My latest short story is done and out today!

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The history of the planet Aushalten is written in blood and sacrifice. When the people of Earth came to Aushalten for assistance, Aushalten was more than willing to help, but after being taken advantage of and oppressed by those they sought to aid, the people of Aushalten decided that enough was enough. Following the brothers Shaeffer and Adalwolf, the ever-sacrificing people of Aushalten will reclaim their planet and take the fight to Earth for the sake of their people and divine justice.

Oppression from the Oppressed: Chapter 4 – Finalizing Justice

Chapter 4 – Finalizing Justice

This is it. After three days of fighting on Earth, the end of the war is in sight. Once our enemies saw our strength, zeal, willingness to give our lives for our freedom, and the cowardice of their leaders, many quickly folded and surrendered, giving us immediate control of their territories and resources without a fight. The groups on Earth that are on our side have joined up with us in many of our fights and have been given better weapons and armor so they can fight better with us. Now, all that remains is one last place to conquer, a town controlled by the remnants of our enemy’s forces, held together by the Compassionate and members of the Emundatio family.

The Emundatio family says they want to end the war and to instill a lasting peace for the peoples of both planets. Wary of their claims, our leaders task my brother, Shaeffer, to talk to them and negotiate the terms of peace. Knowing that my brother’s voice and efforts have surpassed every other officer and leader, they say that he’s the one they trust the most to carry this out. Shaeffer looks to me, as if looking for permission or assurance that he can do this, and I nod.

“I’ll do it, but I’ll need my brother by my side,” Shaeffer says.

“Do whatever you think is necessary,” one of our generals says.

“Could we also have a backup of forces on standby just in case these talks are a farce? I have a feeling they may be.”

“Yes. Forces will be on standby to extract you and your brother if the talks fail.”

“If the talks go sour or are a farce, then don’t worry about me. If God wants us to escape, my brother and I can make it out ourselves. Otherwise, we get what we deserve.”

Smirking, another general says, “This is why you’re so well liked by everyone, Shaeffer.”

Shaeffer finalizes his plans with the generals, and we head off. A ship takes us to the capital town of the Compassionate, a town with green fields of grass and every kind of flower in the area. There’s something weirdly nostalgic and dreamlike about this place, even though I’ve never seen anything like it outside of the bombed-out fields I’ve trampled over. As we land on the landing platform, we’re met with crowds of people cheering, throwing petals into the air, and a path for us to walk down that’s guarded so we can walk down it.

“Thank you!” I hear the crowd say.

“Welcome, heroes of Aushalten!”

“God bless you!”

“You’re living saints!”

Leaning over to Shaeffer, I say, “This is too strange for me.”

“I know. Simply wave, smile, and be on your guard, Adalwolf,” he says.

I do as my brother says, and he does the same. We both have our weapons sheathed and ready to be taken out at a moment’s notice, and I can already feel my hand tingling to grab it to feel safer. Down the path, Shaeffer and I walk into some illustrious restaurant decorated with flowers and statues of saints. It has many stained glass windows and plain windows that let a lot of the outside light and fresh air in. In the center of the restaurant are the negotiators, the children of Emundatio. They smile and offer to shake our hands, to which Shaeffer does, and I do the same.

As we sit down, the doors behind us close, muffling the sounds of the crowd outside. We are offered many kinds of Earth-made desserts and drinks, many of which are a bit too sweet for my liking. Shaeffer seems to stomach it, if nothing more than to be courteous to our hosts, who are also eating and drinking and exchanging pleasantries with Shaeffer, such as sharing names, talking about what they like at this restaurant, and telling us random life stories that they laugh about. Shaeffer reciprocates their pleasantries with simple stories of his own, to which they all share a laugh.

“Excuse me, what’s your name, soldier? You can share it and tell us stories of your own, if you’d like. You’re our honored guest here,” a daughter of Emundatio says.

I’m too focused on trying to taste any poison in the drinks and food to even begin where to speak, so I simply say, “My name is Adalwolf. I’m my brother’s keeper. There’s not much for me to share that wouldn’t dampen the mood.”

“My brother is a soldier of Aushalten through and through that throws himself into danger for the sake of others without a second thought for better or worse,” Shaeffer says. “He’s pretty much been my side for my entire life and supportive through it all. He’s like my mother, while I’m like my father.”

“I see. So, he’s basically glued to your side. Do you two double date all the time then?”

“No, we don’t have any girlfriends yet, but I’m sure that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll probably also share the same house, as is common in Aushalten.”

“Really? I can’t imagine that, given we all have separate houses, and many more houses for vacations in different areas of Earth.”

“Mmm. It’s a nice luxury.”

“Now that the mood is sufficiently lightened, may we begin the peace talks?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I will be talking for my brothers, sisters, and all under us, since we are all in agreement. Let us talk about the most pressing matters first, that being the cost of the war. We’d like it to be split sixty, forty, with Aushalten paying the majority of it in all aspects.”

I ought to shoot them all for this suggestion. Shaeffer looks to me, as if sharing my sentiment before speaking, “For what reason does Aushalten have to pay for most of the damages?”

“I think the reason should be obvious. You started the war, did the most damage, and killed the most people during it. You’ve even killed civilians and surrendering leaders and soldiers.”

