Chapter 15: Brak Distar

We arrived to find a battle-zone had been created in the town; the park was a mess of craters. Immediately Al deployed himself around me and began displaying the immediate surroundings. There were several blips showing on the screen which were of injured soldiers. I ran to the nearest seeing Margaret going to another injured man

'Revitar' I said hearing Margaret saying 'Revitar' as well, the man I was working on began coughing and then he looked around, "What ... what happened?" He asked me looking at the wound on his chest that was starting to heal.

"No time now, where did they go?" I asked him as Mags went to another man to treat him as Brother Pieter attended to her first man.

"Donno! They came through that thing, hundreds of them. But they were wearing masks or something 'cos they all looked the same." he said his eyes were wild with fear.

"Who was leading them?" I asked him.

"Couldn't tell they just came through and started firing some kind of weapon that they were carrying, just went through the body armour like it wasn't there. I was sure I'd copped it!" He touched his charred clothing finding his unmarked skin beneath. "What did you do to me?" He asked looking around to where Mags was working on the last man. Genius was getting the others to their feet and picking up their weapons. She was shaking her head at the sight of them.

"Lord John these things wouldn't even touch an android." She said shaking one of the guns.

"What did she say?" The solider asked me.

"She was complaining about your weapons, I don't blame her myself. Now some of my men will be coming through that portal, don't stop them but send them onto me, they have weapons that will affect your attackers. If any of them return then don't try to fight them, they would kill you rather than injure you." I told him.

"What do you mean? A Portal? What's one of those" he asked.

I sighed, "Have you seen Stargate?" I asked him at his nod I carried on, "Well that is a type of Stargate, it connects with another world, that's where the Androids have come from to invade this world, I'm an advanced scout before the rest of my men arrive. Now don't stop them." I repeated.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry but you're under arrest! You're an illegal immigrant!" He said starting to bring his rifle up, but I moved and brought Twilight up slicing through the rifle leaving a clean cut.

"That's just my sword; I wonder if you can imagine what the weapons my people will be like? Now as I said we will stop those people, just keep the public safe and leave them to us!" I instructed and started to move off leaving the solider looking at his sliced rifle.

I asked Mags and the others to deal with the wounded and to try to stop the local troops from getting injured, but I decided to try something else. "Al can you start the communications channel. I want you to tap into the command frequency?" I asked.

"Simplicity itself boss, all you will have to do is talk!" Al said and I could hear the jumbled chatter of the soldiers as they were trying to defend themselves. It was all confused and nobody could hear what was being sent. "Al, white noise 5 seconds!" I ordered and there was a hiss in the speaker while I counted seconds.

"All troops fall back, these people have advanced weapons and armour, you cannot hurt them but reinforcements will be arriving!" I said in an authoritative tone.

The chatter had ceased but then another voice could be heard, "Just who the hell is that?" He asked.

"I'm the one who knows what you're up against and who can provide the necessary men and arms to defeat your enemies. Now get your men to pull back so that we can stop this!" I said.

"Negative, I can't just take your word on this, what would happen if we listened to every crackpot with an idea?" The man asked.

"I don't know. Peace perhaps? Now whoever you are your men are being slaughtered because they have no protection against the weapons being used, I and the men I'm expecting will be able to fight them and get them off this planet." I said

"I knew it some fragging UFO nut, get off this channel and stop wasting my time, Men keep fighting we're going to get some of them!" He said.

"Colonel Ash? This is the AI of the Combat Ready Suit that my owner is using, he is speaking the truth, what you are facing are advance androids with armaments that are far beyond what you are ready for. If you have any doubts about his abilities I suggest you check with your men at the Portal entry point." Al said

"How the hell did you get my name?" Colonel Ash asked shocked to be addressed personally.

"I have access to all your computer systems and am able to crack any encryption; it took me 0.5 milliseconds to break your code. Again I would ask you to check with your men at the Entry point."

"Impossible, they were all critically wounded, we're trying to get medics to attend to them, but we're pinned down by those people. They wouldn't be able to respond." Ash was still uncertain about all this but was listening, in the meantime I was getting closer to the battle-line.

"They were critically injured but my master and his wife has healed them, I would suggest you contact them and ascertain their situation, then I would urge you to fall back, our people will take over the fighting, your men will not be able to defend themselves." Al said.

Ash was obviously now talking to his other men by the portal because he then spoke, "Alright, I'll get my men back, but if this is a trick..."

"Colonel Ash. If this is a trick I'll personally come to you with my armour deactivated. We will do what we can here to remove these invaders. You have my word on this." I told him 'Twilight, we've got to keep a clear head and so I don't want you to try to influence me.' I asked the sword.

'I will try, but somewhere in those androids is the real Brak, I know he's there.' Twilight said but I could feel it containing itself.

And then I was with the first of the androids.

I didn't stop to say anything to the first few androids, but just swung Twilight, cutting into their bodies and causing the nearest to stop attacking the troops. "You will die Human!" One of them said.

I opened the helm of Al and looked at it, "Human? Are you sure? Are you malfunctioning?" I asked it — well it was supposed to work with the Borg on Star Trek.

The man frowned and then seemed to concentrate; I knew it was running a self-diagnostic. "My systems are fully functional, I am not malfunctioning! Why are you attacking us?" It asked.

"You are invading this world. Why?" I asked it.

"From this world came the one who stole Lady Brenda from our leader, for that it must pay!" The android said and raised its gun towards me.

