December 31, 2111
Airra
Blood covered Airra like clothes. Crazed eyes, vines extending off her fingers into daggers, Airra and her clones ran face first into a unit of ARW soldiers. She dug her hands into the warm guts of the first soldier she reached, slashing him apart like a savage beast. Her clones followed her actions, and she could feel the soldiers all dying before her might, almost at once. The pain they felt was a drug she used to get high.
From sandstone tower to tower, she attacked whatever ARW soldier stood in her way. And they never stood in the way for long.
On the great mining planet of Laloth, at the edge of the Parth System, Airra led a great battle to claim dominance over this planet. The species of laburtles, ARW supporters, would soon submit to the Wersillian Legion. Cowardice was a common trait among inhabitants in the Parth System. Not the laburtles; they were brave enough to ally with the ARW. But they were right on the edge, almost in the Ju-Sana System. A place this far away from ARW territory was proving very hard for the ARW to aid. That didn't mean this was an easy victory. No, Airra would have to fight for it. Their ground-to-space weaponry was giving the legion's starships trouble, and their military might was not something to take lightly. But that was one reason she wanted them for her legion.
From the balcony of a sand tower, Airra saw another one of the ARW's machines blasting away her allies, sending bodies flying in the streets. It was some dor'o design, bipedal, walker-like vehicle. But that only made the fun that much greater.
Airra leaped from the balcony as the machine neared her tower and caught herself on the top. She started jabbing vines into the machine, creating holes and sparks. After enough damage, the machine started to fall to the ground, and she leaped away leaving it to explode in the sand.
She caught the eye of a korkyran warchief coming in her direction. Keeping low and maneuvering through a storm of weapons fire and explosions, he made it to Airra. This desert biome surely must've been hard for the korkyran species. Probably why there were so few engaged in the attack on this planet.
"We managed to capture an ARW captain alive," he informed her.
"Take me there at once," she jeered.
The korkyran warchief led her half a kilometer to a large sand tower. They entered what looked to be a reception area of sorts. Lined in front of a desk on their knees were six ARW soldiers, one likely being the captain. Three dor'o, a qwayk, and two humans. A few of her allied soldiers surrounded them, with weapons pointed.
Airra stood in front of the soldiers. Some were beaten and battered already, and one had an open, active wound on his arm. She caught wide eyes and looks of horror from each of them. This would surely give her some enjoyment.
"Who's the captain?" she asked.
One of the soldiers, one right in the middle, looked up at her question. He faced her eyes with a brave mask, hiding the fear he surely felt before her. "I'm Captain Francisco Reyes, of the 00942 Commandos."
Airra grinned at him for a few seconds of silence.
He gulped. "If I may… might I suggest using us as bargaining chips? The ARW has war prisoners that may be of interest to you. You could trade us for them. Or… maybe a peaceful end to this battle could come of it."
Airra knew the moment he opened his mouth, he was trying to convince her to spare their lives. It was obvious. While the Wersillian Legion did take prisoners sometimes, Airra was not in that sort of mood.
Airra moved to the human just to the left of Captain Reyes and speared him in the heart with her bare hand. Her eyes were locked with Reyes's the entire time.
"Christ, woman! What are you doing?!" he shouted out of shock and fear. "You could've used him for your own advantage. Have you no logic?"
"Logic's overrated." Airra had a taste for moments like these. Often, she found herself giving in to her emotions rather than choosing the logical choice. Screw bargaining chips when killing these helpless bags of flesh felt so satisfying to her. "Killing is just so much more fun. Feeling him die just now brought me more pleasure than you could possibly imagine." She sighed a breath of ecstasy.
"You're insane!" Reyes protested.
She pulled her hand out of the human and stood in front of Reyes. "Do you want to know why I wear this jacket?" Airra gave a quick pull on it to show. She, of course, was proud of this piece of cloth - a short-sleeved, long white jacket that covered the rest of her attire and closed in the front by a thin, orange rope. Her jacket was decorated with gold, flame-like motifs on the edges, with the dytirc word for "indomitable" written vertically down its back. All choices she made when she had it custom designed for her and it was made to last, though she had spares if this one were damaged.
He was silent, unsure of what to say or why she had asked in the first place.
Airra took a knee next to Reyes and put her hand over his shoulder, staring into his fearful face. She started her story using hesitant, breathy words. "My… dear dad… he had an obsession over power. Life and everything in it was… something to control. I was no different - a tool to him. One that he shaped into a weapon. One night, he came below our home with a look in his eye I will never forget; they were unflinching and relentless, and I could feel them burning a hole in me. He took off my chains… and he handed me a knife. He looked at me with a smile on his face, his eyes still on me, and told me: I brought your mother here. Take this knife upstairs and show me you are mine… show me by opening her neck over the blade. The moment came when my eyes and hers was locked, my own mom. I had all the power, but never had I felt so powerless in my life. That was the moment I told myself nobody would ever hold dominance over me again."
"Is that why you're doing this? To fill some sick need to feel powerful?"
"That's one perspective. Then again, my motivation was never completely about having fun. The Wersillian Legion has a greater purpose, and I must do my part."
"What purpose? What could justify killing and conquering so many?" Reyes begged for an answer.
"Peace, of course."
He stared in shock, clueless as to what she meant. Airra didn't give him time to think. She slaughtered him, then the rest of the soldiers before her, taking great satisfaction in her actions.
The korkyran warchief was disturbed. "Was that necessary? It was already over for them. We had them as prisoners."
"It's never over until every last one is defeated," she countered.
"They were on their knees. How much more defeated could they get?"
Airra grinned with joy. "They were still breathing, weren't they? Now they aren't. Sounds pretty defeated to me."
The korkyra was uncomfortable with her response and tone. But he gave no more mention of the matter. He left her to rejoin the fighting.
Her intercom started to beep. She looked to see that Yalfari was contacting her. "I better hear good news, for your sake. Tell me you have the location of the final Quondam Key," Airra barked.
"I know the location is near the Inner Core in the Enchanted System. The planet doesn't appear to be on our official maps."
"Is that why it has taken so long to find the key?"
"No. Whoever holds it is not what they appear to be. The individual is almost as hard to get a read on as your stepfather is and proves to be highly resistant to my ability."
"Do you know exactly where this unknown planet is located?"
"No. But, if you take me with you, I have every confidence I will be able to show it to you."
"Fine. No time to waste." Airra signaled to a nearby dytirc Ultra to come to her and she waited as he rushed over. "Call off the attack. We have something more important to do."
"Yes, honorable warlord." He bowed in submission before he went off another way.
Airra let out a sigh of disappointment. As much as she wanted to see this battle through, it would have to wait. Even though she was winning, the Quondam Keys took precedent - stepfather's orders. The laburtles get off lucky today.