Alpha Centauri
Rex Caeli

Major Victory stepped forward, unnerved by the haughty shadow that Cynosure represented. He had been a hero in a distant future and he had seen the horrors that could come of catastrophic rebellion. It was the best reason to describe his current pro-conformity stance on politics. It was definitely the reason he had agreed to Gorani’s proposal of a chaperone squad to shadow his own team. The Guardians of the Galaxy, an apt name that had developed after their arguable success on Sarka, had learned a lot about themselves and their abilities as a team. Major Victory could see the cracks of doubt amongst them and he didn’t want to push them further away.

The Guardians of the Galaxy were his second chance.

Few hours had passed since the memories he had once lost had returned to him and Alpha Centauri’s destruction was a cause that he followed with vigour. His people had paid a high price for the deeds of others. The Alpha Centaurians had created a war that had spanned for millennia and cost innumerable lives. It was a cause that had no right or wrong, greed and power had corrupted a society. Major Victory saw distinct parallels with the Universal Church of Truth, which gained its power through the weakness of kings and queens. He knew they, like the pariah that was greed, were not vanquished but laying in wait for a chance to strike.

This instinct was what tied Major Victory and Cynosure together as a duo. They led opposing teams and channelled this intuition in different forms but their mutual beliefs allowed them to communicate frankly. Cynosure was a more aggressive and pessimistic individual than Major Victory, who wished and saw the chance of a better future.

Cynosure hovered a short distance from him but Major Victory dismissed the immediate suspicion of the indigo-hued Adonis. He sensed that the Luminals leader was a fierce and somewhat hostile leader but that wasn’t surprisingly given the military inspired unit that he controlled. Vance had made it his mission to search the origins of the Luminals, and Faze had been surprisingly helpful in his enquiries despite her obvious disdain at the Sarkan incident. The Luminals were a militia, unlike most superhumans on Earth and they used violence and even death as a means of empowerment and patriotism.

There was nothing greater than to die for your cause.

Alpha Centauri had been divided into seven quarrelling areas when the disputes had first begun. Little information was known about each of the six that they had now been sent into, but Gorani hadn’t even been able to find a specific location for the rumoured seventh city. Gorani was acting as the holographic SHEILA had once done for the Guardians and Major Victory had forgotten the perks of such an informant. It was more difficult to pinpoint problems in the recesses of space. Since the return of his memory, he was more determined than ever to what was right.

Slowly, hesitantly, the men who had been soldiers all of their lives marched into the centre of the magnificent city. Rex Caeli seemed to have taken more than its name from the antiquity culture of Earth. Persephone would have finally been at home in her surroundings. Buildings so tall that they would have challenged New York watched over the approaching heroes, but it was the sentries that caught their eyes. Men and woman stood on the repeating balconies with their weapons aimed towards the centre of the crowd.

Initially it was hard to see what the focus of the attention was but things quickly became all too clear to the men. Cynosure showed his impulsiveness reactively but Major Victory used his psionic abilities to hold the muscular man at bay. They were unwelcome visitors in a strange and hostile world; it wouldn’t be a great idea to launch forward with all guns blazing. Rex Caeli was a monarchy based society and there was a sense of tradition that abounded through the crowd. Various offensive tools lined the stage where a man, the Alpha Centaurians had a surprisingly human appearance, sat with his sceptre.

Standing proudly in chains was a young woman, her golden curls bounding across the pale porcelain skin that stretched over the entirety of her body. Vance was immediately drawn in by her doe-eyed innocence and the tasteful curl of her lips. She physically resembled much of what Aleta had once pertained but she was clearly a different woman, not because of the intense strength they all felt but because of the tainted vulnerability with which she watched the king.

Forcefully she was thrown to her knees and forced to look into his face. She did not demand forgiveness as she spoke, she didn’t even request it. Her words drew a dull reality across the crowd. “I do not regret my actions, father.”

“Then you will rightfully suffer for them,” drawled the lazy tongue of her father, the King, as he looked upon the young princess with disdain and hatred. Familial ties had been lost in the war and he was adamant that all would be punished.

Cynosure again lurched forward but was prevented from moving. Major Victory’s eyes slipped towards the once stoic but now alert sentries that lined the walls of the surrounding buildings. Some weapons gently shifted with an air of suspicion, now trained upon him and the indigo Luminals leader.