"This world didn't, and the Lady Brenda is now in her rightful place controlling the ship as she was designed to do. If she hadn't then Brak's plan to destroy the ship and all these worlds would have worked." I told him

"You are in error ... Are you malfunctioning?" He countered with a sardonic smile, he fired his gun and the beam splashed off of Al, his smile faded slightly.

"I'm not malfunctioning, I'm telling you the truth, examine your cavities, you will find a bomb has been placed there to ensure that you remain loyal to Brak. Those in the secondary control room started to realise what was happening and they blew up! If you want to avoid this I suggest you disable it."

He sneered, "What I have is a sacred talisman given to me by Brak himself. He honoured me when he placed it inside me. I have felt the hand of god." He said bringing his gun to bear again.

"Well, just in case why would Brak be so frightened of losing his troops to the truth? Just imagine that Brak is wrong and that you are following a megalomaniac who just wants to destroy the worlds, just because he's ashamed of what he is?" I suggested.

"Why would I want to do that, if that was so then I ... I ... I..." he looked shocked and then glanced down to his stomach area. "I have a power build-up it reads like a..."

I dived to one side and covered my face with the helm of Al; the force of the explosion took out the three androids nearest to my one. "That was simple; all I have to do is to talk them to death." I said to myself but Al answered.

"I don't think they're going to listen to you." Al said as he showed me a squad of androids approaching. I got to my feet but then a round of fire from behind me started cutting down androids. A hand reach out and shook mine

"My Lord, we have arrived." Robert said unnecessarily

"Did you have any problems?" I asked

He smiled, "Nay My Lord, the men in motley just pointed your direction, we passed your good lady and the others yonder, and they were helping with the physics with their wounded."

I nodded, "Good, the further away they are from this the better." I said and joined my men for the battle.

"Androids of Brak Distar, you have been sent on a fool's mission. The Lady Brenda is where she should be, controlling the ship. You have no reason to be here, return to the portal and leave this world ... This is your only warning." I said using Al's megaphone facility as well as his transmitting my words on the androids frequency.

"You are wrong Human! This world has harmed my people. By kidnapping the Lady Brenda you have stopped me from achieving my destiny." The voice came over the receiver.

"Hello Brak, or is it Numan? You are under arrest for the destruction of the 5^th planet in this system as well as your home planet, Kytheria." I sent back knowing that all the androids would be able to hear this.

"What would you know of that planet? You are just a human from this world. And my name is Brak Distar!" He exclaimed, quietly I directed Al to try to find Braks' location.

"No, you were born on Kytheria, your name is Numan Distar, you took your own son's identity to board the command ship, and from there you killed the crew. During your time you sabotaged the equipment designed to shrink the planets down so that they were destroyed. These are the crime that you are charged with, and as ambassador for the Android Worlds I order your followers to cease their attacks and return to their home planet for adjustment and re-education." I said.

"You're lying! All you're trying to do is to get my androids to leave; they're going to be dismantled aren't they? Don't let them do that attack them and destroy them, save yourselves my loyal followers." Brak said and the androids began to raise their guns again.

"Fire." I said to my troops and I charged into the ranks of androids in front of me.

I won't go through the battle, although it wasn't all one sided. My men managed to bring down ... I mean kill, many hundreds of Brak's androids while quite a few of my own men were injured.

No quarter was asked or given, we managed to turn Brak's troops and push them back towards the portal, but in doing so the battle was lost! For Brak managed to reach Margaret and Genius, his men managed to capture my wife and several were now attacking Genius.

"Now my opponent, I want you to give up your weapons or these two die!" Brak called out holding a gun to Margaret's head. My men paused in their attack and looked at me.

"Let them go Brak, they can't hurt you." I countered.

He laughed, "No, they can't. But I think it would hurt you should anything happen to them ... I'll tell you what ... If you sheath your sword and give yourself up to me I may release them." He said with a smile on his lips.

Robert pulled on my arm, "I beg you Milord. Don't do it, once he has you what's going to stop him from carrying on his attack?" He said.

I shook my head, "I can't let them die." I said and put Twilight into its sheath I raised my helm. "Alright Brak, I give myself up. Just don't hurt them." I said and then turned to Robert, "Return to The Meeting Place and prepare to follow me." I told him knowing that it wouldn't be any use as Brak was bound to kill me.

'Twilight I want you to know that I was happy to have you as a partner, I know that you cannot stop yourself but remember that once you were a free person, struggle to be free once more.' I thought to the blade

'I will try, of all those who have wielded me in the past, you were the most honest.' Twilight said and I felt something else ... friendship, coming from the blade.

I walked forward and watched the androids approach as others started the portal, then Brak started dragging Margaret to the portal, "No, you were going to release them." I called out but a beam from one of the androids struck me and I knew no more.

When I came to I found that I was trapped, Margaret was out cold and the androids of Brak Distar were tying her up, in a cage Genius - in her wolf form - was throwing herself against the bars, of Brother Pieter there was no sign.

"Al deploy, deploy!" I said out loud hoping for the suit to respond.

"It's no use; I've blocked the activation sequence on that antique! You should be commended for what you managed to do, I'm surprised that a person as backward as you were able to deliver the Brenda unit. Despite my actions! For that you deserve a somewhat fitting death!" Brak walked to me and then pulled Twilight from its sheath. "Ah just the thing, I thought I lost this some time ago." He said and seeing my face he laughed. "Yes I was the one who forged this steel, I took the essence of a poor fool and trapped it within this blade, wiping his true identity from him and binding him with blood, my blood!" Brak said holding the blade up.

"But Twilight was forged many hundreds of years ago, how could you... ?" I managed to ask.