Chapter 3.5: Twilight Plains

Catherine is put to the test to earn an alliance with the Raiders.

Months earlier. Twilight Plains.

The following chapter contains graphics depictions of violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Violet and red streams of light dance around the cockpit. We’ve traded Poe’s fleet war frigate for a quicker cruiser. A fraction of the size, faster and room for only two Striker craft, cramped crew quarters and a small eating area.

A gift from House Orion but outfitted to resemble a junker with discolored panels, rust and hidden Quantum gun ports. Even the dark matter engine drives are hidden which makes us look unsuspecting.

A handful of support transport follow behind us in the ultraviolet asteroid field.

“Curse the Quantums,” I hear an Aviator say as we descend below the visibility line.

Tel speaks up as we dip below a purple and violet cosmic clouds and asteroids to see pitch black planet envelope space before us, “Fucking hate it here.”

Poe seems unbothered. He hid here with the Equinox Fleet for a time but the Twilight Plains are like nothing I’ve seen before. The Twilight Plains are home to the Raiders, who we hope to convince to join us. Poe took shelter with them for a time but they are unpredictable, mysterious and wild.

The name for the Twilight Plains comes from the massive blue supergiant stars and blue star clusters the dot the region. They cast a strange blue and violet glow the colors the asteroids, cosmic dust and pockets of moons and planets in strange colors.

Far above us, the black hole we exited pulls blue light and bends gravity and time into a strange and beautiful violet vortex. Blue straggler stars and some white dwarfs are clustered together, too.

“You’ve been here before?” I ask Poe. He stares ahead at the glass opening of the Aviators seats and nods. His silence is concerning but I don’t want to pry in front of the crew. Mary, commander of the Sisters stands behind us in awe. Brax is with us with a hand full of Nazarene.

Jo commands old transports following well behind us and waits in his own cruiser in case we run into trouble from Imperium or Raiders. The Imperium would never come here without half the Starborn Fleet.

“Do they look like the stories say?” I ask Poe. He finally looks at me, “Yes. Iridescent eyes. Pale skin. Wild hair and markings.”

We watch as the dark planet grows massive in our view and on our sensors. A colossal place with one strange characteristic; the planet absorbs all light. It’s practically invisible unless you know where to find it. A disturbing place that birthed a savage people. The Raiders home planet: Erebus Massum.

Tel fought a rebellion here once. Only one of a handful of rebellions the Nova couldn’t put down. The Imperium left soon after. Abandoned moon bases, equipment, even soldiers. They only come here for strike missions.

The main problem is the Raiders won’t fight for anyone. They join no sides and care little about the Imperium or anyone else. They're satisfied fighting among themselves, looting other Branes and regions, engaging in bizarre rituals and being mysterious. Formidable troops, good fleet, massive population. But beset by infighting and civil wars and mystical beliefs.

Poe looks around our cruiser and then walks toward a HoloStation with no one near it and motions me to come over. I glance at him as he talks in a low voice, “Look, there may be, trouble once we land. Once we meet the, leader.”

I raise an eyebrow at him, “It’s a she, right? What kind of trouble?”

Poe nods and gulps as I keep talking, “Is there history between you two that I should know about?” I ask annoyed.

“History is the right word. The Divinita. We had a, thing.” He looks embarrassed and I laugh. Several of the Aviators look at me as we descend closer to the dark planet. I hear Raider comms light up our channels; they want to know who in the Quantums we are.

“Poe, I don’t care. Do I need to be worried?” I can’t get a read on why he is telling me. I watch a sensor pick up a fleet of ships following us on our left and right. Raider strike craft.

“Raiders are, different. Different customs. Manners. Everything. They might, challenge you,” he replies.

“Challenge me to do what?” I’m starting to regret coming on this mission to win the Raiders to our cause if it means a blood feud with their leader. “Like a death match?”

He smirks as he descend into the atmosphere. Our ship rattles. Our sensors guide us since there’s no light and panels vibrate slight as we feel the gravity change in our stomachs, “No, nothing like that. Maybe a fight for show. Like a dominance thing.”

He starts to walk toward his command area before stopping, “Oh, and they don’t like the name ‘Raiders.’ They prefer their given name; Tenebrae.”

Our dark descent suddenly becomes illuminated by an endless collection of strange lights and buildings and movement. A city. Sprawling and hidden. I hear more comms chatter.

“Erebus Massum capital city,” Poe tells the crew. “Stygian.” The Raider escorts fall in on our left and right as another ship, nearly black, leads us. It bring us to a purple and white glowing landing dock. Beyond, massive buildings rise up into a gloomy darkness. They're sleek and black and must be built from the rock of this planet. Yet, the capture the glow of the light and look like looming giants above us. From what I’ve heard of the Raiders; it’s wrong. These are not a primitive people.

“Reflectors,” Poe says. “Grab em before we get off the ship or you’ll be half-blind for a day. Spoken from experience.” The crew laugh. I look at Tel as we begin to head for the ramp to enter the city and I guess, whatever palace or building this Divinita calls home.

“You know anything about Raider customs? Challenging guests or fights for show?” I ask her.

Tel looks at me and nods, “Yes. And the crazy black-eyed bastards don’t like the Raider name. Their given term is Tenebrae.”

“So I hear. Rolls off the tongue,” I say sarcastically. “Poe says the Divinita may challenge me or something.”

Tel whistles, “Could be entertaining. Nothing that would kill you. But it’s for show and domination.”

“Yes, I heard that too,” I repeat.

“But, those are reserved for, they have a name for them. Something with pairs or disagreement about mates. Which is funny because the Tenebrae seem to screw anything with a pulse.”

