Kikata gripped her canon and made her way into a restaurant that would eventually open up into the plaza. She stopped short, lowering her head as she waited for the EMP strike.
Richard watched as a bright blue streak shot down to the earth, crashing at the exact point he had marked on the ground. The fountain shattered in a bright flash as debris and water showered over the startled plaza. The humming engines of the three ships suddenly cut out.
"Go time?" Crab yelled over the confused shouting from below.
"I think so." Richard replied hoisting the rifle he had selected and aiming it down towards the plaza. The rifle was about three feet long, a long scope with a digital display so he could use it with his helmet on. This would be his first time firing his weapon in combat. He scanned over the bodies, which were being dragged back towards the ships while other black uniformed soldiers ran towards cover. He gripped the heavy trigger with two fingers as the red dot on his scope fell on a forty foot tall, red furred creature. Its face was a strange mix between some sort of primate and a reptile. His thumb flicked off the safety, he lined the red dot against the creatures chest and fired.
The creature recoiled from the shot, a five inch long slug lodging in his rib cage. It would have been an almost minor sting, but the bullet packed a hidden punch. Suddenly a red puff of mist erupted from the creatures chest, causing it to stumble backwards. It dropped to its knees as it panted for breath through it's now flooding lungs. Within a few seconds the creature doubled over onto the ground, Richards first confirmed kill.
Kikata rose to her feet, holding her canon infront of her as she approached the doorway that led out to the plaza. Suddenly a black uniformed Marlek stumbled inside. (quick note: Marlek is the name of the creatures that first invaded earth. Some might refer to them as "macro furs" as they appear to be humanoid canines and felines).
"Put down the weapon!" Kikata ordered, she knew that as a Guard she must always give the opposition a chance to surrender peacefully. The white furred Marlek grunted, lifting it's weapon towards Kikata. Kikata pumped the lever on her canon, similar to a human made shotgun. The weapon jumped back against her shoulder, a bright flash illuminating the restaurant. The Marlek roared as it's chest caved in, a red cloud erupting behind him as he fell to the floor. A quite literal river of red flowed across the tile floor.
She very briefly wondered what she had just done, yet the adrenaline in her system told her it was nothing. It told her to rush to the window, so she did. She crouched down before the window, watching as the creatures marked by red diamonds scattered along the open plaza. The other Nova Guards were closing in as well, circling the Plaza and cutting off any escape routes. She set her cannons muzzle on the window sill.
"Put down your weapons and get on the ground!" She screamed, her robotic voice echoing back to her. A bullet slug struck the window next to her. She gritted her teeth and started pumping rounds into the Plaza.
"Looks like ya' girl just opened up a can of hell!" Crab screamed with a wide grin.
Richard nodded, watching as the bright white streaks ripped across the plaza. The soliders took cover behind their ships, four of the larger creatures unable to escape the fury that was Kikata's firepower. Richard took aim down much lower, looking for the smaller creatures that might be able to evade a neko's line of fire. His eyes fell on the reptilian soldiers that once stood lined rigidly below the wing of the black ships. They marched forwards, their weapons held stiffly in front of them. His brow furrowed as he aimed towards the creatures head. It's face seemed to not fit the body. Its eyes were wide. Richard hardly knew these creatures expressions but he could almost positively say that the creature had fear in his eyes. He shrugged it off, lowering his sight down to the his chest. He pulled the trigger.
Will was still fumbling to fire his first shot. The crosshair glued to his eye trembled and shook as he tried to line up a good hit. But when ever he built the confidence to take his shot his target would move.
"Will!" Crabs voice yelled in his ear.
Will looked over towards him, expecting to see that same old confident smirk. But his eyes widened as Crab's arm stood out rigid, his finger pointing somewhere to Will's right. Will followed the fingers path, gasping as a dark figure stood in the hallway about fifty yards away from them.
"Shoot him!" Crab ordered, dropping his own empty clip out of his weapon.
A hot streak zipped by Wills head, his mind practically already giving up hope that he might live through this. He fell to his stomach, pinning the heavy canon against his shoulder and looking down the crosshair. He pulled the trigger. A loud and explosive thump blasted through the wide hallway. A stripe of dust followed the shell as it raced towards the dark figure. With another tremendous blast the figure disappeared in a cloud of debris and smoke, the foundations of the hallway quaking in the explosion.
