January 18, 2110

  Castle

  Castle sat in his favorite tree, leaning on a branch. Others gathered in front of an intercom below him to hear Evwei’s speech before their final battle. There was an absolute silence throughout the camp. The snow was light today, probably the best day they’d get to fight a battle as massive as the upcoming one. But Castle was just ready to get it on and done.

  The intercom beeped on, and Evwei’s voice could be heard. “Soldiers, ladies and gentlemen alike… listen closely. The day is here! The socialists want the planet and its resources for themselves and are shoving us aside to achieve that. That ends now! No longer will we allow them to shove us toward annihilation! Everyone has their roles today. Squads will spilt up and surround the capitol, then we sneak in and hit them from all sides. We have their patrol patterns and capitol schematics… let’s use them. I’m not going to lie to you: Today is most likely going to be the worst day of your lives - and for many of you, your last. That doesn’t mean we give up! Four years of civil war… we have lost too much to throw this chance away! So remember the plan, remember your training, and most of all… remember what you are fighting for! Now let’s go and show the socialists who deserves this planet!”

  Castle smiled. “Damn, I’m not gonna lie… that was well-said.”

  The troops below Castle were cheering and hollering. The entire outpost filled with the echoes of hyped-up soldiers, ready for the battle. Castle hopped out of the tree and marched over to his secret hiding place. Once safely inside, Castle opened the comm to Ghost.

  “The monarchists are riled up and ready to move out. What’s the situation over there?”

  “The socialist army plans to lock the main gates when the monarchs enter the capitol. Every soldier on this planet will be there. Like herding sheep to slaughter!”

  “And the Brotherhood? Are the bishops in place?”

  “In the shadows and out of sight.”

  “Fantastic. This is going to be a bloodbath!”

  ?????

  Castle rode passenger in a Type-7 Carriage, a hovercraft. Three troops sat in the back, ready to disembark, and a fourth soldier drove. Castle was placed in charge of Dellie squad, which was assigned to the rescue mission. In the carriage, they sped down the snow-covered road to the capitol. Snow flew to the sides of the carriage like waves around a boat. The capitol lit up the skies with its beams of light in the sunset. Already, stars and streaks of light painted the sky as in a portrait of beauty.

  “What a hell of a beautiful sight on what might be our last day,” one soldier stated, gazing into the sky.

  Another soldier added, “Not a bad sight at all.”

  All Castle noticed was the streak of red painted across a cluster of stars. He wondered if that was the heavens preparing for the bloodbath about to occur at Castle’s own hands. He shook himself out of the daze.

  “There’s the gate,” a soldier indicated.

  The carriage sped closer to the wide, massive gate that led into the capitol. It was wide open and almost welcoming. No guards were on the top of the gate or visible inside. The driver hit the brakes and slowed the carriage to a drifting halt meters inside the capitol walls.

  “Where are the guards?” one soldier asked.

  “Let’s not wait around looking pretty. Oh, that’s just me,” Castle teased. They looked at him for a moment. “Come on, ladies. That means get your asses out of the vehicle,” Castle instructed. He jumped over the front of the carriage to take the lead. The rest of Dellie squad formed up behind him. He then called in over the coms, “Dellie in.”

  “Eyo in.”

  “Brey in.”

  “Seckera in.”

  “Omolo in.”

  The call-ins all stormed into the coms, and before long, every squad was inside the walls of the capitol, ready to attack.

  “Look! On the bridge!” a soldier shouted.

  Castle peered over. Four socialists popped up from behind the railing of a bridge that hung over the street they were on. Castle threw out his aura to cover his troops.

  “Suppressing fire!” one shouted.

  “Quick, behind the--”

  One of the Dellie soldiers took a plasma shot to the head. He fell over. Dellie squad responded with multiple shots at the enemies.

  Over the coms, reports stormed in, “Agelo is under fire!”

  “So is Eyo!”

  “No enemies on Jobo’s end.”

  “Neither for Brey. What the hell is going on?”

