Red's Tales: Ramaga's Wrath PT 3

 Red engages in a sniper duel with Khuun the marksman, but Ramaga and his allies spring their final attack. Is even Red tough enough to get away? Also damn that song is annoying isn't it?

Red found herself in the eerily deserted shopping district just outside the spaceport. Located here were mostly the small businesses and outlet stores that clustered together. There was no sign of anyone, the area had been evacuated in case of an explosion at the spaceport. Smoke was still billowing from the port proper, looming overhead like an ominous figure to join the stormclouds in the sky.

Her side and head were still throbbing in pain from her encounter with Varlas.

An open café area was left abandoned. Plates of food and cups full of beverages lay strewn about as if all the diners had just left for the restroom at the exact same time. Aside from the distant thunders and the sirens from the port, the area was unnaturally quiet.

Red’s ear twitched. She heard something and focused in on what she heard.

When our stars intertwine, with your hand held in mine

I knew it'd be, our destiny~!

Stars! Stars! Loving you!

Ours! Ours! Forever too!

Knowing we'll be A Love Galaxy

Red barred her teeth at wherever the speaker was that was playing her most loathed song.

Has Ramaga hijacked the radios too? She thought.

She moved along, almost parallel, to a recently closed shop. There was a flash of lightning and Red saw something. A shadow. Her ears went forward on alert as she saw the shadow was unmistakably lying prone with a rifle.

As fast as she could, Red threw herself to the ground just as a blaster bolt shot through where she’d just been. She high crawled toward a small barrier that separated the café area from the street.

There was the sound of something getting hit and Red felt something warm spreading over her back. She made it to the wall and crouched low before checking herself. Her canteen had been hit and the water gushed from the blaster hole in the vessel.

A bolt punctured the concrete wall barely missing Red’s head. She had her own rifle at the ready. Another shot impacted turning the wall into slag. She was pinned down.

Khuun cursed. Something had given him away. He’d felt the Daedalian’s sudden alarm before she reacted. Unfortunately, she was quick and he’d missed a perfect shot. He could feel her fear down below and it was beautiful. He decided to toy with her for a bit, then get a wounding shot in. Bringing her alive and mostly intact would have its amusements at least. He was already feeling giddy from her fear and seeing her canteen get shot.

“Why don’t you surrender Daedalian? That wall won’t protect you for long! Throw your weapons away and I promise you won’t be shot!”

Red heard the voice. She hadn’t known what species her attacker was but the accent sounded Altheaten. Which meant he could sense her emotions and this was a problem. We could guess what she was about to do and Red had no intention of surrendering to a sniper.

A few more shots impacted the wall as the sniper tried to wear down the meager defense and also toy with Red some more. Red gasped as a piece of slag hit her leg, singeing her fur and burning her skin. She brushed the small bit away, her teeth bared and her fur bristled.

From his perch, Khuun could feel her anger and helplessness, but then he felt a surge of confidence that was troubling to him. He saw what looked like her boot sole sticking out from the wall, already relishing the thought of shooting her in the foot he fired. As soon as he’d fired Red popped out from her cover with her own rifle, having used a piece of her canteen as a decoy.

Red remembered something about why that shop had been closed; the roof was caving in on itself. She fired several high intensity shots into the roof, there was a groan, and then the whole roof collapsed. Red’s ears pricked forward as she caught a scream over the rumbling roof.

She saw her attacker throw himself out of the second story window just as the roof finished collapsing in on itself. The sniper landed in a sprawl on the dusty ground. Red sighted down her scope as he picked himself up. He snapped a clumsy shot off which missed her and began to stagger away.

With ears flattened and a snarl on her muzzle Red aimed for him. He turned to fire again just as she pulled the trigger. Khuun went down. Red counted off a few seconds and then made her way over to the antagonist. The Altheaten stared up at her with blank eyes. Dead.    

Red breathed a sigh of relief and slumped down by the wall where she’d taken cover. She was already feeling tired from her recent trip and the fights she’d been in as her injuries throbbed. She decided to rest for a bit before moving on.

**

“Khuun has failed to report in on his comms,” Mileena said.

“We can only assume that means he’s dead,” Penderre shook his head and turned to Ramaga. “Well, what now?”

He felt the confidence within the Daedalian as he spoke, “I rather thought it would come to this. Everyone equip yourselves. She’s tired by now and possibly wounded. We will all jump her. My skills are more than a match for her, but I want her alive. We’ll overpower her together.”

With that the Altheatens began to arm themselves and Ramaga inspected his blade. Mileena stood close to him drinking in his emotions. He was eager, his plan was coming together, and his concoction of emotions were beautiful.

“Soon,” Ramaga whispered, “I’ll have her at my mercy.”

He noticed Mileena who smiled at him.

“You fascinate me,” she said.

Ramaga swiveled an ear back, reached out, and patted her cheek, “Wait till you see what I’ve got in mind for her.”    

   

**

Young Red knew something was wrong that day. She could tell by her father’s appearance, who was normally composed and regal, that he stood with a clenched fist, his ears twitching in aggravation, and his body shaking. He was in a full on display of rage and pain.  

“Father,” Red called approaching him. “What’s happened,”

He turned towards her with parted ears.

