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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 121: Shadows Within The Light (Knight Watch Part Five)

I showed the hub video to Lady Ursa who then showed it to Lord Tiger, Sanda, Sir Ram and Lady Vermin the next morning. Once again the knight core discovered that there was yet another rebel group out there that needed to be dealt with. This one caused chaos and mayhem in their wake that resulted in the death of four.

When Barran, the team leader of the Rebel Hunters, saw the video she went ballistic and vowed that she would personally eliminate those that eliminated her team. Although, I didn't really know Chase, Charger, Rider and Wave that well, their loss was felt by the rest of the knights. Lord Tiger promised to give the owl warrior any support she needed to hunt down this latest threat to the empire. I repeat any.

Day 972 (Monday afternoon, late September during another stakeout)

"Something wrong little human?" The rat warrior said staring at me while I fiddled with the copilot monitor and keyboard within the red prototype.

"I don't know what it is, it just seems that the red prototype's systems are slower than the blue prototype; I remember it responding quicker."

"Or maybe you are saying that the blue prototype is your favorite and that you have had more experience with that hover vehicle little human." Lady Vermin said as she watched me growing frustrated with the response lag.

"Well it was the original before the silver and the red ones were built." I said countering.

"However it like the silver prototype is still being retrofitted so that TRUTH can't take control of it ever again."

"Yes I know my lady. The red prototype just happened to be the first one Sir Ram and Mara made impervious. It looks like the trade off was longer processing time." I said as I was finally able to pull up the video feed from our target another rebel group that was having a meeting.

"I read Coal and Chemar's report about the Pleasure Palace." The rat warrior said to me.

"That mission was something else I just don't know what." I replied.

"What do you mean?" My mistress' best friend asked me.

"I mean the Proprietor sold fantasies at his establishment and his hypnotized sex workers were hawt- not an ugly face among them." I admitted.

"Both the males and females?"

"The males, females, beastials and humans." I said without thinking.

"Really?" The rat lady said giving me her undivided attention.

"And again I said too much." I said looking back at my monitor.

"So did Sir Ram ever figure out how the Proprietor maneuvered and manipulated his victims into working for him?"

"Yeah actually, he used a implant. The Pleasure Palace used to be a full service spa run by him!"

"Let me guess, he was the lone employee." The she beast said to me.

"He waited on clients that needed extreme relaxation in order to destress. Apparently he chose forty that he deemed would make great sex employees and injected a small implant under their shoulder blades."

"I can see where this is going. That implant allowed him to control his staff hypnotically when he wanted them to report to work and when to return home." Lady Vermin said to me.

"Bingo, instant employees without the need to provide salary or benefits." I responded.

"That is quite devious." The female knight said to me.

"Believe me the Pleasure Palace was well named. It was great to be a client there, to do what you wanted to whoever you wanted. But on the other end it sucked to be an employee there- especially an unwitting one."

"So how are the Proprietor's former employees doing?" The she beast asked me.

"Well. When Sir Ram broke the Proprietor's control, some freaked out when they discovered that they were in the middle of servicing customers, some didn't mind and others..."

"Yes Alex?"

"Well they hooked up." I said to her. "In one of the private rooms there was a oryx who was enjoying himself with a rabbit couple."

"Are you saying?"

"Yeah, the rabbit couple came to during well, you know. They weren't bothered about it at all and entered into a open relationship with the oryx." I said to the rat warrior.

"That is one way to have your rabbit and eat it too." Lady Vermin said.

"Enough chit chat you two!" A female owl said interrupting our conversation. "We are supposed to be looking for the TRUTH rebels not gossiping!"

"Sorry Barran, but these stake outs can be quite tedious and tiresome. It is just how we pass the time." I said to the team leader of the Rebel Hunters.

"With the rest of the hover vehicle manufacturers reeling from having their automated vehicles taken over, the knight core is busy trying to control and eradicate the chaos that ensued." The owl warrior said.