“We must remain calm,” hissed the time traveller.

Cynosure slumped his shoulders heavily.

“Then I will die by your sword,” preached the princess as she lifted the sceptre to reveal the sharp, glimmering blade that she spoke of. Her fingers traced the harsh ridge with solidarity in her eyes. It was the same obvious glare that Major Victory had witnessed in the eyes of the Luminals, of which he was granted temporary membership. She was determined to die for her cause; the only outcome she saw was martyrdom.

She made her plea. The King stepped to his feet and caught the crowd off guard as he ploughed the blade through his daughter’s throat. Blood squirted viciously around the stage as her body began to quiver and shake. Her vital organs began to fail and her nervous system flared in the shock of the attack. Pale eyes shot skyward as the long blonde curls mixed with the crimson blood that gushed over them.

The king thrust the blade a second time as her body stopped. Major Victory felt violently ill at the sight but what came next caught them both by surprise.

The crowd cheered.

THE TIDE THAT LEFT AND NEVER CAME BACK

Part II: Hostility

By Gavin McMahon

Alpha Centauri
Terra Reginae

It was a sight to behold.

Woman, secure in their ferocity, lined the cave-side homes that marked the beginning to the city of Terra Reginae. Each body was a subtly toned as the last and it was immediately clear to the jokester that these were more than standard women, these Alpha Centaurians were warriors. Bug couldn’t hide the smile that was brought to his face at the sight of their nudity; he couldn’t deny the beauty that was presented before him. Not that he had ever considered cross-breeding through the species.

Bug’s antennae perked as he scanned the area and tried to formulate a plan. Major Victory wasn’t aware that he was currently on-mission. Gorani had requested that he prove himself along with the others and he intended to do so. Major Victory couldn’t deny him his place on the team if he were to successfully diffuse the situation amongst these warrior women. However, Mantis or Persephone or even one of the Luminals females would have been a better choice. Gorani wasn’t going to make this easy and it felt frustrating to Bug that Gorani should toy with the outcome of a war.

Crater stood back with his arms folded across his expansive chest. His alien form allowed him to camouflage himself against the rocky, mountainous backdrop but the fuchsia uniform was an eyesore. So far he had proven that he was little more than the Luminals muscle. He had spent almost thirty minutes marvelling over the fact that they had been teleported to another world from the base of Knowhere. Bug expected that would be common practice amongst the Luminals in their roles as galactic heroes but he surmised it was one of those things that filled him with childish wonder.

His abnormal grunts had simply become crude since the woman had come into sight. Bug had been warned of the tempers of these women, especially since their freedom from the rule of men. Women wanted the run of their world and it was because of this that they had been teleported so far outside of the city. It wasn’t that the women where erotic in their actions but men being men had instantly objectified them.

Bug chastised himself for this. He needed to treat them as his equals if he was to win their respect and influence them from pursuing this war.

The means to this persuasion were still unclear. The mountains seemed like a suitable choice for the warriors, some of the women where clearly the sentries on duty, as they were well fortified. Bug couldn’t even see the point of entry that must have been used by the women. His throat suddenly seemed to be clogged with a mucus-like substance. Bug failed to realise this was the nerves he felt. He had never been a profound thinker nor had he been much of a strategist, that wasn’t his role. He was the fun one, the jokester, who kept the mood light and allowed the other members a conduit to process their frustration through.

Bug had never questioned this.

It was an unlikely partnership. Bug had hoped to be teamed up with Suspensor or Faze; he had been deprived of female companionship for quite awhile. Crater would provide a good shield if it were to come to that but he really couldn’t think that there would be much more use for the brutish Luminal. Still, even as he thought disparagingly about his teammate a plan formed in his mind. Eyes widened beneath the viridian helmet but they were masked by the ruby quartz lenses that he hid behind. It was time for Bug to become the leader, he saw no negative outcomes.

Hoisting his body into the air, Bug bounded over the rocky preface that had hidden them for the last ten minutes. He had no time to waste. They wanted inside but there was no entry so they would have to be brought inside. Thunderously, Crater followed suit in an almost childlike manner. There was something endearing about the mountainous oaf. No sooner had his feet landed on the wide, sandy plain than his lack of forethought came back to haunt him. It had never dawned upon him that they may attack first and ask questions later.

