Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2018 17:24:54 GMT -5
Sometimes it was the quiet days that were the most enjoyable, when the demoness could simply wear her hair down and enjoy the simple things in life. This day was shaping up to be one of those, and Amatricina was doing everything in her vast power to enjoy it. She had risen early, getting her sparring and training for the day well out of the way early. Her morning meeting with her council of overseers had been brief as it was productive, no major crisis plagued her realm, at least for the moment. Even her enemies seemed to be conspiring to give her some peace and quiet. The clans of the southern hemisphere were currently warring among each other. The unexpected death of one leader’s eldest son had thrown succession into jeopardy, and rival warlords were seeking to capitalize on it. Amatricina’s own clan remained neutral for now, happily lending themselves as arms dealers to whichever side had the coin. They would make their move once their enemies had tired themselves out, before the eventual victor could recuperate their forces. But, that was something to deal with another day, for today Amatricina had but one goal, relaxation.
From deep within her personal chambers Amatricina stood, taking sips from a glass of bloody red wine from a crystal glass as she walked slowly towards her restroom. More of a private spa, the room was large, certainly more than enough to accommodate a dozen individuals. But, it was all hers to enjoy in solace, just the way she liked it. With but a thought her normal attire burned away into cinders, replaced by a svelte bathrobe, its silken form generously hugging every curve and features along the demoness’ voluptuous body. Amatricina took slow, deliberate steps towards a large tub at the far end of the room. More of a pool, it could have easily held a demon as large as her father when he was alive. A lewd thought, but the demoness imagined her parents embraced each other within that tub more times than she could bother to imagine. Regardless, Amatricina came to the edge of the tub, lazily inspecting its surface. Hardly empty, the vessel was filled to the brim in solid stone, long since cooled into a great block of material. Paying it no mind, as if this were the most natural thing in the world, Amatricina pressed a foot to the stone’s surface and it began to heat up and glow a right red. Soon her foot was sliding into the stone as it melted around her. The entire surface area began to glow red hot, heating up more and more as intense heat radiated from the demoness’ body into the stony basin. Her burning energy effortlessly flooding outward to heat her molten bath. Amatricina stepped in further, the now bubbling magma up to her knees. By the point it neared her thighs her bathrobe burned away to cinders leaving her body bare save for her jewelry as she stepped further into the tub.
Amatricina laid down on her back in the molten bath, her crown of horns resting against the edge of the tub, elevating her head at the perfect angle. She set her glass of wine off beside her, the ethereal liquor within able to resist the intense heat of the nearby bubbling magma. Amatricina shifted a bit, making herself comfortable within the molten broth. It was thicker than water, much so, and her bath was more akin to a mud bath than anything. The now liquid stone itself was harvested from deep within a volcano, and held therapeutic properties for fire demons. In any event, it felt marvelous, and Amatricina was content to lie here and relax for hours if she could. And she would, after all, nothing was stopping her today. She let out a content sigh, breathing in the noxious fumes given off by the searing liquid. Truly if there was paradise, this was it. Amatricina closed her eyes, a smile plastered across her face as she came dangerously close to enjoying a well deserved nap.
Elsewhere in the fortress of the fire demons, all was not well. The demon Raigu looked upon the banks of monitors before him with uneasy concern. Raigu was the eldest brother of Amatricina and therefore eldest son of Tartaros, though still several years his sister’s junior. As a result of his age, bloodline, and most importantly, ability, he was also supreme commander of the clan’s military forces. He stood just over ten feet in height, with broad shoulders and a powerful barrel chest. His arms were thick as his sister’s waist, and his face was chiseled and harsh. The demon warrior sported spiked metal tips on his horns, and wound barbed chains around their length. His attire was that of a suit of red plate armor, trimmed in gold and inset with large rubies on his pauldrons and bracers. Despite any misgivings he may have with his sister, he admired her sense of fashion, and out of both envy and respect he fashioned his own attire based on hers. Raigu wore the skulls of powerful opponents he’d slain on his belt, and his cloak bore the sigil of the fire demon military across its length. Truly he was a demon of blood and fire, and this demon was growing ever more concerned.
“Can you enhance the image?” Raigu asked the demon working the terminal. “I want to know what we’re dealing with.” The soldier pressed at a number of buttons and dials before shaking his head. “Negative commander, we are at maximum range already.” Annoyed, Raigu moved to look at a different monitor. Their scanners had picked up the signal only a few minutes ago, and they’d been tracking it since. A large profile, dotted by numerous smaller ones coming in fast from beyond their clan’s contested space. Whatever it was, it was moving quick, and the demon commander feared it a warship for some unexpected sneak attack by an enemy. “How many escort craft then?” He asked again, growing impatient with their lack of intel. “No fewer than thirty.” Came the reply without hesitation. That complicated things slightly, and Raigu folded his arms across his chest. He mulled over his options in his head, thinking about how best to proceed. “And the vessel has not returned any of our hailing signals?” One of his soldiers wearing a large headset shook his head, playing with a series of dials as he searched up and down through the spectrum of frequencies. “No response.” Raigu snorted, two small jets of black smoke pouring from his nostrils. “Very well then, have my best men on standby. I have more pressing matters to deal with.” The imposing team turned with a sigh to depart the room, he paused for a moment as one of his officers grabbed his attention. “Where are you going commander?’ “To speak with my sister…” Came the annoyed reply.