"And you want vengeance against those rebels for wiping out your team." The rat warrior added.

"So is that why we are stalking every rebel group from here to kingdom come?" I added.

"Precisely little human. Send me what you two are seeing right now." The avian ordered me.

"Acknowledged." I said.

"The High Evolutionary's forces are stretched very thin these days." A woman in a baker's apron said sitting down in a circle next to four others rebels three males and another female also dressed in baker's clothing.

"Well, they have the daily protests to deal with and then occasional riot from a protest- fallout from the alien and Rick Rivers scandals. A man next to her said.

"They also have the curfew to enforce from seven in the evening to seven in the morning." The second man said.

"And just recently automated vehicles going haywire." The second woman said.

"I heard that group what's their name? Um, TRUTH is behind it." The first woman said.

"Have you seen their videos on the hub? I wish we had thought that." The third man said.

"Anything to belittle the tyrant; make him look bad to his forces." The second woman added.

"And to encourage his opposition." One of the males said_. "How can we capitalize on this?"_

"A week ago the knights took in a derelict for hoisting a flag near his home." The first female said.

"What did it say?"

"Resist. It was a stand alone protest. The knight core called it a small pocket of lawlessness."

"What do you call it?"

"I call it a movement. I think we should continue that man's mission, we could gain support for our cause, then our numbers would swell and when the time is right...."

"Revolution." All of the rebels said in unison.

"Damn, it is not them, just another rebel outfit having 'wet' dreams." The owl warrior said disgusted.

"What was this group's name again?" I asked.

"They are called Dark Smile Alex." The rat warrior said.

"Barran, why are they headquartered in a bakery?" I asked.

"Because that is their day job. Besides, it is also ingenious; they are hidden in plain site." The avian responded to the rat warrior and myself.

(Wow, I wonder how many patrons to their shop bought pastries unknowingly that they were supporting the rebellion?)

"Barran, this is your operation what do you want us to do?" Lady Vermin asked.

"Let's see if they will take our order!" The owl knight said.

(Um, ok.)

I looked at Lady Vermin and she at me. Deftly I recalled the probe from the basement window of the bakery as the female warriors entered the establishment.

"Right. I will stay in the red coupe." I said as the probe docked on the launch platform.

"No. You come along too little human." The owl knight said.

"Really?" I asked.

The bakery was located on the east side of World One in a small plain neighborhood. Hell, the store was a 20 x 20 single level building with a basement where the cooking ovens were located as well as the meeting hall for that rebel group. The main floor was the store entrance, counter and display.

Lady Vermin and Barran had me enter the shop as they followed me behind acting like customers as well.

"Good afternoon I am Amelia, and I am Becky. How may we serve you today?" The two female rebels dressed in baking gowns said as I walked up to the counter.

"Um, I would like to order um, some fudge." I said to them.

"We have peanut butter, chocolate, pumpkin and maple walnut." The blond female with freckles said to me- I think she was the one called Becky.

"A pound of maple walnut would be nice." I said.

"One moment. I think we just made some in the cellar." The red headed female- Ameila said. "Torey could bring up some more maple walnut?"

As the first of the three rebel males came to the front counter with my order, he was paralyzed, hog tied and thrown into the front corner of the bakery next to the two female rebels who were in the process or taking my order when the female knights took them down.

"Corey could you bring up some more maple walnut?" The avian said imitating the first rebel female.

(Nice trick.)

"What happened to the amount Torey brought?" The second male said appearing at the front counter.

"Sold out." Lady Vermin said shooting him with her paralysis ray.

Barran hog tied Corey and added him to their collection of rebels in the front corner of the bakery.

"Rory!" The avian said imitating the female shop keeper.

"What?" Came a voice from the cellar.

"We have a problem."

"What? The customer wanted even more fudge?" The third male said appearing at the front counter.

"No." The snow owl said pointing her service weapon at the baker/rebel.

"The revolution has been canceled." Lady Vermin said firing her service weapon.

