Episode Four: Silver Future
Part One: Demonic Intervention
THE BARAD-DUR, OVERLOOKING SULP NIAR, YEERK HOMEWORLD OF MORDORIA
AUGEST 10th, 2000.
The Emperor stalked his throne room high above the capital pool of Sulp Niar, in the ancient stone fortress of Barad-Dur. The Barad-Dur had been formed millions of years ago, a large mesa over seven thousand feet high, lording over the barren waste of the Yeerk planet. Originally inhabited by Gedds, the Yeerks had, with the aid of the Andalites, carved out a massive tunnel system and made it nearly inpenitrable.
The Emperor was both pleased and angered. Pleased due to the excellent initial invasion of the Andalite system. His troops under the command of Efflit 1318, now Visser 19, had taken a foothold on the outlying planet of Branhuss, and had infested that worlds Andalite colonists. More than five thousand Andalite controllers had joined the Empire.
However, the Emperor was also displeased. The human renegade terrorists, the Antimorphs, hadn't been seen since their escape from Styx, and their defeat of two Bounty Hunters.
They would be plotting something. He was sure of it. The Emperor stood tall, looking though a window. In the distance a volcano emitted red lava and grey ash into the atmosphere.
He held up a metallic claw. His body had been destroyed years ago, in the first attack of the 'Andalite Bandits', on the Yeerk Pool in an area known as California, New Jersey. It had been burned beyond recognition by the then-Visser 3.
It was, however, salvaged. The late Sirex 4891 had turned it into a cybernetic Hork-Bajir prototype. The experiment had been.moderately successful. The Tiberium mineral core that powered the cyborg was too difficult to mass produce, though the original prototype had been given to Sauron 001, a leading Council Member, as a gift.
It was now over 80% machine. It's mind non-existant.
Behind him, Eussh 013 approached. The only council member spared from extermination, Eussh was an old pool lover of Sauron. She was allowed to live. And her host.
"My Emperor, my host asks me to remind you of the information he gave about the Antimorph Air Commander."
"Ah, Aleksander Stantford, the Mercenary gang member and juvinile delinquent?"
"The same." "Refresh my memory."
"He believes that the human will still submit to his authority as a leader of his criminal group."
"Mr. Muerte, allow me to explain something. When you made a deal with the former Visser three to join forces of our two organizations, it was with him. I am still honouring the bargain. Do not patronize me, human. I will not stand for a traitor to his own species to order me around."
For a moment, Eussh stood quiet, debating with his host. Several times, the human's face twitched.
"Mr. Muerte agrees that conquest of the Andalite system and a subsequent invasion of the Kelbrid Empire are paramount to the suppression of the renegades."
"We must be cautious," the Emperor sneered, "The rebellion's are growing, on every world. The Taxxons, Hork-Bajir, the Naharans, the Sstram and Mak, there are still human rebels on Terra Firma."
"The YNN will keep the public in line. They believe the war is going perfectly."
"It is going.much better than anticipated. Still, soon the rebellion will be crushed and the Andalites will belong to us. Your work here is finished, old friend. Go to Nahara and prepare for the summit."
Eussh bowed deeply, then left the throne room.
Tell me, Rico. When you sold your soul, who was it to?
You know the answer, Eussh, why do you ask?
I.cannot find the answer in your mind. It is clouded.
Puck. He calls himself Puck.
AUGEST 15th, 2000, THE REKKLAAB SYSTEM.
ALEKS.
"Damn! This is the last time, I swear to God! I stood up, and headed toward Sara, eating in the corner with LaRouche.
"Can I help you, Aleks?" She asked sweetly.
"Yeah, you can help me, you can help me a lot. You can have a real happy fuckin' birthday. Fine, I said it, I'm done here."
We were all 'celebrating' Sara's 12th birthday. Mine was two weeks ago, and no one threw me a party.
It was a weird sight, I guess. David baked a cake, Ripper did a cool knife trick, LaRouche gave Sara a cool bird from the Andalite homeworld called a Kafit, that he had picked up at a space port on one of the moons of Clemix. Skorre recited an ancient Hork-Bajir poem of passage and growing up.
I did the unimaginable: I said happy birthday.
