Muur Chronicles

EPISODE --- 2

"One morning at dawn, I saw a strange radiating glow shining from somewhere. It seemed to come from the neighboring woods just outside my father's house in Walir, Blekai. This was just few months after the ill-fated war with the Muurians when our king colluded with his king mates to invade Kaluari."

"When you were in the kings-guard?"

"Yes. You know, most of the people never saw it and they thought I was mad or trying to anyway, especially as I had nothing going for me, and the kings loyalists were still after my head.

"That morning at dawn, picturing the strange glow where it was perfectly sited, I started walking towards it because I wanted to see what it was. I walked for over forty-minutes following its direction alone among the trees with the disappearing moon overhead my only light-way as night gave way to brightness along its path.

Suddenly, the ground caved in under me as i was a few feet’s from this beautiful glow. I fell and ended up on the moist floor of a cavern, some sort of underground chamber. After getting up and taking a quick detour, I looked up and noticed that it was in fact one of the secret grounds of the controversial sect, the highbonders."

"Never heard of them!" Samori chipped in.

"Neither did I. But, what I discovered there was beyond my understanding. At the centre of this mysterious cavern stood an impressive vardle desk and on it was placed a very old ancient Book, like the Muurian Mantacles of Muuragi for emphasis."

"Okay!"

"It turned out the book is the source of the glow that brought me to the place. When I opened it..." He demonstrated, readjusting himself on the bed.

"...a strange wind blew across the whole place, right through my face which made me stagger back a bit; then calmness returned. However, as i perused through the old parches of the book, I discovered something.

It was pictured perfectly on a preserved parchment, the celestial Sphere of the Highbonders."

"The celestial Sphere of the Highbonders?" She repeated.

"Yes... Strange isn't?" He asked her.

"What does it mean - the celestial sphere?" Samori asked instead.

"Hope. It means hope!"

"Oh! Now I fully get it!"

"Turned out it was all a dream afterwards!" He added

"You can't be serious!" She chided, cuddling up to him.

"But, it wasn't just a dream for me, you know. It was the beginning of my triumph and how I united our people together."

"Not a bad origin story as origin stories goes." She said, teasing him.

"More like a catalyst. The origin was set the day the Muurians reneged on our agreement with them and made away with the Unerg!"

        The next day, Izemoru woke up very early and went for a view outside. The rain had washed away the heavy overnight fog, allowing for him to witness the beginning of a beautiful sunrise. Pure blue airy and soft clouds floated lazily above in no hurry in a sea of blue sky. The grass and beautifully decorated flowers stretched across the plain waiting for the sun's rays to touch them again, giving them nature's sweet delight to glow and grow more beautiful and captivating all day. Birds chirped loudly and urgently as if in a hurry to herald the new day; they never seemed to lose their enthusiasm over this single event. He sat there on a finely decorated cushion and listened to them chirping away at the top of their lungs and smiled.

"Knew you must be here when I woke up and didn't see you around" Samori casually told him as she admired him from up close after sneaking in behind him. She went further close to him, held his hand warmly and rested her head on his right shoulder and sat in the vardle cushion which he sat.

"A force of habit"

"Come then, you have urgent matter to attend to" she said after a while with him.

"And you didn't say."

"Didn't want to interrupt this moment"

When they entered back to the house, he saw Kamo and Zoria sited in his small palace office, totally shaken with unpleasant faces that forebode bad news.

"What happened?" He asked, surprised at the sudden visit from two of his top important men at the same time.

"There's been a breach at Zurui in Aldon." Kamo said.

"Aldon? What happened?" He asked, visibly not happy because of the implication of the news.

"No word yet" Kamo replied.

"I have to go there!" Izemoru finally stated after trying to imagine in vain what could have led to such breach at this dire hour.

"That will be ill advised your Highness. We are currently on it, but i just wanted to tell you in person." The chief of Police told him.

"Scale?" Izemoru inquired and led them further inside the office, to the emergency quarters.

"It's the Portora gang from first hand situation report at the moment. Somehow, they got information about the secret energy particles we have been purchasing off Drobidders, and attacked the base. More than fifteen security personnel were injured, and we still don't know the total number of fatal casualties." Zoria informed him.

He was weakened; tapping successively and uncontrollably at the vardle table which his hands rested on, which also magnified the sound.

"Did they succeed?" He questioned.

"Yes, they did!"

Silence fell on the whole room momentarily while his hand tapping continued disproportionately.

"We blocked everywhere, so there is no way they can escape." Zoria added reassuringly, breaking the silence.

"I should have listened to you Kamo; I should really have listened to you and dealt decisively with Neddina when I had the chance. Now, we must do what is necessary." he said out of regret, but not that much perturbed again as he was few seconds ago.

"I want you to get them, and I want you to get them back with everything you have." He ordered Zoria and left soon afterwards with Kamo.

"Send a message for the Midlighters."

"Are you sure you want them involved with this?" Kamo asked him.

"Yes... I need a rapid response team which they can provide, so as not to deplete our already stretched resources."

      The Midlighters are among the vicious and cold-blooded soldiers separately kept by Izemoru for secret and classified Operations. They are sometimes referred to as the Nol Shadow men, and has pledged an eternal allegiance to Izemoru. They were specifically trained by Varodi. Numbering about five thousand, which is the unofficial figure, they mostly serve as Izemoru's secret weapon, which is why he makes sure they receive the best and are updated with every military training he can afford.

