Story:Operation Money Cushion

Operation: Money Cushion follows the GSSOC attempting to capture a member for the Altusian Brotherhood. Meanwhile, a great battle is brewing elsewhere. The battle is known as Attack of Asylum, which covers the perspective of King Rustiagon Karrel and the militaries of the Dhragolon Federal Monarchy and Eteno Imperial Triumvirate during the events of this story.

Part 1: An Old Friend
Ahrganot was in the lounge reading a news report on his datapad. "King of the Dhragolon Exiled!" was the title of one particular article. Moments, later Etah walked in.

"We're getting a new GSSOC member, one that hails from an empire that recently joined the Galactic Senate. We should meet him in the lobby," Etah said.

Moments later, they each made their way to the lobby. Descending from a set of stairs was a Delson and a young human girl.

"Sol I Dor?" Ahrganot said.

"You know this guy?" Tholker asked.

"It's been a long time," Sol I Dor said. "It's good to see you again, friend. Fate is strange, indeed." This was Sol I Dor. During Ahrganot's time aboard the DD Garmatox, he stumbled upon him and helped him rescue his adopted human daughter Galiana.

Etah eyed the human then looked at Sol I Dor, "My name is Colonel Etah Owar. Pleased to meet you. But who is that next to you, Sol I Dor? Humans are not members of the Galactic Senate."

The human answered, "The name's Galiana. I'm Sol I Dor's adoptive daughter."

Tholker said, "Wait, wait, time out. This isn't a bring your daughter to work day is it? Aren't you a bit young to be in GSSOC?"

"Young? Age doesn't matter. I single handedly slaughtered many Harvesters!" Galiana boasted. "My father has taught me well in the ways of the blade."

Etah said, "It will take more than just killing a few monsters to be worthy of GSSOC. Only the best of the best are allowed here. Each of us here were handpicked to be part of this team, to do missions no one else can do."

Ahrganot thought to himself. She did save his life once, but Ahrganot did not want to be saved. A Dhragolon was supposed to willingly sacrifice himself to defeat the enemy. Contemptuous feelings invaded his mind. He did not know what to think.

A computerized voice said, "All GSSOC members, report to room F3. All GSSOC members, report to room F3."

Tholker said, "Looks like we got another mission. Let's go."

They all quickly made their way to the briefing room where they saw Grandmaster Ckeros there.

"Greetings GSSOC team. We've just received reports of a suspicious Dhragolon entering the galaxy famous hotel on Herit. Reportedly, he's part of a cult rumored to be the successors of the Dark Warriors. Whether or not that is true, I do not know, but your mission, should you choose to accept, is to inflitrate this hotel and capture this individual. While it may sound easy, if the rumors are true that this individual is indeed a Dark Warrior, capturing him will be difficult. And it's also likely that he has his own henchmen."

"Tell me more about these Dark Warriors," Sol I Dor said.

Ckeros began a brief history lesson, "Well, during the Second Era of Dhragolon history before any sprawling cities were formed on Ucharpli, there was a clan known as the Dark Warriors, a group of people that used their negative emotions as a source of power. They were psychics much like a Delson, and could harness the power of Maj. They could not be killed with regular weapons, but the ancient Malinians drove them to extinction because their ways were considered unethical and taboo. Simply put, they were immortal soldiers."

Tholker added, "It's hard to believe that a group of people that went extinct many thousand years ago has come back."

Ckeros added, "That's why you are on this mission. To verify whether these rumors are true. Be careful, for if this individual really is a Dark Warrior, you may be in for a tough battle."

Galiana said, "Dark Warriors. I wonder how I would hold up against them."

Tholker said, "Uh, sorry, sis. You're not coming with us."

"What?!"

Etah said, "I'm sorry, Galiana. We don't mean to undermine your skills, but Dark Warriors are far more powerful than you can handle. One alone is many times more powerful than an army."

"I didn't come here to sit around. I want to get stronger! I want to fight alongside you guys!" Galiana replied.

Etah said, "Tell you what, young Galiana. You'll be an auxillary member, that is a member in training. Especially considering how old you are, you'll need a hell of a lot more practice to become one of us. Each of us here has gone through intense combat training our entire lives. Tholker for over a decade. Ahrganot for nearly a century. Me, for more than several thousand years."

"Fair enough, I suppose," Galiana said. "I guess I need to catch up a bit after being held prisoner for four years."

While Galiana made her way to the training room, the rest of the GSSOC prepared themselves for the mission, gathering all the equipment they needed. About ten minutes later, they boarded a ship to take them to Herit.

Part 2: Galaxy-Class Hotel
...on Herit...

"Check out this new ammo! See that needle on it? It'll inject some incap agent-"

"It's a tiny sleep dart, then." Ahrganot cut in.