"Shit." Crab muttered, "Told ya' that thing would pack a punch."
Will got to his knees, his hands trembling and his shoulder throbbing. He stared down the now empty hallway with a grimace.
"Hey." Richards voice called, altered to a deep mechanical tone, "You did good."
"T-Thank-" Will was interrupted as the wall to his back suddenly exploded.
~ ~ ~ ~
Kikata scanned over the seemingly dead plaza, "Any movement?" She asked through the radio.
"Negative." A voice replied back mechanically, "These guys weren't very prepared. We've got a few more tucked behind that shattered fountain and the ship in the middle."
Kikata rose to her feet, as she peered out the window, letting out a long exhale. She suddenly heard a loud pinging. A red sensor on her hud flashed on the lowest part of the screen. She turned, looking down to see a small figure, no more than thirty feet tall firing up at her. She lowered her cannon towards it, "Put down the weapon." She ordered, "I will shoot."
The creature screamed something up towards her but she could not hear, it just kept firing off rounds, bouncing harmlessly off her armor. She gritted her teeth, preparing to pump a round but she stopped. She tossed her weapon aside and pounced towards the creature.
It writhed under her grip, "Stop fighting!" She growled, her fingers gripping the small weapon.
"I try!" It sputtered up in a broken dialect of the neko language. "I try!" It repeated.
"Y-You..." Kikata eyed it more closely. A metal ring clung to its scaled throat, a metal hood wrapping around the back of its head. She tried to pull the gun from its hand but the creature wouldn't let go...maybe it couldn't let go. She twisted the weapon, the creature crying out in pain but she eventually freed the firearm. "Sorry." She muttered, now lifting the creature in her hands.
"What is this?" She questioned, prodding the metal device with her finger.
"It for control. I cant...I cant do what I want do." His words were pleading and pitiful.
Kikata couldn't wrap her mind around it. How was this possible? She felt a sick twinge in her gut, how many of these creatures had she killed?
"I think we have a situation." Kikata called through the radio.
~ ~ ~ ~
Will couldn't see a thing. He wasn't surprised, not one bit. He should have known he would have been killed after coming up with this ridiculous idea. He felt a strong grip take his arm.
"Come on Will." Crab grunted, pulling the young man from under the slab of siding that had fallen after the large round struck their hallway.
"I-I'm not dead?" He sputtered, clawing his way across the floor once he was free, Crab helping him to his feet.
"By an inch." Crab grunted, patting down the shaken man who was covered with a thick layer of dust.
"Fights over it seems, let's get downstairs." Richard said.
"Right on." Crab said, patting his companion on the back as they made their way towards the stairs.
~ ~ ~ ~
Kikata gripped the frightened alien with both her hands, it's body seeming to continue to struggle against her. The other Nova Guards were making their way into the body littered plaza, she tried to keep her eyes focused away from the bloody earth.
"Hey watch your step!" Richards voice called through the radio.
Kikata's eyes widened, looking down towards her feet to see three small figures looking up towards her. She retracted the glass wall and smiled, "Sorry."
"Taking prisoners now?" Richard asked, eyeing the squirming creature in her hands.
"Not quite." She said, her face growing more stern, "We need to get the civilians out of the ships, who knows if they might be rigged to explode."
"Wait!" Crab called, "I have an idea..."
~ ~ ~ ~
Will took a deep breath as he walked up the on ramp, "But what if theres still a-"
"Then you shoot him." Crab insisted, "Come on now, be a hero before the calvary arrives."
Will nodded, jogging towards the entrance to the ship. He could hear the faint sound of random whimpers and whispers coming from the inside of the ship. He rounded a corner, stopping as he looked into the wide cargo bay of the ship. Prisoners lined the walls on either side, varying in species from neko's to Marleks and even the smaller creatures. He scanned the faces until he saw her. Fill sat with her head between her knees, her shoulders bouncing as she apparently wept quietly. He ran over towards her, a familiar nervous twinge in his stomach. He saw that her hands were bound together as they wrapped around her legs.
