[M] Retribution IV: Rebirth

[Trixie]

With a thud that could be felt to her very core First Sergeant Beatrix Zulenka landed on her feet and immediately pushed into a quick sprint. Instead of letting the Empire have Caen Spaceport, Thule’s Third Aerial Strike Force decided it was best to level the complex. Staff Sergeant Masters had been caught in the blast with another Corporal from Able Company. Sliding through the mud Trixie coasted under a wooden fence by the farm house she had been scouting. To this day the Invasion had been going on for several months. The Capital was still secure, but the Command had vastly underestimated how much territory they were going to have to secure around it. Rolling horizontally to the edge of a hedgerow, Zulenka crawled her way over and down into the miniature trench Able Company had carved out. Heavy rain had started a week ago and it hadn’t let up since. Everything was caked with mud or soaked completely with rain water at this point. Communications had been shut down the previous week by Thule resistance fighters as they took back the ground initially won by Zulenka and Masters.

It was a god damn nightmare. Trixie fell into her spot with a thud, feeling the cold mud press into her armor. Removing her helmet, she peeled soaking red hair from her cheeks. Placing the worn piece of armor to her side she reached into her chest compartment and removed a pack of cigarettes. With a frown she squeezed the water out of them and tossed the ruined package aside. Taking up her issued blaster rifle, the red-headed NCO removed the battery cell. Pressing a little button on the side she watched as the indicator revealed how much juice was left in the cell. Reloading the cartridge into her weapon she set it down and leaned her head back against the dirt wall of the trench. Somehow they had managed to stay concealed from the enemy for over a week. Rations were down to a minimum with drinking water being a non-issue presently.

Trixie sighed and closed her eyes as the men around her quietly chattered amongst themselves. Her second in command, her best friend since training, and at one time or another, her fuck buddy had been killed. Staff Sergeant Masters was irreplaceable. Henderson was reliable and her first choice of replacement, but she’d give anything to have Masters back.

“Sarge, are you okay?” Henderson asked as he sat down against the opposite wall.

The rain steadily poured in through the heavy foliage covering the entrenched Able Company. Trixie absorbed his words as cool drops of rain pelted her face. She wasn’t really okay. War exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her. She longed for a break from the front lines.

***

The mistress did not know how she knew, but she knew regardless that the man now standing shackled in Sia’s quarters was a paladin. Argento took a half step back as Trixie’s pupils ignited furiously with bright neon pink energy. As if being ripped at by some unseen force his shackles were wrenched open and dropped to the floor.

“I am Beatrix Zulenka.” She said handing him an apple from the fruit bowl on Sia’s table. “Eat. You look like you’ve been kept in the lower pens for quite some time.”

With a sigh Trixie walked past the paladin and secured the door.

“Welcome to the quote on quote upper class of slavery. We make enough money for our owners that they want us in the absolute best state for each battle. If I had to guess, you are our back up for the upcoming fight.”

Argento took a bite out of the apple with gusto, continuing to consume the piece of fruit as Trixie pulled a chair from the bar out and offered it to him. As the paladin reluctantly took a seat, Trixie opened up the refrigerator and took out two bottles of water and slid one across the bar counter to Argento. As she twisted off the cap and poured the cold liquid into her mouth he watched her, analyzing her mannerisms.

“I hope you sleep well, because tomorrow is the fight.” Trixie said, placing the bottle of water down on countertop.

The red-headed Sith Warrior briefly explained how Belial was tired of Jorgan and how she had been earning the Tyrant Lord so much money that he had chosen to keep her alive over letting his Quartermaster live.

“So instead of outright just executing him he’s staging a fight where me, you, and my personal guard Sia are going to fight him. I skirmished with him briefly out in the wastes and I’ll tell you that he is no joke.”

Trixie brushed her hair from her eyes. “For something of his size he can move incredibly fast. His ability to regenerate mortal wounds is second to none. If we bring him down, we’re going to have to bring him down hard.”

 The paladin and the Sith locked eyes and for a second they could see into each other’s minds. Trixie’s irises had returned to their faded pink color, but Argento knew what lay behind them just by sizing up the woman before him. He could sense the tone of urgency coming from the mistress’ words. This Quartermaster Jorgan had wronged her.

