CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

The Basilica hummed with the destructive melodies of explosive ammunition; spent shells birthing a cracking rain at the feet of the android army. The hunters were hesitant to divert attention in fear of losing their tenuous footing. Coupled with the near-constant quakes, the gunfire augmented the already treacherous climb into a near-impossible feat. Coiling through countless levels, each flight they ascended added dozens of synthetic soldiers to the chase. Soran glimpsed a huge congregation of loyalists gathered around the twin's mangled remains. A snaking trail had formed in front of each body. One by one, devotees were dismantled for their parts whilst engineers welded and repaired. The resurrection of Cybel was commencing.

"I missed," said Ranna, perturbed his execution efforts had gone to waste.

Soran snapped back to the climb, increasing his pace. They wanted to be planets away from the Basilica by the time the twins came back online. Once they were reformed, Transference would be the least of the hunter's worries.

Tugg tore through the hatch at the summit of the ship, charging out onto the vessel's exterior. After helping the others, he bent the steel hatch inward, creating a barrier between them and synthetic masses.

From this altitude the scale of the cavern and for that matter the Basilica herself could be observed in their true magnitude. Several kilometers in circumference, nearing the hanging foliage of the cave ceiling. At this vantage point, the ornate detailing of circuitry that coated every inch of the hull could be viewed in exquisite detail.

A stray plasma round ripped through Tugg’s makeshift barricade, whizzing just shy of Ranna’s freshly regrown arm. With the ship being suspended hundreds of feet in the air and with no obvious way down, the hunters were trapped.

El scouted their immediate surroundings, stopping in her tracks as the cavern floor came into view. Tugg joined at her side, immediately stepping staggering in trepidation. Tens of thousands of Accran soldiers surrounded the Basilica. Not an inch of the expanse was unoccupied. Huge artillery constructs stood primed to fire at the rear, overshadowed by a platoon of winged, eel-like creatures. Each carried a unit of silver-clad lancers, their serpentine helmets gleaming with caustic motion. The army of Accrakos had arrived.

Sat in a defeated huddle as war drums rang out from below, the hunters silently contemplated their fate. A simmer of regret sat with each of them for not having thought out their climb. Where exactly did they think they would go once they reached the summit? The question a painful reminder to look before leaping. Hindsight, however, was never something Ranna pondered for long. The planet's seismic activity had escalated to the point that large shards of coral-coated sediment were plummeting to the ground below. These jagged missiles exploded on contact with the Accran shields as the soldiers beneath continued their assault on the Basilica's unyielding defenses.

Soran looked around at the pained expressions of his comrades. Addressing their helplessness would be throwing salt on a wound that had been reopened too many times. Freedom had become so illusory that the boy was dubious that it still even existed. Being chased by pirates, the Navy, or just a stranger that wished them harm seemed to be the path they were destined to endlessly traverse. In a galaxy where everything worth having had already been lost, was it any wonder that death was all that remained.

A thunderous crackle of disintegration tore through the air as the Basilicas' shields folded back. The impenetrable fortress of the Cybel had been breached.

The charge was instant and unified. Accran cannons ripped holes in the underbelly of the ship, and within seconds a swarm of soldiers clashed with the android army that awaited inside. Sinew and steel collided. What the synthetics lacked in strength, they made up for in numbers. Wave after wave burst free from the recharging pods but still, they struggled to defeat even a single invader. The Accran army was stocked with only the finest warriors. Trained in combat since childhood, they were renowned for staving off every attacker that had ever dared step foot on their world.

With a deafening snap, one of the main support chains supporting the Basilica broke free from its rocky anchor. The colossal links made the long fall to the crowded ground below, plowing through hundreds of fleeing soldiers before lying motionless in a murderous coil. The army ceased its advance. Cracking rock echoed through the cavern as the other chains wormed their way to freedom. Unable to predict where the chains would fall, the Accran’s well-organized ranks burst into chaos. The winged beasts shrieked in terror as they fled the plummeting restraints; casting their riders into the air as they performed an erratic ballet of survival. It was everyone for themselves. However, the sheer footprint of the bindings was too enormous to escape. The second and third chains plummeted to the surface, crushing everything in their wake. Huge clouds of volcanic soil surged from the boiling pools, filling the subterranean lair with a choking ebon smog The Basilica had metamorphosed into an enraged Kraken, its inescapable metal tentacles making light work of the aggressors. As the haze of devastation cleared, the megalithic bindings retracted into the ship, revealing bloodstained trails of smashed bodies beneath. Only one chain remained.

