Judgement – Kopan Massacre Part 5 - Let He Who is Without Sin...
by Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani
Post Details
Previously...
“You’ll have to purge the entire town.” Johan spoke so casually that for a moment, Akamu thought the captain didn’t understand what he was suggesting.
“Sir?”
“We cannot allow even the smallest seed of rebellion to fester, Lieutenant.”
“The entire town, sir?” Akamu repeated. “Loyalists, women, children?”
“The entire town. As soon as we get the transporters up, we’ll initiate a site to site transport and send it reinforcements. Then… well, you get the idea, Lieutenant.”
The screen blinked away, the emblem of the Unity swirling innocently across the pad.
::ON::
Akamu checked the charge on his pulse pack for the hundrenth time, confirming what he already knew; his gun was loaded. His blade had been run over a sharpening stone fifty times at least. His pulse-absorbing chest plate rested under his outer tunic. Nothing more remained than to wait for the signal to go. The much needed medical supplies had already been beamed back onto the Go Hekin and Akamu and his men would be augmented by twenty more Sea Devils inside the city. Once more, Akamu felt himself shaking the feeling that murdering his own people was wrong. He had a job to do; orders to obey. These were traitors.
Or so he kept telling himself.
"Drop Team 1, this is Sala," the sultry female voice filled their comm systems. "Prepare for transport."
A bright white light engulfed the clearing. When it was gone, nothing but the birds remained, singing in the trees.
Akamu found himself near the outer wall of the city, in a residential district. Silently, he signaled part of his team further down the road as he approached the vaulted door of a nearby house.
Akamu slid his palm over the lock. The computer only knew that he was a soldier with security clearance so high, he didn't exist. It could never have imagined that he would attack Gadarian citizens. The door whisked open with a friendly chirp.
Inside, the room was empty. Akamu stepped in, his rifle cautiously raised. He swept his weapon around from side to side, the lighting unit illuminating two little backpacks; a yellow one with a pony prancing across the surface, and a dark blue one, Dera Drone blazoned on the back. A young boy and girl lived in this house.
Cautiously, Akamu headed across the room and into the kitchen, noting the frying pan resting on the stove. The burner was off; wherever they had gone, it hadn't been in a big hurry. There were four plates on the table, a cold pot of tea between them. He waved his light around; confirming the absence of anyone in the kitchen, then headed for the door to the common room.
The vis-projector was on, muted, and casting a silvery glow across the room. Two couches and a coffee table took up a majority of the room. Along the back, there were shelves, many containing holophotos and flat images. Akamu couldn't help but take a look at the pictures. The daughter of the family was the eldest child, with straight black hair framing a sharp, angular face. The boy, six or seven, had features just as haughty as his sister, inherited from their mother by the look of it, but his ebony hair was cropped short.
Shaking his head to dispel the compassionate thoughts entering his head, Akamu moved on. He couldn't afford to see the traitors as people. It would only make his mission harder.
He turned and strode up the stairs, passing more family photos on the wall. He steeled his nerves, fighting down the knot in his stomach, and stared straight ahead.
On the landing, even darker than the floor below, Akamu turned his light up to full illumination. Three doors led out of the central hall. Likely two bedrooms and a bathroom. He slowly opened the first door, illuminating what was undoubtedly the kids' room. Posters plastered walls on both sides, and two small beds rested in the center, perfectly neat. Good kids. Akamu didn't think he'd ever made his bed once in his life until enlisting in the Academy.
Silently, he moved on. The second door turned out to be the bathroom, leaving only the last room, the master bedroom. Calmly, Akamu moved to the door. Blood pounded in his ears as he reached out and pressed the door open. His light roved the chamber, lighting at last upon a huddle of people on the floor.
The mother had her arms wrapped around her children, holding them close to her chest. She was even smaller than she'd looked in the pictures. The two kids peeked at him through their mom's maternal clutch, the little boy whimpering softly.
"Oh, thank the gods," the woman said, seeing his uniform. She released her death grip on the kids. The girl stayed where she was, clinging to mom and staring open mouthed at Akamu. "I was afraid rebels had gotten into the district." She sounded completely relieved to see him.
Akamu kept his weapon up as he gazed around the room. "Is there anyone else here, ma'am?" he said.
"No," the woman answered. "My husband went to the degoria." Akamu nodded. He suspected the man was already dead.
The little boy, now the man of the family, stood and took a tentative step towards Akamu, who tightened his grip on his weapon almost imperceptibly.
"Are you a soldier?" the boy asked, innocent eyes wide and trusting.
"Yes." Akamu swallowed and forced himself to breathe. Quickly, he shut his eyes, forcing himself to remain detached. When he looked again, the boy was only a few feet away.
"Are you here to save us from the bad guys?" The child demanded quietly.
Akamu's gaze went from the boy, up to the girl, then the mother, and back to the boy. He swallowed again, releasing the safety on his rifle.
"No," he said. After a slow exhale, the darkened room was suddenly lit by a brilliant burst of white light...