"Yeah, but it's not like the kind you see in all those movies. They'll go out rapid fire like any regular round, and I also have some AP in case the IPF gets involved. Look, I got two different kinds of clips." Tholker pointed at a small, orderly pile of SKAR magazines in his open bag, on top of two shirts and a pair of shorts.

"And if this all isn't enough, I have an anti-material rifle broken down in there."

"That's great, Tholker, but I don't think you want our newest member of the team to start thinking you're a gun-loving psycho. You've been going on and on for about ten minutes now." Etah commented sternly, briefly looking away from the wheel.

"Well sorry, I just think it's rather important to know everything about the gear you're trusting your life with."

"Do not worry, Tholker, I understand your particular interest in firearms and other weapons." Sol I Dor interjected.

"Thank you, Sol."

The five veteran special operatives rode in silence until the family-sized hovervan neared the grand, exquisitely-designed Natanail Beach Resort. Three marble spires surrounded a glass fountain that must've been almost ten times as tall as Etah, serving as a sort of beacon for the dropoff zone in front of the enormous structure.

"Everyone ready? Because here we go..." Etah said with a hint of anticipation in his voice as the van pulled into the circular dropoff area.

Tholker quickly zipped up the open bag sitting next to him as several other team members ensured that their gear was safely in their bags and suitcases. Almost as soon as Etah stopped the vehicle, attendants of a variety of different species flocked to the van, eager to assist in the unloading. Tholker Ahrganot, and Pyro exited the hovervan on the right side doors, onto the brick plaza, while Sol I Dor stepped out from the left passenger door and into the road while Etah exited from the driver door. The team quickly dismissed any help offered to unload their bags, but did allow one attendant to move their van to the parking garage. They wouldn't be needing it, anyway.

"I'll go check in. Etah, Sol, Pyro, take the stuff up to... room 926 in that building over there", Tholker pointed to a tower connected to the resort's main building by a skybridge, "Ahrganot, come check in with me, watch my back."

As three of the team left with their equipment and spare civilian cover gear, Tholker and Ahrganot approached the rotating glass doors leading into the lobby. While Ahrganot scanned their surroundings discreetly, Tholker checked in with one of the many self check-in computers and received room keys.

After checking in and taking a quick walk around some of the immediate shops and gardens, they went to meet up with the rest of the team in their room. It was indeed a large and luxurious one, built for a quite impressive family and filled with luxuries that some in the team hadn't actually ever seen before.

Ahrganot was awed at the room. "This...this is...incredible. I've never seen anything like this place, especially a place where citizens dwell."

Tholker replied, "Yeah, it sure is. I must admit, it's pretty fancy."

Sol I Dor was not sure what to say. "I take it you guys don't go on missions that involve luxurious hotels that often, do you?"

Etah said, "Nope. Most of the time, we're out in the field dodging lasers and bullet, but don't expect this mission to be any different. There's going to be people here that want us dead."

Pyro entered the conversation. "So this Dhragolon we're looking for. He's a Dark Warrior, correct?"

Ahrganot said, "Yes, but we know very little about him. We don't know what motives he has or what his purpose here is. That's why we're here - to find out who this guy is. With the ongoing rise of terrorist organizations in the galaxy, we ought to put a stop to this one before it gets too big."

Pyro said, "But this place is huge! How are we supposed to find this guy? Obviously, we can't check every single room."

Tholker replied, "That's where I come in. I can easily take control of the security system here with my mind. It'll give us a set of eyes and we can more easily navigate this place."

Etah said, "It's hard to imagine doing this mission without you, Tholker. Those cybernetics of your serve you well."

"Yes, they do..." Tholker said while having some doubtful thoughts in his head. Something about what Etah said had started bothering him, specifically his cybernetics. For now, he ignored it and proceeded to get on with the mission.

Tholker began hacking into the hotel's security system using the room's terminal which opened up a holographic screen the whole team could see. He gained access to each of the security cameras. He saw many android guards clustered in one particular hallway.

"I'm sensing something rather disturbing at the hallway," Ahrganot said.

"What is it?" Tholker asked. "Is it the guards?"

"Not just the guards. What's behind that door. I've had a feeling like this a very long time ago. It's not the exact same, but there's just something dark and brooding going on. Can you feel it, too, Sol?"

"Yes, I can." Strangely, it felt compelling to similar to an enemy he had encountered before. He could not put his finger on it though.

Etah concluded, "So both of you are getting that strange feeling? I don't feel anything myself, but I'll take your word for it. That's probably most definitely him."

Something strange started happening on the monitor. Tholker said, "Guys, look. The guards are acting strangely as well." An Eteno was passing by the hallway. One of the guards proceeded to shoot a beam at him which teleported him elsewhere in the hotel, utterly confusing him.

Pyro said, "A gun that teleports others elsewhere? I don't recall you Eteno having technology like that."

