LotS/The Story

Princess Illaria's Escape

The Child of Heaven

You did what you had to.

You try to cling to that thought as you gaze around the bare walls of your cell, at the blue energy barrier stretching beyond its slender bars. It provides little comfort.

Again and again the scene plays across your mind. You feel your thumb pressing the red button at the end of the control stick, see the Centurian ship exploding – a flash of brilliant fire against the black of the void. The sound of its destruction, spawned within your aural implant, rages in your ears like an accusation.

And here you sit, imprisoned at the command of the Sian Emperor himself. When the cruiser reaches its destination, bringing you back to your homeworld, you will stand trial. Emissaries from the Centurian Collective will speak out against you, demanding your execution.

You lie back and close your eyes, knowing that sleep will never come but trying to delude yourself that it might. Then your eyes flick open, as the world shakes. You leap to your feet, and another tremor rumbles through the cell. Something’s wrong… A collision? You call out for the guard, but no one answers. Whatever’s happening, it’s called him away from his station at the end of the corridor.

Long minutes crawl by as you wait, gripping the bars with white knuckles. Then you hear screams of pain and terror in the distance, punctuated by the unmistakable hiss of laser fire. An attack!

Your mind whirls. No enemy could get aboard the Child of Heaven, past its countless lines of defense. And there was no warning alarm. It makes no sense… But the sounds of combat continue, louder now. The ship’s under attack, and only one thought fills your mind: Princess Illaria… she’s in danger!

You yank at the bars of the cell, screaming in frustration. Then you fall silent, as you hear footsteps sounding along the corridor. Someone’s coming…

Jailbreak

The blue energy barrier in front of your cell flickers out of existence. Only someone with the authorization code could have deactivated it… Hope surges within you. Has the guard come back to let you out?

Then she appears beyond the bars, her beautiful face marred by anxiety.

“Princess!” you gasp.

Her eyes light up as they meet yours.

“Quickly, take it!” she says, pressing a laser rifle against the bars. “I couldn’t find the key. Shoot the bars.”

A million questions spring to your lips. But you take the weapon, turning it so you can pull it into the cell. Illaria flits aside, clearing your line of fire.

Engaging the Enemy

You step out of the cell, knocking the damaged bars aside.

“What happened? Who-”

“It’s the Centurians,” she replies. She’s already moving down the corridor, her laser pistol raised. She gestures for you to follow, and you move to match her pace.

“How did they get on the ship?” you ask.

“I don’t know. They… they just appeared. The sensors didn’t detect them.”

“But-”

You fall silent as the two of you near the doors which lead out of the prison, into the atrium beyond. The sounds of combat are close now. Questions dance across your mind, attempting to penetrate the confusion. But now isn’t the time.

Centurian soldiers are outside, their backs to the prison as they fire at targets out of your line of vision. You signal for the Princess to stay back, but she’s already pressing herself against one of the prison doors, her weapon at the ready as she prepares to attack. You nod, and follow her lead.

Guarding the Guards

In the atrium a group of Sian Guardsmen are exchanging fire with more Centurian soldiers. They’re outnumbered, and several of them already lie dead. But the survivors are holding their ground, fighting on.

“We have to help them,” says the Princess, already moving and firing.

A cry goes up from the guards as they see the Princess in their midst. They throw themselves into the combat with renewed vigor, desperate to protect her. You do the same, firing at the advancing Centurians.

Sacrifice

A ragged cheer goes up as the last Centurian falls. For a moment there’s calm, though the noise of distant weapons fire shows that you’re simply in the eye of the storm. All around your fragile bubble of safety, chaos still rages.

You turn to Sergeant Tarik, the highest ranking guardsman there.

“What’s our status?” you ask.

He shakes his head, his expression grim.

“The ship’s lost, captain. They’ve got the bridge.”

“We have to take it back,” says Princess Illaria.

“There’s too many of them, Highness,” replies the sergeant. “We need to get you to the nearest hangar. There’s still time to get you out.”

“I won’t surrender the Child of Heaven,” she says.

Sergeant Tarik turns to you, a look of appeal in his eyes. It’s mirrored on the faces of the other guards. None of them can bring himself to contradict the Princess of the Sian Empire, but you read the thought on all their minds.

“We’ll all die for you, Highness,” you say, gesturing at the bodies of the fallen. “But don’t let us die in vain. If you escape the Centurians, these men and women will have fallen doing their duty.”

She opens her mouth as if to make a retort, then closes it. You know her well enough to read the subtle emotions which play across her face, bespeaking the flow of her thoughts. Her sense of discipline, of duty to her empire, overrides her passion. She nods.

“Form up around Her Highness and the captain,” says the sergeant. Then he adds, before you can protest, “If we get to the hangar, you’ll need to fly her out.”

He’s right. You’re the only pilot there. In that moment you realize just how bitter it must be for Princess Illaria, knowing that others are dying so you may live.

Together you round the corner and charge along the atrium, towards the hangar at the far end. Centurian soldiers stand at the entrance, and their crimson lasers rip into your formation as you run. Sergeant Tarik collapses beside you, dead before he can even cry out. You fire towards the soldiers, hoping you can pick them off before they can cut you all down.

Commander Rautha

Somehow you survive the barrage of lasers, and pour into the hangar. The entrance platform is covered with corpses, both Centurian and Sian. They fought hard for control of the hangar, the Centurians to prevent their prey from escaping, the Sian Guardsmen so that their people might reach safety.

Standing amongst the dead is a man wearing a Centurian commander’s uniform. A malicious grin crosses his face as he sees Princess Illaria approach.

“Nice try, Princess. But you’re not getting off this ship. Not till General Rahn’s cruiser comes for you.”

Almost as soon as the words are out of his mouth, you, the Princess, and the remaining guardsmen open fire. Laser beams fly at him, but each one stops a few inches in front of his body – the air shimmering as it makes contact with an invisible field.

He’s not carrying a pack… there’s nothing on him big enough to be a shield generator…

The commander laughs at your confusion. Then he makes a sudden, predatory movement, grabbing hold of the nearest Sian Guardsman and yanking him over by his arm. You dart towards them, but before you can intervene there’s a sickening snap, and the guardsman is hurled aside – his neck broken.

“Who’s next?” asks the commander.

...............

The commander staggers back against the railing, gasping for breath, and falls to one knee. The arrogant smile is gone, his face now twisted in hatred.

“I don’t have time for this,” he rasps. “If Rahn wants the bitch, he can gather up the pieces!”

With a quick movement he snatches a grenade from a fallen Centurian soldier’s belt. As he stands back up, the lights on its surface flash, a blinking red to herald the destruction that will come. But before he can throw it, you’re on him. One of your hands clasps his, pressing his fingers down, preventing him from dropping the grenade. Your other arm comes round in an arc, your elbow smashing him in the mouth. He splutters as his teeth fly down his throat. Then he topples over the railing, disappearing from sight. A second later there’s an explosion from down below the platform.

“They’re coming!” yells one of the guardsmen from behind you.

As if to punctuate his words, you hear weapons fire from outside the hangar. A few of the guardsmen head out into the atrium, one of them yelling over his shoulder:

“Go! We’ll hold them!”

You descend to the floor of the hangar, and make for one of the long-range fighter ships. You bark out a command word, and the canopy opens as the ship’s computer recognizes your voice. You boost the Princess into the cockpit, and clamber up after her – the guardsmen aiding you from below. You reach back down to help them up in turn. Then the canopy descends, and the ship’s engine roars to life.

The fighter moves forward, turning towards the energy barrier separating you from the darkness of space. To your right Centurian soldiers rush onto the hangar’s entrance platform, having at last fought their way through the guards who remained to stall them. They open fire as the ship rises, their crimson lasers flashing out towards you. But their small arms fire has little effect, and a moment later you’re through the energy barrier.

Space Combat

You glance at the ship’s scanner, each blip of information contributing to the tapestry which forms your mind. Green blips show Sian vessels leaving from other hangars around the Child of Heaven, entrusting themselves to the cold void. But red blips are converging on them like pack animals after their prey, Centurian fighter ships moving to intercept. Whatever stealth systems they used to board the cruiser, they’re visible enough now to your ship’s electronic eyes.