The rat warrior watched over the captured rebel cell while the leader of the Rebel Hunters and I combed the basement of the bakery.

"Damn, this was a dry well just another group with ambitions to overthrow the master." The avian said disgusted.

"Be that as it may ma'am, it is one less rebel group out there trying to bring an end to the empire. " I countered.

"But it is not the one that has me hot and bothered boy." Barran said looking around. "It is like that rebel group are nothing but ghosts."

(Damn, she is hard core.)

"We will find them ma'am." I said trying to cheer up the female warrior.

"Damn right we will. Now call this in." She said to me.

"Do I get to keep the fudge?"

I did as ordered. It took a long while before a transport showed up to haul in the five rebels that ran that bakery to be judged and punished.

"That took way too long." I said as a single junior knight showed up to transport the five back to the castle."

The female warriors looked at me.

(Right we are overtaxed right now.)

"There are few more groups, we have been monitoring. I would want to check them out as well." The avian said returning to her hover bike.

Lady Vermin and I started back toward the red prototype as a distressed communication came in.

This is Stampede. I have automated transport that has gone rogue. I need assistance!

I looked at the Lady Vermin who looked at Barran.

"Stampede this is Barran what is your status?"

I am in the Briarwood neighborhood northeast side. I have an automated transport that is loaded with passengers. It is driving erratically. I need help to bring it under control.

"We are on our way." The mid-level knight grumbled.

Lady Vermin and I followed the team leader of the Rebel Hunters as she diverted from her mission to assist the junior knight. We caught up with the rhino a about five minutes later.

"Stampede. We are here." She said contacting him. While Lady Vermin and I observed from the prototype.

The automated transport was slightly larger than the one Sir Ram and I had brought down a few days ago. Only this time it was filled with riders A family of boxers, who looked liked they were on their way home from an outing and just made a poor decision.

"Six! Thank goodness!" The junior knight cooed. "Suggestions?"

"This is what we are going to do." The avian warrior said.

Lady Vermin and I watched as Stampede and Barran deployed a large net from their hoverbikes, they merged it into one and then used it to ensnare the flying golf cart, err personal transport with the family of dogs in it. They then forced the automated transport to the ground.

"Lady Vermin, Alex now!" The owl warrior warned us.

"Ok stand clear!" I said to the two knights.

**Side-pod engaged**

Lady Vermin made her selection from the weapons menu, lined up the cross-hairs and then took the shot.

**Static pulse engaged**

The automated transport was disabled by a ball of electricity as was all electronic devices the family of dogs had on them.

"Thanks guys." The junior knight said stepping off of his hover bike.

"I wouldn't thank us yet, Stampede." The rat warrior said slyly. "Looks like that family's pups were quite fond on their toys."

"Well, at least they are safe now, can't say the same for their devices. But we will let you take care of the rest- chow." The owl said petting the rhino on his shoulder.

Stampede looked at the crying puppies and the two parents who were now trying to calm their brood. Then at the departing Rebel Hunter who was being assisted by the senior knight and the specialist from Castle Wundagore in the red prototype- I suspected that he secretly wanted to come along with us.

"So what is our next location?" Lady Vermin said.

"A repair shop on the north side of the city." The owl warrior said taking off. "It was another rebel group, that my team and I had under observation.

And so Barran led the way, while Lady Verman and I followed.

"Lady Vermin."

"Yes little human?"

"Why did Stampede call Barran six?"

"That is her nickname Alex."

"How did she get it?" I asked.

"Because she took down six rebels at once just after the formation of her team."

In short, the owl warrior's name was well named. It took us about twenty minutes to arrive at our next destination.

"It is quite amazing how many of these groups are operating within plain site- first a bakery, now an hover vehicle repair shop?"

"Sometimes, the best place to hide little human is within plain site." The owl said motioning us to follow her.

