The Grox War

Diatra might have been somewhat disappointed with Ink's choice of disguise: He preferred to hide in plain sight or, failing that, so far out of sight that it would take a commando unit with torches and heat sensors to locate him.

In this case hew had opted for 'plain sight', which in this case meant a tatty sleeveless jacket in the kind of dull khaki colour that no one would look twice at, on top of which it hid the worst of the bruises on his chest.


The moment Ink caught sight of the shopkeeper he froze, eyes locked onto the face of the Mallium behind the till, as if tensing himself to fight, run or defend himself. This lasted only a split second, however, before he returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

"Punch up down at Terin's Land, unpleasant business all round," He replied shortly, his voice as close to casual as it ever managed.

They ordered some painkillers, gauze and antiseptic for the more serious injuries, then bid farewell to the shop owner. Ink said not another word as the transaction took place and they left the pharmacy, setting off towards the docks.

((If you were going somewhere with this encounter and I've screwed it up, feel free to ignore that last paragraph. ))

((Gah, i was going to make the Mallium a pycho man who takes drugs and attacks us. But it doesn't matter, i guys have been beaten up alot. I shoud let them relax. ))

Diatria nodded goodbye at the shop owner. There was something weird about that Mallium. She tried to forget it and kept moving with Triex shoulder to shoulder. She wanted to pull her shorts up because they showed alot of her hip but they were so small that when she pulled it up, this time her butt showed out of the shorts. She kept walking and wondered what kind of a woman wears these stuff.

"This planet is a complete city. There is no grass, trees or mountains. I wonder how they live in this place." she said to Ink while they walked to the docks.

The vacation cruiser was pretty good. But it had basic pulse cannons which wouldn't help if any Infernox or Grox tracked them by a Battle Cruiser. "Ink, try being stealthy and enter. I just noticed are credits aren't enough for three. Take Triex with you." she said and left Triex on the ground for Ink. She had other was of getting in.

There was a male guard protecting the entrance to the cruiser. He got near him and started flirting with him. "Hey, sugar. You mind letting me in?" she said and dropped a couple of credits in his pocket. The guard got charmed but didn't let her in.

"Your not entering for free, lady. You have the credits or you don't" he said seriously.

Diatria went to plan B. Diatria kissed the guard and he got dumbstruck. Diatria kept kissing him for a few second and got her hand-rifle and switched it to stun. She fired a stun laser and he droped on the dock and she took back her credits and stole his wallet. Then she entered the cruiser hoping that Ink entered too.

wow....almost 42 pages...

"If you wanted him knocked out, you had but to ask," came a level voice from the shadows up ahead. Ink stepped out into the light, his head tilted slightly to one side in amusement.

He turned his attention to the incapacitated guard and picked out the man's ticket dispenser. It wasn't code-locked, so it was only the work of a moment to provide them with three passes.

"First Class. Hope you don't mind."

Diatria grinned at Ink and they went to there cabin. It looked like a one-story mansion rather then a cabin. It had a queen bed in a little room, there was a elegant mini kitchen at the right. In left was a bathroom with a huge shower that gave the effect of raining. Right in front of them was a widescreen HoloTV. It looked nice but Diatria and Triex's house at the Jazmia was much better. There was an artificial sun deck balcony at the other end.

"This place is nice." said Diatria and put Triex on the bed for him to rest. Diatria stertched her back and let out a sigh of relief. "Ok, now let me look at those injuries." Diatria started with Ink. Diatria took Ink's shirt off to see serious bruises. "Ouch," said Diatria. She got some bandages and rolled it around Ink's chest. Diatria finished and said.

"You better rest on the bed with Triex. You two are the ones that got seriously injured." said Diatria wondering if Triex would get better. He had so many broken bones and some were shattered. This must be the worst battle Triex had. "I'll have to get some better medicine for Triex at the medical sector later.".

She went into the bathroom and got a pair of tweezers. Diatria carefully took out the sharpnel from her shoulder. The sharpnel was completely blood. Diatria got some antiseptic from her bag and smeered it on the injured shoulder. When she took out the sharpnel, more blood came out. She got some bandages and rolled it around her shoulder.

Diatria took off her clothing and threw it out the window. Diatria pulled her hair into a ponytail and wore her casual clothing, Black jeans and a pink sleeveless top. The speakers from the ship spoke.

"The ship will be leaving. Please brace for minor atmosphere impact and enjoy your stay at the Golden Maiden." said a female voice. Diatria turned her head at Ink and said.

"Well, it's time to relax, i guess."

Ink felt that the bandages were perhaps unnecessary, but didn't object. The bed was probably the most comfortable piece of furniture he had ever come within ten miles of, and despite sharing it with Triex he felt more at ease than he had been in the last two weeks.

