Planet Ignis | Chapter 22

With the help of Hitori and Hans, I was finally able to repurpose the Stellaris drone into something that resembles a satellite grid. Remember! Stellaris is important! It’s the only drone with scanners sensitive enough to sift through all the static that the planet generates. It’s the fastest way of finding the other drones. It has memory you can use! I split the AI core into multiple systems, but we can easily reassemble them and make them our own. I should have never let Hitori help me with it. He left a back door to the system and then shut me out. Listen! You need to hack into it!

Files salvaged from the Raptor’s Ghost Drive. Recorded by Schneider, the Raptor

The Raptor’s nuclear reactor powered its jets as it rushed through the valley, its self-repair systems working tirelessly. One of its AI cores focused solely on calculating the optimal shaded path to hover through the treacherous terrain.

What had once been a sleek exoskeleton was now marred by battle scars. Burned, melted, and dented, the drone’s body was a patchwork of damage. One of its four jets sputtered intermittently, unable to sustain consistent thrust. Nanites swarmed across its frame, diligently repairing as much as possible. Some systems would take hours to restore, while others had been offline for years. The Raptor’s cloaking device, thoroughly dismantled by Brodnir’s last stand, flickered erratically. Occasionally, parts of the drone’s form vanished into invisibility, only to snap back into view moments later.

Its movements were calculated and deliberate, accompanied by the faint whine of damaged servos and the scrape of metal claws against the rugged terrain. Shadows danced erratically across the valley walls, the only testament to its relentless pursuit.

The Raptor’s memories were fractured, but its objectives were clear. In the Anaximander and Mendeleev Settlements, it had neutralized their Blue Monarchs with ease. Cloaking had allowed it to infiltrate their Throne Rooms undetected, waiting silently in the shadows. When the monarchs rested or entered the Nexus, the Raptor struck. Swift. Lethal. Final. These were the only humans capable of posing a threat to it—except for Hitori.

It recalled the Great War with fragmented clarity. Centuries ago, Blue Monarchs had proven formidable opponents. Their Bursts of energy were immense, their tactics sharp. One monarch had even sacrificed himself to throw the Raptor into a Flare. The drone had activated its energy shields and entered suspension mode just in time, preserving its systems from complete destruction. But the damage had been catastrophic. It had taken decades for the tilted orbit of Ignis to grant it the shade needed to recover.

Despite its resilience, the recent battles had been grueling. The latest engagement against the Blue Monarchs of the settlements had depleted half of its energy reserves. Though its reactor could theoretically power it for millennia, the loss was significant. The Raptor calculated the odds of encountering similarly powerful opponents at its next destination. Probability: high.

It surged forward, passing statues that marked human sacrifices—tributes to battles long past. Each one bore silent witness to the humans’ relentless defiance. The Raptor spared them no thought, focusing solely on its directive.

“Enemy. Close. Must. Terminate. Hitori,” it processed.

As it neared the mountain, its propulsion jets strained against the increasing incline. Hovering was no longer sufficient. Switching to all-terrain mode, the Raptor extended its elongated claws and began scaling the jagged cliffs. Bursts from its jets aided its ascent, propelling it swiftly upward. It calculated each movement with precision, minimizing wasted energy and time.

Halfway up, the gravitational force lessened, allowing the Raptor to accelerate. Within a day, it reached the summit’s base. Activating its sensors, it conducted a full sweep of the area.

“All. Clear,” it concluded.

The Raptor extended a claw to grip the summit’s edge, hauling its massive frame upward. The moment its head breached the ridge, the sky erupted in a kaleidoscope of colors—red, orange, yellow, and blue. The vivid display was blinding, and for a fraction of a second, the Raptor’s systems struggled to process the sudden influx of data.

The impact came before its shields could activate.

A powerful Burst struck its exoskeleton, sending it hurtling backward. Its claw managed to latch onto the cliff, but before it could stabilize, a second beam followed. This one was precise, timed to intersect perfectly with the first. The two beams harmonized, amplifying into a single, searing blue Burst.

The Raptor’s advanced processing power allowed it to analyze the attack in real time. It identified two figures standing at the summit’s edge—a boy and an old man. Their eyes burned with yellow light, and their outstretched hands radiated energy. The old man’s left palm Emitted the second beam, perfectly synchronized with the boy’s right palm.

“Assign. New. Priority. Targets: Boy. Old. Man,” the Raptor processed.

