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A Realm Divided, Act 1/Episode 2

"Cinva Rimescale"

[Milky Way Galaxy; Inner Colonies, VALOR territory, Artificial World, Serria, VALOR High Command, Cafeteria C, Year 3,588 A.D, July 22nd, 12:08PM]

Draco Flat tail sat down at the very long table that spanned from one end of the massive cafeteria to the other. The entire area was filled with rows and rows of marines that were out of uniform and eating the same mass produced food they ate for lunch all the time. Draco sat down with the metal tray of bland looking grub directly across from Wintro Highcastle who seemed not to notice his own squad mate sit down as the human was looking more intently at his poor excuse of a lunch.

"Sir." Draco saluted with a nod as he got his fork ready. The captain looked up and realized his platypus like squad mate was now sitting across from him.

"Draco." Wintro answered before he ate what VALOR passed as 'mash potatoes'. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"A grunt can't get to know their leader?" he asked rhetorically with a smile across his bill.

"I suppose not." Wintro said. Draco turned around as a marine in full military gear accidentally bumped into his shoulder; the human apologized to the orinthor with a casual wave before continuing down the busy cafeteria.

"So captain, you think we can defeat the C.S.A?" Draco asked half knowing the answer his officer would give.

Wintro looked up at alien with a fork in his left hand, "I don't think about those types of things, I just care about completing one assignment and moving to the other." The captain saw the private was not satisfied with the answer he had given him and took a heavy sigh. "In all my times fighting one god damn enemy to the next one thing always remained the same, VALOR won."

Draco nodded in agreement, "I suppose your right, sir." Wintro went back to eating his bad tasting lunch while the orinthor private continued to poke at his half distracted.

[Milky Way Galaxy; Inner Colonies, VALOR territory, Artificial World, Serria, VALOR High Command, President's office, Year 3,588 A.D, July 22nd, 12:30PM]

President Nolan stood up from his chair to handshake the giant of creature that was Garok Earthblood who wore only his ceremonial tooth necklace. The human's hand was not even half the size of the large humanoid badger's claw but the canerras alien was careful not to injure the human political leader.

"I am grateful that you allowed me to meet with you on short notice." Garok thanked as he sat cross legged in front of Nolan's desk and because of his size he was still easily able to look the human in the eyes.

"You have my sympathy Garok; we are currently trying to find a peaceful solution to your people's confli-"Nolan answered when the High Shaman cut him off abruptly.

"Peacefully?!" Garok angrily responded, "Those Draconians have committed my people to slavery!" The two fully armed VALOR marines that stood at the entrance of the oval office looked at each other before turning to the president who meet their look and shook his to show he was fully capable of handling the angered beast.

"Garok, VALOR is not what it once was. We have suffered heavy losses during the war against the infinite more than twenty years ago and while we were rebuilding our neighbours the Draconian Kingdom have been rapidly expanding their territory." The President answered as he stood up from his chair, "The Queen Matriarch's army could wipe VALOR off the face of this galaxy, which is why we cannot ill afford another war with them."

Garok stood straight up with a scowl look across his battle worn face, "Every moment we waste talking with those scaled devils another one of my people's children are forced to work their damn mines." He responded back harshly before making his way to the only doorway in the office where the two armed guards stood at attention, "If my people do not get the help that they need then my allegiance to the Black Stars is over." Garok continued before he finally left.

[Milky Way Galaxy; Inner Colonies, VALOR territory, Artificial World, Serria, VALOR High Command, Briefing Room A320, Year 3,588 A.D, July 22nd, 12:50PM]

Charles Wareman wore his usual attire of his black trench coat that he wore over his equally as dark power armour along with his officer's cap on top of the standard marine helmet that hid his face well. He nodded to Althea who sat in the closet row to the podium the officer always presented at in the large briefing room. Althea Harth sat with an opened note book and pen in hand as she waited patiently for the briefing to start on the Black Star's next assignment.

The human officer looked up from his podium after sorting through the notes he had to get through the meeting before finding that Var'Setta was walking down the left most walkway at the back of the room with a lit cigarette in her teeth.