“Seems like Poe stepped into something and I may be challenged because of it. Stepped into or, slept into.”

I don’t smile and Tel looks at me, “Does Poe have something with the Divinita?”

I nod at Tel and she laughs, “Jesus Christ on a stick.” Mary glares at Tel and shakes her head at her words. “The Mad Monk told me that one. Has a ring to it.”

I smile but say nothing as he are handed thick goggles. An Aviator won’t let us leave the cruiser until we put them on and then we walk outside. It looks like a short walk to the massive buildings of importance that tower into a foggy darkness.

The air is thick. Musty with smells of minerals and metal. The city is alive and loud, too. Despite the ultraviolet fog pressing in, the city seems busy. I glance around and see a series of strange dots and circles in the sky.

It’s then I realize the planet absorbs everything but must reflect massive amounts of light from the blue stars. It must be daytime but the strange surface of the planet and light make it seem like it’s twilight. And the pressure must be intense due to the proximity of several stars. It isn’t unbearable but I feel it in my ears and like a literal weight is pressing down on me.

We walk along and I get my glimpse at the first Raiders I’ve ever seen. Soldiers. Their eyes are disturbingly black. All black. They shimmer sometimes as they turn. Skin pale and their hair braided and grown long. The markings are various tattoos on visible skin. Must be a ritual or rank thing. They eye our group curiously. Several stare at me.

They seem normal enough until what appears to be a random group of Raiders starts yelling at us. They try to move past the Raider soldiers but are shoved away. They look slightly different. Shaved heads. Different markings. Maybe another tribe I think before they start a disturbing hiss at us.

Tel immediately puts her hand on Solar Blade and I do the same. Our convey goes for weapons until one of Raider guard strolls up to the leader of this other group. He says something in their speech but the shaved head man hisses at the Raider. It’s the last thing he does alive as the soldier laughs, turns and then drives a pulsing black blade into the man’s chest. The blade rips out and then the head is cleaved off.

The group harassing us backs away and we keep walking as if nothing happened.

We enter a massive set of doors with carvings and scenes of battle. The doors tower thirty or fifty feet above me to one of the massive structures we glanced at from the space port. The doors are carved in a strange dark black and red rock and look to depict victories. I glance at the soldier who took down the man and he nods to me. The inside of the structure seems to go up forever and I look into this place; you could park our ship in here with plenty of room.

The smell of the heavy minerals and damp air is replaced by the smell of burning wood, oils and incense. It reminds me of what the Nazarene burn during their special gatherings every Sunday. A potent smell that’s refreshing and crisp but also makes me want to sneeze. Tel glances at me and raises and eyebrow. Poe walks in front. Brax next to me. None of our group talk. We remove our glasses as we enter.

We let the inside of the structures walls and features guide us as we glance up, the black columns and architecture rise endless into darkness above. Flames and fireplaces decorate the massive space and give the black rock an eerie reflection.

We’re in some kind of hall or palace. Hallways and chambers branch off past each column. Dozens of Raiders, or whatever their real name is, gather and watch us. I begin to see our destination far in front at the end of the massive columns; some type of throne and seating area. Like a small amphitheater.

The columns arch above us in the middle and I realize there is no HoloPower or hum of generators. The see by flame. Wood. Like ancient Earthers or something primitive. It gives the whole setting a deep, moody and unnerving feeling.

The Raiders in this structure seem in control. Like they are in charge or the leaders of their planet. They stand among fireplaces, near torches and in small groups and eye us, the firelight casting strange reflections on their black eyes. I watch the columns above us arch and connect far above.

The Nazarene look above us in wonder and almost smile, so I am less worried, but I feel our greeting party of warriors is at odds with the strangeness of this place. Me included.

I look over at a group of Raiders and then glance away. Men and women are strewn together and there are moans and groans from the mostly naked mix of people. Poe shakes his head. Tel laughs at them.

Poe nods for me to walk up with him and I slip through our ranks and stand at his side, “Let me do the talking at first. The Divinita will likely address you. Maybe mock you. Possibly challenge you. If I can, I’ll take the challenge.”

“What challenge?” I murmur as I see the space in front of us. I begin to see a striking woman sitting on a large chair. A throne built from the same rock of the structure and columns, waves of red and even grey. Below her is a small arena and I hear a chorus of cheers and yelling as we draw closer. I can’t quite see what is happening but it’s obviously a fight.

“Challenge of strength most likely. Dominance. Fighting or wrestling,” he shrugs as if we are talking about weather or lunar days.

“I have to wrestle someone? What in the Quantums, Poe?” I say. This place keeps getting worse.

“Tradition thing. Their savage. But they admire strength and cunning. Not unlike most of us. They simply are more, primitive about it. Just don’t lose,” he smiles back.

“Why?”

“They might kill us all or banish us to the Blinding Desert, but that’s unlikely,” he says. “Since we have established relations were protected under their laws. If this was the first meeting, things would be tricky. They would make us endure a mating circle” I eye the woman on the throne again as our guards bring us to the edge of the arena and we stop.

The Divinita looks at Poe and myself with a smile that’s somewhere between malicious and disturbed. She is stunning; her hair is black, a purposeful difference from those of the rest of the Raiders. Her face is chiseled and her skin tan. Several braids pull her hair back and it flows long behind her. I can see a necklace of the red and black rock rest on her breasts. Some type of similar armor covers her shoulders, forearms, her chest and half her legs. She has lean muscles and defined features that make her look like a beautiful nightmare.