The events of the past day; infiltrating and escaping a ship full of hostile aliens, the bar torn to smithereens by pirates and Grox, the Redemption... his ship sabotaged; all slid from his mind as blissful oblivion closed in and he fell soundly asleep, the sliver of blackened shrapnel clutched in his right hand.

(My last post didn't happen I guess)

"Captain, sir, they most likely left from the captured ship and landed on this matropolis", said a cautious voice.

"You can call me by my name, I mean it's not like you are one of those Cheesey Hireclaws...", said a hyper voice.

"Shou-", began the cautious voice.

"I got it! I actually got it! The Nature Spirits must have gave me that fuzzy idea of wonderfullness!", said the hyper voice.

"What?", said the cautious voice.


"The mask...", said the hyper voice.

"Ink's mask? You want me to look for his mask?", asked the cautious voice, even more cautious than usual.

"It has a certain concentration of certain materials, of course they're are bafizzillions of those materials, but the exact group of us will bring us to em'", replied the hyper voice.


After some scanning, the strange ship began to follow the Golden Maiden, who are they? Well, they obviously have met Ink before...

((Um, Blixa. I think your controlling Delta's charecter a little. ))

((I think Blixa is referring to his two characters who have, as I recall, met Ink once before. ))

((Ah! Sorry Blixa. I'll continue.))

Triex was laying on the bed with Ink. Which was a little disturbing for Triex. Diatria was sleeping on the loveseat. Triex tryed to get up but his ribs hurt so bad. The last thing he remembered was Diatria giving him a booster a while after she put him on the bed. The booster must be helping because his leg wasn't broken anymore. But since shattered ribs must be hard to put together with the medicine; it was taking longer.

Triex had a strange feeling that they were being followed. His soldier instinct told him that because of how quiet it was. BOOM. It was so loud that it woke up Diatria and Ink. The explosion sounded and rumbled like a Plasmic Sonic Pulser attack. The Golden Maiden was on red alert and the drill sounded. Triex cursed and said.

"I can't even get some sleep without being attacked!"

"Tell me about it," Ink replied dryly, rubbing his eyes and climbing out of bed.

"If that doesn't turn out to be a fireworks display someone is going to lose an extremity." Being woken up prematurely rarely left him in a good mood.

He turned a critical eye on Triex: "You still don't look like you should be walking around. We need to get a medic to take a look at you," there was another explosion, "...once this situation has been resolved..." And after breakfast. Yes.

Triex turned his head at Ink with pain.

"You gotta be kidding with me! Don't you remember what Diatria said?!" Triex started quoting, "This solar system has Grox govermental control." Triex finished. "Bring a medic and we all get arrested!" he said and tried to get up again but fell down on the bed.

Diatria jumped from the loveseat after another blast. "D*** IT!" she yelled and quickly put her black jumpsuit ignoring that Triex and Ink were looking at her while she changed. Diatria got her belt on and hooked her hand-rifle on it. She got some medical supplies, Blue-Energy EMP grenades and put them all in her bag. She packed some food and clothing just incase. "Well, are relaxing time ended really quick." said Diatria with anger. She threw Ink his original armor and weapons. She gave Triex his Hades Rifle and a comm. "Call us if anything happens. Me and Ink can will handel whatever is going on." said Diatria and kissed Triex goodbye.

***

Ink and Diatria ran to the Reseption Hall. They saw landing pods pierce the hull of the Golden Maiden. Some weird creatures started firing every tourist that went in there way. One of them screamed out. "Find that mask!". What mask? Diatria asked herself. Conqrix Drones came from nowhere. For once, maybe the Conqrix would be on there side.

"You are all under arrest! Surrender your attack or we will alert a nearby Grox headquarters! I repeat. Surrender your attack or we will alert a nearby Grox headquarters!" said the Drone. The attackers ignored and started brawling with Conqrix Drones. Diatria gulped.

"If a group of Conqrix can't beat them, who can?" she said to Ink. Diatria got her hand-rifle and helped the Conqrix Forces. Ink had dissapeared. She guessed he was sneaking around and assasinating aliens from behind. Diatria was firing rapidly. Her hand-rifle overheated and she waited for a few seconds. After it cooled down she started firing again.

A Conqrix Elite came out of the shadows. It had large armor with shoulder missiles. It also had Claw Gloves on it's hands. It speaked. "We warned said attacker to stop. Now face the consequences." said the Elite and fired 8 missiles at the attackers groups. The ship got multipale places destroyed and the airlocks closed. The adrenaline flowed in Diatria. Her ear started pounding. She heard a laser blast from her back. Her vision started getting faint. Diatria looked behind her and saw one of those aliens behind her with a gun. It smiled and looked at it's kill. Then went back to fighting with Conqrix. Diatria dropped on the cold, metal floor and slowly closed her eyes with a tear coming out of the left eye. She was silenced...