" Um, you can't smoke he-here" Althea said as the ex-pirate sat directly behind her with her feet resting on top of the seat she sat in.

"Yeah what's your point?" Var'Setta answered before blowing a smoke ring into the pink furred macrial's face that let out a tiny cough.

"It's not allowed!"

Var'Setta let out a self indulged chuckle, "Like I'm going to listen to you, marshmallow." The red color raptor shifted her weight so her tail could hang free while sitting on her backside.

"Ms. Sharptail." Charles said sternly. Var'Setta rolled her eyes and took her cigarette out of her mouth with her left claw and put the whole thing out on the seat's arm rest before tossing the butt into the walkway.

Both Draco Flat tail and Wintro Highcastle entered through the same entrance that Var'Setta had used earlier and like all the Black Stars present both Draco and Wintro had regular military fatigues on that displayed their individual rank on their left shoulder. The captain took his place beside Var'Setta while Draco down on the seat closet to the walkway.

The final Black Star to enter the room was Garok who still only wore his ceremonial tooth necklace with his dark grey and white fur covering any indecencies, the large being stood beside Draco as the human made seats where far too small for him to sit comfortably in.

"Black Stars, your next assignment comes directly from the High General himself." Charles stated as he dimmed the lights of the briefing room and pressed another series of buttons to allow the small hovering holo-cam beside the officer to project a group of Draconian guardsmen in full gear. "The Draconian Kingdom has the largest military force in the galaxy with their army population numbering in the trillions and an even larger civilian population that the Royal Army can draft from in moments of crisis."

The Black Stars looked at the holo-projection of the draconian lizard folks; the four humanoid like reptiles were armoured in bronze plates that covered their entire scaly bodies and carried weapons that just like their armour were also completely outdated by VALOR standards." Although the draconians have an incredibly low grasp on how technology works from their own beliefs that limit all contact with science but they have the obvious advantage of sheer numbers along with their strong ties in the use of arcane magic." Charles added before he flipped through his notes and pressed another button on the hovering round droid.

The droid replaced the image of the armoured lizard warriors to that of satellite imagery from VALOR deep space probes from within the neutral zone that was the small boundary between VALOR and the Draconian Kingdom's territory. More specifically what was shown was the top view of a draconian colony that was bustling with life. "The High General suspects they may be up to something and wants the Black Stars to investigate" Charles said clearly.

Wintro sat up in his chair as he cleared his throat, "Investigating a draconian colony? Surely our time can be spent better else where..."

The holo-droid zoomed in on the imagery and showed that most of the colony was built around a single dig site. Charles placed both of his gloved hands on the podium as he leaned forward, "When draconians dig for minerals they excavate an entire mountain pass with many different sites, but here? They are clearly looking for something specific and we need to find out what that is and Black Stars you are to find and retrieve what ever they are trying to dig up."

"Sir what about the peace treaty between VALOR and the D.K?" Draco asked.

"The Draconian Kingdom and VALOR are both not suppose to operate within the neutral zone so this mission will never see the light of day in the peace hearings but I am ordering the non use of lethal force marines. We are dealing with a very delicate situation and VALOR cannot afford to be seen in any more negative light than we already do with the draconians." Charles answered. "Dismissed."

[Milky Way Galaxy; Neutral Zone, VALOR Predator Class Gunship, "Death From Above", Shock Jumped into Planet X3-592's orbit ,Year 3,588 A.D, July 22nd, 9:32PM]

Wintro crossed his arms as he looked out the gun ship's view screen as he saw the small green planet in the distance. The captain along with the entire Black Star team were in full battle gear, he patted the pilot on the shoulder for the safe shock jump and headed back into the cargo hold where the squad was finishing their suits diagnostics and sorting through their ammunition. "Switching to thruster power..." The pilot spoke through the ship's intercom system. "Turning on the stealth field..."

Death From Above descended through the planet's clear night sky as it silently passed over the sleeping draconian colony. The invisible star ship landed on the grassy plains just outside of the large alien village. With just the same amount of carefulness the docking ramp slowly lowered onto the field allowing for the Black Stars to leave Death From Above in a single file line with Wintro in the front leaving Garok bringing up the rear of the team.

