Gohada

The white Tarksun's cloak billowed in the wind, a threatening enigmatic enemy.

Silccer stepped forward. "What conversation are you looking to have then?" He was putting up more of a brave front than in his previous encounter.

"I don't have much to ask from you, but I am interested in the backstory of that one." The white Tarksun pointed at Ira.

"I ain't tellin' you shit." Ira barked. "People don't just gush their backstory for no reason."

Silccer winced.

"Your Breaker counteracted a Ritual Class Breaker, which arguably isn't fair."

"Fair?" Ira tilted her head.

"Fair. Most people think Breakers are a way to bend the Rules of Everything from a scientific point of view. And while this is true, this isn't how the Tarx see it. Our ability to recreate their 'magic', so to say, is rigid, limited, and lacking in passion. Our talent for war and tactics are the only things that set us above them."

"And?" Vanquish spread its arms open.

"It means their bending of RoE often reaches well beyond our understanding. And my current working theory on why your Breaker has made you exempt from Gohada, is that there is more to your Breaker than just lines of code and logic. Something spiritual that science struggles to quantify and define."

Ira lowered her head. She remembered the rain on that night. It played out in front of her as if it was on the screens that lined her cockpit. The night where she spotted two yellow eyes piercing the pitch-black darkness of the scrap yard. It looked at her. She got inside. Vanquish.

"You know that as well, don't you?"

She smirked. "Nah, you talking real wild right now. I made these rules myself, and they work cause I know how to write good Breakers. It's just that simple. And that spiritual crap ain't worth nothing to anyone. Everyone knows Tarx have a gland that lets them trigger the RoE altering effects of their bones. If it were spiritual, humans wouldn't know how to control RoE at all. You sound a lot smarter than you are."

The female voice stayed quiet. "There have been plenty of examples where Breakers have malfunctioned in just the right way to produce effects that ended up saving the lives of the user in stressful situations. Call it luck. Call it coincidence. You could even say they are designed to fail gracefully. But I believe that isn't the case."

Silccer interjected, "wait, so if you think spirituality is hard to quantify or define, then why even talk to Ira at all?"

"Just because something isn't possible doesn't mean I shouldn't make sure it isn't. Plus, just like yourself, I'm caught in Gohada. We have about 3 weeks left to live, and during that time, I may as well figure out the mystery of how this woman was able to avoid a tier 1 Ritual Class Breaker."

Silccer's eyes widened, "we only have a few weeks to live?"

"The process is irreversible, and all within it are doomed to perish for its sake. The sacrifice is well worth it, I can promise you this much." The voice was calm.

"What does Gohada do then?" Silccer let an inch of panic slip through.

"Why would I tell you that when your subordinate refuses to entertain my request?" The white Tarksun turned to face Vanquish.

Silccer looked to Ira, who had her arms crossed. Her expression was not that of someone who was having a good time.

"I'm not saying anything to some glorified mass murderer. And honestly, I'm very close to wrapping my hands around your hull and squeezing till someone pops out." She gritted her teeth. Vanquish was giving off an air of aggression. It was impossible to ignore the aura she gave off.

"I will, under no circumstance, fight you in this position. In fact, I would prefer if I could retreat from this encounter."

"Well, I guess that means talking is over. Time to fuck 'em up Silccer. Put some hurt on the bitch!"

Silccer pondered whether to comply or not.

"How about this? Will you let me leave if I give you comms back?" The voice's offer slithered into Silccers mind like a snake.

"How did you know we had no comms?"

"Gohada produces a lot of interference in the form of nonionizing radiation, which stops conventional electronic communication by distorting it. And any paracausal means of communication, such as the types achieved through Breakers, have been disrupted due to my own handy work. But I can give you one of my personal short-range communication Breakers to bypass this. It should allow you to reach out to scrambled traditional electronic communications equipment."

Silccer stood his ground. "Which I assume will be bugged by you to keep track of us, right?"

"I don't bug my own equipment Vanguard. But you're more than welcome to inspect it before we part ways."

Silccer approached the white Tarksun. "Let's see then."

"No way are you going to let this animal leave?" Ira taunted from behind. "Defeat it." Her voice was threatening.

"What do you care more about? Mindlessly beating these guys into scrap iron or meeting the Empress?" Silccer snapped back.

Ira grunted and turned her back to the other two. Meanwhile, the white Tarksun allowed a single elegantly designed hand to reach out from the black void beneath its cloak. In its grasp was a hefty piece of comms equipment, which Silccer accepted into his outstretched hand. He immediately began running scan protocols, paying close attention to the logs they were spewing out.

Ira didn't turn to face them. "So I assume you're the creator of this thing?"

"Of Gohada? Yes." The white Tarksun looked toward her.

"You're very, very, very lucky to walk away this time." Vanquish clenched its fists, sparks of yellow dancing across its dreadlocks.

"I'm thankful for your restraint. I can understand your anger."

"I wonder what deranged thinking finds the sacrifice of an entire planet worth it..."

They stood for a few fleeting moments, even catching the attention of Silccer.

The voice faltered, but only slightly. "I don't believe myself a saint for the crime I've committed, which is why I suffer the same fate as the others caught in Gohada. None of my subordinates deserves awards or medals."

Ira gritted her teeth. "Is it bugged?"

"Looks clean for the most part, I can keep loo-" He was interrupted by Ira.

"Then let's go." She started to tread through the snow again, away from the white Tarksun.

Silccer watched as she slowly started to disappear into the storm. "You got a name?" He turned to the enemy.

"Indari Redfern, but my subordinates refer to me as 'Apprentice'." It stood still, seemingly not bothered by the storm in the slightest.

Silccer nodded before turning to catch up with Ira. The white Tarksun stood in place, watching them leave. When they left her line of sight, she turned and began to float off in the opposite direction. It wasn't long before she came upon a floating metal contraption. It slowly whirled in place, a ball shape that had been split open, exposing its insides to be that of a triangular Tarx bone. The white shell holding it mid-air was rapidly lasering code onto its surface. She halted it by extending a hand towards it. It quickly closed up and compressed in size dramatically. It magnetized to her hand, which then promptly hid back in her cloak.

She turned to look back one last time before disappearing into the storm.