Shadow Enforcers Chapter 5

The Final Countdown

-Minutes later in the hallways of the Palace-

Tachyon ran through the hallways, the guards pushing past people fleeing the palace to get to him. He charged his fists and unleashed his full potential as a Shadow Enforcer, using every ability that he was trained in. One guard attempted to impale him with a shock stick but Tachyon-1 grabbed the rod and driving his hand down, broke it in two, slamming his fist into the chest of the guard. The guard flew into the nearest wall, and became stuck in it, sparks flying from where he had broken.

Ten minutes before, Tachyon-1 had transmitted the uncovered information about the Machnar and what they had done with Mechana's help. That information revealed that the current Princess on the throne was not the true Princess Mechana. The Mechas couldn't believe what they had seen, but they soon rose to support their true Princess. The Machnar deception had finally fallen. And the "Princess" ordered the destruction of those that opposed her rule. "DESTROY THE MECHAS THAT DEFY ME! PREPARE THE WAY FOR OUR FORCES! AND DESTROY TACHYON!" She ordered.

As Tachyon neared the throne room, the "Princess" stood there with a cadre of elite guards. "You should not have interfered Enforcer. Now you will pay with your life." She pointed at him and spoke in the Machnar language.

Two of the elite guards charged Tachyon. He slammed his fist into his chestplate and teleported behind them. He was able to incapacitate one, but the other guard drove his weapon into a weakpoint in the Enforcer armor. Tachyon roared in pain and clutched his side. Blood seeped from the wound as he looked up at the Machnar. "The Machnar will not destroy these people. I'll see to that." He grunted as he tried to stand up straight.

"You are not even a Mecha, Tachyon. You are weak. You are a fleshling in armor pretending to be something you are not. We are superior. We have the strength of both flesh and steel, with the weakness of neither." The Machnar female grinned.

"So long as I draw breath…I will protect the Mechas. And I swear to Christ you'll go down." Tachyon raised his hand and drove it into the floor. The neutron discharge shattered the floor, sending Tachyon, the Machnar female, and the rest of the elite guards crashing to the very bottom floor.

Everyone had taken a hard fall. Tachyon was the first to start stirring, soon followed by the Machnar female, then the guards. Tachyon was losing blood, but he pushed himself to fight on. The Machnar female lashed out and struck out at him. He deflected her first hit but she went low and hit his injury. Tachyon staggered backwards into the wall and grunted, the pain blurring his vision and the armor's systems trying to compensate by injecting painkillers. The air filters in the helmet were pushing as much air through to keep him conscious as his vitals were being constantly monitored. 'Warning, blood loss levels are reaching critical levels.' The computer called out. Tachyon grunted. "Bypass…safeties…" The computer acknowledged but gave its warning. 'Warning, safeties bypassed, threat of unconsciousness imminent. Cease combat and return to base for medical attention.'

The Machnar female scoffed. "Why fight for them, fleshling? This is not your world. Not your war."

Tachyon prepared a fighting stance. "You made it my war…you involved the Shadow Enforcers when you sought to destroy the life of the Mechas."

The Machnar female growled. "Then you will be its first casualty!" The female did something that Tachyon had not expected. She generated an energy field and unleashed its power. The blast sent Tachyon flying through the wall and into the city gates just behind the palace.

As Tachyon impacted the gates, they crumbled under the severe force of the impact. Behind those gates was the Machnar army waiting to invade and destroy the Mecha city. The computer in Tachyon's armor blared warnings. 'WARNING: Armor breach critical, blood loss critical, all system failing. Internal bleeding detected. Fail-safe activated. Disengage and return to base.' Tachyon stood up shakily. He tore the helmet off and coughed up blood. He turned his head towards a distant hill where he saw Mechana standing with her people, far away from the Machnar army. He looked back towards the Machnar female who he now understood was one of the Machnar Lords. There was only one thing left to do. A last resort that he knew he would have to someday use. He fell to one knee as he was starting to lose consciousness. "I have done…*cough*…what I was set out to do. I have…I have served with honor to protect those under my watch." He coughs violently. "I now give my life…to ensure the peace of this world."

The Machnar female laughed. "Such pretty words for a dead fleshling."

On the hill in the distance, Mechana was scanning Tachyon and noticed his failing life signs. One of the laborer class had picked up his words through auditory amplification and looked at Mechana. "Your Majesty, you must listen." Mechana heard the words and started to run towards Tachyon, but he was so far away."

Shadow Enforcer Tachyon-1 looked up at the Machnar female. "Computer, disengage all safeties. Initiate…*coughs*…initiate Critical Mass."

The female Machnar Lord laughed again. "And what foolishness is this? A pathetic attempt to…"

The computer sounded a warning. "WARNING: NEUTRON CORE SAFETIES DISENGAGED. CRITICAL MASS ENGAGED. CORE OVERLOAD IN T-MINUS 60 SECONDS AND COUNTING. WARNING: TWO MILE BLAST RADIUS. DISCHARGE POWER CORE NOW."