"Fill?" He called up. He could feel the eyes of the other prisoners looking down upon him.
Fill lifted her head slowly, her green eyes misted over. She blinked, turning her knees to the side so he could look down. She was surprised to see Will standing before her feet, a small black weapon hanging from his arms. "Will?" She asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I uh, I've come to set you free."
"Your...you...saved us?"
Will nodded, feeling a little guilty for taking so much credit.
"But how?"
"Well I had a little help." He watched as she leaned forward, setting her bound hands in front of him. He climbed onto her cupped palms, holding onto her finger as she lifted her hands towards her face.
"You risked your life to come and save a girl you had only just met?" She asked, a smile creeping across her lips.
"I-I uh, I guess so." He chuckled.
An even wider smile creased her lips as she suddenly lifted him towards her chin. She pressed her lips against his tiny body, feeling him squirm slightly before finally relaxing under the soft surface. She let her tongue slip out ever so slightly, prodding his chin and neck with the tip.
Will was short of breath as she pulled him away, "T-Thanks." He stuttered, rubbing the back of his head.
Fill giggled, "There is plenty more of that to come, but um. If you don't mind could you go get your friends who might be able to get us out of here?"
"Oh, yeah right. I'll do that." WIll said with a nod. "S-So I will see you once you are out?" He asked hopefully.
Fill rolled her eyes, "Of course. Relax Will, you have done way more than enough to secure the second date."
"Second date..." He mused, "Great, cool. I will uh, I will see you." He hopped off her hand as she laid it on the ground, "I'll be back, two minutes. Sit tight...erm...yeah!" He rushed back towards the door.
Fill sighed, a broad smile across her lips as she leaned back. She caught an odd stare from the neko who sat by her side, "What?" She asked.
"Quite the hero you've caught there. Think he will find his way to the door?" The woman said in a sarcastic tone.
Fill scoffed, "Well at least my hero came to save me, wheres yours?"
"Sitting right across from you." The woman said, nodding towards the male neko who sat across from Fill.
The man glanced between the two woman, "Hey. If I had gun I woulda' been right with him."
~ ~ ~ ~
Kikata looked on as the rest of the guards escorted the shaken civilians out of the ship. She stood with her helmet under one arm and her canon hanging from the other, "It was that easy?" She asked towards Richard who sat back atop her shoulder.
"I guess so. It was pretty hairy there for a minute though."
She nodded, "I guess. But for a group planning on taking over control of the government you would think they would be better equipped. Only a few of them had weapons even capable of piercing my Nova Armor."
"Perhaps Crab is right. Maybe their just a bunch of crazies?"
Kikata's eyes narrowed, "Maybe...but...something feels wrong. I came in here expecting the real deal and well...what we got was a slaughter." She grimaced as she reflected on what she had done.
Richard took note of her facial expressions and thought through his words carefully, "Hey, Kikata. We came here and we did what needed to be done. Anyone who got killed today had put them self in that position. Who knows what might have happened to those civilians if we didn't get here."
"I think I might have an idea." She looked down towards Richard, "You'll need to see it to believe it."
"What?" Richard asked as Kikata started moving. A group of three guards stood over a table that had been dragged out into the street. On the table lie the figure of that same alien that Kikata had taken. It was laying with its back flat against the wood, three containing straps kept him down. One of the guards was questioning him, though it did not seem to be in an offensive manner. He and the alien were having a more quiet discussion, which appeared strange because the aliens body thrashed from beneath the straps.
"He has no control over his movements."
Richard recognized the metal hood and neck brace, "Do you guys know what that stuff is?" He asked, pointing towards the aliens head.
"I've never heard of anything like it. But it would seem that the New Order has completely taken hold of his body. The only thing left of him is his head."
"But...how? How can they control his body without controlling his mind?"
"That's what we don't understand. It seems impossible."
Kikata turned away from the sad scene, "Where have those two men gotten off to?"
Richard shrugged, "No Idea. Last time I talked to Crab he told me that they were just going to sit tight here in the city."
"Do they know that we can give them transport?"
"I think so. But, seems as though they have business here. They're free to do as they please." Richard chuckled, "Besides, I think you and Crab on the same ship might be a safety hazard."