She sits barefoot and laughs at the spectacle below us. I see some of type glowing black weapon by her side. A staff or double-bladed weapon that is long and lethal. Although her eyes are black, I watch her and see someone entirely comfortable with violence and death, more than anyone I’ve ever met.

“Did you sleep with her?” I whisper to Poe. He gives me a side eye, “Yes. A couple times.”

“So is this some kind of lovers quarrel thing?” I whisper.

He shakes his head, “The Divinita doesn’t have a mate. They kind of, share each other. Sure there are marriages in a sense. But intimacy is a, group activity.”

Tel hears us and cackles, “Sounds like a party.”

“It’s not as enticing as it sounds. But, when you show up on the run with a stolen fleet from the Imperium and the Sun Lord, you take what allegiances are offered.”

Poe looks back at her, “Didn’t you come here with the Nova once?”

Tel nods, “One time. We didn’t stay long.”

I see Mary, leader of the Sisters look around and make the sign of her God. She is probably saying her prayers. Brax watches the fighting and nods and then winks at me. The spectacle below us is a violent one. A long-haired woman fits a man with a shaved head. Hand-to-hand and brutal and unforgiving. A landed punch of kick gets cheers. The move barefoot on the sand floor and I realize this fight could be to the death. The small amphitheater is filled with fit Raiders; soldiers and warriors. Both are nearly naked. They fight well, too.

The man who struck down the Raider outside walks to the Divinita and whispers something. She looks at us again and then smashes her staff weapon three times. The fighting stops. Silence.

The Divinita stares and then speaks to us, “Welcome. Poe Ranulf, it’s been too long. I hear your fleet has grown. And you bring whispers of war.”

Poe steps forward and puts his hand across his chest, “Divinita. It does me well to see you. You are correct. We come as friends. We bring more than whispers of war. We wage war against the Imperium. Our goal is the end of the Dominus.” The hall murmurs at Poe’s words.

She nods, “Yet, you bring new friends. And an old enemy,” She stares at me and Tel. Not in a friendly way. Poe nudges me forward.

“Greetings, Divinita. I,” I stop and Poe whispers to me so I can continue. “I’m Catherine Arc. I command a group of special fighters with Poe.”

“Do you command Poe in the bedroom as well?” The Divinita mocks and the Raiders around us laugh.

The Divinita keeps talking, “I play. Welcome. Catherine Arc, I know of our family. Your mother, a warrior cut from our cloth of savagery. Your father, a man of words and visions.”

Poe speaks up, “Divinita, we are hear for your support. Fighters. Ships. An alliance to turn the tide against the Imperium. Friendship.”

The Raiders laugh. So does the Divinita before she talks and stands up. All the Raiders take a knee to her, “We have no friends. No alliances. Maybe, Poe, we could work something out, if Catherine could share you for a night.”

The Divinita winks at me and I grip my hands into fists. This bitch.

“Who knows,” she continues. “Maybe that’s why Poe came back. He missed our ways. Our, gatherings.”

My knuckles are turning white but I try a diplomatic route, “Divinita, we are spread thin. Support from you would put the Dominus on the defense.”

“Spread thin like you spread your legs for Poe?” The Divinita fires back to laughter. “No doubt, you fall short. Or maybe just on your knees. I remember the look in Poe’s eyes the last time he stayed here. And I remember other areas.” The crowd chants and laughs.

So this is the mocking, I think. I bit my lip. Tel tries to grab my arm. Poe whispers for me to calm down.

I step forward and stare at the Divinita, “Maybe Poe was wrong. Maybe Raiders are just damn cowards.” Angry murmurs call out among them as the Divinita stares me down as I continue with my own jab. “Besides, all of our nights together, Poe never mentioned you or this sulking shit hole. Understandable since he had never been with a real woman before me.”

Brax and Tel laugh as the soldiers in the amphitheater stand and yell curses at me. The Divinita laughs at first but she is fuming. I wink at her before she crashes her staff three times and silences her people.

“Tenebrae fear nothing,” the Divinita declares. “And our friendship with Poe is established. Let us settle this with a test of strength. You win, we talk allegiance.” She says the last word like it’s something disgusting.

“And if you win?” I respond back. The Divinita nods her head back and forth, “You leave. And maybe I keep Poe here for an extra night for, negotiations. A mating circle perhaps.”

My hunch is she wouldn’t offer a competition unless I have a good chance at losing.

“I’ll take her place. It’s me that’s brought you this request. So the challenge stays with me,” Poe speaks and moves forward, but the Divinita smashes her staff three times and everyone stops. “Not you Poe. Her,” the Divinita points at me. “Sun Giver.” Her smirk is alarming and she points below to the sand. “Come.”

Poe comes over to me as I watch the Divinita strip off her armor. The soldier who took the man’s head outside comes over to me, “You’ll need to remove your clothes and armor. Undergarments are acceptable. Or nothing, Sun Giver” he winks at me and takes a few steps back, staring at my hair. “Argos,” he hits his chest to me to tell me his name and moves away.

Poe glares at him and turns to me as the ampitheatre begins a strange chant, “Remember, just a show of strength. Do not hurt her seriously or do anything worse. Or we never make it out of here alive.” I nod at Poe as I remove my ThermalSuit. The Divinita is now standing barefoot at the edge of the sand circle. She’s impossibly fit. Her muscles ripple lean and there’s little left to the imagination in whatever covers her breasts and lower region.

Tel comes over to me as the Divinita stretches and I remove my flight suit, shirt and combat pants. She hands me a hair tie and I pull my blonde hair back tight in a ponytail. At least I wore combat briefs and a bra today. Fighting the queen of this hellish people in a sand pit wasn’t on my bucket list today.

