Emerald Fusion #1

It's been nearly three months since I got an order to Infiltrate the Talmut Capitol of Alzidium; compared to my previous assignments, this is the ghetto. Outside of the palace, there's minimal infrastructure here; most of the locals resent my presence a lot. To keep my cover intact, I've had to pose as a "freelance slave" first off lemme say I will defiantly have some choice words for my higher-ups, but a Freelance Slave in Talmut Territory is a slave that can barter for jobs. As long as I bring back some currency to my host, I'm good.

The reports that the Talmut Empire was on the brink was heavily underreported. I've counted nearly 70 groups vying for power; most of them are composed of slave groups in the farthest reaches of the Empire. This won't be as simple as I originally thought; the rebellions have begun to threaten Ninjan Controlled Space, which puts pressure on me to end this insurgency before the Trigger-Happy Ninjan Armada decides to intervene. If this were any other race, that'd be ideal; however, the Ninjans are extremely xenophobic even with their elected liberal Queen; I couldn't promise they wouldn't come in and commit galactic genocide--Like they did to the Kandrosi.

Damn, what a thought. I think Kandrosi and immediately remember I have a whole husband out here in the great expanse. When I'm finished with this shithole, I'll have to go find him. This is the time they've allotted for me to bathe; despite this place being garbage, the water here always soothes my body. I sip what I believe to be Talmutian coffee listening to Frank Ocean on my ring when I can hear my hosts up in arms about something.

I don't speak Talmut, but my ring does, much to my chagrin, because that was the best part of the song. <<They're trying to steal the government!>> My ring translates, which forces me from my bath with a robe wrapped around myself to see what the commotion is.

The two hosts are irate; I can only tell because they are gesturing with their hands. Which apparently is against Talmut customs. "What's going on?" I ask. They turn and eye each other, almost hesitant. They still haven't figured me out; the first time I spoke, they tried to beat me TUH; I kicked both of their asses without my ring. Once they allowed me to work freely and saw I complied without all the beatings, they pretty much left me alone.

<<Our king has been killed. In his absence, his sister Zamara is trying to take control of the Empire!>> The Male Talmut hissed, pointing in the direction of the television. This is news; I don't believe anyone knew the Talmut King had a sister.

In the Raygor System, she'd staged a coupe consolidated power and declared war on the shattered Talmut Empire. According to my orders, she was probably the person I needed to eliminate, but in doing so, that'd do nothing to stop the other 69 factions vying for power.

"What's so wrong with her taking power after her brother?" I ask them, and I'm pretty sure they said some racist shit, but the woman Talmut cared enough to answer. <<She is a Woman!>>

Hmph, the idea of letting the Ninjans take these people over crosses my mind, but I need to reassess my orders. I throw my hands up in surrender before retreating to my own quarters for a mission update.

Paladin's Log:

Since being assigned to Alzidium, I've learned the existence of nearly 70 Rebellion Groups. To topple one in favor of another is not viable in this situation. I'm requesting approval to meet with the leader of the Raygor Rebellion, she may be the continuity we need to stabilize the Talmut Empire. The Ninjan Empire will elect a new queen in 4 months, if we don't stabilize the Talmut Empire by then I truly believe they will wipe these people out.

((Permission Granted))

I try to stifle my excitement; asking the ring for things was like getting judged by Gordon Ramsay, scary shit. Once the emerald glow shines, I know I can act on my thoughts. Slipping the ring on my finger, my body surges in a flash of Emerald energy. I'm so thankful because this slave stuff is for the birds. The moment my room door swings open, I plow past the Talmut male in a flash of emerald light.

Raygor System, Odo- Talmut Empire

From the moment I land, I know this was a horrible idea. Bodies line the streets; from how each is positioned, I can tell this was systematic. The Zamara regime was already on my bad side. Men, Women, and Children slaughtered for whatever reason. If I had to guess, they were political opponents--but the children, though?

I can barely stand the smell. Some of these bodies have been here for weeks. I pull my ring up to renege on my earlier sentiments when I hear chanting in the distance. Lowering my output's brightness, I catch the bitch herself, giving a rally to a large assortment of beings.