Captain Highcastle looked up at the dark blue sky as he could clearly see all the shining stars before turning his attention to the medieval like architecture that the Draconians were known for building. Wintro kneeled as he held out his enclosed fist to signify the squad to stop before they too crouched in the middle of the plains, the squad looked up to see one of the patrolling draconian dragons fly past them casually with its huge wing span causing the grassy plains to blow in the wind.

When it was clear that the green scaly dragon had not seen the black armoured squad Wintro pointed forward with the same hand and the squad quickly followed in behind. With great speed thanks to their advanced power armour the Black Stars soon reached the walls of the draconian village

A draconian guardsmen held his spear tightly in both of his scaly claws as he walked along the patrol he was assigned. The lizard folk warrior sniffed the air when a certain stench caught him by surprise; he kneeled down with his spear now in one hand when a small grappling hook attached its self to the top of the wall he stood on. The guardsmen looked into the darkness below carefully when a shadowy figured rocketed upwards and knocked the lizard folk out cold with a single strike from his fist.

Wintro Highcastle grabbed the draconian guardsmen by the arms and tossed the unconscious lizard folk over the wall behind him as the rest of the Black Stars grappled onto the wall along side their captain. The squad looked ahead at the dig site off in the distance that was just out of reach where several dragons circling around the area above the giant pit that must have reached deep within the bowels of the planet.

The Black Stars jumped off the wall and landed inside the village itself where the pit workers must have been sleeping or getting some last bit if food before they had to return to their posts. With great silence Wintro snuck up to another draconian guardsmen who carried a bronze shield and sword at the ready, with extreme skill the captain disarmed the draconian from behind with one hand and then placed both of his hands over the lizard warrior's eyes and maw causing the alien to pass out in a few short moments. "Pilot, how is it looking on your end?" Wintro quietly asked as he motion for the Black Stars to stack up behind him along side the wood draconian hut.

"Well besides from the locals who almost keep accidentally flying into me, the cloaking is stable and I can still see the dig site clearly...looks like the High General was right the scalies are defiantly trying to dig something up..." the pilot answered as he carefully flew the cloaked gun ship around the village as he kept a view on the squad.

"Just make sure to report anything if you think the draconians have been alerted to our presence we may just need a distraction if things get tight." Wintro added as both he and the squad quickly moved as one to another hut closer to the dig site.

"Don't worry captain, I have more than one hundred tons of problem solving ordinance if things get dicey."

Wintro looked at the full dig site and saw the massive crater was filled with walk ways and many, many draconian workers that were being forced to mine the walls of the dig site. Countless guards patrolled up and down the one spiral path that led down into the crater that was lit by an equal number of torches.

"That...is a lot of draconians...." Draco commented as he held his rifle in one hand while looking over the edge. Althea gulped while Var'Setta sniffed the surrounding area trying to locate a different way down for the squad.

"Pilot, we are going to need you after all." Wintro stated as he eyed the only water tower in the center of the village.

"Good idea captain." The pilot answered as he saw through the video feed of Wintro's helmet of what he had in mind.

Death From Above while still cloaked under its stealth field had its right wing shear the middle of the large water tower's foundations causing the entire building to collapse into the sparse main street of the village. Almost all of the pit guards headed straight for the source of the noise in a panic as their only clean water source had suddenly been destroyed.

"Now is our chance." Garok commented. The Black Stars quickly dropped down onto the walk way that was just under their part of the ledge and made great haste towards the bottom of the crater.

[Milky Way Galaxy; Neutral Zone, Planet X3-592, Draconian Colony, Excavation Site, Ground Floor, Year 3,588 A.D, July 22nd, 11:01PM]

The Black Stars turned on their night vision as the bottom level of the quarry was pitch black. Captain Highcastle led the team through the single path that was the large dark cavern when his suit began detecting a massive loss in temperature.

