The following scenes will be flashbacks and may contain 18+ content, please be advised*
[Woosh!]
The forest was alive with the soft symphony of nature, the rustling leaves creating a delicate backdrop to the whispered secrets of the wind. Amidst this serene ambiance, Rhox's keen ears picked up on a subtle disturbance. "Hmm…? Do you hear that?" she inquired, curiosity piqued. Gel, engrossed in her notebook, responded dismissively, "Yes, I hear it. The wind is blowing. Are you happy? Don't talk to me; can't you see I'm preoccupied?"
Unperturbed, Rhox decided to approach, her inquisitive nature getting the better of her. "Well, I can see that. What are you writing anyw—" Before she could finish her sentence, Gel shot her a glare that halted her in her tracks.
"Stay. There. Don't. Come. Near. Me," she commanded. Rhox, raising her hands in surrender, conceded with a resigned, "Ok, ok fine!" The forest continued its symphony, and the tension between Rhox and Gel lingered like an unspoken melody.
Rhox, sensing the need to diffuse the tension, held her hands up and gracefully retreated to her original location. Meanwhile, Gel continued her intense focus on writing, the rhythmic rumbling indicating her deep concentration. Rhox, finding Gel's determination rather endearing, couldn't help but think, "pfft, that's kinda cute."
Amidst the rustling leaves and Gel's persistent scribbling, a strange sound interrupted the tranquility. [Tsschk, bzzzz…] Rhox's attention was immediately drawn, and she furrowed her brows in confusion. "Huh?" she uttered, her curiosity guiding her to investigate the unfamiliar noise. [Bzzzzz!] The sound persisted, prompting Rhox to actively search for its source.
As Gel paused her writing, Rhox seized the opportunity to engage her in the mystery. "Tell me, do you hear that? It's definitely not wind this time," Rhox inquired. Gel, acknowledging the peculiar sound, replied with a simple, "Yes." Rhox decided to take the initiative, stating, "I should look around more just in case…" Gel, understanding the situation, encouraged her, "Yeah, do that…I'll pack my things in the meantime…"
With resolve, Rhox scanned the forest, her senses tuned to the strange buzzing that had invaded the tranquil environment. Gel, suddenly alarmed, recognized the sound's nature. "Wait, this whirring… It's like something's powering up…" she murmured, her expression shifting from confusion to realization. "A continuous whirring… Oh no, it's an Energy Canno—" Gel's words were cut short as a sudden flash beneath the dense foliage drew Rhox's attention.
"SHIT!" Rhox shouted, her voice laced with urgency. The impending threat became clear as a Soldier barked, "FIRE!" The air was filled with the ominous hum, leading to a resounding explosion.
[BOOOOOM!!!]
Reacting instinctively, Rhox sprinted towards Gel, her protective instincts kicking in. She tackled Gel to the ground, shielding her from the blast. Gel grunted in pain as they hit the ground, rolling to avoid the debris and chaos erupting around them.
As the explosion's echo faded, a Soldier's voice cut through the chaos, "After them! After them!" Rhox knew they had to move quickly. She shook Gel, urging her to get up. "Come on! We have to go!" Rhox's voice was insistent, filled with concern.
Gel, dazed but conscious, groaned as she tried to gather herself. "Urgh! This is bad…" she muttered, wincing. The relentless pursuit of the Kalix Lavi soldiers grew nearer, their voices ringing out, "There they are! Don't let them escape!"
With quick thinking, Rhox took control of the situation. "Cover your eyes and ears!" she commanded, and Gel obeyed without hesitation. Rhox deftly tossed a Disabler bomb towards the advancing soldiers. The device detonated with a blinding flash and a powerful shockwave, momentarily incapacitating their pursuers.
"Follow me!" Rhox commanded, taking the chance to escape. She and Gel sprinted towards an ancient, crumbling ruin, hoping it would offer some protection. The old structure provided a brief respite, shielding them from the immediate danger as the forest continued to reverberate with the aftermath of the attack.
Out of breath, Rhox leaned against the weathered walls of the ruin. "Let's catch our breath here," she suggested, panting heavily. Gel, still shaken by the sudden assault, muttered a string of curses. "Damn it… How did they find us?" she wondered aloud, her frustration clear.