“Cat, remember the trials at the Institute,” Tel says glancing at the arena. “Skill and competence over brutality.”

I nod as Poe talks, “You good?” I catch him staring me up and down. It gives me confidence at least. I know I am fast but the Divinita’s physique is built for one purpose: violence. She’s a killer. Luckily, I am, too.

“Sure,” I say to Poe and being moving forward through our gourd. “Any other ex-girlfriends I need to know about?”

“Cat, it’s not like that,” he fires back. He’s frustrated. Our group is out of sorts. They all want to help. Fight. Do something. But they can’t. I grip Poe’s hand and pull him in for a kiss. Murmurs among the crowd as he we embrace and he grabs my chin, “Stay alive, Catherine.” I smirk at our punchline, kiss him again and begin walking.

“With some urgency, Sun Giver,” the Divinita mocks and teases me. Tel pats my shoulder. Then Brax, Mary and then the Sisters and the rest of our group. I meet Argos at the edge of the sand. I watch his black eyes look me up and down before leading me out.

“The Divinita is nearly undefeated,” he says as we walk on the coarse ground. “She is quick but favors her left side and leg sweeps.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I say low.

“Some of the Tenebrae wish to fight the Imperium. We are not content to trifle with one another,” he nods and extends his hand forward to the sand. “Fighting the Imperium may unite us more. Remove our own hatred for one another.”

“Rules are simple,” he tells me as I feel the sand beneath my bare feet and loosen up. “Blood until exhaustion or sleep. No weapons. No killing.”

“Sleep?” I question.

Argos thinks, “Knocked out.” He nods to me, kneels to the Divinita and then steps away.

I stretch and feel the eyes of the Raiders on me. I’m sure they are not staring at blonde hair anymore. It’s strange and disturbing and the discomfort fuels the rage in me. I want to fight them all for this savage spectacle.

I stretch my legs and hear a commotion in the crowd. I move and get a feel for the sand but notice the Divinita remains outside the arena.

“You joining me Raider or you having second thoughts?” I shout at her. The crowd of warriors and more onlookers hoot and jeer at me for saying ‘Raider.’ It’s then I see what the commotion is: a Raider with a shaved head is thrown on the sand. I see a curved blade thrown to him. An identical blade lands at my feet.

The Divinita looks at me and the man as he stands, “A test first. To prove you can square with me Sun Giver. A fight to All Blood.”

I hear Poe and Tell yell out in protest. Argos and few warriors grab them as they try to enter the sand and push them back. The amphitheater erupts with loud yells of support. It’s clear what the contest is: a fight to the death. I look at Poe and shake my head.

My opponent stands up and grabs the blade, looks around and then begins to approach me. I need to put on a show for this bitch and dispatch this guy quick.

I lean down, grab the blade, roll and lunge forward and stab at the fighters chest. I catch him but he jumps back and I side-step to keep moving. His blade is up and his other hand is raise in a guard to block or strike. Experienced.

We move back and forth. Trade jabs and lunges. He’s slower moving side to side. I need to exploit it. He towers over me as well and I’ll have the upper hand as he tires. But if he catches me, he can easily overpower me. Another step and swing and I connect with an open palm to his nose, an elbow to the cheek and knee to his groin.

He grunts and swings wild as I roll back. I ready again as comes close, he hisses like the men outside and begins a furious sets of strikes and swings. I block them and side-step to his right and slice across his arm and catch his bicep.

I see him go to a knee. It’s a deep wound sputtering blood. As I move forward to attack, my eyes burn and my vision is cloudy. I stammer back, one eye open and the other on fire. The amphitheater cheers. Sand. My domination of the fight kept the crowd quiet until now. His fistful of sand in my face makes me cough and lose my senses.

I struggle and see the Divinita laugh. My attacker closes in on me and I’m lucky to block a swing but I get a first to the gut for my troubles. He goes for another lunging stab and I catch his arm and spin my body around his wrist. I crank on it as hard as I can as my feet land and I feel tension, grinding and then a crunch as he yells.

My face goes numb from a shin kick to my eye. Another kick and I feel blood flow. Now swelling in my cheek. I try to breathe half blind as a third kick lands a snap in my cheek makes me grimace. The warriors cheer as I spit. I dodge an uppercut and a jab but he kicks me in the chest. I’m losing control. With one arm useless, he will probably rely on his legs for attacks. His blade is gone and I still hold mine but the sand burns one eye and I know my cheek bone is broken.

I barely see him winding up to spring a kick as I grab his leg, twist with his momentum and drive my knife into the inside of this thigh. We spin and tumble to the sand.

I curse as I misjudge the rotation and I am on top of him, my back slamming into his chest. He locks his good arm around my neck and starts choking the life out of me.

My blade is dug in his leg but it must have missed the artery. I cough. Choke. Curse. Try to slide my sweaty arm between his. No use. He jerks and uses the sand to torque against my neck as blood oozes from my nose and mouth. I can taste it.

Black spots now. I’m starting to pass out. I can’t die on this shit hole of a planet. The crowd roars at me dying. I hear the Divinita laugh and mock to Poe. I can’t see my friends as I kick sand and struggle. I half breathe with the air left in my lungs as the man squeezes his legs against my sides to try and finish me off.

I close my eyes, yell and I jab my thumb and pointer finger into his eye. I feel something squishy and press hard with bot fingers as he screams. He’s in real pain and his chokehold relaxes.

I dig my pointer finger and thumb into his eye socket and grip with both fingers and yank. I yank again toward until there is a pop. Blood and fluid leak from the man as he howls and I give myself enough room to head butt him backwards once. Twice.