You wince as you see the green dots flicker out of existence one by one. But the Centurian ships are on the other side of the cruiser. You have a chance to escape…

All that flows across your thoughts in a second, your trained pilot’s mind assimilating the data and analyzing the situation. Then you take another quick glance, this one at the display showing the readings of the hyperspace engine.

“Need to get some breathing room,” you say, one of your hands already moving to plot the course. “Then we can jump for Sian.”

“No!” says the Princess. “Sian’s under attack.”

“What? The Centurians couldn’t get past the Golden Armada. They don’t have a fleet powerful enough-”

But the Princess’ grim silence quietens you in turn.

“Plot a course for TALOS space,” she says after a moment. “They’ll give us sanctuary.”

You do as she instructs, then focus your attention on your surroundings once more. First you need to get away from your pursuers, so you have enough time to make your jump…

That Blast Came From The...

A huge blast of laser energy flashes by, piercing the blackness, illuminating the cockpit with its glow. No fighter has a weapon that large...

“The Child of Heaven!” yells one of the guardsmen. “It’s firing at us!”

You curse. How could the Centurians have broken through the security systems on the forward weapons that fast? But there’s no time to think about it.

Another blast lances towards you, and you dart the ship aside to avoid it. You have to get clear of those cannons…

Cosmic Ballet

You manage to avoid the forward guns. Those weapons are designed to be used against large cruiser targets, and are no match for your skill as a pilot. But avoiding them has cost valuable time.

Streams of smaller laser fire come from behind. Centurian fighter ships are on your tail, trying to thwart your escape. The ship hurtles through space at your expert touch, as you plunge, soar, spin, and swerve in an effort to avoid their fire.

Rocks Fly, Everybody Dies

“Too many of them,” you mutter.

On the scanner, more and more red blips are moving towards you. But something else catches your eye.

“An asteroid field,” you say.

“Do it,” Princess Illaria replies, understanding your intention. Her hand clasps your shoulder.

The Sian Guardsmen gasp as you fly towards the whirling asteroids. A thousand deaths await you on those rocks. But it’s death for the Centurians as well, if they follow you. If you can make it through the field, you might be able to lose them…

Dogfight

Several explosions sound out from your aural implant, each one representing a Centurian fighter exploding against an asteroid – silent deaths given voice by the device.

You emerge from the field, and see that only a handful of red dots are left. And there’s something else… A green dot, weaving between the asteroids at reckless speed. Someone else made it clear of the cruiser.

“That has to be you, captain.” The female voice comes over the Sian communication channel, full of an exhilaration that seems so out of place in the grim circumstances. “No one else could fly like that. And if you’re here, she’s with you.”

“Talia!” says the Princess.

“I knew it!” A joyful laugh comes through the communicator. “I knew the captain wouldn’t leave without you.”

A musical laugh from the Princess echoes that of the gunslinger, one born of both happiness and adrenaline-fueled mania. Life or death space combat is new to her.

You look at the scanner once more. The remaining red blips are still converging on you, relentless in their pursuit. But there are only five of them now. And you’ve faced worse odds than this.

“Take the two on my left,” you say. “The other three are mine.”

“Got it,” Talia replies.

Then you arc the ship through the air, looping round to engage the Centurian fighters. Now it’s your turn.

Centurian Void Killer

The last ship explodes, and the cheers of your companions fill the cockpit. But your voice doesn’t join them. You’ve seen the red blip on the scanner, this one bigger than the others, and know that the worst is yet to come.

“Oh…” comes Talia’s voice. She’s seen it too. “That’s not a fighter…”

A large grey craft looms up through space, blue energy crackling across panels on its surface. A stream of small silver objects pours from its side, and from this distance it looks as if its hull is flaking away. Then the ‘flakes’ start firing red lasers.

“What is that thing?” asks the Princess.

“It’s a Void Killer,” you reply. “The Centurians use them to take out fighter ships. Those things it’s launching are drones.”

“We don’t have enough torpedoes to take them all out,” says Talia.

“Have to destroy the Void Killer,” you say. “The drones can’t function without it.”

You fly towards the grey vessel, weaving through a rain of laser fire. Countless drones explode as you fire back, but more keep pouring from its hull. If you don’t take out that ship, you’ll be overwhelmed…

.................................

Weapons fire rakes your ship as the drones swarm around you like insects devouring a dying animal’s flesh. Warning lights flash around the cockpit, and alarm sounds blare.

“Talia! Engines!” you blurt out. Two words, but they’re enough. She understands.

Her ship moves into position, as does yours – ignoring the niggling fire from the drones as it picks away at your armor. The Void Killer’s engines are unprotected, its shields worn away by repeated fire, its plating damaged…

You swoop down towards it like two birds of prey descending for the same morsel. Your weapons rake across the engines, piercing its armor. Then both of you soar upwards, as if fleeing the scene of a crime. A moment later a huge explosion fills the void.

For a second there’s silence in the cockpit. The Princess and guardsmen aren’t pilots. They don’t have aural implants. It’s only when they look at the scanner that they see the conspicuous absence of the red blip. Then the cheer comes.

“It worked!” laughs Talia. “Those drones are just floating around like space trash. “We-”

An alarm blares out, a boisterous cacophony far removed from the polite warning sounds you heard before. The cheering stops. It looks as if your ship was damaged worse than you thought…

Gallea(1)

“That noise,” says Talia. “Is that…?”

“Yes. We took too much damage. Can’t go much further.”

The Princess leans towards you to get a better look at the map, her hair brushing your cheek. She points a slender finger towards a planet marked on its display.

“That’s Gallea,” she says. “Can we make it there?”

Words of assurance rise up your throat, but you swallow them. You can’t lie to her.

“Maybe,” you reply.

She nods, and buckles herself into her seat. Her hand clasps your arm. It’s trembling.

The ship’s systems scream in protest as you direct the dying machine towards the planet. Soon Gallea looms up ahead of you, and you hear a gasp of relief from the Princess. But she isn’t a pilot. She doesn’t realize that the hard bit is yet to come…

“I’ll follow you down,” says Talia, unaccustomed solemnity in her voice. “Good luck, captain.”

Crash Landing

The ship slices through the atmosphere, shrouded in flame as the air burns around you. Again and again the warning lights flash and alarms blare, like obnoxious heralds of doom.

The controls struggle in your grasp, as if the ship itself is fighting you, betraying you. The Princess’ grip tightens on your arm. If you can just land…

From The Wreckage

Your mind whirls. Everything’s spinning. You say something, but the words seem slow, like they’re moving through water.

There are sparks around you… Little fairy lights twinkling in the haze…

Then your vision begins to clear, focusing on the white mass next to you until it becomes Princess Illaria. For a second she’s motionless, lifeless. Then she gives a faint groan, and the breath returns to your throat. The ship screeches around you as it dies, bleeding sparks and fire.

In the back, one of the guardsmen is still, a spur of metal through his neck. The other is spluttering, droplets of blood flying from his mouth to punctuate his coughs. He’s dragging at one of his legs, trying to free it from a twisted mass of metal.

He looks up, and his eyes meet yours.

“Take… Princess… go… Go!”

You grab hold of the Princess, pulling her limp form out of the seat. You have to get her to safety…

No Rest From The Wicked

You sprint across the hard ground, the Princess in your arms. Each step jolts your battered body, but you force yourself on. There are large rocks ahead of you. They should provide some cover…

You clamber over the rocks, laying Princess Illaria down behind them. You lie beside her as the explosion fills the air, and watch as a shard of metal flies overhead, landing with a clatter a few yards away.

There’s movement nearby, and you reach for your weapon. But it’s Talia, her bright eyes gleaming in the glow.

“You made it,” she laughs.

“We made it,” you agree, with a deep sigh.

“Made it…” mumbles the Princess, as she moves into a sitting position, one hand pressed against her head.

