Jericho

  Psychosomatic Output: 1,182 Bio-Units

  Synaptic Rank: Unbound

  A hard strike across his face tore Jericho from his dreamless sleep. He awoke to find himself bound to a chair and gagged. All around was a desert of sand and stone, baking in unbearable heat.

  He was alive, at least, and seemingly unharmed. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light and saw five Relocs standing in front of him. Their long snake-like bodies were neatly housed in their humanoid suits.

  At the center was an older-looking male. Judging by the pale, weathered look of his scales, he had experienced more seasons than all of them combined. His reptilian yellow eyes were cold, calculating, and filled with hostile contempt.

  Yet when he knelt in front of Jericho, his voice was kind. "I'm glad to see that you survived, Slarcic was sure that you would die in your sleep."

  Mechanical fingers removed the gag from his mouth, but when he tried to speak nothing came out. His throat felt raw, and he broke into a coughing fit.

  "The gas is to blame for any pain in your throat," The old snake turned sharply, "Sessci, grab him some water."

  "Yes, General." A Reloculan with orange scales saluted.

  A forked tongue flicked out to taste the air, and the joints in the General's robotic limbs creaked as he shifted his weight. "I apologize for the lack of hospitality; it is not often that we welcome guests."

  "Is that what I am?" Jericho rasped; his words barely discernible.

  "Of course you are!" He bent closer, his voice dropping, "Any enemy of the Hokkonians is a friend."

  Jericho furrowed his brow, were they testing him? He had already helped kill multiple of their kind and fought against the Shadari. Even his uniform branded him as a pilot.

  Sessci returned with an old water skin, it look so weathered and greasy that Jericho debated refusing. He grimaced as the skin was held to his lips and he coughed at the bland, distilled water that filled his mouth.

  "I'm glad to have found myself in the hands of such friendly pirates." He rasped.

  "Pirates!" The admiral straightened and hissed out a chuckle, "Is that what your master told you? And he even dressed you in a uniform to confuse us. It was a clever attempt."

  Ah, right. They assumed he was a slave. It made sense, there was only one HWND attached to that ship, and he was a human after all.

  He kept his eyes down and feigned what he could only hope was pathetic dejection, "I'm sorry sir, but yes, my master said you were pirates. He ordered me to fight."

  The admiral sank into a deep squat, metal knees creaking loudly. A robotic hand was placed on Jericho's head, "We are not pirates, we're insurrectionists, anarchists. We're fighting against the Hokku Tyranny that is strangling our beloved star system. We are liberators!"

  Jericho tried his hardest to replicate an expression of star struck hope, "liberators?"

  The General's reptilian features twisted into a look of amused pride. "You're not a slave anymore human; you are free! How do you feel?"

  Jericho didn't feel very free. His restrains still bit into his wrists, and he could hardly breathe from the rope tied tightly around his chest.

  Act pitiful and grateful. Come on! "I feel, well I feel amazing, thank you. I- I don't know how repay you."

  Nostrils flared as the old snake tasted the air, "You can start by answering some questions."

  "I will try my best, General...?"

  "I am Lord General Sseroch, Leader of the Reloculan Resistance. What can we call you?"

  "My name is Jericho." He had to squint as a gust of wind swept a cloud of sand past his face.

  The snake gave him an expectant look, "I was under the impression that Humans used surnames, is that your surname?"

  "Uh... Hound." He coughed.

  The snake paused, and his reptilian eyes narrowed. "Consider your response carefully, I ensure that you do not wish to repay my kindness with deceit. I've only heard that word used to describe the Hokkonians wretched mechs."

  "It's not a lie." Jericho grimaced as the words burned in his throat.

  The general frowned, "an unfortunate name, no matter. We can always rename you. Jericho Ex-slave has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

  Is this guy for real?

  "As I'm sure you've already seen, we've formed a tentative alliance with a foreign species. The Shadari from the Sleruaha system beyond the Storm. They've promised to help us overthrow the Sovereignty, in return we've offered them resources and shelter here on Reloculan."

  Jericho nodded, "I've noticed."

  "Yes, they're quite powerful. They easily overpowered your master." The General inclined his head.

  Graito! Where is he? Jericho tried to look around, but his bindings kept him in place.

  "I must say, I was surprised to discover a Myrd in that ship. They're no doubt impressive fighters, but it does seem strange to see one in a pilot's uniform."

  Uh oh.