“The war was waged because we were wronged to begin with and negotiations for better conditions got us nowhere. As for the unfortunate casualties, we had given all areas we invaded sufficient notice to escape. We have also faced resistance from civilians and vigilantes whom we were forced to defend ourselves from. Additionally, we killed surrendering combatants because they either faked surrender or deserved execution for their actions. Your offer should be flipped and altered. Earth pays and does seventy percent of the repairs, while Aushalten does thirty.”

“We are severely weakened by you scorching the Earth and destroying our cities and towns. It’ll take years to get back to the way life was before.”

“So be it then. You have it better here than we do back on Aushalten. We are more than willing to lighten and share your burden if you show yourselves truly repentant to make it sixty, forty, but you have to prove that over the course of years of sweat and penance.”

“The people of Earth aren’t like those of Aushalten. We can’t endure, as you people can.”

“We are all human. You’ll find a way, and we’ll help you where needed. What are your other terms of peace?”

“We must agree on Aushalten doing more to repair the damages of war first before going onto those.”

“We won’t get anywhere then. What happened to the Compassionate being the charitable arm of the Dominion?”

“Our offer is the most compassionate that we can come up with. We can only do so much.”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about. True compassion doesn’t know what ‘too much’ is. What happened to the legacy of your saints, St. Polina Emundatio the Ever-Sacrificing Mother, St. Raziel Emundatio of Holy Fire, and more recently, St. Griselda Emundatio the Loyal Daughter and Soldier? None of you know the true compassion and unlimited giving that your ancestors were glorified for.”

The room is silent for a few seconds.

“How about we increase our dues for the war by ten percent?” a son of Emundatio asks.

Shaeffer sighs and says, “This war didn’t start because my people hated yours. In fact, I’ve killed many of my traitorous own and found kinship with the men and women of Earth. Did you know the last martyr of Aushalten before the war started was a man from Earth? Even though he wasn’t one of us or anyone of importance with any kind of power, he threw himself in front of gunfire to save the people behind him, and with his dying breath, drew the martyr’s cross on the ground as a prayer for his enemies and friends. Such people go to Heaven to sit directly next to our Lord, and are holier than any of us will ever be. The martyrs are the ones who give the most to God and the Church. Suffering for another is the most valuable gift and most powerful sign of love.”

“So, what do you want us to do then? We’re not going to hurt ourselves in exchange for our percentage due,” a daughter of Emundatio says.

“No, you won’t. You won’t do anything for anyone if it seriously discomforts you. People like you don’t change in your final moments even when confronted with the blunt reality of your sins. That’s why people like you are shot on sight and given no fair trial. If actions, prayers from others, and words won’t change your mind, then even God can’t change you. That is why I say to my brother that I can inspire people as much as I can to fight, but it is the soldier who wins the war.”

Hearing the signal phrase, I get up, draw my rifle, and shoot the children of Emundatio, while Shaeffer draws his pistol and shoots the guards. Outside, explosions and sounds of fighting ring out as our soldiers blow up key areas of our enemies, fight, and kill all who oppose us. Shaeffer and I walk outside to see it all unfold, but don’t join in.

“Shaeffer? Is something the matter?” I ask.

“I didn’t want it to end this way, and yet, I had a premonition it would,” he says.

“Our enemies are unredeemable. It is a mercy that we ended their lives, so they could not continue their sinful ways and dig themselves deeper into Hell.”

“That’s true. Thank you for all your support, brother. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“We couldn’t have won the war without your inspirational words, brother. The credit should be all yours.”

“All glory should be given to God, the martyrs, and those in Heaven who prayed for us.”

“That’s even more true. I’m guessing that we won those negotiations and things will go our way?”

“Force is always the most powerful form of negotiation and law enforcement, so yes. When the dust settles, we will have the peace we’ve worked so hard for. Come. There is still much to be done to solidify it.”

Joining up with our forces, they cheer for the glory of God and my brother. Other pockets of enemy resistance may be out there, but they won’t last. The peace and harmony we’ve been fighting for is now ours and will be shared between the people of Earth and Aushalten. All glory and praise be to God and those who lived and died for love and truth. Amen.

 

The End

Oppression from the Oppressed: Chapter 3 – Day of Due Vengeance

Chapter 3 – Day of Due Vengeance

The ships of Aushalten slow down out of warp speed, stopping outside of a shielded Earth where its space military is waiting for us. I was chosen again by our leadership to rally the troops, talk down the people of Earth, and scare our foes, and not wanting to let them down, I accept, as always. Looking at Adalwolf, he nods at me like the supportive brother he is, who will always have my back, no matter what. I breathe in and out, and begin my speech.

“What a glorious day it is, men of Earth and Aushalten! Today, both peoples meet the truest versions of each other on this day of battle, when the masters of both worlds will be decided. It didn’t have to be like this. Honestly, we wanted to help you against foreign invaders. Still, after you took advantage of us in ways that we are all too familiar with and would not let us work in due harmony, you gave us no choice but to fight against you, so we could have our proper freedoms and prevent the worst of you from sinning against yourselves. Today is a day of justice, salvation for the innocent, glory for the martyrs, and the slaughter of the guilty.