Amatricina dozed quietly within her molten bath, daydreaming about the last rival clan she had subjugated into her rule. Their warlord had challenged her to a duel of honor, one last chance to redeem himself and earn his place as an equal among her upon his victory. Their duel ended with her shattering his horns and using one to carve out his still beating heart. She replayed the moment in her mind over and over, standing triumphant, arm awash in blood as she crushed the last bit of life from her prize, her opponent’s broken body collapsing in a heap before her. His clan had been assimilated into hers without issue, and now several years later showed no residual signs of unrest. It was truly a happy memory, until something broke the tranquility of her daydream. The sound of heavy footfalls in her bedchamber, her personal bedchambers, where she had forbidden her servants from bothering her until they were summoned. Amatricina clenched a fist in anger beneath the lava waves of her bath, whoever was on the other side of that door had better pray it was important, or she intended to split their head from their spine. Meanwhile, in the bedchambers, a very annoyed Raigu cursed under his breath his sister was nowhere to be found. Her handmaidens had told him she retired to her chambers. Reluctantly he turned to her bathroom door, pushing it open as he stormed through.
“My liege I have urge--- shit!” Raigu swore, barging into the bath chamber and to immediately see the naked form of his elder sister. He turned, grabbing at his cloak and shielding his eyes with lightning speed. Amatricina also cursed aloud, although for very different reasons. “Dammit Raigu I was enjoying myself!” The irritated demoness looked upon her brother, cowering behind his cloak. “Oh shape up, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Just tell me whatever is so damn important already.” Formalities and titles, usually an important aspect of conversation between ranking demons, was thrown out the window on this occasion. Amatricina turned to stand upright in her bath, though remained careful to make sure her bust remained below the “water line” as it were, well most of her bust anyways. Raigu reluctantly drew back his cloak, found a chair for himself, and seated himself by the bath. Though he did so with great embarrassment. Clearing his throat, and blushing slightly, the demon warrior finally opened his mouth to speak. “Our scanners have detected a ship of unknown origin within our territory. It is not responding to any attempts at communication, and hasn’t altered its course since it first came under contact. I am worried it may be part of some enemy maneuver we have not accounted for. How do you wish to proceed sister?”
Amatricina clenched a fist in rage, both at the fact she’d been interrupted and by the severity of it. “How large is the vessel?” She asked flatly, mulling over possible scenarios in her head. “Large, large enough to be a cruiser. It is escorted by several dozen fighter craft as well, and there may be more since our initial readings.” The elder sister placed a hand to her forehead, messaging her temple as she thought. “I get one moment of peace to myself, and you ruin it with this. I swear on father’s grave…” Raigu chuckled slightly, old sibling rivalries still kindled in his heart. “Would you prefer I ignore my orders to contact you in an emergency, and leave you to your bath?” The younger brother’s face was rather smug looking after that remark. Amatricina shot him a dirty look. If he were not her brother… well, firstly he wouldn’t be speaking so informally with her, secondly she’d kill him where he stood. “No…” She replied simply, exhaling sharply through her nose. “I want our ships on standby, and our planetary defenses on orders to fire at will if it comes within range. Prep a strike cruiser, you and I will lead a force of our best warriors to take do---” A knock came from the bathroom door, though it still hung open. The unknown arrival stood outside, not daring to enter the doorway unless instructed to.
The two demon siblings shot each other a glance, turning to stare at the entryway to the bath chambers. “Yes, what is it?” Amatricina asked in what was nearly a growl. The unknown individual cleared his throat nervously as he began to speak. “My liege, commander, there have been some further developments with the unknown vessel.” Their attentions piqued, the two demons raised an eyebrow. “Continue.” Raigu stated simply, not waiting for his sister to reply to the messenger. She’d have said the same thing anyways. “Yes commander. The vessel in question has moved further into our territory, it seems either completely ignorant of our presence or has had its communication and scanning equipment damaged, possibly by a previous encounter. It is also, as best we can tell, not a warship.” “Then what exactly is it?” Amatricina asked swiftly, not skipping a beat. “It appears to be a large freighter my liege, running with a heavy escort force of fighter craft. We can only presume that once they have passed through our gravity well they will return to faster than light speeds.” Raigu looked slightly relieved, though he now worried his sister would chastise him for seeking her out when his “emergency” turned out to be nothing of the sort. But as he looked at her face, Amatricina had only a wicked grin and eyes gleaming with avaricious desires.
