9 Years, 11 Months, 20 Days After Eridani Landing
Bellona Colony
Tapping at the computer console embedded in the bench Megan leaned back to look at the pair of small cubes that sat on the medical examination bed, two small metallic cradles feeding them power the only comforts.
“Anything Yern?” asked Megan as she looked over the data streaming from the two of them.
“Nothing beyond what we have already observed.” Said the small Tanuin from the other side of the examination bed his small feet flying over the to large computer console in front of him.
Alpha crawled down the wall and perching himself on the head of the bed to look down on the two small cubes.
“It is disturbing, that General Yan condoned these experiments.” Said Alpha his voice low and barely audible over the sounds of the doctors and other healers moving outside of the room.
James leaning up against the wall of the ward furthest from the bed grunted, “It’s not something any normal Human would even consider Alpha. When Megan did this it was a last-ditch effort.”
“I have seen the logs.” Said Alpha somberly.
Megan grunted and tapped the nearest cube, “These two were not in distress, and they were younger than Arik. They also had far more of their brainstems extracted with them and added to the cube. Younger means the brain is more adaptive, and the brainstem allows for more bioneural connections.”
Megan pushed back from the bed and raised a mechanical leg up setting it on the bed. Yern quickly darted to the side avoiding her as she set the leg down on the Bed. Smirking Megan flexed the claw like foot on the end of it.
James stepped forward towards the bed and glared down at the mechanical appendage, “You put more implants in?” asked James angry.
Megan clicked the claw and shrugged, reaching up she pushed the short hair on the side of her head away to show James the small external implant.
“No real point in worrying about rejection on top of everything else. The Docs confirmed what I guessed, the antimatter damage was aggravated by the additional jumps I did on the Russia. Luckily no one else is showing symptoms, the compensation Lincoln implemented into the field equations after the Yamato’s initial jumps and what Ben and I managed to do afterwards, is keeping everyone else healthy.”
Leaning to the side Megan tapped at a small cylinder at her waist, “Ben’s vest isn’t doing much to stave it off, I’m using a full 5% of the fabricators daily output of nano-machines as it is.”
Megan twisted the leg around like it was an arm and scratched her nose with one of the claws, “So why not?”
“Why haven’t you taken yourself off the Russia duty then? We’re going to be performing at least two more jumps. One to Chront, and one when we return here.”
“Are you going to order me to stay?”
James sighed, “No. Would you listen to that order?”
“Good, and no.”
Megan turned back to the cubes. “If you can drag the kid Stagg’s got onto the ship he’d be a good replacement for me. His jury rigging of the Canada to get around the thermal issues was impressive, if a little dramatic. Everything else he’s done, well it’s what Ben was doing at the start of the war.”
James chuckled, “You mean to say diving through the atmosphere of a planet shouldn’t be done to purge the heat?”
Megan laughed as well, “I don’t really have the grounds to criticize it”
“Not if half of the things I’ve heard about the Yamato are true, no.” said James.
Megan nodded again and the two lapsed into silence.
James looked over at Alpha, the Tanuin raised two of his forwards limbs in a gesture he used to approximate a human shrug.
The younger Tanuin blinked his eyes quickly and pointedly looked at Megan when James’s eyes fell on him.
“Why did you tell me to come here Megan? If you’re not quitting,”
Megan leaned forwards and picked up one of the cubes lifting it out of the cradle. Several muted alarms sounded, but she ignored them and spun back around to look at James.
“Megan,”
She waved a hand, “They can survive on internal life support for a few days.”
“Then if you have nothing new to say about the kids,”
“No, it’s about the Canada engineer Derrick. He asked me to look over the logs from the first antimatter jump that the ship did, and what happened to Arik. His own analysis was inconclusive.” She trailed off and looked down at the cube.
“And?” asked James.
Megan continued, “Every computer system, sensor and camera says that antimatter jumps are instantaneous, but everything biological doesn’t. We see and hear different things and time seems to pass.”
Alpha let out a low hesitant squeak, “Like the song of the Universe.”
Megan nodded, “Dr. Lincoln described it as seeing the mathematical core of the universe, the Longboat IV pilot described seeing the same pretty lights like Ben.” She hesitated for a moment, “and I’ve seen Ben on the last few jumps.”
James’s eyes widened at that, “That’s not why,”
Megan quickly cut him off, “No.”
Alpha turned a body to look at each Human, and let out a disgruntled squeak. “Each person experiences something different, while computers see nothing. Whatever we are experiencing is not real, an illusion or hallucination. We all know this.”
