1 Episode One: Fury
Part Seven: Sirex's Legacy
ALEKS
"Battle morphs! Now!"
I was almost back to my human self, but the Hork-Bajir were charging like rabid elephants.
I concentrated on the Polar Bear, and within thirty seconds, I was the lumbering power that was that beast.
"HUWAAARRR!!!'
I swung my fist at a Hork-Bajir, decapitating it.
LaRouche, get that virus in, now!
"I'm on it!"
Take 'em down! Yelled David, as a Lion
Ripper, come with me! Help me take those Hork-Bajir over here! I called.
I got my hands full, with these Carver's over here!
Damn!
Die! I killed another two.
Skorre was a lumbering elephant, crushing controllers all around him. David tore Hork-Bajir apart like a machine, but we were vastly outnumbered.
TATATATATATATAT!
Human-Controllers opened fire with machine guns.
TSEEEW! TSEEEW!
Dracon fire!
We were screwed.
"I need more time!" Called LaRouche.
I got your back! said Ripper, backing his Hyena body to back on the working Frenchman.
TSEEEW! I was hit! The Dracon ripped through my hip.
Damn!
"I got it!" Let's book it!"
Fuckin' A!
I do not think so, Antimorphs.
A though speech voice! Not one of ours, but not Sub-Visser four or eight, either.
I huge creature stepped into view. It was a beast from a nightmare.
"Good God," Said David, "A Tiamat."
DAVID
I have only seen one Tiamat, on the pool ship. I aquired it, knowing that it could be useful in the future.
I didn't know how right I was.
The Tiamat were created by my former ally, Sirex 4841, Sub-Visser and scientist. A very powerful Sub-Visser, who's rank is now held by Nodnarb 395, Sub-Visser Eight.
You see, Sirex is dead. I killed him after my successful cloning, by destroying his body and sending his essence into Z-Space.
But I knew about his children…the Tiamat.
They are an artificial race, very rare in the universe. Only three thousand or so in the entire galaxy, all bred for war in the swamps of Eastern Pentasera, Gervasid territory. You see, when the Yeerks invaded that planet about fifteen years ago, Sirex made an artificial race by adding the DNA of several different species together.
He called them Tiamat-Yeerkish for "Vile," because they are truly worthy of that name.
Imagine a tree, fifteen feet tall, five feet thick. Now take roots that are swatting tentacles, six likewise arm's on each hand, covered in poisonous spines, that can be projected about for up to a hundred yards, and a long, narrow head, with a vertical mouth that filled the whole head, inside, filled with dozens of sabred for teeth. A single eye above the mouth, inside a rotatable dome on the head, made it a monstrosity.
What made the Tiamat really weird, though, was the fact that they were made entirely out of very thick wood.
Yeah, that's right. Wood. But, with water pumping throughout to prevent fire. Very tough to beat.
A Tiamat!
Holy shit, that is one bad ass motherfucker! Yelled Ripper.
Sub-Visser 64, I presume.
You presume correctly. I am Vyant 008 of the Araniat Wuseem pool, Taxxis. You dare to approach my ship, much less destroy it? I will crush you!
"I think not," I said, my human mouth returning.
We shall see.
He shot his needle-spines at me, barely missing, but hitting Skorre.
"ARRGH!"
I began to morph to Tiamat.
LaROUCHE
I watched as David turned from his normal, human self, into a gigantic, grotesque monster.
"David, you need to hurry! The virus sets off the ships weapons in five minutes!"
I got 'cha.
David slammed his gigantic form into Sub-Visser 64, wrapping his tentacles around him in a hideous bear hug.
When I break every bone in your body, foolish human, I will be a Visser! I will be a hero to the Empire! I will…
He was cut off when a salvo of spines from David tore into him.
AARGH
"That's how I feel," grumbled Skorre.
I looked at Skorre, the venom had made him sluggish, slow. He was struggling to stay awake.
David grappled the Sub-Visser, throwing punch after punch at him, tearing out the bark that was the Tiamat's skin.
