Young Writers Society

Chapter 4- 35153

Getting caught was one of the stupidest mistakes I ever made. I’m an Esperian, the best of the best. A lot better than these idiots in the Galactic Imperial Navy.

‘Hey baby keep it up!’

Men were shouting at me like pigs, watching me do my pull ups through the force field that was my cell door.

This was going to be the rest of my life and why? Because I disagreed with a system that said let’s keep some people in power and let’s keep others weak.

As an Esperian I believe in being strong, in being the toughest and best I could be. That is why I can’t live in this damned system that keeps a being as powerful as me down.

'Hello Prisoners.'

I didn’t care who was walking in, probably whoever had been put in charge of us, some kid who didn’t know what he was doing.

'You are here for whatever crimes the Empire have convicted you of, be it piracy, rebellion or whatever treason you have committed.'

Crimes, like it was a crime to bring freedom from their tyranny of the Empire, tyranny masked under better trade routes and more trade in the galaxy, masked under access to technology they should be giving us, masked under protection on journeys, journeys like the one I was being forced to take behind this forcefield.

Don’t get me started on the protection racket, they call it protection from others but other than the Czirnicks no planet has really needed protection hey couldn’t handle themselves, except from the Empire. They said the Deevorii were a threat but if the rebels could reason with them why didn’t the Empire do that before the last war rather than after it.

Footsteps coming closer to my cell; oh fwad don’t try and stand up for me soldier boy.

‘You men calm down!’

Some kid wearing a Lieutenant’s uniform getting angry at these jerks.

I saw his wondering eyes glance my way.

Why is he looking me in the eyes? He in love or something.

‘I ain’t gotta listen to you, you justa stoopid lil kid be thinking you a big man!’

The stupid little kid is unlocking the ugly pigs cell. He even looks like a pig and he must be twice the size of this young officer.

I sure as hell hope the kid doesn’t die; it’d be annoying to think some jackass died trying to protect my honour. I might feel like I owe his stupidity.

CRACK.

Damn the kid just broke pig face’s jaw.

‘Gentlemen, some of your fellow residents are in fact females, some of the officers are female; if any of you think of treating anyone with any disrespect I will do more than break your jaw. My name is Lieutenant Manoj Shakra but you will refer to me as sir.’

‘No ways you do that.’

THWACK

Pigface should’ve just shut up, this guy had something to prove and ouch that kick to the gut must’ve hurt.

‘Did I make myself clear?’

The whole block must’ve said yes sir.

Lieutenant Manoj must’ve been told to do that, a fresh-faced Lieutenant wouldn’t know that in prison you take on the biggest meanest guy and the rest will respect you.

I’m not a guy however and I do not like the way he glances in my direction at all.

I figure I’ll just do some push ups.

Oh crap! Mr Sir is walking over to my cell with his wandering eyes.

Maybe he liked the push ups.

‘35513?’ Like he didn’t know.

‘Yes sir.’ Saluting a Lieutenant feels weird. I was a Lieutenant Commander only last year after all. One of the best but being good ain’t worth a damn if you’re not the one benefitting from your own abilities.

‘I used to know an Esperian at the Academy.’

Why in God’s name was that relevant? Should I reply with I used to date obnoxious idiots that beat up the toughest guys that they could find.

‘Well good for you sir.’

He walked away sadly. He wasn’t staring at me like the pigs, he had his heart broken.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen that expression on some idiot’s face who one time dating or asked out some woman who looked exactly like me and now they thought talking to me was going to help or whatever.

‘What you even on then Mr Sir?’

‘What?’

He turned around, why I was being kind to him I don’t know; maybe I realised this would be the only half decent company I get for ages and I didn’t need to make enemies of the only people that would at least try to treat me with decency.

‘Why you care I look like some woman you used to know?’

‘She was my wife.’

‘Oh.’

I hadn’t ever considered getting married, most Esperians don’t because it’s sort of a taboo, we were designed to be the perfect weapons and to be honest it’s harder to be a weapon when you think about the people at home that care for you.

We aren’t allowed to be weak, we are supposed to be the Emperor’s personal weapons.

I remember when I rebelled, my people took me to their courts; they scoffed at me. I was a failure as an Esperian, I was just ‘a fool’, ‘a traitor to my own kind.’; ‘I didn’t deserve the name Esperian.’

‘You don’t expect me to be like her, we aren’t all alike you moron.’

He was a moron, a cog in the military system trying to keep order where it didn’t need to be kept.

‘You’ll keep a civil tone then Prisoner 4479.’

I’d offended the poor buggar. Perhaps he thought he could fwad me and remember his missus who’d probably left him in his sleep; he seemed like a spineless sort.

I didn’t care about him calling me a number, I was an Esperian, the Empire had already given me a number.

Chapter 5- Pielar

I was going to have a Lieutenant in charge who was a year younger than me.

I’d served my Empire for years, through the Deevorii wars.

BASH

These idiots were supposed to be well trained, but they were dropping medical supplies.

