Nova Flare (slow updates)

Chapter 4: Techno-Assault

First to go down was the Hos Kalim imposter, a precise blast from Kahri's weapon slamming the technomage in the center of its chest and knocking it flying back in a limp-limb mess.  Then she was swinging the powerful handgun in a quick arc that took in the unmoving operatives in the shadows even as the handful of civilians in the square scattered with thin screams of panic.

"Damn it, Kahri," Ben hissed as he jerked his own weapon free.  "Why the hell did you do that?  Now they know we're here!"

"Shut up," the drowess growled, not pausing in her determined scanning of the square.  "As any imbecile could see, If they had a trap in place to catch you, they already knew we were here."

- My friends, I'm afraid you are in some danger. -  The vohdel psi lord suddenly spoke into their minds, his mental voice carrying a note of alarm.  - A number of technomages are advancing on my position, supported by several companies of well-armed soldiers.  If you are indeed wishing to avoid a confrontation with them, I would suggest leaving this planet at once. -

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Ben said, looking over at the grim drowess.  "Mission failed.  My contact is dead and we've lost our chance to find out where the techno-mage weapon is located.  Time to ..."

A gloved hand snapped up to halt him mid-sentence with a taut gesture.

"The mission has not failed, worm," Kahri hissed, twisting her head to throw him a dark look.  "Nor does it end until we've either found the weapon or have been found by the cold ground's final embrace."

Her big gun swung around to point its oversized barrel right at his head.

"If you've already given up, human, then it's time I rid myself of your worthless carcass," she bit out, taking aim, "so you won't keep interfering with my efforts to achieve my goal."

"Whoa!" Ben threw up his hands in a quick forestalling gesture.  "Whoa, whoa, whoa!  What do you think you're doing?!"

Only the sound of heavy footsteps entering the square was enough to pull Kahri's attention away from the cringing smuggler.  What she saw when she looked towards the sound was enough to make her swear hotly in the complex drow language.

For good reason: several companies of heavily armed soldiers were marching in to take positions all around the square's entrance.  Not just ordinary soldiers either.

"Clones," Kahri hissed with no little amount of derision.

"Clones?" Ben repeated, confused as he stared at the soldiers.  "But those ones closest to us ..." He paused to look at her.

"They look like drow!"

Indeed they did, down to the angular faces, pointed ears, indigo eyes and slate blue skin.  And yet there was something about them, something that was ... missing.  Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"They are not drow," Kahri snarled, jerking her weapon around to point at the advancing troops.  "They are a filthy mockery conjured by technomage necromancers."

"Clones made from captured drow tissue, to be precise," a hoarse voice from behind them said.  Ben jerked towards the voice.  Only to feel a chill travel through his body as one of the dead Union operatives carefully pushed away from the wall to stand on tottering legs.  The figure, still mostly in shadow, took a moment to steady itself before it then stepped into the light and full view.

In life it had been a Nankaran, a humanoid species that was similar to humans, but taller and leaner, like they had been stretched out.  Further separating the two species was the fact that Nankaran faces were equipped with oversized eyes for the reduced light on their world, which orbited a red giant, and lacked noses.