“My ship’s right over there,” says Talia. “We can-”

There’s roar from overhead. You get to your feet, and look over the rocks to see the big, bloated body of a Centurian troop carrier as it descends towards the ground, near Talia’s ship. Soldiers are already leaping from its deployment hatch. One of them spots you, and begins firing in your direction. A moment later the others follow suit.

You raise your weapon, and return fire.

Get Off My Planet!

The Princess gets to her feet, leans against the rock, and opens fire. Talia blasts away with a pistol in each hand, and every shot – wild as they seem – finds its mark. Centurian soldiers collapse on the rocky ground, but more keep pouring out of the transport ship.

A deep, slightly robotic voice rings out across the battlefield, loud enough to be heard over the shouts, screams, and laser fire.

“Hey! You think you can come to my planet and start shooting up the place?” it says.

A large robot appears from the left, emerging into the dawning light. Lightning flashes from a weapon mounted on its arm, and strikes a Centurian soldier – sending him flying through the air. Then it charges towards the other Centurians, slashing at them with what appears to be a big, laser-edged chainsaw. Several of the soldiers turn to fire at the robot, their lasers pattering against its armor.

“A battle bot?” asks Talia. “I thought only TALOS had those?”

“Worry about that later,” you reply. “Just pick off the Centurians, while they’re distracted.”

Telemachus

The robot raises its arms in the air as the last Centurian falls. Then its legs begin to hop up and down. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was engaged in some kind of victory dance… Again that deep, computerized voice sounds from speakers which must be mounted on it somewhere.

“See what you get? See what you get for invading my planet?”

Then the robot stops in mid dance, its arms and raised leg freezing in place as it catches sight of you.

“More trespassers!”

The robot begins lumbering towards you.

“That’s not good…” you mutter.

“He called it ‘his planet’,” says the Princess. “He must be King Salastro’s robot. If we can just reason with him, ask him to take us to the king…”

“Sure… let’s reason with the killer robot,” says Talia. She twirls her pistols. “I’ll put forward my two best arguments.”

The ‘robot’ draws closer, and in the growing light you see that it’s not a robot at all. There’s a small cockpit on top, and inside it there’s… a small boy?

“It’s just a kid!” laughs Talia.

“Hey! Don’t call me-” This time the voice is the high-pitched whine of a child. The boy frowns, and presses a button. When he continues, his voice is deep and robotic once more. “-a kid! I’m ten!”

Under the circumstances, you just can’t help yourself. Despite the seriousness of the situation, in spite of all the dangers you’ve faced and have yet to face, you and Talia burst out laughing at the incredulity of it all. The boy scowls.

“That’s it!” he yells, again forgetting to use his voice modulator. “I’m gonna… gonna…” Words seem to fail him in his rage. Instead he charges, swinging his laser-edged chainsaw.

“Wait,” the Princess shouts. “I know who that is! It’s-”

But it’s too late. He’s already on you, and you have to fight.

....................

The kid’s mech collapses, falling onto its butt. The movement is so like that of a child falling whilst taking his first steps that you can’t help but laugh once more. The boy hammers away at the controls, but the mech doesn’t respond. Its arms lie motionless. His look of frustration brings a fresh torrent of laughter from you and Talia. The Princess frowns, and punches you in the arm – a remarkable breach of imperial protocol. But you just can’t help it…

The mech’s cockpit flies open, and the kid leaps down to the ground. He runs over to you, and begins to kick your shin. You lift your leg to kick him back, but the Princess intervenes.

“Stop it! I know you – you’re Prince Telemachus.”

The boy stops kicking you, and looks over to her, curiosity now eclipsing his anger.

“Yeah, that’s right.” He stares at her intently. Then recognition dawns in his eyes. “Hey, you’re the Sian Princess! I’ve seen you on t

“He’s King Salastro’s boy,” she says, turning to you and Talia. “I haven’t seen him since he was a baby.”

“So that would be what, last week?” asks Talia.

Telemachus looks as if he’s about to leap at her, but Princess Illaria intervenes once more.

“We crashed here,” she tells him. “But we can leave now. We…”

She trails off as large shapes appear in the sky. More Centurian ships, coming down towards you.

“We have to get away from here,” you say.

Gallea(2)

“My father’s palace is just over there,” says Telemachus, pointing a stubby finger towards a nearby rise. “Follow me!”

He scrambles back into his mech, and the cockpit closes after him. Lurching from side to side, he manages to stand up.

“Good,” he says. “Backup system’s kicked in. Come on!”

He begins to run, and the three of you follow.

Through Smoke & Fire

Fire rakes the ground behind you as the Centurian ships descend. You need some kind of cover…

As if thinking the same thing, Prince Telemachus begins to throw cylindrical objects over his shoulder. Each one emits a billow of smoke as it hits the ground, and soon the air is filled with it.

“Keep running!” he yells. “They won’t be able to hit us through the smoke!”

You grab the Princess’ arm, making sure she doesn’t fall behind, and sprint for all you’re worth.

Broken Toys

The palace appears ahead of you, like a beacon of salvation. Troopers wearing what must be the local uniform are already scrambling around it, some climbing into the tall turret towers that stand there. Those which have already been manned begin to fire at the Centurian ships.

There’s a scream of anger as a laser blast from overhead hits Telemachus’ mech, blowing its right leg off, sending the severed limb clattering across the ground. The mech falls with a crash.

You and Talia dash over to it, and yank the cockpit cover open. Princess Illaria grabs the prince by the hand, ignoring his screams of protest, and pulls him out. Then you’re running once more, the Princess dragging Telemachus along by his arm as he thrashes around and reaches back as if for his mech.

Just a little further left to run…

Bringing Down the Sky

The Princess runs into the palace, still dragging the whining child with her. But you come to a stop. Talia glances at you.

“Turret?” she asks.

“Turret,” you agree. “Stay with the Princess.”

You sprint to one of the unmanned turrets, and climb up its ladder. A palace guard yells something at you, but by that time you’re already in the seat, and it’s too late for anyone to stop you.

The controls seem simple enough. You aim up at the nearest Centurian ship, and open fire.

Holding the Palace

The ships didn’t stand a chance against the anti-air defenses. Each one litters the ground in flaming chunks of metal. But as you climb down from the turret, you see that Centurian ground forces are approaching, dozens and dozens of troopers.

The guards are pulling back into the palace, a more defensible position. You drop down from the ladder, and follow them.

Inside a vast hallway people are running to and fro, readying weapons and taking cover. A man wearing lavish robes and a crown stands in the middle of all this, yelling instructions. He must be the king.

You find the Princess and Talia, who are standing alongside the defenders. Telemachus towers over them, in what appears to be a new mech.

“Had a spare,” he says as he catches your gaze.

You begin to wonder what kind of father would let his son run around in such a contraption. Then the shooting starts, and you thrust the thought aside.

Colonel Ironside

In the midst of the Centurian forces floats a hoverchair, containing what appears to be a legless man. His uniform marks him out as a colonel. Strange mechanical devices are attached to his back, containing some kind of green fluid.

The colonel gestures with his hand, and a chunk of fallen masonry flies through the air as if of its own accord, smashing one of the palace guards. He repeats the gesture with his other hand, as if conducting a symphony. A fallen flagpole rises up, trembles, then launches itself across the hall to impale another guard. The air around the colonel ripples where laser fire strikes it. It seems different from the field that protected the commander aboard the cruiser. A telekinetic barrier?

His red eyes gleam as he sees the Princess, and he begins to float towards you.

...................................

The colonel crawls along the ground, dragging himself out of his wrecked hoverchair. The devices on his back are smashed, the spilled green fluid staining his shirt. He looks around as if for assistance, but the remaining Centurian soldiers are being gunned down one by one.

He looks up at the Princess, his face drawn back in an almost lupine snarl.

“Bitch…” he hisses. “Won’t get… away…”

Then you fire, and he lies still.

.....

After the battle, King Salastro approaches you, his guards alongside him, and demands an explanation. He seems displeased, and you can hardly blame him. Fortunately he knows the Princess, having met her countless times at diplomatic functions. Though an independent world, Gallea has cultural ties and trading relationships with the Sian Empire. So he hears her out. Much of what she tells him is news to you as well.