The mask?! ...Ink had left it behind in their room, on the bedside table... But there were more immediate matters to attend to.

Cutting behind the lines of the enemy, Ink saw Diatra go down. It took only a split second to happen, but in that time, watching helplessly from the shadows, a thought slashed across his horizons, engraved in grief and fury:

Not again.

There was nothing for it. He pulled a syringe of potent black liquid from his satchel- the last dose he had with him- and pumped it into his left arm.

He took a dagger in each hand- regretting that he had left his Moonblade aboard the Eliminator, so very far away, but as his veins flooded with battle stimulants for the second time this week, anything in his hands became the demise of all it touched.

There is still a chance... Isn't there?

The red mist descended. Ink's senses flared, enhanced and bound into a coherent beam of bloodlust.


They never saw him coming.

The cautious creature, known as Flower used his claw to saw on the ropes that tied him to the wall of his Captain's ship, Great, why is there always Conqurix spies? Now they think Ink's mask has some powers, we were just trying to find him, but, who sent the transmission? Maybe it was a trap... it didn't sound like anybody he knew, it sounded slightly like that Dark Leech captain, but not exactly..., he thought, No time for thinking, we need to get out of here and save them, they have to be the group, but who sent the message? And why did the spying creature think that Ink's mask has powers?, he looked over at the hyper creature- Bubble, Captain Bubble. He was, unlike him, using his teeth, not his claws, as they were tied up too. Finally after a while of sawing and gnawing they were free. Immediately, the Captain ordered a command, "We must get to them before the Cheesey guys do! Where's the mask? Let's hope the Cheesey guys didn't find it, Ink will kill me if I let them get it...". After a pause, Flower answered, "Ink and most likely the rest of the group are in Room 902" (That is where Ink's mask is, they currently think he's wearing it)

Triex was sitting on the bed. His ribs were getting better. He could get up now. He got up from the bed and heard tourist scream with pain from his door. They all begged mercy but none of them got it. The were slaughtered like animals. The attackers were searching for something. He heard something like a Conqrix shout from his door.

"Move it! Move it! Get those attackers before they get us!" said the Conqrix. Triex really wanted go out and fight. But he had to wait until he recovered. He heard multipale laser blasts and foot steps. The battle was getting nasty.

Triex paced around the cabin, helplessly hearing the neighboor tourists cabins. Screaming with fear. "Please! Don't hurt my kids! Please! PLEASE!" said a woman from the cabin next to them. Then Triex heard a plasma blast and the woman and childeren were silenced. Triex felt a rush of rage. His heart beats were going off the charts. He wanted to slaughter the attackers just like they slaughtered the innocent tourists. He wanted to see the blood come out of the attackers. He wanted to see them scream and ask mercy from Triex.

Triex paced around the cabin and found a mask. It was well crafted. Triex noticed this was Ink's mask. He forgot it here. He heard a children playing. "Yay! Are next game is water tag! Mister, did you bring us water guns?" said the child. The child was talking with one of the attackers. The alien shot the child without mercy. The child died smiling, but then his expression turned it a frown and the child drooped dead. Triex couldn't take it. Heatex appeared like a ghost.

"Kill them. Those things are slaughtering them without mercy. Kill them. Avenge the innocent." said Heatex with a hallow voice. Triex answered.

"I will avenge the innocent." said Triex with a serious tone. He put his Commando Armor on and hooked his Blaze Claw to his whrist and took his Hades Rifle. Triex packed Ink's mask in his bag and opened the door.

He shot every attacker that got in his way...

It had only been a fifteen second dose of stims- Ink never wanted to have headaches like the last one ever again- but it was enough: As they wore off and his eyes, nose and ears all gradually stopped screaming at him, the enemy appeared to be falling back. The conqrix had left in pursuit to the lower decks and all that remained were stragglers, the wounded and the dead.

Wiping his blades and stepping carefully around any bodies he came near, he found his way to Diatria, who lay on the deck where she had fallen; blood caked to her clothes. She didn't seem to be moving.

He checked for a pulse...

Diatria was stuck in a dark void of pain. The pain was coming from her left kidney. It was shot by an alien attacker. How did i get shot? I'm better then this! she thought with a slight part of humor. But nothing was funny about what was going on right now. She was losing so much blood. She was helpless because she was in a coma. Diatria felt somebody touch her. It felt like Ink looking for a pulse in her body. She hoped that Ink would notice that she was still alive... for now if somebody would stopped her kidney from bleeding.