***

It was the calm before the storm that fateful day outside of East City. The 105th Infantry Division had dug themselves into the ground on the eastern border ready to defend their homes, their lives, and their children. A quick look at the soldiers would tell someone they were nervous and were afraid of things to come; they were. A battalion is only as good as it's leader and for this defensive position they had two. A Saiyan hailing from the far reaches of the universe and his beautiful wife. The two of them posed an impeccable defensive formation that the cities commanders were gazing at in awe.

Beatrix the wife of this veteran Saiyan officer was stationed behind the lines manning the massive artillery cannons protected by steel defilades two feet thick. She was the mathematician calculating where they should fire and how often. It wasn't just any exploding shell they were launching into other human beings; they were catapulting a depleted energy round that would sear the flesh of anyone within a three-hundred-foot range. The weapons had been recently acquired as part of a military contract through South City for this very occasion.

 The mistress' hair blew into her eyes as she drew on a map that laid out the surrounding area west of the city. It was a warm breeze coming off of the ocean; the aroma of salt filling her nostrils. She looked up to see her husband giving a lecture to a few soldiers who looked to be quaking with fear; Vad Zulenka, a military genius on the battlefield. His automatic rifle was slung around his back; deciding to use normal weaponry was a better way to lead his men who weren't as gifted as he was. The ability to manipulate and secrete metal was good for offensive maneuvers, but this was defense. She returned to her map and wrote down her calculations on a piece of scrap paper and moved toward the first battery.

Taking hold of the vertical calibration keypad she punched in her figures and the gun's motor kicked on and began adjusting the weapon to the first position. She repeated the process with the other three, saluting each gunner as she passed. The sun was bright, visibility was good, and she could get maximum range out the weapons and she intended to use it.

Vad placed a hand on one of the privates' shoulders. He never held compassion for anyone, but on the battlefield he was a leader. It wasn't compassion, it was a self-righteous want to keep everything in perfect order, but he did it with sincerity that came off as being trustworthy and forgiving; the men he commanded were inspired.  He stood up within the trench and moved along the line nodding to his left and right as he passed. It was nearing noon and the invasion force was due within the next couple of minutes. The ex-assassin looked up into the sky and examined the fluffy clouds passing overhead.

A single round pierced the silence and ricocheted off of the full-blood's armor. A loud pang type sound spread through the entrenched group and back to the artillery batteries. Like clock-work four ear splitting bangs broke the silence of the beautiful afternoon. One mile out four separate fireballs burst from the ground showering molten Earth onto whatever lie below.

"Hold your positions!" Shouted Vad. "Let them come."

He grinned knowing what was in store; behind him and to the right was a turret. This turret was painted in urban camouflage and covered with thick netting around the barrel. It was a rail gun meant for one thing; destroying enemy armor quickly and effectively. The best part is that it was automated; the Saiyan could link himself to it using his telekinetic gift and aim the weapon to where he located armor.

"Sir! Enemy APC 2 'o' clock!"  Screamed a voice from the line.

Trixie's eyes darted and noticed the vehicle moving through the dense foliage toward the northern line. Directing her husband's vision to the vehicle telepathically another loud bang, different from the intermittent explosions coming from behind the line, rang out. The halftrack exploded into shreds of metal and body parts. Flames billowed from within the metal frame as living soldiers tried to escape the burning vehicle; it was a sight to be seen and not forgotten.

Trixie’s mind was her own again, but she was still asleep in Sia’s bed. Suddenly the world fell away from her and she was standing before the mirror image of herself again.

“YOU! How did you access that memory!? You are not him!” Her replica screamed in anger.

“If you’d tell me who it is the fuck you were talking about maybe I could answer your question!” Trixie shouted back.

This time she felt her own anger. It was enough that she was in literal hell, but to be accused of being linked to someone she didn’t know and to have her accuser look exactly like her was nothing short of stressful. The red-headed mistress felt her previous life creep into her dark force energy enveloped her right hand. Plunging her fist into the chest of her doppelganger the mistress awoke to the crackle of the hearth fire dying and Argento snoring.  

 

***

The day had finally arrived. Sia had not come back to the room last night so Trixie and Argento had been forced to establish a plan without her present. The paladin had gracefully accepted sleeping on the floor by the hearth fire to let Trixie have the only bed in the small studio like apartment. The plan was going to be relatively simple out of the gate. Mistress Zulenka had obtained a suit of field plate from the armory and a pair of holy weapons for him to use from contraband storage. Having free reign of the Citadel had its’ perks and with Sia too preoccupied to stop her Trixie had been able to scout the upper and lower levels. Argento was going to be the shield wall to harass Jorgan and whatever he had up his sleeve so Trixie and Sia could act. Both slaves agreed that relying on each other was mutual and to have each other’s back during the fight.