It seems that after your imprisonment the Centurian Collective demanded both you and the Princess be handed over to them, so that they could try you for your supposed crimes. For she was in command of the cruiser, and thus responsible for your actions. The Emperor refused, and the Centurians used that as a pretext for war – claiming that they had been subjected to unprovoked violence, and then denied justice. Their fleets attacked across Sian space, assaulting Sian itself at the same moment they stormed the Child of Heaven.

Prince Telemachus proves to be an unexpected ally. He explains to his father that he found the Centurians trespassing on their planet, and attacked them. He seems proud of his accomplishment, not noticing the horrified expression which crosses the king’s face as he hears the tale. When the prince finishes, King Salastro sends him away with one of the servants, to have his bumps and bruises tended to. Then he turns to the Princess.

“He attacked Centurian soldiers!” he moans, his voice sounding almost decrepit. “They won’t forgive him for that, no matter what I offer them. They’ve gone to war for less.”

“I’m sorry we brought them to your doorstop…” says the Princess. But the king doesn’t seem to hear her.

“They’ll come for him, and our defenses won’t hold out forever…” Then he appears to notice the Princess once more. “Princess Illaria… Where will you go?”

“To TALOS space,” she replies. “We’ll be safe enough there. And we can plan our next move.”

The king’s eyes light up. “TALOS… They could keep Telemachus safe. The Centurians wouldn’t think to look for him there…”

You and Talia share a meaningful look. You don’t like where this is going…

“Princess Illaria, I’ve known your father my entire life. The word of the imperial family of the Sian Empire is worth more than platinum… Promise me that you’ll take my son with you, and protect him until he reaches TALOS space. Give me your word, and I’ll give you and your companions an unmarked ship. And when the Centurians come, I’ll tell them that you’re all still here. They’ll attack, but my son will be safe.”

And so when Prince Telemachus returns, he’s told that he’ll be accompanying you to TALOS space. The boy’s face lights up. His mech was made by TALOS, and he’s excited to see the factory where it was built. He asks his father if he can have a new mech made while he’s there. The king smiles, hugs him close to conceal the tear which rolls down his cheek, and tells him that he can. The sight is enough to make you pity the young prince, and you vow that you’ll do your best to tolerate him.

King Salastro hands the Princess a sealed letter to be delivered to the TALOS officials, offering them a vast fortune in exchange for protecting his son. Then the four of you are taken to your new ship.

Legions of Steel

“You know why they’re called TALOS? It stands for The Alliance of Lambda Omicron Systems. That’s what their part of space used to be called. But you know why else they picked that name? Because there used to be this big bronze robot called Talos, back on Earth. That was a long time ago… A hundred years, or something. Maybe two hundred. And TALOS make robots. Did I tell you that TALOS made my mech? I’m going to get them to make me a new one, with rockets and stuff.”

You sigh, and wonder when Talia will wake up and take her shift in the flight cabin. Telemachus never seems to sleep. Instead he spends every moment in the co-pilot’s seat, either babbling in excitement or staring out of the window with a fascinated look on his face. The last time he left his homeworld, he was too young to remember it. Simply being in space thrills him.

He keeps talking, and for a moment you consider telling him to shut up. Don’t you deserve a little peace and quiet? But then you think of him hugging his father, perhaps for the last time. It won’t kill you to hear him talk.

As if fate wishes to reward you for your decision, Telemachus finally falls silent. You begin to entertain the hope that he might head to the sleeping quarters at long last. But then, after a few minutes of blessed quiet, he speaks again.

“Why were you in prison?”

“What?”

“I heard the Princess talking to Talia. She said she broke you out of prison.”

Angry words are on the tip of your tongue. He has no right to ask you such a question. What business of his is it? But the urge to explain, to justify yourself as you would have done in front of the court on Sian, is overwhelming. And before you know it, you’re telling him.

The images, never far away, rush across your mind once more.

Centurian ships appear on the scanners, flying on a trajectory which will take them close to the Child of Heaven. You lead your fighter wing out into space in accordance with protocol, to form an escort and defend the cruiser against any potential threat.

In front of you, on your ship’s computer, you see a distorted energy signature coming from one of the Centurian vessels. It looks almost like that of a weapon system being powered up… You try to open a communications channel, to demand an explanation. But the request is ignored.

The Centurian ships are close, almost within striking distance of the cruiser. The energy signature continues to pulse before you, a jumbled mess on the scanner – unclear, indistinct. Some kind of scrambler, to conceal a planned attack until the last moment? Your duty is to protect the cruiser, to protect Princess Illaria. You have to act. So you fire… and give the Centurian Collective exactly what they wanted.

One ship explodes in space, and the political tapestry of human space shifts. The Centurians have their grievance, something they can parade before the rest of the Union of Human Worlds, a political weapon to use against the Sian Empire. Something to justify a war.

There’s a stretch of silence as you finish the tale. You look over at Telemachus, and see that he’s fallen asleep. Drool trickles from the corner of his mouth. In spite of the thoughts which weigh upon your mind, you smile. Then you turn back to the window, and watch the blackness rushing by.

Jungle

Your eyes open to see Princess Illaria standing over your bunk. The worried expression on her face instantly dispels the lingering traces of sleep.

“We’ve reached Capek,” she says. “But something’s wrong. We tried contacting the surface, and no one answered.”

You sit up, your senses becoming alert. Her concern is justified. Capek isn’t a backwater planet with a minor colony on its surface, where someone might trip over a cable and disable the communications station. It’s a major production planet for TALOS, home to the most important factories in this part of their territory. There should be countless people ready to receive and respond to a communication from an incoming vessel.

You get to your feet, and follow her into the flight cabin. Talia’s sitting at the controls, Telemachus beside her. The planet dominates the view through the window.

“Still nothing,” says Talia. “I can’t make contact with the surface. It’s like the entire communication network is down.”

“Take her in slowly,” you say.

Talia nods, and the ship moves towards the planet’s atmosphere. A moment later a pleasant-sounding voice comes over the communicator.

“Your presence here is unauthorized. Leave our atmosphere or be destroyed. Thank you.”

“This is Princess Illaria of the Sian Empire. I wish to-”

“Your presence here is unauthorized. Leave our atmosphere or-”

“Automated message,” you say. “Take her up.”

Talia guides the ship upwards, allowing it to hold a geostationary position once it’s at a safe distance.

“So,” she says, “what now?”

“I know the planet’s administrator. He’ll be in Capek Major, the capital city,” says the Princess. “Can you get us down there safely? I have to see him, and find out what’s happening.”

“That might not be wise,” you say.

“We’ve come here to ask for TALOS’ help,” she replies. “So we can hardly deny them help in return. If they’re experiencing problems on the surface, I wish to aid them.”

You glance at the scanner and map displays.

“Yes…” You point at the planetary map which has appeared on one of the monitors. “This jungle, over here. We should be able to land far enough away from the capital city to avoid triggering its defenses, but close enough to get there on foot.”

“Do it,” the Princess says.

Welcome to the Jungle

The jungle rises towards you. In the distance dawn is breaking, but for now this part of the planet is shrouded in shadows, and the ship descends into darkness. It touches down on an expanse of grass near the tree line.

“Stay on the ship,” Princess Illaria tells Telemachus.

“But-” he begins. The rest of his words are lost, as the flight cabin door shuts behind you, the Princess, and Talia.

“This jungle is a nature reserve,” says the Princess. “I was here once before. There are predators, but they’re kept in enclosures – behind force-fields.”

“The kind of force-fields that fail if the systems malfunction?” you ask.

“Yes…” she replies.

The three of you grab your weapons, and exit the ship. Outside the jungle is silent. But the silence seems ominous instead of tranquil. Shouldn’t there be animal sounds in a jungle? The foliage at the base of the trees begins to rustle. Something’s in there, watching you...

Then there’s a clanging noise from the ship, loud and startling. You look over, and see Telemachus’ mech lumbering towards you.

“Where did that thing come from?” asks Talia, her gaze still fastened on the tree line.

