Their Story Growing up in Dhaka could have been much worse for an orphaned boy. Abandoned at the dead of night as a babe, he was fortunate enough to be left in front of the door of one of the Mughal Empire's most profitable merchants. Muhammad Gharbi, an opportunistic tradesman thriving in the heart of Mughal industry, saw history come full circle. He himself had been abandoned and orphaned at a young age and within a young, mewling babe, he saw potential. Now Muhammad was not the ideal father, instead much too busy with travelling and matters of trade than to take care of his adopted son. Instead, the young and newly named Kalil was surrounded by wealth, a plentiful amount of servants and given a great education. As befitting the heir to a rich merchant. History, mathematics and economics were taught to him but he had always had a growing interest within the slowly advancing realm of physics. The study of the natural world down to its basics, the energies which surrounded us and, in particular, the study of the relation between work and sound. Sensing the potential within his adopted son grow, Muhammad, on the boy's 13th birthday, proposed to let his son join him on a trading expedition towards Abya Yala. On this trip, certain events would occur that would drastically his lot in life.
Within Abya Yala, Kalil encountered one of the great Edenic Beasts which roamed the continents, gaining its favour with charm and sharp, natural intellect. Charging his ability to perceive the formulae of the world. To create a greater understanding of the inner workings which fascinated him. To unlock the seemingly mystic arts of dynamicism. To Muhammad, upon learning of his son's feat, saw money rain down from the heavens. The opportunity and prestige this could gain him, the fostering of an upcoming polymath genius who could major in one of the rarer specialisations within the Empire! Celebrations were needed and the return to Dhaka was hastened to facilitate them quicker.
Upon return, the Gharbi duo would see a manor in flames and servant's bodies strewn across the lawn. Muhammad was not a perfect man and could often dabble within the more criminal underside of the world's largest city. He had promised a certain share of wealth from a different trading expedition to a local drug lord, mysterious head of the Golden Bengals. This was in exchange for funding for the duo's own expedition towards Abya Yala. Upon the shipwrecking of the other half of Muhammad's trading fleet, the Bengals sought their share of promised wealth. Through the plunder and slaughter within the Gharbi manor, the seizing of Muhammad's assets and funds as well as his adopted only son. The so-called prodigy of Dhaka, rumoured to have gained the knowledge needed to pursue the seemingly magical dynamicist arts. This was in a time where the layman Mughal had little knowledge of the science behind the formulae of the world. In exchange for his and his father's life, Kalil would be branded with a tiger on his chest, sworn to the service of the Bengals and could only pursue further education in the aspect of furthering the Bengal's riches. Muhammad would be kept prisoner until his son's 18th, whereupon his son must bring the Golden Bengals an equivalent wealth to the share lost in that shipwrecked trading fleet.
Without this, his father will be killed and Kalil made a permanent slave to the crime syndicate. He sets his sights upon Bermuda, where opportunity laid itself in front of him. Where his cursed gifts could bring him and his father to freedom.
Abilities Here included is a description of "abilities" that Kalil is capable of:
Thermal Manipulation - Kalil is able to, within certain limits, control the heat flow between objects or between an object and its surroundings. Certainly enough to vaporise water within a given container though only through his growing resistance to heat. He has better control over heat flow within solids and liquids than gases. This does wonders for his stress, in the form of his own pocket shisha without the need for charcoal. In combination with relieving stress, it helps with making heat manipulation into something second nature to him.
Wind Manipulation - In an incredibly rudimentary way, Kalil can control the movement of differing gases and different temperatures of air. Within spaces where he knows the gaseous properties within, where gases can leak in or out, he can have greater control. However, outside of these carefully studied places, he can only control sound within a certain radius around him. He does not have the expertise to accelerate air, merely move it.
Sound Manipulation through thermal and wind dynamicism - Through observations and experimentation, Kalil has found the connection between the energy of the air around us and the sound which propagates through it. Through the excitement of particles in the air, he can increase the amplitude of a given sound wave to increase volume. Similarly, he can siphon heat from the air to decrease volume of a given sound wave. He is constantly working towards furthering his abilities in this area, believing greater strides in unique sound manipulation could bring his own and his father's freedom. Potentially by manipulating the frequency of the sound waves to manipulate what they sound like
Organization: The Golden Bengals, under the front of his father's Gharbi Trading Co.
Within Abya Yala, Kalil encountered one of the great Edenic Beasts which roamed the continents, gaining its favour with charm and sharp, natural intellect. Charging his ability to perceive the formulae of the world. To create a greater understanding of the inner workings which fascinated him. To unlock the seemingly mystic arts of dynamicism. To Muhammad, upon learning of his son's feat, saw money rain down from the heavens. The opportunity and prestige this could gain him, the fostering of an upcoming polymath genius who could major in one of the rarer specialisations within the Empire! Celebrations were needed and the return to Dhaka was hastened to facilitate them quicker.
Their Story Growing up in Dhaka could have been much worse for an orphaned boy. Abandoned at the dead of night as a babe, he was fortunate enough to be left in front of the door of one of the Mughal Empire's most profitable merchants. Muhammad Gharbi, an opportunistic tradesman thriving in the heart of Mughal industry, saw history come full circle. He himself had been abandoned and orphaned at a young age and within a young, mewling babe, he saw potential. Now Muhammad was not the ideal father, instead much too busy with travelling and matters of trade than to take care of his adopted son. Instead, the young and newly named Kalil was surrounded by wealth, a plentiful amount of servants and given a great education. As befitting the heir to a rich merchant. History, mathematics and economics were taught to him but he had always had a growing interest within the slowly advancing realm of physics. The study of the natural world down to its basics, the energies which surrounded us and, in particular, the study of the relation between work and sound. Sensing the potential within his adopted son grow, Muhammad, on the boy's 13th birthday, proposed to let his son join him on a trading expedition towards Abya Yala. On this trip, certain events would occur that would drastically his lot in life.
Within Abya Yala, Kalil encountered one of the great Edenic Beasts which roamed the continents, gaining its favour with charm and sharp, natural intellect. Charging his ability to perceive the formulae of the world. To create a greater understanding of the inner workings which fascinated him. To unlock the seemingly mystic arts of dynamicism. To Muhammad, upon learning of his son's feat, saw money rain down from the heavens. The opportunity and prestige this could gain him, the fostering of an upcoming polymath genius who could major in one of the rarer specialisations within the Empire! Celebrations were needed and the return to Dhaka was hastened to facilitate them quicker.
Upon return, the Gharbi duo would see a manor in flames and servant's bodies strewn across the lawn. Muhammad was not a perfect man and could often dabble within the more criminal underside of the world's largest city. He had promised a certain share of wealth from a different trading expedition to a local drug lord, mysterious head of the Golden Bengals. This was in exchange for funding for the duo's own expedition towards Abya Yala. Upon the shipwrecking of the other half of Muhammad's trading fleet, the Bengals sought their share of promised wealth. Through the plunder and slaughter within the Gharbi manor, the seizing of Muhammad's assets and funds as well as his adopted only son. The so-called prodigy of Dhaka, rumoured to have gained the knowledge needed to pursue the seemingly magical dynamicist arts. This was in a time where the layman Mughal had little knowledge of the science behind the formulae of the world. In exchange for his and his father's life, Kalil would be branded with a tiger on his chest, sworn to the service of the Bengals and could only pursue further education in the aspect of furthering the Bengal's riches. Muhammad would be kept prisoner until his son's 18th, whereupon his son must bring the Golden Bengals an equivalent wealth to the share lost in that shipwrecked trading fleet.
Without this, his father will be killed and Kalil made a permanent slave to the crime syndicate. He sets his sights upon Bermuda, where opportunity laid itself in front of him. Where his cursed gifts could bring him and his father to freedom.
Abilities Here included is a description of "abilities" that Kalil is capable of:
Thermal Manipulation - Kalil is able to, within certain limits, control the heat flow between objects or between an object and its surroundings. Certainly enough to vaporise water within a given container though only through his growing resistance to heat. He has better control over heat flow within solids and liquids than gases. This does wonders for his stress, in the form of his own pocket shisha without the need for charcoal. In combination with relieving stress, it helps with making heat manipulation into something second nature to him.
Wind Manipulation - In an incredibly rudimentary way, Kalil can control the movement of differing gases and different temperatures of air. Within spaces where he knows the gaseous properties within, where gases can leak in or out, he can have greater control. However, outside of these carefully studied places, he can only control sound within a certain radius around him. He does not have the expertise to accelerate air, merely move it.
Sound Manipulation through thermal and wind dynamicism - Through observations and experimentation, Kalil has found the connection between the energy of the air around us and the sound which propagates through it. Through the excitement of particles in the air, he can increase the amplitude of a given sound wave to increase volume. Similarly, he can siphon heat from the air to decrease volume of a given sound wave. He is constantly working towards furthering his abilities in this area, believing greater strides in unique sound manipulation could bring his own and his father's freedom. Potentially by manipulating the frequency of the sound waves to manipulate what they sound like
Organization: The Golden Bengals, under the front of his father's Gharbi Trading Co.
So through heat dynamicism, someone could technically smoke a shisha while simultaneously heating up the room through the water in the air (or through the vapour you create from the shisha?), creating a smoker’s sauna?
Nice, I could use that to destress from work
Edit: @Dog as you can see, my focus is NOT on combat at all
2nd Edit: Also realised you can technically heat or extract heat from the particles within a space to increase kinetic energy within those particles, allowing for control over the vibration within that space. Possibly creating a field where sound (vibrations in the air) is nullified or morphed? Maybe within a given area certain sounds at a certain frequency can be amplified with increased vibration? But that would take a considerable amount of energy I wager
By dynamicism’s ability to control “energies”, does this pertain to the energies as defined in our physics? Like heat energy, kinetic energy, etc? So if someone was to be able to push or pull energy, if a mass was moving downwards towards Earth, could they forcibly convert potential gravitational energy into kinetic energy at a faster rate, thereby artificially accelerating the gravitational acceleration of that object?
Or in terms of thermodynamics, force the amount of energy inside the system, even if it goes against the laws of thermodynamics? Eg the ability to force an object’s temperature to absolute zero or make an object transfer heat energy to its surroundings even if the amount of heat energy within is lower than its surroundings?
I’m tentatively interested:) Do we have leeway as to the statuses of other populations like in Polynesia or Oceania? Otherwise interested in creating someone from the Orient
We are the inheritors of Humanity, their eternal legacy in the stars.