Just as before, if you wish to be spared, lay down your arms and do not resist us. You will be an honored friend if you turn against those who have turned against us, such as the Dominion, who promised us brotherhood and fair treatment. The Castigators, who once punished corrupt leadership and acted outside the law when it no longer served God, will be put to the sword. The Compassionate, who once did everything to help the poor and oppressed, will be gunned down with the money and weapons they obtained off the backs of the people they were meant to protect. The Council of Punishment, who lost the grace of God and their guardian angels, will be burned in the fires of our wrath.”

Our defense breaker ships come in through warp speed, immediately ramming the ship at the front of the defense line and pushing their way through Earth’s meager space ships with our own backing them up. Our ships, who got here sooner than us, uncloak themselves, fly out of the oceans, and destroy the space stations that shield Earth. More ships of Aushalten arrive at Earth and descend at full speed toward Earth’s surface with us.

Continuing, I say, “Forward, men and friends of Aushalten! Bared your teeth, raise your weapons, and show our enemies our unrelenting strength! Show them the terrifying justice of the God they have forsaken! Kill all who stand in our way! Give nothing but justice and death to the scum that oppresses you; this is your mother’s prayer! This is the honorable task your father has given you! Do not waver! Do not retreat! Do not lose hope! Kill and be killed, and give all honor and glory to God!”

Our invasion ships are met with enemy fire from the Earth’s surface as they quickly mobilize more ships to meet us in the air and use their air defenses, which we gave them, to shoot our ships out of the sky. We do not break from formation even as we sustain heavy fire, and instead, sing and pray as we continue our descent. Leading the men in song, we sing a common patriotic song of Aushalten.

“God bless the hands that bleed, the man that dies for his family, the woman who suffers for her children, the servile child! For the way of love is suffering and death, and I will die that death today! Pray for me, mother. Help me, father. Stand by me, neighbor. Lift me higher, my angel. Look upon me, heavenly mother. Give me strength, foster father. All for God and Aushalten, I live and breathe, and all for everyone, I will suffer and bleed joyously!”

As our invasion ships crash into the ground, they split apart skyscrapers and flatten targeted buildings underneath them, all the while being unharmed and still functional enough to go back into space and to Aushalten. From here, we get on our infantry ships and deploy our mechanized armor upon the Earth. With Adalwolf and various soldiers on a ship with me, our ship flies out from the invasion ship and into the war-torn city.

“I’ve never breathed air in a place that didn’t require exertion from me before. Earth is truly a soft planet to live on,” Adalwolf notices as we fly through the city.

“It truly is humanity’s homeworld, and a place that can soften a man. It’s no wonder many of our own fell to its comforts when they were invited here, but don’t get too relaxed, brother. We have heads of armies to execute,” I say.

Our target is the leader of the Castigators, a member of the once-honored family of Mundr. The skies are choked with our ships ramming into their enemies and blowing them out of the sky, while the armed and armored forces relentlessly charge at and shoot all who get in their way, with little care for their own safety. The war that was Aushalten has been brought to Earth, and now, the men and women who took advantage of us are facing our wrath firsthand. Earth will never be the same again.

“Shaeffer,” Adalwolf says, “there it is, the white, red, and crimson house of Mundr. They have heavy air defense and superhuman and so-called hero guards around them.”

“How disgraceful. This is the most heavily defended area on Earth. Their heaviest defenses should first be around the civilians and families rather than their leaders. Nevertheless, it should soon fall,” I say as our ship lands a ways away from the Mundr house.

Adalwolf, our accompanying soldiers, and I follow a charge of armor and soldiers who have the same target as us. The armored soldiers have mechs made in the image of Aushalten knights with gas mask-styled faces, tanks, and spider mechs that were once used to mine on steep mountains and deep caverns, but are now used to scale buildings to give heavy sniper support. The soldiers with us are a mix of specialized soldiers such as heavies and snipers, normal soldiers who are dressed in armor like my brother’s, and civilians who volunteered, wear spare or handmade armor, and wield spare guns. Given the nature of Aushalten, its people know how to wield and make weapons and armor of war and give their lives for the sake of others. Our ships from above knock out ships from the sky and intentionally ram those ships toward our target, getting rid of some of the threats in our way before bombarding the house of Mundr’s air defenses.

Despite the crashing ships and falling buildings around us, we fight on, even going through the crashed enemy ships, executing survivors, and using the explosive weaponry that we gave them for our purposes. To our surprise, the enemy starts retreating back to the house of Mundr, rather than holding their ground. There are even some who run in the opposite direction of the house.

“It figures that the defenders of Earth were soft. Even their elite troops are retreating,” Adalwolf says.

“Yes, but be careful that this isn’t a trap of any kind. They may not be tough, but they could be crafty,” I say.

Our forces are now on the grounds of our target, with it in sight and a wreck of what it once was. The statues of its honored saints are shattered, like its defenders, and its automatic defenses and robotic servant soldiers are failing. Our armor support focuses on securing the area, and ships move onto our targets, while the infantry heads into the large house to face and execute the enemies within. Given the assault from outside that defaced the house with gunfire and explosives, the house’s defenders are further within, hiding behind makeshift cover like tables, chairs, bookshelves, and statues. They disgracefully hide behind statues of saints, our God, His Mother, and other blessed figures, but that doesn’t stop us from shooting them. Instead, we have to be more accurate so as not to incur sin upon our souls.