“That will be all, thank you for your report soldier.” Amatricina stated simply, her toned shifting from annoyed into placated. She could hear his sigh of relief from behind the door, as well as the soft footsteps as he turned to depart. Already the demoness’ mind was running wild with the possibilities to be had. “Dear brother…” She said almost sweetly, feigning a playful innocent she had not displayed mere moments ago. “You do know what this means don’t you?” Raigu folded his arms across chest, a sinister grin crossing his normally stoic face. “I believe I do, dear sister.” He replied, feigning the same false sweetness his sister displayed. “You want that ship, and its riches, don’t you?” His question rhetorical, the two were cut from the same cloth. He knew well she was already thinking of new places in the archives to host any rare relics and treasures they could pilfer from the craft. “Indeed I do brother.” Her words held a rarely seen exuberance, it both worried and excited her sibling slightly. “And I want you to personally lead the assault.” Raigu nodded in acknowledgement, “I had my best troops ordered on standby before I came to speak with you. We will be able to depart immediately.” Amatricina placed a hand to her chest, letting out an airy chuckle, thoroughly pleased with herself and her sibling. “Perfect. That kind of foresight is exactly why I appointed you my Supreme Commander.” Raigu grinned wider, raising a hand to protest. “I thought is was because mother told you to.” Amatricina’s face changed briefly to a pout and she let out a huff at his words. “Well, mother was right. She usually was. Now brother, I do believe you have a flight to catch.”
Raigu rose to his feet, giving a quick stretch before turning to leave. “Of course sister, I will contact you personally when my mission is finished. I don’t expect I’ll be gone too long.” With that he began to leave, heavy footsteps echoing through the room as armored boots clomped along tiled floors. “Oh last thing Raigu.” Amatricina added, her brother stopping in his tracks and turning his head to listen. “Try not to get too much blood on my new ship.” He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Of course.” “And do shut the door on your way out, I have a bath to enjoy” Amatricina’s last words to her brother as he left. As the door shut behind him, the elder sister slunk back down into her molten bath. As the burning liquid washed over her once more, she let out a content sigh, reclining back and resting her head once more against the edge of the vast tub. The unwanted intrusion had turned out to be a bright spot in her otherwise already immaculate day. She waited with giddy eagerness for news from her brother that he’d captured the ship in his name. There would probably need to be a banquet tonight to celebrate once he returned. She would get her servants to iron out the details on that later, for now, comfort was calling.
Meanwhile, he brother marched down the halls of the fortress, back towards his command center deep in its bowels. Raigu was actually looking forward to the task he’d been given, it had been too long since he set foot personally on the field of battle. No amount of sparring or drilling truly prepared a soldier for the thrill of combat. The rush that was bloodlust and carnage, fueling the slaughter like the burning blood that flowed through his black veins. He clenched his fists in anticipation, crimson lightning crackling around them. Amatricina may be his greater in terms of raw power, but Raigu was not far behind her prowess, a fact he liked to remind his men as much as he did the enemy. Fun wasn’t something he often considered when enforcing his sister’s iron will, but this, this would bring a smile to his face. When Raigu returned to the hub of his command, his officers stood at attention, eagerly awaiting his orders. “Our objective is simple my soldiers.” He said with boisterous confidence. “Our liege wants that ship for her own, and it is by hand we are to claim it. Is my strike force ready?” He asked sharply, turning to face one of his subordinates. “Ready and waiting commander.” “Excellent.” Raigu responded, barely skipping a beat. “Have salvage and recovery craft prepped and waiting on standby.” With that he exited the room, not wanting to waste another moment with idle chit chat.
The demons of Raigu’s strike force were stationed on one of the fortress’ staging platforms. Each donned in their demonic attire, battle armor and plate mail of a number of styles and designs, each doing its best to try and out-menace the others. Heads crowned in grim horns, some with talon like claws or fel weapons in hand. Some two dozen in total, they looked quite the imposing sight. Raigu and his men had no need for spacecraft, all were capable of flight and ships would only allow their quarry to spot them sooner. Looking to his men Raigu clenched a fist, his crimson battle helm appearing in a shower of cinders upon his head. “Warriors, our orders are simple.” He bellowed, fangs bared as his malicious grin spread wide. “We are to take the freighter that has so foolishly entered our domain but force. Survivors are optional, the well being of the ship isn’t. You know your duties, I expect nothing but glory and carnage!” Raigu pumped his fist to the sky, and his men did the same. The demons whipping themselves into a frenzy as they howled and chanted. Then in a flash of light Raigu blasted off skyward, leaving a ruby trail of ki behind him in his wake. His men followed one by one, darting off into the skies at blistering speeds. Each and every one ready and waiting for the carnage to come.
The strike force flew in a loose formation, more of a large V shape with Raigu at it’s head. It took only a minute or two to rocket through the atmosphere, noxious clouds and thick plumes of ash giving way to the cold emptiness of space. It always sent chills down the demon warrior’s spine in that moment when you broke through into the abyss. It was a strange sensation, feeling the planet’s pull give way and the very air around you ceasing to be. The demons could sustain themselves in the void well enough, relying on their ki and their magics. But all the same they generally preferred the feel of ground beneath their feet and air filling their lungs. One caveat was in space there was no way for sound to travel, so until they boarded the ship Raigu and his men had no way to communicate. They’d rely purely on their training and discipline to carry the day. Speeding further and further from their homeworld, the engine controls of the freighter began to appear in the distance. Lights twinkled around it, the thrusters of the escort fighters and other auxiliary craft.