Government Form: Federal Monarchy
Demographics: Pongo Pygmaeus Supremus 20% Troglodytes Gorilla Supremus 32% Pan Troglodytes Supremus 48% No Homo Sapiens Sapiens remain
Population: Over 500,000,000 individuals of the varying Supremus Ape species A rare picture inside the deadly jungles of New Gift
Planet Name and Description:
New Gift was named by long-dead, hopeful scientists. From the outside, it was a perfect Earth-like planet orbiting its Sol-like star in the Goldilocks Zone, perfect for life. It was slightly larger than Earth and had two moons. The New Gift system was not anything out of the ordinary, another terrestrial planet closer to its star and three gas giants on a larger orbit. If they had set foot on its supercontinent of Munus, they would have encountered thick equatorial jungles with savannas on either polar side. Deadly melon-sized bugs, large elephant constricting snakes and ill-tempered horse-like creatures. More shadowed and evil beasts would roam the jungles, sharp talons and wicked teeth. Trees as high as four stories tall and plants which could eat a fully-grown ape. A planet so hostile to life that it is a wonder the native species have not killed each other off yet. To the regular humans, it was a death trap. To the superior ape? It became home.
History:
Even before the colony ship for New Gift had set off for its destination, there were a few things which set it apart from the others. It was a largely private endeavor, funded by the multi-national conglomerate SciCorps, given to it for its major contributions towards the various conservation efforts it headed on Earth. It had an incredibly small colony of only 2,000 humans, headed by top scientists, geneticists, engineers and strangely, historians. Geniuses all but were often viewed by the outer scientific community as 'odd'. Opposed to other colony ships, what made up its vast holds were the remaining populations of several of humanity's closest relatives. To the heads of SciCorps, all eccentric, billionaire, science-guided men who saw the downfall of humanity by its own hubris. To them, humanity had lost its way and thus its right to think itself supreme. It must be succeeded by inheritors of humanity's best while lacking of its worst traits. Thus they found their inspiration within the remaining populations of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans numbering 50,000 altogether. Their populations were devastated by humanity in their arrogance, their habitats destroyed by our carelessness and greed. They would understand us, our histories, our cultures, our hardships and our follies. They would be uplifted by our hand and succeed where we failed.
SciCorps had chosen our closest relatives due to the greater ease in which they could be uplifted to sapient-level intelligence and their existing ability to use tools. Since the bonobo had been killed off a decades before the colony ships were being prepared, orangutans and gorillas had been brought in to boost numbers and bring diversity. Advanced humanity had long since mapped their own brains and thus had also been able to map the brains of these ape species. In the years before SciCorps' colony ship launch, several research teams worked on discovering a way to "uplift" non-sapient species in the hopes that these species could inherit our legacy but be better than we were. They had succeeded with these three species but only through the splicing of human genes and most peculiarly, personalities. To gain sapience, they must be implanted with the personality of an already existing (or past) human to ensure stability, proper empathy and intelligence.
Undeterred by these revelations, SciCorps used its vast wealth to collect historians, geneticists and scientists in conjunction with superintelligent AI to map and create the brains of the greatest examples of humanity. These eccentric geniuses had been over-enthusiastic in their brain mapping and with its minimal oversight (SciCorps was busy with its ongoing conservation efforts as well as Earth's dying days), some less-than-great minds had been mapped and stored for uploading. These additions would not be properly audited by the SciCorps elite in its waning days as processes were rushed due to various calamities which befell the conglomerate in its waning days. In the implantation and upload, over 10,000 subjects, mainly gorillas and orangutans, suffered shock and death upon awakening from the traumatic procedures. A further 5,000 would perish in the gene enhancing operations that would follow. Better vocal speech, more dexterous thumbs, greater muscular density than before. The remaining apes would undergo history lessons, morality tests, intelligence tests and physical ability tests. A further 3,500 would be culled in the last years before colony launch. The remaining roughly 31,500 Supremus apes as they had been dubbed would board the colony ship Terra Supremus along with their teachers, a secret kept hidden from the rest of the world.
Upon their arrival to New Gift and the subsequent loss of the Gateways, some of the human teachers set to work on finding out about the world below while the inheritors would learn from the rest. What they found horrified and often, killed them. This would be the world of their inheritors, of mankind's successors? They all believed deep within their hearts (after several years of SciCorps propaganda and brainwashing) that the other human colonies would fall to strife as Earth had. These Supremus would be slaughtered there, despite their genetic enhancements and uplift. A solution would come from one of these apes themselves. A cunning, intelligent orangutan, known for his great charisma and dominance among the other apes. One whose brain template's name had been lost to all but him. The Khan incarnate spoke with a deep rumbling voice.
"O wise teachers, our humble creators. You have taught us your ways, to be the inheritors of your wisdom and greatness. O generous people you have been, giving us knowledge to renew our species, setting us on a worthier path. O wonderful you have been, gifting us the minds of your greatest so we may succeed you, as impossible as that venture may seem to our lowly minds. We are your children, and you are our parents, we are the flock to be moved to greener pastures by you, the shepherds. You have taught and given us much, but we lack an art of yours. One you have, out of justified fear, left out of our teachings. Aside from the arts of engineering, science and culture, you must teach us the Art of War." Yesugei spread his arms, orange fur draping elegantly in brushed locks, a toothy grin on his face.
There were protests at first. These were to be our peaceful inheritors, our greatest legacy. How could we give them the knowledge of our greatest folly? But even to the most idealist of the teachers, they could find no other answer. The colony ship had been armed with science and industry, not advanced weaponry. Mine excavators, modular industrial complexes, great agricultural machines. They were a mere 2,000 souls, many of whom soon to die due to old age because of how long this project had taken and stress taking its toll. They must teach their children how to defend themselves against this harsh world of theirs. They must teach their successors humanity's greatest folly - conflict.
Thus the colony ship landed a year later with supplies running low, in the largest savanna in the supercontinent Munus. The combined Supremus population had grown to 60,000 apes, many of the children inheriting the forced genetic tampering easier than expected. Here, the human caretakers, now dwindling in numbers and long rendered infertile by age, let their successors choose their own fate away from their tampering and holed themselves up in the stranded colony ship. They were confident that despite the mistakes along the way, their "children" as many had started to see them, would grow to be their betters. And in the beginning, as they observed the various projects of a growing ape population, their optimistic views were proven correct. A sprawling town would grow around the fallen ship, a "Neo-Earth" as its denizens began to call it in homage to their creators. An egalitarian democracy in which all could have their say. The pursuits of science, technology and the arts ruled supreme. Industry began to pop up around the town, solar panels and wind farms providing energy to prevent the wounds give to the old Earth. Automated mining and farming began nearby, feeding resources to the great minds within the city. Defensive automatons were built with supplied military knowledge, defending Neo-Earth from its harsh surroundings aided by Supremus’ most physical specimens. Separated from their inheritors, the last humans felt content with their success.
So much so that they were blinded by it.
By the time of the last caretaker’s death, the many great inherited minds from Humanity’s history had fractured between political camps. True egalitarianism could not truly work with the growing population. And thus, four main camps of political thought formed.
Aristotle argued that although democracy did work, they needed to make sure that the officials that are elected are learned apes of intelligence, selflessness and most controversially, a past life of serving the public good. He represented many of the reborn scientists and philosophers. Many of these would primarily be older first-generation Supremus.
Rousseau passionately countered that democracy must be indiscriminate of one’s background and thus one’s past “life” was akin to their genealogy. Judging an ape for their mere “blood” went against what they were taught. He represented many of the great democratic leaders and many others who came from democratic states, valuing freedom. A significant minority of Rousseau’s followers would be made up of the youngest second-generation.
Caesar intoned that democracy had ultimately failed Humanity. Once bloated bureaucratic machines came to be, it only served to fracture and slow nations, the chimpanzee explained. If they kept to choosing strong, just leaders who in turn chose strong, just successors. This way, the Supremus could move forward faster and under stable rule. He represented the military men, kings, queens, and others disillusioned by democracy. Almost all these would be younger first-generation Supremus.
The final school of thought was led by Temujin, son of Yesugei, the dark horse and only second generation Supremus to represent their own camp. He would only come near the end of the debates, giving his proposition. They had been implanted with Humanity’s greatest minds but of different philosophies, politics, and time periods. How one group of Supremus would want to be governed could be vastly different from another. Let each group rule their own in the way they want but have a sort of intergovernmental union which connected them. A confederation of sovereign nations with the ceremonial position of Governor-General who constitutionally held little power. They served to act as mediator between nations, would be its figurative head, represent Supremus in its foreign affairs and only maintain a modest, non-automated self-defence force as a deterrent versus power hungry nations seeking to topple the Governor-General. Nations would keep to themselves with internal affairs and resource allocation by the Governor-General would be dictated strictly by needs and population. This was supported by the late Yesugei’s closest confidantes and the outsiders who disagreed with the other camps and sought to do their own way. Many of the latter were second-generation Supremus.
The other three camps would vehemently disagree outwardly towards this proposal. Going for this sort of compromise could weaken their political position in the eyes of their supporters and enemies. However, the debates had made many tired and thus many behind the scenes deals would be made towards these compromisers. Rousseau proposed the addition of elected sovereign officials who would serve as representatives of their nations in a parliament, which could make changes to the federal constitution or hold a supermajority vote of no-confidence upon the Governor-General to check his power. Temujin accepted these terms with passionate chest thumping and nods.
Aristotle, through his subordinate chimpanzee Theophrastus, would propose that those officials must have a certain level of intelligence and selflessness, as indicated by the scores previously tested by the humans. All second generation Supremus and those following generations must submit to these tests to check their eligibility. The testing must be done by a representative body of learned men from each nation, separate from the Senate. This Oligarchy would ensure stability and be a counter to the powers of the Senate. Temujin accepted with grace, bowing his head.
The only detractor remaining at the end of the talks would be Caesar and his camp, eyeing the son of Yesugei with obvious suspicion. No representative seemed to come from him and his. The message was clear. Aristotle, followed by Rousseau again, stated their proposals and Temujin accepted them publicly. Caesar’s followers walked out of the talks, with Caesar himself last to leave. “Blind baboons” he spat “the lot of you!” Him and his followers would disappear the following day with stolen resources and arms, last seen over the horizon in the direction of the jungles. Certain genetic templates and tissue would be stolen that night, records of it wiped from the colony ship's computers.
Disregarding the threat of Caesar due to the hellish jungles of New Gift, the three leaders would set to establish the New Gift Federation. Several other nations would be formed by other individuals only to join the N.G.G. There would be a mass exodus from Neo-Earth township, many of the modular industrial complexes and mobile shelters splitting in a diaspora around the newly named Neo-Earth diaspora. Rousseau’s Republic of Freemen and Aristotle’s Polity of Philosophy would form the largest city-states while the others would form townships or smaller villages. The most significant of these smaller governments would be Thunberg’s Conservation League and Lincoln’s democratic Reformed States of America.
