November 8, 2111– November 11, 2111

  Dro’Zer

  The search was on, and the time was now. High above the floating city, Garatopia, the warlords’ Hauler hovered. Dro’Zer gazed below at the beautiful sight. Many kilometers above the planet’s surface was the enormous chunk of land; like an asteroid was somehow floating without moving. In the center of the heap of land was a city surrounded by a lake. Around the lake was a stretch of mountains reaching far into the distance. The lake’s water rushed into rivers, which turned into waterfalls that washed down the floating rock. A breathtaking cloud of mist floated around the waterfalls.

  “Drive the Hauler back to our star cruiser outside this planet as soon as we jump,” Airra commanded the pilot before leaping out of the hovering Hauler. Dro’Zer gave himself a running start and jumped.

  The wind shrieked in Dro’Zer’s ears as he accelerated faster and faster. Water layered his body as he passed through the clouds. The floating city, Garatopia, grew in detail as he neared the city. Buildings stacked onto other buildings created the illusion of a maze. The city streets were decorated with class. Flowers aligned the tops of the skyscrapers. Waves of water splashed at the rock edges just outside the city’s borders.

  Airra formed a bark ball over her body and bounced against the streets before landing. Dro’Zer landed second and absorbed all the kinetic energy against him. The jenjarian citizens fled in fear. The warlords’ markings told the citizens they were part of the Wersillian Legion - an alliance that had gained more than a bad reputation across the stars. Dro’Zer was informed that the jenjarian people began colonizing this recently discovered inhabitable world. The city, Garatopia, was the first and only city built on this planet thus far.

  Twenty korkyran warriors were assigned to meet with the warlords. Dro’Zer pulled up the coordinates of his brethren’s ship. “Airra, they are a few hundred meters this way.” Dro’Zer pointed to the right. “Their ship is close to the entrance of the city.”

  “Lead the way, dear.”

  She followed as he led. By now the narrow, decorated streets were cleared of all civilians. An aroma of fear now surrounded the newly developed city.

  Within a few minutes, they arrived at the ship and were welcomed by the twenty korkyran warriors. They were in conversation under the shade of their Jumper dropship, ready to get to work. Armed with a standard set of kinetic-point woven armor and chainmail, they wore the best armor the korkyran military had to offer. Each shoulder plate worn by the warriors had the korkyran emblem engraved on them. Strapped over their backs were standard magnetically accelerated weapons of various classes, also known as pulse weaponry. Contrary to the norm, these pulse weapons weren’t made from a substandard metal. No, they were special; each one a living biological creature genetically created to fire only with a korkyran touch.

  One warrior spotted Dro’Zer, their chieftain. “Welcome, Dro’Zer. It’s been a long time, my king.”

  “Save the ‘king’ talk. It is chieftain now, my brother.” The soldier wasn’t actually Dro’Zer’s biological brother, but their bond as warriors was just as intense. “The Wersillian Legion has kept me afar to reel me in to their big picture goals.”

  “Of course, Chieftain.”

  “Status report,” Dro’Zer asked in a wise, kind tone.

  “We already sent our guardian drones to graph the city’s sectors onto a map. We found no hostiles thus far.”

  “Have you found the key?” Airra asked.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Imbeciles! Do I have to be here to oversee everything?”

  “Sorry, ma’am… each of us truly is.”

  “Not accepted! We will do this sector by sector. Nobody leaves this planet until we find the key!”

  Dro’Zer shook his head in disapproval at Airra’s methods, but she paid no attention to him. The warriors hurried off from their spots and began searching the first sector.

  ?????

  Under the shadow of the Jumper dropship, the korkyras struggled to stay cool in the harsh heat. It was one of their many breaks from the search. Most were lying down, with coolant pads all over their pelts. The boiling sun’s rays exhausted their energy away, and even the ship couldn’t protect them all from the blistering gusts of wind. During their time searching for the key, these warriors quickly realized how unbearable this planet was for them. As time passed, jenjarian citizens grew more curious of the presence of Wersillians in their city. Some would sneak the occasional peek from the comfort of their skyscrapers, always fearful and meticulous.

