1 The Long Watch

Peace. The concept of peace was very different to the people of the planet Shaqrve.

A segregated and broken yet advanced planet that is always at war between the thousands of clans that litter it's surface. Large and small, they all fought to establish their power on Shaqrve, devastating it's landscape to erect their own kingdoms. If there was anything Intel SwiftSword had learned from his time in Kelet, it was that peace was dangerous. It meant someone was planning something. Something larger than the normal scraps over rank the inhabitants of Sharqve saw everyday. And that is exactly what Intel was suspecting.

Kelet was the largest of 4 islands in the Center Sea and was seated directly in the middle of the other three; Dior, Tara, and Preme. It being a prime location for the war over the center sea Islands it is consistently at battle over it's territory, however the inhabitants of Kelet's Temple's clan, the Smiling Mountains, are strong, genetically enhanced warriors and the fight would end in standstill every time with only losses from the outer clans. Lately however, Kelet was quiet. The air was still and heavy with a hint of doom lingering in the air.

Intel was patrolling the west sector of the red and gold adorned Smiling Mountain temple for the night. A job that came with his new rank of Ero, that allowed him to teach more of the student classes and access to clan techniques that had been previously forbidden to him. He was aware of the stillness and he was more than prepared. Intel was never one to dismiss his surroundings, he was always paying attention and was always in top condition. He refused to be jumped like his Little Yeh, Kith, that had been running home late one night wearing the clans cloak.

Everything seemed fine however as Intel made his 14th round along the west side of the temple , skipping across the black, red trimmed roofs of the housing area without making a sound on the tiles. His full body, black and white, synth woven coat glistened in the moonlight, staying conformed to his figure, shifting with his every move. Intel figured it would be another long quiet dark before they made their move. Intel squatted atop the clocktower in the west sector and continued to scan his surroundings for the rest of his shift, his scanner returning empty for hours until just before day break, and as Intel expected , it was a long quiet dark.

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Intel's replacement was late for his rounds and came running up to Intel in worrying hushed breaths. His maroon gi was ragged as if he had been in a scuffle and his face was concealed, with two sly Ruby eyes peering through a black facemask and long dark hair under a large straw hat. "My bad Ero, I was caught up along the Riverside tending to the kids, I am here to relieve you of duty."

Without hesitation Intel unsheathed his vibrosword from it's black plasteel scabbard, thrusting it just at the base of his supposed fellow Eros' neck, the blade whistling white hot. "Where is Totin? Who are you fool?"

The unknown eros stepped backwards slowly, fear in his eyes yet his hands steadily calm. "Woah, woah, calm down, Totin caught some sort of bug from lunch and is preoccupied today. He might be M.F.A for a few days while his ass calms."

The Eros moved awkwardly and continued to slowly step away from Intel's blade. With intense speed Intel whipped his wrist slashing through his supposed comrades left shoulder with ease, his genetic augments making him much stronger than the average Shaqrvit, his victims left arm flew off in the distance, a trail of blood flopping into the earth along it's way. The Eros fell back on his butt with a yelp of pain.

"Ahhhh!, what the fuck man?" He extended his right hand in front of himself , trying to shield himself from Intel, sliding backwards as he kicked the ground. "What are you doing? I'm your brot...."

Before he could finish his sentence Intel had stuck his vibroblade through the unknown Eros' chest, with harsh precision, blood erupting from his mouth covering the hilt of the blade, Intel's black and white gloves and, singing against the blade itself.

"You don't even know my name fool." Intel pulled his sword from the carcass and whistled a loud low tune that could be heard throughout the entire temple. Within seconds he heard 5 seperate whistles in return, then nothing and Intel's eyes widened. "Monkey and Thule..." With that thought Intel shot into the air as high as he could jump, just short of the clock on the clock tower and peered over towards the east of the temple to see smoke rising from a large flame. As he landed back in the ground with a large crack , the earth crumbling beneath him, he kicked up a wave of dirt dashing to the east to save his clan members.

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As Intel lunged into the Temples fairgrounds it became obvious what the fire was. The clan market had been set ablaze and Monkey, a large brutish fellow Intel had come to know as his brother and Thule, a lanky odd fellow who didn't talk much but was still part of the clan lay dead and singed on the ground. They were not by any means the strongest of Smiling Mountains' warriors or even in the top 10, however an augmented warrior wasn't normal to come across any longer. After the Long War the technology was lost and is now known by only 3 men in the entire world, one of whom exists in Kelet. Could the intruders be naturally strong enough to defeat them both. It would have to have been a small incursion to make it past Kellets sea callers.

The infinite possibilities ran through Intel's mind as he ran deeper into the Temples grounds pursuing the intruder. What did they want with Smiling Mountain, this was not an attack from a central sea clan. As Intel followed the tracks into the temple ground's library he realized what it was they were after. Monikel. The Lord of Smiling Mountain, one of the last fathers of genetics. He had his office built beneath the library but this secret was highly guarded by the higher ups of the clan and a few friends of Monikel, Intel's father included. Another question arose as Intel breezed through the library's many shelves full of Smiling Mountain clan Notetabs. Where were the others and why had they not noticed the fire and responded. 5 called back and the other 2 were dead, at the very least the temple should be on lockdown but the library's gates were deactivated. It made no sense.

Removing one of the old tomes from the book keepers drawer near the back of the library would open a passage to the Lord's secret office but it was already removed and the passage opened leading down into the office. Intel knew a confrontation was near, he could smell it. Something, not human. It didn't smell like anything Intel had smelled before, and it was now just around the bend of the staircase. As he rounded the corner of the stairs swinging into the Lords office while drawing his sword and calling his Lord's name, he witnessed a small white childlike creature over the corpse of his Lord, rummaging through his belongings, muttering odd, unintelligible ravings.