The old colony ship would serve as the Governor-General’s seat due to its central position. True to the constitution, Temujin did not do anything to interfere with the governance of the states. In truth, despite the initial fears within the Republic and the Polity of the Governor-General turning into a dictator, this was seen to be largely unfounded. The Senate and Oligarchy would become a ruthless political arena between the Polity, the Republic, their different sovereign allies, and the independents. These two city-states would dominate the political sphere of the N.G.G. and be the most powerful, dubbed the “Greater States”.
The many military automatons of Terra Supremus, the colony ship’s name and the new name of the old Neo-Earth township, would go to these powerful states. Thus the defence of many of the smaller independent town-states and villages would be given to Temujin and his self-defence forces. These would be made up of individuals from all the nations, to ensure equality and an image of unity. Universally, within the Polity and the Republic, this force would be looked down upon when compared to the advanced military automatons. Thus the conscripts sent to the Federation SDF from these powers would mainly be the Supremus who did not fit the mould.
Temujin would form a strict meritocracy within the ranks of the SDF, creating an effective fast response force which could mobilise quickly to any threats towards the weaker states. Heavily drilled and with strict punishments for slacking, the SDF would become a premier military force second only to the advanced automatons of the Greater States. Their popularity would only grow among the independent nations. The Federation Senate and Oligarchy became fiercer political battlegrounds as time went on, serving as a representation of power between the Greater States.
Upon the birth of Temujin’s first son, Ogedei, a Cold War would ensue between the Greater Powers after a series of political advancements by the Republic when it seduced several nations to its power bloc. Automatons were advanced, walls were raised and for the first time, war machines would be sent in support of ally sovereigns. Pre-empting this, the Governor-General called forth the first negotiations between the two powers, acting as mediator. He was an excellent orator and convinced the leaders of the Greater States to set aside their weapons, reminding them of the reason behind their uplifting and creation.
”Learned ape, free ape, this humble one must remind you that we are all Supremus. We were created as inheritors of Humanity’s legacy and tasked to be their successors. We know not about the other colonies but going by anything our wise caretakers taught us, they would be in strife and conflict. We learned of war to fight our deadly surroundings, not to fight each other. We are better and we must prove ourselves to be better, lest we disprove our own species’ names. Whether chimpanzee, orangutan, or gorilla. Whether Politician, Republican, Reformed American or others. We stand better united and at peace. We must prove ourselves supreme.”
The subsequent stop on the development of war automatons would serve to be the greatest achievement in Temujin the Peacekeeper’s life. A new age of prosperity and unity would rise within the Federation, one that Ogedei would inherit once he was appointed as Governor-General, upon Temujin’s death. The supposed nepotism was ignored due to the late Peacekeeper’s popularity and the relatively powerless position kept even avid conspiracy theorists at bay. It would be early in Ogedei’s tenure that plots would begin to unravel themselves.
Tiberius Caesar, son of Augustus, son of Julius, had come. Hardened by three generations within the jungle, the Emperor’s Followers had returned from their long exile to prove themselves worthy as leaders of the Supremus. They sat atop great war beasts and fought alongside tamed monsters, having long gotten used to and conquering the deadly denizens within the jungle. Targeting the southernmost city-states and townships, they raided these frontier nations with glee and were only pushed back once the SDF had reached them. It was clear that they could not be reasoned with.
These year-long raids would only prove as a distraction as a great war host came from the jungles circled a two prong attack upon the East and West. Amassing a truly terrible host of monsters and hardened Supremus, these were the proverbial daggers to the hearts of the Federation – the Greater States. As the SDF was distracted to the south and its numbers limited by constitution, it fell to the Polity and the Republic to defend Neo-Earth’s heartlands. Automaton fought beast, Supremus fought Supremus in bitter conflict and rivalry.
The fighting was fierce in the south, east and west of the Neo-Earth savanna. The Emperor’s Followers were backed by their war-beasts, savage poisons and chemical artillery which inflicted heavy casualties upon Polity, Republican and ally conscripts. Only the automatons fared better, metal resistant against claws, large ammunition and explosives proving deadly against flesh. The east and the west saw the bloodiest of the fighting, back and forth offensive manoeuvres on both sides, probing the other to find weaknesses. Deep trenches and fortifications would be set up against each other, carving up the earth of a once beautiful continent-sized savanna. The south found more success with Ogedei’s forces, a more tactical type of warfare which saw constantly changing battle lines, ambushes, and false flag attacks. The SDF was aided by its supreme manoeuvrability and its QRF-based military doctrine.
As the war went on and weeks turned into months which turned into years, the nations of the Federation grew desperate. Seemingly unending hordes of wild beasts would crash into their lines nearly daily. Endless chemical bombardment and brutal poisoned fangs or blades would see to plummeting morale. Everyone had gotten involved in the war at this point, Polity and Republican conscripts running low as their populations were stricken low. And everyone had noticed that the only front in which they could be called gaining non-pyrrhic victories was on the southern front.
More emergency powers would be given to Governor-General Ogedei in this desperate dozen years of war, passed through the Senate in record breaking speeds. With every major victory he gained in the south, the more power he was given. To turn the war around, a hopeful Federation turned towards its seemingly greatest leader. Despite the weak protests of the once Greater States, who had now long since diminished in power and influence with their crippled populations and defeats in the east and west, the Senate passed several constitutional amendments to give the Governor-General the power as a Supreme Leader. The Khan.
Ogedei Khan, as he was now known, set to finish the war. The probing back and forth within the south became a lightning fast counteroffensive, the Khan's newly dubbed Legionnaires smashing through the weaker southern Imperial battle lines and circling back to bolster the east and west.
At the siege of Roma-Greek, the Polity city-state, among the broken pillars of a new Parthenon, the first siege would be broken and the Imperials would be pushed back on the eastern front for the first time in years. These Legionnaires would be lauded as heroes, beleaguered conscripts with decrepit automatons witnessed these disciplined legionnaires toeing with beasts, weathering chemical storms and fighting against the harshest poisons. Unknown to them, as the years went on, the Khan had further genetically enhanced his personal soldiery to have greater resistance against their foes. The stage was set and the war would reach its final stages. Suffering crippling defeat after crippling defeat, sometimes retreating at the mere sight of the Khan's forces, the Imperials were routed back into their jungle. The free apes would celebrate the announcement of the war's final battle, with Ogedei hailed as a hero.
Upon victory, Ogedei the Old released several quick reformations with his ascension as Khan. The Senate would be kept as council to him and every Hegemon following, thus keeping each nation as sovereign entities which would stay in charge of their own domestic affairs and governance. Even the idea of a supermajority ruling of no-confidence was kept in place but the Oligarchy as an institution was done away with. The Khan is kept in check by the Senate but has larger powers with controlling foreign affairs, greater executive powers in vetoing laws passed by the Senate and control of a Federation-wide Legion which could attack as well as defend.
Individual militaries would be allowed for each nation but limited to a certain percentage of the nation's citizen population. Terra Supremus would be refitted into a mobile capital and home of the Senate. The Khan will only be focused on matters of foreign affairs and domestic peace, having a large military legion with an oath to defend the rights of each sovereign nation if breached (with exceptions). A Federal Monarchy as it were, with all leaders swearing upon the Khan and the Khan swearing to protect each of their ape peoples and their sovereignty. Technology could be kept individually between city-states but trade was encouraged. Minor conflicts can occur between nations but is kept in check by the overview of the Khan. Tribute is sent regularly to Terra Supremus by eager nations seeking the approval of the Khan, to gain better standing in the Senate and hold better sway as advisors. The Khan is made essential to protect against threats foreign and domestic, those who seek to undermine the continued freedom of the Supremus to largely govern themselves.
And thus a new age of prosperity began. With the Khan's legions protecting against possible incursions from the jungles, another age of rebuilding, expansion and innovation could begin. With the end of the War to End All Wars came a large population boom and great confidence in the protection of the Khan. The scars of war were removed from the vast Neo-Earth savanna, replaced by carefully planned, permanent cities, environment-conscious agriculture and improved solar and wind farms. Mining projects would bring greater resource wealth, fueling inventions and architectural wonders from humanity's histories. Competition between nations would fuel these great leaps forward, under the wise and guided tutelage of the Khan of course. Education would continue as the caretaker's had taught them but with increased focus on the history of the nations under the Khan. Pride in being a Supremus was at an all time high.
The title of Khan would pass through another two generations, staying focused on developing New Gift and quelling dissidents to the peace. Space technology was theorised and reverse engineers but ignored to focus more on their new home. Cultural works of humanity would continue to be redeveloped in painstaking detail, copies of old landmarks and large historical libraries serving as tourist destinations. Developing light but highly durable alloys, more effective modular cities and industrial complexes which could move quicker than before. Sprawling city-states would dot the northern savanna of Gaia and eventually as this crowded, some others would move to the southern savanna of Tellus. These states would be few and far between due to presence of roving bands of former Imperial bandit-kings, having fake claims of sharing blood with the Caesars of old. No true son of Caesar has come out of the jungles.
Though it would seem reasonable to destroy the jungle or make a final crusade against the Imperials. And many state-heads did pose the question to their leader. But as every Khan would reason, such an effort would be resource-draining at best and cause permanent ecological damage at worst. Let the outsiders sit in their uncivilised jungle dens until they starve themselves out or revert back to a more primitive nature.
For Khublai Khan, second son of Möngke the Builder, his eyes were set to new horizons. As with many Khans before him, he was ambitious and looked to set himself apart from his predecessors. He could approve of the conservation and infrastructure projects set by his father but he felt greatness can be found further afield. On the 299th Year since Landing, an opportunity came with the sudden opening of the gateway. When notified by astronomers of the event, he set off to the Senate to make an announcement which would set waves for generations of apes to come.
"Here before us stands a golden opportunity for us lowly apes. An opportunity to carry humanity's legacy to the stars itself! The mysterious Gateway has opened and with it, the chance for you nations high and low to prove yourselves supreme. Worthy to be inheritors. Worthy of Supremus. I will take one representative from each nation under my protection, so each nation may once more breathe the air of our ancestors and creators. With my guiding hand, I aim to take the nations of the Hegemony to Earth, the home of our predecessors and a new frontier!" And thus, work would begin immediately, focus shifting upon the stars and the place they once called home. The refits and repairs upon Terra Supremus would begin as the minds of the Hegemony worked day and night to get it to the stars. With the title of capital moved to the city of the same name which surrounded the slumbering beast.
The old colony ship would rise once more, modified to fit a small number of refitted void-capable automatons magnetically locked to its hull for soem protection. It had quarters of the nation’s representatives, their guards, the Legionnaire Expeditionary Forces and the first son of Khublai Khan himself, Temujin II, as leader. To bring humanity’s legacy back home.