“I know that. Every time he’s appeared, he’s never given me information I didn’t already know. It’s a sirens call, that’s all.” Growled Megan.
“Siren?” asked Alpha.
“Irresistible temptation, I’ll find the myth for you later.” Said James.
Alpha squeaked in thanks.
Yern edged forwards on the bed to look at the other cube, “The Arik was both human and machine. A disparity which caused her to break during the jump perhaps?”
“Yes, and no.” said Megan. Balancing the cube in one hand she drew the Link out of her suit and threw the information up on the far wall of the room. James stepped away from the wall and turned to look at it.
To his eyes it looked like a log file that decrementing on millisecond intervals, as he looked it over the document began to slowly scroll. James frowned trying to interpret the data that had been recorded during the battel over Chront.
Yern let out a low warble as his multiple eyes moved over the data, “Oh.”
James shook his head, “You want to explain?”
Megan nodded, “Arik’s brain when it came out of the antimatter jump was dying, most of the hippocampus was fried, and the limbic system, the fight or flight response was more active than anything in the medical database. The moment before the jump, the activity was normal. She experienced something in the jump, a hallucination, something that terrified her beyond anything rational or we’re supposed to experience. Without an actual body, and relying on the computers to regulate her, something bad happened.”
Megan closed the log and pulled up another one, “It took Derrick a while to find this, and it’s almost luck that he did. A huge block of data appeared in the engineering computer systems backup node. Milliseconds after the jump.”
“What’s in the data?” asked James.
Megan shook her head, “Whatever it was, it disappeared and was overwritten within the next second, the Canada’s communication systems logged a large burst transmission at the same time.”
James frowned, “So, what happened? Arik transferred herself out of the computer systems and into something else?”
“No.” said Yern forcing out the bleat of annoyance.
Megan weakly smiled and elaborated, “Arik was a Human, as much offloading as she did to external computer systems, she wasn’t running her thoughts on them. She had access to a computer interface system from an early age, she learned how to leverage it. Still, it was an interface.” Megan tapped at her Link bringing up the keyboard. She hit several keys in quick succession.
“She was interacting with, and commanding a computer system. A computer system that was her entire way of interacting with the world. The physical interface, between where her biological systems interface with the technological.” Megan highlighted the block of data again.
“Her hallucination, and the data dump are a result of that dependency. I don’t know if the dump was intentional, or a side effect like my own reaction to the less refined antimatter jumps.”
James nodded, “So you have only more questions to give to Stagg’s engineer.”
Megan hesitantly nodded, her eyes flicked down to the cube in her lap.
James narrowed his eyes at her, He slowly walked over to the bed and stood next to the other cube. “This is all very interesting, but why did you call me here?”
Megan winced, “The best way to get more data would be to replicate the circumstances. We can see if it was something that Arik did because of whatever she saw, or if it is something inherent to the technology.”
“You cannot do that!” squeaked Yern.
The smaller Tanuin turned his bodies around to look at the other three in the room, most of his eyes on Alpha.
The older Tanuin said nothing for several moments his eyes fixed on Megan.
“They are children.” Squeaked Alpha.
“They’re catatonic, unresponsive, vegetables.” Said Megan her voice level.
Alpha’s eyes hardened, “So was I for a time, when I lost a body. Did you consider doing any experiments on me at that time?”
She rolled her eyes, “No, but this is something we need to figure out. If the same kind of data dump occurs, then we might be able to discover what happened to Arik.”
James laid a hand down on the other cube, “At the cost of another life?”
“They’re vegetables.” Spat Megan.
“That’s not an excuse to subject them to experiments like Yan did!” James shot back.
“And keeping them alive to just sit on a workbench is right? Whatever the hell happened to Arik was a shock, maybe it will wake these two up!”
James narrowed his eyes at Megan, “That’s how you want to justify it? It might kill them, but it might shock them awake? You think that Derrick or Arik would want those lives on them?”
Megan stood up. Alpha’s bodies leapt from the bed and grabbed onto James’s thin jacket. Clinging to it he quickly climbed up and sat one body on his shoulder to glare at the engineer.
“Whatever it is that happened to Arik, is another piece of the puzzle of antimatter jumps. That data might be a recording she was able to make, how to keep computer operating in it, something that will help us better understand the one advantage we have! That’s worth a life!”
“It might also help understand what has happened to you.” Said Alpha.
Megan raised an eyebrow, “Yes, it could.”
