"What is the plan Commander? How do we surprise and kill them without them being able to warn their mother ship?" The Admiral asked as he placed his fists against his side.
"I suppose that depends on who is on board, and how many. Can you lift that Admiral?" Haigen motioned to a twenty foot section of wing lying by the ruined shuttle.
"Of course." The Admiral flexed his giant muscles under his tight partial shirt.
"Kidran, do you see us on the monitors?" Haigen asked into the intercom.
"Yes Commander."
"When I give the signal, open the air shield as though you were letting a ship in."
"Seriously Commander? You could be killed, and we'd be wasting precious air." Kidran protested.
"Just do it. Then jam their communications for as long as you can." Haigen ordered and shut down the system.
"Is that wise Commander?" The Admiral asked as he tested his ability to lift the big wing.
"Marcek, get over here. The rest of you, get behind the doors." Haigen ordered his still weak and disoriented guards to retreat behind the tall doors separating the hangar from the prison. Marcek ran to his side and saluted.
"Shall I assist him Admiral?" Marcek asked and Falconaire nodded curtly.
"Do you see this hook in the floor?" Haigen pointed down to a heavy metal loop anchored to the landing pad for holding down cargo.
"Yes." Marcek replied.
"When the air shield opens, you are going to hang onto it and onto me so I don't fly out into space."
"You plan to space them Commander?" The Admiral was indignant.
"No, but I don't have the men to fight a platoon of Tomeran commandos, or really anything else. We can only jam their signals for a short time before they are able to work through them, so we have to end this fight quickly." Haigen checked the distance between the nose of the ruined shuttle and the loop in the floor.
"I'll assume we are hiding back here until they land." Falconaire easily dragged the wing around to the nose of the ship. Haigen nodded and crouched back behind the nose of the ship. They waited in silence for several minutes, Haigen glancing up at the flat mirror he knew contained the security cameras.
First with a hiss, and then a roar, the enemy shuttle entered the vast hangar and lowered itself onto the rubble-strewn tarmac. Haigen knew he did not need to steady the hardened Admiral, but he had doubts on Marcek's discipline in a fight. He turned to look at the young soldier but saw no indication of nervousness in his stolid frame or set jaw.
The shuttle landed and the side door flipped open in two pieces, one rising up and the other lowering to the floor to form a ramp. With only a small clattering of boots on metal, six burly Tomeran soldier's trotted out. They wore the same tight black fatigues and boots as Bargos and their thick torsos were bare except for thick, black breastplates over their chests. They had on black helmets and masks over their faces so only their eyes could be seen.
The sturdy soldiers fanned out without a sound, their long rifles seeking any sign of danger. Their tattooed and muscled arms methodically rose and lowered as they swept their surroundings as they crept toward the ruined spacecraft.
Haigen counted in his head and tried to estimate the speed they would move at, and when he felt the time was right, he waved his hand toward the camera. A violent rush of air erupted in the entire compartment as Kidran opened a hole in the life support shield wide enough for a craft to land. Alarms sounded and flashing lights activated in the hangar as the blast of wind grew beyond hurricane proportions and debris started to move across the floor.
Haigen motioned for the Admiral to go and he stepped forward. He crouched down and put hands on either side of the shuttle wing he was preparing to throw, his giant leg muscles bulging with veins as he pulled the impossibly heavy piece of metal off the floor. He stepped out to briefly assess his enemy.
The Tomeran soldiers were struggling to keep their balance and attempted to retreat toward their shuttle. Falconaire emerged from the side of the shuttle, his cloak flying around his head like an enormous advertisement of his position. As the soldiers attempted to regain their footing and level their weapons, he hurled the giant wing at them. It struck the tightly packed group of soldiers with incredible force and knocked them onto their backs beneath it.
Haigen stepped out and poured lightning into the wing, which electrified it and the helpless commandos beneath it. Marcek did as he was told and spread his body wide to both grab the metal loop in the floor and the Commander's belt. He strained against the sucking force of the air escaping the chamber and started to become dizzy from the lack of air. Haigen stopped his barrage for a moment to waive his left hand over his head. The hissing stopped as Kidran closed the shield back and started to pump vital oxygen back into the chamber. Haigen returned his electrical barrage to the men under the wing and listened to them shriek in agony.