“I made the servants put it in the cargo hold when they loaded the ship,” he replies.

The mech comes to a halt alongside the Princess and Talia, its torso swiveling as Telemachus inspects his surroundings. You decide against trying to order the boy back onto the ship. It isn’t the time for an argument, and the mech’s armored form is somehow reassuring.

Now that the mech’s stopped moving, the rustling in the bushes is audible once more. As you listen, it intensifies. Then the foliage parts to reveal vicious, predatory mouths. All around you the air is filled with something between a growl and a hiss, and the creatures attack.

Red in Tooth and Claw

Each blast from your weapons claims another of the savage creatures, but more keep bounding through the trees. They hurl themselves at you, their snapping jaws chomping at your throats. Even Telemachus’ hulking mech doesn’t intimidate them – the creatures scramble over it, their mouths scratching at its metal as they try to find something they can sink their teeth into.

One of the beasts leaps at Princess Illaria from behind, and you bring your weapon up to pick it off.

The Brute

“I hate nature,” Talia says, as she untangles a piece of charred flesh from her hair.

The ground is littered with corpses. Some of them are twitching, as if their dead jaws still yearn to bite into your flesh.

“Listen…” says the Princess.

She’s looking off into the trees. A second later you hear what alerted her. The sound of gunfire, faint in the distance, reaches your ears.

“Someone needs help,” she says. “Come on!”

You follow her into the trees, into whatever dangers lurk amongst the vines and branches. Talia moves beside you, her agile step darting over the entangling roots which threaten to trip you. Telemachus crashes through the undergrowth behind you, tearing through plants and splintering small trees.

The gunfire becomes louder and louder, the unmistakable rattle of a large, bullet-firing weapon. Bestial shrieks and a roaring human voice accompany it.

You reach the edge of a clearing, and gaze at the scene before you.

A man stands in the middle of the clearing, his bare chest rippling with muscles. In one hand he holds a machinegun, bullets spitting from its flaming muzzle and shells flying from its body. The man’s arm shakes with the recoil, but somehow keeps the weapon level. Scores of dead beasts are strewn around the clearing, and more are being torn apart by his gunfire. As you look on, he swings an axe in his other hand, dispatching another of the creatures.

The warrior is ferocious, and for a moment all four of you just stand there, watching him deal death with awed expressions on your faces. But more of the animals are moving towards him now, from all directions. No matter how well he fights, he’ll be overwhelmed soon.

You meet the Princess’ gaze, and she nods. You charge into the fray to support the brutish stranger.

Rumble in the Jungle

The man gives a satisfied grunt as you approach, perhaps by way of expressing his appreciation, and uses the momentary respite to stick a fresh clip in his weapon. Then he commences roaring and firing once more.

Talia moves to cover his right-hand side, the Princess beside her, and begins firing her pistols at everything that moves in that direction – picking creatures out of the air in mid-leap. Telemachus has no experience in battle tactics, and simply fires at whatever captures his attention in any direction. But the heavy firepower from his mech and the raw enthusiasm with which he brings it to bear make up for his lack of martial science.

You stand at the man’s other shoulder, and shoot at the creatures massing in that direction to flank your group.

Garlax Ragebeasts

The clearing has become a slaughterhouse. Corpses are piled high, where the creatures fell in droves – each one fearless, charging or leaping even as it saw those before it cut down. Their animal stench fills the air, and you see Princess Illaria’s nose wrinkling as it assaults her nostrils.

A few wounded survivors twist and turn on the ground, their wails and slowly flailing limbs pitiable despite their monstrous appearances. You and Talia begin to put them out of their misery, dispatching each one with a well placed laser shot.

The man grunts, grabs one of them by its neck before you can euthanize it, and yanks it up into the air. It makes a feeble effort to bite him as it dangles there, its jaws twitching and snapping, but it can’t break his powerful grip. Then he pulls it towards him, and sinks his teeth into its throat. The beast thrashes and screeches, before falling silent. The man hurls it aside, and turns to face you, part of the creature’s flesh still protruding from his mouth. He gulps, and it disappears down his throat, leaving blood and gore smeared around his lips to mark its passage. He brings a hand up to his face, and rubs it across his mouth – successfully transferring most of the mess.

The four of you stand and watch him in disgust. He grins as he sees the expressions on your faces, then pats his abdomen.

“Cybernetic guts,” he explains. “I could eat my gun if I wanted to. Except I need that for killing. Name’s Ragnar. Thanks for the help.”

“We… we were glad to be of assistance,” says Princess Illaria, her diplomatic skills allowing her to submerge her disgust. She’s used to dealing with foreigners and aliens, and being exposed to their dining habits.

Ragnar stares at her, his face first betraying curiosity, and then recognition.

“I know you,” he says, spitting out bloody saliva in his excitement. “You’re the Queen of the Sian Empire!”

“Princess,” she replies.

“Ha! One time I did a job for a Sian colony, and they paid me in hard credits. Systems screwed up or something. They had your face on it. Wow, a real live princess!”

Ragnar extends his hand to Princess Illaria. She grimaces as she gazes at the blood on it, but quickly disguises the emotion. She meets his gaze, and bows. This thankfully prompts him to withdraw his hand, and he makes a clumsy bow of his own instead.

“What are you doing here?” asks Talia.

“Did a job for TALOS,” Ragnar replies, turning to her. His gaze roams across her figure as he talks. “Came to Capek to collect my pay. They wouldn’t answer my hails, or let me land in the city. So I came down here.”

“And you ran into those things?” Telemachus asks.

“Huh. Kid in a mech. In the fighting, thought you were some kind of robot.” Ragnar casts what appears to be an admiring glance at the mech. “Nice chainsaw… Nah, I ran into something else. I was running away from them when I crashed into a pack of these things, and had to start killing ‘em.”

A great monstrous roar bellows through the air, coming from beyond the trees.

“Is that the ‘something else’ you were running from?” you ask.

“Yeah…” Ragnar replies.

The ground rumbles, and you raise your weapon as you await whatever new danger is about to emerge.

..................

“Woah!” gasps Telemachus. “I can’t believe we killed those things!”

“Eh,” says Ragnar, with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve killed bigger. Just about everything dies if you shoot it enough times.”

“Which idiot thought it would be a good idea to put things like that in this nature reserve?” asks Talia.

“Damn fauna-huggers,” says Ragnar. “Some things need to be wiped out.”

“We should head towards the city,” you say. “Before we run into anything worse.”

“Yes,” agrees the Princess. “Capek Major is this way.”

With one final glance at the gigantic carcasses, the five of you head off into the trees.

Jungle / Capek Major

Curious animals stare at you from the branches of trees or gaps in the undergrowth as you proceed through the jungle. But all vanish when you draw near to them. No more predators emerge to hurl themselves at you. The sun now casts its rays down through the canopy, illuminating your path and warming your skin. Were it not for the potential troubles which await you at your destination, the journey would be almost pleasant.

Then there’s a rumbling, and you sigh. Perhaps you spoke too soon…

More huge reptilian creatures appear ahead of you as you move through the trees, and find yourselves in a glade. Ragnar raises his machinegun.

“No!” says Talia. She grabs Ragnar’s thickly muscled arm, as if trying to drag his weapon down. But the limb barely moves an inch.

“Can feel my bicep any time you want,” he says. “But you can’t shift me. Best surgical enhancements credits can buy.”

“Talia, what’s wrong?” asks the Princess.

“Those things are rackalax,” the gunslinger replies. “They’re herbivores. They won’t attack us. Besides…”

You see the twinkle in her eye, and can’t help but feel that she’s about to suggest something insane.

“…we can ride them.”

Wrangling the Rackalax

“You want us to ride those monsters?” Ragnar asks. But his tone bespeaks admiration rather than incredulity. “You’re crazy. I like crazy.”

“I’m serious,” Talia replies. “On my home planet we used to wrangle them all the time. It’s easy – they don’t even need to be trained. As soon as you get on their backs, you can steer them just like a vehicle.”

“I’m not sure this is wise…” says the Princess.