  Evwei, from the Ujek squad, spoke over the coms. “Dellie, continue to the prison. Agelo and Brey, head over to the armory. Seckera, take out the barracks. Everyone else, continue your push to the center of the capitol. It’s all or nothing from here!”

  The remaining members of Dellie squad made quick work of the socialists on the bridge.

  A soldier lowered his plasma rifle. “We need to get out of the middle of the street.”

  Castle agreed. “The man is right. Up those stairs, gents.”

  He took the lead down the street, past the raised pathways that lined both sides. At any moment, a socialist squad could ambush Dellie squad from the raised pathway’s high-ground advantage. Not that that mattered to Castle.

  Castle and his men raced under the bridge and began ascending the stairs on the left. Each member of the unit had their plasma rifle aimed up and swiped their aim around, searching for enemies. Buildings hung to the sides of the pathways, increasing in height as they got closer to the center of the circular capitol. All in all, the city wasn’t large in scale; rather, it was designed for the simple purpose of serving as a startup city for this recently inhabited planet. At the current date, this city was technologically underdeveloped.

  “Where is the prison?” one solider asked.

  “Down this corridor. Just keep following the line,” another soldier answered, referring to the straight pathway they marched on.

  As the squad moved in a line, some fell back about six meters to decrease the target size of the squad.

  “Enemies!” someone yelled.

  The squad took cover behind the railings beside them. Plasma shots fired over the street as the monarchs and socialist soldiers exchanged rounds.

  “Hold them down. I’ll cross the bridge and work my special brand of Castle magic.” Castle dashed to a nearby bridge passing over the street. “Boy, this is gonna be fun.”

  He crossed to the other side, with his aura field covering his front. The enemies began popping off plasma shots, hitting the colored field in front of Castle. He was at their gunpoint, but it didn’t matter. Castle got close to one enemy soldier and stabbed him in the chest.

  “Move back!” an enemy soldier screeched. The ones still alive backed up. “It’s Castle and his impenetrable defense!”

  “I like the sound of that!” Castle acknowledged the comment.

  He tossed some knives, killing two more. From the monarch’s side, a plasma shot hit the last enemy and killed him.

  Castle looked over. “Hey - he was mine!”

  “Sorry.” The soldier shrugged from across the street.

  Castle shook his head in anger but rejoined his team nonetheless.

  “That’s the building we came for - the prison,” a soldier said, pointing to the upcoming structure in their path.

  The building was three stories high and barricaded at the entrance. All the windows where shielded, and a guard tower with nobody in it extended off one corner of the nearly symmetrical structure.

  “Alright, someone give me a drumroll,” Castle instructed.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m a badass and need a drumroll in this moment.”

  Once Castle got what he wanted, he busted open the barricaded entrance with his aura. Dellie squad cheered for a brief second before they all poured into the prison through the narrow doorway.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Castle turned the first corner and was met by a wave of plasma shots. “Damn! You bastards almost blew me away!” He cursed from behind the safety of his aura field. A mounted plasma turret unloaded round after round of plasma at Castle from the end of the condensed hallway. “Yawn. You guys have no creativity… just the same maneuvers over and over again,” he mocked them before launching his aura at the enemy manning the turret. As the aura hit, both the turret and man were sent flying into the wall. A Dellie soldier picked off the hurt soldier as he tried to get to his feet.

  “I’m glad you’re on our side, Castle,” the soldier shined.

  Castle hid his dramatic smile. “Oh… me, too, buddy.”

  He led the way down some stairs into the holding area, where he burst through another barricaded door. As they entered a cell room, they saw lines of cells stacked on top of each other, with stasis fields holding the prisoners inside. In the center of the room was a control panel.

  “That must be how you open the doors,” a soldier stated and walked to the panel.

  Some of the prisoners noticed the Dellie soldier walking to the panel.

  “Release us,” they implored the squad.

  “Please help,” others pleaded.

