Chapter VI: The Slaughter of Alioth

Nexus chatter surged through the Terran wire taps on their network feeding information to Emperor Greeny who was in his war room in the Imperial palace on Earth. Greeny stared at one bit of Kolari chatter that sparked the surge. He read it just as it was being translated. "Alioth under heavy siege, Slah'ke mass attack on the Alioth system, requesting help from any available patrols." Greeny called his right hand man into the room. Speed Shot. Greeny order him to take this to Narses immediately and prepare his war fleet. Greeny then sent a message to the Federation President Duckman.

In Alioth the Slah'ke ships just leveled several planets in no time, they lost one ship unfortunately JAKE had died amongst the fighting. Three annihilator shots smashed into his Star Point enabling Machinehr to wipe out the last shield so the Slah'ke could level the buildings below on the planet. It was a matter of moments before SPQR and Adept had finished off the Kolari response squadrons, along with a long hard battle with a starbase. Adept had lost a Delta Cannon in the process and a modest amount of armor, as for SPQR didn’t lose anything. The two watched the now destroyed starbase slowly fall into the Planets atmosphere, colliding with shield, after shield, later beaching it, the Starbases reactor went critical and vaporized a large city as the fragments collided into buildings of other cities. Machinehr noticed the duo watching the Cities go up in flames, and ordered them to form on the last remaining planet, along with the rest of the Slah'ke fleet. as Adept and SPQR formed up to commence orbital bombardment, Greeny's war fleet along with the Federation Freedom Fighters fleet exited hyperspace to see the scattered wreckage of what the Union ships caused.

Prmens, the ranking Plexxan, sent a message to Greeny asking why they came here. Greeny responded on the fleet com they established "Why for the planets these Slah'ke have so kindly leveled." Prmens nodded. "Will the Federation receive any planets or asteroids in this system?" Narses replied for Greeny "Yes Prmens, the Federation will receive planets in this system." Prmens stayed silent as he sat in his Invincible FF God of War, watching the Union form up to rain death down on a planet.

The Union ships formed a cluster as before, and they all targeted the planet. Halo, and SPQR fired first their shots already overwhelming a shield that was on the planet, surprisingly, the rest of the shots rained past where a shield should have blocked it and hit their marks. The Union ships now in sync with each other fired another salvo destroying many civilian buildings and military installations. The planet didn't even have a chance to defend itself.

Dennis and his builder group arrived on planet to find large craters from the Dual Gamma Cannon’ shots that hit the buildings. They began terraforming the planet as ordered by Narses. PhantomGODess was there helping Dennis out with the lowly job. "So... we see the ferocity of the Slah'ke now?" Dennis only grunted a reply acknowledging it. Then he spoke. "Admiral, why is it that the Slah'ke don't want to have these planets?" All she could manage was a shrug "I don't know." The Slah'ke ships now in a relaxed formation were spotted flying over the planet. "They're so strange aren't they Admiral?" She nodded. "Yes, they are, they confuse me every now and then on why they fight. Narses likes to talk with them about some things. Just remember this, don't get into a bar fight with one." Dennis got confused at the statement "Ma’am?" She laughed. "Ok, just trust me on this, I've seen what happens when Slah'ke fight hand to hand against a human... the lizards literally tear us apart..." she frowned remembering a friend of hers being killed by a Slah'ke. Dennis got worried that she faded off like that "Admiral? Admiral!" she came to "Oh? What? I'm sorry Dennis, I was just having a bad memory." He sighed "I thought you were fired upon or something..." Phantom laughed again. "Dennis you need to lighten up." he nodded in agreement. A Slah'ke ship passed in close proximity to PhantomGODess' ship. Thankfully the Slah'ke was a very adept pilot, the Zealot had landed a hundred meters away.

Dennis and Phantom watched as the loading ramp lowered, and a Slah'ke warrior got out, walked several feet and stared at a valley.

Adept stood there thinking that this was once a busy city of Slah'ke people, now it was still rubble, the Kolari didn't even bother to clean it up... Adept narrowed his eyes, and let out a roar of anger, which was audible inside Dennis's and Phantoms ships. Adept fell to his knees screaming in anger, and sorrow. He stayed there on his knees what seemed an eternity for him. His tail smashed the ground, making a small crack. Adept roared in sorrow again. he fell back onto his but looking at the darkened sky. He said "Akagh" meaning rain in his language. Ironically it began to rain, Adept felt the rain on his smooth scales of his arms, his tail, his head. It was as if the clouds were crying for him. He couldn’t stand the Kolari anymore. He pulled out a weapon and fired it off into the distance. Adept had now decided to leave his home, he left the place where he found the child, and where his parents died. This was a past left forgotten. He slowly got back up, and walked towards Halo, the loading ramp closed and Adept was gone, he left for Proxima. Where as Phantom and Dennis were left clueless to what they witnessed.

Adept sat in the separate room he had in his Zealot, looking at an item that was his fathers, his father was the one who taught him how to fight properly, and shoot properly. A Terran took that life from him. Adept had killed the man who killed his father. The item was a sword his dad had made for himself when he was a child, instead of that, Adept bought a cruiser and made it his. Something that would mean the same as his Dads sword meant to his dad. Adept sat cross-legged and thought for a moment on this war. He loved it in all aspects except when civilians died... Slah'ke civilians. He was upset at the Kolari, not giving so much as a warning to the inhabitants but setting the planet ablaze with their hate. But be damned if he ever gave in. After all what good is a fight if you give up? Because you wouldn't have been fighting in the first place if you would have given up. Adept noticed that they were in Proxima now, and so he docked with the station moments later, and met up with SPQR to have a conversation about the Slaughter.

Moments Later Adept met up with SPQR They bowed to each other and SPQR spoke first. "Adept I understand what happened upon that planet but you must know, that the Slah'ke don't need people who refuse orders." Adept narrowed his eyes. "SPQR since when have I ever refused an order?" SPQR nodded in agreement. "That remains to be true, but I worry that you might be softened by these unfortunate events affecting the Union as a whole." Adept sighed and spoke in a soft tone "I know that it's been trying for the both of us old friend but trust me, I will not, I won't let Machinehr, you, Church, or Tomglomerate down I will stand my ground and gladly kill all who dare make war with us." SPQR smiled a toothy grin and added. "Not only do that but make them sure they regretted ever deciding to actually declare war on us. We maybe small but we're deadly." Adept nodded, and responded to the statement. "But every now and then we must take a break from our war, and give respect to those who have fallen alongside us, and those who have fallen against us." SPQR then spoke the next phrase "That is the Warriors promise to be ever respectful to your enemy as you would to your Ally, and no mercy nor respect to those who slaughter the innocent ruthlessly." Adept roared in appreciation to the saying. "Brings back memories from the old days doesn’t it?" SPQR nodded, and Machinehr walked into the area. "I heard you two speaking of the Warriors way." They both smiled toothy grins "Yes Overlord, Adept and I have been. We thought that the slaughter of Alioth was well needed for us both since our spirits were so down" Machinehr nodded slowly. "That’s why we did it in the first place SPQR" Adept was caught by surprise by the response Machinehr made. "But it is sad, that we lost JAKE." Machinehr nodded in agreement. "That was an unfortunate occurrence but we razed their planets in salute to JAKE’s legacy as a Slah'ke warrior!"

Adept Machinehr, and SPQR spoke to each other till dawn hit Proxima one once more, and the trio of Slah'ke warriors left each other to go and grab some rest before tomorrow’s dawn so that they could prepare for the assault on Eltanin. Adept smiled. That attack will be a bloody one, and he looked forward to its promises.