When I turned 18, Ripper and me got drunk. I shot myself full of Heroin and Crack-Cocaine. I threw my own party.
As all this was going on, we were in the Rekklaab system, an uninhabited system with more than 15 planets. There were rumors that a Yeerk outpost had once been in the area, and we were going to salvage more supplies.
It doesn't seem like we ever do anything else, does it?
"Sorry to interrupt the festivity, but we're nearing Rekklaab V, and I can see the outline of the Yeerk outpost," Said David.
"Great, lets land and stretch our feet," I muttered.
"Not that fast. It looks like the base was abandoned, its pretty much intact, and there is a signal beaming from the comm. Centre."
That got a look from everyone.
"No way, man, that's loco!" Ripper spat, "Last time this exact same thing happened and we ended up fighting those Bugs!"
"Relax," David said calmly, "It's not a warning, it's a message in Yeerkish to let people know that the base is abandoned, so that they don't land by accident for repairs and get stranded if their engines give out."
Everyone relaxed.
"Anyways, its ripe for the pickin', so we're going to land and see what we can salvage."
With that, we decended on the planet.
MEANWHILE
Niskus 891 sat in his command chair on the deck of the Yeerk freighter Sehkmet. It was a melding of two words: Shek and Kmet. It meant, "Silver Future."
Niskus held a human host, that once held the name of Fred Durst. It was now a hollow shell of itself.
"Captain, we are preparing to exit Z-Space," The lieutenant, also a human, reported.
"Excellent, and is the cargo safely contained?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. The Rekklaab system is an ideal position to re-route our co ordinates to Taxxis."
"We are exiting Z-Space and re routing the ship for Taxxis, on a vector of zero decimal seven two."
Suddenly, the ship froze, crippled. The engines shut down, the deck was lit with a red emergency light.
"What happened?" Barked Niskus, alarmed.
"An ion field! We're crippled, we cant move!"
"Well, call for backup, the ship that attacked us must be nearby."
The lieutenant looked grim.
"There are no other ships, sir. Just us."
As soon as he spoke, a face filled the monitor.
"Not just you, captain. I am here, as well."
Niskus looked on, "And who are you?"
"I am Puck."
Part One: Demonic Intervention
THE BARAD-DUR, OVERLOOKING SULP NIAR, YEERK HOMEWORLD OF MORDORIA
AUGEST 10th, 2000.
The Emperor stalked his throne room high above the capital pool of Sulp Niar, in the ancient stone fortress of Barad-Dur. The Barad-Dur had been formed millions of years ago, a large mesa over seven thousand feet high, lording over the barren waste of the Yeerk planet. Originally inhabited by Gedds, the Yeerks had, with the aid of the Andalites, carved out a massive tunnel system and made it nearly inpenitrable.
The Emperor was both pleased and angered. Pleased due to the excellent initial invasion of the Andalite system. His troops under the command of Efflit 1318, now Visser 19, had taken a foothold on the outlying planet of Branhuss, and had infested that worlds Andalite colonists. More than five thousand Andalite controllers had joined the Empire.
However, the Emperor was also displeased. The human renegade terrorists, the Antimorphs, hadn't been seen since their escape from Styx, and their defeat of two Bounty Hunters.
They would be plotting something. He was sure of it. The Emperor stood tall, looking though a window. In the distance a volcano emitted red lava and grey ash into the atmosphere.
He held up a metallic claw. His body had been destroyed years ago, in the first attack of the 'Andalite Bandits', on the Yeerk Pool in an area known as California, New Jersey. It had been burned beyond recognition by the then-Visser 3.
It was, however, salvaged. The late Sirex 4891 had turned it into a cybernetic Hork-Bajir prototype. The experiment had been.moderately successful. The Tiberium mineral core that powered the cyborg was too difficult to mass produce, though the original prototype had been given to Sauron 001, a leading Council Member, as a gift.
It was now over 80% machine. It's mind non-existant.
Behind him, Eussh 013 approached. The only council member spared from extermination, Eussh was an old pool lover of Sauron. She was allowed to live. And her host.
"My Emperor, my host asks me to remind you of the information he gave about the Antimorph Air Commander."
"Ah, Aleksander Stantford, the Mercenary gang member and juvinile delinquent?"
"The same." "Refresh my memory."