"Well, at least we know now why the lizards didn't take what they were looking for already..." Draco commented as he looked at the frozen corpses of the draconian workers that must have been forced to work to their deaths. Var'Setta shivered from the cold as her people were still kin to the draconians and shared the same cold blooded traits from their ancestors.

"What happened here?" Althea asked as she waddled close to Draco who had both of his webbed hands on his assault rifle that was at the ready.

The captain stopped at large door way that was not of draconian design. Wintro saw the whole thing was made from pure ice and must have been severeal inches thick, "Garok, breach that door." The captain ordered.

Garok Earthblood gripped his large chain gun tightly and slammed his right boot into the ice wall with such force and fury that is also echoed throughout the entire quarry as the blockade shattered into hundreds of tiny blue shards. Draco waited for everyone to enter the depth of the quarry where even the draconians could not reach safely before he brought up the rear making sure nothing was following the squad.

The Black Stars entered into a single large room that must have been carved out millions of centuries ago, the room was built with a dome roof with every part of the walls and floor made from pure ice that was so clear all the squad members could make out their own reflections. The temperature still continued to drop the farther in the squad went with all of their suits drawing from their auxiliary systems to keep their bodies at a healthy heat level.

The captain walked towards the only point of interest of the room which was a large floating diamond that rested its self on a frozen pedestal. Wintro reached for the elegant crystal with one hand when a concussive force blasted the human backwards into the wall.

The squad raised their weapons at the pedestal where out of the ground in front of it rose a frozen like terror. The being had now lower half as it was floating on spot much like the crystal with its only body being its torso, two arms that weren't connected with the body and a skull shaped head.

"What the hell is that?!" Draco asked as he waited for orders.

Captain Highcastle got up with a scorn on his face, "open fire marine-"

"Wait!" Garok interrupted as the squad lowered their weapons in confusion causing Wintro to turn to the large creature in anger.

"You better have a good god damn reason for saying that."

Garok pointed at the frozen being that stood stoic in front of the squad, "That is water elemental, one of the first creatures of life in existence. It means us no harm unless we give it reason for it too."

"Water... elemental?" Althea asked sceptically.

Garok Earthblood walked towards the water elemental and bowed before the primordial creature, "What are you doing here, old one?" the canerras shaman asked.

The water elemental seemed to have done what the Black Stars assumed was a bow to greet Garok before it spoke in its cold tone, "High Shaman Earthblood...longed have I waited for some one such as you to arrive...the draconians have been most aggressive in their attempts to steal our lord's artefacts."

"What do you mean ancient one?" Garok asked intently as the rest of the Black Stars lowered their weapons and joined his side.

"The draconians have been pillaging many of our havens for relics such as these." The elemental answered as it gestured towards the crystal, "We no not what they plan to do but the elemental lords have threatened to declare war on their Kingdom if the attacks continue."

Garok turned to his squad mates with a concerned look on his face, "If the draconians are trying to gain the power of the primordial lords and plan to wield it than this whole truce is a sham so they can consolidate their forces and take over the rest of the galaxy in one conquest."

"Son of a bitch..." Draco said.

The water elemental took the relic in its grasp and handed it to Garok for safe keeping, "High Shaman, your people have always been our loyal worshipers and that's why we trust you with our lord's relic, we know it will be safer in your care."

Althea handed a metal cylindrical container to Garok who placed the ancient relic inside for an easier time carrying it and hooked it to his belt.

"Be safe High Shaman, a dark time is ahead for the organics of this realm." The water elemental warned before disappearing the way it entered.

The Black Stars left the ice cavern in a hurry now that they had what they wanted when suddenly the Death From Above pilot spoke to all of them, "Uh...we've got a problem, I don't know what you all did but you got massive D.K forces heading straight for yeah!"

"The cave entrance is the only way out, were trapped." Var'Setta said angrily.

Wintro sighed, "Pilot! Do what ever you have to do to get the draconians away from the quarry!"

"Copy captain."

Wintro Highcastle motioned with his fist for the Black Stars to continue running forward where they appeared at the bottom of the quarry and at the start of the huge spiral walk way that led to the surface. The squad got ready to move up the path when in a blink of an eye a draconian mage along with two armed guardsmen teleported in front of the Black Stars.

