Chapter 25.1 – Interlude 3
Koriand’r felt her entire body lighting up with pain as the Psions bombarded her with synthetic sunlight. Tamaraneans could absorb, and even survive exclusively on sunlight, but everything had a limit, and Koriand’r could feel her own approaching.
She felt the light entering her body break through a limit and continue, more and more sunlight entered her cells. She felt like she would explode, the energy she had always carried with her pulsating inside her body and reaching a crescendo.
“X’hall’s Breath!” She heard her sister scream in pain despite the metal wall separating them.
NO! Her mind rebelled. They would kill Komand’r! Her sister had been born sick, she could not absorb sunlight, and the very act caused her physical pain.
Her wrists strained uselessly against the manacles even as a stream of fire seemed to enter her very veins, Koriand’r screamed even harder.
Even with the pain she was feeling, Koriand’r heard the explosion in the other room, it was followed by a short struggle. Soon, she saw her sister break down the door and look inside her room.
Swallowing her scream, Koriand’r smiled on the inside, Komand’r was free. They could escape!
For a few seconds, her sister stared at her, her face impassive. Gritting her teeth, Komand’r turned her face aside and stepped away.
“Sister!” Koriand’r managed to scream through the pain.
Komand’r paused, without looking back, she lifted a hand and two bolts of purple energy flew from her finger, one hit the solar generator and stopped her torture, the other pierced through the machines around her and hit her right hand manacle, breaking through the reinforced metal and sending another jolt of pain through Koriand’r’s body.
Lowering her hand, Komand’r stepped away from the door.
“Thank you.” Koriand’r whispered as she heard Komand’r’s steps running away. For a moment, she had believed her sister would leave her locked there to be tortured, the fact that she did not brought no small amount of joy to her heart.
Gathering her strength, Koriand’r pulled her arm away from the broken manacle, sending shards of metal flying through the room. Grabbing her remaining manacle, she pulled against it with both arms at the same time.
Koriand’r felt something rising inside herself. She channeled that feeling into her actions and, with a shout, her hands burst into green light as she ripped the manacle in half.
Directing her newfound power towards her legs, she felt the energy leaving her body. Green bolts of energy flew from her hands and exploded against the locks on her legs, it was not enough to destroy them, but the attack had damaged them enough that she could pull herself free.
A Psion security drone appeared on the door. “Prisoner 01245557841, do not resist, lethal force has been authorized!” The electronic voice commanded. Hands still glowing, Koriand’r looked at the robot and released twin bolts of light from her eyes, driving the robot back against the wall with surprising power.
The Drone tried to recover but, after a single step, it tilted sideways and fell down. Two more took its place, their weapons raised and already shooting lasers at her.
Koriand’r’s training kicked in, she floated aside and grabbed a heavy apparatus hanging from the ceiling, with a powerful twist, she ripped the appliance off its support and threw it towards the drone on the right then followed it up with a pounce.
Her makeshift projectile hit the drone and crushed it against the wall. Her own punch was a perfect example of Okara’s martial arts, her hand piercing all the way through the robot’s head. Grabbing its disabled body, she used it as a shield against a hail of lasers from her right side.
Koriand’r grabbed the robot’s gun and pointed it forward, pressing the trigger repeatedly, only for it to refuse to fire. It must have some security feature to prevent any prisoner from stealing it.
Looking at her own hand, Koriand’r thought about her energy bolt, she still felt the ultraviolet light just under her skin and, while she had never been able to use it as such before, gathering a bolt of light into her hand felt instinctual, almost as easy as flight.
The lasers kept hitting her drone and melting their way through its armor. With a warrior scream, Koriand’r held the drone with a single arm and charged her assailants, using her other arm to return fire.
Her starbolts were not strong enough to destroy a drone with a single shot unless she could hit their heads, but she was trained in the use of projectiles, and she still managed to destroy three of the robots before slamming her makeshift shield into a fourth.
Now in melee range, the drones stood no chance against her. She weaved between them like a cat and disabled their weapons with a single hit each. She also discovered that her new powers could increase her strength, allowing her punches to break through their armors no matter where she struck.
Twelve drones lay destroyed at her feet in less than a minute, woefully, that was far from enough. From the other side of the hallway, Koriand’r saw at least another thirty drones, led by an armored Psion.
She wanted nothing more than to slay the lizard where he stood, but she had no cover. The robots were also far enough, and in enough numbers, that she was unlikely to survive another charge.
Turning around, she flew away as fast as she could manage. Koriand’r hoped she could find an escape ship or, barring that, a less protected Psion she could capture.
Instead, she found an open area filled with robots and Psions, all of them armed and ready for her.
Stopping in place, Koriand’r felt her body sinking to the ground, she was not going to escape; there were too many and they were too well armed.
Closing her eyes, she remembered her sister had also escaped, Komand’r had always been physically weaker, but she had also been an even better fighter than her.
Yes, her sister would survive. Despite their differences, Koriand’r knew Komand’r cared about Tamaran. She would be a good queen.
“X’hall give me strength.” She prayed. Her duty was clear. If she could not escape, she could at least keep as many of their defenses busy. She could distract them and, hopefully, buy her sister enough time.