  Castle worried for a minute as the Dellie soldier reached the panel, but his worries ceased as Ghost dropped from the ceiling onto the soldier. “Hel--” he tried yelling as Ghost stabbed him in the back.

  The two remaining Dellie soldiers raised their guns at Ghost, but Castle swiped the weapons from their hands with his aura.

  “What?! Castle!” one soldier faltered.

  Castle leapt forward and kicked down one of the soldiers. Ghost dished out a few blades from the cuff on his gauntlet at the other soldier. He jumped aside, but Ghost used his magnets to bring them back and slice the arm of his opponent. He stumbled in shock and pain.

  Castle laughed at the downed soldiers. “Finally, a chance to go toe-to-toe with the best class of soldiers the Allsung Monarchy has to offer.”

  “Castle, what are you doing?!” a downed soldier shouted in shock.

  “Isn’t it obvious by now? I’m your enemy, but come on… you have to admit, I fooled everyone.”

  Ghost joined Castle’s side. The two downed soldiers got up and stared at Castle with disgust but remained silent. They extended their blades, ready to fight.

  “Come on… not a word,” Castle mocked.

  One truculent soldier looked to his last remaining squad member. “It’s just you and me now.”

  The other responded, “It’s been an honor.” He placed his hand on the other’s back. “I’ll see you in paradise.”

  Castle pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. “What a sad moment… boo hoo! Come on, Ghost, let’s end these two!”

  Ghost made the first move, launching another blade at his opponent. The man dodged, but Ghost landed a crushing cross at his jaw.

  Sending his aura aside for this fight, Castle flicked his fingers, telling his opponent to make the first move; he obliged, swiping a knife at Castle’s eyes. Castle side-stepped and kicked the allsung’s knee. The soldier rolled over on his back from the blow and pushed himself back to his feet a few meters away from Castle. His heated stare burned towards Castle with hatred.

  “Round one: Castle,” Castle said with a bow.

  The soldier stared back at him and cringed. “Dude, you are such a tool. Remember that when I’m dead!”

  “Don’t be like that. I’m just having some fun with you.”

  Ghost stepped into view. He’d already finished off his opponent. “Don’t play with your food, Castle. Wrap it up. We have a mission to complete.”

  Castle sighed. “Fine.” The soldier jumped up, knife in hand, trying to catch them off guard. Castle pulled out a knife and stabbed the soldier in the gut. “You always have to take away my joy, don’t you, Ghost?” The dead soldier slid off the knife as Castle carried on his conversation.

  “Castle, we’ve known each other for a long time. I know you spent the last years of this war having fun. But now, let’s finish our mission and get back to leading the brotherhood.”

  “Alright, I’ll bite. But when this is over, I want two of your best bishops in a match against me, Ghost. And they better not disappoint.”

  “Deal.” Ghost patted his friend Castle on the back. “Time to gas the prisoners and head to the center of the capitol.”

  Castle walked over to a cell. “I’ll do the honors.” Inside the cell, an allsung looked up at Castle, fearful eyes and a trickle of urine dripping from his pants. Castle looked at the prisoner. “Hey, Gharah. Sorry Ivinage isn’t here to die with you.”

  Castle flipped the switch with his aura. Slaag gas steamed in from the walls. Gharah breathed it in and screamed in agony. He fell to the floor in seconds, pus and blisters exploding from his skin. With nano-immunal-bots, nearly all galactic poisons are ineffective. Slaag is one of the few exceptions; the gas gave the prisoners a quick but painful death.

  Ghost called to Castle, “Time to go.”

  Castle and Ghost sprinted off. As they passed the skyscrapers, shots echoed through the capitol. Screams of pain originated the loudest from the center of the capitol. As they neared the center of the capitol, Castle and Ghost had to dodge and dance past more fallen allsungs. It soon became evident the majority of these people had already died.

  Castle called in over the comms, “Evwei, are you there?”

  A moment passed before she responded, “Is that you, Castle?”

  “Still breathing. Where are you, Evwei?”