"So these are the meddlesome insects that have been disturbing our matriarch's operations?" The experienced mage asked as he held his elaborate staff in one hand.

"The primordial relics belong only to their masters, lizard!" Garok said in an outburst.

"Our Matriarch's power is infinite you little gnat, and when my guardsmen tear your heart out I will be in bar to none in power in the clan." The lizard folk mage said as his two guards drew their bronze swords.

Draco laughed, "I loved to see you try."

The Black Stars looked up at the top of the quarry to see the entire mining pit's top levels where swarmed with draconian guardsmen and in their assault a massive arcane forged golem leaped down into the pit to join the mage's side.

The enormous golem was shaped like a draconian lizard folk with its entire body made from stone causing the magically forge construct to look like a living statue. The Black Stars got their weapons readied as the golem assumed a fighting stance as many of the draconian lizard warriors joined its side with weapons raised. "Tear them open warriors but bring me the artefact!" The mage ordered before leaving his men in a flash.

The arcane forged war golem made a high pitched whirl as it understood its orders to exterminate the Black Stars with extreme force. The draconian guardsmen were the first to attack as they rushed past the feet of the war golem that followed in suite at a much slower speed with each of its step causing a thunderous crash from the force of each step.

"Fire at will Stars!" Wintro ordered carrying not about the truce as in his mind it was broken long ago already.

The Black Stars fired their weapons with entire scores of lizard folk warriors being chewed apart in a hail of gunfire, but with each one they killed ten more of the fierce reptile creatures took their place as more and more descended into the quarry.

Captain Highcastle expended the remaining ammunition into a guardsman before the human quickly had to draw both of his swords he kept on his back for close quarters combat. Three lizard warriors that wielded spears charged the captain at once intent on impaling the human marine through the chest, the captain brought his left blade to parry all three of the lizard warrior's spears at once and with great strength and speed he drove his other blade straight through the exposed areas around their joints and vital areas.

The war golem reached the Black Stars and slammed its right fist into the ground that sent a rippling shockwave knocking everyone in the immediate area flat on their back side. Draco took several shots with his rifle at the golem's backside but it was too no avail as a powerful magical absorbed all of the rounds.

"Ah shit, the damn thing has some kind of force field!" Draco shouted before he had to deal with the guardsmen that leaped towards him with weapons out.

Garok Earthblood became enraged as his unbridled fury for those that had enslaved his people quickly consumed him. He grabbed hold of the large barrel of his chain gun and used the massive weapon as a make-shift club when he ran out of ammunition, with each swing the massive badger like humanoid crushed droves of the much smaller scaly creatures that were no match for his strength.

Suddenly the war golem turned sharply and smacked Garok Earthblood into the wall with its powerful stone tail. The shaman clutched his chest as his whole body was now whacked with pain when he fell to the floor, Althea rushed over the fallen Garok but before she could even make it half way the war golem swung its arm and flung the small female into the opposite wall.

Var'Setta reloaded his sniper rifle but as she just finished a guardsman grabbed the barrel of the rifle and pulled it away from her but the ex-pirate pulled out a combat knife from her thigh and shoved the metal blade into the lizard warrior's neck causing the guardsmen to grasp at his wound leaving the pirate to walk over the dying draconian.

Both Draco and Wintro combined their firepower on the war golem but like before their attacks where absorbed by the magical shield that began to show a variance in color as it had to strain its energy to block against the attacks until Var'Setta chambered in one last round and fired that finally popped the living statue's force field. The magical shield exploded in a burst of static energy leaving the large and powerful golem exposed to the squad.

The arcane war golem raised both of its stone fists into the air when to its surprise Garok Earthblood had leaped onto its back and began swinging around wildly as the shaman had blocked its eye sight.

"Draco!" Wintro ordered as he pointed at the walking statue as he himself ran over to Althea to make sure if she was alright.

Another wave of draconian guardsmen descended into the quarry as they ran down or leaped off the walkway. Both Var'Setta and Wintro drew their own sidearm as their primary weapon finally had the last of its ammunition expended, the two discharged round after round into the guardsmen that was continuously flooding with both their numbers and corpses.