As he grabs at his missing eye, I twist and arch my hips up to spin him off. He flails side and reaching down to his thigh, I rip my blade out of his leg. I drive it into the side of his head above the ear.

His body tenses and I yell, tear out the sharp metal and drive it into his skull again. He shakes under me again, coughs and jitters and then lays still. I smell blood and taste the iron in my mouth. I’m finally able to open both eyes but they're swollen and I spit in the sand. The amphitheater has long gone quiet. My friends roar in celebration. For good measure , I remove the knife and drive it in the man several more times.

I look to Poe. Tel. Brax. My friends. My hair tie is lost in the combat and my hair flows behind me. I stare at them in defiance. Sucking in air. My adrenaline is pumping through me and I feel as if I could rip through them with this small blade in my hand.

The Divinita claps; it’s the only noise in the dark, torch-light cathedral and it’s unsettling.

“Very good, Sun Giver. We heal you and then, you may have my challenge,” she speaks and begins to turn before I reply in a raspy tone.

“No, Raider.” I don’t address her by her title. I want to piss her off.

She sneers to me as yells spring out from her people, “No?”

I take a knee and put my hand in the sand, “No. We fight. Now. And I show you what a real woman is you conniving bitch.” I look at Tel as she smiles to me. Poe looks nervous. The Divinita smashes her staff three times and points to the sand.

Her warriors remove the blades and the dead man. I help by finding his severed eyeball and throwing it out of the arena to laughs. She makes her way in the arena and her people cheer. They shout out at me. I don’t care. I am locked in. Flow state. My body is craving the violence and the anger of those around me. It’s feeding me like electricity. My cheek bone throbs but I feel alive. Wild.

Before we fight, I think of a plan to throw the Divinita off. Something that pops in my head from an ancient Earther book long ago. I smile and square up, but pretend to limp on one side. It’s barely seconds before the Divinita closes in and begins to punch and kick. She’s unnaturally fast and powerful. Every block hurts. Every blow or near strike raises the volume of the amphitheater before she fakes a punch, spins and lands a kick that knocks me on my ass. She’s targeting my ‘injured’ side.

The sand does little to cushion my fall before she jumps to try and knee my face. I spin, twist back and use my momentum to flip on my feet before starting a classic punching combo, but pretend my leg is in pain. The Divinita blocks everything except a fake. Instead of a hook, I smash her with an elbow and she stumbles back and spits.

Her smile is not encouraging. The next few minutes are brutal. I take a knee to the breasts and then an uppercut to the stomach after a few blocks. A few jabs and a hook to my injured cheek which burns like hell and makes me see black. I overplay my injury and she targets what she thinks is my weakness. I glance and Tel and she nods at me. Show knows what I’m up to. And Argos is correct, she does favor one side.

Various kick and strikes weaken my thigh and shin. Everything is hurting but I need to tire her out. These Raiders fight brutal, quick and devastating. I finally lose patience with my strategy and start my own punches before catching her kick, driving my ankle behind her standing leg and shoving her down to get an arm hold or head lock. Classic ancient wrestling moves.

She spins out and backs up and we are back standing. I let her pummel me more; a hard swing drops me to my knee and blood trickles from a cut above my eye. But it’s here I see the signal; the Divinita is breathing hard. Panting from the strikes.

No more faking. She aims to land a shin kick to my head and I pop to my barefoot and catch her leg. I hold it and lift it higher before stepping toward her and smashing her in the middle of her gut. I exhale to give the punch some power and the Raider’s fierce queen falls back. She stands and shakes her head, holding her stomach.

Her entourage is quiet. Probably shocked. I leave my foot forward and take a fighting stance, like the Institute taught me. Training with Tel the last few months is beneficial right now. Stamina. Strategy. My lungs fill with air as I ready myself and I wink at the Divinita.

She attacks me enraged, strong strikes but more wild. I plan my hit and deliver an uppercut to her left side. She grimaces, smashes my nose but leaves her guard down and the adrenaline takes over. I deliver uppercut after uppercut. Body shots to both sides as she heaves for air.

She has a pretty face; I leave it intact for now. But my blows to her torso are taking her strength. I lose count of the punches I land as the Divinita is arched forward in tremendous pain. I give her my classic move, a head butt to stun her and then a hook followed by an elbow to her cheek.

I drive another uppercut to her stomach for good measure and then jump, spin and flip her by her arm, locking it in my legs as we lay on the ground. It’s the side her soldier said she favors.

She’s struggling to breath, in shock and fighting to remove her arm from my locked legs. But the more I torque, the more her bones get closer to breaking. I yank hard as she sneers at me but she understands; she yields or I snap her arm in half and pummel her until she stops moving.

The Divinita looks up, yells what I assume is a curse and then shouts something to the already quiet amphitheater. All I hear is the crackle of fire and torches as the Argos bows and runs into the sand.

He puts a hand on my shoulder and nods, “The Divinita yields.” Poe, Tel and the others roar with delight. I stare at Argos. Sweat drips off my face and chin. Covers my body. I keep her arm a moment longer, unsure if I should stop. My body likes fighting. Feeling alive. Argos no doubt sees the wild look in my eyes as he finally helps his queen up.

The Divinita stands over me, nods and hugs me, “Welcome, Catherine.” She says and kisses my cheek. She grabs my hand and speaks to the amphitheater of soldiers, warriors and citizens in the massive hall.

I don’t know her words but I hear the crowd murmur. Gasps. Nods. Some shaking of heads. Whatever she says at the end, it’s loud and fierce. Every Raider jumps up and screams in exhalation at her final words as the Divinta lifts my hand up with hers.