We ended up following Barran to a lower income neighborhood at the northeast end of the city. It wasn't quite the slums mind you, but it also wasn't for the ultra super rich either, it was kind of eh. Nicely lined streets with small modest houses. On one of the street corners was a moderate sized building with what looked like nine repair bays.

We landed about a block from the establishment.

"This is the place." The owl avian hissed.

"Your team observed rebel activity here?" The rat warrior said.

"Yes. There is a another rebel cel here, a group of separatists that were plotting to overthrow the dictator. Nothing specific at the time. We kept them under surveillance to see if they were in contact with any larger groups." Barran said walking up to the prototype.

"What is there name?" I asked.

"Glare." She responded.

"Well let's see if there is any activity going on." I said engaging the copilot monitor and keyboard.

"Scans only little specialist. I don't want them to know we are coming." The owl warrior said.

"Right." I said typing on the keyboard.

**Surveillance probe engaged**

"This shop reminds me of that hover vehicle dealership the silver prototype ambushed us in." The owl warrior said quietly.

"I was wondering what exactly happened there, I mean I read your report..." I started to say.

"Alex..." Lady Vermin said chastising me.

"It was exactly like I reported. We followed what we thought was a member of a rebel group to the dealership. His tracer showed that he was hiding in the repair facility. When we arrived we couldn't gain entry. The doors refused to open for us at all."

"You tried the weapons on your hover bikes?" I asked.

"Precisely. That was when we called in one of the prototypes. Chase came by and made a entrance."

(That explained the gaping hole in the wall.)

"Chase entered. My team then followed him in. We found the rebel's tracker on the floor of the repair bay. Chase went to pick it up was went it started. The silver prototype went crazy engaging its weapon systems attacking us."

"Oh my gosh!"

"Obviously with that type of fire power, we were out matched. My team didn't survive. But Chase disabled the deflector system before it got him while Charger, Rider and Wave disabled the prototype before they were killed. That was a horrid night." Barran said.

"But how did you wind up at that manufacturing facility?" Lady Vermin asked as I continued to scan the immediate area.

"I was knocked out and came to in that location."

"By the rebels?" Lady Vermin asked.

"It had to be, it was most likely at trap to lure in the other prototype in an effort to take down more of the knights." Barran said.

"It almost worked- almost." The rat lady said.

"It is a shame that we never saw our attackers." The owl hissed. "They are unlike any other group my team has hunted, they are hidden. They are quite difficult to detect not to mention hunt."

"Precisely why you want vengeance for what they did to your team." Lady Vermin said.

"That is interesting." I said studying the scans I was receiving from the repair shop. "I thought most shops were automated these days."

"There are still those that prefer the personal touch little human. What are you receiving?" Lady Vermin said.

"I detect three humans, but they haven't moved since we got here." I said looking at the female warriors.

"Let's see if they are taking appointments." Barran said drawing her weapon.

"I hope they have an opening." Lady Vermin said stepping out of the prototype.

"Right, I will stay here and be back up." I said jumping behind the driver's seat.

(Although it would be nice to know a little more about that repair shop.)

I decided to press the symbol for the automated assistant on the weapons menu.

*Greetings Mr. Winter, I am the automated assistant. May I help you?*

"Overwatch, I need some..."

*I believe you have me mistaken with the automated assistant for the blue prototype. As of yet I do not have a name.*

"That is right. You don't. What information do you have on this repair shop?"

*The Race Track Repair Shop has been in business for five years. It is owned and run by the Cascade sisters. They repair and maintain all types of hover vehicles. They are well renown for the the quality of their work, timeliness and price.*

"Sounds like an upstanding shop." I said to the automated assistant.

_*The sisters also nurture and support the rebellion.* _

"You mean that the shop is a rebel stronghold?"

*Yes Mr. Winter.*

"Alex, we need you." Barran said contacting me.

"Right it is go time!" I said pressing the third button on the column of buttons on the weapons console.

*Side-pods engaged*

I quickly powered on the prototype and entered the driveway of the repair shop ready for action. I then drove into one of the open repair bays.

