By David C. Daoust
Suzanne was surrounded by the open void of space, at least, that’s how it appeared. She was in reality standing on her holostage as a series of red fighters bombed her ships shields; the small controller in her hand gave her command over one of the many turrets built into the same ship’s hull. She fired a long stream of blaster fire, chasing red fighter after red fighter. Their assault, some half baked retaliation for her trooper’s unwelcome intrusion upon their capital ship.
Suzanne let out a w00t! She was thrilled- having just blasted one fighter into another, which in turn, the two exploded, sent a third careening off course to crash into her forward shield. Three with one shot! The exhilaration of the feat was suddenly stolen away however, as word was sent of the assault on her shield generator.
‘How’d they even get on my ship??’
Suzanne abandoned her turret just in time to call up the image of the fool trooper as he unloaded his weaponry into the shield generator. Suzanne threw her hands up in disbelief, the small controller flung from her grip carelessly, just to be hastily scooped up by one of her officers.
She would have a word with this now unemployed trooper… more red lights flashed, word was sent of their ship being boarded. Dakota is on this ship, that’s the only thing that went through her mind as she suddenly dropped down from her Holostage- all her eggs were in one basket.
Suzanne Otomo raced for her office, but paces from the ships bridge, punched the lock, the door slid open. Placing her hand over her computer screen, the desk suddenly spun part way to the left, then back all the way to the right- before it rose up into the air, revealing a second level under the finely polished wood of the seemingly mundane desk. Within the second level, hung her custom Constable Regalia, this was gear from the previous age. Gear used by the Constables of the Ark Age to keep the peace- High tech gear, few people understood how to make anymore. The knowledge was passed down from master to student, along with the fighting styles that accompanied the Constable training.
Suzanne was stripped to her skivvies in a matter of moments, pulled the finely woven armor over her form, draped the elbow length cloak over her back, and then pulled the hood up over her head. The mask itself was an ethereal shield, which suddenly appeared as the hood was snapped into place. Once activated it acted as a hud of sorts, it streamed all the excess information that the tech was programmed to monitor and collect. The gloves and boots were of an ancient Arkweave Materia; this turned her punches and kicks- into plasma blasts- far more deadly than any weapon. Of course, it relegated her to melee attacks- but that was the core of the Constable’s fighting style.
Suzanne was out the side door and running full tilt down the hall. She pressed a small button built into her collar- the short cloak at her back suddenly snapped stiff and lit up as the power was routed through its circuits. Suzanne Otomo vanished from sight as the refraction shield bent the light particles around her, mid-stride. She hurried towards the fray.
Suzanne slid to a halt as she entered the now disastrously destroyed Hangar bay- she had missed the squad of snake-like Assault bots as they tore through her ample supply of troopers (the rather slow elevator ride down, had actually stolen a bit of her momentum). She could hear the ruckus in the distance though, and ran in its direction.
Her men were still fighting the squad as they tore through her ships innards. She would have to settle for the stragglers, separate them from the squad… weaken the mass, one or two at a time. Her troopers were being knocked around like rag dolls! Most were forced behind cover from the snake’s impressive assault guns… but the monsters could not see Suzanne.
She moved at a speed far greater than a normal human, she was able to overtake the last two assault bots as they turned to act as rear guard for the rest of the squad, which had just disappeared into the labs.
Her momentum carried her up the wall, the empowered boots left scorch marks as she suddenly boosted herself into a dive- Suzanne Otomo went for the throat… which just so happens to be where her hud informed her a vital system cluster lay upon the foreign Assault-bot. She was able to reach directly under the bot’s chin, unseen. Reappearing just as the plasma burst of her grip burnt through the metal, sent an electrical pulse through the metal frame as she looped her arm around the dazed bot.
She straddled the machines shoulders, as she reinforced her grip. The metal gave way and she rode the now limp machine to the ground as the head ripped completely free. She stood in triumph over the red metal heap as she tossed the head behind her.
The second snake had witnessed her dastardly deed! It sent a line of flaming hot bullets chasing the woman’s athletic form as she flipped away. Suzanne stayed but a foot from the spray as she closed the distance, she leapt high again- a second boost midair brought her in even closer- and at an unexpected angle. She scored a glancing kick off the second snake’s armored faceplate.
The Snake-bots’ guns suddenly retracted, and a pair of blades flipped out to replace them.
Blade-Arm to Plasma-Fist, Suzanne battled the armored machine, ducking and weaving between sudden clashes of weapons. Suzanne flipped and spun around, evading tail whips- just one of which could possibly break every bone in her body, all the while landing hits of her own. The snake-bot was a plasma-scorch pocked burning mess, yet Suzanne had not yet managed to assault a single vital cluster.
The massive machine was simply too agile!
Suzanne’s first strike carried the element of surprise… she had to try and regain that advantage. She leapt free of the battle, raced along the wall. She once again activated the refraction shield, and then boosted herself in the opposite direction.
One of the snake bots arms flipped back to an assault gun and it sent a slew of bullets in the direction she had been headed before she vanished.
After a moment, it halted all activity… waiting, listening.
The snake-bot reacted too late, just as Suzane reappeared behind. The empowered glove ripped up under his carapace, a sudden electrical surge pulsed through the snake-bots form as Suzanne ripped the vital systems cluster clear out of the body.
Her troopers, having witnessed the rear guard’s fall, were suddenly racing to join her.
Yet the bright white light suddenly filled the hallway. Without a thought, Suzanne reached up and reactivated the refraction shield, disappearing from sight, just as the white light intensified.
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