Crimson Knights

Chapter 1 The Beginning

"To my king, I give my life. To the Emperor, I give my soul. I am a knight, nothing more nor less. I am one of the Emperors' known, her blood flows through my veins."

The knight lifted his head and his eyes remained closed. The knight was knelt down on the ground, his face had many features to it, the scars, the small tattoo and of course everything else a face should have. He continued his preyer.

"To all my enemies, fear what the kingdom's finest knights can do. We have the strength, the speed, the stealth and the knowledge of your weaknesses. I..Talas of Section 3's Crimson Knights shall know no fear. Shall never fall to the hands of the weak. Shall rid my sector of all that is seen unclean under Kings Law. Shall remain in debt to my gracious Emperor."

The knight opened his eyes and stared dead straight at his cross pendent, almost like he was in a trance. He spoke again but his voice was hushed.

"To those who deify what the Emperor's will shall meet a swift end. I am nothing more than a knight in crimson armour who wields two light blades and wears the cross of the Emperor. I shall give my life for my king, my soul to the Emperor and my secret...to me"

Talas stayed where he was. An alarm sounded loudly, but to him it was distant. Talas removed his sight from the cross to a photo. The photo was in bad condition, in it was Talas with three other men, his three brothers. When Talas stopped staring into history and finally acknowledged the alarm sounding someone entered his room.

"Talas!, Jesus come on already!" the voice was deep, but gentle.

"Volcon please, when have I been late to deployment?"

"That's not the point Talas, you're our Knight Commander. You're meant to be there! Ready to give us our orders....the whole Crimson division counts on you!" slight anger rose in Volcon's voice, Talas was always like this, ever since he was made Knight Commander.

"Volcon please, calm yourself. If there's anything I won't do it's not getting my division killed. Let's go then."

Talas grabbed the pendent and attached its chain and let it hang off his armour. They hurried to the deployment zone, passing numerous inferiors (as Talas calls them) such as section 9's Golden Streak Knights and section 2's White Sage Snake Knights in the various corridors. When they reached their destination, most of the Knights from each section was there.

"See Talas" said a slightly out of breath Volcon "you know when we get deployed...it was you who agreed with it after all Knight Commander."

"Volcon if I hear another word out of you..." Talas caught a glimpse of someone running out of the corner of his eye, a man. He couldn't make out who it was but none the less Talas felt unease and began to walk into to place behind the White Sage Snakes. The Crimson Knights checked each other for any missing equipment or damages in their armour. It was an Necessity that was carried out moments before the orders came through, even if the Knights have done it twice, they'll keep going over the armour and its technology to make sure nothing is deemed...useless. Volcon and Talas joined the check with two other Knights.

"V, it took you longer to get him this time round eh?" another deep voice spoke, but this time it was a little more cheerful than Volcon's.

"You can get him next time Rolous" Volcon angrily spat, glaring at Rolous.

"Brothers please, lets save this dispute for our next training session" this voice didn't have the same deepness as Rolous and Volcon, it wasn't high pitched either.

"Gear is right, Rolous if you think you can interrupt the prayer of an Emperor known...then I will put my blade through you" Talas kept his face as emotionless as possible before breaking out a smile and all four starting laughing.

"Brothers" Gear began as the laughter died "let tonight's patrol of our sector be as uneventful as usual."

"And by that you mean let it be filled to the brim of blood!" Volcon said through tears of laughter and again all four burst back in to uncontrollable laughter.

The alarm stopped. The zone fell into silence. The only noises where the machinery working, the air rushing by and the voice over the inter-ship comm-link.

"Orders are as follows" the voice crackled and demanded "Section 1, Patrol. Section 2, Patrol. Section 3, Patrol. Section 4,Assault. Section 5, Assault..."

No one muttered a word yet all was thinking what was happening that the assault order is needed. Talas felt the eyes of Sector 4's knight Commander gaze upon him through the many rows of Crimson Knights. She had a history...one Talas and his brothers never want to en-counter. When Talas re-focused on the announcement, he and every other knight in the zone sharply turned to face the back of the room.

"Section 9....TSA"

TSA stood for 'Total Sector Annihilation' which was a last resort order. Sector 9 was known to be crime free, all the rich, high society lived there. Rolous nudged Talas with a disturb looked covering his face. Whispering began and theories bounced left and right on the reason why the order was giving.

"Brothers, do you think..." Rolous began

"Ayy, it seems our king doesn't wish to have Sector 9 no more" Volcon finished with a dis-pleased look

"Lets not make hasty decisions it may not be as we think" Talas said with zero confidence, he knew deep down that the King's orders are never wrong.

"Highly unlikely Talas, Fear for the innocent souls that's blood will forever stain the GSK" Gear bowed his head and begun muttering a small prayer.

"Jaharis, why speak for those knights? For if it where us who the king gave the TSA order to they wouldn't bother praying for the innocents we must dispatch. Matter of fact, We don't know what's been going on in that sector, all we know is that they deserve it" Volcon stare deeply at Gear not even blinking. Talas saw the annoyance in Volcon's face, so did Rolous.

"You used my name?" Gear's voice was hushed, quieter than a whisper.

"What!?"

Gear looked at Volcon with cold eyes and hatred contorted his face.

"You used my name!?" the anger was clear yet Gear spoke low enough not to grab the attention of unwanted ears. Talas and Rolous knew what could happen next. They didn't dare stop him.

"Oh, Gear I...I'm..." Volcon's feelings changed from anger to being petrified.

"Listen Apongo, ever call me by that name again and I swear I won't hesitate to put my blade through your bone strong spine!...understood?"

"Yeah Gear" V said shakily, his face was whiter than a ghost. "I understand" his eyes fixed on the grim, evil look he was receiving from Gear.

Talas looked on at the two and wondered why Gear hated the name so much. He'd never really found the time to ask. He was going to ask him when the voice returned and the deployment zone doors opened and red barrier appeared. Deployment, the one time a Crimson knight may make their armour even redder. The Crimson knights are known for the brutality and viciousness. They don't hesitate to kill they're enemy, matter of fact these knights long to spill blood. The barrier dropped and the light plusated green. Section 1's knights jumped and disappeared in the night and the red barrier rose again. Passing over section 2, the WSSK were edging to go. The barrier dropped once again and the white knights disappeared into the night sky.

"Ready boys?" Rolous had a smirk on his face.

"What's a little air goanna do?" Gear smiled.

"V how 'bout you?" Rolous keeping the smirk evident.

"Jumping and landing ain't my problem, it's the steering in the air that I still haven't got the hang of" Volcon gave the usual worried look before placing his blood stained crimson helmet on.

"It's Time My brothers!, Place your mask and face the treacherous winds!" Talas shouted to all the Crimson Knights. They all approached the barrier, waiting for it to drop and the green light to stop pulsating. Talas took a deep breath. The barrier dropped. Off they go.