Draco grabbed his only 'C4' charge he kept on his left most ammo pouch on his belt and attached the explosive device onto the left thigh of the war golem that still fumbled around trying to reach for the large alien that still held on tight onto its backside. Garok turned to the smaller platypus like alien that was Draco who gave him the thumbs off to jump off the war golem.

The arcane war golem faced Draco who held a detonator in his left webbed hand, "Game, set, match." He spoke before pressing down on the trigger. In a flash of light and a loud bang the living statue was blown apart completely sending rubble everywhere that caught the draconian guardsmen in the blast while leaving the Black Stars unharmed due to their advanced armour.

"Pilot, we need an extraction, now!" ordered Wintro as he kneeled down beside Althea who was clutching at her chest in pain.

"Copy captain, keep your heads now Black Stars! Firing rocket batteries!" The pilot answered. Draco looked up towards the top of the quarry to see Death From Above fire a plethora amount of rockets into the surrounding areas along with its quite large anti-personal chain gun under the nose of the gun ship. A handful of dragons flew past the gun ship in a mad panic as the top area surrounding the quarry was completely engulfed in flames.

Wintro's Heads Up Display showed that Althea was bleeding internally, the force from the golem's swing had dented in her chest plate causing one of her rib bones to puncture her. "Stay still. "Wintro ordered.

Draco waved at Death From Above slowly hovered to the top of the quarry to get in range of the Black Star's for its teleportation system. In a few seconds the Black Star's materialized inside the gun ship's holding area, Wintro pointed to Draco and gestured for him to take care of Althea to make sure her suit was treating the wound properly.

"Get us the hell out of here pilot." Captain Highcastle ordered.

"I'm on it sir." The pilot answered as Death From Above fled into the night sky, "I bet you Stars pissed one hell of a matriarch."

[Milky Way Galaxy; Draconian Territory, Planet; Drakos, Draconian Home world , Caer Sidi, Ministry of Magic, Year 3,588 A.D, July 22nd, 11:57PM]

Hundreds of magical relics covered the walls of the huge circular room, many lizard folk scribes all worked tirelessly and paranoid on each of their own projects trying desperately to learn its secrets. The only entrance to the research lab opened up and every single of the scribes dropped their instruments and turned around in fear only to see one of their own entered the area in a state of panic.

"The shipment did not come through!" the panicking scribe yelled.

"The matriarch isn't going to like this..." one of the younger scribes whispered in fear.

The scribes continued to bicker amongst themselves when the door opened up once more to reveal a half bred draconian. The reptilian humanoid was half lizard folk and half dragon, her giant of a wing span was folded to her backside so she could fit through the doorway, her scales were a light blue with her markings that covered her entire backside and under belly being a perfect silver color. Both of her black horns pointed forwards and curled upwards that matched her black horn at the end of her maw that pointed straight up. Magical runes were drawn across her body that pulsated with blue energy every so often that also seemed to have been in sync with the crystal formations that grew from her back side and arms.

The eleven foot half dragon held in her grip the frozen skeleton of the quarry's pit master that had failed to bring her the relic she so desired, she stepped into her clan's research area and saw all of her scribes were at attention in a state of pure fear just the way she liked it.

"Can some one please tell me why I do not have the relic of the water elementals in my possession?" She asked rhetorically as she threw the skeleton corpse onto the ground that shattered into hundreds of little shards from being frozen solid.

"Your dig site, was....attacked oh great Cinva." The bravest of the scribes spoke up.

"And what do you plan to do about it?" Cinva Rimescale spoke with every word causing her to reach her short breaking point.

"I will locate and bring back your relic oh great one." The scribe bowed submissively.

"See to it that you do." She answered with her powerful gaze on the scribe. Arch mage Cinva Rimescale the Minister of Magic watched the sorry excuse of a member of her clan to scamper out of the area thankful that she didn't take his life, "Whoever stole what was mine has just made a very...powerful enemy this day." She whispered to herself.