I say beings because it's not just Talmuts here. I recognize Ninjans, Talabethians, Threshians, Crattians, and Eteldians in the mix. 'You wanna translate, or do you expect me to learn Talmut right here and now?' I ask for the ring.

<<The Birth of our Federation Starts now. With all of us together, we will cleanse the Talmut Empire of the failure my brother soiled us with. We will forge a Better, Stronger Talmut Federation>>

Yeah, I'm taking my vote back. 'Ring, what information can you find on Zamara?'

<<Very little, she was the firstborn child of King Talmut I but was discarded because she was a woman. That's all I can find on her>> 'Eh, I'm not saying what she's doing is right. But I understand.'

Now I think letting the Ninjans invade would be the best option; we can at least guilt them into giving minimal basic rights. It sucks to say, but I'm glad civil rights violations aren't just an Earth thing. It seems the only viable option is an extreme one placing Alzidium under Paladin Rule until we establish some sort of leadership. That's a problem for a couple of reasons, one that would require us to establish some sort of known command amongst ourselves which we don't really have.

Two, It won't look good to our sister corp. We're more of the fly in and kick your ass type, they're more of the kick your ass and then send you before a judge type. Though we operate separately from each other, we try not to step on each other's toes. I somehow think seizing control of an entire race would be like "A-Town" stomping someone's Jordan 12's.

I'm so caught up in my own thoughts I forget there's a Ninjan in the crowd, extremely good hearing. She descends upon me as most Ninjans do trying to take me down with brute force. I quickfire my ring to stunning her, before constructing a fly swatter and knocking the chick out of my face.

We're not quiet. That small scuffle drew the attention of the crowd; before I can construct an emerald armor around myself a red beam of energy hits me in the chest.

At first, the plasmablast stings, then I realize it's not energy at all it's blood. 'Did this chick just throw up blood on me?!'

She says flying over to my locale with the carcasses of two Emerald Knights levitating behind her. 'Definitely not voting for her!'

I can make out the Red Power ring on her finger. Funny enough I was warned about Yellow Sentinels in the area, I would be the lucky one to run into a Red Sentinel. Well, I guess technically they ran into her first.

"Let's be smart about this. You think it won't be sus if three Paladins go missing in the same system?" I ask, but she doesn't seem to care. Activating a stress beacon on my ring, I construct a freight train to free myself from the circle they built around me, but this bitch had the nerve to create a tunnel.

That'd be funny if she wasn't trying to kill me.

TBC

Your making me want to play a Paladin now. ~_^

Great stuff, Shanana! :)

Thank you! It's a lonely job lol

I love the art. Lowkey started reading the title just because of the art.

I really love it. I need to take those scans and add them to her gallery.

This is book material and reads like there's so much more going on behind the words we got

IDK about all that, but thank you!

@shatoya_jasper:

✦✦ Raygor System, Odo, Talmut Empire ✦✦

Neither stars nor jewels glowed brighter than the light of power. It tunneled into the eye, reaching the heart and enticing the soul. And across the stretches of the Talmut Empire, no soul was more enticed than Zamara's. Behind a façade of political rebellion, she lurked as the new face of an unborn authority, masking her atrocities as necessary evils to crush those who opposed her revolution. And on Odo, where the foul stench of bloated corpses filled the torn streets, Zamara stood before a crowd of cosmic citizens, swaying their hearts with her revolutionary zeal.

Her followers stood to attention, beaming as she promised to turn servants without hope into rebels with a cause. Yet as they felt the light of her words warm their skin, their eyes narrowed at a distant figure soaring through the sky, for it was not Zamara's light that caressed their faces - but the 9th Wonder's.

Gliding down the heavens, his sapphire cape billowing through the air as it spread wide like an angel's wings, Orion - son of Thee Champion - swept into sight with a voice strong and thundering, "You're all being duped into swapping one tyrant for another", he declared, his silver eyes aglow with a righteous flame, his spirit touched by a will that would neither bow nor break, "Into turning your wives into widows, your husbands into widowers, your mothers and fathers into those cursed to outlive their own children - all because you're ready to die for someone who would never do the same for you".

