CHAPTER 1

KARDOS

EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, MILKY WAY

A broken Ketch crashed into the barren muddy planes of Kardos, and two more Ketches followed it from above.

"You said our ships were properly maintained," Kaephis said to Vais.

"Ahh, all except that one," Vais replied, scratching his neck.

Kardos was a seemingly empty planet long away from the Eliksni homeworld, but Kaephis knew there was more there than they could see. He had heard from a passing trader that this planet was home to a spacefaring species known as the Karsch, and if they were spacefaring then they had technology worth taking.

Kaephis turned away from Vais and looked back.

"Eskar!" he called.

An Eliksni that was a bit larger than Vais stomped down the bridge's catwalk. Eskar was appointed as the Archon of the House of Hunters, and would soon serve their Prime Servitor. Whenever Vais got around to finishing it.

"Yes Kaephis?" Eskar said as he approached.

"I want you at the head of a scouting party," Kaephis ordered, "also find some engineers and get them down to Ardris-Fel."

Eskar nodded and immediately ran towards the bridge exit. He was a good Archon, always following orders no matter what they are, and sometimes even adding his own spin to certain objectives. He was always eager to get to work as well.

"Someone get me communications with Ardris," Kaephis ordered his bridge officers, "and land the ships next to Ardris-Fel."

Huntership Kaephis-Fel and Faltris-Fel lowered from the clouds and landed in the mud on either side of Ardris-Fel.

"Anything else sir?" Vais asked Kaephis as the ship touched down.

"Please go with the engineering team," Kaephis replied.

"Very well."

Vais nodded and exited the bridge.


This is Kaephis. He had spent years on the Eliksni homeworld providing food for the House of Kings long before the Great Machine's arrival. The Eliksni were primitive back then, still fighting amongst themselves over resources and land.

During the Whirlwind he was one of the only Eliksni who witnessed the last stand of Chelchis, Kell of Stone, who died at the hands a large monstrous being, with a tall sword and large wings, and survived.

He always looked up to the Kells of his time, always aspiring to become the leader of his House. But that would never come as the Eliksni split up and ran whimpering after the Great Machine, the only thing that they held dear.

Kaephis didn't want to follow the Great Machine. He saw the chance to recruit like minded Eliksni to his group, which he soon named the House of Hunters after his old occupation.

Finally where Kaephis aspired to be, he acted and shaped his house into something a younger version of him would only dream of having. But leadership does come with a cost. The burden of losing life, the expectancy of his subordinates to do everything and know everything.

But he would remain strong. For years he had remained strong, and for many more years to come he will continue to remain strong.


THE EDGE

KARDOS, EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM

A Skiff flew over the barren planes of Kardos until the slightest sign of civilization. The Skiff swiftly lowered and dropped off its compliment of scouts.

Rhetiks climbed up a hill of mud, almost sliding back down when he reached the top. Once he reached the top he made sure he was stable and took a look.

He could barely see it, but far off in the distance was the edge of a city, it was so big he couldn't see the ends of it.

"Guess we got lucky crashing where we did," Rhetiks called down to the others below him.

"Explain," Eskar ordered.

"Take a look for yourself," Rhetiks replied, sliding back down.


This is Rhetiks. He was born on Huntership Kaephis-Fel, making him a 'royal' member of the house, or so that's what Kaephis says. He became a scout due to his keen eyesight and hearing, and he was able to work well with multiple unknowns.

His father was Eskar, the Archon of the Primeless house, and his mother was Faltris, captain of her own ship in the Hunter's small fleet.

Whenever a mission needed scouting, Rhetiks was always the first for the job. But scouting wasn't his only ability. He was a remarkable fighter, and was often seen leading raiding parties on opposing ships.

For an Eliksni as young as Rhetiks he had achieved a lot. Most Eliksni older than him don't show as much promise as him.

And whenever the time came for Eskar's death, Rhetiks was the first in line for becoming Archon. However talented Rhetiks was, he wasn't ready to take up such a position, but he mostly wasn't ready for his father to die. He cherished the fact that his death won't come any time soon, but he does know that all things die.


Eskar, who was much bigger than Rhetiks, walked up the hill, reaching the top in only a few short steps.

"By the Great Machine," Eskar said under his breath but it was loud enough for Rhetiks to hear, "that is one large city."

Eskar jumped back down and the ground around Rhetiks shook, knocking him onto the ground.

"Get up," Eskar ordered sternly, "we're going there."

"What?" Rhetiks asked, standing up, "why?"

"Tell them we need help, lure them back to our ships, kill them, and take their stuff."

"Oh-hoh I see."

The two Eliksni smiled and boarded the Skiff. Once they were inside the Skiff rose up, and flew towards the city.


This is Eskar, Archon of the House of Hunters.