But Sub-Visser 64 had a few tricks up his sleeve.
The Tiamat opened it's mouth around David's thin head, closing, picking up our leader and spinning his 15 foot form all about.
AHHH!
Now, we see who is the better warrior, Taggart!
You forget one thing, Sub-Visser 64.
And what is that?
Don't leave your head un-guarded. Ever.
Without warning, David struck both his hands up, pressed them to his adversaries skull, and fired spine after spine into it.
THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK!
Slowly, the dead body of the Sub-Visser fell, David pushing it away with disgust.
What an amateur officer. He was too headstrong to ever become a Visser.
"What an amusing performance, David Taggart."
A bulky humanoid stood before me, a man like alien with a square head, long, conical arms that looked like drills, but actually had hooks like a crowbar. A medium length tail with a thick, dulled slab of bone on the end moved slowly from side to side. The beast was covered in a shock of brown hair. It was about eight feet tall, not as imposing as a Hork-Bajir, but it could take down a strong man easily.
Who are you?
"Me? I'm Visser 59. Ussam 9188, primary, of the Illani Lumsk pool, Nahara. This is my host, a Naharan. How do you like it?"
"I have morphs like it."
"Indeed."
We stood for a tense moment, the Visser looking at us, flanked by his Hork- Bajir.
Why do you not shoot us?
He signed, "I am here to give you one last chance. You have proved yourselves a valuable investment on the part of Sirex 4891. Surrender, work for the Empire, we can guarantee the freedom of your warriors. This is your last chance. You have not a place in the universe to hide, David Taggart."
We will manage.
"Where will you go? You cannot stay on Terra Firma. We hold this world now, the takeover is nearly complete. Will you hide on the Skrit Na world, with smugglers and renegades? Or land in Eastern Pentasera and get your heads chopped off by Gervasid? You have no home, no way, and no clue. You are lost, Taggart. We are the only way."
He turned his massive frame to us. He looked us all over.
"Time is running out," I reminded him.
Two minutes to go.
Go to Hell, parasite.
"Open fire!" The Visser screamed.
David fired first, impaling the Visser on a tentacle and bringing him closer to his jaw
"NOOOOO!"
He dropped Visser 59 in, crunching his mouth a few times.
Mmm. Tastes like chicken.
Lets get out of here, said Aleks, Come on!
We followed him towards a Bug Fighter, David demrphing all the way.
"Thirty seconds untill weapons malfunction," The electronic voice chiding.
We entered the fighter, demorphed, Aleks rising before I could pull the hatch closed.
He pulled it into a burn, heading for the closing hanger doors above us.
"Seal them in! Don't let them escape!" I heard on the radio.
"Faster, Aleks!" I cried.
"I've got better things to do today than die!" He replied.
Like a missile, we flew out the blast doors as they closed behind us, heading for the Anubis, by now back in orbit.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!
The Lancer's weapons began firing, Dracon cannons, flack guns, torpedo tubes, all firing about the Yeerk Pool.
"AHHH! They've breached the power plant! They've killed us…."
Static.
I looked out the port window. Everything below us, all we had seen, was a ball of fire.
We had destroyed Tokyo.
And I had set it all up.
RIPPER
Within moments, Aleks had brough our fighter up to dock with the Anubis. We couldn't carry a third Bug Fighter, so we crossed via an umbilical and dumped it in space.
I was the first to the bridge. I entered just as I was securing my side arm.
When we walked on the bridge, I was greeted with a terrible sight.
Bin Laden, and two of his soldiers had Sara, guns all around her. Sara was naked and crying.
I couldn't find words to describe how I felt.
Bin Laden looked at me, a smug expression on his face.
"A woman has to be used accordingly."
"She is eleven years old."
He shrugged.
"I have had younger."
That was it. I snapped.
I raised my Dracon pistol, aimed it to the head of Usama Bin Laden, and squeezed off a round.
I killed him instantly.
One of his men aimed for me, but Sara squared him in the groin, grabbing his gun.
