Monday, August 28, 2006

Assault on the Citadel of Hope

The location: The queen of the Galaxy’s Throneworld, in the throne room of the Citadel of Hope.

“We have strange readings 100 metrons South of the Citadel, Sir,” the technician announced from his terminal. “It’s some sort of rift in space, I think…”

Major Rocksun was a leader of the Queen’s elite Strikers. A man whose job was to be the Queen’s bodyguard, trusted aide, liaison and mouthpiece to Her military. Knowledgeable of all the Citadel’s equipment and personnel, he was an elite man among elite men. Still, a man such as him occasionally sees something that he has not before.

“Keep your sensors trained on that site,” the officer looked at the readings. “Find out what’s on the other side of it and who sent it.”

“Yes sir,” the technician’s hands punched up several sequences on his control panel. “I cannot tell where the source of this is. But it appears to be originating from Earth. Still, I am not certain.”

“Do you mean that backwater planet where that gladiator is from?” Rocksun asked. “Do they even have the technology available to bend space like that?”

“I don’t think so, sir,” the tech replied. “Didn’t they just invent fire? Wait! Sensors indicate the warp field is fluctuating. Something’s coming out… Dozens of somethings.”


Dozens of creatures flew through the field, followed by hundreds more. Taking few casualties, they quickly overpowered the soldiers who were first on scene.

Queen Galacta IX regally rose from her throne. “Main screen,” she commanded. Immediately, images of the intruders filled the screen, cutting a swath through the Queen’s troops.

“Pull the troops back, major,” the Queen Instructed. “I’ll not let more of My soldiers die needlessly. These interlopers want Me, let them come.”

“Yes Ma’am,” Major Rocksun was sweating. He could barely take his eyes off the screen to give the order. “All personnel, you are hereby ordered to allow the aggressors to advance. Do not engage. I say again do not engage. Fall back to safe positions and allow them access to the throne room.”

The commando drew his weapons and trained them at the sealed entryway. The technician pulled out his weapon as well.

“It was an honor serving you, Your Majesty,” Major Rocksun said emotionlessly.

“It was an honor for me as well,” the technician said nervously.

“You will not be dying today,” the Queen replied nobly and faced the door. “Get behind me, they will be here shortly.”

The reinforced door shattered into thousands of shards. A seemingly endless amount of the attackers poured through the ruined doorframe. They were instantly met with a powerful fuchsia energy. The savage beings crumbled away, screaming inhumanly as arms and legs were cleaved by the energy.

Still, more of the horde pressed forward and more of the horde was destroyed. Major Rocksun looked down at his weapon, one of the most powerful handguns available and thought of the time he felled a charging ragna’ar with it. That pistol now seemed as powerful as a pea shooter compared to the energy unleashed by the Queen’s fury.

Finally, the assault subsided. The legions who pressed on either blindly or obediently were obliterated wholesale. No more were they attacking, but the rift remained open.

“Amazing…” Major Rocksun couldn’t any other words to say. “It’s just… unbelievable.”

“The warp field is still open,” the technician said after rushing back to his station. “But there’s another opened up right next to it!”

“I have opened another portal,” the Queen explained. “Any of the creatures who come through will be redirected far away from this planet.”

“Prepare for battle!” the officer barked into a comm. “Our destination is Earth.”

“Belay that, Major,” Queen Galacta stopped him with an outstretched arm. “It would do us little good to push that planet further into chaos. We have injured and dead to attend to here.”

“But, my Queen, we cannot let a brazen attack like this go without retaliation,” Major Rocksun objected. “Whoever did this will simply attack again.”

“And she would be foolish if she did so. Gaia has the power of a planet at her disposal, but I have the power of a galaxy.”