As the demons drew closer to their prey, they knew they’d soon be spotted. The enemy couldn’t be this blind, and sure enough the swarm of lights surrounding the larger vessel began to peel away. The enemy had picked up their energy readings on their sensors most likely. Raigu hoped it filled them with fear knowing they did not need warships of their own for this battle. He redoubled his speed, blazing a trail as he flew towards his opponents in a frenzied charge. The fighter craft assumed a tight formation, and in an instant the ships fired a volley of missiles. Dozens of smoke trails as the projectiles flew across the void towards the demon and his men. They responded in turn, launching ki blasts and firing beams of energy from their eyes, mouths, or palms at the incoming ordinance. Some of the missiles were destroyed prematurely, blasted away mid flight by carefully aimed shots. The remainder of the volley reached Raigu and his men, slamming into them and detonating violently. He himself bore the brunt of the first impacts, smashing one incoming rocket with his fist as it detonated around him, lifting his arm to shield him from the blast of the second. They stung, that much was true, but a few scuffs and bruises never killed anyone. Another volley came, this time with less time to react. Once more Raigu and his warriors destroyed as many incoming missiles as they could, and once more they simply tanked through the resulting impacts.
As the fighter craft came into close combat range of the demons they opened fire with their main weapons, laser cannons firing rapidly in bursts of potent energy damage. The fire demons retaliated in the only way they knew how, launching back their own volleys of ki blasts and energy beams. The fighters broke ranks, and the battle turned into a full blown dogfight, ships chasing after soldiers and vice versa. It was total mayhem, the kind of chaos Raigu lived and breathed for. He turned, blasting the flank of a passing fighter with a red beam from his hand, the vessel belched smoke before one of his men drove his lance into the damaged hull and detonated the craft. Another fighter let loose a powerful volley on the demon commander, and he roared in pain as he turned to his aggressor, responding with twin beams of energy fired from his eyes. He arced the beams through the ship, besecting in cleanly in half before it exploded violently. Flying off to pursue another fighter he caught up to the ship as it chased one of his soldiers. Raigu’s fist punched through the hull of the vessel, and the pilot had just enough time to turn to see the demon’s hand open. Within he held a ball of ki, which exploded with enough force to blow the ship apart from within. With a leap Raigu kicked his way off the wreck, firing ki blasts at missiles that soared towards him comrades. The fervor of battle was a thirst that was hard to slate. He was relishing the carnage, he only wished their foes were putting up more of a fight.
The fighting raged on for a few brief, chaotic minutes. Fighter craft falling one by one. Their pilots killed in the explosions as their vessels detonated, or in a few cases ripped in half by bloodthirsty soldiers as they tried to eject. Once all had fallen silent, Raigu stood, floating in the center of the debris field. Their prize remained before them, now unguarded and waiting to be despoiled. He motioned with his arm, before blasting off towards the freighter. His men followed, clutching their weapons and readying their fists. The freighter held some defenses, its shields flaring to life to deflect ki bolts hurled towards it. Powerful turrets and defensive cannons swiveled to face the demons, blasting powerful volleys of searing hot plasma. Raigu and his men nimbly dodged most of the shots, though a few of his men were sent careening backwards, winded or knocked unconscious by the powerful blasts of energy. Once they’d closed distance with the vessel the commander’s warriors began hammering it with wave after wave of firepower, mortaring it into submission with their energy attacks as they worked to overwhelm its shields.
Raigu himself flew to the rear of the vessel, squinting his eyes as the blinding light of the engines roared before him. He clenched his fists, focusing his power and summoning his savage strength as his aura flared around him. With a silent roar the demon opened his mouth, unleashing a massive beam of energy from his tyrant maw aimed directly at the freighter’s engines. It slammed against the shields, which sizzled and cracked as they were pushed beyond their limits. The beam of energy crashed against the thrusters of the vessel, exploding into a brilliant blast that left much of the engines in a searing wreck. The freighter immediately began to slow, its primary engines offline and critical systems failing across the board. With the shields down Raigu’s men began to attack the weapon systems directly, obliterating turrets under their combined firepower or ripping them off the hull directly. Like piranhas to a bloated corpse the demons punched their way through the ship’s hull, ripping open gashes along the vessel as they poured inside. Raigu watched as he circled around to the side, atmosphere and anything not sufficiently tied down being sucked out through the wounds in the starship.
With a heavy thud the commander came to land in on of the corridors in the ship, having flown in through a hole punched clean in the side by one of his men. Raigu rolled his shoulders as he looked around to inspect his surroundings. Blood and viscera stained the walls where the first of the ship’s crew had met his men. Their bodies lay smashed and broken, only to be sucked out through the decompression caused by his warband’s explosive entry. Even from where he stood Raigu could hear more fighting deeper within the bowels of the ship. His men rushing through the corridors and holds, slaying everything in their path. Some of the crew would no doubt fight back, and their bravery would be rewarded with a swift and brutal death. There would be no quarter spared for those that surrendered, Raigu did not feel like bothering to round up survivors to haul back as slaves. His orders had been to secure the ship, and his sister had said nothing about taking captives. The demon began a leisurely stroll towards the vessel’s bridge, hoping the entire crew hadn’t been completely slain by the time he arrived. Raigu pulled a communicator off his belt, lifting it to his mouth. A sinister smile spread across his face as the demon began to speak. “This is Supreme Commander Raigu, patch me through to my elder sister. I have some good news to tell her.”
