On the opposite side of the border a single sniper prepared a third shot at a group of backstabbing Vossan. His orders were clear, take out as many followers before the Nazdar arrive at the scene. Raising his head up from the scope the bald headed, scarred sniper pulled down his hood. His own race and species no longer mattered. For the past eleven life spans his body slowly healed after mutilated torture, and sustained injuries. Firs the injuries came after an accident involving a large bundle of timber that landed on him. Whoever was there declared him dead leaving his body at the hands of paramedics. To his misfortune the paramedics left him inside a corpse preparation room then put him next to the morgue of the hospital.
While he lay on the gurney bandaged up something else came for him. A Hierophant, Research Assistant, Reverse Engineer, and some lackey saved plus captured him. An actual abduction is what he called the situation be called. He wasn't the only one, as Experiment 2013 he barely recalled his past life. About fifteen to twenty others were abducted for experiments around the same time as him. Once his wounds were healed, Experiment 2013 was done being whatever his labels were at the time. Undergoing a transformation from experiments he received his own military training. A high powered 954 sniper rifle is what he was given along with other weapons stashed away somewhere at home base.
Taking another shot, Experiment 2013 was not alone. Experiment 1006, the gold tan rogue assassin attempted an attack on the Vossan cultists earlier. Attacking the Cydnams wasn't his concern nor the assassin's problem. His mission was going after a spell book that a Vossan witch held in her possession. Their main master, Simsus Noxim sent them to this blasted planet. Obsessed with this spell book their own master tied their own faction with the Nazdar forces here in a temporary alliance. Despite origins from the planet Pos their master possessed experiments, slaves, hired hands, guards, castles, various artifacts, warehouses full of antiques, weapons. Simsus could send an army here, but it was best to send a smaller force to avoid confrontations. In a team the two experiments arrived on this planer with others. A sentient dragon-bat called Cyborg 920, a sentient velociraptor humanoid, a reptilian and some other humanoids. Their reptilian companion was now a dismembered experiment formerly called Scales 1039. A result of an argument over the fate of two potato farmers they captured.
Aside from this spell book Experiment 2013's team hunted down other artifacts. One large oceanic chalice style bowl, a crystal earth stone sphere stand that held strange powers. It was also known as a Spere. Another artifact was a crystal that can take out knowledge. Simsus had his sights set on other artifacts. Eager to find someone with knowledge he also hired a bachelor in history to do research. Mutant Experiment 2013 forgot his name. Since he was not here at the moment some of the team talked trash about the bachelor in history. The trash talk ended quickly whenever a rival came into the scene. Close to taking another shot Mutant 2013 thought he caught a glimpse of a brown skinned dark elf. Not the desirable curvy type most deviants he knew of pursued, or attempted buying in the underground market. This one appeared lean muscled, rather tall, black hair with white streaks in it. Yet he could not help if their scholarly friend was interested in a dark elf or brown skinned woman of desirable beauty.
She would have been his next kill if a sense of fascination did not consume him. Whatever she was doing among the voluptuous beauty witch, known as Ometrienne the Auburn Occultist seemed suspicious. As he gazed at her something else caught his attention. Another group of alien experiments arrived on the scene at the borders. Turning his gaze onto the next group he thought of the different rivals his Mastar Simsus had. These rivals were many, but he recalled the likes of Noeth Carl, Nobunagise, Rallal, Massonaz, Geeme the Shemale, and Xesti Murza. As these names came to mind he wondered if these rivals would come to this particular planet. Across the regions of thirty-three planets their Master searched for new test subjects for his experiments. Eppy 13, a nick name given to him by a female scientist, knew about 837 planets or moons his Master visited. It wouldn't have surprised him if Master Noxim was outlawed or banned from entering those planets.
After crafting an army of experiments, Noxim's scientists managed to equip them with the means to survive or fight an all-out war. Each gear, equipment, tool, weapon, and piece used came from the 837 planets. Out of all these experiments just over fifty operational ones remained according to Eppy 2013. Just a team set out to retrieve this spell book that revealed some secrets to creating life. How Noxim was going to do that depended on the text, research, and availability of resources. Test subjects, or recently deceased could not be acquired easily. Using patients, or wounded whom he captured, his master created other experiments. Those were still alive and able bodied after a few more surgeries in prosthetics and wiring. His own body did not feel like his own after what Noxim did to him. His own gaze rested on this newly arrived group bearing a familiar symbol or logo. Their own logo of an eye between two spires.