"Because she's not willing to die for you", Orion challenged, holding Zamara's gaze with neither fear nor respect, "Only rule above you".

Hovering as the crowd stirred from the words he'd lanced into their hearts, he flicked his eyes from Zamara to sight the emerald glow of a train flashing through a crimson tunnel.

"Let's be smart about this. You think it won't be sus if three Paladins go missing in the same system?"

"You should listen to her. Be smart, and don't make this any worse on yourself than it already is".

@9th-wonder:

How the heck did this Zamara become a Red Sentinel? She fires a bunch of spear-like constructs at me, I counter with a wall. If It's one thing, I'm not short of its imagination.

Oddly enough, the presence of a newcomer distracted both of us, but I catch her looking a bit too long. Pushing my ring forward, I knock her blue ass to oblivion with an emerald boxing glove.

"Who the heck are you?" I say I don't mean to sound irritated. It's just that I would definitely have developed a more cohesive approach plan if I knew someone else was here. My attention is snagged too long, and now the Ninjan has me on the defensive--I'm not too fond of Ninjans.

They have this alpha personality; imagine me being scared of a bitch who can't bathe. She strikes ferociously and fast. I'm using my ring to cast a shield over every strike. She rears back to strike again, and I use a large chunk of my ring to blind her with an emerald flash before kneeing her in the face.

Zamara's back now, and as my ring drops to about 41%, I require assistance if I want at least be able to fly back to Alzidium. "You care enough to lend a hand, good sir?" I say feigning a British accent; I think it's British could be Australian.

I have to deal with the Ninjan First; I pull my hands forward before spearing her into a nearby rock formation. That won't hold her. As I glance up into the sky Zamara has summoned some sort of Red Sentinel Reign Fire. Arrows of rage-filled blood spears fall from the sky. I force my hands up into the air crafting a hedge to shield myself but force my ring to it's limits to protect the unknown man too. <<Ring at 21%>> Shit.

@shatoya_jasper:

"Who the heck are you?"

"An ally", Orion answered, bounding through the clouds as Zamara cast a red wave of spears to lance down the sky above. Piercing through the air like a thunderbolt, the 9th Wonder drew his fist back, felt the thrum of hyper-dimensional energies thundering in his core, and cracked the heavens with a blow. A shock-wave stormed through the sky, shattering the spears into shards of glimmering red as the atmosphere shrieked in protest.

Yet as the Emerald Knight echoed a plea pitched to his ears, Orion dragged his silver gaze back to the battle below, his mind racing to a solution that would endanger no one but Zamara.

While the Paladin raised a hedge radiant and strong in defense of herself, the 9th Wonder roared a command to fill her ears like a thunderstorm, "Raise a dome around yourself!".

Orion would say no more, drawing the air into his lungs until the wind flowing around Zamara sped and spiraled into a ravenous vortex, a gale force swirling to sweep the Red Sentinel into the sky towards the path of a bludgeon harder than adamantine and mightier than Thor's hammer - the 9th Wonder's fist.

@9th-wonder:

"Raise a dome around yourself!".

He calls out, and at first, I question the necessity of it all, but once he begins to inhale, I can feel the energy being sucked from the area around us. Making a fist, my ring shines again, fixing me with a beautiful emerald orb shield that protects me from the typhoon and the recoiling shockwave from his fist.

I can see what appears to be a Crimson Sentinel Shield in the distance, Zamara has undoubtedly attempted to shield herself, but within seconds it's gone. She's gone. But not dead. I can still sense her ring. The Ninjan Leaps back up, and I'm already tired of her shit. "Requesting Lethal Force" <<Authorized>> I don't even know why I ask anymore. Lethal Force is always authorized. I cant back just a little bit and unlesh the full power of my ring. Ninjans have ridiculous tough skin, but not too tough for the full-power of my ring.

As the beam descends upon her, I can't tell the difference between my Ring's emerald particles or her emerald flesh popping from her bones. It's gruesome. But Killing was one of those things I wish I didn't have to do. "<<Ring at 7%>> Aww damn. Imma need to charge. Thankfully it looks as if the chaotic crowd has turned and ran off. "What brings you to this pisspoor planet?" I ask nearly gagging on the fresh smell of roasted Ninjan.