TBC
by Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani
Post Details
| Title | Kopan Massacre Part 5 - Let He Who is Without Sin... | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani | |
| Posted | Sat Sep 17, 2011 @ 5:31am | |
| Location | Kopa IV; Base Camp | |
| Timeline | June 3, 2372; 1412 |
“You’ll have to purge the entire town.” Johan spoke so casually that for a moment, Akamu thought the captain didn’t understand what he was suggesting.
“Sir?”
“We cannot allow even the smallest seed of rebellion to fester, Lieutenant.”
“The entire town, sir?” Akamu repeated. “Loyalists, women, children?”
“The entire town. As soon as we get the transporters up, we’ll initiate a site to site transport and send it reinforcements. Then… well, you get the idea, Lieutenant.”
The screen blinked away, the emblem of the Unity swirling innocently across the pad.
::ON::
Akamu checked the charge on his pulse pack for the hundrenth time, confirming what he already knew; his gun was loaded. His blade had been run over a sharpening stone fifty times at least. His pulse-absorbing chest plate rested under his outer tunic. Nothing more remained than to wait for the signal to go. The much needed medical supplies had already been beamed back onto the Go Hekin and Akamu and his men would be augmented by twenty more Sea Devils inside the city. Once more, Akamu felt himself shaking the feeling that murdering his own people was wrong. He had a job to do; orders to obey. These were traitors.
Or so he kept telling himself.
"Drop Team 1, this is Sala," the sultry female voice filled their comm systems. "Prepare for transport."
A bright white light engulfed the clearing. When it was gone, nothing but the birds remained, singing in the trees.
Akamu found himself near the outer wall of the city, in a residential district. Silently, he signaled part of his team further down the road as he approached the vaulted door of a nearby house.
Akamu slid his palm over the lock. The computer only knew that he was a soldier with security clearance so high, he didn't exist. It could never have imagined that he would attack Gadarian citizens. The door whisked open with a friendly chirp.
Inside, the room was empty. Akamu stepped in, his rifle cautiously raised. He swept his weapon around from side to side, the lighting unit illuminating two little backpacks; a yellow one with a pony prancing across the surface, and a dark blue one, Dera Drone blazoned on the back. A young boy and girl lived in this house.
Cautiously, Akamu headed across the room and into the kitchen, noting the frying pan resting on the stove. The burner was off; wherever they had gone, it hadn't been in a big hurry. There were four plates on the table, a cold pot of tea between them. He waved his light around; confirming the absence of anyone in the kitchen, then headed for the door to the common room.
The vis-projector was on, muted, and casting a silvery glow across the room. Two couches and a coffee table took up a majority of the room. Along the back, there were shelves, many containing holophotos and flat images. Akamu couldn't help but take a look at the pictures. The daughter of the family was the eldest child, with straight black hair framing a sharp, angular face. The boy, six or seven, had features just as haughty as his sister, inherited from their mother by the look of it, but his ebony hair was cropped short.
Shaking his head to dispel the compassionate thoughts entering his head, Akamu moved on. He couldn't afford to see the traitors as people. It would only make his mission harder.
He turned and strode up the stairs, passing more family photos on the wall. He steeled his nerves, fighting down the knot in his stomach, and stared straight ahead.
On the landing, even darker than the floor below, Akamu turned his light up to full illumination. Three doors led out of the central hall. Likely two bedrooms and a bathroom. He slowly opened the first door, illuminating what was undoubtedly the kids' room. Posters plastered walls on both sides, and two small beds rested in the center, perfectly neat. Good kids. Akamu didn't think he'd ever made his bed once in his life until enlisting in the Academy.
Silently, he moved on. The second door turned out to be the bathroom, leaving only the last room, the master bedroom. Calmly, Akamu moved to the door. Blood pounded in his ears as he reached out and pressed the door open. His light roved the chamber, lighting at last upon a huddle of people on the floor.
The mother had her arms wrapped around her children, holding them close to her chest. She was even smaller than she'd looked in the pictures. The two kids peeked at him through their mom's maternal clutch, the little boy whimpering softly.
"Oh, thank the gods," the woman said, seeing his uniform. She released her death grip on the kids. The girl stayed where she was, clinging to mom and staring open mouthed at Akamu. "I was afraid rebels had gotten into the district." She sounded completely relieved to see him.
Akamu kept his weapon up as he gazed around the room. "Is there anyone else here, ma'am?" he said.
"No," the woman answered. "My husband went to the degoria." Akamu nodded. He suspected the man was already dead.
The little boy, now the man of the family, stood and took a tentative step towards Akamu, who tightened his grip on his weapon almost imperceptibly.
"Are you a soldier?" the boy asked, innocent eyes wide and trusting.
"Yes." Akamu swallowed and forced himself to breathe. Quickly, he shut his eyes, forcing himself to remain detached. When he looked again, the boy was only a few feet away.
"Are you here to save us from the bad guys?" The child demanded quietly.
Akamu's gaze went from the boy, up to the girl, then the mother, and back to the boy. He swallowed again, releasing the safety on his rifle.
"No," he said. After a slow exhale, the darkened room was suddenly lit by a brilliant burst of white light...
TBC