Tholker said, "We do, but none of the guards on Herit have any sort of thing. That terrorist must have stationed them there and supplied them with extra technology. We need to be careful. For all I know, those teleportation guns could send us to the wrong place at the wrong time."

Sol I Dor said, "So, how are we going to go about capturing this terrorist then?" Etah stood silently in contemplation for a moment, sitting down on a nearby chair. Raising his hand to his chin, he thought for a moment.

"I think the first thing we need to do is gather more information on the area; who's here, who knows what, where can we go for what; I get the feeling that mingling about and making connections will help us hee. Maybe show our presence some...

"That's a foolish idea, Etah. We're here for a covert mission, why would we want people to know we're here?"

"Perhaps the Colonel is willing to use us as bait...?" Sol interjected.

"Very good, Sol. Yes, I get the feeling that if we give the terrorist the scent of blood, he'll come to us. Then it's a matter of capturing him."

"Not bad, Etah. Besides, I wouldn't mind getting some intel gathered on the area myself, especially if it means something like a vacation." Tholker said with a smirk.

"I believe you should stay here, Tholker. You're our eyes with the security system." Ahrganot pointed out.

"Ahrganot has a point, Tholker. We need someone who can co-ordinate our efforts and be our eyes in the skies. You will remain here." Etah said with an officer's confidence.

"But...but... alright, fine..." Tholker resigned.

"Now we should determine where the rest of us should go. I don't think we should go alone, at least not yet. We should break into teams of two to go to an area, and then opt to split up to cover more ground. Tholker, which two areas of the hotel are best for mingling?" Etah dictated.

"Let me see... hm... it seems like the casino and dinner room are good places. The casino's got all kinds of gambling games, mainly cards and slots. The dinner room doubles as a theater and it has a bar in it, too."

"Hmhm... I'll take the casino. Who wants to see how it's done?" Etah inquired.

Part 3: Infiltration
Like a bird, Sol I Dor sat perched on top of one of the resorts's buildings. He volunteered to get a bird's-eye view of the place...however, 'bird's-eye view' wouldn't be the proper term, considering he's blind. However, the higher elevation does enhance his psychic sensory capabilities.

Either way, he was perched on top of a building, trying to find a terrorist. 'Not how I pictured my career,' Sol I Dor thought to himself...then again, he pictured his career steamrolling through the former Delson territories, pushing the Harbingers back from wence they came. That plan was trashed when the Delsons found out the Harbinger Empire was no more, and now he was an agent in a galactic government...a satisfying position, but, in literal terms, this wasn't how he pictured his career.

"So, Sol, anything yet?" Tholker asked. The Delson decided to go to a place where he could look in places where Tholker couldn't see with the security system. Sol I Dor's psychic abilities, mixed with his self-powered flight, make him the perfect candidate.

"No, nothing. I have not sensed anything yet," Sol I Dor responded. That was only a partial truth: he had sensed something, but all it was was a negative feeling. Nothing he could truly pinpoint.

Sol I Dor continued to scan the area. He could sense Tholker watching security, Etah in the casino, the terrorists entering the casino...

"The terrorists entering the casino?!" Sol I Dor replayed in his mind. Knowing that they would soon find Etah, Sol I Dor stretched his bat-like wings and lifted off. He then glided down towards the Casino, ready for when Etah would need help.

Now this, this was annoying. Tholker had just breezed through five layers of security, only to find that if he wanted complete access to the resort's servers, he would need to be at a security office. The resort had three, one of which was in the same building that the GSSOC unit established as their headquarters. Unfortunately, it was on an isolated level nearly thirty floors down, accessible only by staircase. It took Tholker only a short time to conclude that entering through a most-likely guarded chokepoint was not smart. There'd be fighting, and fighting would mean noise and the possible alert of other guards. That would mean trouble, and undoubtedly, the attentions of the team's target. Unacceptable.

Fortunately, there was another way. Like all rooms in the complex, the security office level had windows. With a SKAR in his hands and his most basic training backing him up, this would be a cinch. The hardest part would be evading any civilians who just happened to be looking out their windows, or standing on their verandas. Even that was a plus. Tholker'd get to do some cool maneuvering.

He synthesized the best possible route to weave through on his way down as he disconnected from the room's sole computer port and carefully opened his one large bag. They may have been tough, but it was a good habit to take care of your weapons, lest you ever find yourself stuck with a second-rate weapon in a fight for your life and you break it. His SKAR 41 sat on top of an orderly row of rifle magazines, above a stack of clothing. Beneath the clothing was another weapon, a high-power anti-material rifle. That thing could bust through pretty much anything short of a heavy tank. If everything went according to plan, shit would hit the fan and that thing would be a saviour.

After acquiring his rifle and clipping his magazines to his belt under his shirt, Zhevhyit walked out onto the veranda. He looked down, seeing if he could spot any of his team. Sol was perched atop one of the taller buildings, scanning patiently for anything of interest. Ahrganot was far below, making his way from one building to another on a cobblestone pathway.

