Chapter 5

"Equivax", Kied called, "hail and blades"

He was going to play fair, Kied decided, Novic was out of cosmic beasts so using Hypernox would seem like he was "cheating". He wanted to win fair and square, and to make his wish come true he was going to make things even - something which Novic wouldn't consider doing in a thousand lifetimes.

Equivax's palms fell upon the ideoideograms ushering them into calculated combinations, he structured commands which were sent to the Aegis' not so centralized system, because for Kied and from experience, anything centralized was not fluid and Kied's definition of supremacy was being volatile and fluid.

Those massive, armoured cannons numbering hundreds emerged from the Aegis' basements, taking aim at the Zark's attacking army, unleashing a storm of halos upon them. He didn't just say hail, did he ? Kied smiled as a now devolved Hypernox landed on his left shoulder, now an eagle. He hoped that Equivax hadn't forgotten his other toy, he was just joking, Hypernox reading his mind cooed delightfully, knowing from experience that Equivax was a database himself.

Those savage whirring sounds erupted from all corners as those metallic boomerangs emerged, each bearing four mighty blades, they poured out of the Aegis' armour, spinning, they sliced their way through the distance, aiming at no other direction other than the enemy's. That was what he meant by hail and blades, Kied sighed satisfactorily, stroking Hypernox on the head, he fed him another ball of fire.

The collision was chaotic as both blades and cannons cut through the Zark's fleet. Novic stared petrified, seeing the firepower which Kied's cannons possessed, but his fear soon turned into rage as he ordered another volley of halos upon Kied's battleship.

As always, they came with all the fury and might the Zark's battleships could offer making the atmosphere steam. His grin not twitching one bit, kied clicked his thumb, enacting a forcefield around the Aegis. The halos fell upon this shield like a maddened thunderstorm, exploding, they made their deadly impact - to flames - consume Kied and his battleship. But was that all Zark Novic could give ? If it was, then it just wasn't enough. The flames burnt out unveiling an unscratched battleship and a grinning Kied before the Zark's army.

"I thought for one moment Hypernox", Kied intoned, "that we were finished"

Hypernox cooed flapping his wings.

"That means our work isn't done yet"

A high pitched screech arose from Hypernox's roaring beak, affirmating Kied's statement.

"Anchors !" Novic yelled.

They thought capturing his ship with anchors would do any good, Kied grinned to the thought. Maybe another session would teach the old Zark the same lesson, what a boring way to live, Kied reasoned, yawning to himself.

"Equivax", he called again, "hail and blades"

The cannons recharged themselves for another volley of halos with the bladed boomerangs tearing out from the ship's armour. Both fell upon the sailing anchors which had been released from Novic's cannons, tearing straight for Kied's ship. That explosion erupted towering high into the sky, the impact blew past Kied making his hair flutter. The fiery storm cleared away unveiling Novic's frustrated countenance, a pleasurable sight indeed.

"Equivax", Kied summoned, "clear the way for a head-on battle"

"Lead the way Kied", Equivax replied from within.

The ranks of cannons retracted back into the Aegis, so did the boomerangs which swirled around, clasping onto its armour.

Seeing this Novic became fired with a desire to have his pound of flesh. If Kied was retreating then he wouldn't let him get away without leaving a mark, an injury that would make him regret thwarting his well laid plans.

"Attack !" Novic ordered.

His now leftover ranks of battleships and carpets charged at the Aegis, ready for a head-on collision.

"Infantry take your places !" His marksmen with their laser crossbows took their positions on the battlecarpets, taking aim at the Aegis, especially at Kied.

"Cannons charge !" The cannons emerged from his battleships' armour, preparing to unleash another fusillade of halos.

"Chariots forward !" The interstellar chariots zoomed through the distance, their bladed wings tore open, slicing through the air.

"Fire !"

At his command that storm of laser beams and halos came crashing upon the Aegis. Hypernox flapped his wings, a sign of defiance, daring the Zark's army to do their worst. Unfazed by the storm either, Kied wasn't ready to raise the shield, he had said something earlier, didn't he ? Something about clearing the way for a head-on battle. And that was exactly what he wanted to do.

"Equivax, into battle", he ordered.

The Aegis charged forward, launching itself into that storm of halos and laser beams which fell and bounced off harmlessly from its armour, rapidly closing the distance between it and the advancing Zolastran fleet.

Novic had been taken aback by Kied's move, he had expected him to retreat, but that was something Kied never did, especially when he had unfinished "issues" to solve. "Matters" like these which mattered most to him.

"Fire !" Novic flared, ordering another storm of halos upon the attacking Aegis.

Kied stared fearlessly, watching the halos and beams fly past him and his ship. Those that struck its armour didn't even make a dent in its structure. He enjoyed watching them try, seeing their efforts amount to nothing gave him a bit of satisfaction, but he wanted to be fully satisfied in knowing that not only had he come in the way of Novic achieve his motive, he had also taken his revenge upon the Zark.

Closing his eyes for the first time, Kied's grin faded away and a burning tear rolled down his left cheek, the hidden part of his face. Never, they weren't ever going to see his tears, he had learnt over time to keep his emotions tame especially during battle. The wounds were still fresh, a wound which wasn't caused by a blade or a dagger, it was a wound which had taken its place within him through experience. He preferred battle wounds to such injuries, it was a never ending stabbing spree which made him go mad with heat and fury, and the Zark had a hand in it, so today, he was going to pay dearly for what he had done.

That grin etched itself on his lips again, making his right and exposed eye glisten in its dark intensity. As halos and beams whizzed by, Kied took in the air allowing the heat of battle sink deep into his lungs, he wanted it to course its way through his entire being, he wanted to feel it's sensations underneath the hardened soles of his feet, he wanted it to be him, he wanted to be the battle.

"Hypernox", he said, "prepare for chaos"