Through our zeal and love of God and those blessed by God, we become deadlier and more accurate with our attacks. Some with us even run at the enemy with steel swords, once used for cutting rock, so they don’t have to worry about shooting and hitting the blessed statues. With that disgusting obstacle out of the way, we head into the inner sanctum of the house, as our forces continue to cover every inch.

“I heard this place used to be a mall, some kind of Earth marketplace with an expansive number of shops,” Adalwolf says.

“I can see it, but the only thing sold here are the spoils of crime and the souls of men for sin,” I say.

“Nothing here sold was cheap or did not result in some good,” a woman’s voice says.

Appearing before us from the darkness are three boys and three girls, all of whom are descendants of Mundr, dressed in expensive suits and dresses, and wielding black pistols.

“The so-called good results are good results only for you,” I say.

“The people of Earth needed the weapons and resources of Aushalten to protect itself from threats from space. It was almost wiped out two times in a row. Something like that can not happen again,” the daughter of Mundr says.

“And yet, no real threats to you have appeared since our ancestors allied themselves with you.”

“That is until now.”

“This is due justice for the ill treatment of our people.”

“That’s not how we see it. Do you know what these are?”

The sons and daughters of Mundr hold up their black pistols.

“I know of your ancestor’s legendary power. St. Kane Mundr could read souls and see if God fated them to die or be spared. His ebony pistols would kill anything they shot, no matter how powerful they were, and his white revolvers rendered men unconscious.”

“We were blessed with similar powers to him, and we see you are deserving of death.”

“Given your history, I doubt your vision is clear.”

“If that’s so, then you’ll survive being shot by us. If you do, then we’ll willingly surrender, and tell our allies to as well. Isn’t that a good deal?”

The sons and daughters of Mundr start streaming what is happening through a floating news robot and let the public know what is happening.

Leaning over and whispering to me, Adalwolf says, “Do these people think we’re stupid? They just want to shoot us with our weapons down.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they do, but I see a great opportunity here,” I say. Turning back to the Mundr family, I say, “I will endure your bullets myself for all to see. If I die, I die, but if I don’t, you have to hold up to your end of the bargain.”

“Deal,” the daughter of Mundr says.

“But also, if you each continue to shoot me more than once, then I must be allowed to defend myself.”

“Sure. You people from Aushalten may be durable, but you won’t survive a single shot from us.”

“I will endure your assaults as well. I am his brother and am charged by God to suffer with him,” Adalwolf says.

“Okay. You people really are masochists for pain.”

Looking over to Adalwolf, I want to say something, but knowing that he won’t back down, I hold myself back. I see the ghost of our mother over him. She never hesitated to throw herself over people to cover them from being hurt, and he carries on her legacy, something I cannot deny him. Our people behind us back off, while Adalwolf and I hold out our arms like how our Lord was crucified, and prepare to endure pain as He did. The sons and daughters of Mundr aim their pistols at us, first starting to shoot us with a dishonest shot to the head, then hitting us in the body. I count a shot from each of them, and seeing that they’re shooting us more than once, instantly bring up my pistol and start shooting them back, along with Adalwolf, who does the same with me in unison, killing all of the Mundr siblings.

My brother and I check to see if we’re both okay or in need of medical attention, and are thankful to see that neither of us is. We embrace one another as our people cheer.

I go up to the robot that’s still streaming and say, “See, men and women of Earth and Aushalten? The leaders of Earth are dishonest, weak, and pitiful, whereas the men of Aushalten like my brother and I are self-sacrificing and can endure anything thrown at us. We are blessed by God, while our enemies are abandoned. To those who still fight us, you have only one course of action to save yourselves: beg for mercy from Him! Lay down your arms or face imminent annihilation and damnation!”

I then shoot the robot, ending the stream. My people continue to cheer before heading out to see if there are any more roaches to expunge from this overly large house, only to find soldiers and politicians who surrender. This was a great start to our invasion of Earth, but it’s not the end. The other territories of the Castigators must be conquered, and then we’ll move on to finish our war by punishing the so-called Compassionate, thereby satiating divine justice and securing peace for both the people of Earth and Aushalten.

Oppression from the Oppressed: Chapter 2 – Dealing with False Neighbors

Chapter 2 – Dealing with False Neighbors

The forces of Aushalten gather outside the last refuge of the allies of Earth, a shieled, walled city made in their image, unlike anything else on our planet and a testament to their vanity. It’s a colorful place that hides dark and perverted crimes beneath its surface, and its barriers will soon fall. My brother, Shaeffer, gets on the open radio so that our opposition and allies hear and focus on him, so our infiltrators can better do their work.

“Behold, men of Earth, traitors to the human race, the Holy Church, and our Lord in Heaven! We have taken back our world in a single day, and only you remain. The destruction of your chains over us, the deaths of your allies and co-conspirators, and the burning of all your ill-gotten possessions are the cost of your sins. Today is your final hour and the time of your judgment, you, whom God and many saints once blessed. Before, you had honor and faith.

You had many superhumans with many unique powers in your ranks, and now, you have few, and those who have powers are easily killed by our weapons. You have lost the grace of Heaven and exchanged it for being whores of Hell. Do not mistake my words for prideful boasting. These are all true and a warning, not just to you, but to your allies on humanity’s homeworld. We know that they will not listen to reason and, like a spoiled child, will lash out at others for being punished for their mistakes.

