Death's Harbinger

Ji-Dar’s hub portal thrummed. She motioned skyward to expand the alert. Lead Commander Wilhelm had issued a planet-wide bulletin.

“Due to an unprovoked attacked on Tri-Star station, Cerulean has officially declared war on Venus. Return to your bunkers immediately, unseal your rations, and await further instructions.

Chaos descended upon Meridian Plaza. Mothers pulled screaming young ones to bosom, fleeing to places of safety. Shopkeepers hurried to store goods in strongboxes. Men and women gathered arms for their base.

Ji-Dar felt numb as she processed the panic and commotion. A strong clarity cut through the confusion. She gazed at her hands, so skilled with plasma rockets and sonic bows she had once worked for the nefarious Ga-Tol gang. In an era of technological domination, she had always struggled along with scores of other Ceruleans to find work. Why choose a feeble, mistake-prone creature that requires payment rather than enslaving perfectionist AI? Now, some of the AI had rebelled, overloading power cores to destruction across the Planetary Alliance. With this attack, Cerulean initiated action.

Ji-Dar sprinted through Meridian Plaza to the military base. Swathes of Ceruleans had gathered. She wasn’t one to wait.

She approached the grunt guarding the base.

“I want in on this operation. I’ve got the skills you need.”

“Hah, says you and every other sucker here.” The grunt guffawed.

“Give me a chance!”

The grunt’s commander coughed knowingly. Shortly after, Ji-Dar was suited up and soaring through hyperspace with the battalion to Venus, high on adrenaline.

An enemy missile erupted.

“Ray shields breached!” The pilot cried.

Ji-Dar aimed from the ship’s plasma gun.

“Target locked”.

Silence. A flash of light. Bang!

“Rebel craft destroyed.”

The rebels were tenacious, the fight would not end here.

But Ji-Dar knew she could be much worse.

She was Death’s Harbinger, after all.