Heinrich and Arkyn are in the Astra Primus – Bane Training Wing it's been a long two weeks with hundreds of bruises and dozens of failures. This is what life has been under Blademaster Lana. Every morning and afternoon end with pain nights are worse because it's spent preparing for tomorrow but somehow, Heinrich and Arkyn are improving.
Lana stood in the center of the training hall like an executioner. Around her, Arkyn and Heinrich stood in formation. Lana folded her arms "Good you two have survived long enough and improve these last two weeks...." A pause. "Barely." Lana pointed directly at Arkyn "Especially you"
Arkyn sighed "I'm just practicing for a grand improvement slowly improving myself "
"Yea slowly indeed"
Heinrich smirked slightly, Lana noticed that and pointed at him "And you." His smirk vanished immediately. "Over confident yet show potential"
Lana turned and walked toward the weapon racks lining the wall "Yet you two improved enough for more than then conditioning." Lana pulled several weapons free from the racks. She planted a Xiphos into the floor. "The Way of the Shezmu." Lana's expression hardened and spoke again "This is the foundation of all bladed combat within the Alliance." Her hand rested on the sword "It is not elegant combat style it's built on efficiency. Which of you wants it?"
"I do."
Arkyn's head turned and Heinrich walked forward
Lana nodded "Good" and tossed him the training Xiphos. He caught it and felt the weapon surprisingly natural in his hand.
Lana walked forward. "Nice sword isn't it?" Before he could answer she immediately smacked him across the back with a training baton.
THWACK! Pain exploded across his shoulders. "What was that for?"
"Because you're getting too comfortable already you have a weapon in your hand a battle has started! " Heinrich rubbed his shoulder already felt it throbbing.
Lana pointed the baton at his face. "Rule number one getting comfortable during a battle gets people killed." Lana began to move around him slowly. "Shezmu is built on standardized striking patterns shown with diagonal and horizontal slashes. You can switch it up with vertical cuts and thrust we call it The Twelve Zodiac Angles."
The holo-display behind her illuminated instantly and twelve attack lines appeared around a humanoid silhouette. Each one showed strikes at the temples, neck, collarbones, ribs, legs and organs.
"Now move and practice those various exercises and moves." The first slash wasn't terrible but he could feel his arm swing weirdly and slow.
THWACK!
The baton hit his back hard "Wrong try again"
Again THWACK!
And again THWACK!
And again THWACK!
Each mistake earned immediate strike to back and Every sloppy movement earned more hits. Heinrich realized he had to fix the sloppy movements or he wouldn't sleep on his back tonight.
"FIX YOUR FOOTWORK!"
THWACK! This time baton hit his ankle.
Heinrich stumbled thinking that he was going to get hit in the back not ankle.
"The Way of the Shezmu emphasizes striking angles to vital areas"
She moved around him and decided to demonstrate it she began to strike at vital areas at a shadow opponent she seem to always be shifting her movement and repositioning to create way to strike from her shadow opponent blind spot.
"Now try again"
A hour passed and slowly he was learning but as soon as he adjusted the lesson evolved. Lana introduced who to stay in your own range. Heinrich understood how by the end of the hour but physically he was lacking it frustrated him but then he felt a slight rhythm in the back of his neck like a throbbing heartbeat but instead more subtle. Lana noticed and her eyes narrowed, she could feel a slight rumble in the air.
"AGAIN!" She screamed at him he couldn't understand why but he continued and still she screamed "AGAIN!"
Just then he felt the slight sensation again on the back of his neck, a cold feeling scratching at the nape of his neck. Malik had sensed it and now Lana had sensed it. The cold sensation was dark matter and he felt it flow from the nape of his neck to the back of his head and spread across his brain like a shiver. He felt his vision heighten then he felt his muscles strengthen slightly and he gripped the sword harder felt more strength then he ever had before. Heinrich's eyes widened slightly for the first time ever he used dark matter he never could use it like this he only could feel dark matter better than others but this time he actually did it. He felt drunk on its power he felt the wind on his face as he increased in speed and strength it was fun and exciting but Lana saw how it was effecting him and immediately punished him for it.
Lana vanished like a shadow and her baton struck his wrist, shoulder, ribs, knees and chest.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
He flew backwards and start rolling across the floor and was confused didn't he do it right?
"What was that for?"
Lana stood over him "You let your guard down once again…..once you had power you lost all sense and training. You're done sit down! "
Then she turned around
"Martian."
Arkyn froze. " So here's the thing I have a cramps in my leg give it about a day and I can train is that ok?"
"No."
"Worth a try at least" Arkyn said nervously laughing
She motioned him forward "You will learn the Way of Set."
Lana said while pointing at his gauntlet says "This combat training will be perfect for you."
"You will learn The Eight Points of Contact your entire body will became a weapon"
Lana begins to teach him relentlessly. "Power comes from the floor!" THWACK! "Rotate your hips!" THWACK! "Again!" THWACK!
Another hour goes by and Arkyn is drenched in sweat. Completely exhausted and struggling to breathe and that's when Lana became disappointed his stamina was horrible. "Strike with your knees too."
Arkyn tried still tired. Tries but ultimately it was lackluster so she moved to elbows and forced him to combine them together. Finally tired of watching someone fight so slow Lana slipped through his guard effortlessly and landed a perfect uppercut launching him backwards. His feet left the floor and hit the wall hard. WHAM!! Heinrich winced at the sight he knew that Arkyn was a good fighter but she was right his stamina was lackluster.
Your guard is always so open which is crazy for someone who out of the two is the best hand to hand fighter….. I'm going to force you to protect your head and centerline until you learn. Understood?!"