"Was that for us little human?" Lady Vermin asked.

"We just needed you to record this." The owl warrior said as I got out of the red prototype.

The scene was quite grisly. We found the Cascade sisters on the floor of their garage lifeless. Near by was one of their mechanics also very still.

"What happened here?" I said walking up to the two female warriors.

"They were murdered." The owl warrior said showing me a note on the floor of the garage.

Humans are a blight on the empire, and this world. Human rebels are even worse! All will be eradicated, the cleansing has begun!

I called our findings in while Lady Vermin and Barran examined the victims. They were very much dead but there wasn't a mark on any of them.

"Looks like someone decided to take these separatists out before we could get to them." I said.

"Which is truly sad. You can't interrogate a corpse." The avian said. "Let alone three."

"It would appear that someone is hunting down rebels, but who?" Lady Vermin asked.

The female checked the store's systems while we awaited for mobile healer's to arrive.

"It looks like there last customer was an hour ago, just after that there was a flash and then nothing." Lady Vermin said looking at the playback.

"Was it TRUTH?" I asked.

"Only if they are in the business of killing humans, or covering their tracks. Come on there are some more groups I want to check up on." The owl announced.

And so....

"The beach?" I asked.

"The rebellion is everywhere little human." Lady Vermin said.

"I didn't realize." I said as we watched from the hover vehicle parking lot.

"See those four on the that beach towel near the boardwalk?" Barran asked me.

I nodded.

"Dissidents and I hope with connections to TRUTH." The female warrior said peering inside the prototype to watch the video from our disguised probe.

"A little closer." The rat lady ordered me.

The four dissidents- three females who appeared to be in their late twenties and looked quite good in bikinis and an twenty something red headed male in shorts and little else, continued talking oblivious to a probe disguised as a sand crab that crawled within range.

What a wondrous day. A tan skinned black haired female in purple top that barely covered her chest said.

They will all be wondrous once the animals are gone. A light skinned blond in a blue beach shirt with matching shorts sitting next to her said.

I agree we should not have to share this with them. The man said gesturing to the beasitials that were on the beach with them.

They are not all bad. Some do tolerate our kind. The third female a redhead wearing even smaller bathing-ware said looking around.

While the rest look down upon us. The brunette said. This was our planet once we should take it back.

Or at least help those who are trying to do that. The man said.

Hello may I take your order? A young lynx said walking up to the four separatists.

Nothing for me you cutie. The redhead said.

Nope we are all good. The blond and the brunette said.

I think I will take raspberry lemonade. The man said to the lynx.

Very well sir. I will be right back.

"My, my such hypocrites these inferiors are." The rat warrior to my left said.

"I guess you are right Barran. The rebellion is everywhere." I said.

"What is the status of the holo-projector?" The rat warrior asked.

"Overtaxed but holding."

"I was wondering how you managed to disguise us and the probe at the same time." Barran said.

"It took some finagling." I said to the female warriors.

And so we observed the four rebels who called themselves Red Fear as they sunbathed and awaited for their drinks- well one of them anyway.

As we waited and waited and waited, inevitably work talk entered into our conversation much to Barran's annoyance.

"So has Ursa made a decision about her pregnancy yet?" The rat warrior asked me.

"She hasn't said anything to me about it." I responded. "I think she is still giving it some deep thought. You?"

"No little human, but I think she is leaning toward no, especially after TRUTH tried to use the red prototype to annihilate us." The slender she beast said.

"I think my mistress is taking that into account as well as other things. We all live very dangerous lives and it is hard raising young in that sort of environment. Could you imagine trying to tell a cub that their parent was killed defending the empire?"

"It has happened before to many families of those who are in the knight core." The female knight said to me.

"Enough talk you two." The owl warrior managed to say as there was a bright flash on the beach that momentarily blinded us.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Here is your drink sir." The young lynx said returning to the four separatists. He started to hand over the lemonade to the red headed male but stopped and gasped before dropping the drink.