The ship swung tentatively back and forth. It was the only obstacle preventing the Basilica's fall. It's uncoupling almost certain to result in the demise of all in the spherical vessel's path. For the hunters, who were unfortunate enough to be trapped on her outer shell, their odds were grim indeed.

“Mag-boots would be handy about now,” Ranna said as he looked down at his feet. Unarmed and clad in antiquated suits, they were truly helpless. Tugg pointed up at the final chain with a look that could be mistaken for confidence. He clambered onto the lower links to check for stability, grasping tightly to the rust-soaked metal. With deliberation no longer an option, the crew clambered from link to link, proceeding with haste to the anchor point. Suddenly, the wailing cry of ignition permeated the cave. With a bolt of life shot into her core, a blinding light swelled within. The Basilica had awoken.

At the heart of the Basilica, Volka paced furiously around the core, irate at the theft of his precious relics.

“Kill the fish and detonate the planet. I'll pull the keystones from the ashes. The great work will continue unimpeded.” He ordered, watching his incensed brother carve a path through the intruding army. No price was too high for Volka in the pursuit of his mission. With one command, the fate of Accrakos was sealed.

Soran's eyes were welded with fear as he shimmied across the chain, determined to avoid the paralyzing reality of the sheer drop below. At any second their path to freedom would be retracted, plummeting them into the shattered warscape. A lethal terrain of boiling pits, war machines, and a sizable expanse of jagged rocks.

A less convenient moment to discover a phobia there was not, but unfortunately, they had no other way to proceed. Having spent his life in space, heights were never an issue. With Mag-Boots permanently affixed to your feet, a phobia of falling rarely developed amongst the vacuum dwelling populations.

Tugg reached out, attempting to pull himself onto the rocky outcrop at the summit of the chain. As his outstretched fingers pawed at moss-bearded ledge he watched a forked crack splinter the cavern roof. Like a bolt of lightning, it tore through the sediment and rained debris on the battlefield. All eyes were drawn skyward, affixed to the crumbling walls. Within seconds, the cracks had expanded into giant rifts and boulders fell like hail, crushing everything in their path. Streams of seawater poured from the fissures, swiftly maturing into a dozen cascading waterfalls that submerged the battling armies below. In a matter of minutes, the entire cavern was transformed into a sunken ruin.

With a mighty crack, the hunter's lifeline snapped. The colossal chain spilled from its fixture in a rusted stream, spiraling from its socket and slicing through the hull of the Basilica as it plummeted to the ground. The hunters were plunged into the steaming lake, their suits hissing in reaction to the sudden spike in temperature.

The deflating purr of the Basilica's engine was music to the Accran soldiers. For them, the ship's fall from grace signaled their victory. They drummed on the armor plating of their chest, bellowing a triumphant war-cry that carried through the water like a whale song.

Unlike both the androids and Accran, breathing underwater was not a skill Soran, Ranna, or El possessed. They floundered against the punishing rush of intersecting currents, struggling to activate the helmet activation. Tugg was paralyzed with indecision. His entire life on Accrakos had been strictly regimented. What to do, where to be, and how to act had always been givens. With Ranna and El guiding his actions aboard the Horizon, self-governance was a burden he gladly avoided. His eyes were wide as if staring at an oncoming freighter, frozen and waiting for the impact. Spears of anxiety encroached from all sides as his crew struggled desperately against the current. Though wrought with a debilitating lack of self-belief, his time for deliberation was over.