Glowing red beams of light creeped through the sealed shudders of Sia’s room in the early hours on the day of the fight. Trixie had made her new paladin acquaintance a bed out of spare pillows in front of the hearth. He was sound asleep as this was the first time he had been able to really sleep on a surface other than stone. Mistress Zulenka’s vision was blurry in the dim light as she pushed against the satin sheets and rolled over to examine the digital clock on the night stand. She dropped her clenched fist on the snooze button which made a loud thud as the buzzing alarm ceased to echo through the room. Beatrix grumbled to quietly to herself and pushed out her arms and legs into a big stretch. With a huge yawn she dropped her head back into the numerous pillows leaving the pile of red hair covering her face alone. The silk night gown she had thrown on had partially fallen down her left arm exposing that half of her bosom. Trixie’s hair was frizzled and she looked exhausted. Sleep was a luxury she could rarely afford even on good nights. Sia had not come back for the night; she was probably busy readying everything for the fight. Tyrant Lord Belial was going to have his personal army in and around the stadium to keep the peace should Jorgan try to bend or break the rules. Trixie dropped the night gown to the floor and kicked it onto the sleeping paladin’s back with her feet. Wrenching open the dresser drawer that contained underwear and bras, the red-headed pit fighter rummaged through the assorted colors and combinations until she hit the bottom. Sia always kept tight fitted spandex undergarments for serious fighting; one wouldn’t wear lace panties into a sword fight. You wanted to be comfortable if you could help it.

Slipping her feet into the tight fitting panties Trixie pulled them up over her butt and let the elastic slap against her smooth skin. Stepping into her skin tight leather pants she pulled the protective layer up to her waist and tied the strings. Fastening the steel belt, she pulled it taught. Taking the sports bra from the bed she planted a bare foot sternly into Argento’s lower back to wake the paladin. He jerked awake and spun around inside his blankets, out of habit, to face his attacker only to be met with a view of his topless roommate.

“Game time. Get on whatever clothes you have.” Trixie could care less that he could see her bosom.

She slipped into the sports bra and headed into the kitchen, pressing the power button on the coffee maker. Within seconds it began to gurgle as the water was heated and passed through the filter, dripping the liquid energy they both were going to need before having to head over to the armory. Tossing a basic set of clothes to the groggy paladin, Trixie took two mugs from the cabinet and placed them on the bar counter.

“How do you take your coffee, paladin?” She asked nonchalantly, leaning onto the counter letting her hair hang over her face.

“I do have a name other than paladin you know.” Argento replied as he slid the t-shirt over his previously shirtless body. “And to answer your question…black.”

“Good man.” Trixie grinned in agreement as she poured the newly brewed steaming liquid into the mugs.

As the paladin entered the kitchen nook from their established sleeping area she handed him a mug and took a sip from her own.

“You act like you’ve never seen a woman naked before, Argento. If you can’t handle seeing my tits, then how good can you be at spilling blood?” Trixie joked, smiling to herself.

“A paladin such as myself lives with a certain set of rules. It is dishonorable to gaze upon a woman whom you are not wed to.”

Trixie nearly spit out her coffee as she burst out laughing. “You think you need to be married to me to see my boobs? I could care less if you saw me naked whilst pleasuring myself. It’s just a naked body, paladin. There are far greater things to worry about.”

With a grin she clinked her mug against his and walked towards the apartment door. A note had been left on the door.

From Sia.

Once you’re up and sufficiently awake come to the armory. We need to get the paladin his gear and get ourselves armed.

“Come, Paladin. It is time.”

Placing his mug down Argento followed Trixie out of Sia’s apartment and down the hallway. Two royal demonic guards were waiting to escort the duo to the armory where Sia was waiting. Previously Argento had noticed that demons were snarling at him being a paladin or disgusted by his presence, but now because he was in league with this fellow slave his presence was completely ignored. Even the Royal Guard which had treated him the worst seemed to have an aura of protection about them. They were to maintain the safety of Lord Belial’s prize fighters at all costs. Even if it were to cost other demons or evil entities their lives. While he respected the amount of loyalty they showed he was disgusted that they’d turn on their own just like simply because he was worth a lot of money in a gladiatorial arena.