James leaned forwards, his hand curling over the cube he was holding knuckles turning white, “Or it’s junk data. Something Arik did as she clawed at life.”
Megan grimaced and said nothing.
James glanced at the small cube under his hand, “Arik is already, dead. You and everyone else on the Yamato accepted that there were risks to what you were doing. We need to understand what the antimatter jumps do, but we’re not at the point that I’m going to use the life of a tortured child on a chance to get more information.”
James tilted his head towards Alpha, “You?”
“I want to say that at no point I would do so. I agree, we are not at the point to consider it.”
Megan tapped her foot against the metal of the floor plating and sighed. She smiled and James raised an eyebrow.
Megan looked at the cube in her own hands, “You’re right.”
“You weren’t actually thinking of experimenting on them, were you?” asked James.
Megan sat back down. Her metallic feet dragged on the floor and she flexed the claws several times. “No, not really. I knew you would talk me out of it.”
James lifted his hand from the cube and stepped towards her, “I’m not sure I should be counted on as a moral compass. If you were sure it might help us understand the antimatter jumps, that we would get more of the data, I would be considering this more.”
James gently lifted the cube out of Megan’s hands, turning he carefully set the piece of technology down in its cradle. The device hummed, lightly pinged signaling that it was once again connected to power.
James bowed his head and spoke in a low whisper, “Anything I’ll be able to say to convince you to stay here? If more jumps are going to aggravate your condition.”
Megan waved a hand, “No, no. I need to give Derrick the results of my own analysis, and help the Seninon with the technological integration. I was also promised a tour of the Valiant. From the samples of Empire technology, I’ve seen it’s amazing that they’ve managed to keep it running this long. The military stuff is as fragile as Consumer grade equipment was on Earth. They’ll need to have patched everything hundreds of times.”
“If you’re sure, just tell me when you plan to kick it. I’ll need some sort of replacement even if I can’t steal the Canada’s.”
Make smiled, “Wouldn’t want you inconvenienced.”
9 Years, 11 Months, 20 Days After Eridani Landing
Olyn
Diana slowly walked down the steps of the empty stadium, [Hal] and [Orin] were outside the building in a small shop drinking something like coffee waiting for whatever the results of the meeting were.
In the center of the stadium, near the ring where the fighting took place, [Saavan] and Cherkaya were arguing with one another in whispers that were only just drowned out by the noise of the atmospheric recyclers.
Diana cleared her throat when she was halfway down the steps and shouted her greeting, “I have to say this isn’t what I was expecting Cherkaya!”
The Class A man turned away from [Saavan] and smiled, “What exactly were you expecting?” He yelled back.
Diana looked around, “A packed stadium for one thing. [Saavan] hates to have the place closed for even a few minutes, you’ve convinced him to close during one of the most popular time slots. Should I be flattered?”
Cherkaya inclined his head, “[Saavan] is being compensated very well for his time.”
[Saavan] glanced at Diana and then the ring, “You are sure there will be no evidence?” hissed the man his words audible as Diana approached. Normal hearing would have missed his words, but her own enhanced sense just managed to catch them.
Cherkaya’s eyes narrowed, “You don’t believe me?”
“No I do,” stuttered [Saavan].
“Then leave.” Said Cherkaya his voice cold.
[Saavan] stiffened and quickly bowed, “Thank you.”
Turning he quickly jumped the small barrier that separated the floor of the ring from the stands. Diana slowed as he leapt up them towards her.
He paused next to her and hesitated. Diana stopped and looked expectantly at the man.
“Do you know what this is?” asked [Saavan].
“A fight.”
[Saavan] opened his mouth to speak again, and snapped it closed. Shaking his head, he quickly continued up the stairs.
Diana continued down, Cherkaya looked supremely unconcerned picked at some invisible dust on his clothing. Jumping the last few steps Diana jumped over the small embankment surrounding the ring. Cherkaya slowly looked he up and down.
Diana raised an eyebrow at the man.
Cherkaya smiled and picked at his robes again.
Diana snorted, “I don’t have all night. Am I supposed to be impressed? [Saavan] would like to think that buying out his establishment is impressive, but to you it’s nothing. You wanted me to be impressed, I’m more board than anything else.”
Cherkaya smiled, “and blunt it would seem.”
Diana gestured at the ring, “I’m letting others attack me on a nightly basis, to earn money. You’re surprised I’m blunt?”
“No, I suppose not.” The smile fell from Cherkaya’s face. Reaching into his robes Cherkaya pulled a Comm out of his robes. “Do you know what my company does?”