“Trust me,” says Talia. “It’ll work. And it’ll let us get to the city much quicker.”

“I’m up for it,” says Ragnar.

You and the Princess look at each other. Her expression is dubious, and yours is no doubt similar. But Talia is already issuing instructions, telling Telemachus and Ragnar to tear down some thick vines for use as ropes.

“You planning on standing there, captain?” she asks, as the three of them begin to move towards the creatures, who are now regarding your group with mild curiosity. “Or are you going to help?”

You move to join them. What’s the worst that could happen?

Rackalax Rodeo

Somehow the four of you manage to wrestle the rackalax into submission. Talia leaps up onto one’s back, and stands atop it. Ragnar yanks its head down using the vines they’ve put around it, and jumps up to join her.

Telemachus pulls the other one down by its head, exerting the strength of his mech, and calls for you and the Princess to get on its back. You go first, making sure the beast is properly subdued before clasping her hand and helping her up.

“Don’t think I can ride it in my mech,” says Telemachus. “But my boosters will let me keep up.”

“Remember, when it gets started, just steer it like a vehicle,” yells Talia. Then she drags on her makeshift reins, and her rackalax plunges through the forest.

Telemachus lets go of your rackalax’s neck, and steps aside. You copy Talia’s gesture, and the creature beings to move…

A moment later you’re hurtling over the grassy plain which separates the jungle from the city, Princess Illaria’s arms wrapped around you as she holds on for dear life. Talia and Ragnar’s cries of exhilaration come back to you on the rushing wind. They’re actually enjoying this…

The rackalax under you keeps twisting and turning, as if attempting to head back to the jungle. You struggle at the reins. Have to keep it pointed towards the city…

Robot War

You maintain control of the charging rackalax, and head towards the city at breakneck speed. And as you draw nearer to the settlement, you see flashes of laser fire.

“Someone’s fighting!” Princess Illaria yells, pressing her mouth against your ear to stop the words being lost in the wind or drowned out by the thundering tread of the rackalax.

From the number of flashes, it looks like a raging battle…

You yank at the reins of the rackalax in an effort to slow it down. If there’s combat going on, it would be sensible to approach more cautiously. But the beast doesn’t respond. It occurs to you that you have no idea how to stop it.

The city’s buildings loom up before you, and your trained gaze analyzes the situation. Two forces of robots are battling each other. One is painted in gold and silver, the other in black and red. Laser beams dart between the clashing robots, filling the air with flashes of red and green.

“What should we do?” you yell over your shoulder.

Then some of the black and red robots turn towards you as you approach, and begin firing in your direction. That makes things simple. Talia and Ragnar are already returning fire, the gunslinger standing atop the charging beast and somehow able to keep her footing whilst firing with both her pistols.

The Princess clasps one arm around you in a tight embrace, freeing her other hand for her weapon. You do likewise, clutching the reins with one hand to keep yourself in place, and firing your weapon at the black and red robots with the other.

How Do You Stop This Thing?

In a moment you’ll be in the midst of the battle, and still the rackalax charges onwards without pause. Ahead of you, Ragnar and Talia are leaping from their mount, allowing it to plough into the black and red robots. You should to do the same, but you can’t jump while Princess Illaria is still on its back.

Telemachus appears beside the beast, using his boosters to match its pace, and reaches for the Princess with his mech’s right arm. You might have time to pass her to him, and then leap to safety…

Carnus 9000

The thundering rackalax smash through the black and red robots, scattering them like toys, stomping them into the street. The beasts continue their charge, and become lost to sight behind some of the buildings. You hope they don’t cause too much damage.

You turn, and see Telemachus lowering the Princess to the ground.

“I’m okay,” she says, though she staggers a little.

Ragnar and Talia are exchanging fire with the remaining black and red robots. The gold and silver bots are directing their fire at them as well, and show no signs of aggression towards you. Telemachus wades into the combat, sparks flying as his chainsaw cuts into one of the enemy robots.

“The gold and silver ones are the planet’s troops,” says Illaria. “Not seen those other ones before. We need to find-”

She breaks off, as a rumbling sound fills the air. A large mechanical form trundles from behind a nearby building, a hulking black and red robot sitting atop three huge wheels – a war machine far more imposing than the humanoid ones you scattered with your rackalax. Huge laser cannons at the end of each of its arms open up, firing thick beams of gleaming energy at groups of the gold and silver robots. The blasts blow some of them into chunks of smoldering scrap metal, and launch others through the air, their arms and legs flailing.

Your companions fall back towards you as the killer robot rolls through the street, laser fire from the gold and silver battle bots striking it from all directions.

“What the hell is that thing?” yells Talia, over the sound of the explosions.

“It’s a Carnus 9000!” says Telemachus, with awe in his voice. “That’s what I wanted to get to guard our palace on Gallea! The Fabricatrix who designed it says it’s invincible!”

“Don’t worry,” you say. “Technology never works quite as well as the manufacturers say it does.”

You utter quick instructions to your companions, and the five of you move out to attack.

.........................

Sparks and crackling electricity fly from dozens of points on the robot’s body, spewed out by ruptured systems. One of its wheels locks in place, no longer turning, and scrapes against the ground as it tries to move. There’s an explosion, and another wheel rolls free from its body, tumbling along the street before hitting a building and flopping onto its side.

The robot remains upright, its central wheel managing to support its weight. But it’s in its death throes. Its torso pivots this way and that, firing its weapons, but its shots go wide – its targeting systems ruined.

Laser fire, along with torrents of bullets from Ragnar’s gun, rip across its surface. Soon its arms fall to its sides, and the red light on its head flickers out as its systems fail.

The gold and silver robots take up firing positions in the street, apparently intending to hold the area against further attack. Their movements and mannerisms are incredibly life-like, and remind you why so many humans find robots creepy. You’re on the verge of attempting to communicate with one of them in search of answers, when a door in a nearby building opens. You raise your weapon, but lower it when you see the people who emerge from the structure. Several of the men and women are wearing the same gold and silver as the robots you fought alongside, and it seems clear from their bedraggled appearances and nervous expressions that they were seeking refuge from the black and red robots’ attack.

Princess Illaria approaches them, and the rest of you follow her lead.

“Chief Assembler Wilex!” she says.

She directs the words to a tall, grey-haired man whose clothing is decorated in gold and silver cogs. His clothes are torn in places, and there’s a gash on his head. You know a little about TALOS ranks and titles, and believe that a Chief Assembler is a planetary administrator, the name a cultural relic rather than a literal description of his role. He’s no doubt the man the Princess spoke of earlier.

“When I saw you on the monitor, Highness, I believed I must have hit my head harder than I thought,” he says.

“With all that’s happened lately,” she replies, “I feel the same way.”

“Hey!” Ragnar strides over, and stands before Wilex. “You owe me credits. I killed those space pirates, and blew up their hideout. Figured you were trying to rip me off when you wouldn’t let me land.”

“You’ll be paid!” the Chief Assembler promises, the words coming in rapid succession as he retreats a couple of steps before the brutish mercenary. “And… and I’ll throw in a bonus for your help here today!”

“That’s okay then,” says Ragnar. He gives a satisfied grunt, and walks off to where Telemachus is examining what’s left of the Carnus 9000.

“I think some explanations are in order,” says Wilex. He beckons for the Princess to enter the building, and you follow in her wake.

...

In what appears to be some kind of council chamber, two tales are exchanged. The Princess tells of the Centurian Collective’s attack on the Sian Empire, and the Chief Assembler expresses his outrage.

Most human factions are wary of TALOS, and the Sian Empire is no exception. Mankind’s suspicion of advanced robots, those capable of thinking and fighting for themselves, is centuries old. During your schooling, you read a theory that it stems from the depiction of robots in old human fiction, who would often go berserk and attempt to overthrow their human masters. And matters weren’t helped by a few high profile disasters which occurred in more recent times, such as the robot fleet which ended up bombing a friendly colony due to a syntax error.