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From deep within her personal chambers Amatricina stood, taking sips from a glass of bloody red wine from a crystal glass as she walked slowly towards her restroom. More of a private spa, the room was large, certainly more than enough to accommodate a dozen individuals. But, it was all hers to enjoy in solace, just the way she liked it. With but a thought her normal attire burned away into cinders, replaced by a svelte bathrobe, its silken form generously hugging every curve and features along the demoness’ voluptuous body. Amatricina took slow, deliberate steps towards a large tub at the far end of the room. More of a pool, it could have easily held a demon as large as her father when he was alive. A lewd thought, but the demoness imagined her parents embraced each other within that tub more times than she could bother to imagine. Regardless, Amatricina came to the edge of the tub, lazily inspecting its surface. Hardly empty, the vessel was filled to the brim in solid stone, long since cooled into a great block of material. Paying it no mind, as if this were the most natural thing in the world, Amatricina pressed a foot to the stone’s surface and it began to heat up and glow a right red. Soon her foot was sliding into the stone as it melted around her. The entire surface area began to glow red hot, heating up more and more as intense heat radiated from the demoness’ body into the stony basin. Her burning energy effortlessly flooding outward to heat her molten bath. Amatricina stepped in further, the now bubbling magma up to her knees. By the point it neared her thighs her bathrobe burned away to cinders leaving her body bare save for her jewelry as she stepped further into the tub.
Amatricina laid down on her back in the molten bath, her crown of horns resting against the edge of the tub, elevating her head at the perfect angle. She set her glass of wine off beside her, the ethereal liquor within able to resist the intense heat of the nearby bubbling magma. Amatricina shifted a bit, making herself comfortable within the molten broth. It was thicker than water, much so, and her bath was more akin to a mud bath than anything. The now liquid stone itself was harvested from deep within a volcano, and held therapeutic properties for fire demons. In any event, it felt marvelous, and Amatricina was content to lie here and relax for hours if she could. And she would, after all, nothing was stopping her today. She let out a content sigh, breathing in the noxious fumes given off by the searing liquid. Truly if there was paradise, this was it. Amatricina closed her eyes, a smile plastered across her face as she came dangerously close to enjoying a well deserved nap.
Elsewhere in the fortress of the fire demons, all was not well. The demon Raigu looked upon the banks of monitors before him with uneasy concern. Raigu was the eldest brother of Amatricina and therefore eldest son of Tartaros, though still several years his sister’s junior. As a result of his age, bloodline, and most importantly, ability, he was also supreme commander of the clan’s military forces. He stood just over ten feet in height, with broad shoulders and a powerful barrel chest. His arms were thick as his sister’s waist, and his face was chiseled and harsh. The demon warrior sported spiked metal tips on his horns, and wound barbed chains around their length. His attire was that of a suit of red plate armor, trimmed in gold and inset with large rubies on his pauldrons and bracers. Despite any misgivings he may have with his sister, he admired her sense of fashion, and out of both envy and respect he fashioned his own attire based on hers. Raigu wore the skulls of powerful opponents he’d slain on his belt, and his cloak bore the sigil of the fire demon military across its length. Truly he was a demon of blood and fire, and this demon was growing ever more concerned.
“Can you enhance the image?” Raigu asked the demon working the terminal. “I want to know what we’re dealing with.” The soldier pressed at a number of buttons and dials before shaking his head. “Negative commander, we are at maximum range already.” Annoyed, Raigu moved to look at a different monitor. Their scanners had picked up the signal only a few minutes ago, and they’d been tracking it since. A large profile, dotted by numerous smaller ones coming in fast from beyond their clan’s contested space. Whatever it was, it was moving quick, and the demon commander feared it a warship for some unexpected sneak attack by an enemy. “How many escort craft then?” He asked again, growing impatient with their lack of intel. “No fewer than thirty.” Came the reply without hesitation. That complicated things slightly, and Raigu folded his arms across his chest. He mulled over his options in his head, thinking about how best to proceed. “And the vessel has not returned any of our hailing signals?” One of his soldiers wearing a large headset shook his head, playing with a series of dials as he searched up and down through the spectrum of frequencies. “No response.” Raigu snorted, two small jets of black smoke pouring from his nostrils. “Very well then, have my best men on standby. I have more pressing matters to deal with.” The imposing team turned with a sigh to depart the room, he paused for a moment as one of his officers grabbed his attention. “Where are you going commander?’ “To speak with my sister…” Came the annoyed reply.
