Written by Blackharvest
Things seemed very dire for the renegades after the catastrophic war. Despite driving the zealots to a stalemate and signing a ceasefire with them, nothing was for certain. The renegades suffered major losses, and they needed time to recover not only their resources but their minds. However, they knew that the zealots were not to be trusted in the long term, and also that the ceasefire was truly a loss in the eyes of the many. It was becoming common knowledge that the zealots were keen to get rid of the traitors once and for all. An abundance of below-the-board espionage missions in the council and the occasional skirmish in spite of the ceasefire had reached the point where they were exceedingly difficult to cover up. The renegades could not speak out against these violations, as doing so would garner further attention from the zealots, potentially leading to another war that they had truly no chance of winning. But they also knew that they could not stay in their places without taking any action whatsoever. Their resources were dwindling, their manpower was insufficient, and any route feeding the remote colonies was being intercepted by the zealots. A societal collapse was all but arriving. If they stayed idle, then it was evident their remaining power and infrastructure would fade slowly to the point of no return, a galaxy where the renegades would collapse and whatever was left from before the zealotry would be no more. The situation was growing ever more dire. Thus, the renegade council decided an extreme plan had to be chartered in order to preserve their history: the kidnapping of the very being that started it all.
The plan was extremely risky, but it would be their one and only chance to bring back their old society, the results of which they deemed catastrophic. Zealots sought ways to justify their war against the renegades at any given moment, and thus any failure would ensure the destruction of the renegade colonies and the persecution of anyone who resisted. Seeing the peril at hand, Yaboy (a leading general and respected figure among the renegades) and the councilors gathered to discuss the intricacies of such a dangerous mission. The plan was that a team led by Yaboy would kidnap Darwizzy, take him far away from the planet they resided on, then interrogate the creature or even execute them if the circumstances see fit. If Darwizzy was taken away from the site of pilgrimage and was interrogated to tell the truth about himself, then all of this zealous madness might come to an end. That was their only hope. Nothing was guaranteed, but seeing the desperate aliens that tirelessly worship this creature at the cost of their sense of self, it was a necessary action to take. If interrogating Darwizzy for the truth and then forcing him to confess did not work, then they would do what they must.
After countless hours of debate and preparation, they finalized the plan. The members of the team were selected to accompany their leader, Yaboy, chosen not only for his experience amongst the renegades but also for his hyper-intelligence, for which, without the renegades very much doubting it, they would still be alive. Despite his capabilities, Yaboy would not be enough to tackle the enemies and get to the wisened one alone; therefore, his teammates were chosen to be competent enough to assist him in this operation. The first one was an alien named Gijo, a former athlete with various inborn abilities. Whilst his extreme athleticism was a key attribute, the reason for his induction was far greater. Fortunately for the renegades, Gijo was one of the few aliens with a rare genetic variance that enabled them to read other’s minds. There were, of course, limits, but this psychic connection was considered irreplaceable for the kidnapping. Not to mention his rumored adoption of powers, before unseen. The second member chosen was Zay, an executioner for the renegades, now long retired from swinging his axe. Despite this, the council would simply not allow his advantageous mutation to go to waste. Similar to Gijo, Zay was born amongst the rare group of aliens with genetic variances that allowed him to mold his form entirely. A shapeshifter. The incredibly rare ability to alter his body to that of any man or beast his mind could conjure. Paired with his experience as an executioner and an assassin, Zay was a perfect member of the team for infiltration purposes. The last member in mind was Bigio, who had impeccable invisibility abilities compared to the other few individuals that are able to bend and refract light from their special scales. He was known to be a blindly loyal renegade, hating the zealots to the deepest core. Therefore, he would cover up his lack of physical power by abiding by the words of Yaboy.
Reaching out to these members was not an easy task, though, as the renegade council had to individually contact these members for the assembly of the team, a task that proved challenging when space travel was so constantly monitored. Yaboy could also not simply send a transmission signal to any of the team members, because the signals could get intercepted by the zealots, putting the operation in jeopardy. The only option was to meet the members individually, starting with Gijo. The athlete in question was residing on a not-so-far renegade orbital colony known as Atras.The colony was known to be a massive facility acting as one of the initial sites refugees fled to from other planets, now being the largest beacon of hope for those with medical and housing needs. It was one of the only direct routes for refugee distribution to other colonies and even potentially the last remaining planet that the renegades held. Gijo was using his former experience to hastily reach out to refugees in need, while also using his powers to give medical aid to those wounded mentally rather than physically.
When Yaboy arrived at the colony’s entrance gates, where refugees were treated and distributed, the renegades saw the general and started gathering around him, praising their savior and rushing in to ask questions of him. The sight almost disturbed Yaboy, giving him a glimpse of the zealots worshipping themselves. But he dismissed this as the crowd began to unravel, his eyes now focused, constantly watching over the movements of the renegades in case things went awry. As he was looking into the crowd, he saw a figure slowly floating towards him. It was the alien that he was looking for, Gijo himself. In the moment, Yaboy seemed to remain calm on the outside. However, internally, he could never have been more hopeful of their cause. Gijo truly did have power as the rumors had foretold. The crowd slowly turned their heads towards the levitating alien as he gained ground towards the general. He was filled with anticipation and joy, but kept his composure, “It is quite nice to see you here, dear councilor. What wind took you here?” Yaboy replied calmly, “I was actually looking for you, Gijo. A turn of fate it seems.” He then continued, “I need you to come with me. We need to discuss important matters”. Gijo did not hesitate to follow Yaboy. Meanwhile, the crowd’s eyes curiously followed the duo going to the ship hangar.