I also say it to those who are willing to repent. Stay in your shelters and lay down your weapons, or openly fight against the scum you call your neighbors. Otherwise, prepare for a just execution.”

Explosions suddenly appear in various sectors of the city, and its shields come down shortly after. Peering further down, I see our ground forces push their way through the doors of the wall that now open to them as they flood their way in. The Aushalten ships start to fly over the city and bombard areas where we know the worst of humanity is, unabated by the air defense turrets, which are powered down thanks to our infiltrators.

Shaeffer turns to me and rhetorically asks, “Well, Adalwolf. Shall we join them?”

“Yes, brother,” I answer.

For this final assault to fully take back Aushalten, we are pulling out all the stops, more than usual. Boarding the ship with Shaeffer and me are specialized units: an infiltrator, dressed in a knightly set of white armor with the martyr’s cross on his helmet, and dual machine pistols at his side; a sniper with a black cloak, crow’s helmet, and gray martyr’s cross on his chest; and a heavy soldier with a red cloak, red armor, armed with a laser minigun that can also fire rockets, and a helmet with four connected red eyes on it. With all of us armed and ready, our drop ship descends upon the city and heads for a white mansion that once acted as the seat of power for the Earth government of the Dominion, but will soon be nothing but fiery ash and dust. We pass by other drop ships, which spread out to different areas of the city and start blowing up monuments to the greed of our enemy. From a distance, this must appear to be a tide of black, white, and red, like a dark hand of God grasping and crushing the city.

Shaeffer, our support units, and I land some ways away from the white mansion due to the heavy fire and superhumans using their powers to prevent us from coming any closer. On the ground, my brother runs ahead. Following behind him, I can’t help but see our father in him and remember how our father died. Our parents were defending innocent people from law-enforcing men of Earth who were trying to steal from them. The argument got violent, and the law enforcers started shooting people. Our father charged the officers, taking several shots, but not going down, while our mother shielded us and got shot several times herself.

Neither of our parents, the people they were protecting, nor neighbors of Aushalten gave up fighting against the false authorities, no matter how many times they were shot due to their natural resistance common to our people and the willingness to sacrifice ourselves and endure pain for others. When backup came, our mother told us to run, while she ran to help our father and neighbors. As the bullets and explosions rained down on us, Shaeffer fought me as I dragged him away from the fighting, and it was only after a stray shot went through his throat that he stopped. Thankfully, I was able to get him to a doctor, and they put a breathing apparatus in his neck to help him breathe and speak. Our kind on Aushalten are truly a resilient sort.

After that day, I decided to join Aushalten’s military, and Shaeffer joined the politicians. To this day, I relive that day in every battle, and I’m sure Shaeffer does, especially when he protects others as if envisioning them as our parents and neighbors. Just like him and my mother, I refuse to be found wanting when it comes to sacrificing myself for others and using my body as a shield. I throw myself in front of my brother and others to ensure their safety and to fulfill my mother’s final wish, all the while firing every shot I have from every ammunition type at my disposal. The infiltrator we are with has gone ahead of us to sneak up on the enemy and kill them from behind their own lines; the sniper jumps from one vantage point to another, acting more like a fast-moving berserker than anything, and our heavy soldier runs faster than all of us, letting his minigun fire without end and taking most of the enemy’s gunfire.

A shield forms around the white house as we get close to it, forcing us to take cover in nearby bombed-out buildings and holes formed by bombs, and call in for air support. Meanwhile, our enemy continues to fire and sends their best superhumans at us as they do their best to push us back, but we don’t give an inch; even many of our neighbors die around us, and we continue to get shot.

“Yes, danger close! When have we ever cared about danger close?” Shaeffer says over the radio.

Soon, our ships encircle the white house and unleash their payloads on it, destroying the shield.

Shaeffer is the first to exit cover and charge out from it. With one fist raised in the air and the other hand firing his pistol, he says, “Forward, martyrs!”

Our people cheer behind as they follow us.

“Defend your home and family!”

Another round of cheers.

“Death to the hypocrites and oppressors!”

Our people cheer even louder and run faster. We meet the enemy face to face and rush over them in a deadly tide that leaves none alive. They’re starting to falter as many try to run away or pitifully surrender, but are only met with a swift death. Now, at the front doors of the white house, our heavy soldier busts open the door. We flood into the den of sin and are met with an eerily quiet estate. Still, our people run in different directions to punish the last of our enemies, but my brother and I sense something is off.

“You feel that too, Adalwolf?” Shaeffer asks me.

“I do, brother. Something truly evil resides here,” I say.

Our accompanying heavy soldier looks like he’s about to say something, until his body suddenly falls to pieces. The entire house is enveloped in a dark shadow, leaving my brother and me by ourselves.

A dark voice says, “So, you’re the one whose annoying voice I hear prattle on the radio and internet. Do you have some kind of latent power that allows you to not be separate from your brother?”

“It is a bond that God has formed, and what God has created, none can break,” Shaeffer says.

“God has created the human body, and given it the capacity to mutate like yours, but that doesn’t mean I can’t break it in the ways I wish. Observe.”