Diana rolled her eyes, “Your responsible for the conversion and integration of new Class B and C technology into the Empire’s economy. You’re also credited with doing so far more quickly than anyone else and have been for a long time.”
Diana paused for a moment watching him, “I’m not an engineer so you don’t want me for that. I’m not sure why you would want me for security, you would be better off pouching from the military for that. You want me to do something else.”
Cherkaya held up the Comm, “True, but recruiting from the military leaves records no matter the Class of the citizen. A class B who has never served in the military, who has no record of any kind? Much easier to work with.”
Diana narrowed her eyes at him, “Much easier to disappear.”
Cherkaya continued to smile.
Reaching out Diana swiped the Comm from his hand. Holding it in her palm Diana leveled the unit, a hologram showing a planet popped up on it and Diana frowned, “What is this?”
“This is the next class B planet that the Empire will be colonizing. They are technologically advanced, and are at the cusp of repeating what C17 did to their own population.” Said Cherkaya sounding somewhat bored.
Diana frowned, “C17? I’m afraid I’ve never had much time to look up everything that each species has done.”
Cherkaya pursed his lips and nodded, “The C17’s work wasn’t discovered until after the ground operations had finished. The degenerates were surprisingly advanced when it came to computer technology and interface systems.” Cherkaya leaned forwards, “most of the Empire’s modern computer technology is based off theirs. It was sickening what they were doing with it, but there is no denying its usefulness.”
“More efficient bombs?” asked Diana yawning.
“No, not all the class C were obsessed with massive weapons systems. These class C were butchering their own people and connecting them to the computer systems. Some of the information, it’s gruesome even by class C standards. They would cut into their people and destroy their bodies with enormous biotechnological implants.”
Diana forced her face to remain still, her mind flashing back to her second childhood on Bellona and the small girl she had only seen once in the hastily constructed medical ward. She had been dying, her entire body under attack from a malfunctioning collection of nano-machines.
Ben and Megan had saved her, only by ignoring every ethical medical and engineering practice. Desperation, and assured that still forming Human government of the Colony wouldn’t be able to punish them, they had done just that.
They had killed a small girl, torn out her brain, and shoved it into an electronic cradle.
“They would do that?” asked Diana, she let disgust filter into her voice at the idea.
Cherkaya nodded, “They did, although not much of that data has been retained. The first colonization’s, they destroyed most of the abhorrent things the Class C did. When more levelheaded Emperor’s took control the rules for technology and class C information was relaxed, and we could better leverage it all.”
Diana shrugged, “You’ve still not told me what that’s got to do with these Class B, or what you want me to do.”
Cherkaya slipped the Comm back into his robes, “No I suppose not. I’d like samples of the technology, untainted by the colonization push. Less likely to be destroyed during a Class B effort, but I’m eager. Your appearance is not too dissimilar from the Class B, you would be able to blend in more easily.”
Diana crossed her arms and eyed him, “This is not the first time you’ve done this, is it?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t really have a chance to refuse do I?” asked Diana, “Now that you’ve told me what it is you do. How your company operates?”
“You could refuse, but it wouldn’t be conducive to future job prospects.” Said Cherkaya.
“Then I suppose I’ll accept.” Said Diana.
“Most people do,” said Cherkaya, “But there is the matter of earning your spot.” He raised his hand and Diana glanced up, several people clad in dark form fitting armor were standing at the top of the stadium seating looking down at the two of them.
Diana quickly ran her eyes over them, identifying several different class B species, none of which Diana could quickly identify. The class B quickly, and almost silently began moving down through the bleachers. At their forefront was a scared purple-red skinned alien, who seemed to be the leader. Diana met his eyes and shivered.
The class B’s eyes matched the intelligent fury that her own Mother’s had held, threatening, determined, and calm.
“I would simply hire you, but these men and women, well they’ve grown tired of cleaning the new recruits off the ground on alien planets.” Said Cherkaya.
The purple-red alien stepped up next to the man, he was several inches shorter than him and only an inch taller than Diana. Running her eyes over him Diana noted that the armor he was wearing was reminiscent of what Humans had been wearing up until powered exoskeletons had become commonplace on the battlefield. Armored plates and padding covered every vital organ, pouches to hold tools, and enough room to let the fighter remain mobile.
The armor was also worn in places, with small patches and bits of other materials on it. It was not a new set, and the man wearing it was not an inexperienced fighter.
