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Fantasy Science Fiction

(2/3 chapter one)


The sarsh dropped his hand into the bag in his hand, but stopped when he saw the terror in the rebel’s eyes. “Let us go in peace.” Artemis said, realizing what the sarsh held. “please, spare our lives. Just this once.” Artemis expected no mercy from the heartless creatures, but the detonator slipped from the leader's hand and it rolled away on the dusty ground.

The sarsh called to his men to him, they had dispersed and were awaiting further orders. Confused, they all gathering behind him. “What is going on?” One man demanded. He was older than the rest, a year older than Rune, but of lower rank. Rune shook his head, feeling shaken inside. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“We haven’t even done what the admiral sent us to do," the older sarsh protested. "let’s get it over with.”

Rune shook his head again, his purple eyes locked with the rebel’s in front of him. “No.”

Instantly, there was a burst of angry comments from Rune’s troops. He rounded on them. “I am your commanding officer and I say we are leaving now.” The sarsh who had protested earlier stepped up into his face. “I'm not going to be ejected because my commanding officer has gone soft on a bunch of rebels.” The sarsh then turned and scooped Rune’s detonator off the ground. He activated it and threw it as far as he could. “Mission accomplished.” He said smugly, then was met with Rune’s livid face in is own. “I gave you an order!” the lieutenant roared. Rune shoved the man in the chest, sending him reeling onto his backside. Then he ran for the bomb.


His own breath and the bomb’s ticking filled his ears as he raced against time.

He sped past it, scooping it off the floor as he ran. By then, he was out of the line of tents. The detonator ticked faster and faster. Rune was frozen, time slowed as he brought back his arm and threw it. Too late. It exploded, only a few feet from where Rune stood. The blast threw him backward. Pain rippled over every part of his body. Something trickled from his neck, his face. He lifted a weak hand and touched his neck. It was hot and Rune saw through blurry eyes, his hand was covered in silver blood. His own blood. He heard noises coming towards him and felt the heat of fire all around him. Then, everything disappeared into oblivion as Rune slipped into unconsciousness.

Agon, the sarsh that thrown the detonator, saw his commanding officer run after the bomb and he scrambled to his feet. Rune wouldn’t make it, he knew. He may have just disobeyed a direct order from Rune, but he wasn’t going to let his commanding officer die. That would get him in even more trouble than going against the Admiral’s orders.

He had only gone a few feet before the explosion shock wave almost knocked him off his feet. He and Rune’s other men rushed to where their leader had fallen. There were flames from the explosion all around Rune's still figure, threatening to burn him. Agon rushed through the flames. He dropped beside his leader and gently touched his neck. There was a pulse, but a weak one. Agon frowned at the blood covering his fingers from touching him. Rune was badly injured. Both his right arm and leg were mangled, his face was bloodied on one side. Agon winced at the sight of it. This was his fault and he knew it. He slid his arms under Rune and tried to lift him. He was taller and heavier than Agon, but Agon was strong. He dragged Rune from the flames. “Help me!” He cried to the other sarsh. “We need to get him back to Zenith, now!”


Artemis watched with a thousand emotions as the sarsh pushed back into the foliage, all of them supporting their leader and comrades. The leader had saved their lives and risked his own to save theirs. Why? Artemis glanced to his own men, they were wide-eyed from the scene just unfolded in front of their eyes. “We need to learn more about these creatures,” Artemis said. “they may not all be as heartless as we thought.”

Admiral Gallas awaited his newest lieutenant's return in the bridge, it was he who first saw them. The four fighter jets were going very fast, faster than usual. Something was wrong. He turned on his heel and strode out. In the bay, the jets were already docked and the cockpits opened. The five passengers from Rune’s ship, Archangel, lifted out a limp, bloodied figure. There were thick, silver-soaked bandages wrapped around his arm, leg and chest. Admiral Gallas’s eyes widened as he recognized the soldier. It was Rune, the lieutenant who said he would make them proud. Two sarsh supported Rune between their shoulders, his head hung limp and Admiral Gallas couldn’t see any sign of breathing. “Is-is he dead?” He called. The soldiers glanced up wearily. “no, but nearly. We need to get him to the medical bay immediately.” Admiral Gallas watched in confusion as Rune’s squad rushed past him in the direction of the medical bay.

Lyris heard rushed footsteps approaching her house and then an urgent knock. She dried her hands; she had been washing the dishes from the day’s midday meal. She opened the door to find Dagian, a young sarsh from Rune’s squad and the son of her oldest friend. “Hello, Dagian. What brings you here?” Dagian caught his breath. “Lieutenant Rune is critically injured. Admiral Gallas requests your presence in the medical bay.” Lyris sucked in a breath and tossed her towel to the side, she rushed past the young sarsh and down the bridge toward the lift that led to the outer ring where the medical bay was.

Orlan was repairing an escape pod in the bridge when he heard someone calling him. He slid his dark goggles off his eyes and squinted at the sarsh approaching. “what’s all the rush?” He called irritably. He didn’t like his work to be interrupted. “Rune is in the medical bay. Admiral Gallas requests your presence. They-” The man paused. “He may have to be decommissioned or undergo a procedure to get cyber limbs.” The man turned and left, Orlan sat in shock for a minute. Something had gone terribly wrong for limbs to be replaced.