She fired into his gut.
I used this opportunity to kill the other one.
Sara looked so destroyed, sitting there on the ground. Part of me wanted to comfort her. She had just been through Hell. Part of me wanted to leave.
Part of me wanted revenge.
No matter what she was, Sara was still a kid. And no one deserves that. No one.
I walked to the control board, going for the part that controlled the room holding all of the Al Qaeda men.
It was the containment/hazard room.
Its contents could be flushed into space.
I did just that.
ALEKS
"Good call, Ripper."
"What are you talking about? He murdered a hundred and thirty men!" Accused LaRouche.
"You killed millions today," Pointed out David.
He continued, "Whatever the case, Ripper made an executive decision. The Al Qaeda were preparing to mutiny. He made a good decision, by flushing them.
"I still don't like it."
The monitor flashed to life, a transmission from the pool ship coming in.
Sub-Visser Four filled the monitor.
"Who am I addressing?"
I replied, "Aleks Stantford, Antimorph Air Commander and second in command, first mate of the Anubis."
"I wish to speak with captain Taggart."
"Very well."
David stepped into view.
"What is it, Yeerk."
"The Empire is willing to negotiate. Surrender, and we give you what you most want."
"And what is that?"
"A normal life. Sanctuary on your own planet. Your parents can be freed. We have them here, if you want to talk to them…"
"I do not wish to negotiate with Yeerks, no matter in what guise."
"We have removed the Yeerk from the host, they speak of their own will."
His reply was harsh.
"I will not speak with them."
Sub-Visser Four looked at him with an evil glare.
"Very well. I will bring your parents with me. When you desire to see them again, come and find me."
"The next time we meet, only one of us will walk away."
"May it be so, Antimorph."
David turned to LaRouche.
"Z-Space, now."
"What is our destination?" LaRouche Asked.
"Wild Space. We need to plot our revenge."
LaRouche punched us in for wild space, and the universe when a brilliant white.
END OF EPISODE ONE
COMING SOON: EPISODE TWO- BUG HUNT
Part Seven: Sirex's Legacy
ALEKS
"Battle morphs! Now!"
I was almost back to my human self, but the Hork-Bajir were charging like rabid elephants.
I concentrated on the Polar Bear, and within thirty seconds, I was the lumbering power that was that beast.
"HUWAAARRR!!!'
I swung my fist at a Hork-Bajir, decapitating it.
LaRouche, get that virus in, now!
"I'm on it!"
Take 'em down! Yelled David, as a Lion
Ripper, come with me! Help me take those Hork-Bajir over here! I called.
I got my hands full, with these Carver's over here!
Damn!
Die! I killed another two.
Skorre was a lumbering elephant, crushing controllers all around him. David tore Hork-Bajir apart like a machine, but we were vastly outnumbered.
TATATATATATATAT!
Human-Controllers opened fire with machine guns.
TSEEEW! TSEEEW!
Dracon fire!
We were screwed.
"I need more time!" Called LaRouche.
I got your back! said Ripper, backing his Hyena body to back on the working Frenchman.
TSEEEW! I was hit! The Dracon ripped through my hip.
Damn!
"I got it!" Let's book it!"
Fuckin' A!
I do not think so, Antimorphs.
A though speech voice! Not one of ours, but not Sub-Visser four or eight, either.
I huge creature stepped into view. It was a beast from a nightmare.
"Good God," Said David, "A Tiamat."
DAVID
I have only seen one Tiamat, on the pool ship. I aquired it, knowing that it could be useful in the future.
I didn't know how right I was.
The Tiamat were created by my former ally, Sirex 4841, Sub-Visser and scientist. A very powerful Sub-Visser, who's rank is now held by Nodnarb 395, Sub-Visser Eight.
You see, Sirex is dead. I killed him after my successful cloning, by destroying his body and sending his essence into Z-Space.
But I knew about his children…the Tiamat.