@shatoya_jasper:

As fate turned the tide of the Ninjan's fortune, their foe was felled by the combined efforts of the Emerald Knight and the 9th Wonder. The vast energies trapped within the Paladin's ring were unlocked, and a beam of emerald fury was unleashed, swallowing the Ninjan whole and burning the flesh off her bones. The hideous stench of scorched viscera hung in the air, climbing into the sky alongside the smoke spiraling from their foe's burnt corpse. Descending from the clouds, Orion passed his eyes over the street. The crowd had vanished, leaving a cosmic enforcer to meet eyes with the demigod come to her aid.

"What brings you to this pisspoor planet?"

"Likely the same thing that brought you here", he answered, a flash of noble charm riding his smile, his moonlight eyes wrapping hers in a gaze of molten silver, "The dangers of political rebellion, people being led astray, general Talmut nonsense", Orion paused, landing on the lonely street, "Unfortunately, others were here before us", he frowned, flicking his eyes towards the mangled corpses of the two Paladins torn apart by a foe beyond their mettle, "We should bury them, but not here. Not on Odo, or anywhere in the Talmut Empire for that matter. I didn't know them", he admitted, his cape fluttering as he drifted towards the Paladin's fallen colleagues.

"But we more or less fight for the same thing, and I respect that. Do you know their names?", Orion asked, dragging his gaze back to hers with a returning smile, "And while we're on that, do you know yours?", he joked, "Mine's Orion".

@9th-wonder:

"Shatoya," I say, making my way over to his location. With only 7% left, my ring enters a "sleep" mode, which won't allow me to use it unless I'm in trouble. I don't understand why being stranded on a hostile alien planet isn't considered "trouble," but whatever.

Orion has an aura about him. It's like that one guy who was married to that one woman. Damn, what was his name? Thee Champion! That's it. It feels like I'm talking to Thee Champion, but of course, I mean, he could be like that one douchebag from that one television show...what was HIS name--Oh, that's right, Homelander. "We wear the same uniform, but togetherness isn't really what we're about," I say, shrugging my shoulders when asked if I knew their names. Us Paladins can go an entire career without seeing another Knight. So far, I've met Legendary Knight Emerald Drake and these two dead wackos.

"But you're right they shouldn't be buried here on Odo. Let me see if I can get some form of identification." I bend down to access their paladin's logs, but I'm denied. "That's no good," I say, shaking my head. "The fact that I can't access their logs suggest they outrank me." That's not good at all; two senior member Paladins should've been strong enough to take down Zamara. The fact that they couldn't tell me I would've been the 3rd of Orion hadn't shown up.

"Ring, contact Emerald. Let her know I'm almost out of juice. I need to access the logs of Knight 888 and Knight 781" As my ring begins its transmission, I turn my direction back to my savior. "Here's what I know. The Talmut Empire is nearing complete collapse; there are almost 70 insurgencies throughout the Talmut Systems. Originally I was here to choose a candidate that would instill some form of peace, but Zamara isn't it."

I report trying to give him the full scope of my mission, I'm not supposed to, but I'm also not ending up like 888 and 781 either. I'm trying to go the eff home. "I'm on a time crunch. You may or may not know. The Ninjan Empire and the Talmuts hate each other. This is some intergalactic bloods and crips shit. The Ninjans are expected to elect a new Queen soon. Coincidentally the restrictions placed on the Ninjans will expire soon. They will be able to expand again. Do you catch the Hitler vibes I'm throwing out there?"

"I can't choose the next Talmut leader if there are 70 potential candidates. I also can't assassinate a bad leader if there are 70 potential candidates."

<<Incoming transmission from Emerald Canary. Access granted>>

I know if most of the other Knights knew I had a direct line to Emerald, they'd be pissed. I first absorb the remaining charge from their rings. It feels shitty, but they won't need it. "Looks like both of them arrived within weeks of each other. They had the same mission. Shared my concerns." I move away from them trying to think. What about creating a new hero among the Talmuts? They don't really strike me as a people with...you know...heroes.

"Alright I need your help.I don't know what to do.

I need to revist this character

Fun read