"Hey, Sol, turn your head around." Tholker said over the team's radio.

"What are you planning to do, jump?" Sol replied.

Ahrganot stopped, and looked up at the GSSOC's veranda in the distance, and the Eteno crouching on its railing.

"If you intend to leap, at the very least, don't attract any attention." Ahrganot chimed in.

"Who said anything about leaping? An Army Colonel named Orlovski came up with this one, just watch!"

With that, Tholker turned and attached a grappling hook from the under rail of his SKAR to the railing of the veranda before vaulting backwards, flying out about fifteen feet before gracefully landing against the side of the complex a good twenty feet below the team's room. From there, he casually walked down the wall to the security office's single great, black-tinted window.

After clipping his rifle to his belt, Tholker used tiny laser cutter to slice open a hole in the window, before kicking off from the window and flying in.

"Security can't even handle me right now," He chuckled over the radio over the distinct sound of darts being fired, "And now, I can offer whatever resources the resort security team has to offer to you, instead. The things I do for my friends, I tell you."

Ahrganot said to Tholker over the radio, "Well, good job. Can you get me a view from down here?"

"As you wish."

Ahrganot could now see in third person thanks to Tholker. He wore a piece of headgear on his left ear that transmitted such images. He volunteered to sneak in through the backdoor - go through the restricted areas and into the behind-the-scenes of the hotel. Since Ahrganot wanted to sneak around, Tholker had to stay behind, and Sol wanted to get a bird's eye, Etah was left to go with Pyro to the casino. They agreed they would sweep around the casino, then rendezvous with the rest of the team in two hours for dinner. Pyro went to the bar to entertain himself while Etah headed for the poker tables.

"Dealer, what version is this?" Etah said the human card dealer.

So humorous, he thought. These beings were discovered long ago by Karnasaur expeditions only to have their location scratched from the records in the Thrid Age. There was some old legends surrounding the curious species, but Etah never paid them any heed. It was even stranger that one of their kind was on their team.

"Texas Hold 'Em, sir. You know the rules?"

"Yes, I am familiar. Buy in?"

"20,000"

"High Stakes?"

"Yes, sir."

"My favorite." Etah said with a devilish grin as he slipped on his shades and paid his credits.

Sitting down, he shut down all neuroanalytic cybernetics. He would neither want nor need them. He looked around at the table. There seemed to be three pros; These were the ones he'd have to watch for. Two of the players were rich new guys; They were just giving the game a whirl since they had money to lose. Easy pickings.

...Hours later...

Etah was half-drunk, smoked half a pack of cigars, and the last man at the table with the Eteno pro. Both players were against the wall. A crowd gathered to watch these final moments.

The dealer dealt out the hands. Etah took a peek and put on a grim face.

"All...in..." The Eteno said, pusching his chips to the center of the table.

"...I call." Etah replied.

The dealer dealt out the river...

...Ace of Hearts...

...Queen of Hearts...

...Queen of Spades...

Then the flop...

...Four of Diamonds...

Etah's heart pounded. 120,000 credits were on the table.

FInally, the dealer dished out the showdown:

Jack of Hearts.

Smiling evilly, the Eteno slammed is cards on the table. Four of Hearts and Four of Spades. With the queens, that made a full house. He laughed as he took the chips. Etah looked aside, ashamed.

"You know, you really should wait until I show my hand. Be a good sport at least..." Etah mumbled.

"When you get a load of this."

"READ IT AND WEEP, BOY!" Etah shouted, suddenly filled with vigor.

SLamming his own card down, it showed a Ten of Hearts and and King of Hearts.

A Royal Straight Flush.

The single best hand in the game.

The crowd roared violently with entusiasm as the sheered the newly named Poker Champion. Etah chased out and left the casino, realizing he would be late for dinner.

"Damn Etah, and I thought I was good at bluffing..." He heard Tholker say over the radio.

Part 4: Casino Battle Royale
"Etah, get ready. Some of the terrorist's henchmen are headed your way," Sol I Dor said.

"Really? Oh, well, and I thought this day wouldn't get any more fun!" Etah replied.

A Dhragolon approached Etah. He seemed normal looking enough, save the pistol he tried and failed to hide on his hip.

"Colonel Etah?"