Tugg bundled the crew onto his back, ensuring the suit's aqueous film had enveloped their heads before diving deeper into the submerged expanse. Once again he demonstrated his subaqueous prowess, effortlessly gliding around the sinking rocks, using them for cover in hopes their escape would remain unnoticed. At present, the Accran army was preoccupied with boarding the flooded Basilica. Despite the Nanomaterial that compromised both their ship and synthetic bodies being resistant to salt water, the androids were undoubtedly out of their element. With plasma being unusable in these conditions, the Accrans switched to their bladed weapons, regaining their military discipline and proceeding in a V formation through the multiple hull breaches.

Precious seconds were eaten away as Tugg struggled to navigate the ruinous terrain. He soared through the water, painfully aware that the suits would not halt the boiling ocean for long.

A distant set of objects attracted Tugg's attention. Making a sharp turn through a ravine of luminous coral, he scouted the target from a distance. A fleet of Accran speeders floated at the rear of the cave. Small submarine-type vehicles, primarily used when traversing the open ocean. Fast as a bullet and almost invisible to the countless predators that prowled the depths, they were more than a welcome sight. Upon confirming the vessels were unoccupied, Tugg shot toward the speeders, prying open the entrance hatch and dumping his gasping comrades inside. After checking his fellow hunters for injury, he rushed over to the control platform. A ring of panels and levers dropped down, suspended around his waist in midair. Despite only having the use of one arm, it was apparent to the others that he wasn't a first-time pilot. Within seconds the vessel had sped off, entering the maze-like tunnels that connected the major Accran cities. With the chaos of battle fading into the background, and the last of the salty solution being expelled from their lungs, a well-deserved breath of relief was sighed by all.

Tugg felt the hand of his Captain pat him on the shoulder.

“Fine work my friend. Drinks are on me when we make it out. And that my fellow hunters, is why he's second in command.” Ranna said smugly.

“I thought I was second?” El snapped.

“It's a constantly rotating position. Who knows, maybe the kid will hold it one day.” A wink was shot Soran’s way that he immediately took as a challenge.

“What is the plan with those?” Soran asked, pointing to the gathering of keystones swinging from Ranna’s neck.

“Well, I figure something that causes this much trouble must be worth an equal amount of credits. Don’t you agree? And with Teege and Veng both gone, Valaterra’s probably a safe place to do business again." The knowledge that two of their biggest problems had been solved was a reason to smile.

"However, we still have our little bounty issue to contend with. Never know who we might run into on those rough streets. With that type of cash on our heads, it might be best to lay low for a while.” Everyone nodded in agreement. After all the excitement, Soran had completely forgotten that they were all wanted for high treason against the government. The prospect of returning to a normal life had well and truly been extinguished, their future looking more uncertain than ever.

The pace at which the speeder moved was incredible. Cutting through the water like a knife and leaving anything that happened to spot them as a distant blur almost instantly. The entirety of the tunnel system had flooded and the extent of the damage extended into the city. Buildings were completely submerged and the once-bustling streets had been left abandoned, aside from a few stragglers; Rogues looting what had been left behind and business owners attempting to salvage what was left. For an aquatic race, the Accran seemed surprisingly unsuited to their new underwater kingdom. The majestic capital was fast becoming little more than ruins. The tremors had become so severe that structures were being swallowed whole by the sand. Sucked deep into the vast forests that hid beneath the surface. Whatever the keystones were, removing them from their resting place had not been without consequence.

Ranna thumbed over the sharp extrusions and marveled at the intricate details that were laced into the surface of each object. Static buzzed through his fingertips as strange energy seeped into the atmosphere around them. He had never laid eyes on such a unique set of artifacts. Like something out of time, they stood out amongst the treasures of his past. Whatever they were, he was sure that being out of pirate hands was the best place for them.

He caught Soran’s eyes affixed to his actions and lent back cautiously. It was obvious to Ranna that the boy had an affinity for them but trust prevented him from leveling an accusation.

Upon the Horizon crew's inception, one rule had been established. One principle that must be upheld for as long as the hunt continued. Your past is your own. These words were echoed by each member upon swearing-in. After all, enrolling in a career of dubious legality with a band of high suspect characters, the offer to conceal their histories required little persuasion. Bounty hunting wasn't a profession for those unblemished by life's cruelties. It was a net to catch the fallen. A vocation that recruited from the gutter. If you had anything to lose then throwing yourself into the firing line day after day just didn't sound that appealing. They knew nothing of each other but trust, and that's how they liked it. Ranna tucked the keystones into his shirt and went back to gazing at the fallen empire crumbling around them.