  The General continued, "I heard whispers of a HWND division filled with non-Hokkonians." He motioned towards something behind Jericho, which had to be Graito, or Graito's lifeless body.

  Please be alive you thick-headed asshole.

  "The division is led by a so-called 'embarrassment' for the Sovereignty. A master that you previously served. Tell me, Jericho Ex-slave, why does the Commander of a HWND division fill its ranks with the likes of aliens?"

  Jericho tried to wet his raw throat with a swallow, "Lord General, I could hardly begin to guess. I was just a slave; they didn't tell me things like that."

  Sseroch frowned, "So it's true then, the Myrd is a HWND Pilot and not a decoy sent by the Sovereignty?"

  He spoke about Graito in the present tense, and hope surged through Jericho's body. "Yes sir, I can't explain the Commander's reasoning, but the Myrd is definitely a pilot."

  The General seemed disturbed by the affirmation of Graito's abilities. "That is a shame..."

  "Sir?" Jericho tried a second time to check for Graito's body.

  "I don't take any pleasure in cruelty or torture, but I am a firm believer in necessary evil. Though I would much rather conduct said evil, on a Hokkonian and not Myrd." The General blinked, "oh well."

  His words made Jericho's blood run cold, and he began to squirm, "Wait, sir what- "

  The General's joints creaked as he stood to his full height, "Don't worry little human, the Myrd will not be able to harm you any longer. He won't be able to do much at all. Hissolit, wake him up."

  Jericho tried to loosen the binds, "I really don't think he's a problem!"

  The old snake gave him a sympathetic look, "Of course he is."

  Jericho strained against the binds, "at least let me go so I can watch."

  A smile touched Sseroch's reptilian features, "Well, I was under strict orders to keep you both bound, but I suppose I am the General. Geldhern, undo his binds."

  "Yes sir," A red-scaled snake standing behind the General marched forward.

  Mechanical arms worked the binds around Jericho's chest and wrists, and within moments he was free. Jericho stood out of the chair and groaned at the ache in muscles. Now all he had to do was play the recently freed slave swelling with wonder and gratitude.

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  "Stay close, the Shadari won't be happy to see you freed, but I'll do my best to explain the situation to them," General Sseroch said to him.

  Jericho nodded and rubbed the raw skin around his wrists. He took this opportunity to look around, and wasn't surprised to see the desolation surrounding him. They were standing in a shallow valley, with tall dunes creating a natural barrier to the howling wind. Other than the weather tents and supply crates, the camp was relatively empty.

  Which only made Graito's ship and HWND all the more out of place.

  The Hokkonian tech stood amongst the Relocs and their shoddy tents with unspoken superiority and condescendence. The six-legged mech stood like a shining giant, and from what Jericho could tell, it was undamaged. They really might have a chance after all.

  He turned to look at the General and couldn't but compare craftsmanship. Up close the snake's mechs were impressive, though lacking the advanced sophistication that Hokku technology had. The metal plates that made up the arms and legs were a collection of rusted components, held together by mismatched screws and bolts.

  Yet, the mechs still functioned properly, a testament to the Reloc's skill and diligence considering their limited resources.

  He wondered what life on Reloculan was like before the snakes could move around on two legs. Through the glass and strange fluid, he could see two withered limbs hanging from the snake's body. Clearly atrophied from decades of unuse.

  Jericho tore his gaze from the strange amniotic fluid housing the snake's body, up to the General's face. There was anticipatory gleam in his eyes, and Jericho followed his gaze to the slumped body of Graito.

  The Myrd was lying in the sand unnaturally still. His six limbs were twisted awkwardly around him, and a string of drool oozed from his lips.

  "Is he..." Jericho couldn't dare to finish the question.

  He wasn't sure what he'd do if the Myrd left him here to fend for himself.

  The General shook his head, "Of course not, Hissolit, carry on."

  Another mechanized snake strode past them both, arms flexing in preparation. Jericho watched in horror as Hissolit proceeded to strike Graito across the face. At first, the punches were soft, at least to the Pilot's standards, but with every dull thud it became increasingly obvious that more force would be required.

  Eventually the mechanized snake was striking Graito with significant power, even then the Myrd didn't wake and Jericho's hope was dwindling.

  Now what was he going to do?

  Hissolit gave the Myrd a pained look, "I think he's dead, Lord General."

  Sseroch narrowed his eyes and tasted the air with his tongue, "He's a Myrd you idiot, their skulls are thicker than iron, pulse him."