I don’t need to speak the disturbing Raider tongue to know what she told them: an alliance.

The Divinita steps from the sand circle, her guards re-fit her armor. They’ll be invaluable against the Imperium, as long as things on their home planet don’t spiral out of control. It’s then I begin to wonder.

I walk over to my group of friends as they pat me on the back. Poe hands me some kind of drink and I chug it, nearly spit it out and then accept its relaxing effect.

“Raider liquor. Packs a nasty punch but will make you feel better,” he says and kisses my sweaty forehead. “You ok?” I know he wants to say more to me. Do more.

I kiss him back, “So the Raiders go to war?”

Poe nods and looks around as they celebrate the news, “They go to war with us. First time in hundreds of years.” The Raiders make us formidable against the Imperium but now my mind runs with a million scenarios and theories. Why did Argos help me before I fought? Why do the Raiders care to join our cause? It seems too convenient. I shake the thoughts from my head for now.

Argos walks through our ranks and carries something in his hand. He walks to me, bows and presents it like a gift, “Sun Giver, this is from the Divinita. A symbol of our, friendship.” The last word seems funny to him as he says it. It’s the first time I notice his shoulder-length white hair and strong features. He eyed me before the fight, he does it again now.

He takes my sweaty arm up and clasps a thin bracelet to it.

“The Divinity’s stone. The stone of the Tenebrae. No one alive carries this stone except the Divinita. It marks our allegiance until betrayal, victory or death.” He bows again, kisses my hand and steps back. I thank him and raise an eyebrow to Poe. He stares Argos. The Tenebrae are savage, strange and are experts at making others jealous.

Tel puts a hand on my shoulder, “Not bad, Cat. Could use some more training. You’ve done what the Imperium couldn’t even do.”

I pant and look up as I get another drink, “What’s that?”

“Align with the Raiders,” Tel says. Argos gives Tel a look and she corrects herself, “Apologies. Tenebrae.”

“Tel, something seems off,” I whisper to her as we turn from the group. The cathedral beings to celebrate. Cheers and songs reverberate in the stone mausoleum, their notes dance among the torches and fireplaces. Poe and Brax talk to the warrior. No doubt talking strategy, logistics and what’s next. I watch the Divinita as she surrounded by men. She takes turn kissing them and hugging them.

“How so?” Tel replies and sips her liquor with a cough.

“Awful continent the Raiders decide after a few hundred years to join our alliance. And that warrior,” I point to the friendly one talking with Poe and Brax. “Argos gave me a tip about the Divinita, how to beat her. I think he wanted me to win.”

Tel raises her eyebrow and looks around, “Fuck me sideways,” she murmurs. Always a colorful phrase from her in these moments.

She glances around, thinks and I see her working on some theory. She’s much better at the politics and maneuvering of things than me.

“Could be political. The Tenebrae that harassed us outside, the ones with shaved heads. Maybe it’s infighting among tribes. Maybe Argos is a spy for a group going for the throne. Maybe the Divinita is using our alliance to distract from problems here.” Tel shrugs and I begin to understand. This was as much a political move from the Divinita as a military one.

“That’s the problem with governments and rulers, Cat,” she says sipping the liquor more free. “The danger in their appeal is they all think they're different. Unique. Ingenious. But the reality is anytime they get power and control, they just want more of it. It’s the same bullshit dressed up a thousand different ways on a thousand different planets.”

It’s then we hear shouting. Not the good kind. A commotion. A Tenebrae soldier springs past us and slides on his knees to the Divinita. He’s bloody. Whatever he is saying, it draws a reaction we don’t expect. Then we hear vibrations. Pulsars. Fighting.

The Tenebrae grab weapons. Produce rifles and Pulsars and blades of their own make and design. The Divinita nods and a mass of the soldiers begins walking toward the carved doors we came in at the other end of the cathedral.

The Divinita walks to us with her guard, “A warring tribe. Attacking part of the city. And, Imperium. Soldiers. Join us.” She nods to us and continues marching as I slip my flight suit and ThermalSuit back on. At least I can wear clothes again.

Near the cathedral doors, a Nazarene stands with our weapons and helmets for our suits. We ready for combat. I wrap my hand around my Solar Blade and feel comforted. Poe is standing with Pulsars ready. He nods to me. Tel cracks her neck. The Nazarene pray. Brax shakes his arms and legs, bouncing. He holds PulsarPumper and his blade is accessible on the back of his suit.

I watch the Divinita way in front of us; her staff glowing and humming. She leads from the front. A sea of Tenebrae wait behind her and I hear them chanting. Some war cry. The glow of the torchlight and fires give the whole scene an eerie, hellish look.

We hear a horn blow as the doors from the massive structure open. Our helmets flip to infrared to protect us from the light and there is some kind of snow or sleet falling. I saddle up next to Poe and take his gloved hand, “Stay alive, Ranulf.” He squeezes my hand, “Stay alive, Cat.”

Our group trudges slow into the melee and it’s a wild scene like all close quarters combat. I see a large contingent of the shaved head Raiders fighting against us. Lights flash from Pulsars. Screaming. Yells of excitement. Groans of death. Pockets of the snow are already discolored a deep red.

We begin running up the middle and take a group of our enemy down. I meet two fighters and drop them quick with strikes. Poe, Brax and myself fire into the other tribe with our Pulsars and wipe out a squad of them. They have no Pulsars; only small blades. Our Raiders make quick work of their tribesmen. I see the Divinita bow to a group of her enemy. She takes down more than a dozen men in less than a minute. Her armor is black like the rock of this planet but it becomes shiny as blood decorates the front. She’s terrifying to watch as she kills.