‘You what’s your name?’

It was a young rudy haired boy cowering before me.

‘Jan sir.’

‘Do you know how to use a forklift son?’

‘No sir.’

Absolute idiot, he could hurt others or himself.

‘Then why are you operating one?’

I was livid, maybe I shouldn’t be taking it out on the boy.

‘I completely agree.’

A robotic translator spoke behind me.

Doc was a Zard, a reptilian species that couldn’t talk to us humans because they spoke using smells.

I looked at the quadruped as he walked past us as if he wasn’t vermin who we looked down upon.

‘You humans are incompetent, you should be more careful.’

His face turned to me as he walked back.

‘Ensign, keep this welp in check.’

Although strictly speaking the Doctor wasn’t my superior it was still considered with some weight in star ship matters.

I wondered what odour I’d have to make to tell him what I think of him.

His species left the Deevorii and joined the Empire and that’s why when I enlisted hundreds of my friends and comrades died, when the rest of the Deevorii sent their Estrani soldiers to take back what they felt was rightfully theirs.

I had almost died fighting for the right for that asinine creature to speak to me that way.

Jan started loading up the fork lift again.

I saw 3 crew hands walk past, all were as close to street trash as you could get. Millions of deaths in the war had reduced us to let even more vagrants into the Imperial Navy.

‘You there!’

I pointed at one.

‘Me sir?’

‘Yes you, what’s your name?’

‘Manwell sir. Cade Manwell.’

‘Well Mr Manwell can you use a forklift?’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Then why is the ignorant cabin boy doing it?’

Mr Manwell got straight to helping the cabin boy and the other two crew hands ran looking for jobs to do, they knew I wasn’t in the mood after dealing with that scaly vermin.

I hope I don’t get sick during this 2-week voyage.

I didn’t want to see that ugly creature again.

Lieutenant Manoj and Lieutenant Codfold walked from the cell block and I stood to attention.

I needed to do well, this voyage I hoped to finally make Lieutenant, 5 years as Ensign had been enough for me.

I needed to do well at all cost.

‘1st Ensign I need you to take some crewmen afterwards and go through the stores for the Captain.’

‘Yes sir.’

He was less intimidating than I had heard, the hero of Dawnbreaker.

Hmm.

He didn’t look like a bad officer or even a bad man but I had heard of a man taking on an army with just a troop.

I’d been in war; I’d been lead by men I would consider heroes, they commanded the room with their very presence.

This man seemed too normal.

I grabbed the Cabin Boy.

The Vermin was right about something, I should make sure that this young man learnt how to work properly.

Another crewman walked past, there were thirty or forty so on-board ship, they were fairly interchangeable.

‘You come follow me.’

‘Yes sir.’

Tommarade I think his name was.

I could tell by his voice he was street trash, probably worse than the Manwell fellow.

It was just 2 weeks, then I’d be a Lieutenant.

I suppose most think I like the power of the role, maybe they are right but to me, I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t been given it before.

It was the principle you see.

Manoj had been through one battle and I had fought in dozens.

I could see the Estrani, their tusk like teeth knowing at my friends and snouts roaring and the hulking Trogladytes used their four arms to pin us down.

They liked to keep us alive as they did it.

In school I had learnt about other aliens, the Deevorii alliance and heard how they helped us fight off the dreaded Czirnicks.

I had always admired them back then. I used to pretend to be the Deevorii leaders like Nagash or Groam but then I grew up and I fought against the Deevorii alliance and their Estrani were the worst and most brutal.

I still had nightmares, I had survived living through those and here I was sorting out logistics with crewmen, I was still a Lieutenant.

It was like the Empire didn’t give a fwad about my service.

‘What are these supplies we are categorising then sir?’

‘Oxygen, Weapons, Food. Simple things to help out our Zard allies on the front.’

‘Front? The war is over sir, there is a treaty Mr Pielar, it was in the news and everything.’

Maybe to him the war was over but we were entering space devasted by that war, rebellions had emerged to fight the trade routes and stop the Empire who they thought had screwed them over.

But they couldn’t fight the Empire, it was the only way they took as little damage as they had taken, even if it felt like they had been through hell.

‘The war might’ve ended kid but for some of us it’ll never be over.’

I just imagined the Estrani’s crawling all over the battle field, seeing my friends bleeding out and losing the battles.

If I saw another Estrani, I swear I’ll kill it, they were monsters all of them.

Chapter 6- Teergan

Humans are so weak, to be captured by them, caged, locked like an animal led to the slaughter, it is dishonourable.

But I deserve more dishonour than this.

I am a mass murderer.

One human said once he had become death.

I always thought that was just the melodrama associated with his kind but it was true, I had become death, I could feel it, like the souls of those who had died were calling to me, damning me.

Prison is for criminals; that’s what we are told. That’s why I’m here in this cell.

In my culture to be a warrior was the greatest thing a man could do; I was an engineer, I did battle against the engines themselves, enemies of all organics since they were invented, you would keep them working and suddenly they would fight back and try to ruin your plans for victory.