"Aw, you've got to go and spoil it all by coming up to me first? Look at you, you've got a gun. That's it? Just a gun? And you're not even just gonna shoot me? Oh, but you know it won't help, me being who I am, and all. So you've just, carroused on over here, like all stupid hitmen do, and asked if I was the guy you were being paid to kill. Because the point, usually, is that they answer to thier name, look around, and that's a big sign saying, 'Go on, then! Shoot me!', and you do just that; you shoot them! But then there's me, oh, by the Angels, I've done this so many times... Unlike the standard fare, I don't just turn, but I turn and just go on yapping away! And you're stuck there, ready to shoot, as I'm talking, and for some reason, you never shoot! It's like you're being courteous to the man you're trying to kill! I mean, really! In the amount of time I've spent talking and identifing all your cohorts, all 49 of 'em, all with hidden but military-grade weapons, and planning exactly how I'm gonna kill you all, or at least incapicitate, you could've shot me a dozen times over, giving the signal for the rest of them to start shooting! Then, you could run off as I start to bleed out, and detonate that big-ass bomb you've got stored in the bar. Judging by that damned scent, that's not alcohol over there, is it? It's necronis. You're lucky I'm the only Karnasaur here, else there'd be a panic. The bomb'd go off, spilling necronis everywhere, including on me, and I'd melt away, leaving nothing but a bloody soup and my clothing to say I was killed. The whole fisaco gets blamed on terrorist bombing, and you get away scotch free! But, no. Instead of getting the honor of killing the 'Immortal Colonel', you had to go and spoil it all for yourself and your friends by going and spoiling it all... by coming up to me first. Shame you won't learn from your mistake. Give Krayhan my regards, I guess."

And with that, Etah moved with more speed than any normal Karnasaur could ever achieve and snapped the hitman's neck. The rest started to pull out guns.

"Oh, I LOVE MY JOB!!!" Etah exclaimed.

Part 5: Breaking In
Ahrganot walked into the building he was headed towards and immediately saw a chainlink gate labelled "Restricted Access". A guard was stationed at the door. He would attract too much attention if he were to confront him.

Instead, Ahrganot pulled out a custom device of his that made sounds appear from other locations. He set the setting to footsteps. After getting close, he activated the sound, playing footsteps from the opposite side of the gate.

"What was that?" the guard said readying his rifle. He quickly looked around for a little bit and then tried to perk his head over the gate trying to spot. "Is someone there?" Not being able to see anything, he unlocked the gate and stepped inside while Ahrganot stealthilty followed behind. Then he did a front roll into a shadowy area nearby and took a stance where he placed his hands against the walls to keep hidden.

"Hmmm...must have been my imagination. Better get back to my post."

Ahrganot continued sneaking about quietly relaying messages to Tholker about his current position. Ahgranot snaked his way through tangled bunches of pipes. He eventually arrived in a gigantic boiler room.

"Okay, see that up there?" Tholker said through radio pointing at a ledge about 300 feet from the ground. "That's where you are going."

"Hmm...I don't see any ladders. No problem. I can climb up there."

"You sure?"

"This is just like training. I can handle this." Ahrganot said. The twisted pipes were just like a jungle like Oasis Cavern, a large underground jungle buried within the snowy reaches of Aggateya. Climbing these pipes would be just like climbing the vines.

Ahrganot lept up and grabbed a vertical pipe connected to the ground. It was like climbing a tree. At the top, he balanced himself on pipes, going on all fours. He could see a few workers below. Soon or later, he was close to the top.

Ahrganot could see the ledge ahead as well as a metallic door. The jump was a bit far. He looked down. If he were to miss, he would fall down 300 feet. Even if he were to not break a bone, he would still draw attention. Regardless, he closed his eyes and took a leap of faith.

As he lept through the air, he reached out to grab the ledge, but he didn't jump correctly. He found himself grabbing for his life with just one hand. Memories of Grjdonsk flashed to him, and he imagined a burning energy core below. One of his energy stars slipped from his belt and plummeted to the ground below.

On instinct, Ahrganot burst his wings out of his arms to hoist himself upwards to get up onto the ledge. He could hear the workers below.

"What was that?" The worker was looking for him. He looked up, but couldn't see Ahrganot. "Hmmm...probably just a bird. Wait a minute, what's this?" The worker had picked up his ninja star. "Strange, where did this come from? Better go take this to the boss."

It would be too risky to go back down and try to get it the star. He pressed on anyway, proceeding to hack his way past the metallic door to continue following Tholker's directions. To Ahrganot's right, he saw an opening leading to the ventallation. While it was not exactly practical, it was a shortcut.

Ahrganot slithered his way into it and eventually found himself just over the room they've been looking for. There were no guards around. Etah's diversion had worked. Ahrganot dropped down from the ceiling. A darkness was emanating from the door. Hesitantly, Ahrganot opened it and stepped through.

Part 7: The Dark Room
The room was almost pitch black dimly lit by some candles. Markings of blood were all over the walls and there were some skulls on the nightstands. He saw a Dhragolon wearing crimson robes sitting at a chair who was not even aware Ahrganot had stepped through the door. Ahrganot quietely hid in the shadows. Then, he got right behind the crimson-robed Dhragolon. He quickly, put his left hand to the Dhragolon's mouth then put his knife to his throat.