“Oh, my child,” he murmured taking her into his arms.

She pressed against him knowing something was wrong. “Father, what’s happened?”

“It’s your mother. She…. she’s been murdered.”

Red’s ears went up in surprise and her muzzle fell open “No! No! That’s… that can’t happen!”

Her father tightened his grip on her as tears began to well up from her eyes.

“I know. I know.”

The two stayed like that for what seemed like hours before he broke the embrace.

“How did it happen,” Red asked. She just had to know.

Her father stared down his muzzle at her, “You deserve to know. I shouldn’t try to shield you all the time. Somehow she was away from home and she was… gunned down.”

Red shook her head. It just didn’t make sense. Why would her mother be away from home unaccompanied?

The comm device buzzed and her father answered it. Holo pictures of three Daedalians materialized.

“The ones who did the deed,” Red’s father explained. “Two are dead. The other is in custody where I’m sure he’ll be executed.”

Red’s ears pricked forward as she recognized one of the Daedalians with brown fur and chiseled features. It was the one Ramaga had been talking with!

“I know that Daedalian!” Red exclaimed.

Her father regarded her, “What?”

“He was outside the garden. Ramaga was talking to him. Ramaga!” Pieces of a puzzle fell into place in Red’s head. “Mother wouldn’t go somewhere unless she was with someone she trusted!”

Her father bared his teeth and activated the comm.

“I’m calling for the immediate arrest of blademaster Ramaga!”    

**

 

Red was not far from the port as she glanced at several of the buildings near her. She shook her head from the throbbing pain within it and the stabbing pain of her side. Taking a step she reminded herself she was close to her destination now.

Red’s ears pricked forward as she caught the sound of running feet and a blaster being activated. Pivoting on her feet, she brought her rifle up just as a human gunman came from around a corner. Red fired and ended him quickly.

Three more appeared, one with a firearm and the others carrying clubs. It appeared Ramaga had turned to local muscle. Red took the gunman out first and then shot a club wielder through the leg. She hit the third with the butt of her rifle in the torso. The man grunted and staggered back as Red fired a shot through him. Her power cells blinked out. Depleted.

It was at that moment Ramaga stepped out. His muzzle was ser in a toothy grin and his yellow eyes gleamed. His Daedalian blade was drawn. Red knew then that the thugs she’d just dealt with were only there to make her run out of ammo. Ramaga was advancing quickly and there was no time to reload. Red dropped the useless gun and drew her own Daedalian blade to meet him.

Both Daedalian’s fur bristled as they snarled and met one another with a clash of metal. Ramaga attacked viciously in a series of slashes and chops as he advanced, forcing Red on the defensive. She countered with a feint for his neck and then a slash for his torso. Ramaga parried effortlessly.

“I taught you the blade! You think you can fool me with a feint,” he stepped in with an overhead strike. Then followed with a nasty kick to Red’s stomach that caused her to stumble back.

There was the sound of more running feet and the hum of stun batons. Red whirled to see two Altheatens in riot gear. They held long stun batons that crackled with electricity and shields. Red stepped away from the first who swiped for her leg. She slashed with her Daedalian blade only for it to meet the riot shield.

The Altheaten shoved her away with the shield. A third fell in behind the two she was already fighting. She now could see that the front two were male and female and that the third was male. The Altheatens steadily advanced as Red moved away from them only to be driven back toward them by Ramaga’s blade.

There was a shout as another human muscleman made to grab Red’s swordarm. She whirled, slashed him in the gut, and he fell away. Red cried out in pain as her left shoulder was hit by an electrical current. The Altheatens had closed the distance. Her shoulder went numb and joined the pain she already felt in her head and side. Red stepped to the side of the nearest baton wielder. The Altheaten seemed surprised as Red closed the distance to strike him in the armpit.

The Altheaten reacted though, he drew his shield arm in and some sort of magnetism drew Red’s blade flat into the shield. Red gave the Altheaten an uppercut to the chin, laying him out, where his helmet didn’t protect. However, her blade was wrenched from her grasp as he fell.

Red leapt away as the other two struck at her with their batons. She drew the last weapon she had, her tooth dagger. It seemed no matter how many of her enemies she eliminated, there would be more. An older Altheaten male with a commanding presence and a sidearm accompanied by a dark haired female appeared. They waited behind the two baton wielders.

Next to Ramaga were two more human muscle who rushed for Red. Avoiding the baton wielders, Red stabbed one of the humans between the ribs. She saw the older Altheaten lining up a shot and shoved her opponent away into a stunblast.

The second human tackled her and forced her to the ground. Red’s knife fell from her grasp. Instantly, she bit into her attacker’s throat and tore. Red shoved the gurgling man away from her. Her arms were then pinned down above her head at the wrists. There were too many of them, one of the Altheatens threw themselves on her legs.

Red struggled against her assailants, but even her Daedalian strength wasn’t enough and she only writhed in place. She felt the prick of a syringe in her arm and she knew she’d been drugged. She felt her body and limbs grow heavy and her struggles grow less. The last thing she saw before a rag was pressed against her muzzle and she blacked out was Ramaga’s leering face.

Link to original story: https://www.deviantart.com/mercenaryblade/art/Red-s-Tales-Ramaga-s-Wrath-PT3-642376782