Back when Kaephis was a young hunter, Eskar was always with him. If Kaephis did anything wrong, Eskar was there to support him whenever required, whether they agreed or not.

The friendship between the two had never faltered, and it came as no surprise to Eskar that he was the first pick to become the House's Archon, answerable only to the Kell and the Prime Servitor.

But that was the problem, there was no Prime Servitor. Not yet at least. Whenever the House needed extra Ether to survive, Eskar had to give some of his own. Since he was essentially the second in command of the House, he had the second largest Ether ration. But Ether rations were limited due to the lack of a Prime, something that had to be rectified soon.

Like his son, Eskar was exceptionally talented at fighting, but not always the best for scouting. Age doesn't always bring good, and Eskar's eye sight was not as it was before the Whirlwind.

Eskar often took up missions himself when no one else was available to go, and whenever Rhetiks was assigned to something, Eskar went with him.


"How do we know where to land?" asked the pilot.

"We don't," Eskar responded, "just land somewhere open enough."

As they approached, guns began to extend from the city walls. They were trained on the Skiff, but they did not shoot. They were then flanked by two smooth white ships that were just a bit larger than the Skiff. Another one of the ships appeared in front of them and it seemed like it was trying to lead them somewhere.

"I think they're taking us to somewhere to land," said the pilot.

"Then let's follow them," said Eskar.

When the ship in front of them turned, so did the Skiff. They eventually flew over a large building that was surrounded by four large flat circular platforms with other ships sitting on them.

"There we go," the pilot commented.

The ship in front of them flew down to the landing pads and landed. So then the Skiff did as well. Once the Skiff landed, Eskar and Rhetiks exited the Skiff, and someone exited the white ship in front of them.

They had grey skin, matching the sky and the colours of the city around them. Their limbs were long and spiny, their heads didn't protrude much from their body, and it was much, much smaller than the Eliksni. Eskar had to kneel just do make eye contact without having to bend his head down too far.

It said something to them that they could not understand.

"So," Rhetiks said, "how are we gonna lure them if we can't understand them and they can't understand us?"

"We'll just have to figure it out," Eskar responded.

"I have an idea."

Rhetiks made pained noises and pointed in the direction they came from with his two left hands. Then he made a motion like a something falling from the sky, and attempting to make an explosion sound with his mouth.

The Karsch in front of them put a hand up to its chin for a few seconds before pointing up and running into the building.

"Nice explanation," Eskar laughed.

"Well it seemed to work," Rhetiks said.

The two waited by their Skiff for a few minutes until the Karsch came back holding something. It was flat and rectangular, and it had an image on it. An image of Ardris-Fel stuck in the mud with the two other ships by it. There was movement on the picture so it must have been a live video of what was going on there.

Rhetiks looked at the Karsch and nodded.

"Totally worked," Rhetiks said, "I am a genius."

"Good job," Eskar said, "I'll make sure to commend your foreign communication skills to Kaephis when we get back."

"Oh that would be much appreciated Archon."

The Karsch motioned for the two to get back in their ship so they went back in. The two ships rose into the sky but none of them moved.

"Maybe we're supposed to lead them back?" Rhetiks asked.

"Yeah, move the ship a little," said Eskar.

The pilot turned the ship back towards where the Ketches were and moved forward just a few metres. The Karsch ship followed as expected.

"Take us back then," Eskar ordered.


HUNTERSHIP KAEPHIS-FEL

MUD PLAINS, KARDOS

Kaephis stood on the bridge with his hands clasped behind his back. Skiffs and Spider walkers had cables attached to them and Ardris-Fel, attempting to pull the ship out of the mud, but it was no use.

"Vais," Kaephis opened communications, "can you get the engines online?"

"I can try, but it might make things worse," Vais's static filled voice sounded.

"What about reverse thrusters?"

"Yeah I'll try that."

He closed communications with Vais and opened them to the walker drivers and Skiff pilots.


This is Vais, known to most members of the House only as 'The Splicer'.

Vais was like Kaephis, not wanting to chase after the Great Machine with the others, and he was excellent with machines and engineering. He could build an entirely new Great Machine if he had the resources.

Out of all the tech-crazed Eliksni that could have joined the House of Hunters, Vais was one of the best out there. A ship was in disrepair? He'll fix it in an hour at most. A Vandal loses a limb that it can't regrow? He'll just make a new one and give it to them.

There was nothing that Vais couldn't repair, or build. And his future holds great promise.


"Pull the Ketch from the other side," he ordered, "Vais is attempting to get the reverse thrusters online."

He heard multiple affirmatives from his Eliksni and then he closed the channel. When he looked back up he saw Eskar's Skiff coming back, but there were three more ships with them.

"What did you do this time Eskar?" Kaephis asked, reopening communications.

"We um, brought some help," Eskar said.