Ahrganot said, "Don't move. You're coming with us." The Dhragolon suddenly vanished into a dark cloud, then reappeared a few feet away.

"Oh c'mon. You gotta do better than that," the Dhragolon said.

"So, you're a Dark Warrior after all?" Ahrganot said.

"Oh, you still remember us? That's surprising. Hey wait.  I remember you.  You were on that piece of crap planet Eska a while back.  Heh heh.  You're going to be quite useful, aren't you?"

Ahrganot replied, "Hmph. Well, the Galactic Senate has ordered us to capture you."

"Pfft, you can't be serious, can you? The two of us battling each other like this in my own room? That's not a fair fight is it?" Umbra sarcastically replied. "You know what? Let's make it even. I'll bring your friends over here, too." Umbra snapped his fingers. That instant, Etah, Tholker, Pyro and Sol I Dor appeared in the room out of thin air. Each of them were just as surprised.

"What?!" Sol I Dor said. "How did I get here?"

Umbra said, "Well, look what we have now. The whole gang is here, the five so-called 'legendary' members of the GSSOC. I've read all about you guys. You've got nothing to show off. The name's Umbra Castra, a name you won't be forgetting soon."

Tholker without saying a word fired his pistol at Umbra. To the GSSOC's shock, it just passed right through him, not even leaving a scratch.

Tholker said, "Impossible..."

Umbra casually brushed away the soot left by the bullet. "These clothese are expensive you know. Careful with them. But yeah, isn't it great being a Dark Warrior? You're practically immortal with god-like powers. I've got everything I could ever hope for, much unlike you Etah."

Etah replied, "I do what I must to serve the Karnasaurs. You know nothing of us!"

"Oh but I do. Don't you just wish you could have joined your other fellow ELICANs in death? If you don't use your power for what you really want, being immortal isn't all that fun. You must really hate your life, not being able to die when you want to?" Etah could not respond. "Oh, I'm not done yet. Tholker, you're next." Umbra was stirring up the anger and hatred within each of the GSSOC members. A technique by the Dark Warriors to prevent their enemies from thinking rationally.

Umbra said, "Cybernetics, cybernetics, cybernetics. What would happen if we say...take them away?" Umbra snapped his fingers and Tholker dropped to his knees as his cybernetics were disabled.

"Tholker!" Ahrganot shouted. "Enough of this, Umbra!"

Umbra snapped his fingers once more and Tholker got back up. "Wow, look how useless you become without them. It's almost embarrasing. I mean, you're lucky I'm not the boss. He would have killed you right now. But I think I'll keep you alive just so that we can have some...fun"

Umbra continued, "Pyro, you secretly despise the Galactic Senate for their arrogance don't you?"

Pyro replied, "What? With them, I'm serving my own people!"

"You've always wanted to go to war with the Karnasaurs. I know you do. That would be quite the sight, wouldn't it?"

Pyro's face also tensed up. It was a thought that was locked away, deep inside his brain, but how Umbra knew that was a mystery. Umbra continued his insults. "Sol I Dor, Sol I Dor, Sol I Dor," Umbra said. "You've always perplexed me. Adopting a human? Why didn't you bring her with you? You two are different species. You probably should have forgotten instead of rescuing her. She's a burden to you."

Sol I Dor's anger stirred up. "No! Don't say that!"

Umbra said, "And Ahrganot, let's save the best for last. Or, excuse me, the worst. Just look at you. Look at you. Ahrganot, you're useless. Clearly you are the weakest of the GSSOC. You have no special abilities. You are inferior. Everyone else on that team of yours is far more skilled than you. You know deep down that you were never meant to exist. You are but a mistake on this universe. I mean, how the hell did you survive that train wreck the day you hatched? Pfft. Beats me." Ahrganot's face tensed up. If he were a human, his face would be sweating with anger. He was the most emotionally torn of the group. "Aww...boohoo. Let me play a sad song for you on the world's smallest violin," Umbra tauntingly said.

Etah shouted at the top of his lungs, "I've heard enough! Let's end this! Now!"

Part 8: One Against Five
Etah charged towards Umbra attempting to tackle him, but he only teleported away easily dodging it. Tholker kept firing his guns at Umbra, Pyro breathed some fire. Ahrganot sliced Umbra up a bit and so did Sol I Dor. Nothing seemed to work. After an exhausting battle only lasting ten minutes, Umbra burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha! It's so fun to watch you guys try to subdue me. You can't even land a hit! Hahahahaha! You guys are just as useless as I said you were!"

Tholker said, "No! We didn't come all this way for this!"

Umbra said, "Alright, I'm not going to even try to dodge any of your guys's moves. Just hit me. Come at me, bros!"

Ahrganot out of intense fury from Umbra's insults took advantage of the oppurtunity chopping up Umbra. If it had been a fleshy Dhragolon, he would have been cut up in at least one hundred pieces. "Why won't you die!" Ahrganot shouted. Umbra stood there tapping his foot.