Driven by a mix of curiosity and concern, Rhox asked, "Who were those guys?" Gel's response was tinged with anxiety. "The Kalix Soldiers—Lavinali's enforcers," she explained. Rhox frowned, trying to make sense of it all. "Maybe they targeted us because they recognized me as a wanted criminal?" she speculated.
Gel shook her head, revealing a more complex truth. "No, that's unlikely. My contacts erased any trace of you from the records and replaced it with false information. According to Lavina's spy network, you're supposed to be four systems away," Gel clarified. Rhox's confusion only deepened. "Then why…?" she asked.
"It's probably because of me and… my gene tag," Gel admitted, her voice a mix of guilt and worry.
Rhox, puzzled by the mention of a gene tag, pressed for more information. "What tag?" she asked. Gel explained, "It's a biotic tag, a sort of GPS implanted in every noble Lavi's brain. It tracks us."
Rhox sighed, realizing the implications. "So we're still being tracked, even now?" Gel reassured her, "Relax. Do you think I'd let anyone keep tabs on me? I've deactivated the bio tag—by means you don't need to know."
Rhox nodded, appreciating the explanation. "I get it… So, what's our plan to get out of here unscathed?" she asked, refocusing on their current predicament. Gel, arms crossed, thought through their options. "The fact that they found us here is suspicious, especially since this place is isolated, my biotic tag is off, and you're supposedly far away. But let's assume they have some tech that can bypass our defenses. Our best bet is to keep moving," she suggested, preparing for their next move.
Rhox raised an eyebrow, offering a cautious perspective. "Not to doubt your people's tech or anything, but even Corvi technology can't detect our top-tier anti-radars. But yeah, moving is probably our best bet." Gel nodded, acknowledging Rhox's point. "I know, but we should assume they can, just to be safe," she insisted.
"Alright," Rhox agreed, and they continued deeper into the ruin, their footsteps echoing through the ancient halls as they tried to evade their pursuers.
After an hour of traversing the labyrinthine corridors, the steady drip of water and the sound of their footsteps were the only noises breaking the silence. "Tap… tap… tap… tap…" The atmosphere was eerily calm, broken only by the occasional exchange between Rhox and Gel.
Rhox spoke up, trying to steer the conversation towards practical matters. "We should find an opening and meet up with my ship," she suggested. Gel, still tense, responded briefly, "Mhm."
As they walked through the dimly lit passages, Rhox attempted to lighten the mood with small talk. "So, you're in line for Admiral of the Right fleet, huh? Good luck with that," she said. Gel, however, gave only a brief acknowledgment, clearly preoccupied. "Mhm," she replied.
Undeterred, Rhox tried another topic. "What's your favorite food?" she asked, hoping to ease the tension. Gel, however, wasn't interested in chatting. "Can you stay quiet? Please?" she asked, sounding stressed. "Okay, fine…" Rhox conceded, understanding the need for silence.
After a while, they finally spotted a faint light at the end of the ruin. "Mhm, finally," Gel murmured, relieved. But their relief was short-lived as a sudden flash of light burst from the darkness, catching them off guard.
[Zzzpow!]
A sudden shot rang out, hitting Gel and causing her to gasp in pain. "Gel'hyne!" Rhox shouted, rushing to her side. Gel, already feeling the effects of the tranquilizer, struggled to speak, "T-Tranquilizer…" before collapsing to the ground, her consciousness fading.
The situation escalated quickly as the Kalix Lavi Captain shouted orders, "Capture the princess! The rest, focus on the vigilante!" Rhox, realizing the gravity of their predicament, cursed under her breath. "Damn it!"
Energy rifles unleashed a relentless barrage as Rhox was bombarded from all sides. [Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!] She ducked behind a sturdy stone pillar, using it as cover while desperately firing back with her energy pistol. [Pzz!...Pzz!...Pzz!] The air was thick with the exchange of energy blasts, creating a chaotic scene.