Our sniper is taken out of the darkness, suspended in midair, and broken into pieces similar to our heavy.

“Your demonic power does not scare us,” I say.

“It is not demonic,” the dark voice says. “It was handed down to me by my saintly family. You, ignorant cretins, stand in the house of a Severe.”

“We killed a member of the Elio family yesterday. What makes you think a Severe won’t die the same way when we have God at our side? Your power means nothing to us,” Shaeffer says.

The infiltrator we were with bursts out of the darkness from the ground, screaming, until he is crushed by a dark hand. A figure cloaked in shadow with a large hat and scarf manifests itself.

“You will bow down before your master,” the dark figure says.

As an answer, Shaeffer and I shoot at the dark figure. It dodges around our shots, then creates copies of itself to confuse us, and then makes copies of us.

“You failed your parents,” the copies of ourselves say.

“You failed your people.”

“You put them on a doomed quest that will kill them all.”

“They will be punished severely for their foolishness.”

The more we dispel the copies, the more appear.

Getting an idea, I say, “We can’t fight this foe with conventional weaponry. We ought to let our fighting become a prayer, a supernatural weapon against another.”

“It’s the only other idea we have, so let’s do it,” Shaeffer agrees.

We do as I plan, even as the enemy starts to overwhelm us. Our copies all turn into copies of the dark figure who is now wielding a scythe. I shield Shaeffer from the incoming blows, and he cries out and shields me from them. I offer up the suffering as a prayer as blood begins to pour out of my body. This seems to be the end, until I see my body and brother’s blood form together and form into spears that impale the copies.

I hear the figure grunt in pain before saying, “How? You, people, have no power like mine!”

“You forget that God is the source of all power in the world, and even the simplest of men can access it when He wills it,” I say.

There’s only one copy of the dark figure left, so I pull up my rifle and shoot him, releasing my brother and me from the dark realm we were in. With our vision clear, we see our people around us, some dead, others thankful to finally be out of the same dark realm. One of the dead among the bodies is indeed a Severe, a member of one of the ruling families of the Dominion. He lies dead with a laser burn through his head, the one that I shot at him.

“I told you that if the soldier doesn’t win the battle, my words are for naught,” Shaeffer says as he pats my back.

“It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea I had. I didn’t really do anything. It was a miracle more than anything,” I admit.

“If anything, we know now more than ever that God is on our side and victory is assured.” Turning to everyone else in the room, Shaeffer says, “Victory is ours, people of Aushalten!”

Everyone cheers out with their hands in the air.

“Next, we conquer Earth! For the glory of God, for the glory of His Holy Church, and for the glory of Aushalten!”

People cheer out even louder, giving praise to God. With another battle passed and my brother and I alive, I once again fulfill my mother’s final wish and pray for my parents’ intercession to continue to do so until my dying day.

Oppression from the Oppressed: Chapter 1 – Past the Boiling Point

Chapter 1 – Past the Boiling Point

Approaching a stand in front of hundreds of cameras and thousands more people, I begin my speech.

“Men and women of the planet, Aushalten. It should be of no surprise to you that yet another member of our people has died, working for the people of Earth for the sake of his own, and like the other martyrs, has drawn the bloody cross that you wear on your shirts, shoulders, helmets, and capes with his dying breath. When the people of Earth first came to us, they did so out of desperation after being attacked by more advanced planets, and out of mercy, we shared our resources with them and taught them what we had learned. There was harmony between us and our planet of birth for a time, until the next generation came and took advantage of our kindness. They asked us to work harder for them, and we did so, for their sake. After that, another generation increased our workload, and again, we helped them, but this time, it wasn’t because we wanted to, but because they turned the weapons we gave them against us. This was their last mistake.

Ever since people first arrived here, its inhabitants have suffered to mine the precious resources from it. Generations of hardship have mutated its residents, turning our eyes red and our skin black and brown, but it has also strengthened us so that we can live here better than anyone else. Other men who live here are more reliant on the breathing apparatuses we make than we are and can’t endure the work we do day in and day out. Our people have suffered and died for the sake of others for our entire history, all of them martyrs who are in Heaven. As our God has said, that man has no greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends. The people of Earth say they share the same faith, but they no longer show it through their example. While they relax on humanity’s peaceful homeworld, we continue to slave away on ours, and the few allowed to go to Earth are now looked down on or betray their brothers and sisters by not improving our condition.

Because of this, we have no choice but to fight back against our oppressors. The people of Earth, who look down on us, will learn of the beast they have awakened. Even as we speak, our people are bringing our divine vengeance down upon them. For those who stand against us, we will be a terrifying beast of the night, relentlessly tearing at your flesh, burning your riches, and erasing every last trace of your legacy. The time for talk and negotiation is over. If you wish us to pass over you, then stay out of our way and lay down your arms. Otherwise, you'd better pray for mercy, because we have none left to spare.”

The ships of Aushalten arrive above me just as explosions rock the city, and the cheers of the crowd in front of me overshadow the noise. They all take up their arms and rush into the city as our ships selectively bomb their targets. Meanwhile, a soldier from the crowd, my brother, Adalwolf, approaches me on stage as I leave through the back. He’s dressed like a normal soldier, wearing a black gas mask and armor, and a white hooded cape. His red eyes are visible through the lens of the gas mask modeled after the originals made when this planet was first established, and his armor is modeled after the knights of legend, who conquered the stars and exterminated the animals that plagued the planets.