After losing the observant eyes, Gijo finally broke the silence, “I can see what you want from me, councilor, but is it truly necessary?” speaking with a slightly worried tone. He briefly peered into Yaboy’s mind, seeing a bleak scheme of the plans, but Gijo still needed further details. Yaboy then elaborated the plan to Gijo, finishing the elaboration with, “I know that you do not intend to harm others, and I wish to employ you for the aid of your comrades. But know that dire moments require dire measures , moments where you might need to fight for your life if necessary.” Gijo felt slightly startled and somber, as he was uneager to hurt his kin by any means. However, the reminder of all the damage he had seen outside those very walls brought him to his senses. He straightened himself up, and responded, “Indeed, for dire events we need dire measures. To end the suffering of our people, I shall join your team, sir, and finally put an end to this madness we have found ourselves in.” He was determined to the core, ready to take any action at any cost. This warmed Yaboy’s heart, letting the duo get onto the ship with relief and increased morale for the future of the aliens.
Then it was time for Zay, who tried to live a more discreet life in a mining colony, putting his old occupation aside. Upon descending the crammed underground layers of industrial housing to reach the bottom, the two aliens found a bar where some of the workers came to relieve themselves. Truly they came here with the intent of finding further information on Zay, but that soon was deemed no longer necessary. With their undercover clothing, Yaboy and Gijo barely walked through the door before they noticed the forlorn alien in the corner. Zay was sitting by himself, enjoying a local brew, seemingly made of something tasty, but Gijo’s psychic connection was not so sure. The duo slowly approached the table with a drink of their own, sitting together with Zay. In response, the alien barely raised his head, acting indifferent to this duo of strangers. Gijo soon realized why this may be, and upon checking their surroundings, he slowly lifted the hood of Yaboy next to him. Instantly Zay’s facial expression changed to a mixture of surprise and joy but eventually settled on confusion. The chances of casually bumping into the respected general of the renegades were low, and he quickly deduced that there was probably a condition to the visit.
His assumptions were proven correct when he asked them, “Is it my services you are here for?”. Yaboy nodded, responding, “You must know how dire the situation is for all of us—the renegades and the rest of the aliens. We need capable and trained men like you if we are to get out of this sickening zealotry.” Zay was definitely not a zealot, but he still was reluctant. “I understand, but it is over for me. I have left my past occupation behind. It is not the time for the likes of us.” Gijo then responded with the addition of psychic insight, “You refrain from taking up arms again, and yet you know that you must from within, one way or another. You are startled by the injustice ruling over our kind. Now you have the chance to get rid of it.” Yaboy then continued, “He is right. You only have one chance, and one chance only… to change things for good. We came to you because we are looking for the most dedicated and qualified men we have under the renegade republic, and you are one of them. You have served your nation to keep order and peace. Let us do it together, with you, once more.” Zay looked into the eyes of Yaboy and Gijo, with his eyes nervously bouncing between the duo frequently. He shook himself off and spoke again, looking at Yaboy: “We are fighting a lost war. Let us die in peace. There is nobility in dying for a cause, but we have been dying long enough. Let me just drink and work myself to death like the rest of our accursed people.” Yaboy then retaliated, “There is no dying in peace for us, only dying in battle. Only dying in fear and suffering. If you are expecting a final moment of respite before everything topples over, then you are mistaken. Whilst it may not be a battle of the swords, I assure you peace does not reside in the rocks of planets. It resides in us ending this. Let us not be disappointed by the future waiting for us all when you have the power with us to change it for the better. If it is peace you seek, then it is only found at my side.” Zay was inspired but still felt reluctant. He was still curious about what was waiting for him in a world without zealots, a true peace. But he also could not shake the doubt in his mind. With a final sigh and swig of his drink, the retired alien finally accepted this truth. “I am listening.”
When they arrived at the headquarters, they still had one more important task at hand before starting the mission. The team had the brains, the combat expertise, and also the resilience, but they needed further reconnaissance abilities. One member was yet to be recruited, Bigio, a special ops member back in the pre-zealous days. He was known for his immaculate light refraction abilities, giving him impeccable invisibility, whilst also possessing a deafening scream and other combat-valuable skills. He was known as the shrouded death in the military, and he was quickly barred as a rebellious individual. This attitude could prove problematic, but the council simply deemed it a risk worth taking. However, upon having no information about his whereabouts after a strenuous search, finding Bigio was abandoned as a part of the project. They simply no longer had the luxury of time. This was a major problem for the team, as they needed one more member, preferably with invisibility traits, to perform recon over the event that they are going to kidnap Darwizzy from. The team anxiously started scouring through the database of renegades that existed in colonies and renegade planets, only to find no one as qualified as Bigio. Everyone in the team felt desperate, as it was too late to make a meticulous search for the fourth member, and it would be even later if the team intended to visit a candidate. To their surprise, though, their search attempts were quite expedited thanks to one individual with an ardent desire.