Such is the way of all machines.

It is ironic that I, Teergan Destroyer of Worlds would be captured because of engine failure.

The Engine knew what I had done, he knew my shame, he wanted me to be caught.

My culture!

Looking upon these cells, the scum that sit in them aren’t just lawbreakers, these are the worst of the worst and I am among them, these are my kind now. I no longer have the honour to call myself Deevorii, I do not deserve to be called Estrani.

I feel no pity for me.

‘Oi beautiful!’ they are screaming at a female prisoner I presume.

I may be their kind now, but I still think of Foyga and her beautiful strong arms.

All I can do to avoid the other prisoners unwanted attention is stare at the wall, the blank expressionless piece of metal I would call my home for the next few weeks. I will never see Foyga or Jk'kkr or Hama or even Esme again.

We are allowed to have one picture of our loved ones, a kindness I presume but how can I stare into the smile of my child knowing what I have become? Even if I became a killer to save him.

'Hello Prisoners.'

An interruption. Our new masters have arrived at last to treat us how we deserve to be treated.

I stared at the human from the other side of the forcefield, he was skinny for an officer, I didn’t speak too much human but I could understand enough from his body language he expected us to be silent.

'You are here for whatever crimes the Empire have convicted you of, be it piracy, rebellion or whatever treason you have committed.'

Rebellion, they caught me on a rebel ship and now I was to be tried as one of those puskvar.

'We are taking you to Vandar, to be tried and convicted. If you behave it will be reflected in your sentence, if you do not...'

‘Arrgh.’

The electric shock had hit all of us, my muscles ached in pain.

'My name is Lt Manoj Shakra, I am the officer directly in charge of the Prison ward, I will let you men be vaporised before I let one of you even treat an enlisted with disrespect and if you dont believe me try it!'

The human was ugly, maybe he was just human, their small snouts they called noses, who could even look at that and think attractive.

I stood in a stance if respect, hands behind my back, just like humans liked. Hopefully he would see that as respectful.

Another human came into the room his face is older than the other human, his shoulder had an extra stripe, he was probably higher up in command.

He walked up to my cell as Lt Shakra walked down the hall, I presume to quell the other men.

‘Prisoner 4392.’

I suppose that’s my designation now.

‘Yes.’

‘Don’t give me back lip you troglodyte!’ Humans often say they find it hard to realise our tones and I suppose that has happened here.

‘I am sorry.’

‘Trog if you give me any trouble this journey I will come in there and beat you.’

‘I don’t mean to cause trouble sir.’

Some humans are xenophobic, I suppose that this one, Mr Codfold, according to his insignia, is too.

It’s why I never really left my home planet, the Empire still hate us Deevorii, even after our peace treaty after the Zard war.

‘It says on your report you are a rebel, you don’t seem to be acting like one, Mr Shakra is speaking to one of the rebels who seems to be giving him lip.’

I could hear some faint high-pitched noises that I presumed were a human female raising her voice.

‘Trogs hearing is not so good Mr Codfold.’ I arced my back; no point standing straight, a six-foot creature will be a lot less intimidating than my full height.

‘Sorry about the misunderstanding.’

Mr Codfold was checking his pad.

‘It says you have four children, one would have been 54, one 25 and two about 12 years old?’

He was just talking to me, I presume that they think as a Rebellion prisoner I’ll be more hassle than the Pirates.

‘Yes.’

I looked into his eyes and saw the same sadness I saw in my Foyga’s eyes when we learnt of Jk’kkr’s illness.

Knowing he wouldn’t be arguing with little Mikla every again or I’d never hear his laugh.

Telling me that only one would have been 54 told me that Jk’kkr was still alive, at least I could take some comfort in that.

‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

Mr Codfold looked into my front two eyes with his own pair and tried to hide the tears and sniffled a bit.

‘Yes my boy was about the same age as your youngest.’ He was trailing off.

He leant his hand against the energy field as a gesture of kindness I suppose. I returned his gesture.

‘It can not imagine the pain of not being able to see your own children again 4392.’

Mr Codfold left me with that.

However, I was not afraid that I would not be able to see my children again, I was more afraid of what my children would see when he saw me next.

Prison is for criminals; that’s what we are told; that’s why I’m here in this cell. I have to remember what I am, what I’ve become.

Strangely I felt at home in the metal walls. I'm an Engineer and used to fixing things in Deep Space, that's why the Rebellion recruited me, they needed an Engineer and I needed money.

I looked through the field at the other prisoners in their cells, the human female who had lead the rebel ship and I presumed argued with Mr Shakra.

A few various aliens around such as a Cagator and a one eyed Flest. How he lost 3 eyes I’ll never know.

One of the cells does not even have an energy field window. It is just covered in Metal and says Prisoner 4501.

Perhaps he was once like me, a simple being with a simple life who made too many mistakes that all came together and caught up with him. I almost feel pity for him

I can feel no pity for me.

No one should care for me again.

I am a monster, a worldkiller.