The super-strong Admiral picked up a heavy crate of equipment and held it high over his head. He walked up to the pinned Commandos. Haigen lifted his barrage and instead started to trot toward the shuttle, motioning for Marcek to follow.
The Admiral put a foot on the wing and held the crate over his head. He looked down at the men who stopped their efforts to free themselves and their eye went wide behind their masks. They shook their heads from side to side. The Admiral watched them intently until they put their hands up in gestures of surrender. He nodded his blank face back to them and lowered his heavy box to the floor.
"I try to avoid murdering prisoners of war. Keep your hands on your heads primitives, or I'll make an exception." He pulled out his sidearm and pointed it toward the group.
The shuttle pilot started the engines back up with a roar and attempted to push them to takeoff speed.
"He is trying to call for help Commander." Kidran announced into the air.
"Marcek, hold those doors!" Haigen motioned to the closing doors on the side of the shuttle. Marcek dashed forward and caught them in each hand.
Marcek forced the doors open a few inches but was struggling against the powerful motors. He started to sweat and struggle as they closed ever so slightly. The shuttle lifted a few inches from the ground as Haigen jumped inside. He turned toward the pilot, who was attempting to free his sidearm from its holster.
Haigen put his wrists together and fired a blast of white lightning into the back of the pilot's seat and blasted through it. The pilot screamed and his body tensed and then collapsed against the yoke. The ship crashed back to the ground with a violent thud. Haigen ran to the controls and pulled the unconscious but somehow alive pilot backward. Haigen's stomach turned at the smell of seared hair as he disabled the engines.
Haigen stepped out and saw the Admiral standing over his prisoners. The guards who had been taking cover in the next chamber shuffled into the hangar. They wasted no time in approaching the prisoners and putting their hands in heavy restraints.
"There is one in there as well, but he might be dead." Haigen's chest heaved and his defined abdominal muscles rippled as he recovered from the exertion and adrenaline he had just felt.
"Very impressive Commander." The Admiral nodded in approval at the captured men leaving the room in restraints and the unharmed captured craft. "Thank you sir. It was my pleasure to watch you in action as well." Haigen snarled as he looked the Admiral's impressive frame up and down. The exhilaration of battle had aroused his desires.
"You had best see your Warden." The Admiral ordered and pulled his cape across his bulging shorts.
Haigen nodded and left the room at a light run past his guards and to the lift.
Haigen entered the secret code only he and the Warden knew, that would make the lift stop at highest level of the prison. He pulled a deep breath in and let it out slowly, his thick abdominal muscles shifting up and down like a heavy bag of bricks. He felt naked without his helmet, and continuously eased his nervousness by running his hand over his closely cropped hair.
The door opened and Haigen stepped out into the chilling and unpleasant personal quarters of the Warden. The cavernous room was dark except for a handful of dazzling floodlights many feet in front of Haigen. Under the lights, the Warden strutted slowly around a long table. Haigen could not see well around the Warden's impressively muscular silhouette, but he could see enough to know the unfortunate Samaga was bound to the table.
"Come in Commander." The Warden spoke over his shoulder, barely turning his masked face from his specimen.
"You wished to see me." Haigen saluted and walked to within a few steps of the warden.
"I did Commander. More so, I wished for you to see something. And, we have business of course." He waved a gloved hand in the air and stepped around the table so he was facing Haigen.
Haigen steadied himself slightly as he looked at the trim form of the alien warrior lying on the table. His mask had been removed and pulled into a gag tied around his face. The man's face was as lean as his body with strong features and deep dark eyes. He looked helplessly into the lights with his black eyes, not daring to look at Haigen. He was not bound in any other way to the table but he offered no resistance to the Warden.
"I was just about to demonstrate to our peculiar prisoner why I say he is one of us. Isn't that right young man?" The Warden peered at his prisoner with his cold eyes. The man snarled and gritted his teeth but still did not choose to flee.
"We have an urgent matter sir." Haigen urged, he was always stunned by the Warden speaking his age since he was in such perfect condition.
Haigen could not gauge the Warden's true age under the concealing clothing he wore, but he could tell he was equally as well built as Haigen or any of his men.
"Silence Commander. This fight is nearly over, we have plenty of time." The Warden ran his right hand down one of Samaga's covered legs and small sparks fell from his hand.
