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This story was going to be the prologue for the SP Game of the same name. Its set in the 26th century at the end of the Third Human-Progenitor war, where the Humans and Progs are battling over an unknown planet on the fringe of both their empires. There they accidently awaken a race of berserker robots, known as "Eaters", and it becomes a fight for survival where the Human and Progenitors must put aside their mutual atrocity-soaked pasts and band together if they are to survive.
Many thanx to Hydro for really fleshing this out and breathing some life into the story!
Space puckered and a flash of light appeared in the sky above the terrformed moon of Haar’ Liss 4.1. A massive DRACa Mk3 Interplanetary transport winked into existence as the pulse of light ebbed and the wrinkle in space repaired itself. The transport is light gray and is emblazoned with the crest of deep field of blue with white stars, the markings of the Interstellar Peace Keepers. A shimmering resonance field enveloped the craft and it glowed a metallic purple as it descended into the moon’s thin atmosphere.
The transport settled in a small clearing just outside of a military cemetery on the moon Haar’ lisss 4.1. Its bay door slowly opened and an Honor Guard of tall Humans and hulking Progenitors paceed out and formed two lines on either side of the bay door. The two lines of soldiers then turned to face each other and stand at attention. Battle sashes glittered among the Humans, many of whom were now quite elderly but hale. The Progenitors stood erect with their grayed and scarred carapaces that showed long years of combat.
An aged and decrepit Progenitor sat half slumped over in an automated Mag-chair, a great cloak wrapped around him as if to conceal just how close to death his body was. The Honor Guard formed around him and then started out towards the cemetery, marching slowly, and allowing the automated Mag-chair to set the pace. The primary of this solar system, setting in the distance, cast long shadows as the procession entered the cemetery grounds. As the Honor Guard passed individual tombstones of fallen human and Progenitor warriors, the membots – holographic memories depicting an individual that were then imprinted onto the grave markers, flickered on around them. Each of the membots took notice of who was in the Mag-chair, and each one in their turn rose to attention and saluted as the silent procession slowly marched by.
The procession made its way to the top of a small hillock and stopped beside the grave of a human, General Krysias Brasidas. In life he had commanded all of the soldiers buried in this cemetery, and now in death his membot flickered on as well, stood to attention and saluted the frail Progenitor before him.
The human officer in charge of the Honor Guard leaned over the Mag-chair and whispered to the semi-conscious Progenitor, “Sir, we’re here.”
The aged Progenitor, General Ha’Ahruuhn, stirred in his chair and slowly tried to pull himself more upright. The human officer leaned over and gently assisted him into a more comfortable and dignified position. The Progenitor grunted with the effort, then slowly opened his eyes. His gaze wandered out from the small hillock where he was seated and went out across the cemetery, taking in the vista that greeted him: as far as the eye could see the tombstone membots were flickering on, and all of them, human and Progenitor alike, were turning and facing him, and saluting. A puzzled look crept across the dieing Progenitor’s aged face as he saw this, his memory struggling to decipher the import of what he saw before him. Then his eyes caught sight of the saluting image of General Brasidas standing before him, and he struggled to remember who this was. The Progenitor took a deep breath, and for a brief moment the old Progenitor’s personal resonance field flared brightly once more as his will overcame his atrophied and failing mind. A human smile touched his lips as he remembered his human friend, the one who had stood by his side and fought valiantly, saving both the Human Progenitor races from the Eater plague. “My friend”, he whispered in human speech, before his eyes slowly closed again, and his body relaxed back into the chair once more. The Progenitor took one last shallow breath, and then slowly exhaled, the human smile still upon his lips. His clawed hand, tightly clasped until now, slowly relaxed and opened to reveal a General’s emblem: “K. Brasidas” was the name emblazoned onto it.
The wind whispered through the cemetery as the Honor Guard continued to stand at attention, as did all of the membots.
Many thanx to Hydro for really fleshing this out and breathing some life into the story!
Space puckered and a flash of light appeared in the sky above the terrformed moon of Haar’ Liss 4.1. A massive DRACa Mk3 Interplanetary transport winked into existence as the pulse of light ebbed and the wrinkle in space repaired itself. The transport is light gray and is emblazoned with the crest of deep field of blue with white stars, the markings of the Interstellar Peace Keepers. A shimmering resonance field enveloped the craft and it glowed a metallic purple as it descended into the moon’s thin atmosphere.
The transport settled in a small clearing just outside of a military cemetery on the moon Haar’ lisss 4.1. Its bay door slowly opened and an Honor Guard of tall Humans and hulking Progenitors paceed out and formed two lines on either side of the bay door. The two lines of soldiers then turned to face each other and stand at attention. Battle sashes glittered among the Humans, many of whom were now quite elderly but hale. The Progenitors stood erect with their grayed and scarred carapaces that showed long years of combat.
An aged and decrepit Progenitor sat half slumped over in an automated Mag-chair, a great cloak wrapped around him as if to conceal just how close to death his body was. The Honor Guard formed around him and then started out towards the cemetery, marching slowly, and allowing the automated Mag-chair to set the pace. The primary of this solar system, setting in the distance, cast long shadows as the procession entered the cemetery grounds. As the Honor Guard passed individual tombstones of fallen human and Progenitor warriors, the membots – holographic memories depicting an individual that were then imprinted onto the grave markers, flickered on around them. Each of the membots took notice of who was in the Mag-chair, and each one in their turn rose to attention and saluted as the silent procession slowly marched by.
The procession made its way to the top of a small hillock and stopped beside the grave of a human, General Krysias Brasidas. In life he had commanded all of the soldiers buried in this cemetery, and now in death his membot flickered on as well, stood to attention and saluted the frail Progenitor before him.
The human officer in charge of the Honor Guard leaned over the Mag-chair and whispered to the semi-conscious Progenitor, “Sir, we’re here.”
The aged Progenitor, General Ha’Ahruuhn, stirred in his chair and slowly tried to pull himself more upright. The human officer leaned over and gently assisted him into a more comfortable and dignified position. The Progenitor grunted with the effort, then slowly opened his eyes. His gaze wandered out from the small hillock where he was seated and went out across the cemetery, taking in the vista that greeted him: as far as the eye could see the tombstone membots were flickering on, and all of them, human and Progenitor alike, were turning and facing him, and saluting. A puzzled look crept across the dieing Progenitor’s aged face as he saw this, his memory struggling to decipher the import of what he saw before him. Then his eyes caught sight of the saluting image of General Brasidas standing before him, and he struggled to remember who this was. The Progenitor took a deep breath, and for a brief moment the old Progenitor’s personal resonance field flared brightly once more as his will overcame his atrophied and failing mind. A human smile touched his lips as he remembered his human friend, the one who had stood by his side and fought valiantly, saving both the Human Progenitor races from the Eater plague. “My friend”, he whispered in human speech, before his eyes slowly closed again, and his body relaxed back into the chair once more. The Progenitor took one last shallow breath, and then slowly exhaled, the human smile still upon his lips. His clawed hand, tightly clasped until now, slowly relaxed and opened to reveal a General’s emblem: “K. Brasidas” was the name emblazoned onto it.
The wind whispered through the cemetery as the Honor Guard continued to stand at attention, as did all of the membots.
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