This group consisted of a mechanized lizard thing with shoulder guns with triggers, 83 Raptor lizard humanoids in full combat gear, 6 humanoid fighters, one humanoid bug of a bio experiment from a military scientist. Among them was an andromorphic cat-hound, and green skinned elf. Wondering if this group belonged to Noxim as well, Eppy ordered the Velociraptor hail them. In the Velosic language, Reptile 89 communicated through a hand radio. Experiment 2013 watched one of the Raptor humanoid pick up the communication. Most of them stopped then took cover.
"Code coordinates 887, southeast of your position." Reptile 89 reported over the radio. His reptilian neck turned towards their direction.
"We have company in bound. Friendlies coming over." Her voice carried over to the group.
Eppy 2013 scanned the area using his scope and mechanical eye. Spotting seven other groups landing he prepared to defend their own group's positions. To the north he thought he spotted more movement. Yet it seemed too far away to really estimate their approach towards their location. He attempted to ignore the idea of Nazdar forces heading this way. Returning his focus back to the Vossan followers he saw more arrived. Four thousand paper backs or credits a month could not get him to fight an army. Other currencies such as Comet Rings, or Green Suns were his main income. Estimating the number of new followers in Eppy 2013 swore he counted over two hundred extra followers for the Auburn Occultist. They arrived in the thirty-three vehicles. These Vossan cultists gathered at their camp which became encircled by every vehicle they possessed. Desperate to hold off extermination or be wiped out the Vossan constructed a defensive perimeter with barricades between each vehicle. Switching his gaze to their own people Eppy 2013 witnessed their own faction heading towards them. A total of seven other groups spread out along the borders of what was once Vossan and a free state called Cydnam.
Noeth Carl's group arrived with a Dragon humanoid wearing a three spiked helmet, an airship crewed by possibly 200, a loner freak flying another freighter carrying 267 Fomorian-Spawn, Primordial-Spawns armed equally to Nazdar Grevaskii. The next group appeared to belong to Rallal the Master who likely hired contractors for this job. Eppy recognized these contractors. One royal looking noble who was now an outcast from a palace. A mercenary group called Memore Company came with 100 personnel 20 tanks, 20 artillery pieces plus the crews. A single Tyranosaurus mutant with a spider droid as a companion. Both were armed with draconic lightning laser guns. Just one Rhino mutant with four arms, armed with six blasters in their belt, a four eyed tall burglar from a syndicate, an arch mage known as Noxone, an Orc equipped with alien armor and energy weaponry made up one small unit. Another unit of Red Tet'arqs, a reptilian shrew with fur came with a team of fourteen. The next unit consisted of seventeen Lairthos warrior-hunters. Wolf men hired from outcast colonies. Six transports freighters meant for carrying cargo, personnel, equipment, supplies, prisoners, and vehicles drifted away backwards after drop off. The last unit consisted of fourteen Playoi humanoids with the blue and stripes on the left side of their head, and other side shaven. It was the only way to identify them without the tower shields.
Geeme the shemale arrived with a small force. Double checking the shemale's faction he noted Geeme just sent a small force to this planet. Likely to pull off a covert reconnaissance or a quick burglary, Geeme only had twenty-seven of her own being dropped off. Their ride, a triple plier shaped brig made a run for the skies. Several aircraft chased after this one. From Noeth Carl's and Rallal's ships air fighters that went after Geeme's appeared nonstandard ones. In the shapes of beaks with folded bat wings or winged cat heads mixed with a pickaxe these fighter craft held the name of Vludauc Craft. Dependency and reliability appeared solid in the field. Yet it was a shame the Vludauci became extinct due to a forty-seven-year conflict. It was between the Nazdar, Gantronese, CSO, Order of the Beast, and three other factions spread across a section of two galaxies. Eppy 2013 studied the other rival groups that arrived in force. Geeme's small force bearing a fiery worm coiling in a spiral circle consisted of different species of various backgrounds. Three blemmies, a dark elf blade fighter, four-armed humanoid, were rat reaper, minotaur, bird humanoid doctor, a Goblinna machine gunner, crazed ogre, and fourteen cambion females.
Nobunagise sent an army over. That would only attract attention from the Nazdar and locals. Hunkered down Eppy 2013's team welcomed their own group. Through the patches of woods, hills and brush the newly arrived Noxim forces made it. Still unnoticed by locals, their strength, they set up base. It wasn't until morning did Eppy see the borders liven up. Each rival faction set up camp in the form of a base. Some dug in, others pitched their tents. One of the most advanced factions used their own ships as a base. He could estimate a force of over nine thousand to ten thousand gathered at the borders.