Culture and Society: A number of different cultures and societies are under the Khan's purview, making the Khanate seem as fractious as the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many apes of the many different nations call their ancestry back to a first generation Supremus whose personalities were based on 31,500 different great minds from across human history. Their creation and uplift was so the Supremus could be humanity's legacy to the stars, thus the variety respects that. City-states within the Federal Khanate are largely self-governed and citizens are bound by the rules within those city-states. Societal and cultural norms can vary largely. Sometimes, it appears that the only things binding the nations together is the oath to the Khan, an equal respect and feeling of supremacy for humanity and a fear of flying. The vast majority are based on human examples throughout history.
The title of "Greater State" is a largely informal one, referring to a city-state's abundant wealth, technology, standing with the Khan and ability to influence other states. Often, the more you have of one, the other attributes will follow. The ability of a state to attract citizens only increases with age, standing and increased opportunities. This title is not held forever though and can be torn away quickly. Ways a Greater State can lose its standing can include political mishaps in the Senate, scandals, significant loss in approved conflicts, declaring conflict with another state without approval of the Khan, bloody coups or an outbreak of ape-eating snakes, among many. Once one state is brought low, there will be five others trying to take its place. As of present time, the Greater States are:
The Republic of Freemen - A democratic republic founded by Jean-Jacque Rousseau and the only continuous Greater State since the old Federation. Republicans are often seen as a very free people with liberal and radical views as in line with the city state's founder. European architecture of the Enlightenment era dot the cityscape, green parks and regularly held festivals interspersed within. Art and the exploration of Enlightenment era beliefs and culture is taught within their schools and French revolution-era clothing has recently taken to the apes there. Citizens have disdain towards the more brutish and unenlightened states, preferring the intellectual and "modern" ones. Republicans have a "social contract" in which citizens should be held to the general will of the people in the city so despite their apparent freedom, conformity is more the norm here. They use the greatest amount of automatons within their military and in their society, holding the largest power-bloc in the Senate. Though some outsiders claim that their greatest contributes to the Khanate are their powdered wigs and itchy clothing, it is their automaton technology which is the backbone of their industry. No finer, more ape-like automatons can be found and they range from purposes in war, service, guarding, transport and labour.
The Conservation League - An oligarchy founded by a group of like-minded, environmentally conscious individuals aiming to prevent the destruction wrought on Earth finding itself on New Gift. This state is focused on the preservation and conservation of native fauna and is incredibly single minded in its task. The oligarchy-system of governance was formed to rid of the ineffective slowness of democratic human nations in addressing climate change. They have the most efficient solar and wind technology, distributing to many of the other city states in the Federal Khanate. The Conservationists are also adept at genetics and sustainable agricultural efforts, creating more efficient crops and advanced procedures to make lab-grown meat for the more adventurous ape. Surprisingly, they hold the highest number of approved conflicts out of any present Greater State. They go, for the lack of a better term, "apeshit" at any perceived attempts to hinder their efforts in conserving the planet. They use genetically enhanced ape soldiers to great effect, second in advancements only to the Legion. With holding much of the moral high ground to the eyes of the Senate, enemies of the League fall quickly. The only reason they have not been denounced by an annoyed Khan is because of their enthusiastic support for the regime due to its own conservation efforts.
The Lost Humanist Theocracy - Some religious inclinations made their way to humanity's inheritors but the largest of these religions are of Human-worship. In particular, remembrance-worship of those who could not be afforded the "Path to Reincarnation" as the first generation Supremus had. Thus followers of this religion are absurdly focused on the positive features of human nature, revering the spirits of those left behind. Walking through Humanist architecture is akin to taking a step backwards in time, as they largely look down upon most forms of ape-made technology and they forsake many of the regular genetic enhancements given to Supremus simians. "For how useful were they, for those spirits left behind." This guilt-type of reverence and "lost" spirit worship is shared among a number of apes outside the Theocracy's limits but their more radical ideas (forsaking genetic enhancement and ape technology) are largely frowned upon. They have many missions throughout New Gift as free teachers, healers and advisors, seeking to atone and relieve their guilt, appeasing their Human Spirits. This is counter to the usual trend of supremacist views among Supremus. Their current standing comes from the spread of their religion to outside of the city's borders and the recent addition to their clergy, the third son of Khublai Khan, Sartaq. They deny and outwardly revile the idea of a "hidden inquisition" which protects missionaries outside their borders, keeping only an unarmed police force for visitors and a small dedicated team of bodyguards. Despite their recent rise in popularity, this cult-like city-state is still viewed with suspicion by other states of greater or equivalent power.
The Frontier Nations - Not a single state per se but a term collectively referring to nations that reside in untamed Tellus. These frontier city-states are attractive to the young, adventurous and foolhardy, seeking to escape the more "crowded" civilisation of Gaia. Frontier nations which last are hardy, bloodied and resourceful with a grudging camaraderie between nations who also last. Moving in mobile minor cities, they can pack up and run quickly once they spot bandits or rivals coming at them. Life in the frontier is hard but can be rewarding, with much of the savanna left untouched and resources aplenty. Often times, fallen city-states who seek to gain their standing once again become a Frontier Nation. A significant example of this is the Polity which, after the misfortunes that befell it in the Great War, sought to regain its status as a Greater State once more. They form a small but not insignificant power bloc in the Senate, with many apes respecting their hardiness and drive to survive. Some view them with disdain.
The banner of the Khan, as chosen by Ogedei the Old
Governance and Politics:
"We swear ourselves to the Khan and they swear their selves to us."
The Federal Khanate describes itself perfectly; a federation consisting of nations which swears itself to the Khan. The Khan has ultimate control over foreign affairs and defence, enforces the rules of the constitution, the largest military and swears to uphold the sovereignty, supremacy and rights of the people. The title of "Khan" is not hereditary, though most past Khans have chosen their firstborn sons as imminent heir as matter of preference. Instead, a Khan will name their list of successors within their will in their order of preference. There is no choice for the chosen as the Khan's will is granted constitutional rights. Thus a Khan will often groom their successor over many years, preparing them for their rule. The title cannot be passed down to any current or past leaders of city states and thus Khan's have all come from the bloodline of Yesugei. In the horrid event that none of the chosen successors are alive at the time of the Khan's death (unlikely because the list of successors have often become over a hundred names long), the Senate will hold a vote to choosing a prominent ape to succeed.
There are some federal guidelines for apes seeking to found their own nation, to join the 1,738 already present. Some semblance of order must be established as anarchic states have the tendency to crumble in on itself thus the Khan requires a set of written laws and an official banner to represent itself. Conflicts should be avoided but are allowed as long as both parties seek the approval of the Khan and the matter is isolated. Yearly gatherings of the Senate, times when the Khan calls for a Senate hearing and gatherings in times of emergency (such as when a Khan dies) are mandatory sessions. The title of senator cannot be bestowed on any current leader of a city-state to prevent disruption. Coups must be contained and trade agreements made by the defending government must be made until the coup is sorted out. Any disruptions to the rest of the Khanate is met with the swift boot of the Legion. Speaking of, a certain detachment of Legion forces must be present within the city perimeter at all times and any attempt to coerce, eliminate or impede them is treated with extreme prejudice. The leader/s or most prominent figure must swear upon the constitution and swear to the Khan, similarly to any new senators otherwise their state is considered to have ceded from the Khanate. States are also constricted to a set amount of territory and can petition the Khan for more land only during the yearly Senate gatherings. Otherwise, the laws of the land can vary greatly between city states.
Individual crimes can be punished differently between states. Thievery can result in the loss of the hand or a pat on the back. In some corporate states, white collar crime is punished more severely than murder. In many religious and theocratic states, sins are the law equivalent and in some, are seen as an affront to their God-King or Goddess-Queen. The difference in governance between the different states can create cutthroat politics, with seasoned Senators becoming expert politicians and some grudge lists becoming long enough to circle the world (see: The Conservation League). Some states even actively take in escaped prisoners as an insult to another, as long as the Khan approves. The aim of every Minor State is to become a Greater one and the aim of every Greater State is to stay in their position, creating conflict. Order is maintained by the Khan but small approved conflicts or dueling between ruling classes are common enough to be seen as normal. This chaos results in significant changes in the Senate regularly and can confuse outsiders. The only official federal land claimed by the Khan is Terra Supremus and the equatorial jungles of New Gift. Only approved citizens and soldiers are allowed to visit the latter though that does not stop the Imperials, bandits and runaways. The only federal crimes that an ape can commit is attempted assault/murder of a Khan and his successors, federal treason, secession, disruption of the common peace/trade and slavery. These crimes are met with the appropriate force to extinguish it from existence.
Technology Overview: As with everything in the Khanate, technology can vary greatly as well. With the vast number of states come different wealth, technology and sometimes, acceptance of technology. The apes have tended to neglect space technology until recently, having only communication and weather satellites due to the focus on developing the land of New Gift. Overall, the technology level is similar to what they started with some developing trends over the years:
Conservation - The influence of Earth's downfall affect the Supremus apes greatly. They have an extensive genetic library of old Earth fauna stored but no cloning, beyond infertile pets such as dogs and cats, have occurred to preserve native fauna. Every ape conserves this legacy and intends to conserve their current home as well. Great attempts have been made to conserve the natural ecosystem of New Gift with very few permanent cities being established, many states opting for moving, modular cities atop trusty tracks to prevent disruption to animal migrations (despite the active hostility of many of these animals). Similarly, most agriculture is kept limited and genetically enhanced to be as productive in as small an area as possible, kept in mobile greenhouses to prevent cross-pollination with native plants. The term "conservation" generally means the conservation of environment, human history and culture.
Genetics - With the availability of each simian species' DNA map and the technology to modify it, genetic manipulation is common among the apes. It is widely acceptable to modify oneself or offspring to be better though greater advancements are often closely guarded secrets of states (except to the Khan). Enhancements can range from increased physical attributes, an ability to stay awake longer, better senses, an inability to feel pain (for the crazy) to even enhanced fertility. The latter seems to be utilised by the Khans heavily as they foster many children.
Variety - The sheer variety of different states means technological focus can vary drastically. With encouraged trade between states, nations are often sharing their own specialised technology in exchange for something they need. For example, the Conservation League are experts at conservative and environmentally friendly power sources but lack some of the knowledge on the automaton labourers found in a state such as the Republic. They could try to reverse-engineer their own but this is seen as a more expensive endeavor compared to simply trading for the most advanced goods. That is to say, most minor city-states enjoy a mediocre set of technologies and are viewed as more "standard".