Arriving back at the flooded elevator shaft, the hunters were greeted with the remains of what was the ropeway; now just a collection of bent metal and splintered panels. Tugg yanked on the speeder's control levers, darting into the ruined shaft that would hopefully lead them out to the safety of the surface. That, and the salvation of Teege’s ship.

Enveloped in darkness, the crew clutched at the fixings, praying for an uneventful voyage. With the entire planet plunged into environmental chaos, an Accran pursuit seemed unlikely. Even the Cybel twins, who were doubtless cursing their names, would be kept at bay by the state of their ship.

A beacon of light sliced through the trembling ocean. They had arrived. Surfacing at the boarding station, they exited the speeder to find the primitive cable car in pieces. Rope-tied shards of broken wood littered the ground, and the antique gears were bent at sharp angles. Walking into the arrival bay, they faltered in their advance. The security tower that had welcomed them had become a slaughterhouse. Mangled Accran bodies were strewn over the control consoles. Flickering Holo-screens flashed ominous warning messages obscured by layers of blood, so fresh the drops were still falling. Soran reluctantly surveyed the macabre scene and noticed something strange about the corpses. There were no gaping gunshot wounds or lacerations from sharpened combat blades. Swollen bodies with broken limbs were all that lay before them. Violent brutality delivered by the hands of someone who lacked any sense of decency or shred of respect for the lives they took. Caught in the death stare of glazed-over eyes, Soran was pulled back to the horrors he had witnessed on the Gallowmare. A melancholy fog of unpleasant memories washed over him. He could feel his feet slowly sinking as the muffled whispers of a dying man begged him for release. His mind spared no detail, an elaborate rendition of the bruised and trembling lips, miming the most desperate of pleas. Ranna grabbed him by the shoulder. The boy gasped as the imagined nightmare bled into the killing ground that was his reality.

“Quakes didn't cause this. Were not the only ones that were trying to get the hell out of here.” Ranna said as he ran toward the exit. He prayed that whoever was responsible for the massacre didn't take off in their only means of escape.

A sigh escaped Ranna's lips. She was still there. A little banged up from the planet-wide convulsion, but visually in working condition.

As they approached the rear of the ship they noticed the access ramp was down. Soran took point position, holding his knife at arm's length, painfully aware he had the wrong weapon for the job. He sleuthed onto the exposed ramp, each step masked by the raging waters crashing around them. The lavishly decorated interior was seemingly unoccupied, faint whispers of music still creeping from the speakers. The entire scene wreaked of sabotage.

Once all were on board, Ranna grabbed a hold of the ramp's withdrawal lever, twisting it with a turn to seal them safely inside. Almost in unison, they crashed out onto the grand sofas that stretched toward the bow of the ship, sharing a nervous chuckle of disbelief. They were unable to fully comprehend what had just occurred, reveling in the fact they had emerged from a warzone unscathed.

An ominous clang sounded from the rear door and the hunters shot to their feet. The closing mechanism was being obstructed by a foreign object, and error tones blared from the operation panel. The remaining sliver of light from the outside world pulled their eyes to what prevented their escape. Four metallic fingers were clasped tightly on the edge of the ramp, pulling with animal-like ferocity. The barbed scream of hissing pistons scraped through the air as their assailant fought with the ship's automated mechanisms. Slowly but surely the ramp began to descend, revealing the unnatural horror of a trunk-like synthetic arm. The raging storm shadowed a face set deep into monstrous shoulders that quivered as they tore into the ship. Jets of steam shot from the walls, filling the ship with a scalding mist. The ramp suspension ceased to function and plummeted onto the drowning sand barge with a dull clang. The crew was confronted with the reality of what hunted them. Light shimmered off of the chrome surface that coated its limbs. A network of interlaced, intricate wiring fitted between the joints, contorting as the being stretched its extremities. Soran's body tensed as he saw corners of its mouth recede into a twisted grin. A grin that revealed a row of terrifyingly familiar golden teeth.