. "I will agree to your terms. Give us six hours to completely evacuate the town."

"Keep your word dear teacher." Mura reminded, wagging a finger in front of the screen "Otherwise, those soon-to-be refugees will find their home in the sand sooner than expected."

Static filled the speakers, as the connection was lost. Reitoko's eyes veered to Percy, who shook his head, a rare look of defeat on the captain's face. Then, he turned to face the rest of the crew, those who had signed on with him, under his command.

Phonium was the first to speak. "Sir, you're not seriously considering-"

"I'm not," Reitoko countered, "There's nothing to consider, I've made my decision."

"Boss," Percy chimed in, "this is..."

"There's little time." Reitoko interrupted, "You heard her, we have six hours to evacuate the city."

...

By noon the town of Sunder had already received word. Murmurs and cries were heard about the dirty roads and earthen buildings, as people in worn garb filed out. Captured man-animals which were once the subject of scorn and mockery were now given the attention and care that they had been deprived of. Large, lumbering vessels, carried by ancient technology, treaded wheels, were loaded with crates of various trinkets, requiring many individuals of bulky musculature to assist.

Some Z members had already mixed in with the towns men. Percy and Victor were directing traffic, while Oriko carried stacks of belongings, assisting the strongmen.

Yet, others were in the compound. Mr. and Mrs. Smitter were cleaning their laboratory, whisking away as many needles, oscilloscopes, flasks, and other machinery as they could bear. Providing a helping hand was Ovosh, who served as their meek crate transporter, patiently awaiting as the couple stuffed away their various scientific and engineering apparatuses.

Reitoko remained in his new office, already on the line with another. The face was none other than the dark serious one of Admiral Koth. Koth appeared unamused, as he exclaimed in a low, harsh tone, "Surely I've done enough favors for you. Now you want to use my town as a battlefield for your petty feud."

"Yes," Reitoko acknowledge, placing a hand on his brow, "because if you don't this won't be the only battlefield, and it won't be just my feud."

"You are difficult to negotiate with Arcosion," the Admiral lamented. A hand was brought to his chin as he considered, before relenting.

"Very well, I'll inform the populace. And I will hold you to your word that your people will protect the civilians. Otherwise, your wayword ilk won't be the only enemy you'll have to deal with."

"I understand." Reitoko nodded.

Reitoko exited his office, making sure to terminate the connection. On his way out, Ovosh crossed his path, carrying no less than five large crates of electronic equipment on behest of the Smitters. Their eyes briefly met, before Reitoko broke contact, for he could still see the past in Ovosh's future.

Soon, the girl was out of his sight. His walk to the entrance of the compound was slow, measured. His hands were behind his back. His view veered to the wind chimes, that despite the coming danger, remained still. Thoughts swirled inside his head, before his trance was broken as Phonium barged in through the entrance.

The Namekian was glaring straight at Reitoko, who was taken surprise by the aggressive display. Reitoko had come to a stop, while Phonium began marching towards him.

"If Mura is any stronger than she was when she left you, you will be no match," Phonium declared, pointing a finger at his leader.

Reitoko blinked, "And?"

Phonium widened his eyes. His aggression had ceased. And now, instead of rolling forward, he was tentatively backing away. "So you know you're going to lose." he realized, "You're not doing this because you think you stand a chance, you're doing this to die!"

"I'm afraid that's where I find myself," the Arcosian conceded.

Phonium shook his head, "But what about the rest of Z? What are we to do? Without you, what chance do we have of surviving?"

"I'm happy you came to see me Phonium," Reitoko simply responded. Phonium glared at him once more, displaying dissatisfaction in the Arcosian's refusal to answer his question.

But soon, his leader was occupied with something else. Reitoko soon produced a closed fist, holding it out for Phonium to see. The Namekian's eyes followed with renewed interest.

Opening the hand, inside was a small prismatic shape, that had a small outlet on the end. Phonium recognized this as a mini-data drive, which was now being handed to him. Hesitantly, he reached out, and Reitoko dropped the item into his hand.

"This possesses the necessary files and intel that I hold. I entrust this to you Phonium. To be honest, were this a month ago, I would have given this to Percy. But now, I believe you are ready for this great responsibility."

Phonium closed his hand, as he gasped in disbelief, "Sir ..."

"I don't go by that title any longer," Reitoko denied him, "You are now the leader of Z. Make sure everyone knows that. My last order to you, is that you keep Koth's people safe."

The Namekian's head bowed, the fate of his now former leader, apparently decided. But, Reitoko wasn't finished with him just yet. He felt a small hand grasp him on the shoulder with surprising force. Phonium looked up, shocked to see Reitoko now glaring at him. The Arcosians eyes now burned a hole into Phonium's very soul, and he tightened his grip on Phonium's shoulder.

"One more command," he issued, "None of you are to interfere."

...

There was a long line of civilians now exiting the city. Their heads were down, for the path ahead was nothing but dunes and winds. Several Z warriors patrolled overhead, floating silently, but being ever observant.

Reitoko stood at the front of the compound. He felt a cold chill of air, a peculiar sensation on such a planet as Sanctuary. He turned his eyes to the west. Large black clouds approached him. Blue sparks could be seen from within the clouds, illuminating the interior. Straightening his posture, Reitoko was ready for the coming storm.