Still, he became alert as a warning shot was fired at his feet.

Crater came to a stop, seeing the violence as an attack and hoisting a rock into the air. He fired it before Bug could fully comprehend the situation.

“Shit,” spat the insectoid alien.

Bricks and caverns peeled into non-existence as the mountain split before them. It didn’t take more than a few minutes for an army to burst open in the distance. Each warrior was heavily armed and a definite threat. Bug no longer saw them as his equals or as creatures to be objectified, they now had the upper hand and there was nothing he could do about that.

He briefly wondered if it was too late to run.

“What tik did you tik do?” he yelped in his confusion, hands slapping against his helmet and shocking him. His nerves were frayed but he knew that he had to pull himself together. The pressure was on to somehow gain control of the situation. Instinctively, he attacked the offensive force. Elongated legs propelled him quickly into the air and onto the shoulders of crag-like alien as he wrapped his arms around his current colleague’s neck.

Crater was surprised but not so easily taken down as he swiped Bug from his shoulders with more speed than he seemed capable of. Shifting his stance uneasily Crater’s eyes bore some indiscernible emotion. Bug felt the betrayal he had wrought as he rubbed the back of his hamstring. Leaping forward he made for a second attack but with the glimmer of Crater’s ruby head piece, the monstrous alien crashed his fists into the earth and shot sand into the air.

Bug slid back into a crouching position as the women arrived, some on horseback and others on foot, and quickly surrounded the twosome.

“Why are you in our lands?” snarled a woman on horseback, she cantered past the hulking Crater and made straight for Bug. Her expression said troublemaker and she made this sentiment clear as she hissed at him. “We do not tolerate trespassers or spies. I cannot promise you a quick death.”

Bug choked. “We are not tik spies or traitors tik. We only tik want to help. We tik are with the tik Luminals.”

“The Luminals should know better than to immerse themselves in affairs that do not concern them,” yelled a woman from the back.

Her leader narrowed her vision. “We do not require the aide of a man or anyone else to protect our own lands. For too long we have been stifled and pushed to the sides of humanity and we cannot allow it to continue.”

“Use us, tik we could be of tik some use tik I’m sure. My tik name is Bug tik and this is Crater tik. There are many tik ways this can go,” pleaded the insectoid. “War tik is not the only answer.”

Her eyes hardened as she looked down upon him. “Sarfaya, leader of the marita. We do not need your help, interloper. Welcome to our home but I assure you that you will not enjoy your stay.”

Crater grunted as the marita closed in.

“Marita, we have our prisoners.”

Alpha Centauri
Vero Regi

“Oh please, I will do no such think you imbecilic man.”

“Don’t you ever shut up long enough to consider your options?”

“That is humorous considering you are the exact reason we are currently in this position.”

The females hissed at each other in irritation.

“Be silent,” yelled the man before them.

He towered over them, his long grey beard falling to his feat. The man’s features were wizened with years of experience. Crows feet lined his glare and gave the gentle confliction as he watched over the two women who knelt beneath him, bound by the chains that had caught them. Persephone, the Goddess of Springtime and Guardian of the Galaxy, was disputing the offer that had just been made to them. Suspensor, the Luminal assigned to deal with the temperamental Goddess, was more open to the offer on the table. Persephone grunted in response to his demand.

Even Hades couldn’t calm her.

“And you can get us out of this.”

King Lygg of the Iusta, as he had earlier introduced himself under more polite circumstances, watched the women restlessly. “I demanded silence!” His screech echoed around the walls and brought their attention onto him. “It is not an impossible offer. It would take only one vow, my lady.”

Persephone snorted. “It would require me to act as your concubine. I apologise for the dignity I have, King Lygg. You do not speak to a commoner in your ranks but to a mighty Goddess.”

“I would have you as my wife,” he replied tartly. “Yes is all I will need to release you and your friend into a more appropriate lifestyle for a woman.”

Suspensor growled.

Persephone spat at his feet. “I care not for the proposals you offer. I will take my punishment as you see fit. I shall not stop until the earth quakes before my feet.”

“Remove them,” screeched the king for a second time.