We’re battling in the courtyard until I see a mass of gold armor appear. Imperium. The gold wall crashes into the side of our Tenebrae with a flash of Pulsars and blades. A wave of Imperium gold against the black of the Raiders. We maneuver to the other side of the Imperium troops and begin working our way through.

I begin to tire as the swings of my blade multiply. Tel is moving near me, Brax in front as we slaughter Imperium. The spray of blood and gore is off-color here due to the stars. In our helmeted visors, it shows up ultraviolet. It colors the fighting in an unnatural way with bright sprays of neon. I watch Brax pick a soldier up and simply throw him into another and then turn quick and run his blade through an Imperium trooper. It clears the first soldier and Brax keeps moving and slams the long blade into another Imperium trooper until their both run through like space eels on a hook.

He deposits them in the mineral dirt of the courtyard, dodges a swing and grabs an Imperium fighter by the throat. Lifting him up, I see the fighter in gold armor struggle and kick until Brax literally crushes the soldier’s throat and tosses him aside.

I hold back as my friends and the troops of our new alliance need no help killing these invaders. I catch the Divinita and our Tenebrae friend slam into the fray. The Divinita are Argos tear through Imperium fighters.

A staff smashes through a helmet, slices an arm off, tears through the chest of another. The two of them maybe take down twenty or thirty of the enemy between them. It’s awe inspiring to see. Argos carries two mid-sized blades and he’s the fastest fighter I’ve ever seen. He spins, stabs, slides and flips at a dizzying rate. In this battle, he has no equal.

The Imperium troops don’t last long between us and the Tenebrae. As the last of the fighting dies down, the gold wall of troops is swallowed by black and blue until it ceases to exist in this cold and hellish planet.

Once the threat is gone, many of the Raiders move to another part of the city on foot and we hear fighting. The fog makes Pulsars and blasts glow strange far above us like a broken hologram. I eye Poe a dozen yards away. Tel and Brax are fine as well with only a few bruises. I glance around and see the Divinita kneeling with someone. Whomever it is lays prone and barely moves. Dying most likely. I walk forward and run when I see who is on the ground. Mary, leader of the Sisters. Nazarene crowd around her praying.

She bleeds from wounds in her stomach. Blood, ultraviolet in my visor, oozes from behind her. I lean down to take her hand.

“Can we get Healers?” I yell to Poe. He begins to move when Mary puts her hand on mine and shakes her head.

“But we can save you. Stop the bleeding and get you to the med bay,” I plead. My voice is cracking. The Divinita holds her other hand and watches us.

“That time, has gone,” Mary stammers. She’s weak. I try to look optimistic as she speaks again, “You.”

“Me. Me what, Mary? Let’s try and get you out of here.” I reply quick and go to stand but she squeezes my hand back down. Shakes her head. “You. Lead. Sisters. Us.”

The Divinita is mumbling something. Mary is mumbling a prayer. I’m cursing. I don’t respond because it’s not worth the thought. I don’t want to lead anyone, much less the Sisters. Mary is their leader, I’m a blade for Poe and the rebellion.

I shake my head to her, “No. You’re their leader. You,” I smile, cry and say as my voice breaks.

Mary shakes her head. She coughs blood. She will be dead soon. She holds my hand and presses it against my heart. Presses her pointer finger against me. We all stay silent until she passes moments later.

The Divinita gently puts her hand on her chest and kisses her forehead. I remove Mary’s helmet and slide her eyes shut with my fingers. My mind is raging. Tel kneels next to Mary. Poe grabs my shoulder.

It’s then I hear a shout from a Nazarene, “Space port entrance is blocked. Imperium incoming. Nova.”

I sneer and stand up. I look across at my friends. The Divinita. They see my eyes. I look at Poe and he shakes his head.

“Cat, don’t,” Tel tries to yell but legs move on their own. Without thinking. Everyone is yelling at me. Hold. But that’s the problem, I don’t think in these moments. Something else takes hold. I sprint to the space port.

Curse the pulsars. Curse the Quantums. And as Tel would probably say, fuck the Nova. It’s as if I watch someone else take control of my body. I’m sprinting, holding my Pulsar in the left hand and my Solar Blade in the other. This happened before. My commander in the Black Stars called it blood drunk. I’m not processing much as I sprint to call it anything.

I know no one will catch me. I yell as I run. I don’t care if they know I am here. I want them to know. I want them to hear their death coming loud and crazy. I want them to know the Sun Giver is here to end their light.

I glance behind me but my friends are far back. I get to the entrance of the space port first. I see the Nova. Lots of them. They look relaxed and don’t expect a single fighter to walk up on them.

I remove my helmet and throw it to the ground. We’re inside. I want them to see my face. I need them to know who’s going to take their life. The Nova tense up as they recognize me. I keep walking. The Nova carry no Pulsars, but I’m not interested in fighting fair. Or rules.

I am here to kill and kill violent. The Nova near to me readies her blade but then her eyes go wide as I raise my Pulsar and drop her. Several Nova recoil as I shoot more of them. The group is backing away now, realizing they are trapped. If I wanted, I could Pulsar them down in seconds. But there is no sport in that.

It’s then I see a familiar face: Wren. She is in the back. Of course she is.

As I walk by the fallen Nova, I fire my Pulsar into the head or chest of those I’ve taken down. I don’t want surprises from a half-injured fighter today.

I throw the Pulsar behind me and take my Solar Blade in both hands and give a crazy grin. Now they don’t hesitate to engage me.