Despite keeping their plan secret, news reached the colonies that Yaboy was planning to undertake a crucial mission to finally put an end to this madness. The news spread wide enough to reach some individuals with burning passion for the values of the old, and the utter disassembly of the zealot council degrading the identity of the alien civilization. One such individual heard of the news and quickly got himself into a shuttle to the colony Yaboy and his comrades resided in. As soon as he got out, he snuck through the crowds of people, rushing to the council headquarters where Yaboy was most likely located. Activating his invisibility, he got through the initial layer of security leading to the council room. But he was swiftly caught by the guards using thermal vision, and they immediately halted him. He tried to violently squeeze out of the guard’s grasp, but it was for naught, his frame not really being one for strength. The guard firmly wrapped his arm around him, locking him in place almost as if a trophy of uptight security. He then started yelling, “You cannot do this to me! I need to see him! Let me in! Let me meet with him! Please!” The guards did not yield. They did not even look at his anguished face, though his screams definitely garnered some attention from within. Just as the guards were about to take him away from the headquarters for interrogation, one councilor noticed him, told the guards to stop, and immediately went to see Yaboy and inform him about this individual. It seemed that this alien was not only just so eager to meet the general himself, but he also had a burning passion for the renegades from the looks of it. And fortunately for the young intruder, the council recognized him as one of the candidates the team briefly looked at.
Yaboy heard of the effervescent young alien near the entrance, and he approached with caution and… scorn. He never appreciated blind fanaticism over anything, no matter the cause, since he was aware of how excessively loving and supporting something mystifies it and turns it into an abstraction devoid of reality. He was afraid that their motives would only end up being one form of zealotry over another. Therefore, just as he looked down upon zealots that did not think properly about Darwizzy, he also looked upon his renegade brethren who abandoned all reason to spew hatred towards the other side. It seemed to him that this alien being held captive by the guards was just another who did not control themselves to properly serve the cause.
Upon seeing the general, he suddenly felt joyous and stopped yelling. Yaboy, though still unsure of what the alien was going to do afterwards, ordered the guards to release their grip, preparing for the worst. They looked at each other’s faces as if they were appalled by the command, but they obliged nevertheless. The now-free youth slowly approached Yaboy, eventually kneeling in front of the respected alien. He spoke with excitement, “It’s… It’s an honor… to see you in the flesh.” Yaboy still was looking down upon the alien, but still replied appropriately, “The honor is mine, dear citizen.” He then continued. “I have heard the news, dear councilor. I know what you are going to do in the days to come. I know that you are looking for qualified men, but I…”
He was quickly interrupted by Yaboy in the middle of his speech, “Look, I know how much you probably want to put an end to this madness, maybe even more so than us. But we need our best, and I mean the best of the best, for this mission. Without that effort, the renegades shall not be successful. I am deeply sorry, but I cannot take on your request. You will have to serve our kin in a more meaningful way.” Yaboy spoke with utmost respect, trying not to hurt the feelings of this alien in front of him, but he was indeed startled by this sentence, “What can be more meaningful than… this mission, councilor? For someone like me, there is none! I live by the standards of our kin, and nothing will change that, even if it means that I am on the edge of death. I would rather die than kneel to them!” Yaboy then responded to him, who was agitated and panting from all the exhilaration running in his veins, “I know that you would not kneel to them, but your fervor clouds your judgment.” He then slowed down his breath, and trying to keep more composure, retaliated, “No, it is the other way around. I could not have thoughts clearer, dear councilor. I know what I must do for our brethren, and I will pay for whatever it takes. So will the zealots.” The young alien, once agitated and shouting in frustration, had now become calm and resolute, keeping his composure despite Yaboy's words. Seeing this personality trait in him, Yaboy burrowed into deep silence.
The alien then continued, “You and I both know that most of the capable aliens with light-refracting mutations are under zealot rule. I am not only one of the few aliens with such capabilities, but also one of the few that you can actually trust. We both need each other, Yaboy.” Just as the councillor mentioned to Yaboy, there was more to this young alien than meets the eye. There was more than his ardent passion for the cause; something much deeper than the perseverance of old alien ideals. Just as the deeper motive could be noble and benevolent, it could also be much more sinister than Yaboy could ever think of. But Yaboy, being intrigued by the alien’s composure and seemingly reliable personality, ultimately agreed to take the alien with him to the quarters where the special operation team was. “Alright then, what is your name, fellow renegade?” The alien responded, “Austin, at your service.” Yaboy called upon him, “Then, Austin, come with me, to the point of no return in this spiral of madness.”
Spin Characters Involved
Yaboy - Season 1 (Ya Boy)
Austin - Season 1 (Austin)
Gijo - Season 1 (Gijoe)
Zay - Season 1 (Zay)