  Out in the heat, Dro’Zer perched himself near Airra. She studied the map of the city with frustration. Dro’Zer, though, let the soft breath of peace keep him calm. He was far more comfortable in the heat than the rest of the korkyra. To adapt, he simply absorbed the heat energy to keep himself cool.

  “These temperatures are far too hot for a korkyra,” one of the warriors complained as he joined the warlords.

  Airra answered before Dro’Zer. “When we find the Quondam Key, we will leave.” Of course, the warriors weren’t too happy about this, but they hid their disappointment from Airra. Unfortunately for the korkyras, Airra intensified her agitation every day the key went unfound. Dro’Zer could see the insanity of Airra’s desire for the object. He couldn’t understand why she wanted to find it as fast as possible, for Dro’Zer believed they could take all the time they needed. He saw no need to rush, besides for the sake of his fellow brethren.

  Dro’Zer’s cyberwatch blinked red. It singled it was time for his troops to get back to work. “It’s time, brethren,” Dro’Zer called over to the warriors. Begrudgingly, they dragged their feet out of the shade, setting their coolant pads back in the ship to recool.

  The leader of the searches walked up to Dro’Zer. “What region would you like us to search next?”

  Airra answered before Dro’Zer could say anything. “The guhur region.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He hid his disgust from her.

  “And don’t forget to check everywhere: Buildings; streets; parks; everywhere.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Before he walked off, the warrior crouched down to Dro’Zer and whispered in his ear, “We won’t allow her to treat us like labor-slaves much longer.”

  Dro’Zer sighed. “She is the head warlord. That won’t change.”

  “She treats us with zero respect! That’s not within our customs!” the korkyra hissed under his breath.

  “Keep it down. She is right there.” Dro’Zer used his eyes to signal at Airra, who was a few meters away. “I am aware. If you find the urge to make a scene, I will back you. For now, do as she asks.”

  “We’ll make her understand we command respect and won’t settle for less.”

  “What are you two whispering about?” Airra gazed over at them.

  “Just personal matters,” Dro’Zer formed up a lie intuitively.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Enough with it. Get back to searching!” she commanded the warrior. Before heading off, he gave Dro’Zer a look - a look that told Dro’Zer he was fed up.

  Airra waited until the korkyra left their presence. “So I don’t show enough respect, hmm?”

  “Wha-what?” Dro’Zer stuttered and stumbled back as he realized Airra had heard his whole conversation.

  “I have good ears. Now, would you like to confront me or not?”

  Dro’Zer took a deep breath and thought carefully about his words before starting. “Airra, see here--” Airra turned her body to him, giving him her full attention. “Korkyras are a proud species. What makes us outstanding warriors isn’t simply our physical attributes, it’s the fire we light in each other. We are one cohesive unit on and off the battlefield.”

  “Why attach yourself? Why put yourself in that weak position?”

  “That is our society, Airra. Korkyras share everything: Responsibility; virtues; jobs. We value the virtue and well-being of our society over ourselves. As one of our two chieftains, I must uphold our traditional ways - uphold the vision we created to make sure we never destroy ourselves again. We fight as one, live as one, and grow as one.”

  “And you die as one,” Airra insinuated.

  “If it comes to that.”

  “Senseless!” Airra’s voice was harsh, her expression bilious.

  “Why? Because we dared to craft our own path? Our own lives?”

  “Rarhaha-haha, no. Choosing to fight together is weak! An army is strong only with harsh, ruthless leaders… leaders willing to break any moral upholding, stomp on all rules, and step into madness to destroy their enemies.”

  “We can’t just ignore everything we stand for!” Dro’Zer chided.

  “Of course you can! Nothing is out of the question in war. Sometimes you must sacrifice everything you are to save everything you stand for… despite how dumb your standards may be in the first place,” Airra took a gratuitous shot at korkyran customs.

  “Until the end of the war, when you have to live with everything you’ve done,” Dro’Zer retorted.