The man's tight pants seemed to disappear and showed his toned, lithe legs as though the fabric was not there. The Warden pulled back his hand and the clothing reappeared. Samaga craned his head forward and watched the display in disbelief. Haigen was not sure what the Warden was showing him.
"I suppose your generals clothed you all in this way, as though you have some control over your own appearance and disappearance. It is all just parlor trickery, and I can control it was well as you. You and your race of assassins still have not realized how to control all of your potential." The Warden ran his hand up Samaga's chest and patted him lightly on the cheek.
"How?" Haigen's interest peaked as he walked up and admired the deeply chiseled muscles on the smaller man's chest and stomach.
"Free that under-used cock of his, so I can give another demonstration." The Warden ordered and Haigen peeled down the tight pants enough that Samaga's flaccid dick was exposed.
The Warden waved his hand over it again, but this time, arcs flickered from his fingertips to Samaga's penis. Samaga at first jerked back in terror and his eyes went wide. After a moment, he realized there was no pain and watched in wonder and disappointment as his dick went hard and then stood at full attention as the Warden pulled up with his crackling fingertips. The man's dick strained upward as it reached full arousal against its owner's will.
"Now, would that trick work on you Commander?" The Warden's voice trailed into a rumbling laugh.
"Yes, I'm sure it would." Haigen took a convulsive half-step backward and pulled his right hand over his pants in a panicked reflex.
"It would have done nothing on the primitive but singed him, or the frostmaker, but we are our own race. Our genetics will always show through, no matter what form we take. Does that make sense to you, so -called Illestrian?" The Warden pulled his face close to his amazed prisoner's face.
In a flash, Samaga struck his fist into the Warden's chin and disappeared into the air. The Warden stumbled backward. He flung his hands over his head and filled the room with crackling lightning. Before he could focus his energies, Haigen snapped his hand forward and clutched an invisible throat. The Warden's crackling lighting coalesced around Haigen's hand and created the shape of the invisible warrior before was compelled to surrender.
He reappeared again, this time with his throat held by Haigen and his hands on Haigen's armored forearm. Samaga sunk to his knees and his words of surrender gurgling from his lips.
"You should bind your prisoners better sir." Haigen admonished the Warden as he flung Samaga back against the table.
"Oh come now Commander. They all try silly attempts at escape, it makes breaking them so much more satisfying and effective." The Warden used both hands to surround Samaga in lightning. He writhed on the ground for a moment before losing consciousness and going limp.
"I see. Now that you have shown me how the assassins came to be, perhaps we can work on destroying their ship." Haigen persisted in his mission.
"Yes, of course. Do they know we are aware of them, or that their operation has failed?" The Warden asked as he stepped close to Haigen, almost chest to chest.
"I doubt it. Every moment limits our surprise. Shall I have the Admiral bring the Dreskan Navy in?" Haigen tried hard not to be intimidated by the Warden's posturing.
"Negative, I want that ship." The Warden realized his attempts to rattle Haigen were failing. He stepped away from him.
"Sir?" Haigen was confused.
"Go in there, and talk to your former consort." The Warden pointed to a door on the edge of the cavernous room.
"What do you mean?" Haigen stammered.
"I mean, I won't tell Kidran that you are with your former lover. I suggest you use him to get you onto that ship, and take it in one piece." The Warden laughed again as he pulled the barely conscious Samaga up by his ear.
"What? Why?" Haigen was furious at the Warden's glib insults.
"You failed Commander, the base fell, and you are lucky you saved it. Take your old toy, and use him to get on their ship and take it over." The Warden heaved Samaga back onto the examination table.
"To what end though? His betrayal has nothing to do with my loyalty to the Empire." Haigen walked to the door but did not open it.
"I did not question your loyalty, and I will recommend your reassignment to the Home Guard when you succeed." The Warden ran his hands over Samaga in a cloud of crackling energy, making his body disappear. The Warden laughed like an excited child as he experimented.
"What am I to do that the Dreskan fleet cannot?" Haigen asked.
"You are going to find out why, despite all I have shown you, our friend here did not succumb to that weapon they used on our men!" The Warden thundered, and the cloud of black energy began to form around his head.
Haigen nodded his head, realizing the Warden's mind was subtler than his violent and sadistic behaviors appeared. He pressed his hand against the door controls and it slid open. He stepped inside and saw Vaelis lashed to a pillar of metal in the center of the dark room.