  “I’m pinned down with my squad at the Yoven Boulevard, just outside the center of the capitol. Did you take care of the prisoners?”

  Castle had to hold back a burst of laughter at the irony of those words. “Oh… they were very much taken care of.”

  “Lovely. We could use every able-bodied fighter in this attack.”

  “Hold tight, Evwei. I’m headed your way.”

  Ghost and Castle reached the Yoven Boulevard and stood on the end of a pathway that overlooked a wide open area. On one side, the leaders of the socialists fired at Evwei from atop a ravaged rooftop. She held up her side with Ivinage, Frob, and one other from behind fallen rubble and barriers.

  “What’s your move, Ghost?”

  “I’ll take out the socialist leaders. You handle the monarchy leader.”

  “Awesome, because I’m just dying to relieve myself of all my well-kept secrets. Oh God, this is going to be one for the books.”

  “Don’t be long,” Ghost added before heading to the socialists’ side. Castle leapt down from the pathway and used his aura as cover until he reached Evwei and her squad. He flipped over their barricade and landed in the middle of their set up.

  “Hey friends, what’s cooking?” Castle asked.

  Ivinage responded with a smartass comment, “Just the worst battle of my life. You?”

  Castle ignored the question. “Man, Ivinage, I really am going to miss that smart mouth of yours.”

  Ivinage shot him a confused look. “I don’t plan on dying today.” She continued to fire at the enemies.

  “Oh, I know you don’t,” Castle remarked.

  Evwei jumped in. “Castle! Stop running your mouth and give us cover right there.” She pointed at the ledge Frob took cover under.

  Castle used his aura and did as she asked. “But I definitely won’t miss that.”

  From the socialists’ side, the plasma fire stopped. Castle knew Ghost had taken care of business. “Was that you?” Evwei asked.

  Castle looked at her and laughed. “Can I just get something off my chest?”

  “Now’s not really the time,” Evwei insisted.

  “Well, let’s make the time anyway, for memories’ sake. But… I won’t need him.”

  Castle used his aura and stabbed the random soldier who was still alive on Evwei’s squad. Only she, Frob, and Ivinage remained.

  Ivinage jumped up. “What the hell are you doing?!”

  Castle used his aura to pin down each of them. “I’m relieving myself of secrets.” He took a seat on a piece of rubble and started fiddling with a knife.

  “What’s going on, Castle? I demand to know, you son of a bitch!” Evwei cursed.

  “Uuhhh, I think he’s a baaad guy,” Frob answered.

  “Hey, let’s not toss around terms… okay. Sure, you can call me your enemy, but I consider myself a good man. Truly though, I wish I didn’t have to do this. I actually kind of enjoyed your company, Ivinage and Frob. Had we met somewhere else, maybe we could’ve been, like… drinking buddies or some shivf. Unfortunately for you all, I have a mission to complete.”

  “What mission?” Evwei yelled.

  “I’m getting to that… hold your questions and praises for the end. I kinda played you all… oh, who am I fooling? I played each of you until the very end… this end. You see, my employers want this planet for their own purposes, but you allsungs were already here… so shivf had to be done. If it were up to me, I would have dropped a bunch of staag bombs on this place. But when a planet with colonies is wiped out in a single day, governments and alliances ask questions. The last thing my employers want is another enemy to fight, so there had to be… discretion. See, if the settlers on the planet killed each other… well, then that right there is a simple tragedy.”

  “What employers?” Evwei interrupted.

  Castle tightened his grip around Evwei until she screamed. “Now, see… I said save your questions till the end.” Castle loosed his grip again. “That’s where me and Ghost came in. What… Ghost was in on it, too… oh, no… yes, he was! Ghost and I kept playing you through this war: Feeding you info, giving locations, and other shivf to help you kill each other faster. Then when both the socialists and monarchs are on the brink of death, we finish you off, leaving this planet open for the taking. Now ask away, and compliment me if you have to.”