Amidst the chaos, Rhox's eyes locked onto the soldiers as they dragged Gel away. Frustration and helplessness surged through her. Acting quickly, she hurled a Flash Bomb into the midst of the soldiers, temporarily blinding them.
"Blinded! Blinded! We're blinded!" the disoriented soldiers yelled, stumbling in confusion. The Kalix Lavi Captain, ever quick to adapt, ordered, "Backline soldiers, replace the front!" The blinded soldiers were swiftly replaced by their unaffected comrades, and the barrage resumed with renewed intensity. [Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!...Zpow!]
Sensing an opportunity, the Captain organized a strategic retreat. "Form a wall! I'll take the princess! The rest, keep firing until the vigilante is dead! Bring me her head!" he commanded. The remaining soldiers responded with a unified, "AYE!"
As the firefight continued, the Kalix Captain and a group of soldiers withdrew, taking Gel with them, leaving Rhox to face overwhelming odds alone. The abandoned ruin echoed with the sounds of energy blasts, creating a tense atmosphere.
For a grueling 30 minutes, the relentless firefight continued even after the Captain and his group had left. Frustrated, Rhox shouted, "Don't you guys ever run out of ammo?!" The soldiers responded with contempt, "Shut up, scum!"
Determined, Rhox decided to end the standoff. "Alright then… Catch!" she called out, throwing a shockwave bomb high into the air and shooting it with her energy pistol.
[Pzz!] [BOOM!!]
The explosion shattered the fragile ceiling above the soldiers, sending heavy stones crashing down on them.
[THUD!!] [THUD!!] [THUD!!]
As the rubble trapped the soldiers, Rhox approached them with a cold, determined expression. "You've made a grave mistake today… Unfortunately, it will cost you your lives," she declared. Standing over the trapped soldiers, she coldly asked, "Any last words?"
n a final act of defiance, one of the Kalix Lavi soldiers spat at Rhox, attempting to hurl an insult. But before he could finish, Rhox shot him in the head, silencing him instantly.
[Pzz!!] [SPLAT!] Unfazed, Rhox continued her grim task, executing each of the trapped soldiers with a cold precision.
[Pzz!!] [SPLAT!] [Pzz!!] [SPLAT!] [Pzz!!] [SPLAT!]
As each shot rang out, another life was extinguished. One soldier, gasping for breath, managed to utter, "M-M-My lord… we have faile—" [Pzz!!....] [SPLAT!!] Rhox, showing no mercy, ended his plea mid-sentence. In total, she had killed fourteen trapped soldiers, leaving a gruesome scene behind, a stark warning to anyone who dared cross her.
An hour had passed since Rhox's brutal execution of the Kalix Lavi soldiers, leaving the ruins shrouded in an eerie silence. Amidst the stillness, Rhox stood among the lifeless bodies, their blood staining the ancient stone. The earlier skirmish's echoes had faded, leaving only the cold aftermath of violence.
Driven by a mix of determination and concern for Gel, Rhox clenched her fists tightly. "Where did they take you?" she muttered, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any clues. The ruins, which had once provided a brief refuge, now felt like a haunting monument to the unexpected turn of events.
As she prepared to continue her pursuit of Gel, uncertainty loomed over her. The path ahead was uncertain, and the weight of the situation pressed heavily on her. Rhox knew she had to find Gel, but the way forward was fraught with unknown dangers.
.
.
.
In the dimly lit chamber, the sharp sound of a slap cut through the silence, jolting Gel back to consciousness. Princess Vakk'Han's mocking words, "Wakey wakey, Lakvi trash," echoed around her. As Gel slowly became aware of her surroundings, she asked where she was, only to receive a curt response from Vakk'Han, telling her she was "home."
Queen Fel'Kyne entered, her disdain evident as she instructed her daughter not to touch Gel, calling her a "dirty thing." Despite her situation, Gel muttered a defiant insult, directing her scorn at both the queen and princess.
The tension rose when Fel'Kyne viciously kicked Gel in the stomach, leaving her gasping for air. The queen seemed to relish the moment, describing in detail the gruesome fate that awaited Gel, promising a public execution to demoralize her fellow rebels.