Arkyn while groaning on the floor said " Yes....Ma'am"
As training ended Heinrich spoke after noticing her putting the weapons and her eyes glancing at the staff at the back
"What about the staff?"
Lana stopped "Those who have the ability to not only use dark matter but the intelligence of their body and mind learn the Way of Anubis."
Silence filled the room. "The Way of Anubis focuses on explosive dark matter release." A holographic projection activated showing her using bursts of kinetic force. "It uses nearly every muscle simultaneously." She looked directly at Heinrich "And no you not ready for anytime soon" Then toward Arkyn. "Especially not you your more suited for hand to hand and all the dark matter you need it in your gauntlet. Cherish it and learn how to use it well"
Horned went out signaling 1500 — LUNCH before Heinrich looked back at Lana and noticed her practicing with a bladed staff but he also noticed she looked so lonely right before the doors closed sealing her in.
When they got to the cafeteria it was the same it's been for the last two weeks but as they sat down she approached the girl from two weeks ago, Sara. The whole cafeteria noticed immediately and The confidence she walked with towards them captivated everyone who looked at her. She stopped right beside Heinrich without sitting down at the table. Arkyn looked between them and immediately started smiling but both Heinrich and Sara ignored him.
Sara's attention became fixed on Heinrich. "There's something special about you. You resist it."
Heinrich confused asked "Resisted what?"
"My Dark Matter Hypnosis."
Arkyn immediately sat up. "What the hell is that?"
Sara ignored him once again and spoke to Heinrich. "My Dm Hypnosis can put others in a trance, making them highly suggestible and allowing me to affect or directly influence others minds to my commands.." She tilted her head "but you didn't move or become enthralled. You are very interesting, how did you do it?"
Heinrich looked at her for a second a mix of awe from her power but also pissed that someone tried to manipulate him into becoming a thrall for them and so to not let her see his anger he said "Maybe your not as strong with power as much as you think you are."
Sara smiled and walked across the table and sat in front of him.
"As you already know I'm Sara but full name is Sara Marks."
Arkyn nearly choked on his drink "Marks? Like...."
Sara nodded and spoke first "Yes, Captain Kane Marks is my father." The table went completely silent. "My father currently is wasting his talent, he's still a captain and always talks about securing the future and to be honest that's stupid we need to act now and destroy them and our future will be set later."
Heinrich surprised by her brashness but sees where is coming from counters her argument "Basically you believe he's gotten too comfortable and what to change that how can you do that when he already a captain and your a recruit."
A dangerous look entered her eyes. "One day I'll surpass him that's how. I will build a team and connections to do just that and I want you on it. You can join me or kneel before me one day when my fathers out the way"
Arkyn looked between them almost like he was waiting for Heinrich's answer but Heinrich didn't say anything just look unimpressed like the answer she gave just didn't impress him.
Sara keeped eye contact and looked for a reaction or answer feeling she lost ground recovers and says "Good, if you answered too quickly I wouldn't trust at all" She leaned closer so close that her hair touched his face "And I hate people I can't trust, I only need strong loyal soldiers." Sara smiled then continued."When the Apeps return everything will change and I will stand on top." They stared at eachother then the cafeteria screens flickered.
Static exploded across every display.
ZZT!
ZZT!
Then a Masked Man appeared in the screen.
"My name is Prometheus."
The lieutenants and sergeants began moving fastly to every screen and through corridors. One lieutenant go a call on his holobrace "Sir its on every screen and it's encrypted….. And it's not just here we're getting reports from earth too!! This broadcast is origin is.....OH NO…..SIR IT'S THE CRIMSON SYNDICATE!!!!!!"
Prometheus continued "For too long Mars has protected itself promises of rebuilding we have taken control and don't need the worthless bureaucrats and slow help" Prometheus spread his arms wide "Today....The Crimson Syndicate declares Martian independence."
The cafeteria erupted in conversation
"Martian independence?"
"I knew we couldn't trust those red demons"
"What about the people of mars are they ok with this how can a crime syndicate control a whole world?"
Then Prometheus spoke again "But there is a traitor." The screen changed and a picture of an older Martian man appeared.
Heinrich looked to Arkyn but he was frozen in fear and confusion but a hint of anger. "Caleb Rain." Arkyn's tray slipped from his hands crashing to the floor. Prometheus spoke again but with venom in his modified voice. "This thieving cowardly man has stolen from the Syndicate. He has aided the Alliance in betraying Mars." Then came the footage.
People running with gunfire riddling their bodies. It shows Caleb, Arkyn's father, killing fellow crew members then escaping on an alliance cruiser but not before pressing his holobrace and blowing the settlement up killing everyone. The room became deathly silent. Arkyn almost looking like statue he was extremely still, didn't even blink. Then the footage ended.
"A bounty has been issued." Prometheus announced. "Dead Or Alive! The Crimson Syndicate and the people of Mars demands justice! Deliver him by any means necessary or..." the image switched to an image of Astra Primus "Or we will consider earth's little project an enemy!"
The broadcast ended and there was nothing but static on the screen. Everyone began to looked at the only Martian on the station...Arkyn. He stared back at them but still in shock trying to process or even believe what he'd seen. His father is a murderer, fugitive and traitor to his people. The recruits began to walk slowly to Arkyn but then Heinrich walked in front in front of Arkyn. He had broken the tray to a sharp point and was holding the sharp edge looking between everyone, prepared to do whatever was needed. Arkyn slowly turned toward Heinrich "I have to find him" His voice cracking a bit "He has to answer for this, I must know why"
For the first time since Heinrich had met him, Arkyn looked angry yet completely lost between what he saw and denial.