  Evwei took the opportunity. “You backstabber, you traitor. I trusted--”

  “I suck, I’m a killer… yada, yada,” Castle interrupted. “Yawn. Lady, let’s skip this part.

  Evwei continued. “So it was you, then? You started this war between us?”

  Castle stopped her. “I wish I could take credit for that, too, but that was you… well, your species. Ghost and I just fed the fuel and let this train wreck happen.”

  Ivinage was paralyzed with awe and shock. Frob’s eyes just wandered around. He really didn’t have much of a clue of what was going on. Evwei began to cry streams of tears. Castle was somewhat taken aback. Here she was, a strong leader, broken down in defeat, knowing every bit of control had been stripped away from her. It was almost heart-crushing.

  Castle complained, “Seriously, tears?! You’re better than that. You were on the wrong side. You got played fair and square.”

  Ghost jumped over a barrier to join Castle. “The brotherhood is killing off the rest. Finish these weaklings off so we can go and claim our reward from Airra.”

  “I guess it’s time.” Castle snapped Evwei’s neck with his aura. Ivinage screamed in horror and heartache. “I’m sorry, Ivinage.” Ivinage’s screams were silenced by a sharp crack. Castle walked over to Frob, who gazed up at him without fear or knowledge of the situation he was in. “Frob, you really don’t deserve this. You’re just an innocent being… caught in a war you don’t understand. Hah, I might actually be saving you,” Castle said, finishing him off.

  Ghost put his hand over Castle’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. You finished them off quickly, without pain.”

  Castle looked up at Ghost, feeling the sting in his soul. “It’s always the people I come to know that I hate killing. It’s like destroying a piece of my life, a piece that’s a part of me.”

  Ghost took a seat next to Castle. “I try and tell you every time not to get attached.”

  Castle responded, almost allowing a tear to fall from his eye, “You know I can’t do that.”

  “I know. If you want, we can wait for a bit. The ship can wait for us.”

  “No, we should go. You’re finally going to get those crystals you’ve always wanted. The ones that will complete those gauntlets of yours.”

  Ghost and Castle journeyed to the ship, and they left the planet behind.

  ?????

  The area was unfamiliar to the two knights, for this was the first time they’d ever been there. They stepped out of the ship and took in the surroundings, which were unimpressive. Outside of an entrance to a secured door leading into rusted rock stood Airra, the head warlord. She waited as Ghost and Castle walked down the ramp of their ship to join her. This was their first visit to this remote combination of two mostly barren planets.

  “Well done, dearies.” Airra handed Ghost the quantum-materialization crystals, also labeled “QM crystals” for short. “Two crystals, as promised. Your Brotherhood of Relics has served us so well thus far. We’ll shout your way if we have another mission for you.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to use Xan’Ohmo for?” Ghost asked.

  Airra grinned. “To give the korkyra a new home.”

  Ghost responded with a wry laugh and pulled Castle away, insinuating that he wanted to leave. Castle and Ghost faded back to their ship.

  Castle waited until they entered the ship before asking Ghost, “What’s wrong, Ghost? You have that look in your eye again.”

  Both of them took seats across from each other, and the pilot took off. From the seat across from Castle, Ghost loosened the tension in his muscles.

  “You didn’t feel that?”

  “Feel what? To what am I feeling for?” Castle jested a bit.

  Ghost brushed off Castle’s attempts at calming him down. “The off-ness. Some strangeness; some kind of discomfort I feel there.”

  “Can you tell what it is?”

  Ghost thought for a moment. “I cannot. But Castle, from here on out… let me take any more missions the Wersillian Legion may offer. I am going to try and get to the bottom of this sense I have.”

  “You sure you don’t want my unique expertise to help?”

  “It’d be too risky. Trust me on this.”

  “Fine. You can thank me later.”

  Castle raised his hands in defeat. He wasn’t happy with this. He always enjoyed working with Ghost, his childhood friend, whenever he got the chance. Now, this was threatening that. Unfortunately, there was nothing Castle could do about it.