  Hissolit muttered an apology and hurried away. When he returned, he had a small device in his hands, and he could hear the hum of its energy from here. The device was pressed into the side of Graito's thick neck, and a beat later, blue electricity crackled and arced through Graito's body.

  An instant later, the Myrd leapt up screaming like a feral animal. Jericho let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

  It took four Reloc's to pin him down, while Hissolit snapped the restrains in place. They cursed at Graito, retreating from his senseless thrashing with visible damage to their mech suits. He continued to scream in rage as he fought against the steel restraints, but even his strength wasn't enough.

  They had successfully subdued him for a second time.

  "Easy Pilot, easy." Sseroch said in a gentle tone, "This will all be over shortly, we only have a few questions." He turned to look at Jericho with a sly smile, Take a good look at your former master, Jericho Exslave. Don't worry, we'll give him a good beating for you."

  Jericho tried his best to channel groveling gratitude, "Thank you sir!"

  Graito's eyes narrowed, and he gave Jericho a puzzled look.

  "Just go with it," Jericho mouthed.

  The Myrd hesitated for a fraction of a second, before turning his attention to the old snake. "I heard rumors that only the braindead Relocs still lived on this Tril-forsaken rock." Sseroch frowned, which elicited a nasty grin from Gratio, "If you truly believe I'll answer your questions, then those rumors must be true."

  Sseroch's hand twitched, "We have our methods for getting answers."

  "I've endured worse." Graito barked.

  "The Integrity and willpower you Pilots' possess is admirable I'll admit, but after generations of our war with the Sovereignty we have made discoveries." Sseroch nodded at a younger looking Reloculan standing to Jericho's left and the snake hurried off somewhere into the surrounding tents. "You see, Pilot, we have figured out a way to obliterate each and every one of you."

  Graito scoffed and Sseroch tilted his head, "You don't believe me?"

  "Idiotic delusions," Graito snarled.

  "How do you live with yourself? Serving a planet as corrupt as Hokku. You're a disgrace to your own kind." The Lord General studied him with a frown.

  The Myrd face twisted into something ugly, "You don't know anything about me."

  Sseroch eyes widened slightly, "I know you're a Myrd, a tribalistic species and a natural born fighter. I know this, because the Sovereignty exploited it. Isn't that why they built those colosseums on their moon? Which moon was it, A2? Trilthos-4?"

  Graito grit his teeth, and his four yellow eyes flashed with hatred. His restrains groaned under his straining arms but otherwise held.

  "They pitted your people against one another for sport, I even heard rumors they used Myrds in live hunts. First to execute the fleeing six-legged beast gets the prize? Utterly despicable, your people have my sympathy. And yet here you are, brandishing an insignia on your chest that represents their oppression and suffering."

  "Arthros is different." Graito spat.

  If it wasn't for the slave fa?ade Jericho would have interjected into the conversation to stop Graito from saying too much. Couldn't the Myrd see that the General was goading him?

  Sseroch looked surprised, "Arthos? The Arthros, hero of Dromedar? Another core-rotten Hokkonian, they're a dime a dozen! He's brainwashed you, he's just bad as the rest."

  "If you talk about him like that again, I will kill you." Graito's eyes burned with rage as his muscles rippled beneath the steel restraints.

  General Sseroch laughed, an ear-grating hissing sound, "'The 'Hounds' of Hokku,' 'Servants of peace', 'protectors of the people'. You don't actually believe such deranged fallacies, do you? You Pilots demand respect yet the only thing you're capable of is eliciting fear and hatred. You claim to serve peace yet it's the Pilots that have been the greatest threat. You sit at the feet of your masters and beg like dogs! Eager to please, to obey. You are magnificent in combat, do not mistake me, but even a single drop of poison renders the purest water unconsumable." The snake lowered himself close to Graito's face, "I intend to extract that poison."

  For a moment Jericho thought the Myrd would miraculously break free of his restraints and tear the general's head from his body. He took a step forward, ready to test the limits of his guise to prevent the Myrd from doing something that stupid.

  "Lord General, we received a transmission from Recli, they've entered Reloculan space."

  Sseroch let out an angry hiss, "so soon? Fetch the enervator. If Recli finds out we've woken him up without the lobotomy, there will be hell to pay."

  Hissolit hurried away, and Sseroch turned back Graito, "I apologize Pilot, it seems there is a change in plans."

  Jericho watched Hissolit trudge through the windblown sands, towards the small base hidden in the dunes. Did he say lobotomy?