Amatricina dozed quietly within her molten bath, daydreaming about the last rival clan she had subjugated into her rule. Their warlord had challenged her to a duel of honor, one last chance to redeem himself and earn his place as an equal among her upon his victory. Their duel ended with her shattering his horns and using one to carve out his still beating heart. She replayed the moment in her mind over and over, standing triumphant, arm awash in blood as she crushed the last bit of life from her prize, her opponent’s broken body collapsing in a heap before her. His clan had been assimilated into hers without issue, and now several years later showed no residual signs of unrest. It was truly a happy memory, until something broke the tranquility of her daydream. The sound of heavy footfalls in her bedchamber, her personal bedchambers, where she had forbidden her servants from bothering her until they were summoned. Amatricina clenched a fist in anger beneath the lava waves of her bath, whoever was on the other side of that door had better pray it was important, or she intended to split their head from their spine. Meanwhile, in the bedchambers, a very annoyed Raigu cursed under his breath his sister was nowhere to be found. Her handmaidens had told him she retired to her chambers. Reluctantly he turned to her bathroom door, pushing it open as he stormed through.
“My liege I have urge--- shit!” Raigu swore, barging into the bath chamber and to immediately see the naked form of his elder sister. He turned, grabbing at his cloak and shielding his eyes with lightning speed. Amatricina also cursed aloud, although for very different reasons. “Dammit Raigu I was enjoying myself!” The irritated demoness looked upon her brother, cowering behind his cloak. “Oh shape up, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Just tell me whatever is so damn important already.” Formalities and titles, usually an important aspect of conversation between ranking demons, was thrown out the window on this occasion. Amatricina turned to stand upright in her bath, though remained careful to make sure her bust remained below the “water line” as it were, well most of her bust anyways. Raigu reluctantly drew back his cloak, found a chair for himself, and seated himself by the bath. Though he did so with great embarrassment. Clearing his throat, and blushing slightly, the demon warrior finally opened his mouth to speak. “Our scanners have detected a ship of unknown origin within our territory. It is not responding to any attempts at communication, and hasn’t altered its course since it first came under contact. I am worried it may be part of some enemy maneuver we have not accounted for. How do you wish to proceed sister?”
Amatricina clenched a fist in rage, both at the fact she’d been interrupted and by the severity of it. “How large is the vessel?” She asked flatly, mulling over possible scenarios in her head. “Large, large enough to be a cruiser. It is escorted by several dozen fighter craft as well, and there may be more since our initial readings.” The elder sister placed a hand to her forehead, messaging her temple as she thought. “I get one moment of peace to myself, and you ruin it with this. I swear on father’s grave…” Raigu chuckled slightly, old sibling rivalries still kindled in his heart. “Would you prefer I ignore my orders to contact you in an emergency, and leave you to your bath?” The younger brother’s face was rather smug looking after that remark. Amatricina shot him a dirty look. If he were not her brother… well, firstly he wouldn’t be speaking so informally with her, secondly she’d kill him where he stood. “No…” She replied simply, exhaling sharply through her nose. “I want our ships on standby, and our planetary defenses on orders to fire at will if it comes within range. Prep a strike cruiser, you and I will lead a force of our best warriors to take do---” A knock came from the bathroom door, though it still hung open. The unknown arrival stood outside, not daring to enter the doorway unless instructed to.
The two demon siblings shot each other a glance, turning to stare at the entryway to the bath chambers. “Yes, what is it?” Amatricina asked in what was nearly a growl. The unknown individual cleared his throat nervously as he began to speak. “My liege, commander, there have been some further developments with the unknown vessel.” Their attentions piqued, the two demons raised an eyebrow. “Continue.” Raigu stated simply, not waiting for his sister to reply to the messenger. She’d have said the same thing anyways. “Yes commander. The vessel in question has moved further into our territory, it seems either completely ignorant of our presence or has had its communication and scanning equipment damaged, possibly by a previous encounter. It is also, as best we can tell, not a warship.” “Then what exactly is it?” Amatricina asked swiftly, not skipping a beat. “It appears to be a large freighter my liege, running with a heavy escort force of fighter craft. We can only presume that once they have passed through our gravity well they will return to faster than light speeds.” Raigu looked slightly relieved, though he now worried his sister would chastise him for seeking her out when his “emergency” turned out to be nothing of the sort. But as he looked at her face, Amatricina had only a wicked grin and eyes gleaming with avaricious desires.
“That will be all, thank you for your report soldier.” Amatricina stated simply, her toned shifting from annoyed into placated. She could hear his sigh of relief from behind the door, as well as the soft footsteps as he turned to depart. Already the demoness’ mind was running wild with the possibilities to be had. “Dear brother…” She said almost sweetly, feigning a playful innocent she had not displayed mere moments ago. “You do know what this means don’t you?” Raigu folded his arms across chest, a sinister grin crossing his normally stoic face. “I believe I do, dear sister.” He replied, feigning the same false sweetness his sister displayed. “You want that ship, and its riches, don’t you?” His question rhetorical, the two were cut from the same cloth. He knew well she was already thinking of new places in the archives to host any rare relics and treasures they could pilfer from the craft. “Indeed I do brother.” Her words held a rarely seen exuberance, it both worried and excited her sibling slightly. “And I want you to personally lead the assault.” Raigu nodded in acknowledgement, “I had my best troops ordered on standby before I came to speak with you. We will be able to depart immediately.” Amatricina placed a hand to her chest, letting out an airy chuckle, thoroughly pleased with herself and her sibling. “Perfect. That kind of foresight is exactly why I appointed you my Supreme Commander.” Raigu grinned wider, raising a hand to protest. “I thought is was because mother told you to.” Amatricina’s face changed briefly to a pout and she let out a huff at his words. “Well, mother was right. She usually was. Now brother, I do believe you have a flight to catch.”