Military Overview: Conflict has evolved drastically since the lumbering automatons, mass wave tactics and trench warfare of the War to End All Wars. Every significant enough city-state has a military, otherwise having to rely on detachments of the Khan's legionnaires for defense. But the focus, tactics and ability of said militaries can vary significantly. They do focus on an important factor in the conflicts which pepper the Khanate: mobility. The ability to strike first, fine manoeuvres around the enemy, ambushes and changing battle lines. The modern Supremus simian soldier is armed with a truckload of communication and infortmation technology and any military worth their salt will have a BattleNet to highlight enemy troop movements, possible false flag attacks and lay out orders instantly. Sometimes, organic soldiers are replaced by advanced automatons capable of accepting orders instantly at the behest of a detached Commander. Clashes occur often in the lower streets of moving cities, in mobile savanna outposts and often, between moving military command centers. The defeat of an opponent is usually marked either by a significant destruction or capture of an opponents asset, death of the main military commander or taking the conflict to the point that it is seen as costly for the opponent to continue. As varied as the individual states' militaries are, there is serious standardisation among the Khan's personal military arm - the Legion.
The Khan acts as the supreme commander of the largest and most advanced military on New Gift. There are over 300,000 active duty Legionnaires split between the 30 different divisions of the Legion, with a further 90,000 strong auxiliaries as part of the Expeditionary Corps. Each division is generally made up of a mixed-troop of mechanised, mobile forces each with their own air and armor support. Led by a Divisional-General, each legion must be able to be largely self-sustainable for at least a year, with Expeditionary Corps needing to be fully self-sustaining for upwards to three years. Doing so increases the mobility of each legion and its divided military organisations so that they are able to operate as one. They have the most advanced mobile command centers and BattleNets available, the Legion priding themselves upon their individual soldier's intuition. Consequently, they often look down upon automatons in their rigidness, only using them in aerial combat and support because of the innate fear of flying simians have. Their warfare is that of constant movement to encircle, ambush and outmaneouvre, having mainly been focused on eliminating bandit-kings and the like. The standard genetic enhancements of a Legionnaire include heightened senses, increased endurance, agility and intellect. To become a Legionnaire one must survive these procedures as well as pass several difficult physical and mental team challenges known colloquially as the Grid. Upon becoming a Legionnaire, they are typically stationed to the different nation-states, most in the smaller states to defend it from hostile fauna or bandit simians.
Four divisions, as well as the entire Auxiliary Corps, are labelled as Expeditionary Corps. These are aspects of the Legion focused on actively engaging within the equatorial jungles and frontier-states in Tellus. Both the divisions and the Auxiliaries, who are volunteers from militaries across the states, are tasked with defending the sovereign rights of the frontier states as well as seeking those who intend to subvert them. Targets include Imperial remnants, Bandit-Kings and extremely hostile native fauna. They actively seek these targets frequently, often sending expeditions into the jungles to get to the source of the problem. This is the most dangerous job in the Khanate as it takes the Legionnaire out of the civilisation of northern Gaia and into the rougher parts of Munus where anything can be hostile. Often, the jungle canopy can be too thick for command to reach squads thus many are lost on patrols. Their lives in the hands of vengeful imperials, bandits and vicious beasts, are met with a brutal end. The goals of these expeditions is to ultimately exterminate secessionist activity within New Gift and tame the jungles, through the establishment of Mobile Stability Bases to patrol throughout these hostile lands. Great strides have been made but to many others outside the Legion, the Expeditionary Corps are more like respectable glory hounds.
A standard Legionnaire in their stark-white armour Two examples of Legionnaire Heavy Weapons support. From left to right: Antipersonnel and anti-armour An example of an Expeditionary Corps Legionnaire Reformed American military propaganda A typical ape automaton Modern samurai chimpanzee with a gentically enhanced sword-hand, keeping the peace in New Nippon
Legion Armoured Personnel Carrier. The turret can be replaced by an armoured dome on the top for a Heavy Weapons Legionnaire to put their turret through Legion Main Battle Tank Standard Legion Air Support Drone
Terra Supremus on approach towards New Gift
On Humans and Gateways: To most apes, there is the opinion of historical respect for humans. To the Supremus, they inherited their legacy and were created to continue it. There is, however, a certain supremacy every ape holds over the presumably lost humans. They believe themselves superior, as they are taught they are. The existence of other human colonies is widely known but dismissed to have already devolved into anarchy or fallen from their hubris. The Gateways merely represent an opportunity for the Supremus, to take the legacy of the humans to the stars. For less hostile frontiers and chances to expand. The first step to Earth is merely to see their ancestral homelands, seen as culturally significant but not in other ways. A dead world gives no bounty to them.
The Theocracy's city-state wandering Gaia Conservation League on the move
Beijing-class Legion Mobile Military Base Standard Legion Mobile Artillery Standard Legion Gunship Drone Revolution-class Heavy Support Automaton Standard Legion Mobile Mechanised Support Ship
TARIQ IBN HAKEEM AL-BARIQI ◼ B R I C K ◼ M A L E ◼ H E R O ?
"Your race are a collective of interesting creatures, Human."
//SPEECH:
Olivedrab
//DESCRIPTION:
Tariq is a "man" of two species, melded and intertwined to create one new specimen. They way they speak, their mannerisms and their way of thinking is both similar and different to what most humans are used to. They walk unnaturally half of the time, a sort of limp to their stride that ruins the confidence and bravado they give off. They present themselves with a tall, straight posture unlike most tall people. They do not bend down and to any passerby, they could be seen as arrogant from afar. However, the nervous drumming of their fingers is always present and they would be seen frequently trying to stop a shaking left knee. Glitches in the otherwise perfect bond they had formed together.
The Alien represents them in physical form, standing at a muscular 6"5 with a rough edge to his look. Humanoid in shape with five fingers, two arms and two feet, under layers of clothing there is no distinguishing him from any normal person walking around. Of course, underneath these layers is anything but human. He was previously of a sand people, a warrior culture and so he has the build that best represents this. Bulging muscles hide behind clothing and wrapping. The black bandages that cover him warms his skin while also making it smoother to the touch when someone touches him while he is clothed. This is because his outer layers of skin are like sandpaper to touch, harsh and coarse with small spikes protruding where humans have joints. He has softer tissue under this hard, carapace-like outer skin and every two years or so, he needs to shed this natural armour that the Human likens to an insect shedding old skin. This is to let the inner tissue beneath the natural armour breathe and during this time, he would look like a skinned human and would be as sensitive as one. This results in him needing time indoors, away from the elements for at least 48 hours in an unconscious state.
Alien's natural birthmarks are like art, telling the story of his long lost family. They are four, large sandy stripes that come in pairs on his two feet. They split and come apart as they run up his body, intertwining and connecting into dozens of different pathways. It forms a flower like pattern over his torso but they all connect once more in a simple pattern on his face. These birthmarks tell a story of his ancestry, woven through years and years in a modified gene-sac. They do not change between the shedding of his skins and they never disappear. Whether this was natural for his species or he was genetically modified to be like this, it is unknown.
A product of the melding, Alien has Human's light emerald eyes. They shine quite obviously in stark contrast to the dark skin. Alien's face is adorned with three piercings, two golden earrings on his right ear and one silver piece on his bottom lip. The rough skin of his outer body carapace doesn't reach his sensitive face, his skin as smooth as a baby's bottom. Under Human's influence, a wry smirk is always present and their mannerisms become much cheerier, giving off an aura of friendliness and love. However, under Alien's influence, their movements become predatory. Face still like stone, eyes seemingly arrogant and judging, hands held ready in case of danger. To most, this is a clear sign of mental illness and so it is Human who is present during most days.
Tariq, in reference to both the Human and the Alien, wears traditional Saudi garb interwoven with Kevlar, a long flowing robe and Kevlar-bandaged from head to toe. Tribal sand-coloured markings adorn the otherwise midnight-black cloth, travelling up from the hem, intertwining from the legs and the torso before ending at their ghutrah (غُترَة), a white cloth of cotton mild. Black bandages cover from neck upwards, leaving only emerald eyes to be seen.
//IDENTITY:
Duos' true identity as an Alien/Human hybrid is kept under tight wraps by the Saudi government. Only the Al-Bariqi family, top officials and trusted officers are aware of their duality. Though well known as the son of the Al-Bariqi family, the tight 24/7 wrappings means Duos'abilities are seen as superhuman rather than extraterrestrial.
▼ B I O G R A P H Y:
"I hope that you know that I find that nickname.. disturbing, Human. Try not to call me Al."
There are two sides to Duos, the Human and the Alien. The Human, who now shares his original name of Tariq ibn Hakeem Al-Bariqi, was born privileged and rich in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. His father, an oil prince drowning in liquid gold, had the foresight to realise that his riches were tied to a potentially limited resource. Instead, he had invested his money into the nuclear industry, against the warnings of his fellow oil barons and friends.
When the value of oil dropped like a stone and a financial crisis loomed, the Al-Bariqi family did not fall like the others. They did not fall into bankruptcy or out of grace, they kept their riches and wealth. His father thrived where most failed and started his own nuclear plant in Saudi Arabia, funded by the Saud family to ensure that the country would be able to keep up with the West. This was the world that the Human was born into, a family of the top 1% in the world. His parents, Hakeem and Alya, were kind-hearted if a little too dedicated to their work to construct a healthy family. His brother Ali took care of him during his early years, a well-educated high school student who had tutors at home. While their maids and butlers did most of the chores, it was his brother that sung him songs at night to make him sleep, it was him who ordered bed-in-breakfast for him almost everyday.
The Human had come to respect and revere his brother. He was everything to the young one and tried everything to impress him, only being successful in creating amusement. But when Ali had to leave for medical school when the Human was only sixteen, the young boy was left alone once more. With little to no parental figures in his life and the maids and butlers being cycled through mansions every month or so, it was difficult for him to have anyone to connect with. It was through this loneliness that he had discovered his love for hip hop culture and the rich, cash-spending culture that came with it. His parents were okay with him spending their money to get anything he wanted, as long as he was happy they didn't care. Luxury cars, new phones daily, high-tech gaming, joyrides in the streets, even helicopter rides around the desert. It was a grandeur lifestyle of epic proportions, but it never truly spoiled his personality.
The values the Human had been first taught by his brother still stood. A portion of the "pocket money" he got from his parents was given to charity and he made sure not to show off his wealth too much. However, he was still a teen and a rich one at that. He still had an Instagram, posting a few photos of him and his luxurious lifestyle. Some people see him as an arrogant, spoiled rich boy and he was anything but that, however it is not wrong that he is more well off than most people. One day, Lady Luck and the general shit you got in life all fell on him one day, in the form of a helicopter crash. He had been taking his helicopter for a ride in the night, haven taken lessons in how to pilot one. It was a cold night in the Saudi Arabian sand dunes, his helicopter being the only man-made object for miles. His parents never approved of him going alone but he had hit that rebellious streak that every teenager possessed and so he flew anyways.
It was a glint in the night sky, barely perceptible to the human eye. Built from unknown metals and detected as mere debris by any satellite or radar, a small pod careening through space. Coming in slow enough to prevent burning up when it pierced our atmosphere, it seemed as though that its course was calculated and exact. Whether the resulting crash was a glitch in the system or not is something Tariq has yet to solve. It all happened in a flash, one moment the Human was flying a helicopter costing to the millions of dollars and the next moment, he was lying unconscious, bleeding in the desert sand as his pieces of his helicopter tumbled down the dunes. He had barely even registered the pod crash before he entered a coma, one that would last the next several days.