Compared to him, I look like a plain civilian, since I am wearing a crimson officer’s uniform, with a martyr’s cross on my white armband, crimson pants, and black boots. If my brother weren’t wearing his uniform, we’d look the same, except for the breathing apparatus in my neck and different brown spots on my face.

“That was an amazing speech, Shaeffer,” he says.

“It was just like I practiced. Heh. To think I would be drawing upon the speeches I would make when we played with our figures and watched stories that made similar speeches on TV,” I say.

“Do you really have to head out on the front lines with me? A speaker and officer like you could be better off giving words of inspiration on the radio or planning more attacks with the other officers.”

“What could be more inspirational than leading from the front? Remember who we are, brother. We are of the planet Aushalten. We only know pain and suffering; therefore, we only know how to give our lives in love and service to others. There’s no better place for me to be than the front lines.”

“Alright. Since I can’t make any rousing speeches like you can, I’ll simply support you as best I can.”

“That’s what you’re best at, and all you need to do. Remember, I can inspire as many people as possible, but if the soldiers don’t win the battle, then all my words are for naught.”

“Whatever you say, brother. You don’t need to make an argument to do what you say.”

A ship meant for deploying soldiers is waiting for me out the back of the hall I went through, which is full of Aushalten’s history, statues of its saints, and paintings of its greatest leaders. Boarding the ship with Adalwolf, we rise above the war-torn city, taking in the ordered chaos. The towers and buildings, made of stone and metal, with the only color coming from the neon lights and holographic displays that decorate them, suffer little unintended damage, unless they are occupied by our enemy, in which case they are crumbling. Both the law enforcement and civilians of Aushalten turn against the men of Earth and overwhelm them with sheer numbers and force. The so-called superhuman and cybernetically enhanced heroes and members of the law-enforcing Dominion of Earth do little to slow us down, and as they are killed, their corpses are trampled underfoot.

As we near the front lines, I check my officer’s pistol, a humble laser revolver with a secondary function to shoot bullets with the strength of a tank and ship-busting rifle. Meanwhile, Adalwolf and the other soldiers with me have standard-issued rifles that fire lasers and are loaded with incendiary bullets, and have the function of being able to be taken apart to turn into a sniper, pistol, or grenade launcher. We land and are immediately met with gunfire from the defenders from Earth, who are held up at a spaceport. The men and women of Aushalten run for cover to defend those charging the enemy, then charge ahead themselves, with those behind them defending them. None of them shows any signs of fear or hesitation in the face of all the gunfire and explosions, even as their neighbors die near them. In fact, the more pain and death they see, the harder they fight.

Thus is the Aushalten way, and I will not be found wanting in following it. I charge ahead with the current leading wave, making sure to fire at the enemy with one hand and holding one arm high, while screaming to my people to charge.

“For Aushalten! For the martyrs! For our God and Lord!” I say to the accompanying cheers of civilians, soldiers, and law enforcement behind me.

During the charge, I shield several of the people charging with me from gunfire and getting hit in the process. I take a married couple into one of the deep holes left by the battle's explosions so they can be shielded by makeshift cover. Adalwolf is close behind me, gets into the cover, and continues to fire at the enemy.

“What are you two doing? Don’t you have a family, children, to go back home to?” I ask them.

“We do, but we are no strangers to risking our lives for them,” the husband says.

“What difference is there from this and the daily work we did where we could’ve died at any moment? This is more important than that work because it’ll give our children a better life,” the mother points out.

“I understand, but the family is the foundation of society. Without people like you raising your children, then this will all be for nothing. I admire your willingness and strength to sacrifice yourselves for your children, but please, if you can, stay behind me or the very back of the charge. You’re better alive than dead to Aushalten’s future.”

The married couple tepidly agree and let Adalwolf and me go on ahead before they join the charge behind us.

“Maybe you should take your own advice,” Adalwolf says.

“You can always replace an officer or public speaker. You can never replace a child’s true father and mother,” I say.

“Is that why you got shot for them?”

“I’m fine, brother.”

Adalwolf drags me into the cover of a nearby destroyed storefront.

“You’re still upset about our parents’ deaths. I can see that.”

“This is why you’re much more than a simple soldier. You have our mother’s perception, but please, let us talk about this after the battle.”

“Fine, but do not let your vengeance cloud your judgment.”

“My mind has never been clearer.”

Heading back out, I help our people break down the doors of the spaceport. Just as we are entering it, our ships are destroying the fleeing ships of our enemy, their tanks, and incoming reinforcements. Going onto the runway and chasing our enemy, I switch my pistol’s function to use its bullets to kill the heavily armored soldiers, the few superhumans, and the pilots in the plane.

“Wait, stop! You can have whatever I have in the plane!” one of the fleeing men says as he holds his hands up and falls to his knees.

We don’t listen to him or his surrendering allies and blow up his plane with our gunfire.

“No! Do you know who you’re messing with? I’m an Elio.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of the mighty St. John Elio from Earth. He helped conquer the Earth for God and was said to have been born in an adoration chapel, had a great, simple heart, and had amazing powers that inspired heroes and frightened his enemies. Your ancestor would be ashamed of you because of what you’ve done to us,” I say.