Behind him another argument started between fellow contractors. Turning around Eppy threw a rock at them. Just to get it across that they needed to knock it off Eppy went over to smack one of them. Rechecking the occultist camp he noticed their positions seemed spared. Were the other rival factions waiting for a better time to attack? Was it too early and they still needed to finish setting up camp? Was another faction on the way? Geeme's forces set up camp closest to the Cydnam borders. Bringing a small force of twenty-two of her own thugs, or lackeys. A platoon is all she could spare. It proved to be a shown flaw about her. Did she think this was going to be easy? From the Cydnam side of the border a large force of over twelve thousand infantry men, backed by a few other forces. Chances of getting that spell book looked slim. Yet the likely hood of the cultist leader being exterminated appeared high.
Eppy watched over 12,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, 250 tanks launch an assault that swallowed Geeme's unit. Certain the platoon was a goner Eppy turned to the other forces. Noeth Carl's forces came under bombing runs and harassment from 55 aircraft. The 268-man ground force scattered or suffered losses from the air attacks. His 200 hired sailors scrambled back to the airship under fire. Their freighter came under fire. It came down just as it started to launch back up. In an explosive inferno the freighter's debris hit the airship causing parts to catch fire. Two factions were down, or making a run for it. Whichever fighter craft attacked Geeme's ship found themselves struggling to launch from the ground.
For some reason Eppy's heart sank as the airship's hopes of lift off faded when another bombshell hit it. A direct hit to the cockpit with the engines running sent it off course. All it could do was crash into the earth. Massonaz's forces, the Order of the Beast, Nobunagise's forces, Rallal's forces, and another remained. Four combined forces met the Cydnam forces while launching their own attack on the cultists. Only three of the factions met the Cydnam forces in the field.
He could only describe it as a surprising betrayal. The last force to arrive called themselves the Iron Virus. Getting a better look Eppy noted a force of three thousand or so this Iron Virus sent. Believing it was best to wait for the fighting to die out, Eppy let his guard down. Watching these forces clash brought a mix of relief and dread. Massonaz and the Order of the Beast found themselves wiped out. Their forces were shrunk down to nothing. It seemed wasteful to bring a small sized force and believe in a quick mission here. Drawn into a battle meant death. Eppy was certain the Cydnam force the cultist fought earlier were more than relieved to watch this. Probably celebrating this sudden turn of events. Nobunagise's forces fared a little better as they were armored, a heavily armed. He could say the same about stragglers and smaller bands of survivors who rushed to Nobunagise.
Eppy's own group showed signs of uneasy tension over this. Most wanted to join, others wanted to leave. Sure they can cleave or stay. Hed did not want their help at all. Nor did he seek their help. Yet did he need their help? Close to 80 % of his own group split up between those who sought to fight and those who desire to leave. Their encampment started to empty due to the issue over the battle going on. Instead of fighting over thirty-six went to fight Cydnam, thirty-three went to leave this planet. Left with two dozen of Simsus's people Eppy 2013 was put in charge of this mission. He knew heading out now was suicide. Waiting around could expose them to discovery. Fording across a river well behind them would bring their group to some woods. Doing a head count of what was left he counted twenty-six experiments and lackeys remaining. He made the twenty-seventh remaining.
According to one of the survivors who attacked the fighting that became a massacre. One Velociraptorine named Orphun aka. SV 116 described the bloodshed as a quagmire between the rivals and Cydnam force. Very few of the combatants survived unscathed after the fighting ended. Most of the survivors lay on the ground wounded. All the vehicles were out of actions or left the scene. Rallal's forces only fielded three mercenary troopers, ten tank crew members and artillery crew members. Out of Nabunagise's retainers three cavalry warriors, 653 servants, and slaves survived. Each of them was taken into custody as a prisoner by Cydnam forces. A second wave of Cydnam troops came in. With help from the Iron Virus these Cydnam troops rounded up the wounded before leaving the battlefield attended by a platoon. Eppy checked the Occultist camp. Ometrienne's forces looked overrun. With what forces they had left aside from the deserters Eppy raced over to the Occultist camp at night. Using the night sky swallowed up by a thick cloud as cover he reached Ometrienne's camp. Most of her followers lay dead. A few jolted awake at the sound of footsteps on the ground. Eppy 2013 had no time to deal with their trauma. Approaching the Auburn Witch's main tent the experiment rummaged through the debris. He only found a box of jewels, other tomes, one different spell book that did not match the same description, and some treasured staffs. His mission ended in failure.