Guards rested their arms around the waists of the women and hoisted them upright. Persephone’s neck snapped backwards as the man clutched at her golden ringlets and pulled her close to him. Rage burned in her emerald eyes as she was victimised under the hands of a man driven to desperation. Her breath was heavy and her chest

fluctuated heavily under the strain. “I will have you.”

King Lygg returned to his seat as Persephone and Suspensor were led into the streets. His city was nothing more than a shantytown of desperate people. Clambering for some sort of freedom and searching for strength they no longer possessed. Dead lined the streets idly. Stomachs that had once been bloated were now emaciated and skin was drawn tight to the body. Persephone was disgusted at the sight but there were times when she remembered similar things in antiquity. There had been much happening beyond the major cities such as Athens that the Gods had ignored.

It had all been fun until they looked beyond the borders of their playgrounds.

Her green dress, perhaps not the most practical attire for a superhero, rested loosely from her shoulders and trailed behind her as the guards actively avoided the train. Ringlets of gold shivered across her porcelain skin, her body was slightly illuminated as an effect of her godhood. Her cherry-red lips quivered as she embraced herself for yet another assault on her body. Sarka had been a trying experience for the proud goddess but she knew that she was headed to the cells. Persephone had considered using a spell to unbind herself but she then remembered the truth of her mission, she had to overcome these tribulations as Hercules or Ares would have.

Her presence served as a distraction from war. If King Lygg was attempting to win her heart then she would have time to diplomatically reverse the current civil war.

Suspensor, with tufts of green hair flittering in the wind, looked towards her with her pale white gaze. Stoic and impulsive, Suspensor represented a woman who was born to war and she thrived in it. It was foreign nature to prevent a war from occurring. She understood the dangers but death had been in every aspect of her life thus far. Suspensor gave a soft smirk as she walked proudly through the bodies that surrounded them. Incredibly, she was the calmest that Persephone had seen her so far. There was something almost wolf-like about the movements of the young alien woman, as opposed to the grace that exuded the goddess.

They were led into another of the small houses which smelt strongly of faeces and urine. Suspensor took it in her stride but Persephone bolted back towards the doorway but was forced onto her knees. It was a small, guarded house but there was another resident waiting for them when they arrived. Suspensor immediately settled herself in the opposite corner. She had been a prisoner-of-war on more than one occasion. Persephone however slipped to her feet as the doors shut loudly and looked over the cloaked figure with a peculiar sense of concern.

“We need to get out of this place,” Persephone remarked. “There isn’t much that we can do within the confines of this building.”

“There isn’t anything you can do anywhere, sweetheart.”

The murmurs resounded from the cloaked figure as it stood before them. Her hood was swiftly lowered to reveal the bruised and battered face of a young Alpha Centaurian woman. Her dark hair appeared to have been cut wildly and without practice from her head as it stuck up wildly and somewhat oddly. Her eyes were almost childlike and awe-some. Her movements were spritely for a woman in the condition she was in.

“There isn’t anything that anyone can do, Lygg has already made up his mind,” she continued in a sombre tone that contradicted her energetic movements. “I am Lygg Asdís, the Queen of the House of Lygg. We were once the rightful rulers of this place before we were forced into exile. My husband has always enjoyed his luxuries.”

Suspensor was cautiously alert.

“Asdís, I am Persephone and this is Suspensor of the Luminals. I do not understand your meaning,” Persephone commented. “If we were to escape then surely we could rectify the situation with your husband and lead Alpha Centauri into a brighter future for all who are involved.” She was shocked that he had approached her for marriage when he was still married and even more so to discover his wife was in the cells.

Suspensor growled. “Your fate is already sealed goddess.”

Asdís continued despite the interruptions. “I could not bear him a son or any child. What is a king without an heir? Dissent was rife within the kingdom and I had never wanted anything more than to give him a child. He began to beat me repeatedly for my failures and gradually my body was unable to reproduce. I failed in my role of his wife.” She paused as she moved towards the door longingly. “Alpha Centauri was prosperous but uneasy. Dynas, Lygg’s cousin, began an uprising that divided the country in two and it was during this time that the other factions began. Lygg had lost control.”

Persephone cocked her brows. “He has lost everything and I understand that but why does that mean that we cannot change his stance on this war?”

Asdís smiled.