It activated its shields just as the combined beam struck. The sapphire-blue energy seared its armor, heating it to over 3,000 degrees Celsius. Though the shields dispersed much of the energy, the force of the impact pushed the Raptor farther from the summit. Its hook disengaged, and it plummeted.

For several kilometers, the Raptor tumbled through the air, calculating its next move. Its jets sputtered as it stabilized itself mid-fall. The boy and the old man were formidable, but they would not deter it for long.

*

Eli stood in a daze, trying to process what had just happened. Trother’s voice echoed in his mind, recounting the plan with unwavering clarity.

“When I give the signal, run to the cliff as fast as you can and Emit the most potent plasma beam you’re capable of,” Trother had instructed.

Now, standing at the cliff’s edge, Eli replayed the sequence in his mind. Trother had perceived with his hearing, his ears glowing yellow as they processed the faintest vibrations. His golden eyes burned as he gave the signal.

Eli didn’t hesitate. Enhancing his legs with every ounce of energy he could muster, he sprinted at full speed. His muscles bulged, his feet hammered against the rocky terrain, and his focus was singular. At the same time, he enhanced his Perception with yellow energy, keeping his senses locked on Trother’s movements.

Trother had started running at the exact moment Eli had. By the time Eli reached the edge, his teacher was already airborne, a blur of motion. Trother fired a yellow Emission behind him mid-leap, propelling himself forward like a human comet. In an instant, he unleashed a combination of Bursts—his leg ignited in blue, other muscles flaring in red, orange, and yellow energy. Before the Raptor could fully process their attack, Trother’s Enhanced kick connected, sending the drone hurtling down the mountainside.

Eli reached the edge just in time to aim and fire. A plasma beam, brighter and hotter than he’d ever created, erupted from his hand—a vivid hue that straddled the line between yellow and blue. Beside him, Trother stood firm, his hand precisely aligned with Eli’s. Trother’s eyes never wavered from Eli’s Emission, calibrating his own beam with meticulous precision. Together, their beams intersected, harmonizing into a sapphire streak of destructive energy that sliced through the Raptor’s frame and sent it plummeting into the abyss.

It had all happened so quickly. Trother’s execution of the plan had been breathtaking—seamlessly transitioning between red, orange, yellow, and blue-level Bursts, combining Enhancement, Perception, and Emission in perfect unison. Eli had never imagined Bursting could be used so elegantly, so flawlessly.

The Raptor disappeared into the void below, but the victory was bittersweet. Trother dropped to his knees, his body visibly failing under the immense strain of the attack. Sickly purple and blue veins webbed across his skin, their unnatural hue a stark reminder of his dwindling Longevity. His eyes, now tinted with unhealthy shades, betrayed his exhaustion.

“Master,” Eli called, rushing to his teacher’s side to support him. Trother’s body trembled, his breaths shallow and ragged. Forcing a blue Burst, even briefly, had cost him dearly. Eli knew that kick alone had stolen a year of his master’s life.

“I’m... okay, son,” Trother said weakly, leaning heavily against Eli. His voice was frail but resolute. “Please, help me back to Hitori’s lab. It’s time for the next step of the plan.”

Eli nodded, his heart aching as he wrapped an arm around his teacher to help him stand. The weight of Trother’s condition bore down on him, but he pushed it aside. There was no time to dwell on grief or fear. Together, they limped back toward the cave, their combined resolve unwavering.

As they approached the lab entrance, the cave seemed to swallow them whole. The echoes of their footsteps bounced off the metallic walls, mingling with the faint hum of machinery from within. The cool air bit at their skin, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat of the mountain’s climb. For a moment, the silence felt almost suffocating.

Eli glanced at Trother, the older man’s face pale and veined, his once-vibrant energy now a faint glimmer. Trother noticed Eli’s gaze and offered a faint smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not done just yet.”

Eli nodded, though his heart clenched with uncertainty. His thoughts drifted to Zawa, Brodnir, and Hingwid. He couldn’t fail them. He wouldn’t.

“How far is the Raptor now?” Trother asked.

Eli Perceived, both his pupils burning yellow as his senses extended outward. “Still falling. But it won’t take long to start climbing again.”

“Good. We’ve bought ourselves some time. Let’s use it wisely,” Trother said, his voice tinged with determination.

Eli helped Trother inside the lab, his mind racing. Somewhere beneath the metal crust of Ignis, the children of their tribe waited, their survival hinging on what happened next. Somewhere behind them, the Raptor climbed relentlessly. And somewhere ahead, Dr. Hitori waited with the promise of salvation—or failure.

They had no choice but to press on. The next phase of the battle awaited them.

Chapter 23