They are an artificial race, very rare in the universe. Only three thousand or so in the entire galaxy, all bred for war in the swamps of Eastern Pentasera, Gervasid territory. You see, when the Yeerks invaded that planet about fifteen years ago, Sirex made an artificial race by adding the DNA of several different species together.
He called them Tiamat-Yeerkish for "Vile," because they are truly worthy of that name.
Imagine a tree, fifteen feet tall, five feet thick. Now take roots that are swatting tentacles, six likewise arm's on each hand, covered in poisonous spines, that can be projected about for up to a hundred yards, and a long, narrow head, with a vertical mouth that filled the whole head, inside, filled with dozens of sabred for teeth. A single eye above the mouth, inside a rotatable dome on the head, made it a monstrosity.
What made the Tiamat really weird, though, was the fact that they were made entirely out of very thick wood.
Yeah, that's right. Wood. But, with water pumping throughout to prevent fire. Very tough to beat.
A Tiamat!
Holy shit, that is one bad ass motherfucker! Yelled Ripper.
Sub-Visser 64, I presume.
You presume correctly. I am Vyant 008 of the Araniat Wuseem pool, Taxxis. You dare to approach my ship, much less destroy it? I will crush you!
"I think not," I said, my human mouth returning.
We shall see.
He shot his needle-spines at me, barely missing, but hitting Skorre.
"ARRGH!"
I began to morph to Tiamat.
LaROUCHE
I watched as David turned from his normal, human self, into a gigantic, grotesque monster.
"David, you need to hurry! The virus sets off the ships weapons in five minutes!"
I got 'cha.
David slammed his gigantic form into Sub-Visser 64, wrapping his tentacles around him in a hideous bear hug.
When I break every bone in your body, foolish human, I will be a Visser! I will be a hero to the Empire! I will…
He was cut off when a salvo of spines from David tore into him.
AARGH
"That's how I feel," grumbled Skorre.
I looked at Skorre, the venom had made him sluggish, slow. He was struggling to stay awake.
David grappled the Sub-Visser, throwing punch after punch at him, tearing out the bark that was the Tiamat's skin.
But Sub-Visser 64 had a few tricks up his sleeve.
The Tiamat opened it's mouth around David's thin head, closing, picking up our leader and spinning his 15 foot form all about.
AHHH!
Now, we see who is the better warrior, Taggart!
You forget one thing, Sub-Visser 64.
And what is that?
Don't leave your head un-guarded. Ever.
Without warning, David struck both his hands up, pressed them to his adversaries skull, and fired spine after spine into it.
THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK!
Slowly, the dead body of the Sub-Visser fell, David pushing it away with disgust.
What an amateur officer. He was too headstrong to ever become a Visser.
"What an amusing performance, David Taggart."
A bulky humanoid stood before me, a man like alien with a square head, long, conical arms that looked like drills, but actually had hooks like a crowbar. A medium length tail with a thick, dulled slab of bone on the end moved slowly from side to side. The beast was covered in a shock of brown hair. It was about eight feet tall, not as imposing as a Hork-Bajir, but it could take down a strong man easily.
Who are you?
"Me? I'm Visser 59. Ussam 9188, primary, of the Illani Lumsk pool, Nahara. This is my host, a Naharan. How do you like it?"
"I have morphs like it."
"Indeed."
We stood for a tense moment, the Visser looking at us, flanked by his Hork- Bajir.
Why do you not shoot us?
He signed, "I am here to give you one last chance. You have proved yourselves a valuable investment on the part of Sirex 4891. Surrender, work for the Empire, we can guarantee the freedom of your warriors. This is your last chance. You have not a place in the universe to hide, David Taggart."
We will manage.
"Where will you go? You cannot stay on Terra Firma. We hold this world now, the takeover is nearly complete. Will you hide on the Skrit Na world, with smugglers and renegades? Or land in Eastern Pentasera and get your heads chopped off by Gervasid? You have no home, no way, and no clue. You are lost, Taggart. We are the only way."
He turned his massive frame to us. He looked us all over.
"Time is running out," I reminded him.
Two minutes to go.