Fel'Kyne grabbed Gel by the hair, pulling her head up and whispering chilling threats into her ear. She painted a vivid picture of Gel's impending humiliation and torture, including being stripped and skinned alive in front of an audience.
In a desperate act of resistance, Gel bit into Queen Fel'Kyne's ear, tearing it off. The queen screamed in agony, "You... bitch! She bit my ear off! Aargh!"
Enraged, Fel'Kyne demanded a stick from Princess Vakk'han, who handed it to her with trembling hands. The queen, consumed by anger, began beating Gel with the stick, the sound of each blow filling the room.
Gel's screams of pain echoed as she tried in vain to protect herself. Fel'Kyne, her voice dripping with malice, declared, "Since you took my ear, you bitch, I'll take something from you! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, an ear... for your legs!"
Gel tried to shield her legs, but Vakk'han, following her mother's orders, held Gel's hands back, leaving her vulnerable. "Prepare yourself," Fel'Kyne said with sadistic glee. Gel begged for mercy, but her pleas were ignored. The queen struck Gel's legs repeatedly, each blow a brutal reminder of her helplessness. [THUD!] [THUD!] [THUD!]
The chamber filled with Gel's anguished cries, mixed with the maniacal laughter of Fel'Kyne and Vakk'han. The relentless beating continued, each thud and crunch a testament to the cruelty of her captors.
[THUD!] [THUD!] [THUD!]
[CRUNCH!] [THUD!] [CRUNCH!]
Vakkhan's taunting laughter echoed through the chamber, a cruel symphony to Gel's suffering. "Hahaha! How does it feel, sister!? Hahaha!" Vakkhan mocked, reveling in Gel's torment. Her voice was a venomous mix of amusement and malice, each word dripping with sadistic pleasure. Gel's desperate cries for mercy only fueled Vakkhan's glee, creating a haunting chorus that reverberated through the stone walls, unanswered and ignored as the brutal torture dragged on for what felt like an eternity.
Despite Gel's desperate pleas, the relentless abuse continued, leaving her legs mangled and useless. The guards, unfeeling and obedient, carried out the merciless command to throw her into a dungeon at the tower's peak. Gel was discarded like refuse, her broken body hitting the cold, hard floor with a sickening thud. Unable to move, she lay there, the chill of the stone seeping into her bones, a stark contrast to the burning pain coursing through her.
Amidst her tears and the throbbing pain, Gel grappled with the horrifying reality of her fate—being skinned alive, a slow, agonizing death awaiting her. In the depths of her shattered psyche, a faint glimmer of hope flickered, a tiny, fragile light struggling against the overwhelming darkness that threatened to consume her. The oppressive shadows of her prison seemed to close in, suffocating any semblance of hope, deepening her despair and amplifying her sense of helplessness.
"Sob... Save me... Sob... Rhox... Sob," Gel's voice trembled with desperation, her words barely more than whispers amidst her sobs. Each utterance was a painful reminder of her dire situation, filled with the weight of her anguish and the crushing realization of her impending doom. Her plea for salvation echoed within the confines of her bleak cell, a melancholic refrain that seemed to mock her with its futility.
Vakkhan, standing over her, sneered with a cruel satisfaction. "Beg all you want, Gel. No one is coming for you," she taunted, her voice icy. "Rhox? That vigilante is nothing compared to us. You think she cares about you? Hahaha, you're nothing to her."
Gel's eyes, filled with tears, looked up at Vakkhan with a mixture of fear and defiance. "You're wrong... She will come... She has to..." Gel's voice was weak, but there was a flicker of determination in her words.
Vakkhan scoffed, crossing her arms. "Delusional to the end, I see. But it doesn't matter. Tomorrow, you'll be a message to the rebels—an example of what happens when you defy us."
As Vakkhan turned to leave, Gel whispered one last, desperate plea, barely audible. "Rhox... please..." Her voice broke, the weight of her situation crashing down on her as the door to her cell slammed shut, plunging her into darkness once more. The oppressive silence that followed was a stark contrast to the chaos that had filled the chamber moments before, leaving Gel alone with her pain and despair, her faint hope flickering like a dying ember.