Raigu rose to his feet, giving a quick stretch before turning to leave. “Of course sister, I will contact you personally when my mission is finished. I don’t expect I’ll be gone too long.” With that he began to leave, heavy footsteps echoing through the room as armored boots clomped along tiled floors. “Oh last thing Raigu.” Amatricina added, her brother stopping in his tracks and turning his head to listen. “Try not to get too much blood on my new ship.” He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Of course.” “And do shut the door on your way out, I have a bath to enjoy” Amatricina’s last words to her brother as he left. As the door shut behind him, the elder sister slunk back down into her molten bath. As the burning liquid washed over her once more, she let out a content sigh, reclining back and resting her head once more against the edge of the vast tub. The unwanted intrusion had turned out to be a bright spot in her otherwise already immaculate day. She waited with giddy eagerness for news from her brother that he’d captured the ship in his name. There would probably need to be a banquet tonight to celebrate once he returned. She would get her servants to iron out the details on that later, for now, comfort was calling.
Meanwhile, he brother marched down the halls of the fortress, back towards his command center deep in its bowels. Raigu was actually looking forward to the task he’d been given, it had been too long since he set foot personally on the field of battle. No amount of sparring or drilling truly prepared a soldier for the thrill of combat. The rush that was bloodlust and carnage, fueling the slaughter like the burning blood that flowed through his black veins. He clenched his fists in anticipation, crimson lightning crackling around them. Amatricina may be his greater in terms of raw power, but Raigu was not far behind her prowess, a fact he liked to remind his men as much as he did the enemy. Fun wasn’t something he often considered when enforcing his sister’s iron will, but this, this would bring a smile to his face. When Raigu returned to the hub of his command, his officers stood at attention, eagerly awaiting his orders. “Our objective is simple my soldiers.” He said with boisterous confidence. “Our liege wants that ship for her own, and it is by hand we are to claim it. Is my strike force ready?” He asked sharply, turning to face one of his subordinates. “Ready and waiting commander.” “Excellent.” Raigu responded, barely skipping a beat. “Have salvage and recovery craft prepped and waiting on standby.” With that he exited the room, not wanting to waste another moment with idle chit chat.
The demons of Raigu’s strike force were stationed on one of the fortress’ staging platforms. Each donned in their demonic attire, battle armor and plate mail of a number of styles and designs, each doing its best to try and out-menace the others. Heads crowned in grim horns, some with talon like claws or fel weapons in hand. Some two dozen in total, they looked quite the imposing sight. Raigu and his men had no need for spacecraft, all were capable of flight and ships would only allow their quarry to spot them sooner. Looking to his men Raigu clenched a fist, his crimson battle helm appearing in a shower of cinders upon his head. “Warriors, our orders are simple.” He bellowed, fangs bared as his malicious grin spread wide. “We are to take the freighter that has so foolishly entered our domain but force. Survivors are optional, the well being of the ship isn’t. You know your duties, I expect nothing but glory and carnage!” Raigu pumped his fist to the sky, and his men did the same. The demons whipping themselves into a frenzy as they howled and chanted. Then in a flash of light Raigu blasted off skyward, leaving a ruby trail of ki behind him in his wake. His men followed one by one, darting off into the skies at blistering speeds. Each and every one ready and waiting for the carnage to come.
The strike force flew in a loose formation, more of a large V shape with Raigu at it’s head. It took only a minute or two to rocket through the atmosphere, noxious clouds and thick plumes of ash giving way to the cold emptiness of space. It always sent chills down the demon warrior’s spine in that moment when you broke through into the abyss. It was a strange sensation, feeling the planet’s pull give way and the very air around you ceasing to be. The demons could sustain themselves in the void well enough, relying on their ki and their magics. But all the same they generally preferred the feel of ground beneath their feet and air filling their lungs. One caveat was in space there was no way for sound to travel, so until they boarded the ship Raigu and his men had no way to communicate. They’d rely purely on their training and discipline to carry the day. Speeding further and further from their homeworld, the engine controls of the freighter began to appear in the distance. Lights twinkled around it, the thrusters of the escort fighters and other auxiliary craft.