The purple-red alien looked at Diana and turned to Cherkaya, “She’s only a child.” His voice was much softer than what Diana had expected.
“She can fight, you saw the videos.”
The purple-red alien inclined his head, “I did. She brawls, and leverages every advantage her deviation from class A that her species has been afforded. Speed, strength, and the like.”
Cherkaaya nodded and turned back to Diana, “Are you ready?”
“I really have no choice at this point, unless I want to try and fight my way through all of you.”
Cherkaya laughed, the purple-red alien said nothing.
“Am I fighting one of you?” asked Diana.
“No. You are fighting a C1654.”
Diana’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “You have a class C on this planet? How? Why?”
Cherkaya shrugged and picked at his robes again, “It’s actually not that hard to get the correct permits, the biological differences that some of the deviations have leads to useful medical and biotechnological applications. These one’s were being studied for their adrenal responses. They have a fight or flight response more than five times Dorvakian normal.”
Diana blinked, “Oh.”
The purple-red alien looked at Diana, then waggled his two very long, almost elflike ears.
Two of the black clad figures moved forwards each of them dragging an unconscious Class C between them, a male and a female if Diana had to guess.
Diana looked back to Cherkaya, “You certainly like to show off.”
His lips twitched, “A little. It helps make the point.”
Diana huffed and stepped up onto the raised platform where she had fought several dozen times already.
“Not so fast, you need to be scanned.” Said the purple-red alien, “It would be unfair to your opponents if you have a weapon.”
Diana looked at him and stepped off the ring, as the black clad class B unceremoniously dumped the class C on the other side of the ring.
Diana pulled a small gun from her shirt and threw it at the purple-red alien, his hand shot up and deftly caught the projectile. His eyes widened slightly but he didn’t comment.
“Scan me, if something passes I get to keep it.” challenged Diana.
The purple-red alien raised his Comm and Diana felt her skin prickle under the scanning beam.
“Knife in the belt, boot, and wire around the wrist, metal in the mouth.”
Diana pulled out the knives, and quickly unwound the wire dropping all of it onto the ground. “The metal in my mouth is an implant. Unless you want to pull that out as well?”
The purple red alien looked at her for a moment, and turned to another member of his group. “[Opin]?”
“I smell no lie, but then she hardly reacted to the class C. Not much will scare her, least of all a lie.” Said one of the larger women in pack of black armored figures.
Diana rolled her head around and cracked her neck. “I’m ready. How do I win?”
The purple-red alien looked back to her and moved his ears around, “They are class C, kill them.”
Diana hesitatingly cracked her knuckles. “Kill?”
Cherkaya nodded, “They’re just C’s. Not supposed to be here specifically but that’s the only worry. Killing them isn’t illegal.”
Diana stepped up into the ring and examined the two unconscious creatures. They were average in height, perhaps slightly more muscular than the human norm. Their hair was buzzed short, and they were dressed in simple garments that looked like prison uniforms. Needle marks and small were abrasions visible on their arms. Their skin was pearly white, almost reflective under the harsh sheen of the stadium lights.
Diana took in a breath and set her stance on the mat, “Wake up the C. I’m assuming just killing the things when they’re unconscious would be cheating?”
Cherkaya stepped back from the ring shaking his head. The purple-red alien tapped something on his Comm and Diana jumped as a small shield erected itself over the ring sealing her in with the aliens.
The small collars around both Class C’s necks buzzed and hissed. Slowly the male groaned and pushed himself up onto all fours. He let out several blunt words Diana had no trouble interpreting as curses.
Shooting a hand out the class C lightly hit the slightly smaller woman. She groaned as well and let out several of the same curse words.
Diana’s jaw tightened and she stepped forwards, stomping her foot down hard enough to get their attention.
The male class C jerked up to look at her and let out a guttural growl. Diana moved forwards, and slammed her booted foot into his face. The man flew back and hit the shield, it sparked and shocked him. He let out another grunt, but didn’t seem surprised by it.
Staggering to his feet he grabbed the woman and pulled her up as well. For a moment, the two held one another and glared at Diana. She glared back at them.
The female spoke quickly in the alien language, and the male responded. Both stood and watched her neither moving to attack.
Diana grimaced, curling her lip let out a feral yell.
The class C didn’t move, the female ran through several dozen more of the curses.
“They’re not much for fighting.” Said Diana.
“They’re moderating their responses. Due to the increased adrenal systems, the species had far more control over it. This is easily remidied.” Said Cherkaya his voice filtering through a speaker somewhere.