***

Triex was killing all the aliens that he saw. The hollow voice of Heatex was still speaking with him in his head. It kept repeating, Kill them.... Triex came to the Reseption Hall to find dead bodies scattered around. But found two lifeforms alive. He hid under the counter of the reseption hall and watched the two lifeforms. They were Ink and Diatria! Triex made a sigh of relief to see them both alive. But when he looked at Diatria she was motionless. Then he saw Ink's knife in his hand. He had a happy expression in his face and let go of Diatria's arm. Triex was confused. Suddenly, Heatex appeared and his hollow voice spoke behind him. Slowly echoing in his mind.

"Yitiod was right all this time. Never trust a Mallium..." quoted Heatex. Heatex pointed at the knife. "Look... He killed her. He's happy that she's dead. He always wanted to remove your protection on Diatria. It was the right time, he striked without mercy. He's a traitor... " echoed Heatex's voice. "Just like at the Eliminator... he claimed he didn't stab you... he lied... just so he could gain your trust... Traitor." his voice echoed more fiercely "Avenge your wife... Take your revenge on the traitor..." finished Heatex and his voice faded with him echoing Traitor. Triex rage was unstopable.

"YOU TRAITOR! You took her away from me!" screamed Triex from behind the counter and fired rapidly at were Ink was standing.

He found a pulse- weak, but present nevertheless. Blood was starting to pool on the floor around Diatria's limp form- The wound, he realised, must be on her back. He would have to turn her over and apply pressure to the wounded area to stop the bleeding, there was just a glimmer of hope that--

Triex suddenly appeared from behind the counter, yelling and shooting-

shooting at me.


Ink dived to one side as Triex's first two shots embedded themselves in the floor of the reception, and took cover round a corner in the corridor.

"Triex! Triex listen to me!" he yelled as a blaster bolt took out a chunk of masonry at head level, "She's alive, there's still time to save her!"

At this point he could only hope that Diatria's own body-weight was keeping enough pressure on the wound in her back to stop her from bleeding out...

"Stop lying to me, you traitor!" he fired at Ink more fiercely. The Hades Rifle overheated and he took cover behind the counter again. After a few blaster bolts his rifle ran out of ammo and he threw it on the floor. He hooked his Blaze Claw and jumped from the counter to where Ink was.

Triex quickly attacked with the Blaze Claw. Ink tried to defend himself but Triex was quicker then Ink. He slashed his leg and enjoyed Ink's suffering. Triex quickly kicked at Ink with fierce fury. I hope his ribs broke again. thought Triex. Ink fell on the floor and he tryed to get up but Triex slammed him on the floor by stepping on his chest. Triex grabbed Ink's throat and started squeezing as hard as he could. Then he heard Heatex's voice behind him again.

"Take your revenge and slash him by his throat. You have proven you are stronger then him..." said Heatex. Triex's suddenly became blank-minded and thought... The chip... he's controlling me with the Mind Chip... Triex let go of his grip on Ink and with the element of surprise on his side, he slashed Heatex's ghost, Heatex dropped on the floor. He became so relieved after killing him. But wait... how did he kill him if he's a vision... he gasped and he looked... it was Diatria... the Mind Chip had clouded his mind... he watched helplessly at his wife as she fell down taking the last breath of her life...

Ink took a ragged breath, wincing at the renewed pain in his chest. Apparently Triex's rage had been enough to momentarily overcome even Ink's reactions. He would remember that.

He took a moment to get some air back into his body and assess the damage: the cut from Triex's Blaze Claw was superficial- if there was one thing murderous rage didn't improve, it was accuracy- but his leg was going to sting for a little longer. His main concern was his chest injuries: every movement and breath sent another shoot of pain through him. He blocked it out as best he could. They were not safe yet.

Ink slowly brought himself up to his knees. A bath in healing gel would be the best thing for him now; the day had not been good to him.

His vision came into focus on the scene before him.

"Wh... What...?" He croaked.

((What's Happened?))

((Septra, Kilikan and Fravini are as you left them: cornered in the bar by a bunch of Grox including an apparently grox-ified Extin (Lazer's character), who is about to tear you limb from limb as we speak. As for myself and Razo, events have been a little intense and I suggest you read the last couple of pages to get all the information on that subplot, when you have the time. ))

Septra and Kilikan went to Battle Extin, leaving Fravini alone with the Grox.

((Lolz))

Fravini started killing The Grox like creatures.

"Zorz...bazzzz!" I aimed the Laser Gun. "Pre-pare to-o-o-o Die-Z..." My brain kept shouting NO! But the implants forced upon shooting. I pulled the trigger...BANG.

DUN DUN DUUUN!