“If Lygg cannot rule then no-one shall. This world with go down in flames.”

Persephone paused.

Alpha Centauri
Viri Pacifici

“I would have expected something more.”

Faze turned to face the behemoth. “I don’t see why. This society is peaceful and content to live in their poverty. Why should you expect conflict?”

“Conflict lies beneath the surface of even the soundest peace,” replied Drax the Destroyer coldly. “It just waits to be found.”

Viri Pacifici was hidden in the shadow of the mountains but illuminated by the pale white lights that scattered around the city. The Pacem had found the proverbial light in the darkness and made it their home. Drax the Destroyer had been astounded by the extent of the darkness that stretched over the fledgling city. It was impossible to see beyond the lights and he was cautious of the darkness. Nobody watched for signs of war stretching into their valley, it was almost as though the Pacem were happy to wait on the wings until death arrived to claim them. Such ambivalence was hard to comprehend for the behemoth that remembered nothing but instinctively knew war.

War had defined him.

Odana, the leader of the Pacem, had greeted them personally and been hospitable since their arrival. Her appearance was almost reminiscent of Persephone, except her long hair was as dark and her features. She watched them with pursed lips and heavy lidded eyes. Her clothes were as white as everything that surrounded her but somewhat ceremonial. She had introduced them to the history of Pacem, a group who had sought refuge in the eye of war. Viri Pacifici had no use from a strategic point of view; the war had never spread that far east of the capital city.

Faze sat heavily on the seats provided. Her body gave the facade of a man but Drax the Destroyer understood that she held no such strength of character or ability. He vaguely recognised her species as one of the premier alien nations amongst the Universal Church of Truth’s ranks. Sarka had been just one incident. Faze seemed particularly affected by the destruction that had been wrought on her faith but she kept her feelings silent. Drax could feel that she was intimidated and untrusting of him. Major Victory had been giving a similar vibe since they had returned from Sarka.

Drax had done what needed to be done. He made no apologies.

“We sought to be free from the ways of war. Death and destruction did not please us and so we formed Pacem, a movement that is submissive. We do no harm and we expect the same courtesy of our neighbours. It is, however, not guaranteed. We have had incidents when stragglers have encroached on our lands and created trouble,” Odana spoke with a slow tongue. Her words were melodic and mesmerising.

Drax nodded. “How have you dealt with such incidents if you advocate peace so thoroughly?”

“Some circumstances warrant quick termination.”

“You have killed them?” Faze queried.

Odana shrugged her shoulders innocently. “We have protected our way of life. It is believed that the ends will often justify the means. Viri Pacifici is a small nation and we ask only that we be left in peace. If we are challenged then we will retaliate.”

“Odana,” began Drax the Destroyer as his eyes flickered with energy. “Could I speak with you alone for a moment?”

Faze immediately burst to her feet. “Anything said can be said in my presence, Destroyer.” Her lack of trust had waned into non-existence. He could tell that she felt he was up to something. She had made repeated attempts to break into his head but Drax had always prevented such attacks. Telepath’s were too accommodating for their own good sometimes. He would never be able to trust them.

Odana smiled. “Of course. I would be much happier to speak with you in-depth.” Her fox-like features were every bit as sneaky and suspicious as the man who stood before her. Faze wasn’t sure who provided the real threat. Drax the Destroyer was nothing less than a wildcard. She particularly saw his presence as a liability to any given situation. Amnesia was not always permanent and that concerned her.

Drax and Odana made their way into the darkness. Time immediately seemed to slow down around her. Faze shifted uneasily, barely spotting faint white glare of Odana’s clothing against the pitch-black backdrop. Her lengthy pink braids rattled endlessly as she stood in the cold breeze. Her face contorted into an expression more feminine that the brutish body attached to it could imagine. In what had only been a matter of seconds, Drax returned to the scene without Odana – who could still be seen in the distance.

“What’s the matter? What are you up to?” snapped the alien Luminal. “Why is Odana out there alone?”

Drax smiled. “She won’t be coming back.”

Limply he dropped what appeared to be the Alpha Centaurians heart at the feet of the Luminal, amidst the screams of her peers as the Pacem leader’s white glow collapsed in the distance.

