• Kaira's Legacy CH1: Through the Eyes of a Martyr

    "Always watch your shadow, for as long as you see it you are safe." -Kaira

    The Seraphim. I had never met a more vicious enemy in my lifetime. They came twelve years ago, first contact was reported by the Orbital Frame. The installation was used for simple exo-atmoshpereic research and what little weaponry it had, was used to protect our planet from asteroids and stellar debris. We never knew there were other races inhabiting the stars, so we didn't know what to expect. Many were curious, some were cautious. Me? I was fearful. Anyone who had the power to travel the stars, had the power to destroy us.

    As the fleet neared closer, my fears were confirmed. In a highly televised broadcast, I watched in horror as the frame was attacked. They didn't destroy the frame, oh no. It was too valuable. They captured it, forcing the scientists and researchers to flee from the construct through the unfinished portion of the ring structure circling the planet. It wasn't long until we had figured out why they didn't destroy the structure, why waste a perfectly good weapon when you can use it against the enemy? They turned the defense railguns downwards, facing the planet. You can guess what happened next.

    They rained destruction down upon our most beloved areas. Our capital, Nel'Zen, was reduced to smoldering ruins stained with the blood of our people.The verdant rainforest of Ninra razed to the ground. The floating island of Velocity pummeled into the Grand Sea. The most horrifying act they committed, was the destruction of the Power Lotus.It was our main source of power, employing the use of Renarium Induction to produce the vast quantities of electricity our planet needed.

    A single rail was driven into the heart of the complex, piercing the reactor core. The detonation was devastating, reducing the island mountain it was built upon into nothing more than a few scattered shoals. The Poison then poured across our world, forcing us to quarantine an entire section of the planet in the aftermath of the attack.

    Our military could hold off the Seraphim, prevent them from making landfall and claiming our world.. but it was at a high cost. Our ranks soon thinned, taxed by the onslaught our invaders were pressing. The tide of war soon turned when the Seraphim fleet was crippled due to a revolt , the very forces they enslaved many years before coming here turned on them.

    It would have seemed that our planet was saved, but the conflict was far from over. The fleet was but a small portion of what they had in store for us. The revolt was quelled by the arrival of the Seraphim Flagship.. Archangel. It's size dwarfed our own moon, holding what looked like an entirely different world literally built into the massive ship. That is where I started. I am Kaira, Minra's finest warrior. Minra's last hope for survival.

    I was taken before the Elders and told that I was chosen to carry out a desperate mission to save us. Daunted.. I naturally asked how it was possible, and they told me. during the quelling of the revolt, a large Sapiunt cruiser crashed in the ruins of Nel'Zen. With it, came a prototype armor they built for the Seraphim made from the very ore that fuels everything from our vehicles to the common household appliances. The armor was fused with technology from each race, providing unique strengths to the wielder. Our technicians and scientists integrated our own technology as well, adding the triple-barred arm mounted railgun.

    I was also given a ship, reverse engineered from Seraphim fighters. They told me it was partially organic, that it could think and act according to its own will if needed. It's computer core is actually a living organism. He calls himself.. Meya. I thought it was strange at first to have a talking ship.. but I've come to appreciate his council. We often enjoy talking to eachother.. he's helped me overcome my fears before the mission started.. he believes I can save my people from the Seraphim. The question is... do I?

    "Kaira, we should be approaching the Archangel soon. You should come to the cockpit.. I have something to show you." Meya said to me, his voice jolting me from recording my mission log.

    "You wouldn't mind leaving out your interruption on the recording, would you?" I asked, looking up at the organic 'camera' that Meya used to see the interior of himself with. It was rather unsettling at first to be watched, it gave me a new perspective on "personal space" as time went on. None the less, there was plenty of space, and he did have the courtesy to look the other way when I was sleeping, or doing other private matters.

    "Of course, I didn't mean to startle you." He replied. I shook my head as I stood up, it must have been important for him to contact me inside of my quarters.

    "I'll be there in a moment, just let me change into something more appropriate." I said, suddenly realizing I was in my sleeping clothes. It was safe to say more fur was showing than I would have liked. The organic camera slipped back inside it's pod, giving me the privacy I needed. I stepped back to the end of my somewhat cramped quarters, into a small closet I store my basic garb in. I looked around, rifling through the neatly organized blouses, slacks, jeans and other clothing only to end up choosing the most tomboyish outfit I could find.

    I gave out an irritated growl as I struggled to get my sleeping shirt off, I hadn't bought a new one in quite a while and it was starting to show. Having quite a large bust didn't help either, sometimes I think I would be better off without them. Dropping my recently worn shirt, I promptly grabbed up the one I had chosen and slipped it down over my head. My fuzzy tiger ears didn't make it any more easier, you would think they'd design the neck holes better.

    It wasn't long before I was fully dressed. I stepped out of the closet, feeling a p***k of pain at the base of my somewhat long striped tail. "Owie" I said in a quiet, somewhat cutsey voice unbecoming of a warrior like me. I reached back and adjusted the tail strap on my jeans to a more comfortable position.

    Feeling properly attired, I made my way to the cockpit which was just a few paces down a short corridor lined with pipes and tubes, with the occasional pulsing vein winding it's way across the conduits. As I approached the cockpit, Meya opened the door for me. He was obviously eager to show whatever it was he wanted to me.