As the demons drew closer to their prey, they knew they’d soon be spotted. The enemy couldn’t be this blind, and sure enough the swarm of lights surrounding the larger vessel began to peel away. The enemy had picked up their energy readings on their sensors most likely. Raigu hoped it filled them with fear knowing they did not need warships of their own for this battle. He redoubled his speed, blazing a trail as he flew towards his opponents in a frenzied charge. The fighter craft assumed a tight formation, and in an instant the ships fired a volley of missiles. Dozens of smoke trails as the projectiles flew across the void towards the demon and his men. They responded in turn, launching ki blasts and firing beams of energy from their eyes, mouths, or palms at the incoming ordinance. Some of the missiles were destroyed prematurely, blasted away mid flight by carefully aimed shots. The remainder of the volley reached Raigu and his men, slamming into them and detonating violently. He himself bore the brunt of the first impacts, smashing one incoming rocket with his fist as it detonated around him, lifting his arm to shield him from the blast of the second. They stung, that much was true, but a few scuffs and bruises never killed anyone. Another volley came, this time with less time to react. Once more Raigu and his warriors destroyed as many incoming missiles as they could, and once more they simply tanked through the resulting impacts.
As the fighter craft came into close combat range of the demons they opened fire with their main weapons, laser cannons firing rapidly in bursts of potent energy damage. The fire demons retaliated in the only way they knew how, launching back their own volleys of ki blasts and energy beams. The fighters broke ranks, and the battle turned into a full blown dogfight, ships chasing after soldiers and vice versa. It was total mayhem, the kind of chaos Raigu lived and breathed for. He turned, blasting the flank of a passing fighter with a red beam from his hand, the vessel belched smoke before one of his men drove his lance into the damaged hull and detonated the craft. Another fighter let loose a powerful volley on the demon commander, and he roared in pain as he turned to his aggressor, responding with twin beams of energy fired from his eyes. He arced the beams through the ship, besecting in cleanly in half before it exploded violently. Flying off to pursue another fighter he caught up to the ship as it chased one of his soldiers. Raigu’s fist punched through the hull of the vessel, and the pilot had just enough time to turn to see the demon’s hand open. Within he held a ball of ki, which exploded with enough force to blow the ship apart from within. With a leap Raigu kicked his way off the wreck, firing ki blasts at missiles that soared towards him comrades. The fervor of battle was a thirst that was hard to slate. He was relishing the carnage, he only wished their foes were putting up more of a fight.
The fighting raged on for a few brief, chaotic minutes. Fighter craft falling one by one. Their pilots killed in the explosions as their vessels detonated, or in a few cases ripped in half by bloodthirsty soldiers as they tried to eject. Once all had fallen silent, Raigu stood, floating in the center of the debris field. Their prize remained before them, now unguarded and waiting to be despoiled. He motioned with his arm, before blasting off towards the freighter. His men followed, clutching their weapons and readying their fists. The freighter held some defenses, its shields flaring to life to deflect ki bolts hurled towards it. Powerful turrets and defensive cannons swiveled to face the demons, blasting powerful volleys of searing hot plasma. Raigu and his men nimbly dodged most of the shots, though a few of his men were sent careening backwards, winded or knocked unconscious by the powerful blasts of energy. Once they’d closed distance with the vessel the commander’s warriors began hammering it with wave after wave of firepower, mortaring it into submission with their energy attacks as they worked to overwhelm its shields.
Raigu himself flew to the rear of the vessel, squinting his eyes as the blinding light of the engines roared before him. He clenched his fists, focusing his power and summoning his savage strength as his aura flared around him. With a silent roar the demon opened his mouth, unleashing a massive beam of energy from his tyrant maw aimed directly at the freighter’s engines. It slammed against the shields, which sizzled and cracked as they were pushed beyond their limits. The beam of energy crashed against the thrusters of the vessel, exploding into a brilliant blast that left much of the engines in a searing wreck. The freighter immediately began to slow, its primary engines offline and critical systems failing across the board. With the shields down Raigu’s men began to attack the weapon systems directly, obliterating turrets under their combined firepower or ripping them off the hull directly. Like piranhas to a bloated corpse the demons punched their way through the ship’s hull, ripping open gashes along the vessel as they poured inside. Raigu watched as he circled around to the side, atmosphere and anything not sufficiently tied down being sucked out through the wounds in the starship.
With a heavy thud the commander came to land in on of the corridors in the ship, having flown in through a hole punched clean in the side by one of his men. Raigu rolled his shoulders as he looked around to inspect his surroundings. Blood and viscera stained the walls where the first of the ship’s crew had met his men. Their bodies lay smashed and broken, only to be sucked out through the decompression caused by his warband’s explosive entry. Even from where he stood Raigu could hear more fighting deeper within the bowels of the ship. His men rushing through the corridors and holds, slaying everything in their path. Some of the crew would no doubt fight back, and their bravery would be rewarded with a swift and brutal death. There would be no quarter spared for those that surrendered, Raigu did not feel like bothering to round up survivors to haul back as slaves. His orders had been to secure the ship, and his sister had said nothing about taking captives. The demon began a leisurely stroll towards the vessel’s bridge, hoping the entire crew hadn’t been completely slain by the time he arrived. Raigu pulled a communicator off his belt, lifting it to his mouth. A sinister smile spread across his face as the demon began to speak. “This is Supreme Commander Raigu, patch me through to my elder sister. I have some good news to tell her.”
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