Tachyon's armor started to short out as he was trying to hold it in to prevent a discharge until the right time. Around him a neutron field formed as the power levels increased exponentially. The female Machnar pointed to him and ordered the Warriors to destroy him before the power core could rupture. Two Machnar tried, but had their circuitry fried as they tried to punch through the neutron field. Tachyon only gave a weak smile. "My life for the good of others…"

The armor blared another warning. "WARNING: NEUTRON CORE SAFETIES DISENGAGED. CORE BREACH IMMINENT. CRITICAL MASS REACHED IN T-MINUS 45 SECONDS. DISCHARGE POWER CORE NOW. SYSTEMS OVERLOAD IMMINENT."

As Mechana tried to reach Tachyon, she tried over a rock. She heard the warning from his armor and screamed out to him. "TACHYON! NO! GODDESS PLEASE NO!"

The female Machnar grew desperate in sending warriors to stop the coming explosion. "It will not end like this! I command it!" She screamed out.

Tachyon's armor was now generating neutron surges. His cybernetic connections were starting to short out. "No evil…shall prevail…we are…the light…in the darkness."

Another warning blared. "WARNING: NEUTRON CORE SAFETIES DISENGAGED. CORE BREACH IMMINENT. CRITICAL MASS REACHED IN T-MINUS 15 SECONDS. DISCHARGE POWER CORE NOW. SYSTEMS OVERLOAD AND FAILURE IMMINENT. T-MINUS NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE."

Tachyon, with the little bit of strength he had left, screamed out his final command. "DISCHARGE!"

The armor flashed for but a second before the neutron discharge shot out. It was like a large neutron wave just growing in size, and destroying every electrical system in its path. A tear fell down Tachyon's cheek as the final thing he saw was Angela holding her hand out to him. His eyes went big as the final cybernetic connection shorted out. He collapsed to the ground and his eyes started to close as the world around him fell to darkness. The only thing activating on its own power source, shielded from the neutron blast, was the emergency distress beacon.

Mechana looked up from where she had fallen. The Machnar were all falling from Tachyon's final attack. Whatever Machnar did survive from being at the leading edge of the Critical Mass fled back to their territory. But her eyes fell to the only thing that mattered to her right now. She watched as Tachyon had not moved since he collapsed. She couldn't even read his vital signs. "No…no no no no!" She got up and ran to him. Taking him in her arms, oil tears fell down her smooth metallic cheeks. "GODDESS NO! DO NOT TAKE HIM FROM ME!" She cradled the lifeless body of Tachyon-1.

Behind her, the other Mechas approached. They bowed their heads at the sacrifice of their savior. The only one outside of their world who cared enough to give his life to protect theirs. Just past the crowd, a dimensional tear opened and several Shadow Enforcers appeared from the tear. One of them was Shadow Enforcer-1. He and two of the medics ran over and knelt down. "Your Majesty, you must let him go so we can help him. You have to let him go."

Her eyes turned to the newcomers. She glared at them as the hot oil tears burned down her cheeks. "You left him to this fate. Why were you not here to stop him?! Do not touch him!"

Shadow Enforcer-1 reached out and took her shoulder. "Your Majesty, I understand you're upset. But right now if you don't give him to us, there'll be no saving him at all."

She lowered her head and kissed Tachyon-1 on the lips. "I swear to the Goddess I will not leave your side." She released her hold on Tachyon-1 and the Shadow Enforcers placed him on a stretcher to get him back to base.

One of the other Mechas, the advisor to the Princess walked over to Mechana. "Your Majesty, right now your place is at our savior's side. Go with him, we will ensure the city is secured until your return."

Mechana followed the Shadow Enforcers as they returned to the Earth dimension.

-Weeks later-

Shadow Enforcer Tachyon-1 slowly started to stir in his hospital bed. He slowly opened his eyes but his vision was really blurry. And he felt really uncomfortable. A nurse was in the room and was checking on his vitals as he tried to speak. But the words came out a jumbled mess. "Whare m…happ?"

The nurse jumped a little as she turned and looked at Tachyon. "Easy, sir. You're back at base in the infirmary."

Tachyon licked his lips trying to make the next sentence somewhat coherent. "How long…?"

"Three weeks, Sean." Shadow Enforcer-1's voice answered. "You gave us all a damn good scare." He placed a hand on Tachyon's shoulder. "How do you feel, son?"

Tachyon groaned quietly. "Like I just lost a fight with a freight train."

Shadow Enforcer-1 smiled down at Tachyon. "You did a great job protecting the Mechas. We sent an entire unit of Shadow Enforcers there to make sure the Machnar don't trying to strike back while the Mechas have no defense."

Tachyon-1 strained to look at Shadow Enforcer-1. "But they…the Mechas have never…they aren't…"

A soft feminine voice and metallic hand took his. "I authorized it, beloved. My people need the help of your people. And I need you."

Tachyon looked towards Mechana's voice. "Mechana? What do you mean…beloved?"

Mechana smiled softly. "You ensured the Mecha people are safe. Through your actions and self-sacrifice, I have decided that you are the one to help guide and protect my people at my side." She kissed him on the cheek. "I have chosen you as my husband."

Shadow Enforcer-1 nodded. "I had already decided to give you command of your own unit. The Mechas will sign a treaty with us and will have a place on the council so as to ensure they are protected under our laws. And I have to agree that there would be no better envoy than you." He squeezed Tachyon's shoulder proudly. "Angel-1 would be proud of you, son. Rest up. We'll need you in top shape to defend the Mechas."

Tachyon-1 fell back asleep as Mechana stayed at his side, holding his hand and keeping him close to her heart as close as she could.