    "What do you have for me?" I asked, curious about what he wanted to show me. I hoped it wasn't another one of his pranks. I sat down in the pilot's chair and crossed my arms, giving the organic camera a questioning look.

    "Look to your left, on the dashboard." Meya said. "It's something that'll let you be remembered, even if you should perish aboard the Archangel." I glanced to my right, then looked to my left. Sitting atop a fleshy pedestal, was a egg-like golden capsule. I looked closer and could see intricate carvings that resembled feathery wings and filigree. "Still can't tell your right from left?" he teased.

    "Oh hush, I can.. I just forget sometimes." I defended. The object looked strange. I couldn't figure out what it was or what it did. "Was is this, Meya? We aren't going to have little ones flying about in the corridors are we?" I asked half-jokingly. I had no idea if he could reproduce or not, and wondered how that would even work. Meya laughed quite loudly, making a slight smirk cross my feline muzzle.

    "It's not really an egg, Kaira. This is a memory engram recorder. It'll store your thoughts and experiences so that whoever finds it can learn of your great deeds." He explained. "Think of it like a really detailed Black Box for your brain!"
    He sounded too excited. It made me think he was expecting me to die.. or "perish" as he so delicately worded it. My slight smirk turned to a slight frown, looking down as i flatten my ears a little out of worry. "What's wrong..?"

    "You.. you really think I'm going to die on that damned ship don't you?" I asked, a little lump forming in my throat. "You think I'm going to fail my people."

    "I said no such thing!" He exclaimed to me, apparently taken aback by the suggestion. "I merely thought you would appreciate it, instead of writing in a mission log." I could hear the remorse in his voice, it made me feel a little bit better. At least he didn't really mean it. I had enough to worry about with the fate of my entire world in my hands. "You can't honestly say you'll be able to record everything you do, you might not get a chance to rest while you're inside the Archangel."

    "I know.." I sighed, bringing my legs up to hug my knees, burying my muzzle in the denim of my jeans. I guess leaving an exact record of what happened would be a good idea. I looked idly out of the cockpit's viewscreen, the Archangel wasn't far off now. "I just.. I wish those monsters would leave and never come back." I huffed, feeling a bit of anger amidst the worry.

    "That's why we're on this mission, Kaira. I know you'll do everything you can to save your people.. You'll do just fine." He said to me in a soothing voice. He always had a way to make me feel better, even when my emotions get the better of me. I pushed my legs back down, smiling a bit as I took a few deep breaths to purge the lump in my throat. I looked at the Egg again.

    "So how does it work, how do I get it to record my memory engrams?" I asked, deciding it was a good idea after all. I perched my hands on the seat between my open legs, putting my weight on my shoulders and leaning forward to take a closer look.

    "Just reach out and touch it, simple as that." He explained. That was simple. I wondered how it could record my memories through my hand, it sounded all very strange. But then again, you don't see a talking ship every day now do you? "After it records your memories, it'll become invisible and nearly indestructible. Just toss them wherever after your done."

    I reached out cautiously to touch it and when I got close enough, a painful jolt of electricity jumped between me and the egg. "Ouch!" I exclaimed, drawing my clawed hand back quickly. "Was it supposed to do that?" I wast sure if I had just been attacked, violated or pranked. Meya chuckled, and I nearly slapped his organic components.

    "Yes, that's how it records your memories. Don't worry, it does no damage to you." He replied, still in a little fit of giggles. Just as I raised my hand to give the organic part of the dashboard a hard slap, I was nearly thrown from my seat as something tossed us around like a tin can.

    "Meya, report!" I shouted, regaining my seating and digging my claws into the dashboard to hold myself steady. The rocking was getting worse, jolting me around. I could see traces of explosions on the viewscreen.

    "They've detected us, I don't know how th- Ouch! Damnit that hurt!" He shouted as an even stronger jolt interrupted his report. "Go get into your armor, our schedule just got bumped up a bit!" I didn't waste any time. As soon as I felt a break in the violent jolts, I hopped out of the seat and bolted out of the cockpit. A strong blast rocked Meya side to side, sending me careening across the corridor from one side to the other. After falling over a few times, I finally reached the cargo bay. "You'd better get a move on Kaira, I can't shake these fighters. I have no idea how they saw through my stealth field.. damnit!" He cursed as I saw the armor. It was sitting propped up vertically. Luckily the suit was heavy enough to stay in it's spot despite all the jolts. The armor was splayed open, it was designed to be put on and taken off rapidly. The result was a literal step-in and activate suit that closed itself around the user and locked in place. It reminded me of the old Vanguard Mech cockpits.

    Another jolt threw me to the floor of the cargo bay, that was motivation enough to get up and get inside of the device. I pushed myself up with my strong arms, only to be thrown back down again by an increasingly violent jolt. I could hear Meya roar in pain and the sound of flesh ripping as well as the groan of tearing metal.

    "Oh s**t!" I exclaimed. Power relays inside of the room started to blow out, throwing a shower of sparks as I was tossed around the floor, frantically trying to get on my feet. A sickening rip and roar of tearing metal, followed by an explosive force that began to pull me backwards confirmed what I had feared was happening. I quickly looked behind me as I grabbed hold of a floor panel and hung on for dear life.

    Meya's entire back section had been blown off, and was decompressing rapidly into space. The latches holding my armor to the floor began to snap, and I knew that if I didn't do something.. I would die right there along with the hopes of saving my world.