To sarsh soldiers, it was an honor to become part android. It meant the admiral still exalted you; enough for him to order replacement limbs.

Quickly, Orlan rose and slid down the ladder to the floor and ran after the other sarsh, his tunic billowing behind him.

Orlan wrapped a comforting arm around his wife’s waist as the two of them watched their adopted son suspended in a liquid-filled glass tube against the wall, an oxygen mask over his face, white scars covered his neck and part of his cheek.

Doctors rushed everywhere, their voices low and urgent. Off in the corner, Admiral Gallas watched, his arms crossed. Agon had told him Rune had disobeyed direct orders, but Agon disobeyed orders from him, then Rune saved the rebel’s lives and it nearly cost him his own.

He was displeased, but Rune was one of his best soldiers. Admiral Gallas came to a decision. He would have cybernetic limbs made for Rune. The young soldier had been punished enough. When he was healed, Admiral Gallas would have Rune eliminate the rebels and if he disobeyed again, he would be ejected.

The admiral shifted and his eyes fell on Rune’s adoptive parent’s watching from a distance. Their opinions didn’t matter after he decided on the matter, but it was best to speak to them anyway.

As he approached them, he called to a nurse who wasn’t working. “Fetch the electronic and bring her here!” The nurse nodded, touched his forehead and left the room.

Orlan saw the Admiral approaching and touched his forehead in greeting.

“His vitals are holding for now." the Admiral informed. "They have him sedated. But the explosion shattered his arm and his leg. He’ll never walk again.”

Tears formed in lyris’s eyes. Orlan remained stoic as ever. “However,” Gallas continued. “Your son is one of my best soldiers. He will be our newest cybernetic soldier.” The couple nodded their thanks. “we are honored.”

“Major?" the admiral addressed Orlan. "you best get back to work.” The major nodded. “Go take care of the kids, Lyris.” He said. He saluted to Admiral Gallas. “Thank you, sir.”


As the couple went their separate ways, Admiral Gallas heard footsteps behind him and turned. The nurse stood with the electronic beside him. “you asked for me, Admiral?” she said. The Admiral nodded thoughtfully. “I need you to start on cybernetic replacements for Lieutenant 682 immediately, do you understand?” The woman nodded. “Of course, Admiral. We will begin today.” The admiral nodded. “Dismissed.” The electronic turned and hurried away, muttering to herself. The Admiral turned to Rune, suspended in the fluids keeping him stable. “I will not lose another good soldier.” he muttered.

Meanwhile, Artemis Rogue, leader of Uprising, was brainstorming for every way he could remove the leader of the sarsh who had saved their lives off Zenith. It wouldn’t be an easy feat. For twenty years now, he had been building a rebellion to overthrow the sarsh government; he had tried once and failed.

He needed a sarsh on his side to tell him their kind’s strengths and weaknesses, to serve as a double agent to collect much-needed information. A year in the past, it would have been an impossible feat, not so anymore. Artemis just needed to figure out how to get the sarsh off Zenith. He was sitting in his bunker a young woman burst into the room. “Artemis! I know how to get the sarsh!” Artemis started to his feet, grinning. “tell me.”

Lyris entered her home, her head bowed and her heart heavy. Amarillius, Sharn and Tycho all rushed to the door. “what's going on?” Both Amarillius and Sharn asked, Tycho only wrapped his chubby arms around her legs, his face buried in her pant leg. “your brother is in the medical bay.”

Rune barely spoke to his siblings, but they looked up to him. The older siblings burst into questions and horrified gasps. “Rune?” Tycho said in his small voice; he saw only four but he was smart and he knew what Lyris had said. He knew what the medical bay was. Lyris reached down and scooped him up. “yes, baby. But He’ll be okay.” the tall sarsh looked at her adopted children’s anguished faces. “He is going to be the next cybernetic soldier.” the siblings gasped. “it’s really that bad?” Amarillius whispered. “what happened?”

“I’ll talk to you later tonight, okay?” Amarillius and Sharn nodded.


“we have begun the arm for Lieutenant 682, sir.” The electronic reported to the Admiral, who nodded slowly as she spoke. “When do think they will both be completed?” he inquired. The electronic ran her lavender tongue over her teeth nervously. “I don’t know. If we dropped everything else, three months.” “Drop everything.” Admiral Gallas commanded. The electronic opened her mouth to protest, but decided it was wiser not to. “Yes, Admiral. I will go continue with your permission.” “Permission granted. I need Lieutenant 682 back in commission as soon as possible.”

February 15, 2021 15:48

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5 comments

TJ Squared
23:17 Nov 06, 2021

wwwwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww jhbhgftrdxftgybhjkioikjhgtygvghyujhnkiok definitely hooked. hOw CoMe No OnE cOmMeNtEd On SuCh An AwEsOmE sTorY...huh. Anyways. This. Series. Is. Awesomeeeeeeeeeeeee and I've only read the first 2 parts lol. Jumping over to part threeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

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Creed .
23:40 Nov 06, 2021

Because it's so. stinkin. long. (It's a novel in real life, so it wouldn't fit all in one story)

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TJ Squared
23:42 Nov 06, 2021

exactly, make it a novelllllllllll sell it to the worldddddddddd *sorry, just going crazy over here lol*

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Creed .
23:42 Nov 06, 2021

*Crazy is acceptable.*

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TJ Squared
23:51 Nov 06, 2021

*XD GREAT*

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