Kikata's eyes narrowed, "Where does he get off calling me jumbo tits to my face? Is he well in the head? Seriously, I just don't understand it."
Richard laughed, "See? And yeah, he's straight in the head. Just a culture shock I guess."
Kikata sighed, "Well. Back to the ship I guess."
~ ~ ~ ~
"Will?" Fill called as she finally broke free of the Nova Guards that were questioning her and the other captives. "Hey Will?" She called again, carefully stepping around the crowded plaza, covering her mouth as she saw a line of bodies. She looked away as a Guard pulled a sheet over them.
"Fill!" A small voice called up.
Fill looked down, smiling to see two small humans, "Oh there you are. I will have to watch my step with you, huh?" She knelt down before them, her gaze shifted towards Crab, "Hi." She said warmly.
"Hello there, Miss." Crab called up, Will looked on nervously as the two met. "You must be the gem that captivated my First mates heart, or maybe it was his-"
"Crab!" Will butt in quickly before he said anything that might ruin his chances with Fill.
"What? I was just gona' say your head!" He nudged Will, "If you catch my drift!" He burst into a fit of laughter.
Fill smiled, not quite getting the joke but she laughed lightly out of politeness.
"Anyway. I can now see why my boy risked both of our lives to make sure your pretty little face didn't get a scratch. That is of course if you uh, make it really worth his while!" He laughed again.
Will ran his hand through his hair, "Crab, please stop."
"Sorry, sorry." He panted. "Well I better leave you two lovebirds alone while I go and find us a new meaning in life. Our ship, also our temporary home, is now blasted to hell."
"You can stay with me." Fill offered, "My apartment has a few rooms, so...well..."
"You and my boy can get your privacy I hear ya loud and clear." Fill blushed slightly, "And that would be just lovely. We can get back on our feet in no time!"
Fill lowered her hand, smiling towards Will as they climbed on, "So they blew up your ship huh?" She asked.
"Damn right they did! Shot us clean out of the sky."
"Shot you down? Oh my gosh! And then even after that you came back for us?"
"Uh, sure. Yeah that's what happened. Couldn't have done it without us huh, William?" He patted Will on the back.
"Right, right." Will muttered, looking up towards Fill and smiling to see her smiling down at him.
"Well as far as I'm concerned it was Will who saved me. No one else." She lowered her head gently to kiss him.
"Easy now. Third wheel here on your hand-" He let out a small yell as fill reached her other hand over to gather Crab. Tucking him away in a gentle fist, "Funny." He grumbled.
"Now, where was I?" She whispered, she lowered her head down towards Will, giving him another long, big kiss. When she pulled him away she saw her gentle tonguing had left his hair standing on end, "Oh, here let me." She giggled, gently patting his hair down.
~ ~ ~ ~
Richard watched as Kikata removed her armor, walking over to the table to prepare himself to be lifted to the cockpit. His entire body felt lighter now that it was free from his own armor. He stepped onto the elevator and rose himself towards the tabletop, getting another view of Kikata leaned over removing her boots, her tail swaying slightly from side to side. "God damnit..." He muttered, forcing himself to look away.
Kikata turned to see Richard already waiting on the table, "Good boy." She giggled, walking over towards him.
"Hah." Richard laughed sarcastically, stepping up onto her hand as she offered it to him.
She made her way to the cockpit, setting Richard down by his own seat before settling into her own with a sigh, "We've been ordered to return to our regular patrol."
"Still no war effort huh?"
"Apparently not. They also said that it was important to have the Guards patrolling, even if this explodes into a full on war. After all when the big battles come we step aside for the Knights." She prepared the ship for take off, feeling an odd sense of accomplishment rising through the down feelings of the battle. She had done it, she was faced with the moment she had been fearfully awaiting and she didn't choke. A small smile creased her lips as she was finally able to mentally decide that she was in fact right for this job, she as a damn good Guard.
Giantess World
Nova Force by Ginbug
Author's Chapter Notes:
The characters Will and Crab belong to Owlizard over at Devaint art. He is actually putting this "episode" together in a comic format ^^ http://owlizard.deviantart.com/