"Cause, I'm a Dark Warrior, bro. You know I can only be hurt with psychic attacks." That moment, the GSSOC turned to Sol I Dor. Umbra said, "Oh sh**. I shouldn't have said that."

Sol I Dor said, "Well, it's time you get a demonstration of the true power of a Delson Krilek!" Sol I Dor charged forward getting ready some psychic blasts of energy. Umbra cowered as he got hit straight on. It was enough to knock him over.

"Argh!" Umbra shouted rather wussily. Umbra quickly teleported away to another corner of the room. "No, no, no, no. This is not what I expected."

Tholker shouted, "Get him, Sol I Dor!" Sol I Dor went after him infusing his hits with psychic energy.

"Umbra, stop running away like a coward!" Sol I Dor said.

The Dark Warrior looked at him. "Oh? You want some of me? Fine. It's my turn now!" Umbra formed two spheres of dark energy in his hands and threw them towards Sol I Dor who promptly dodged them. Umbra's movements were much faster. This time, he was trying to appear behind Sol I Dor, but Sol's quick reaction time allowed him to dodge them. Then, with one swift blow of his mace tail, Sol I Dor knocked over Umbra on the ground disabling his teleporting abilties. Sol I Dor put a foot on Umbra's chest and held an armblade to his juggular. Sol I Dor was already panting. "Okay, okay. I give up! I give up! Now, can you get off me, I can't breathe."

Tholker said, "You're coming with us." Tholker shot Umbra with a tranquilizer dart knocking him unconscious. Etah got his communicator. "Batra, beam us up. We got him."

Part 9: Plan B
Just like that, four out of five GSSOC team members plus Umbra vanished into pillars of light, safely nestled within the bowels of Batra. Tholker however, stood perplexed, still in Umbra's candle-lit room of magic.

"Batra... Why am I still here?" The hum of helicopter rotors appeared in the distance, growing louder and louder with each passing second.

"We're... Checking all of the systems here... According to our sensors, you aren't even in that room!" One of the Dhragolon officers replied, surprised and worried.

"What do you mean, I don't exist?!"

"The signature of you we have in our computers isn't appearing anywhere... Did anything happen during that fight?"

"I... Umbra did mess with some of my cybernetics..."

"That's it, then. Listen, we need you to go to-" The Batra technician was cut off by the guns of an HV-17 shredding apart the walls.

Gun and laser fire flooded into the chamber, prompting Tholker to throw himself into the old, metal door, veiled by the obscene concentrations of smoke, fire, and debris behind him. The door put up no manner of resistance, and merely popped of its hinges, sending Tholker rolling into the boiler room that Ahrganot had snuck through before. Eteno and Kklxin alike rushed across the catwalks and weaved throughout the massive boilers, packing rifles and machine guns. Zhevhyit was no difficult target to spot in his current position, and gunfire was expediently opened up on him.

The Eteno commando side rolled into the wall, drawing a particular amount of relief from the brief lull in people shooting at him. Nearly breaking its sling, Tholker tore his rifle from his back and into a firing position. A brief check of the magazine showed that he had wasted a significant amount of ammunition on Umbra, and promptly swapped out the magazine for a full one hanging from his belt. He slowly crept forward, and poked his head around the corner ever-so-carefully. Dozens of guns simultaneously let loose entire magazines of ammunition, pelting where Tholker's head had been a split-second before with hot lead.

So they were waiting for him to come out. That made escape a little bit more complex. From his position, there wouldn't even be a gunfight, just a hail of enemy fire with one or two blind shots from around a corner mixed in. From the broken iron door behind him, Tholker heard the HV-17 touching down. The only reason it would do that would be to deposit men. It was time to act.

Mustering every last scrap of power afforded by his cybernetics, Tholker bolted out of his cover, and into the depths of the boiler room. His attackers were quite unable to land even a single hit on him, their vision blocked by boilers and heavy machinery. A mad dash ensued, with many of the pursuers abandoning their positions on the catwalks to chase Tholker on the ground.

It was exactly what he wanted. He could react exponentially faster than any of Umbra's goons, and wasted no time in placing a single dart right in the neck of each one he came across. Recalling the schematics of this particular section of the resort, Tholker navigated his way out of the humid chamber and out onto a precarious ledge. A steel stairway led to a security checkpoint, where a new sight caught Tholker's attentions.

FRAU teams, armed and ready to charge up the stairs. Beyond them, in an employee parking lot, Were dozens of IPF trucks and cars. The helicopter that had originally shot at Zhevhyit swung around from the other side of the complex, and trained its guns on him. There was only one way out. Tholker crouched, and slung his rifle over his back, recalling the schematics of the HV-17 loaded into his skull.