One swings wild a few times but I kick her blade away and slice, my move rips her neck open and splatters my armor with a torrent of blood. I swing and remove her head. Another Nova thinks she sees an open but I block her attack, get a cut on the side but she finds my Solar Blade lodged through her chest. I kick her down and grab my smaller Wind Blade and throw it at the next Nova; it lodges into her right eye as she falls screaming and shaking.

I take a knee, pull the blade out and drive down again to quiet her. I tuck it back as six Nova come at me. I get a gash on my forearm, shoulder and thigh but I bring them down in less than twenty seconds. I count to give my strokes some rhythm.

Most are missing arms and legs.

I feel the presence of my friends arriving behind me. But there’s nothing they can do. They can watch but this is for me. For Mary. For what the Imperium did to us.

Another handful come at me and I drop them fast. The last actually gets me to the ground but takes a small blade to the neck and then the side of her head. I flip up as Wren comes at me. I smile. Laugh. Dodge.

I take my time. She misses wide with a lunge and I crush her nose with my elbow and simple walk past her. I could kill her but I want her suffering to be slow.

She stumbles, tries a wild swing and scoots back and gets a stab across her cheek from me. She shrieks and grabs at her face and I giver her a high kick with my shin to her jaw. It drops her and I kick away her blade. A wild instinct overtakes me and I throw my blade to the side and stagger over to Wren.

I pummel her face. Elbows. Hammer fists. Punches. She puts up a weak defense until she weakens and I realize I may kill her. But I don’t stop hitting. It isn’t until I feel someone behind me and hear yelling that I turn.

I dodge one blade and stab into the stomach of the Nova who swings it but then I feel pressure, pain and a blow that smashes into my collar bone. I feel it break and cry out as pain rockets from shattered collar bone. I half turn and see Poe, Tel and the Divinita running to me, afraid.

I grimace as the pain shutters my body and I shake, but the adrenaline does its work. The Nova who stabs me tries to stick me with her Wind Blade but I block it with one hand, and direct it into her thigh. I punch the blade to dig it into her flesh as she yells in pain.

I am wild with pain and rage and not thinking. Which is good because the next move is simply a primal instinct to live. As the Nova leans down, I lunge forward and bite the Nova’s neck. I rip into her neck muscles and tear until I achieve the desired result. Artery town. Blood flings like a geyser. I don’t care. I spit and shove her away as she wriggles, bleeding out. I fall back and laugh in a strange, blood drunk shriek.

Tel arrives moments later and dispatches the Nova. Pain. Shooting. Searing. All the different types of pain. Poe slides over to me, a HealingGrid in his hand.

“Cat, are you damn insane?!” He screams to me.

I look at him. He knows that look. I say nothing.

“This going to hurt like a space eel biting you,” he says. “Count of three.”

I brace his hand as he readies to pull the blade out of my body.

“One, two,” he does what I expect and tears it out early and I scream. Really scream into his side. He puts the HealingGrid on me and it locks on the wound and begins its painful work, repairing muscle, bone and anything critical to stop me from dying.

My vision goes in and out and I squeeze Poe’s hand. Tel looks around and then at me and shakes her head. I see the Divinita walking among bodies and putting any Nova out of their misery. She stands above Wren but I yell out, “Wait.”

I put my good arm up to stop her. It hurts like hell but I point to Wren, “Alive. Keep. Alive.”

It’s all I can say before things go black.

I’m in and out of hit but someone is carrying me. Smells good despite the sweat and fighting and smell of blood. Poe. I feel the change in gravity and shaking. Must be a ship. I’m mumbling to myself but I don’t know where I am.

I awaken in what feels like seconds but I know it’s sometime later. We’re in deep space. My mind takes a moment before it replays the fighting. The Nova. Mary dying. My duel with the Tenebrae and the Divinita. I glance at the bracelet on my wrist.

Tel sits in the corner. Drinking kova, “Hello sunshine. Get your beauty rest.”

“How long. How long have I been out?” I mumble. My voice sounds hoarse.

“Two lunar turns. Med team got you fixed up. That collar bone and shoulder is now reinforced with asteroid mineral. You could probably run through Imperium marble with the side of your body now,” she smiles for a second then a scowl returns. I know what she will say.

“I know, Tel. I know,” I say and look away.

“I still have to say it, Cat,” Tel replies. “Keep that rage under control or I’ll knock you wonderful ass out and carry you out of a fight.” Tel smirks as she talks.

“But in all seriousness, Cat. Control your temper. Or much like your mother, it could be the end of you.” She sips her kova to end her thoughts.

“Where’s Poe?” I ask.

“Don’t worry. He’s been in here non-stop when he can spare a moment. But he is commanding a rebellion after all.”

“And the Raiders?” I respond. I’m already feeling tired and want to sleep again.

“They are preparing to join our ranks. Argos, our new friend will lead a special force that will fight with us. They are preparing their fleet and troops, too. I don’t think the Divinita came out to bad in all this. Their tribes are united now.”

I nod and look at the bracelet on my wrist. A simple of our alliance. I think of the battle, losing Mary, our rebellion growing.

“How are Joan and the Sisters?” I ask.

Tel shakes her head, “Their sad. But, they follow you now. They told me they will pray for you. I laughed.” Tel finishes and pats me on the hand. “Heal up, Cat.”

“Wren?” I ask.

“Rescued by the Imperium. We think from a spy in our group but it could just be Nova who hid and snuck out in the chaos. I doubt she’s feeling great right now, if she is even alive.” Tel answers.

I think about how far I’ve come. Alliances, rebellions, battles and those lost. And I think about taking down the Dominus. Ending her reign and the end of the Imperium. It feels closer but there always seems to be a cost.