Trixie sipped quietly on her coffee as they descended down several flights of stairs in the citadel. The temperature slowly dipped as they passed the general population slave pens. The armory was by the main entrance. Everything Trixie had used in her previous fights had been moved into the small room lined with tables and shelves of equipment. When they arrived Sia was already completely suited up, her titanium baseball bat tied to her back.

“About damn time. What did they take you the long way?” She shot the royal guard escort a mean look before turning to the paladin.

“I managed to secure a set of blessed field plate, a divine war hammer, and a tower shield engraved with your holy symbol. Belial has allowed you full access to your divine abilities for the course of the battle.”

Argento creased his brow. “What would a demon know of the divine?”

Sia laughed. “Quite a bit I’m afraid. Just gear up and get ready.”

Trixie was slipping a pair of fingerless splint mail gloves on as Sia walked over. She began tying the leather cords that were hanging from the breastplate that Trixie had slipped on. Pressing against the mistress’ bosom, Sia fastened the thick plate armor in place. Grabbing a gladius from the table the blond knelt down and fed the belt on the sheathe between Trixie’s legs fastening the leather holder to her right thigh. Mistress Zulenka slid her arms into a weapon harness and tightened it around her chest. Grabbing a handful of pristine throwing knives from the table she carefully slid each one into the leather holder stitched into the side of the harness. Grabbing the two pistols from the table Trixie loaded a clip into each before holstering them.

Picking up the final weapon from the table, the red-head warrior twirled the guandao carefully around her person before flourishing the blade, stopping short of Sia’s throat as she approached.

“Where were you last night?” Trix stared intently at her watcher as Argento readied the hammer he had been given.

“I was where you first appeared when you were first banished. I stole some of Jorgan’s serum just in case we needed to heal you during the fight in a pinch. I was getting it put into syrettes.”

Trixie lowered the blade at the sight of a small case of medical devices in the bag at Sia’s waist. However, that wasn’t convincing enough. With a quick slash Trixie took the head of the blond woman who immediately dropped to the floor. Within seconds her corpse had turned black and began to bubble away, exposing that she had been an imposter.

“Just as I thought. Come, Paladin!” Trixie took off sprinting towards the arena door.

With an angry roar the mistress bust through the wooden paneling and exploded onto the arena floor to the amazement of the crowd and Jorgan who was standing in the center with Sia. With a huge burst of force energy, the Sith Warrior ripped Sia from her bindings and carried the blond woman over to Argento. The crowd erupted into applause and simultaneous booing towards Quartermaster Jorgan.

Belial’s thundering voice echoed through the arena, “You have sealed your fate Jorgan. Whether or not this slave ends you, your life is forfeit. GUARDS! SEAL THE EXITS!”

With a low growl Jorgan drew his sabre and turned to face the red-head slave who had costed him everything.

“You! Slave! Because of you I have lost everything!” He bellowed, ripping off his cloak exposing the monstrous fusion of bone and undead flesh that was his body.

With a nimble swipe of her bladed polearm Trixie freed Sia from her bonds. Resting the weapon on the ground the mistress drew her gladius and tossed the blade to her blond comrade.

“Looks like we got here just in time, eh Sia?”

The crowd erupted into applause as the trio spread out and circled to the right.

“ARGENTO!” Trixie shouted just as Jorgan charged.

The paladin, as if he were on the same wave length with the red-head, planted his shield firmly against his arm. As the mistress came barreling at him she leapt at the last second, placing both heels to the steel tower shield. With a grunt the paladin used his divine strength to toss Mistress Zulenka high into the air. Winding up her newly awakened force powers she cocked back and skillfully drove the bladed polearm forward like a javelin, accelerating the weapon with her force abilities. Jorgan was unable to dodge in time, the blade piercing his right shoulder. However now the blade staff was planted firmly into the arena floor. Down came Trixie onto the Quartermaster, her fist lined with throwing knives, planting her blow directly onto his face. Pushing off his chest she left the blades stuck in his rotting flesh and with a back flip landed on the ground next to Sia, who tossed the gladius back before summoning her bat to her hands.

Knock, knock! Sia was inhumanly fast and was already on Jorgan teeing up on his body with her bat. The noise a metal bat makes when it shatters bone is almost musical. Argento wasted no time joining in with a flash of golden light.

“Curse you!” Jorgan roared in agony as he was beaten back.