When he awoke, he would find himself in a small clinic in the middle of the desert. In a village of around 150 people, it was here that he would awake. Bandaged and dressed in a smooth silk, the Human opened his eyes to a doctor. He had been taken here by a mysterious man, very tall and very wide, dressed in black with a ghutrah on his head. He had dragged him to this very clinic, and he was informed that the man was waiting outside. Bewildered, suffering from shock and trauma, the Human decided stupidly to walk out of the clinic against the warnings of the village doctor. There, the man waited for him and then, they melded. It was quick and efficient but the results were anything but. The next couple of months were a blur, memories flooded a shared mind, thoughts were confused as to who was in control. Was this a dream? Is this all real? A flood of both nothing and everything entered their mind, events occurring without their full consent. They didn't mean to leave the house with only a note, they were directed to.
They didn't mean to gather money by capitalising on the Human's properties and inherited investments, they were directed to. They didn't mean to become the Hero of Arabia, they didn't want to leave their home to fight crime. They didn't mean to live together, they wanted to be separate from each other. Two individuals cannot be in one body, it merely resulted in a storm of chaos, two people going in and out of unconsciousness rapidly. It was at this point that their thoughts were mostly controlled by the being called the Human, the first couple of months in where the body was in prime directive mode but thoughts could not overcome the Alien’s instinct.
Neither remember what took place in those few months, nor their first dozen conversations. Their combined brain was working on overload, trying to sort every memory to create two individuals, two personalities. It was stressed, following the prime directive of its genetic coding to create two lifeforms within itself while also commanding the body to do what the directive told it to do. It was during this tumultuous and chaotic period that Alien, who the Human had taken to call Al, introduced itself in their shared consciousness. He was a warrior, born from a genetically engineered cloning sac on his home planet. It was a harsh place, sandstorms and deserts as far as the eye could see. Things like an oasis were rare and closely guarded by a tribe.
They were a dying race, doomed to be drowned underneath the desert sands, their planet too harsh to support life any longer. The sandstorms had worsened over time and many of them saw the beginning of the end. Alien was taken from his home by visitors at a young age, kidnapped and put into a strange spacecraft. They coded with his DNA, collecting data samples, and genetically engineering the young xeno. His race was of great interest to these strange celestial beings, as they melded. The Meld is a process in which you combine personalities with another warrior out of respect, resulting in one body with a split personality. A combined might, intelligence and will of two individuals. After what felt like years of experimentation and genetically engineering, the young Alien was stuck into a pod and sent off in to a wider galaxy.
To continue the legacy of his honour-bound people beyond the stars, to meld with a specimen of a different race and to cement himself as a warrior without peer. Given the knowledge of centuries of warriors across his species, his oath binder him to prove himself by solving injustice within the galaxy. His first planet was Earth, and this was how Duos began. When the Human and Alien finally settled, they awoke to their body’s uncontrolled actions.
Duos left a trail of broken bodies, malformed chest cavities and bullet holes. Murderers, rapists, pedophiles and low-level thugs found their match in him. His family had been made aware of the situation when the Human contacted them, wondering where he had been the last two months. Overcoming initial shock, his father’s eyes glinted with sudden opportunity. Contacting his friends within the government, most notably the Crown Prince himself who he had on his personal phone, he explained the chaotic killings of the last two months. He weaved his words with sweet opportunities. A Hero of Arabian stock. A way for them to get ahead in the Middle East so their rivals in Iran and Israel could not match their influence. A way to improve their standing in the world, a grand PR move. Propaganda and online influencers can just dull the brutality of Duos’ actions.
And so, albeit reluctantly at first, Saudi Arabia had raised its first hero – DUOS. Officially opted into Saudi Special Security Forces, they passed through harsh special forces training with flying colours (aside from the swimming part, which Saudi propaganda is quick to hide from others). Being able to deadlift 500kgs for reps before running an ultra-marathon tends to help in a way. The Saudi military, understanding the duality of Duos and urged by the Saudi government, gave the Alien the rank of Captain and the Human a rank of Private, due to the differing levels of military experience between the two (pointing it out causes the Human constant grumbling). They have since led numerous operations with a squad of hand selected killer soldiers, taking down numerous terrorist organisations (particularly targeting Shiites by the lead of their Saudi command) across the Middle East. Their squad eventually rose in number and popularity, becoming a whole regiment that held the place of the government’s most key strategic asset both militarily and in foreign relations. They acted as a motorised infantry force, backed by a command structure and armed with the latest technology available to the Armed Forces. Though Duos was their figurehead, they were made up of multiple squads with their own Captains, often figures Duos has befriended and gained the trust of under his own command. Technically, they are under the over-command of now appointed Major Hakeem ibn Muhammad Al-Bariqi, the Human’s father though more as a political choice and as an active liaison to the government to point the regiment in the right direction. Strategy and operational tactics lies with now Commander Tariq, or the rank of Aqid.
Saudi Arabia’s standing in the Middle East has only risen in the past few years, gaining influence which only served to lower that of their rivals. Money flowed into the Al-Bariqi pockets. Middle East nations, and that of the Arab world (at least those with Sunni-majority), sung praise.
And so, with their position secured as leader of the Arab World, Saudi Arabia and Hakeem ibn Muhammad Al-Bariqi turned their opportunistic eye on to the world. They look towards the crises developing in the USA, and seeks to improve their public relations with their most strategically important ally. Offering their best of the best, the 21st Motorised as a show of support with Duos as their lead. However, as always, the USA offers a whole different ballgame. Both Human and Alien wonders if they are biting off more than they can chew, looking at the destruction wrought across the leading country in the world. They can only hope, that with their loyal comrades at their back, this would not end up as folly.
▼ P E R S O N A L I T Y:
"Get used to it Al, I got used to the fact that 'Tariq', my original name mind you, refers to both of us outside the military."
The prime directive. The reason the Alien had been sent here in the first place. To fight injustice, crime and prejudice in a different world, to prove himself amongst another species as a warrior without peer. To continue the legacy of his long lost people, to show that his species would not go quietly thin the night. This powerful force in their minded, genetically coded into their combined personalities, this is what drives them to move forward. To fight criminals and save the innocent. This is what they call the Greater Good, a mental drive within them to do the right thing for the majority. Whether this meant killing a criminal for repeating their crimes or sacrificing one person for the lives of two, it does not matter for they will act with cold logic. This has brought into question whether their actions are justified, whether their value of "no mercy" was immoral or not. This does not stop their almost cult-like following on the Internet, many agreeing in the way they do things. For the Greater Good.
However, this almost religious zeal towards this ideal has been tilted somewhat with their merging. The Human had always looked favourably upon the Saudi government and the country as a whole, thus Duos appears wholly ignorant towards their own government’s scrupulous and untoward actions. In fact, the capital punishment is even held in high regard by Duos, even that of dissidents. How could a government which had supplied the Human’s family with so much opportunity and wealth be so bad?
This ignorance to wider geopolitical knowledge combined with naivety keeps them firmly under the noses of their government and the Human’s father. The Greater Good ideology can be manipulated with sweet words and distractions. Otherwise, the Alien and the Human have a cordial relationship and are often very friendly towards one another. The Human is more diplomatic, nicer and generally charismatic although the naivety of youth and a golden upbringing still shines through. The Alien can be gruff and rude with a very strict code of “what is right” but is fair, willing to here reason before blowing a hole in a criminal’s forehead. They both find heavy camaraderie with their fellow soldier and respect them, which often leads to some hero worship.
▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:
"You shall learn soon Human."
//POWERS:
◼ Heightened Senses and Reflexes |The average specimen from Alien's race possesses better senses than the average human. Tariq has very good eyesight, focusing on objects much faster than a human, they can track using smell, hear through soundproof walls and can even taste more and get more out of a meal. They have also been genetically engineered to have very fast and reactive reflexes, their minds when fully tuned to their body, can command it quickly to do their bidding. Take into consideration their athletic body, higher-than-average strength and speed, they are essentially a step above the base Homo Sapien in a physical sense.
◼ Supreme Strength |The ability to break a man’s skull with their bare hands or charge through metal doors is a pretty useful trait. But it has limitations. He can lift a car off its front wheels without effort or pull an airplane by the rope but Duos won’t be flinging boulders anytime soon. He likes to think that as long as his strength allows him to carry injured comrades off the field, he’ll be fine.
POWER LEVEL: Individually = street level. Strategically = city level.
//SKILLS:
◼ CQC Specialisation |With the memories of Alien's planet, culture and people contained within them, Tariq has mastery over dozens of empty hand and armed martial arts developed over hundreds of years of war. They prefer to incapacitate the opponent through brutalisation, using underhanded tactics and the environment to their advantage. Opponents often end up in hospital with injuries ranging from broken arms to a paralysed spine or just end up dead. Backed by his soldiers, Tariq/Duos offers a terrifying foe to those without superpowers.
◼ Expert Soldiery |Furthermore, being armed with an entire people’s knowledge of waging war allows for expert soldiery. Duos runs a strict meritocracy within his ranks, not allowing wealth or birth affect how he chooses his officers and soldiers (except for his immediate superior – his father). He drills them and exercises them daily, honing them into the fine tipped spear of Arabia. Countless operations around the Arab world has bloodied them well. But what is a soldier to a hero? ◼ Riches beyond imagination |Being backed by one of the up-and-coming richest governments in the world which view you as a highly important asset often results in a blank check. Being sent to constant operation after operation doesn’t allow for many spending sprees so this wealth is often used to ensure that Duos’ soldiers are fully equipped and trained for any threat (within reason). ◼ Prince Charming and his loveable Alien sidekick |Two personalities equals double the person! They have the intelligence and will of two people, two opinions from two different perspectives to judge on a situation. Through this, they make more informed observations and more intelligent answers to hard questions. The Human also has quite the charming personality and was known before the melding as a womaniser. This image has been slightly ruined by the fact that he now appears as intimidating to most people but he still has the words of a charmer. He is the talker while the Alien is the soldier and leader, that is how they have functioned for the last few years.