The collars hissed again and the two class C looked at one another, their eyes going wide. The male pulled at the collar around his neck and cursed.
The female whispered something to him. He calmed for one moment, before pushing her away and turning to look at her.
Diana watched as the intelligence in the class C’s eyes dimmed slightly, an animalistic fury overtaking it. Diana lunged forwards, pushing off the mat with all the inhuman force she could muster.
The class C raised an arm, deflecting her to the side and directly into the female. The punch she swung hit Diana in the stomach, and she felt something break. Thrown across the ring by the attack Diana collapsed and took in a shaky breath.
They were trained to fight hand to hand, the movements had been too well executed to be instinct, they retained some intelligence even under the adrenal strain.
Getting back to her feet Diana spat the blood out of her mouth and let a smile spread across her lips.
“That’s more like it.” Muttered Diana, switching to her native language to mutter under her breath.
Diana flicked her eyes between the two, they had spread out to either side of the ring and were carefully watching her, not willing to make the first strike.
Settling her gaze on the male Diana looked him up and down, they were basically Human, except for their eyes. Looking at them Diana could see no whites to them, the eyes were completely black.
Diana jerked towards the Male, he moved slightly to defend but didn’t attack. Feinting towards him again Diana forced herself to the upper limit of her enhanced biology, and turned faster than either creatures could track and launched herself at the female.
Slamming bodily into the woman, knocking the breath out of her and throwing her down onto the ground Diana’s hands shot up towards her neck grabbing at it. The woman struggled, and getting her arms under Diana’s forced her up and away.
Growling in frustration Diana slammed her hand down into the woman’s throat. She gagged and jerked, her limbs going limp for a moment.
Thick arms wrapped around Diana, and she was lifted into the air. Jerking Diana slammed her head backwards into the male, hitting his face she heard something break. The male let out a roar and continued to squeeze. Diana slammed her head backwards again, before kicking out and swinging the back of her foot into his groin.
Enraged the Male threw Diana down onto the ground, the female pounced and grabbing Diana’s arms pinned them.
Eye’s wide Diana twisted around, wrapping herself over the female before the male could pounce on her as well. If she was pinned, she would be done.
Legs wrapped around the Female’s neck Diana began to crush the woman’s neck from the sides. She whimpered and the male let out another roar. Struggling the Female let go of Diana’s arms to try and free herself. Grimacing Diana grabbed her head and twisted.
The pop was barely audible and the female collapsed.
The male froze for a half moment, his eyes locked on the female. Diana rolled away and stood again.
The male roared and charged, Diana’s eyes widened as he moved more quickly than anyone she had ever faught. His arm swinging around Diana raised an arm to deflect his blow, she head the bone crack and his fist slammed into her face splitting her lip and sending her spinning across the mat.
The man pounced on her, Diana gasped as the air was knocked out of her lungs. Roaring the man raised a hand and slammed it down on her stomach. Diana’s world went white, hand whipping out she grabbed at his shirt and hault herself up. Unable to breath and desperate Diana threw herself on the man and sunk her teeth into his neck, tearing out a chunk of his flesh in the process.
The male hit her again, throwing her away. Spitting the bloody hunk out Diana jumped back at him, slamming a fist into his face. The man gagged as blood ran down his throat from his broken nose, Diana wound up another punch and slammed it into his face.
The man let out a gurgled growl and moved to defend himself.
Diana brought her fist down again, striking his eye. Something gave and blood began to pour from his eye socket. Diana brought her other fist down, slamming it into the other side of his face.
He groaned and fell to the side.
Diana fell with him, and kneeling over his head put her fists together and slammed them down onto his head. The man let out a last breath.
Diana brought her hand down again, and for a moment she was in a jungle on another alien world, a rock in her hand, another class C under her assault.
Jerking back Diana scrambled away from the person, her hands landed on the woman and she blinked.
“That, was expertly done!” said Cherkaya, his voice no longer filtering through the shield.
Diana glanced up, the man was up on the side of the ring a toothy smile plastered on his face. He ran his eyes over the remains of the class C’s face and the grin widened.
“I had my doubts you would be able to make the kills, lots of the class B have difficulty with it.”
Diana sucked in a breath, trying to calm herself. Her eyes darted over to look at the purple-red alien, his features were impassive examining her.
Cherkaya laughed and stepped into the ring, ignoring the red blood on it.
“You’ll do nicely, [Renzil]? What do you think?”
“It was adequate.” Said the purple-red alien.
Diana turned to the side and vomited.