Trixie twirled her gladius as the monstrosity before her batted away both of her comrades and charged forward. Time seemed to slow down as the veteran Imperial soldier dropped into a stance, digging her feet into the dirt floor of the arena. The roar of the crowd became white noise as the hulk built of bone and rotting flesh charged towards her. When Jorgan vanished Sia knew something had gone wrong. Zulenka could feel the cold penetration of steel into the flesh of her belly. The force threw the mistress against the coliseum wall. Beatrix hit the wall first followed by her blade which planted itself blade first inches away from her left ear. She could hear Argento’s call out to her, but no words made it through the ringing in her ears. Within seconds the gushing blood from her torso had stopped and the flesh was sewing itself back together. Placing a gloved hand on the blade of the gladius the red-headed pit-fighter pushed herself to her feet just as Jorgan was upon her.

Argento’s eyes were engulfed in golden light as he heaved his hammer towards the monstrosity attacking his comrade. Just as Jorgans’ fist came bearing down it was met with the divine war hammer wielded by the paladin. Trixie was pulled between Jorgan’s legs violently by Sia who tossed the red-head into the air where she could regain her balance and land on her feet. The blow from the holy weapon made the Quartermaster’s hand explode and shower the vicinity with blood and flesh. It wasn’t without reprisal though as his cleaver found Sia’s right arm and severed it at the shoulder, pouring fresh blood onto the arena floor. With a cry of anger Trixie fired off a quick bolt of lightning from her arm that tore through Quartermaster Jorgan, forcing him to stumble off whilst trying to defend against the paladin’s attacks.

Without missing a beat Trixie sheathed her gladius and sprinted over to the blond, ripping off the plate armor around her chest.

“Hang in there, Sia.” Trixie pressed her hands to the open wound, feeling the warm crimson liquid between her fingers.

Pressing into the wound she felt around for the severed artery and shattered bone as the medical team approached accompanied by royal guards.

“We’ll take care of her, slave. You have a fight to attend to. Belial will make sure his most trusted Lieutenant is taken care of.”

With an angry nod Trixie took hold of Sia’s blood stained bat and sprinted off towards Argento who was beginning to buckle under Jorgan’s immense power.

“PALADIN!” Trixie bellowed as she came up behind him.

Like clockwork he raised his shield as Trixie leapt to it, jumping from it. Gripping the bat with both hands she unleashed a scream of pure rage. Her eyes lit up red like a dying star and black electricity coursed through her arms and up to the weapon she was readying. Bringing the makeshift signature weapon of her blond comrade down upon Jorgan’s head she carved through his skull and down into his torso. With one final shout she extended an open palm to the injured Quartermaster and pushed him as hard as she could muster against the arena wall where he collided with a sickening crunch.

Landing just in front of her newly acquired paladin friend, Trixie dropped to one knee and pulled a bone spike from her stomach. Tossing the bloodied appendage to the side she wiped the blood from her mouth and cursed the resilience of her enemy.

He got me with a spine through all of that?

It was like being hit by a freight train as the noise of the crowd broke through the adrenaline induced silence. Jorgan was having increased difficulty getting up and the stadium was demanding she finish him off. With an angry growl Trixie had much more in store for the monster who had so brutally tortured her. Grabbing his handless arm, she ripped it from his person showering herself and the nearby fans with fresh demonic blood. The cheering grew louder as she took a dagger from her belt and jabbed it into his eye socket. Forcefully dragging him away from the wall she drove the blade deeper into his skull, making the giant monstrosity scream in agony.

“SCREAM! SCREAM IN PAIN AND I MIGHT GRANT YOU A SWIFT DEATH!” Trixie spat as she roared, driving her dagger into the wound she had inflicted with the bat.

Carving through his demonic body Trixie removed his other arm and kicked his armless body towards the center of the ring where Argento was ready with his hammer.

“Smite him, Paladin! Make him feel your divine wrath!” Trixie demanded of her companion.

Driving the blade of her dagger through the back of Jorgan neck she wrenched his body into an upright position before twisting the blade and ripping it sideways, taking the Quartermaster’s head from his body. Gripping the mutilated head of her opponent Trixie held it high above her for all of the crowd to see.

“Is this what you want to see!” She screamed, the warm sensation of her quarry’s blood dripping down her arm.

The lifeless corpse of Quartermaster Jorgan dropped onto it’s back before it was engulfed in purple flame and incinerated to the amusement of the stadium crowd. Belial’s laugher could be heard echoing through the air.

It was finally over.