The prospect did not scare her. Instead, Koriand’r felt her flight stabilizing, her heart filling with hope instead of fear. With a scream of fury, she charged her enemies.
Green energy gathered at her fingertips and on her eyes as she waved between laser shots and returned fire. Any enemy that got into melee range was quickly dispatched, with prejudice, and those far away were bombarded with starbolts.
Koriand’r felt the lasers start to hit her, despite her newfound strength, there were too many, and she was tiring. She fought, she screamed, she destroyed, every time she thought of giving up, Koriand’r remembered her sister, her family.
Koriand’r was acting more on instinct than conscious thought, her body hurt everywhere and her arms felt heavy. Then she noticed another woman suddenly joining the fight.
For a second, her flight faltered as she thought her sister had failed to escape, but she quickly noticed the woman had blonde hair. She was also devastating the enemies. This stranger had little skill, but was acting with overwhelming power and savagery.
Koriand’r quickly recognized the woman’s prowess, how laser shots could not even cause her to flinch, how a single punch could shatter a robot as if it was made from glass. Changing her approach, Koriand’r started fighting smarter, eliminating hidden enemies and those who thought to reorganize their defenses.
She had hope. They could win!
The fight was brutal, and the woman, no, the girl, devolved into a mess. Her attacks became more brutal, her screams showing pain despite nothing in the room seeming capable of hurting her.
Koriand’r knew she was not a fighter, despite all her power the girl did not have the training. She had not been a warrior before this, but, after the battle, that would change. No one went through such an onslaught and remained a civilian.
When the fight was finally over and the girl was left blind to her surroundings, attacking a dead Psion in a fit of rage, Koriand’r approached her.
She was careful, she had seen what the girl could do, but she could not leave her alone, she could not abandon her here without help and in the state she was in. A simple touch on the shoulder was enough for the girl to turn her rage upon her.
Koriand’r stepped back, her arms raised in surrender, but her muscles were tense and ready for a fight. Despite all her power, Koriand’r knew she could subdue the girl if it was needed. She hoped it was not.
She was right, the girl’s eye stopped shining with red light, and her arms dropped to her sides as she took deep, long breaths. Slowly, and with very deliberate movements, Koriand’r warped her arms around the girl and pulled her closer, letting her cry against her shoulder while holding her tightly for comfort. Just as she had hoped Komand’r would hold her.
“Do not cry, rejoice, our fight has destroyed most of the forces they were willing to send.” Koriand’r told the girl with a reassuring smile, the girl ignored her, as if still lost in her rage. Grabbing her shoulders, Koriand’r turned the girl’s face towards her. “Do not grieve, we are safe now. You are safe now.” She said, and felt the urge to hug the girl which had so recently been turned into a warrior against her own will.
The girl’s eye finally focused on her, and Koriand’r could see she was sane and calming down. The girl spoke, but Koriand’r could not understand a single word. Had the Psions captured someone from outside the sector?
Koriand’r was glad she could help with that, while the girl still would not be able to communicate with others, Tamaraneans would not have that problem. Koriand’r nodded in understanding and cupped the girl's face in her hands, her ability could be activated just by touch, but she was not that experienced, and a kiss would be far more effective, and far less likely to lead to mistakes.
Koriand’r kissed the girl. She was briefly surprised, but far from displeased, when the girl kissed her back.
.
.
“AHHHH!” M’gann gasped, causing Koriand’r to snap out of her memories and turn towards the blushing girl.
“What troubles you, Friend M’gann?” Koriand’r asked, feeling safe to use the superhero’s name while in their mind connection, but making a mental remark to start utilizing their codenames while on a mission.
While the other Titans were still feeling uneasy at letting the Martian into their minds, Koriand’r had perceived how the girl was starved for a mental connection and freely let M’gann into her mind, even allowing her to make a deeper connection.
“Nothing!” M’gann shouted, her blush growing even more pronounced despite her ability to shape-shift.
Koriand’r did not understand, she knew the girl had been able to see her memory, at least the last moments of it, but, what could have caused such a pronounced reaction? Humans, and Martians too it seemed, were most peculiar.
“Everyone, are we ready?” Aqualad checked one last time.
“Ah, let’s go already!” Kid Flash could barely contain himself.
With an effort of will, Miss Martian opened the ship’s hatch and the attack team jumped down. As the team’s leader, Aqualad would be acting as the field commander for this operation.
He, Robin and Kid Flash, had the correct training in order to lead a stealth operation, while Miss Martian’s shape-shifting gave her a natural advantage, which ameliorated her lack of training.
Although Koriand’r had the correct training, stealth was not her specialty and Superboy was still far from being capable of infiltrating anywhere, they would stay on the ship and act as support, or reinforcements, as the situation demanded.
It was best if they were completely unwearied if they were needed.
All four of them released Kara’s drones into the air as soon as they approached the Venom factory. The devices shimmered and disappeared from view, quickly spreading through the location and conferring an immediate display of the entire location.
Sitting down and concentrating on the screem in front of her, Koriand'r got ready for the mission to trully start.