//ATTRIBUTES:
◼ HEIGHT |6 ft 5 in
◼ WEIGHT |315 lbs
◼ STRENGTH |Superior to that of a normal man
◼ MOBILITY |Runs as fast as a fast man but has superhuman stamina
◼ INTELLIGENCE |Higher than average but naïve, mostly limited to operational and strategical intelligence
//LIMITATIONS:
◼ Two Clashing Personalities |Tariq is still made up of two different entities, no matter how cordial they seem. This can lead to unfortunate disagreements within their body even with the uniting force of the prime directive. These arguments can occur during totally normal and human situations that Alien does not comprehend, or during high-risk hostage situations where they argue the most viable objective. These clashes result in a delayed reaction time, which can spell the end of a mission and thus it's failure. As the two have become closer, disagreements become rarer but they still happen, usually with very strong points on both sides. ◼ A Slow Switch |To switch control between the Human and the Alien, it takes one to two hours. During this time, they are absolutely vulnerable to outside influences and the elements which is why they spend theis time inside. However, this is a weakness that can be easily exploited and because of how long the switch takes, Tariq can be stuck in a sticky situation where the wrong personality is in control. For example, Alien would be very useful if they were trying to fight a group of criminals in the streets but would become useless in convincing a criminal to drop their weapon. The slowness of the switch restricts their capabilities as the other can advise a personality to do something but they are not tuned to do it naturally. Though both have learned to be soldiers, the Alien is more attuned to warfare than the Human.
//WEAKNESS:
◼ Fuck Water |Water is neither personality's friend. Tariq's heavy and rough skin makes him sink in water and with neither the Human nor the Alien knowing how to swim, it is likely that they will one day die because of drowning. Rain or any sort of water splashing unto them can also be harmful as certain properties within water makes them weaker with slower reflexes and normalised senses. Water basically turns them into a normal human being except with an alien biology and appearance. This is why they try and use very waterproof clothing when going outside to avoid being severely weakened. However, the act of drinking water does not affect them nor do droplets of water.
▼ N O T E S:
//SUPPORTING CAST:
▼ ALLIES/RESOURCES ◼ Major Hakeem ibn Muhammad Al-Bariqi|The Human's father, a great supporter of his son’s achievements and acts as Duos’ direct connection to the Saudi government. Acts as the direct guiding hand for Duos and his Holy Chosen, a name that Hakeem chose himself. Cunning, opportunistic and intelligent, he is the "brains" behind the entire Duos image, even going as far as putting forward a comic book titled "Duos and His Holy Chosen" printed across the Arab World. He seeks power for his family and his country though overconfidence can blind him easily.
◼ Saudi Arabia and the Arab World |Revered as a hero amongst the people, Tariq arose from seemingly nowhere and tackled crime around the country. They became some sort of folk legend, stories spoken about them at night time to make children sleep. This spread to much of the Arab World, allowing Duos to be welcomed in any of these countries. The greatest “real” resource Duos can gain from however is his popularity, which would mean that anything resulting in his downfall would have serious repercussions upon the region. Anyone with any geopolitical knowledge and wishes to keep the newfound stability within this region would stay well away.
◼ 21st Motorised Special Security Regiment – “The Holy Chosen” |As “Commander”, Duos has access to the most elite Arab special forces in the world. Under the Alien’s special training and knowledge, these men (and some women, despite the Human and his father’s initial protests. The Alien found no purpose in leaving out a whole 50% of the population) are deadly even without their extraordinary Commander beside them. This personal regiment offers Duos operational reach and access to helicopters, other special security assets and Saudi military resources. Though several companies are tied to operations back home or elsewhere abroad, the 1st Chosen, including Duos and the Major, will be making an appearance as allies. Members will be expanded upon as they are introduced.
O P : S A V I O R
0030 - 5 years before current events - The outskirts of Cairo, Egypt
Cairo's metropolitan center shone like a glowing oasis in the desert night, bathing the city in light. The nightlife was alive, the native populace and tourists mingling together. Parties were on full blast, spirits were at an all time high. Festivities crawled its way around normally empty streets. Families turned in for the night, children content with tomorrow's celebrations in the city gardens. It was Eid al-Fitr and Muslims across the world came alive, happy with the end of the month-long dawn-dusk fasting of Ramadan. A holy day of celebration and prayer. A day which always attracted the wrong sort of attention every year. A dark, nondescript van sped away from the shining city, accelerating across the highway into the dunes. The walls hummed and vibrated with the loud music, bass cutting over heavy hearts pounding in eardrums.
Six dark figures huddled close together in the van, two more at the front. The crack of the radio cut over the music. "Xray-leader, this is Giza-actual. Be advised, hostile camp has been spotted 10 clicks away from your current position. You are the closest response team, we have sent the GPS navigation to you now. ETA six minutes to perimeter, over."
A low, harsh voice cut through the quieting music. "Giza-actual, this is Xray-leader, wilco. Radio silence begins now. Eid el mubarak, Xray-leader out." A sharp click echoed in the metal confines of the vehicle. A low sigh almost escaped muffled lips and Tariq looked back at their team. These were new inductees to the 21st Motorised Special Security Regiment on their first operation. Every team in a new batch had a shakedown operation to "bloody" them, as it was. This one seemingly drew a lucky straw and got an easy one. A hostage situation with several young girls kidnapped by an armed group of escaped convicts intending to "use" them for their festivities. Dangerous to the normal person but these were merely untrained criminals with poor shotguns and pistols. Nothing to trained killers like these. In combination with local police and Egypt's own Unit 777, they received word of suspicious activity around an apartment building in the city behind them. The 21st was attached as a support unit with the Egyptians leading front. All they found was a drugged-up convict armed with a grenade.
Shots were fired and viscera splattered on the wall. The man stood there grenade in hand with several bullet holes in his abdomen and a sizable chunk of his head missing. By the Egyptian captain's report, the man tried to prime his grenade afterwards but the fuse failed. The undead spun around in circles, laughing while grey matter and intestines spilled on to the floor. He shouted in reverence, raising one and a half arms in the air with blood pooling underneath him. He spoke of a sacrifice of virgin maidens to a "prophet-come-again." Blood rituals of some sort, worship of a false prophet which provided the men the "miracle of freedom" and "heaven on Earth." By the time Duos had entered the scene, the seemingly immortal man told them they were too late. A school on the outskirts of Cairo, he cackled, there they would find true immortality. Alien kicked the creature into the wall breaking its spine and legs. The human-turned-abomination folded in on itself, mumbling of salvation.
Upon their advice, the teams split and scrambled to all known abandoned hospitals near the outskirts of Cairo and in surrounding towns. They had found them. Alien flickered his eyes over the team. Whatever skin peaked through their Kevlar bandages seemed pale, one operative visibly shaking. These were not veterans yet, a voice reminded him. He spoke up. "Prepare for unknown metahuman named "False Prophet", threat level presumed high. At least two dozen armed men, unknown number of whom are abominations and twenty hostages. Shoot to kill. Trust your training and your warrior instincts. Most of all, trust your fellow soldier. For the Greater Good."
Silence was followed by slow nodding, colour returning slightly to their exposed skin. The shaking one steadied herself, steel hardening in her blue irises. Satisfied, Tariq prepared for the situation ahead. 'Still not one for speeches Al? I've gone through our head and your people have some fantastic war speeches here. You should use some of them.'
Alien grunted in response, turning a knob on the dashboard to let the music drown out his soldier's fear. He had always approved of the fast moving rhymes and heavy beats of this American "hip hop/rap" - crude and very human but the violence had meaning. The shared minds agreed that music got the blood pumping or calmed the nerves, important when a being was on the eve of battle. Alien's ingrained battle hymns sounded very similar to the sounds of "rap". Human only wondered whether Biggie would have appreciated that his music impressed an extraterrestrial of all things.Alien's Heckler & Koch MG5 sent tracer rounds flying down the wide, pillared corridor in silent suppressing fire. They had spent the last twenty minutes going through several defensive chokepoints, manned by both normal humans and those hidden abominations. The latter would soon expose themselves by being all too confident in their newfound immortality, laughing at the hail of bullets while their comrades hid behind walls and overturned tables. Alien zoned in on one's head flying off the body, cackling all the way. Its body crumpled but the head continued its laughing over the sound of suppressed gunfire. He made sure to fire a three round burst to silence it. His soldiers crept forward under the suppressive fire, going cover to cover in crisp fashion with the female leading from the front. Once his ammunition drum went empty, the six of them lunged over the barrier or around the corners, knives or guns flashing with precision. Strangled cries and screams rang out.
"Clear." The red had covered all of them now. The abominations seemed to bleed much more than a normal human being. The female's voice sounded cold, blood staining the black over her balaclava and bandages obvious. Human only faked gagging at the smell but Alien was silently appraising at the sight as they approached. This team were being bloodied well and this female human had the guts to stamp her fear. A predatory smile made its way on to their face. 'Really, of all the times to finally find a human woman attractive, you choose an operation with a death cult of all things? And when she's covered in blood no less? Allah save him, he is blind.'
Alien continued leading from the front, saving the inner banter, using his superior bulk to cover his soldiers. They hurried along silently, guns sweeping corners and rooms. Indoor fighting was slow, methodical and nerve-wracking. A gunshot from the dark could spell their end, a tripped IED could take out a whole team. With Tariq, it was a matter of waiting for their commander to spot something with their heightened hearing or vision. Chattering teeth, soft footfalls away from the group, the tension of the string rigged to a grenade. All could be heard or felt before the trap or ambush was sprung. They heard soft whispers through what sounded like a door twelve meters away around the corner.
The xenos lifted his fist, halting before the corner's edge. Three fingers were raised followed by a fist shaking side to side. They scurried silently around the corner and to the door, three operatives placing themselves on one side and three on the other. Nodding to the female, Alien kicked the door, sending it flying off its hinges. He closed his eyes. He took a step forward. Blood and bone was crushed against the opposing wall in the room, a gun clattering to the floor. Screams, thirteen in that distinctly annoying young human female pitch. Shouts and clamoring footsteps. Another step. Guns are cocked, the floor vibrating with movement. Distinct chink sounds are heard, two cylindrical flashbangs tumbling inside the room. The subsequent ringing would be blocked by his coverings. Another step, one foot into the room. Twelve figures placed around the room, surrounding the source of the screams. He hefted his rifle with one hand and slipped his knife into the other. He opened his eyes.
The layout of the room was chaotic, upturned desks and tables strewn as makeshift barricades. The human females were pushed in the opposing corner of the room against another door, the human males all curiously shirtless and armed in a semicircle around them. A broken door lay opposite Alien, a bloody humanoid figure underneath. No sounds. Not immortal then. But adorned with strange red tattoos? He noted this all with professional disinterest.
Leaping towards and over the nearest barricade, the killer known as Duos yelled at his disoriented enemies. "For the Greater Good!" he cried, stomping on the head of a crouching criminal, breaking its skull into its spine with a satisfying pulp. He moved swiftly, pointing his MG5 one handed to his right and fired an expert three round burst into the head of nearest enemy there. He kept firing, dispatching the criminals to the right with continuous three round bursts. He extended his knife-arm behind him at the sound of shuffling feet, piercing through a soft neck and ending it with pitiful gurgles out its mouth. In his peripheral vision he watched his team follow into the room, shooting at the disoriented attackers behind him. He smiled at the efficiency, killing the last attacker on his side who was coming-to, flesh splattering on several cowering females.
