Empyrean Iris Story Collection

Ist Surrender

The sky above was dark with ash, the fire-mounds were more active today than they had been in many years, even over the fertile belt, where the ash did not normally reach. The normally bright-blue grey sky was obscured by ash turning the sun orange, and casting the volcanic landscape into a haze of red. The slopes of dark fertile earth were covered in hundreds of layers of colorful moss reds, oranges green yellow, and blue dotted here and there by ash trees with purple leaves and rocket-cap stumps. The profile of their gas giant Nemphis was just visible through the atmosphere and sunlight, a circular crescent of light violet dominating the western horizon.

Night was coming.

The Reconciler stood poised before his troops their fledgling soldiers arrayed on the left and the veterans on the right atop a podium of obsidian with the judgement chambers rising high behind him against the sky black and imposing. The War conclave sat behind him, an array of the thirteen high generals dressed from crest to heel in their most imposing armor, war staves held high beside them.

"The alien invaders speak of peace, they speak of allies. They-speak-HERACY. They would DESTROY our way of life as we know it." The crowed below him roared in anger, "They would DESTROY US." More roaring, "WAR IS OUR ONLY OPTION!"

The crowd of novices bellowed their anger, newly crested soldiers howled with their desire for blood, and in that crowd a small figure arrayed in metallic blue armor howled her anger brandishing her weapon into the air. The body Mod on her arm still stung with pain, still oozing blood, but the weapon in her hand felt good. If she could just SEE. At only 7,6 she was too short to see over the heads of her compatriots who towered at an average of 8,6, but occasionally, she caught sight of the Reconciler and the war conclave through the breaks in line ahead of her, and there she could see where both her parents sat, arrayed in their glorious battle gear. Somewhere, on the other side of the crowd would be her brother, and his mate leading, as a commander, a thousand Drev, and this time there would be her, leading a squadron of 20 at the head of a fledgling unit.

She had fought her way to get here, and she would fight her way further.

"And with our armies, we will send the invaders, CRAWLING ON THEIR KNEES BACK TO THE SLIME FROM WHENCE THEY CAME!"

More cheering.

"Rest now, for tomorrow we War!"

"DISSMISSED!" She turned on her heels with the rest of her line walking to the left and then breaking for their homes on the fertile belt, against the obsidian hills.

Sunny waited for the Conclave to break eager to announce her promotion in the upcoming war, a squadron leader.

She saw them speaking with the Reconciler for a long moment before her brother joined them. At almost 11 feet tall with metallic red armor, he had always been one of the most desirable. Next to him stood his mate in at 10 feet white metallic armor. Drev were always challenging her to duels in hopes to unseat her from her position, she had not lost once.

Together they broke from the line, and sunny came running up saluting to them as she ground to a halt.

She was ignored.

"General," She looked at her father "General." She looked at her mother, "I got a promotion." The two glorious war generals turned to look at her interested for once, "Yes?" Her father asked.

"A squadron leader." She announced proudly.

Immediate and final dismissal, "You brother was Platoon chief at your age."

They walked away leaving her standing under a hazy orange sky.

***

"The Galactic Assembly has made their decision clear." Her platoon chief snarled, "They have made their intentions clear, and as such, we have declared war." She stood back framed by the massive stone as the soldiers stood before her, "In retaliation they have threatened to send their strongest warriors to combat us." A flickering projection appeared overplayed on the map. A grainy image, a bipedal creature like the Drev, but with only two arms, not much she could tell from there.