Alpha Centauri
Regem Maris

It was beyond a beautiful sight to see the ocean in all of its glory. Beta Ray Bill watched the shoreline with the knowledge that somewhere amongst the ridges, his comrades were fighting for the survival of this planet. Sarka was fresh in his mind and he knew that he had saved them but it hadn’t filled the void that was left by the destruction of Korbin. Nothing would ever relieve him of the truth. He had been created to stop Surtur and he hadn’t yet accomplished that goal, he couldn’t move on until he did so. It was another mission that seemed impossible from where he currently stood. The Guardians of the Galaxy had offered him a home and a mission when he had needed one but he wasn’t sure if he needed them anymore, or if they needed him.

Rocket Raccoon hung back slightly.

Brightstorm was their assigned chaperone but they knew nothing of the blue-hued creature. His hands occasionally crackled with an electricity-like energy but that wasn’t enough to fully earn the anthropomorphic raccoon’s trust. Rocket was like Bill in many ways; he was lost without direction and concerned that Drax the Destroyer – whom he had been minding since their brief time with the Starjammers – was roaming the planet free. Faze seemed like a capable heroine but Drax took a lot of special attention, and the constant fear that his memories would be retriggered. He had joined the Guardians so that they could be his help in the mission but now he wasn’t sure if that was the right reason. He could hold his own but he had never learned who he truly was before entering the team dynamic.

He now wanted that closure.

“Will we stand here all day or go on in?” muttered the anthropomorphic raccoon as he played restlessly with the large sword, almost as large as he was, beside him.

Beta Ray Bill swiftly turned towards the rising citadel, mentally contrasting it with the little of Atlantis he had seen whilst working alongside the Avengers. It was extravagant with the crystalline shimmer to rising palace and the surrounding areas. If any of the factions were driven by greed then it was Regem Maris. His red cloak billowed as they made their approach but they were silent. It wasn’t until the trumpeting began that they realised they were expected. Bill stopped sharply; Brightstorm and Rocket fell into line behind him. Rocket lightly grasped at the shaft of his sword.

The procession that marched from the liquidised walls of the palace spread in front of them until a man, ruggedly handsome and exposed from the waist up, appeared before them. He carried a hook in his arm which he tossed playfully into the air. His right eye was completely white and vacant but it was the scar that ran across it that showed them he had been blinded – presumably in battle. His shoulder length blond hair flapped wildly in the wind of the shoreline, it still dripped as if he had been swimming.

“I am Arka of the Mari,” he called to them jovially as he clapped his hand loudly across Beta Ray Bill’s shoulder. His smile widened. “Welcome to Regem Maris, travellers. It isn’t often that people remember Alpha Centauri as a destination.”

Brightstorm stepped forward. “We are representatives of the Luminals. We would like an opportunity to speak to you, Arka. We have come a long way for the chance and it would be a shame to dismiss this possible brotherhood and camaraderie.”

Arka smiled. “A Luminal in our very own home. How can I refuse such prestigious warriors? You are what we needed. We will feast!”

“A feast is wholly unnecessary,” replied Bill bluntly.

“But not unappreciated,” interjected Rocket as he clutched his grumbling stomach. He had always been an admirer of food.

Arak continued as if they had not spoken at all. “I would like you to follow me into the main citadel. It would such a waste to skip such an opportunity. I ask, what is your name?”

“Brightstorm, your sire,” replied the alien.

“Brightstorm, we will talk until we are closer than brothers could ever be!” called the man as he bolted forward with the same energetic nature he had arrived with. Brightstorm regally began to follow him with the airs and graces of a prince regent himself. Bill and Rocket shuffled afterwards, unsure of the position they were about to undertake but pleased that Brightstorm seemed capable of handling himself in political situations.

Easily, they followed.

Alpha Centauri
Para Bellum

“This one does not see a city.”

Mantis stood amidst the rocks as she looked over the expansive sand dunes in hopes of finding a city in the distance. Her debrief had explained that she would be dealing with a city-based faction and she saw nothing but rocks. Mantis was far from distressed but she did shift her body nervously as she looked around at the suspicious faces of Impact and Discharge, the two Luminals assigned to her. Gorani clearly thought she would be trouble but she didn’t mind. Mantis had been trained by the villainous Libra in the martial arts, and that was before she even introduced her powers into the battle.

