On a distant alien world, a ship descended through the forst
canopy. When it landed, blue frog like aliens with large horse-like
ears exited the ship. "Warriors, today we fight the dangerous
beasts of this planet called K-Rakidonis." The lead alien said, his
warriors cheered with approval. "What will we be hunting Sire?" A
young alien asked. "I know not, we will go out into teams and find
things to hunt. Whoever brings back the most prey, or the largest, or
the most dangerous will win. The losers... if you're lucky you will
live." The alien leader said.
Several hours passed as the lead alien and a band of warriors
walked through a jungle clearing. "I don't understand, this
region of this planet should be lousy with dangerous wildlife for us
to test our mettle against. But it's been hours and we haven't
seen anything living!" The alien leader said in aggravation. The
relative silence of the jungle was broken by a strange noise. "Sire,
I can hear something, at least a few miles away by my reckoning."
An alien warrior said.
"I can hear it to, what is that noise?" The alien leader
asked. "Sire Y'zaar, I believe that sound is humming... of
Phoenix Rising." The alien warrior said. "Phoenix Rising? But why
would someone be humming such a sacrilegious tune?... unless... but
that's impossible. We're nowhere near the Phoenix Sector."
Y'zaar said. "Regardless of who or what it is, it's the only
prey we've found, what're your orders sire?" An alien warrior
asked.
"We find the source of the humming, and see if it's
something worth hunting." Y'zaar said, severing miles latter the
alien warriors arrived at a clearing. "Oh our prey is here, the
sound should be just beyond these leave." Y'zaar said, they
looked through the leaves and saw a starship, and a being in a cloak
sitting by a fire. Even dressed in all black, they recognized what it
was. "Human! What is a Human doing away from the Phoenix Sector?"
A warrior asked. "It matters not; we will take the primate by
surprise!" Y'zaar said as he armed his weapon.
"But Sire! That could be a Paladin Solar, we've never faced
one of their number! Besides we came here to hunt non-sentient's
not the disciples of the Esp'erians!" A younger hunter said. "We
are Ty'Urna boy! We destroyed there hated birth planet, we're
more than a match for one lone monkey!... though if it will ease your
fears nephew, then I will call for reinforcements from the others."
Y'zaar said, several hours later, the band of Ty'Urna arriving.
"This doesn't ease anything Uncle Y'zaar." Y'zaar's
nephew said. "Regardless my young Thal-nirias, men, there's a
Human in this clearing. No idea why it's here. Let us kill the
wretch!" Y'zaar said as he and a number of Ty'Urna hunter leapt
out of hiding. "I was wondering when you would come out of hiding.
I was getting bored." The Human said, the Human was dressed in
black and grey. The Human the pulled back her hood to reveal that she
had black hair, dark brown skin, and sunglasses that completely
obscured her eyes.
"You're a long ways away from the Phoenix Sector, aren't
you monkey?" Y'zaar asked. "You know, it's considered unwise
for Ty'Urna hunting parties to approach their prey from the front
like you're doing. It alerts the prey of your presence and they run
away... or such an amateurish mistakes makes you easy prey for a
predator." She said as she removed her sunglasses, her eyes closed.
"W-What is your name?" Thal-nirias asked in worry. "My name is
Andraste little boy... and you picked the wrong day for a hunting
trip." Andraste said as she opened her eyes, and they glowed a
bright golden color. "S-She is a Paladin Solar uncle!"
Thal-nirias said in shock. "Smart boy, now I have a question for
you. Are you going to run and leave me be, or are you going to do the
stupid thing and attack me?" Andraste asked.
"Whoever kills the Paladin Solar will become a hero! ALL
HUNTERS! CHARGE!" Y'zaar shouted as he and the other Ty'Urna
charged towards Andraste. "Stupid it is." Andraste said as she
pulled out a pistol. She fired several shots, each one killing a
Ty'Urna, shorting out there personal shields. "Really should have
gotten more heat clips." Andraste said to herself as she pulled out
a sword. It glowed with strange runes as she fought her foes.
"Foolish monkey! Feel the might of the Ty'Urna!" Y'zaar said
as he created a fireball in his mouth. "So you're a user of
Cosmic then?" Andraste said as she held the blade of a Ty'Urna
against her own.