Go to Hell, parasite.
"Open fire!" The Visser screamed.
David fired first, impaling the Visser on a tentacle and bringing him closer to his jaw
"NOOOOO!"
He dropped Visser 59 in, crunching his mouth a few times.
Mmm. Tastes like chicken.
Lets get out of here, said Aleks, Come on!
We followed him towards a Bug Fighter, David demrphing all the way.
"Thirty seconds untill weapons malfunction," The electronic voice chiding.
We entered the fighter, demorphed, Aleks rising before I could pull the hatch closed.
He pulled it into a burn, heading for the closing hanger doors above us.
"Seal them in! Don't let them escape!" I heard on the radio.
"Faster, Aleks!" I cried.
"I've got better things to do today than die!" He replied.
Like a missile, we flew out the blast doors as they closed behind us, heading for the Anubis, by now back in orbit.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!
The Lancer's weapons began firing, Dracon cannons, flack guns, torpedo tubes, all firing about the Yeerk Pool.
"AHHH! They've breached the power plant! They've killed us…."
Static.
I looked out the port window. Everything below us, all we had seen, was a ball of fire.
We had destroyed Tokyo.
And I had set it all up.
RIPPER
Within moments, Aleks had brough our fighter up to dock with the Anubis. We couldn't carry a third Bug Fighter, so we crossed via an umbilical and dumped it in space.
I was the first to the bridge. I entered just as I was securing my side arm.
When we walked on the bridge, I was greeted with a terrible sight.
Bin Laden, and two of his soldiers had Sara, guns all around her. Sara was naked and crying.
I couldn't find words to describe how I felt.
Bin Laden looked at me, a smug expression on his face.
"A woman has to be used accordingly."
"She is eleven years old."
He shrugged.
"I have had younger."
That was it. I snapped.
I raised my Dracon pistol, aimed it to the head of Usama Bin Laden, and squeezed off a round.
I killed him instantly.
One of his men aimed for me, but Sara squared him in the groin, grabbing his gun.
She fired into his gut.
I used this opportunity to kill the other one.
Sara looked so destroyed, sitting there on the ground. Part of me wanted to comfort her. She had just been through Hell. Part of me wanted to leave.
Part of me wanted revenge.
No matter what she was, Sara was still a kid. And no one deserves that. No one.
I walked to the control board, going for the part that controlled the room holding all of the Al Qaeda men.
It was the containment/hazard room.
Its contents could be flushed into space.
I did just that.
ALEKS
"Good call, Ripper."
"What are you talking about? He murdered a hundred and thirty men!" Accused LaRouche.
"You killed millions today," Pointed out David.
He continued, "Whatever the case, Ripper made an executive decision. The Al Qaeda were preparing to mutiny. He made a good decision, by flushing them.
"I still don't like it."
The monitor flashed to life, a transmission from the pool ship coming in.
Sub-Visser Four filled the monitor.
"Who am I addressing?"
I replied, "Aleks Stantford, Antimorph Air Commander and second in command, first mate of the Anubis."
"I wish to speak with captain Taggart."
"Very well."
David stepped into view.
"What is it, Yeerk."
"The Empire is willing to negotiate. Surrender, and we give you what you most want."
"And what is that?"
"A normal life. Sanctuary on your own planet. Your parents can be freed. We have them here, if you want to talk to them…"
"I do not wish to negotiate with Yeerks, no matter in what guise."
"We have removed the Yeerk from the host, they speak of their own will."
His reply was harsh.
"I will not speak with them."
Sub-Visser Four looked at him with an evil glare.
"Very well. I will bring your parents with me. When you desire to see them again, come and find me."
"The next time we meet, only one of us will walk away."
"May it be so, Antimorph."
David turned to LaRouche.
"Z-Space, now."
"What is our destination?" LaRouche Asked.
"Wild Space. We need to plot our revenge."
LaRouche punched us in for wild space, and the universe when a brilliant white.
END OF EPISODE ONE
COMING SOON: EPISODE TWO- BUG HUNT