Her eyes flickered as her olive green skin glistened under the fading light of the sun. Neither made her a response, she immediately took a defensive position as they looked down on her. Mantis’ long dark waves spread across her shoulders, held back from her face by a thin purple hair band. Discharge lurched forward as he finally addressed her concerns.

“Sorry about this but Suspensor wanted this sorted,” he grinned maliciously. “She told us to take no prisoners and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

Impact jolted forward. “It’s nothing personal but we’ve got a good thing going with the Luminals and we want to keep it that way.”

“Besides, Suspensor’s calling the shots because Cynosure is too submissive to put up a fight against Gorani.” Discharge continued.

Mantis had stopped listening to their mindless chatter after they had revealed they intended for her to die. She wasn’t so comfortable with that idea. Mantis had been a heroine and a villain, she had been a mother and she had lost her son but she would never allow herself to fall at the hands of these supposed heroes. Electricity arced around her as she used her natural ability to sense the weak points in a opponent and dodge the oncoming sparks. Discharge was the sharpshooter and she realised her mistake for focusing on him when Impact delivered an roundhouse kick to her fact and knocked her to the ground.

One, two, three…

She breathed heavily as she pounced back. Vines snapped to life around her as the Vietnamese woman used her geokinetic abilities to catch Discharge in place. She could have killed him with a thought but she refrained, albeit with difficulty, because that wasn’t how a hero should act. Dropping her eyes, Mantis scanned the area without a single word. Impact was predictable, reading his mind allowed her to see that he had a formula for his attacks. He didn’t realise it was a formula that she was about to crack.

As Impact slid forward, Mantis jumped and wrapped her legs around his neck. Pulling her weight, she thrust him into the dirt behind her. Impact moaned woozily but Discharge was her next concern when she realised he was missing from where she had bound him.

Mantis scuttled forward, telepathically trying to reach out for him but, as she expected, all she heard was static. Discharge seemed to be a creature made wholly of static electricity. Her heart raced as she stumbled hastily around a ridge to find him unconscious at her feet. She jumped back initially but then leant forward and realised there was a pulse. He was alive but somebody had beaten him down and it wasn’t her.

Lights blazed from the opposite side of the rock and she walked towards them, entranced by the sudden melodic choir in her head.

Alpha Centauri

Viri Pacifici

The collapse of Odana’s body spurred the Luminal into action as Faze launched forward with the double-ended daggers that had been attached to her waist. Drax easily dodged the oncoming attack. He recollected him as Faze dove headfirst into the sand. The Pacem gathered from all around to scream at the death as many rushed forward to Odana. Odana had led them from the city into their new lives and many felt an affinity with her, an affinity that Drax had destroyed through his cruel murder. She was a princess from the House of Dynas and both of Lygg’s daughters have fought against the war.

Odana had lost her ally when Teuta returned home to plead with their father for immunity for the Pacem.

Faze had seen the weakness that Drax had chosen to exploit. Odana was the leader of the tribe but she was not the will behind the Pacem. She lacked motivation and she lacked strength. Her role was subversive because of her sneakier nature and her repeated lying. Odana had never been a much loved princess, her failings were too wildly known but she had fought to redeem herself and in Drax’s action she had done so. Odana had become a martyr.

She would be the first of many if Drax was successful.

“You have done the very thing we came to stop,” gnarled Faze as she brushed the dirt from herself. She watched the vacant expression on his face. It worried her. Suspensor had begged her to kill her teammate on this mission but she had refused to take part. She now firmly reconsidered.

Drax shrugged. “It was the time to take action.”

“We’re here to save them!”

“Maybe they aren’t worth saving.”

Energy blasted from the green behemoths hands as he crashed towards her. He had detected the less than honourable intentions of the Luminals; they feared losing their position and would cause even death to maintain it. Drax the Destroyer wasn’t sure who he had been but he wasn’t prepared to be a stepping stone for Faze’s success. She would have to fall in line or move out of his way. Her flailing blades caught Drax’s face as blood began to run from beneath his eye. Catching her neck and her legs, Drax brought the screeching Faze across his knees as her screams were subsided with a resonant crack. There was nothing but the bubble of oncoming attackers, Pacem would never remember this night.

Split in two, Faze was discarded like trash as Drax turned to face the army.