  “Then your species is weak! If korkyras don’t have the mental strength to fight the dirty fight, then why are you even here?”

  Dro’Zer stood up, offended. “Our species has a far superior mental strength than any dytirc could ever achieve! The moment you treat my warriors the way each of them desires to be treated is the moment you will have the strongest army at your command!”

  Airra didn’t take his aggressiveness lightly. She jumped up and stomped over until she stood centimeters in front of him. In her rage, she grew her body until she was at Dro’Zer’s height. “Who rescued who, hmm? I will lead in the best damn way I see fit!” Dro’Zer stepped back. He gave her half a grin and breezed off for some air. Airra was left alone.

  The high noon sun was a snack of energy for Dro’Zer as he roamed through the streets. Jenjarian citizens veered out of his way as he walked into their path. Terrorized, these colonists wanted nothing to do with this intimidating being.

  After strolling for some time, Dro’Zer ventured into a miniature Nature Park along the outskirts of the city. At the edge of the park full of wild plants and trees, he spotted the perfect spot. In front of him, he came upon a beautiful pond with a walkway down the middle. Dro’Zer took a seat on the walkway’s edge, with his feet half in the pond. His thick but short white pelt swished around with the current. In the clear water, bite-sized amphibians swam around Dro’Zer’s huge legs as he watched, trying to settle down. His mind refused, and he could think only about his argument with Airra.

  “Who does that stubborn bitch think she is?” Dro’Zer sneered to himself.

  Dro’Zer. I feel your anger. It is especially ripe right now. Mara’Sane, his bar’won, entered Dro’Zer’s thoughts.

  “Umm, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  Dro’Zer. We don’t hide things from one another, her response echoed in his mind as clear as if she were right next to him.

  “Yes, you’re right. I just… I just feel defeated, I guess.”

  Defeated? But you fight through any hardship.

  “And I’m trying to. I just don’t see what the right answer is. On the one hand, Airra has shown success in leading armies before. But on the other hand, her ideology on how to lead our brethren isn’t at all in line with our tactics.”

  First the weapons, and now this, Mara’Sane grumbled.

  When Dro’Zer first began to negotiate the terms of the korkyras’ participation in the Wersillian War, weapons were one of the first things that came up. Korkyran technology far surpasses anything the lycargans or dytircs have invented, but it came with a catch. In the Final War, the name of the war that nearly annihilated the korkyran species, a scientist developed biological weaponry. With such advanced weapons came advanced precautions. The biological weapons were encoded to allow only korkyras to operate them. At the slightest touch of any other species, the biological weapons would dissolve themselves in acid. Every new weapon is reproduced with eggs. To encode dytirc or lycargan DNA into the weapons would require a complete recreation of the original specimens used to make the weapons - a task impossible due to the lost designs as a result of the Final War. Of course, Airra didn’t take this news flippantly. She made a massive scene over it, but eventually she saw reason. They later came to an agreement to allow the korkyras to improve the Wersillian Legions’ current technology to the best of their ability.

  “Yes. Your favorite person in the world,” Dro’Zer joked sarcastically. The enmity between Mara’Sane and Airra was well-known throughout the Wersillian Legion.

  What’s the saying? Give the woman a match and she’ll be warm for an hour.

  “You might be right. Maybe we gave her too much leverage over us.”

  That is why the match was never my choice. I’d just prefer to light her on fire and she’ll be warm forever. I should’ve just killed the bitch when I first met her.

  Mara’Sane’s dark humor was nothing new to him. She was edgy and twisted in the head by nature, but though her responses came short and tame at the moment, she had a darkness in her. She had a form of dissociative identity disorder, and the one constant that kept her darkness locked in her head was Dro’Zer.

  “Somehow, I don’t think killing her is the logical step to take,” Dro’Zer responded sarcastically.

  Then do what you do. Compromise with her. Find some common ground.

  “Were it so easy. She isn’t the most reasonable individual in the galaxy.”

  Every person has their faults. Then again, anyone can bring a smile to one’s face if you simply push them down some stairs.