Alien turned to his team, nodding at them in approval, five bodies with three holes in their heads each. Expert killer-heroes for the Greater Good. He beckoned the female soldier forward and pointed at the cowering young ones. She nodded and beckoned the young ones forward, placating them with soft whispers. They were swiftly shepherded out of the room with the female and an escort.
Duos stood in front of the door with eyes closed, the rest of his team to his left and leaning against the wall. Flashbangs at the ready, weapons reloaded. Time to fight their first metahuman. The door crashed like the previous. No sound. Tumbling cylinders against cement floors, a flash. No movement. They opened their eyes and saw their first demons.
When faced with so much death and destruction, there could only be a few responses. When your families are likely dead, your friends slaughtered, the places you hold closest obliterated, many break. Many crawl into their shells and wait for their turn. A cold desperation for it all to be just a dream. For the non-powered masses, there was little choice but to act quickly or die. In places of the world where there were no heroes, overlooked by the Earth's protectors, chaos reigned. Many more of humanity's worst traits would shine through. In these places, countries forgotten about in the news, places many Westerners could barely find on a map, Duos and their 21st found calling. A group of exceptionally trained normal humans to do the work of the heroes. Well, mostly human. But even their Commander had little in the way of real augmentations, just superior biology in many ways. No mystical power source to draw from, only bullet and blade to fend off enemies of the Greater Good. But they were limited.
Even now, news of the ongoing invasion filtered through their tactical UI screens. Millions dead worldwide, statuses of many countries unknown. Their own homeland, and the homelands of many comrades, potentially lay in ruin. Humanity's loss of its holy cities in the cradle of civilisation would be traumatic, to say the least of it. There was enough desperation to crush someone's soul but all hands on deck, as the saying goes. When the invasion hit, the 21st had been in transit at Fort Pendleton. News of it scrambled the Marine assets there as quickly as they could and the Holy Chosen jumped to be in the first wave of resistance. Thankfully, their methods of entering the city under siege was more covert than the Marines, who had been bogged down near the city limits by alien forces.
Three thousand pairs of boots trudged through the sewers of the great American city as quickly and quietly as they could. It was an intelligence void, they had no idea what they were going into when they were this separated from military command. Commander Duos flicked their eyes over the tactical screen as they trudged through the muck, two minds working hard on taking as much information in as they could. This was while they were coordinating the thirty 100-man companies underneath the city, moving them around like pieces on a chess board. Situations and tactics were compared to years of war under the Alien and the Human's respective military histories. It was important they moved in coordinated smaller groups rather than move as one. The further they could spread their tactical reach, the better. More targets could be hit but companies were more isolated to be encircled and destroyed. Hence the use of the sewers. The high numbers were needed to close the sheer technological gap.
In the dark recesses of their minds, they knew the large groupings also allowed Captains tactical capability of "severing a limb" to save the rest. Their comrades would fight well, knowing much more was at stake than their own lives.
The Human thanked God for small mercies as his own company of 100 rounded another unfortified corner in the sewers. The aliens, in their likely arrogance, had foregone sending any patrols into the under-city. After all, only the arrogant could somehow think that leaving communications up for their enemy was a brilliant idea. Which his soldiers were using expertly of course. Their encrypted communications channel cracked to life.
"These aliens are not very good at combating our infiltration, eh Commander?"
"As God is my witness, these aliens are as pigheaded as you are Ali."
"Radio silence Privates. Ali, you take point at the next junction until we get into the sunshine."
You could almost hear the visible pout as positions were switched up the line. Let it be shown that humans often countered desperate unknowns with shenanigans and banter, no matter where you came from. "Thank you Captain. We are less than one click away from the nearest objective. Retribution comes, let us be the hope for the common man. God be with you. For the Greater Good."
"For the Greater Good, sir." With their reply, Alien only nodded in satisfaction as they continued onwards. The fighting was fierce and gunfire battled with alien technology. It only grew fiercer, a dull roar reverberating through the tunnels as they reached their objective. The group spread out underneath the building, point-men climbing up to the manhole covers or explosive charges set to explode underneath bathrooms. Throughout the city, concentrations of alien troops, artillery emplacements and supply lines would be ambushed from underneath the city. One company had been tasked with an altogether different assignment, whose goal would hopefully boost human resistance across the city.
The hundred was split into squads of ten, the movement of feet through dirtied water becoming hurried but staying quiet. Their watches synchronised, they watched the clock tick closer to the zero markTo the outside observer, it felt like another invasion was coming from underneath. Bathroom floors crumbled downwards into underground sewers, hefting amounts of smoke grenades emerging from manhole covers. Dark figures scurrying out of the underground. Covered from head to toe in black bandages, eyes covered with dark goggles, it was hard to recognise them as humans at first. But as they hurried to the alleyways and higher ground, concentrated bursts of fire would emerge from barking guns.
Duos followed their comrades, the Alien in control of the body as the Human worked overtime in their mind to coordinate the other companies relaying through their shared mouth. The basement floor in this building looked like it imploded, rubble thrown into the sewer water, pipes bursting. The squad of eleven fanned out, Alien taking point with their H&K MG5. Sprinting up the stairs and crashing through the door, their large mass crushed the power-armoured alien behind it, smearing the abominable thing into chunks of flesh meshed to the opposite wall. Alien could immediately perceive the sound of surprise and hurrying footsteps. They were only checking on the noise now. Good. Multiple flashbangs were liberally thrown to the opposing ends of the corridor as the next two special forces soldiers came out.
Continuing to mutter orders under their breath, Duos moved to their right, followed by his squad. Alien shot around the corner into disoriented enemies, armour-piercing bullets impacting into both flesh and metal. Stepping around it, they noted with dissatisfaction that some enemies were still alive, saved by their power armour. Infuriating. Taking out their knife with their left hand, they proceeded to stomp over the nearest fallen alien, using his strength to step on its neck with a satisfying crack. Opening up with their MG5 to take down further targets, they slashed with their left hand to the nearer ones. Behind him, comrades took cover behind alien corpses, taking potshots at a disoriented enemy.
Clearing this corridor, the squad moved as one to the emergency steps, ignoring the gunshots and plasma-fire they heard elsewhere in the building. Their comrades would have their backs. Duos sprinted up the stairs, barreling through a squad of aliens entering through a fire exit. Bursts of fire to the head and torso killed the downed enemies as the squad continued, the sound of plasma-fire getting closer to them.
On the second to last flight of stairs, Alien could hear the low whining of a plasma artillery battery winding up. They sprinted harder, leaving behind their human comrades to barge through another set of doors. Heightened reflexes and senses flared as new stimuli entered the system. Ten pairs of shuffling feet. An alien artillery gun pointed downwards to the streets below at an unknown target. Gunfire, previously muffled by thick walls, prevalent there. Allied forces. Threat needed to be eliminated.
The knife was flung from Duos' left hand, lodging itself into the helmet of the artillery operator. Alien pressed down on his trigger finger, bullets spraying once more. They rolled to avoid incoming plasma, alerted by the searing heat which coursed through the air near them. Hunkering against a piece of large alien equipment, the plasma-fire intensified from now alert and vengeful alien soldiers. The heat seemed to sizzle the air, getting hotter and hotter as the alien equipment was being melted down.
A whoosh in the air, metal canisters impacting against cement. Rectangular and if Alien had seen it right, an angry red. Contained napalm grenades. Human rights could be stalled against aliens, as ironic as that opinion would be seen by the Human. Fast, ever-burning fire accompanied by alien screams reverberating through the air, the armour doing strong but this did not do anything to the beings inside. Alien flesh cooked inside now metal coffins, piercing through the gunfire in the streets. It almost sounded like they felt something. To the Alien part of Duos, it was nothing but the Greater Good prevailing.
Peeking over to look at the mangled remains of the artillery gun and the enemies, Alien noticed with satisfaction that the fast acting anti-Napalm foam within the canisters were already dissipating the flammable reactive compounds. A completely experimental weapon up until this point, now proven effective in the field. They nodded at Private Ali in appreciation as the human squad fanned out towards the mangled pieces of alien technology or in overwatch positions around the rooftop. The personal communications piece crackled to life once more. A female's voice came through.
- This is Captain Fatima. Building cleared Commander. 15% friendly casualties, 10% of whom are dead. 100% enemy casualties, all dead. Orders, over? -
- Casualties are higher than expected, reports are flooding in of higher numbers among other companies. We fall back to enforce friendly lines. Rendezvous on the ground in ten minutes, rest and recuperate, enforce overwatch positions of entrances. Commander out. -
Alien turned his mental attention to his companion, who he again gave control of the mouth to use for relaying orders. He asked for the sitrep.
'Not looking good Al. I'm straining as it is coordinating attacks but overall sustained casualties are as high as 50% without our support. Most companies have had at least minor successes in operations so far with Malak Company clearing their special objective. We caught them with their pants down but the further forces away from friendly lines need to leave fast Al. I'm ordering them to the sewers immediately.' Alien agreed internally, pushing away the grief for another day. Many lives would be lost today and he cannot lose vision at the start of the engagement. At least his companion was holding strong. Coordinating forces at this micromanaging scale was tiring work, judging by the constant orders feeding under their combined breath.
Information was needed and the Alien reckoned it would come from their allies below. They were running in the dark here and though they succeeded, they needed more intel or the 21st would go home in shambles. Jogging quickly down the stairs to the ground level, they witnessed combined infantry shifting through the rubble. Raising their hands, Alien called out the safety word they had been taught for allied forces on the ground.
A man in National Guard uniform came to him, a Captain judging from his insignia. Alien extended a hand and the American grasped it firmly, crinkling his nose slightly at the smell. "I'll be damned, didn't think we had a metahuman with a private army lurking around."
Duos shook their head, able to sustain a conversation after giving final orders. "Not a local. Commander Tariq Al-Bariqi, head of the Holy Chosen regiment of Royal Saudi Special Security. I cannot talk long, must get more information about the aliens."
The American's eyes widened in surprise but quickly shook it away. Professionalism, very respectable. He jerked a thumb to the strangely garbed aliens behind him. "Those ones are apparently fine, it's the ETs in uniformed power armour that we need to worry about. And if you want to do anything about those aliens, you'll have to talk to these heroes."
Duos followed the soldier's directions towards a pair of aliens, one squid-like and one silver-coloured humanoid. Alien approached them carefully, disliking the concept of unknowns. Clearing their throat, they stood at ease, having silently approached the pair. He decided upon taking a direct approach, against the more diplomatic inclinations of his companion. "Greetings. I am Commander Tariq Al-Bariqi, metahuman and leader of Saudi Special Security forces in the city. Are you looking to destroy the enemy for the Greater Good?"@KaiserElectric
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