"He believes that the human will still submit to his authority as a leader of his criminal group."
"Mr. Muerte, allow me to explain something. When you made a deal with the former Visser three to join forces of our two organizations, it was with him. I am still honouring the bargain. Do not patronize me, human. I will not stand for a traitor to his own species to order me around."
For a moment, Eussh stood quiet, debating with his host. Several times, the human's face twitched.
"Mr. Muerte agrees that conquest of the Andalite system and a subsequent invasion of the Kelbrid Empire are paramount to the suppression of the renegades."
"We must be cautious," the Emperor sneered, "The rebellion's are growing, on every world. The Taxxons, Hork-Bajir, the Naharans, the Sstram and Mak, there are still human rebels on Terra Firma."
"The YNN will keep the public in line. They believe the war is going perfectly."
"It is going.much better than anticipated. Still, soon the rebellion will be crushed and the Andalites will belong to us. Your work here is finished, old friend. Go to Nahara and prepare for the summit."
Eussh bowed deeply, then left the throne room.
Tell me, Rico. When you sold your soul, who was it to?
You know the answer, Eussh, why do you ask?
I.cannot find the answer in your mind. It is clouded.
Puck. He calls himself Puck.
AUGEST 15th, 2000, THE REKKLAAB SYSTEM.
ALEKS.
"Damn! This is the last time, I swear to God! I stood up, and headed toward Sara, eating in the corner with LaRouche.
"Can I help you, Aleks?" She asked sweetly.
"Yeah, you can help me, you can help me a lot. You can have a real happy fuckin' birthday. Fine, I said it, I'm done here."
We were all 'celebrating' Sara's 12th birthday. Mine was two weeks ago, and no one threw me a party.
It was a weird sight, I guess. David baked a cake, Ripper did a cool knife trick, LaRouche gave Sara a cool bird from the Andalite homeworld called a Kafit, that he had picked up at a space port on one of the moons of Clemix. Skorre recited an ancient Hork-Bajir poem of passage and growing up.
I did the unimaginable: I said happy birthday.
When I turned 18, Ripper and me got drunk. I shot myself full of Heroin and Crack-Cocaine. I threw my own party.
As all this was going on, we were in the Rekklaab system, an uninhabited system with more than 15 planets. There were rumors that a Yeerk outpost had once been in the area, and we were going to salvage more supplies.
It doesn't seem like we ever do anything else, does it?
"Sorry to interrupt the festivity, but we're nearing Rekklaab V, and I can see the outline of the Yeerk outpost," Said David.
"Great, lets land and stretch our feet," I muttered.
"Not that fast. It looks like the base was abandoned, its pretty much intact, and there is a signal beaming from the comm. Centre."
That got a look from everyone.
"No way, man, that's loco!" Ripper spat, "Last time this exact same thing happened and we ended up fighting those Bugs!"
"Relax," David said calmly, "It's not a warning, it's a message in Yeerkish to let people know that the base is abandoned, so that they don't land by accident for repairs and get stranded if their engines give out."
Everyone relaxed.
"Anyways, its ripe for the pickin', so we're going to land and see what we can salvage."
With that, we decended on the planet.
MEANWHILE
Niskus 891 sat in his command chair on the deck of the Yeerk freighter Sehkmet. It was a melding of two words: Shek and Kmet. It meant, "Silver Future."
Niskus held a human host, that once held the name of Fred Durst. It was now a hollow shell of itself.
"Captain, we are preparing to exit Z-Space," The lieutenant, also a human, reported.
"Excellent, and is the cargo safely contained?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. The Rekklaab system is an ideal position to re-route our co ordinates to Taxxis."
"We are exiting Z-Space and re routing the ship for Taxxis, on a vector of zero decimal seven two."
Suddenly, the ship froze, crippled. The engines shut down, the deck was lit with a red emergency light.
"What happened?" Barked Niskus, alarmed.
"An ion field! We're crippled, we cant move!"
"Well, call for backup, the ship that attacked us must be nearby."
The lieutenant looked grim.
"There are no other ships, sir. Just us."
As soon as he spoke, a face filled the monitor.
"Not just you, captain. I am here, as well."
Niskus looked on, "And who are you?"
"I am Puck."