  “Yeah. You’re not really helping.” Dro’Zer chuckled.

  Well, I was never really good with people. But you are. Use that.

  “I’ll have to think on it. In the meantime, how has settling onto our species’ new planet been going?” Per the agreement with the korkyran species and Wersillian Legion, they’d had a year to settle in.

  As well as possible with me in charge. In fact, we have built our first community.

  “That news brings nothing but joy to my heart. But the enlisted… have they already headed out?”

  Indeed. Our first group of warriors has joined the legion’s ranks.

  “May they all fight with strength and heart.”

  They will. They are of korkyran blood, after all.

  “I have one more request to make.”

  Mara’Sane was silent as she waited for Dro’Zer’s request.

  “Since our species has been together, alone, adrift in space, we have grown as a brethren. And we need to keep on that path if we are to survive. A king and queen only place us above them when we should be on the same footing. It is a system that needs to be let go. You and I must be the chieftains, like from our ancient past. For we need to operate as leaders of a pack instead of monarchs. Therefore, my last order as outgoing king must be to bring back these ways of old. What are your thoughts on this matter, fellow chieftain?”

  I agree, and it will be done. Mara’Sane was as short and to the point as ever.

  “I can only hope--”

  Dro’Zer cut off his train of thought as he heard a creak in the sky, and he gazed up to catch the four enemy dropships entering the atmosphere from slip space. All four ships screamed overhead as they headed for the bridge to the city.

  “Damnit!” He kicked the water and stood up.

  What happened?

  “Enemies! I have to go.”

  Of course. Mara’Sane’s mind left his.

  “Dro’Zer, ARW inbound! They must have tracked the key,” Airra announced over his cyberwatch.

  Dro’Zer sprinted back to the Jumper and joined all his brethren and Airra. They were already back from their search.

  “What is our plan?” one warrior asked Dro’Zer as he approached.

  “I wan--” Airra began.

  Dro’Zer cut her off. “Post five men with guardian drones and automatic pulse rifles at the bridge. The enemy landed there. Be ready for anything. As for everyone else… continue your search for the key.”

  “No! Nobody does anything until the order comes out of my mouth.” Airra doubled in size with a massive burst of anger, baring her teeth and extending thorns from her fingers!

  The korkyran warriors gathered around Dro’Zer’s side, standing their ground against Airra. “With all due respect, ma’am, we will not follow blind disrespect anymore, no matter what deal Dro’Zer and Mara’Sane made with the Wersillian Legion,” one warrior stated.

  “They are my men, and they trust me. Give them the respect they desire, and you will like the results,” Dro’Zer insisted.

  Airra suddenly switched from anger to restraint, almost like she jumped out of a stage performance. “I already like what I’m seeing. It is high time you all stood up for yourselves.”

  Dro’Zer stared at her face as if she were picking her nose. “What?”

  “Dear, I was testing you and your species.”

  “For what?”

  “To see just how different you truly are from dytircs and lycargans. They are more willing to follow power blindly, but korkyras have power with - I can’t believe I’m saying this - brotherhood.”

  “So what? What happens now?”

  “Despite me not liking your methods, I predicted it. Your species isn’t cut out to fight under orders like the vast majority of dytircs and lycargans. Your species will instead command platoons in groups of two, leading dytircs and lycargans as they please. Welcome to the new Wersillian Legion, warriors! Today marks the day we change the tide of this war!”

  Dro’Zer was shocked. His jaw practically fell so far, it could have hit the street. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Dear, I don’t care what you say.”

  Dro’Zer gripped her hand and shook it. “Thanks. We appreciate the honor. Truly, we do.” There was a resounding cheer of acceptance among the korkyras.

  “I’m not the one to thank. I couldn’t have cared less what was to be of your species.”

  “But you didn’t give up on me. Now… would you care to join me at the bridge?”

  Airra’s lips spread into a smile, and she began to laugh. “Dear, are you really asking that question?” Without another word, they jogged to the bridge to face the ARW opposition.