“You won’t get away with this. You think you’re in the right and know better than us, but you’re wrong!”

“We know we’re right because we know what it means to suffer.” Adalwolf and my people behind me cheer in agreement. “We know that true love means suffering for God and neighbor and the giving of one’s life for others, something you people from Earth have forgotten.”

“Can I be spared, please? I’ll do anything you want!”

I look at the descendant of Elio and his guards as they eye their weapons and us, and know their true intentions. Before they can fight us, Adalwolf and I shoot and kill them all.

“The only thing I want you to do is beg God for forgiveness, but since you chose poorly, you’ll never get the chance again.”

My people cheer at our victory. Our ships come in with soldiers to secure the spaceport, take care of the wounded, and take others to the next battle.

As we walk to the ship, Adalwolf asks, “Was that truly wise?”

“Yes. That descendant of Elio was pathetic and a disgrace to his family name. He would’ve been nothing more than a prisoner who took up space. Besides, we do not need hostages or prisoners in this war. We only need overwhelming victory.”

As Adalwolf and I fly away on our ship, I tune into our radio to hear nothing but cheers of victory in all sectors of our planet. All is going to plan, and Aushalten shall soon be under complete control once more. All that’s left is one more holdout city, and then we go to Earth to finish the fight.

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Daughter of a Mundr and an Emundatio, Griselda was raised to do great things. Now a cybernetic soldier piloting a mech to defend Earth from extraterrestrial threats, she finds camaraderie with two new squadmates. Just as she starts to unwind on a casual assignment, a new danger emerges: a grotesque planet appears from space, attaches to Earth with its tendrils, releases a red mist, and fleshy meteors that unleash horrors upon the world that Griselda must sacrifice everything to protect.

When Flesh Becomes a Prison: Chapter 3 – Rejection of Desire

Chapter 3 – Rejection of Desire

We have to end this soon. The number of fleshy creatures and the increasing intensity of the voice will soon overwhelm us. Because of this, we’ve decided to activate the overdrive function of our mechs to dig into the planet’s surface, covering each other while we’re doing so, and radioing over to our allies who are landing on the planet what our plan is. They join us, if they can manage to survive the initial onslaught, and even when they’re with us, the number of flesh creatures and the planet’s surface forming into tendrils fight back against them, killing some in the process.

“Destroying us will only result in getting rid of your only chance at happiness, your God can’t provide,” the voice says.

Remember what my parents taught me…remember that they love me…

“Our god gave us the supernatural and technological means to turn our planet into one being made of hundreds of millions. There’s room for you and your friends if you allow us to overtake you.”

My squad and I are deeper inside the planet. We tear through guts and jutting appendages as the inside of it tries resisting us; however, our laser rifles, transformed into laser swords, are preventing them from healing and carving a burning hole into the center. Our shoulder-mounted miniguns and shield canons are out of ammo, and our swords and mechs are starting to overheat.

“I’m not sure if our mechs can handle much more of this before they go nuclear!” Ro says.

Considering our situation and what it would take to finish this fight, I struggle to think of any other option but one.

“You’ll never feel happy again if you do. You were so close to having it today, but it’s not too late to stop and let us have control to give it to you. Take control of your life for the first time,” the voice says.

I grew up never really caring what I wanted beyond the options laid before me. Why should I care now? The people who raised me, loved and cared for me, and gave me the best life they could give, and allowed me to choose between various virtuous professions, and this is the one I chose. They raised me to be a selfless defender of Earth and servant of God, and that’s what I’ll be!

On the radio, I say, “This is a message to all forces from Griselda Emundatio! I am going to overheat my mech, causing a nuclear blast that will destroy this planet. Retreat to Earth while you can!”

“No, can do, ma’am. We’re squadmates, so I refuse to leave your side,” Ro says.

“I’m giving you an order, Ro! Get out of here!”

“One singular nuclear blast won’t destroy this planet. You’ve seen it regenerate. You need more than one.”

“How about three? I’m not leaving either,” Colina asks.

More people give their support over the radio, saying that they’re not giving up until the job is done and Earth is secure.

“Everyone…Ro…Colina…I’m sorry, there’s no better option,” I say.

“I was a scum of the earth villain before this. I didn’t expect to live happily ever after again anyway,” Colina says.

“I’m a defender of Earth, my friends, and my family. As my God gave His life for humanity, it is only right that I do the same,” Ro adds.

I struggle to hold back my tears, the voice tempting me to stop, no longer audible. In an instant, I feel the weight of my body and mech disappear as I appear far outside of the planet and watch it blow to bits and its remains burn to ashes. Around me, I see Ro, Colina, and the others who sacrificed themselves to save Earth. Above us, I see a portal of light with two hands with wounds on them reaching out to us and pulling us in with its gravity.

“Come to me, and embrace your rest, my good faithful servants,” I hear a voice from the light say.

“Heh, I guess we’re all going to Heaven,” Colina says.

“Come on, Griselda. You should go first,” Ro says.

“We’re a squad. We’ll all go in together,” I say.

Everyone is brought into the light, where I feel joy and peace, unlike ever before. What my parents and superiors said was right. Self-denial is the road to Heaven, and a joy better than any happiness can provide.

 

The End