  "You know," Sseroch said as Hissolit returned with a rather large device slung over his robotic shoulder, "We stumbled upon the enervator's effectiveness by mistake, after torturing a Hokkonian Pilot many years ago. When applied in a very specific area... Well, you'll see.

  Hissolit brought the Enervator a few meters from Graito. It looked like a giant gun, though the barrel was narrowed to a needle-like tip. The majority of its weight was resting on one shoulder, while the Reloc aimed with two hands.

  A distance crash could be heard in the clouds, the tell-tale signal that ship entered the atmosphere.

  Sseroch shook his head, "Unfortunately we've both ran out of time, but do not worry Pilot, the extraction of your AI is not painful." He paused, "At least, the Hokkonian we tried this on did not scream."

  Jericho's blood went cold. How could they know about the A.I.s, Arthros had claimed that the organic computers were one of the most well-kept secrets in Sovereignty history.

  He had to do something; he couldn't just sit and watch Graito's mind be turned to mush. But what could he do? He was surrounded and weaponless. Be somebody, Jericho!

  "Hissolit, start it up," Sseroch motioned at two Relocs behind Jericho, "Rasskire, Geldhern, make sure those restrains hold, we can't have him move."

  The Relocs hurried over to the Myrd and placed strong hands on his shoulders. Graito tried in vain to squirm out of it, but the combined strength of the steel restraints and the snake's mech suits was too much. For the first time since Jericho met him, he saw true fear on the Myrd's face.

  "Recli will be here soon, do it, lobotomize him."

  The Enervator started to power up, and finally Graito made a noise. An ear-piercing screech of rage and terror that shook even Sseroch. It was like a hammer striking an anvil in Jericho's skull. He was moving before he could even think, his legs reacted on their own.

  I'm not going to let this happen!

  Time seemed to slow down. He saw the Enervator glow as it prepared to fire and could still Graito's screech of rage and fear echoing in his ears. He dug his feet into the sand and launched himself as hard as his legs could handle.

  He flew in front of the Enervator as it fired, absorbing the shot with his own body. When the laser hit him, he felt a sharp pinch in his lower back, and he collapsed in a pile in front of Graito.

  The Myrd was staring down at him, an incredulous look on his face, "Jericho, what did you do?"

  He was about to respond when Sseroch started barking orders at the other Relocs who were crying out in dismay. "Knock it off all of you, hit him again!"

  Hissolit shook his head, "It needs another minute Lord General."

  The General hissed and snarled in frustration, "You idiot!" He whirled on Jericho, "Recli will be here any second, you've doomed me to his temper, slave!"

  "He's not a slave," Graito growled, his eyes shining with relief, "he's a Pilot."

  Jericho, still lying on the ground, broke into a wide smile as his heart swelled with pride. He tried to push himself to his feet, but his legs remained motionless.

  "A Pilot? You're all fools!" Sseroch snarled, "Hissolit!"

  "A couple more seconds, Lord General!"

  The old snake stomped around, shouting at the other Relocs who were staring at a ship fast approaching from the clouds.

  "Jericho," Graito hissed, "What are you doing? Get up and fight!"

  Jericho looked up at Sseroch who was now paying no attention to them at all. He tried to force his legs to move, but they refused. Panic started in his chest, and he looked up at Graito in fear.

  "I can't move my legs."

  "What?"

  Jericho twisted around and dug his fingers into the flesh on his legs, he felt nothing.

  "Graito, I can't feel my legs!" His heartbeat quickened but he struggled to breath, "I can't move!"

  "Lord General! It's ready." Hissolit called as he repositioned the Enervator, this time closer to Graito's head.

  There was nothing he could do; it was as if his legs were non-existent. He locked eyes with Graito who returned the helpless stare.

  "You've caused enough trouble, human" Sseroch grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. "Your sacrifice meant nothing."

  "It meant everything" Jericho managed to choke.

  Sseroch let out a guttural snarl of disgust and flung him away. Jericho landed hard, and his head bounced off the densely packed sand. His vision swam as he lay in a stunned daze, powerless to stop the Enervator this time.

  He watched Hissolit aim the laser, stop, and then release the contraption all together. Sseroch snarled an order at him, but the young Reloculan made no move to obey. Instead, he took a step back and watched tentatively as patchwork ship landed abruptly a few dozen meters away.

  Jericho breathed a sigh of relief as a massive Shadari stepped off the ugly ship, followed shortly by a human woman.

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