"Guys!" I said directing the female warriors to the footage from the probe.

"Wider angle." Barran ordered. The four rebels were lying motionless on the their beach blanket."

I zoomed out the camera. The four dissidents had shocked looks on their faces.

"It seems to be just the those four." I said taking a quick look around the perimeter.

"No, it is not." The owl warrior said.

I panned the probe around to see who else was affected. All the beastials on the beach were fine. That was when I saw it, a human family the husband, wife and daughter who appeared to be a preadolescent lying motionless on the sand.

"Whatever that was, only focused on the second class citizens." Lady Vermin said.

"Regardless. Innocents were caught up in this. You two check on the four rebels. I will check on that family." I said spouting orders.

*What would you like me to do Mr. Winter?*

"AA get mobile healers here now!"

The two knights of Wundagore checked on their targets while I went and checked the family. I searched for pulses from each there were none. Like the rebels 500 feet away they were dead.

Two mobile healers arrived within ten minutes but they could do nothing for the fallen.

"I am sorry but there is nothing to heal or revive." A male alpaca said to us.

"Why is that?" The rat warrior asked.

"Those four and that family over there, all of their internal organs have been eviscerated."

Lady Vermin, Barran and I stayed for over an hour conducting interviews and searching for evidence. Each beastial's story was the same, there was a bright flash and when they could see again the four humans that were sharing a beach blanket and the family were dead.

The remains were taken to castle Wundagore where they were studied and analyzed by Sir Ram and Lea.

That evening the senior knights of Wundagore held a meeting in Lord Tiger's office. Lord Tiger, Sir Ram, my mistress and Sanda met with Barran, Lady Vermin, and myself.

"What did you find Sir Ram?" Sanda asked starting the meeting.

"The ten humans that were killed today were murdered. Their internal organs destroyed in the same manner."

"Was it TRUTH?" Lady Ursa asked.

"I don't think so, the attacker's targets were second class citizens and only them." Barran said.

"Someone is waging a personal war on humanity." Lord Tiger said to everyone present. "Sir Ram show them."

"Lea found this note on one of the corpses at the beach." The big horned sheep said placing it on the tiger's desk.

The cleansing has begun.

"Someone has declared open season on the human population." I said.

"Not that that is a bad thing." The prejudiced ram concluded. "Some of our biggest problems come from humans."

"I am inclined to agree with Sir Ram." The rat warrior said.

"There is one problem mates. Whoever the cleanser is, they are washing the good right out along with the bad. Despite the problems the empire is having with dissidents, separatists, alarmists, anarchists and the rest of the rebellion, there are humans who are supportive of the empire- our Alex for example what about them Sir Ram?" Sanda said adding his voice.

"The Consortium For Mutual Coexistence has some human members who are helping to reduce enrollment in the resistance Sir Ram." I said piling on.

"Hmpf!" The ram said.

Apparently the senior knights were divided on where they stood during this latest crisis.

"It isn't as simple as that." The tiger warrior said stepping in. "I found this on the hub earlier."

It was another video. Unlike the one from TRUTH, which had images, this one only had text in Animalian and English.

The purge has begun!! Humanity is a blight on this world that has caused so much pain and suffering before the master came and continues to do so. Humanity should not be suppressed but eliminated. This is my cause, my mission. Rest assured, I will not stop until this world just belongs to just beastials.

The cleanser eliminating humans since YOE 33

"That message was posted on the hub a few hours ago." The tiger warrior said.

"That is irony." Barran responded. "I found this latest posting on the hub from TRUTH.

The owl warrior replayed the rebel group's message which was a remix of the video that they had posted earlier, but with a different narrative.

"There is a new threat facing Counter Earth. Is it aliens? Rampaging hover vehicles, protests, riots or pockets of lawlessness? No. There is a beastial now hunting humanity, using inter-blast. Can the dictator and his enforcers protect his human subjects? Does he even want to? We don't think so and that is the truth.

To Be Continued....