But though the Emperor himself has done nothing to alter the empire’s frosty relations with TALOS, Princess Illaria has made great efforts to improve matters. Thus she has many friends amongst the TALOS leadership. Moreover, the Centurians have often been directly opposed to TALOS’ interests in the UHW Assembly. Thus Wilex’s sympathies are entirely on the Princess’ side. And he seems particularly interested when she refers to the how the Centurians demonstrated advanced technologies in their attacks, well beyond those they were known to possess.

For his part, Chief Assembler Wilex explains the situation on Capek.

He tells you that Fabricatrix Vespasia, one of the highest ranking TALOS officials, came to Capek claiming that she had been authorized to conduct a surprise inspection of its robot factories and planetary defenses. Such inspections being far from unheard of, Wilex took her at her word and gave her access to the command center in Capek Major in accordance with standard procedure. Vespasia then proceeded to shut down the communications grid, seize control of the planetary defenses, and land large numbers of her robot troops. The Chief Assembler and his people had been determining what to do about the situation when Vespasia’s robots attacked.

“So we both find ourselves in the midst of our own crises,” muses the Princess.

“It would appear so,” says the Chief Assembler.

“What do you intend to do?” you ask him.

“We have to take back the command center,” he replies. “I don’t know what her plan is, but we have to seize control of the communication systems, so we can alert our fleets and our other planets.”

Your gaze meets that of the Princess, and you know what she’s about to say even before she says it.

“We’ll do whatever we can to aid you,” she says.

Streets of Capek Major

The Princess has been groomed since childhood to one day rule the Sian Empire – which would place her in command of all its armed forces. Thus she understands the ways of war. When she looks at the holographic display of Capek Major, she sees it as you do, visualizing the lines of attack, anticipating strengths and weaknesses based on what you see and what you’ve learned from the Chief Assembler.

Fabricatrix Vespasia’s troops are thinly spread, since she’s relying on a relatively small force to secure an entire city. That’s likely why she was so keen to press the attack – hoping to keep the defenders off-balance and prevent them from organizing a proper counterattack. Most of her forces are guarding the main approach to the command center.

Together you devise an attack on two fronts. Wilex’s battle bots will assault the command center directly, attempting to fight their way to the front door. This should provide an adequate distraction. Meanwhile the Princess will lead a small group through the city streets, and attempt to enter the building from the opposite side. The Chief Assembler warns you that Vespasia has stationed snipers on the rooftops you’ll be moving beneath, as well as packs of battle bots patrolling the streets.

You raise your concerns about the Princess putting herself in harm’s way, but it’s a mere formality. She overrules you, as you knew she would. Telemachus also refuses to be left behind, once he learns of your plans. You are far from happy at the thought of taking a mere child into combat. But short of destroying his mech, dragging him from the cockpit, and locking him in a room somewhere, there’s little you can do to stop him. He tells you that if you leave him behind, he’ll just join the robots in their frontal assault. At least if he’s with you you’ll be able to keep an eye on him.

Ragnar exchanges some words with the Chief Assembler out of your hearing, and informs you that he’ll be coming. Either he’s been offered a lot of credits, or is simply unwilling to pass up an opportunity for slaughter. But whatever the reason, his violence should prove useful.

You make your final arrangements, and wait for the gold and silver robots to begin their attack. Then you move out.

Bait & Blast

A robot sniper covers the streets you intend to pass through with its rifle, ready to send a deadly beam into the heart or head of anyone attempting to make their way towards the command center.

As arranged, your companions begin to open fire on a group of patrolling robots, keeping a corner of a building between them and the sniper, but drawing its attention. Meanwhile you make your way onto the rooftops, relying on stealth and the distraction they provide.

Once you’re in place, the riskier part of the plan is put in motion. Talia emerges from cover, ensuring that the sniper will go for her and not detect your approach from behind. You have to destroy the robot, before it takes her out.

The Deadliest Soldier...

The robot sniper collapses, a hole blown through its head. You seize its weapon. From up here on the rooftops you can cover your allies, and protect them as they fight their way through the streets.

You look through the rifle’s scope, and see a robot moving to attack the Princess. You place your finger on the trigger…

...Is The One You Never See

You move along the rooftops, keeping the others in sight. Whenever a target presents itself, you drop to one knee, take aim, and fire. Then you’re in motion again, trying to destroy some of the black and red robots in their path, and even the odds as much as you can.

Ahead of you, robot snipers are running across the rooftops, taking up firing positions. You raise your rifle, to pick them off before they can take their shots.

Path of Least Resistance

At last your companions reach their goal, and come to the square in which the command center stands. You climb down from the building to join them on the ground. You can see the rear entrance of the command center, and from the other side of the square you hear the sound of heavy fighting as your robot allies assault it from the front.

“Just a few of them,” says the Princess. “This shouldn’t be too difficult...”

You, Talia, and Ragnar issue a collective groan. Illaria and Telemachus look at the three of you in confusion. The Princess may understand much of the arts of war, but she lacks your combat experience.

“Never say things will be easy when you’re about to go into a battle,” growls Ragnar. “That’s just asking for trouble.”

“Well, it’s said now,” sighs Talia. “Let’s just get going.”

And so the five of you move out from cover, and attack the robots that stand guard at the rear entrance to the command center.

Carnifex Prime

The last robot falls in a clattering, sparking heap. But even as it hits the ground, the doors to the command center are opening, and you know that worse is yet to come.

A massive robot comes from within the building, the ground trembling beneath its four metal feet. It’s even bigger than the Carnus 9000 you fought earlier. As it passes through the doorway, a crackling energy barrier appears behind it, spanning the width and height of the entrance. It seems there’s no chance of evading the gargantuan machine, and trying to get inside.

“This is why we don’t tempt fate,” says Ragnar, “and say things are going to be easy.”

“Oh…” replies the Princess.

The blue light on the robot’s face, where a human’s eyes would be, turns to regard Princess Illaria. An ominous glow is building within it…

You dive at the Princess, knocking her aside as an energy beam blasts the spot where she was standing a moment ago, sending shards of stone into the air. As the two of you hit the ground, you look up to see the eye glowing once more, gazing right at you.

But a blast from Telemachus’ mech hits it square in the face, and the glow subsides for a moment – long enough for you to drag the Princess to her feet, and get moving. The others are already opening up on the robot for all they’re worth, their fire scouring its metal plates.

.............................

The robot freezes, its arms and legs locking into place in mid-movement, becoming as motionless as a statue. The weapons that bristle across its frame are silent. The blue lights on its body flicker for a moment. Then the blue is replaced with bright red. That’s never a good sign.

The others are equally perturbed, and a second later all five of you are running back out of the square, seeking cover amongst the buildings. A long moment passes as you take shelter behind a solid-looking structure.

“Maybe it’s not going to explode,” Talia suggests. “Just because something flashes red-”

Then comes the explosion.

You return to the square, which is now covered in bits and pieces of robot. Some of the wreckage is flaming, other fragments sparking. Ahead of you, past the billows of smoke which rise from the broken heap lying before it, the entrance to the command centre is now uncovered. Perhaps the barrier was overloaded by the force of the blast, or else the force-field was linked to the robot. Either way, your path is now clear.

Command Center

The five of you head towards the stairs leading up to the doorway. On the other side of the building, a fierce battle still rages between the two robot forces. But if you can carry out your mission within, it should soon be over.

You ascend the stairs, and pick your way over the wreckage, through the smoke, to reach the entrance. Inside the building, you find yourself in a long, high-ceilinged lobby. The smoke outside the entrance obscures the daylight, and the only illumination in the chamber is a soft blue glow from the lights embedded in the walls and ceiling.

At the opposite end of the lobby is a door, which begins to slide open.

Charge

Black and red robots pour through the doorway, spreading out into firing positions with mechanical efficiency. Red lasers flash towards you.

There’s no cover in the corridor, and little space to evade so much gunfire.

But Telemachus charges, and as he moves in front the body of his mech intercepts much of the fire. A moment later you’re all running after him, shooting from behind the cover he provides.

Hacking The System

Telemachus closes the distance, and his laser-edged chainsaw flashes as he carves his way through the remaining robots. Ragnar is only a moment behind him, cleaving another robot open with a swing from his axe. The lobby is yours. So far, so good.