Just as Umbra's goons began to spill out onto the metal ledge, Tholker leapt into the air, his arms outstretched to latch on to the hostile helo. Two panicked Kklxin pilots fumbled for their sidearms as the Eteno plopped onto the front of the cockpit, before swinging himself around to the left, face-to-face with the co-pilot.

"Lights out, bastard!" That was all the co-pilot heard before his head crunched against his control panel and control stick. The helo lurched forward, but the pilot abandoned his sidearm and clutched his own stick, just barely managing to avoid crashing into the complex before him.

"You're next."

Tholker crawled over the co-pilot, and tore off the pilot's harness. Through his victim's helmet visor, Tholker could see nothing but pure, unadulterated fear as he was pushed out of the HV-17. Now influenced only by the co-pilot's stick, locked forward by his unconscious body, the helicopter lurched forward and sped towards the boiler complex.

Just as Tholker leapt out, Umbra's goons on the metal ledge tried to squeeze themselves back inside the complex, but it was no use. The helo would crash right through the wall, and it was chock-full of missiles and bullets.

Zhevhyit landed more-or-less gracefully, rolling into a short tree. He wasted no time rushing into the jungles cut oddly close to the perimeter of the resort, basking in the warm glow of destruction behind him. Sirens rose from the parking lot adjacent to the demolished boiler complex. The IPF was giving chase.

Two light helicopters combed the jungles from above, supporting the dozens of FRAU personnel hacking through the jungle with their searchlights. Small patrol boats hugged the shore, some aiming searchlights into the thick green, while others fired light deck guns and machine guns blindly into any of Tholker's possible paths. He was in relatively little danger, however, as he had pulled a fair distance ahead of his pursuers, deep into the bowels of the hot jungle. Mindlessly, he barged through whatever nature put in his way, paying no heed to the damage done to either him or his environment, nor the trail it would leave behind.

"Batra! Can you hear me?"

"We read you loud and clear. We have a helo on standby to pick you up, where are you!?"

"The jungle. You keep that helicopter on standby for me, and I'll let you know exactly when I think I've lost the IPF, and am in a clearing."

"Wait, the IPF? Captain Zhevhyit, what are you-"

Tholker turned off his ear radio. He'd told them all they needed to know.

Part 10: Changed Forever
...aboard the Batra...

The mission was a success. Umbra was captured, but not without a great cost. Ahrganot clenched his fists as one of Umbra's comments echoed in his head. "Ahrganot, you're useless. Clearly you are the weakest of the GSSOC. You have no special abilities. You are inferior. Everyone else on that team of yours is far more skilled than you." The one that echoed the loudest was, "You know deep down that you were never meant to exist. You are but a mistake in this universe."

"Ahrganot?" Sol I Dor questioned. "Is something...wrong?"

"No," Ahrganot replied. "Nothing. Let's just get on with the next mission."

Sol I Dor could easily tell what Ahrganot was thinking by his wrinkled face and heavy breathing. Ahrganot began breathing harder and harder and much more angrily.

"Just tell me. What's going on?"

That moment, Umbra's sayings echoed even louder in his head. He began losing control of himself as darkness clouded his mind. Then, he let out a bestial hiss then pulled a dagger to Sol I Dor's juggular. "You think you're more powerful than me?!" Ahrganot shouted. Sol was locked in fear and could not move. He would have never expected that one of his own friends would be doing this.

Tholker shouted, "Weischan!"

Etah shouted, "Ahrganot, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You're not so tough! You begged me for help in rescuing that wannabe soldier daughter of yours? You take for granted what I've done!" Ahrganot said.

Etah intervened and grabbed Ahrganot by the back of his neck, then tossed him against the wall. Ahrganot quickly got back up on his feet. "What has gotten into you, Ahrganot? Pulling a knife on your comrade!?" Etah shouted.

Ahrganot said in a harsh, condescending tone, "You've all undermined my skills. You keep saving me. Why? Just why? What good am I to the team?"

Tholker replied, "We're supposed to save each other! We work together!"

"Work together?" Ahrganot said. "How? All of you are vastly more powerful than I am! I mean nothing to you guys!" Ahrganot ripped off his patch and threw it to the ground. Everyone was shocked.

Etah replied, "You've just betrayed us. I don't even know you anymore. To have threatened your comrade's life? Un...unspeakable. Even for a Dhragolon."

After hearing what Etah said, Ahrganot came to his senses. Betrayal. That was something he would never do. He wasn't even sure himself why he did what he just did. "Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. But look, I need a break. It's my brother. He's much like Umbra, with the powers of darkness. I need to...confront him. I must find where he is."

Etah said, "Well, you better come back! We need you on these missions," Ahrganot made his way to the escape pods and deployed to a nearby, abandoned mining colony named Vitam II.

Tholker said, "Hmph. I always thought the Dhragolon suppressed their emotions just to be all prim and proper. I guess there's a real reason for it now..."