Then Rhetiks hopped on the line.

"Then we're gonna kill 'em and take their stuff!" Rhetiks added.

The two laughed.

"Not so bad of an idea so long as we get out of here before they come after us," Kaephis replied.


HUNTERSHIP ARDRIS-FEL

MUD PLAINS, KARDOS

The Skiff landed in front of the Ketch and the Karsch ship followed them. A Dreg approached Eskar and Rhetiks as they exited their ship.

"Vais sent me to ask what you're doing," the Dreg said.

"None of your business Diskar," Eskar sternly replied, "we'll tell him ourselves."

Diskar had a saddened expression on his face. Rhetiks almost felt bad for Dregs, but he knew better. The Karsch that exited its ship behind them looked at Diskar with a confused expression.

"It would never understand us," said Eskar.

"Because we're gonna kill it?" Rhetiks smiled.

"That and because aliens are just plain stupid."

"Right."

The two Eliksni lead the Karsch to the entrance of the ship, and the creature examined it. It pulled out something that looked like a radio and barked a few commands into it before putting it back.

Eskar cocked his head to the side and the Karsch nodded.

"I'm assuming that means we're getting help," Rhetiks said.

The Karsch pointed at the Kaephis's ship behind them and then held its hands out. After the two didn't seem to understand it pointed at the other Ketches.

"I think it's trying to learn some of our language," said Eskar, "you bother with communicating with it, I'll be inside the ship."

"Ah whatever," Rhetiks waved him away.

Rhetiks then pointed at the crashed Ketch and the Karsch nodded.

"Ketch," Rhetiks said.

"Ketch," the Karsch repeated.

The Karsch then pointed at itself and said the name of its species. Rhetiks did the same, and the Karsch nodded. The two continued to exchange words until he saw more Karsch ships approaching the crashed Ketch.

Each Karsh ship appeared to have some sort of tether attached to it. As they got closer they attached the tethers to the Ketch just like the Skiffs and Spider walkers had. There was about twenty Karsch ships that had arrived. Rhetiks held up a hand as if to tell him to wait, and contacted Kaephis.

"Kaephis, I suggest you come down here to communicate with these guys," Rhetiks said.

"I'm on my way to you," Kaephis said before closing the line.

A few minutes passed and a Skiff showed up. Kaephis, who was bigger then even Eskar, appeared under it and walked up to the two.

"Kaephis," Rhetiks pointed at Kaephis, "Kell."

Kaephis nodded, and the Karsch repeated what Rhetiks said to it. Rhetiks pointed at himself and said his name.

"Qulani," the Karsch said, pointing to itself.

Kaephis opened a line to Vais and put his forearm up to his mouth to speak.

"We've got extra assistance," Kaephis said, "how much longer until the reverse thrusters are on?"

"Give me a minute," Vais replied, "or less. They should be working now, just have to get up to the bridge to tell Ardris to use them."

"Do the consoles in his bridge not tell him?"

"They're busted. Some of them work, but not the important ones."

"Get there quick, I'd hate to leave the Karsch waiting."

The line closed and the three just stood in an awkward silence for about ten minutes. Then Vais called back.

"I'm with Ardris now. Activating on your signal," Vais said.

Kaephis looked at the Karsch and raised his hand.

"Now," Kaephis said to Vais, dropping his hand fast.

The Karsch nodded and barked into its communicator again. All of the ships and walkers began to pull on the Ketch as the sound of the Ketch's thrusters sounded. Then the Ketch slowly began to raise out of the mud.

The combined force of the thrusters and everything pulling on it made it slowly slide out of the mud. It's hull was stained, and multiple plates were torn off, but it still looked intact enough to fly without issue.

As the Ketch leveled out its engines activated and it rose into the sky. Every ship and walker detached their tethers as it lifted.

"What a sight," Rhetiks said quietly with his lower hands on his hips, and his upper arms crossed.

"Gunners," Kaephis said into his communicator, "fire on the Karsch ships on my command. The ones that don't look like ours."

Rhetiks reached out with his left hand, and the Karsch shook his it.

"Fire," Kaephis ordered.

As Kaephis-Fel fired its shock cannons at the Karsch ships, Rhetiks drew a shock sword with his right hand and stabbed the Karsch through the chest. It let out a high pitched wail as Rhetiks twisted the sword in its chest.

The Karsch ships were on fire, and their hulls that were once white were now black and brown. They fell to the ground in unison, the gunners had not missed a single one.

"Load every ship onto Faltris-Fel," Kaephis ordered every Eliksni in the mud pains via communications.

"Good work Rhetiks," Kaephis said, "extend my commendation to Eskar and come back aboard. We need to leave this system before more Karsch find out their friends are dead."

Rhetiks nodded and ran back into the Skiff he had taken to the city.