You go through the door, and find yourself in a smaller room, with corridors leading off in three directions. For the moment no enemies are in sight, but you can hear the thudding of robotic footsteps coming from nearby.

“It’s this way,” says the Princess, gesturing to the corridor on the left.

You run into that passage, cutting down the two robots at the far end with a hail of fire as you sprint. You reach the arched door they were guarding, a thick metal barrier which looks like it could withstand a great deal of punishment. Princess Illaria’s fingers dart across the keys of the security panel next to the door. The sounds of pursuit are close behind you, coming from just out of sight beyond the mouth of the corridor.

“It’s not working!” she cries. “The code Wilex gave me isn’t working!”

Robots appear at the far end of the corridor, and once again red laser fire flies at you.

“Keep them busy!” yells Ragnar. “I’ll open the door!”

You’re dubious that a brute like Ragnar could circumvent a TALOS security system, but he seems insistent. So the rest of you form up around the door, and start blasting away at the robots.

From behind you there’s a horrendous clanging noise. You steal a glance over your shoulder, and see that Ragnar is hacking the security panel… with his axe.

Manual Override

“Bashing things always works,” Ragnar gloats, as the security door slides open. Then he turns round, and opens fire with his machinegun to help you finish off the last robots.

You enter the room beyond, and press the button to seal the door behind you. No interruptions. Telemachus pops open the cover to his cockpit, and leaps down from his mech. He’ll need hands for what he’s about to do, not a cannon or chainsaw.

The middle of the room is dominated by a large chair. Displays and terminals cover the walls. Directly in front of the chair, a big screen shows a video feed from outside the building, looking down on the fighting taking place in front of it. The gold and silver robots are hard-pressed, taking heavy fire from the black and red robots arrayed before them, and from huge laser blasts that seem to come from the screen itself.

Princess Illaria runs to one of the terminals. In her hand she brandishes a data stick Wilex gave her. She thrusts it into a slot in front of her. You hope it works better than his code did. Talia moves over to another terminal, and does the same.

A yellow holographic grid appears to your right, high on the wall. Red lines and dots blink on its surface.

“There it is!” says Telemachus. He runs towards the grid, but it’s far beyond his reach. “Why would they put it so high?” he whines.

“I’ve got you,” says Ragnar. He grabs the boy, lifts him up, and sits him on his shoulders.

Telemachus’ little fingers dance across the display. You sit down in the large chair in the center of the room, and move your hands to the control panel in front of it. Red lights, like those on the yellow grid, blink there. But a moment later there’s a cry of joy from Telemachus, and they turn green.

The turrets at the front of the building are under manual control now. Your control. It’s time to even the odds out there…

Metal Storm

Laser blasts ravage the ranks of the black and red robots on the screen before you. The gold and silver robots surge forwards, destroying those that are left, making for the front entrance.

“Well done,” says the Princess. “All of you.”

“Now for the bitch who did all this,” grunts Ragnar, a look of grim anticipation on his face as he swings his axe to and fro in the air.

Telemachus is already scrambling into his mech and closing the cockpit, perhaps before you have a chance to grab him and force him to stay behind. But you’re not sure you would have tried to stop him anyway. He’s proven very useful, and you don’t have the luxury of stopping to ponder the ethics of taking a child into battle.

The door to the turret control room slides open. The five of you move back down the corridor, and into another passage. It’s unguarded. The other robots must have gone to the front entrance, to repel those who are now storming the building.

You ascend a staircase, and come out on a gallery overlooking the front lobby. A little further along it is the stairway leading up to the main control room. Below you a horde of black and red robots is trading fire with the gold and silver bots surging through the entrance.

You and your companions shoot down from your vantage point as the robots clash.

Fabricatrix Vespaisa

The gold and silver robots pour in from below, now in complete control of the lobby. They fan out, moving to secure the rest of the building.

“We could let them deal with things from here,” you say. But the Princess is already moving towards the stairs to the main control room.

At the top of the stairs is another security door. Next to it is a control panel similar to the one which was outside the turret control room. Once again Ragnar puts his axe to work, and the door slides open. Seems like quite a significant design flaw…

The control room is a lofty round chamber, with blue display screens circling the walls. In the middle, at the foot of a circular platform, are more black and red robots, these ones somehow more menacing in appearance than the ones you fought before. Atop that platform stands a woman in black and red robes, a vicious sneer on her face. At first glance it looks as if she has tentacles, like some kind of alien creature. Then you realize that they’re cables, extending from her back into slots on the walls. Some kind of interface.

“That’s a Fabricatrix’s uniform?” asks Talia. “Seriously?”

Her costume does indeed seem rather revealing for the uniform of a high-ranking official… Then the woman and her robots attack, and you have no more time to ponder the matter.

........................................

Fabricatrix Vespasia topples over, falling off her platform and tumbling to the floor below. She sprawls there in a rather inelegant fashion. Most of the cables attached to the device on her back are now detached from the sockets on the walls. They twitch and flail like dying serpents.

She gives an unintelligible curse, then flops over onto her back, and raises her weapon. One of Talia’s pistols flashes, and the weapon flies from Vespasia’s hand, along with two of her fingers. She gasps in pain, her lungs unable to muster a scream.

“What were you doing here?” asks the Princess, desperate to learn all she can before death claims the Fabricatrix. “Why did you seize the planet?”

Vespasia spits, and remains silent. Then Ragnar stomps down on her damaged hand. This time she does manage to shriek, and blood erupts from her mouth with the effort it costs her.

“The Centurians!” she screams, as Ragnar grinds his boot into her hand. “They promised me… promised… me…”

A final rasping breath comes from her throat, along with droplets of blood. Then her eyes glaze over and her head slumps to the floor.

...

With the communications system back under the Chief Assembler’s control, a message is sent out across TALOS space. Fleets soon converge on the planet, and a meeting of leading officials is called. As a result of her role in the liberation of Capek, Princess Illaria is permitted to join them in the council chamber, and no one raises an objection when you enter alongside her. In their eyes you’re not merely her bodyguard, but her advisor. And under the circumstances, you suppose that’s true.

The news that Fabricatrix Vespasia was acting on behalf of the Centurian Collective shocks them. But the holographic recorders in the commander center’s control room captured her dying words, and upon viewing the images even the most incredulous official accepts the truth. It seems that the Centurians have greater designs than even the conquest of the Sian Empire. They wished to gain a foothold in TALOS space, and it would have been a powerful one given the many robot factories on Capek, which could have been used to turn out legions of the Fabricatrix’s bots.

Around the table there are angry calls for war, for vengeance against the Centurians. Other voices suggest that the Centurians be denounced at the UHW Assembly instead, and sanctions proposed against them. The Princess listens to all this, and you see her sharpened political senses absorbing every word, every mannerism as she assesses each person in the room as surely as you would assess the movement of fighter ships in a space battle.

At last it’s her turn. She stands, all eyes upon her, and when she speaks it’s with all the skill of one born to lead. Eloquent words flow from her lips, and in their echo, in the determined, passionate expression on her beautiful face, you see the empress she’s destined to become. Heads nod around the table, and you sense the flow of her will enveloping every man and woman there. Some of them require no urging, already keen on a military response. And the others are caught up in the raging tide of her oratory, of the arguments she presents. Even before the decision is made, you know what the result will be. TALOS is going to war.

Then Princess Illaria tells them of the strange technologies the Centurians possessed when they attacked the Child of Heaven, of the capabilities they demonstrated beyond those which should have been within their grasp.

The leaders of TALOS are perturbed by this knowledge, at the thought that the Centurians might have secrets which could give them an edge in the coming conflict. They declare that the truth must be known, and the Princess nods her agreement. And then she poses her stratagem, which you believe was in her mind from the very start – all the discussions leading up to this one suggestion.

She calls for a surprise attack on a Centurian fleet, made without a declaration of war – a violation of the Union of Human Worlds’ laws. Her plan is to capture a Centurian leader, and extract the truth. Thus you will learn the source of their mysterious new technologies.