Y'zaar's fireball hurtled towards her. But before it hit,
Andraste began to glow green with strange patterns. The fireball
impacted, but instead of landing on Andraste it made contact with a
strange force field. "You find a Paladin Solar, in the middle of
nowhere, so far away from the Phoenix Sector that it's not even
within ten lightyears of the Ty'Urna Line, and attack her. Never
thought I'd see the day were I'd meet the DUMBEST Ty'Urna in
the entire galaxy." Andraste said as the green marking beneath her
cloths glowed.
"T-The legends are true! Uncle we have to get out of here or
she'll kill us all!" Thal-nirias said in panic as he grabbed at
his uncles arm. "Be silent whelp! She is only one Human!" Y'zaar
said as he grabbed his nephew by the neck of his collar. "Yes...
funny thing about that." Andraste said, then without warning. A
number of Humans, dressed in a similier manner to Andraste herself.
Burst out of the jungle, catching the Ty'Urna hunters off guard and
butchering them.
"Remember the mission parameters my students! The one known
as Y'zaar lives!" Andraste said a she blasted lightning at
another Ty'Urna hunter. Eventually the hunting party was reduced to
just Y'zaar, Thal-nirias, and a handful of other Ty'Urna hunters.
"You'll never take us alive Human scum!" Y'zaar shouted in
rage. "So you don't know my reputation?" Andraste said as her
students held sword and gun alike to them.
"Y-You're the Butcher of Karag's Keep! You destroyed the
fortress and every warrior inside, over ten-thousand souls!"
Thal-nirias said in terror. "Smart kid, I almost forgot about my
first mission as a full-fledged Paladin. So are you insane or just
stupid?" Andraste said. "Silence! For generations before we
destroyed Earth, your species oppressed our people. Treating us as
vermin and slaves, keep us underneath your filthy thumbs!" Y'zaar
ranted.
"Oh shut up frog, you're lucky your needed alive."
Andraste said as she raised her hand, she then cast out a Cosmic ray
that caused Y'zaar to freeze in place. "What should be done with
the others?" A Paladin asked. "Kill the rest, except for the
little one. Don't get me wrong kid, I'm not fond of your people.
But I earnestly try not to deliberately kill infants no matter their
species, so go and leave this planet. The field we set up to force
out the fauna in this region is likely to go down in about... I'd
say a couple hours, a day at the most. So in short junior... run...
run as fast as those little webbed feet can take you." Andraste
said as she knelt down to Thal-nirias eye level.
Thal-nirias didn't think twice as he run off towards the
ship. Leaving his fellow Ty'Urna to die.
"You did well my students. We killed this Ty'Urna's
hunting party, and not only that but we managed to take Y'zaar
alive." Andraste said with pride in regards to her students. "But
what of the tadpole? We should have killed the little runt!" A
Paladin said in anger, this was promptly followed by a slap in the
face from Andraste. "Don't question your betters Kowalski! When
you have been blessed and made anew by the Esp'erians. THEN you may
decide who lives and who dies. Until then, don't question your
teacher. Am I understood Neophyte Kowalski?" Andraste said.
"Crystal clear my lady." Kowalski
said, nursing his cheek. "I don't believe you but we're on a
tight schedule. We have to leave, get this frog back to Phoenix
Throne." Andraste said as she and her Paladin students boarded her
ship, the Void Raven with the petrified Ty'Urna in tow. "Helmsman,
take us home." Andraste said to a robot, the robot obeyed as the
ship flew off of K-Rakidonis. "With all due respect, what does this
frog even know that would be worth coming here?" Kowalski asked. "I
was not told by the Esp'erians of what he could know. But they
asked that I do this, and it is the duty of all Paladins to follow
their commands. But I'm certain that he knows something worthy of
the Esp'erians knowledge." Andraste explained at length.
"We have cleared planetary orbit, engaging FTL travel and
sensor dampening software." The robot helmsman said. "It'll be
good to get home. Living in the wilderness for almost a week waiting
for this frog was exhausting. When we get back the drinks are on me!"
Andraste said as the ship went into FTL. To return to the capital of
Phoenix Throne.
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