"As you please; what about the chief?" Kamo asked.

"The chief will get his win; we just don't have time to wait all day!"

"I will ensure it is done!" Kamo said and left.

"Trouble?" Samori asked as soon as she walked in, catching him off guard in his deep thoughts after Kamo left.

"The particles... They stole the energy particles!" He said out to her.

"What particles?"

"The huge reserve at Aldon"

"Maybe I'm not being strict enough, and Neddina has tested my patience enough!" He added and left alongside the wife who persuaded him not to lose it at this dire moment.

*

Zoria met with the District Governor and the District Police Head at the District Headquarters located at Zurui, Aldon. The District Police Head showed him exactly the level of damage that was done.

"This was not in the report I received earlier." He said.

"We did not have the full report of the situation at the time." Kanata, the District Police Head replied.

"I am taking over this whole mess, this is totally unacceptable." Zoria angrily replied him. Even though the governor was also present, he did not utter a single word since the conversation began between the two.

"The force will need access to everything that will help us track this gang responsible for this in order to bring them to justice."

"By all means, yes" The governor responded.

"What type of justice are we talking about here, just to be on the same page with you" The governor asked.

"The justice I have been sworn to uphold!"

"The justice you have been sworn to uphold?" The governor repeated after him. No reply.

"And where was that justice when our people were being murdered for some stupid energy particles?" The governor queried, visibly irritated.

"I understand your pain, and I share it with deep sympathy. They're my people to whom I have sworn to protect, and which I have obviously failed. But, this is no time to gloat, this is time to make sure that at least the perpetrators of the act do not escape within this short window we have now. This is time for action!"

"And action it is!" The governor said blatantly. The tone of the statement raised a suspicion in Zoria.

"What have you done?" He questioned.

"What you should have done!" He replied and walked out with his aides as the District Police Head stood there contemplating, not knowing whether to follow the governor or stay there with Zoria.

"He overrides my powers... There was nothing I could do" he finally muttered to Zoria.

"What did he do?" Zoria inquired.

"Some of the men whose relations and friends were victims of the attack volunteered to track down the gang responsible, kill them and destroy the energy particles. Apparently, not everyone cares much about the King's Muurian propaganda."

"Destroy the particles? And you..." He didn't finish and walked out in a hurry, furious.

Zoria quickly mobilized every available police unit in Zurui, declared Neddina a national emergency and activated DOOM ZERO, which is to say that the success of the task ahead is the most important moments of their police career at the moment.

**

      Back at the capital, Kamo set up the arrangement for the Midlighters, securing quick transport for them to Aldon. Some headed straight to Zelmi and Aridai, the other localities surrounding Aldon. The next day, some of the officers under the Operation Doom Zero tracked down one of the gang members to Juniade off Emira from the 6th Verta in Zurui. He was meeting one of his girlfriends without the knowledge of Neddina nor any other gang member. They got vital information from him that the Portora gang is planning to sell the energy particles to a Dro-Bidder. Dro-Bidders are freelancers who specialize in coordinating black market deals, especially for people who are not in business with the Muurians. They also trade in classified weapons and Muurian decommissioned artifacts.

After organizing for the Midlighters arrangements, Kamo went straight to brief Izemoru on things.

"We have set up everything."

"I actually wanted to hear that they have recovered it all!" Izemoru replied instead.

"They will. The gang has been zeroed in, and it's only a matter of time now."

"Let's hope you are right!"

"What's the status of the Daspo Marigal and the Cartor 2-E?" Izemoru asked afterwards.

The Cartor 2-E is a special biosynthetic high caliber weapon designed to penetrate the tough skin of Muurians. It relies on a lot of energy to properly function.

"Almost ready" Izemoru replied.

"Bring up the live feed with the chief, Asti." Asti is the AI in charge of Palace control system.

"What's the status, chief?"

"Just about to launch an assault, but little complications came up. We are handling it accordingly."

"What complications?"

"The governor mobilized and armed some of his people alongside local security to personally catch Neddina and destroy the particles."

"What? Get them to abort now!"

"I'm afraid it's out of my control now. They're already ahead of us."

"Asti, get Keraya Lamin on the feed now!" Keraya is the name of the District Governor of Aldon.

"Your Maj..." He didn't finish before Izemoru cut him off.

"Reverse that order right now."

"I cannot do that!" The governor said as matter of fact.

"Are you defiling your king's command?" Izemoru questioned.

"I earlier made my displeasure about the citing of these energy particles here, but i was assured it will be safe, free from raiding due to our position. Now, look at the situation. Hundreds of citizens have died in a single day attack, and for what? For your refined energy particles?"

"Listen Lamin, I know you are angry right now, but don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Don't lose sight of the goal because of this setback. I truly do understand your pain Lamin, but you have to call off whatever you got planned as you are only putting them in harm's way. Neddina, the leader of the Portora gang did this to smear me personally and turn the people against me. I assure you, he will pay with his life and blood for his crime against our people."

" I already trusted you once, well up till yesterday. Moreover, there is nothing i can do right now anymore even if I wanted to. I don't control them per se!"

"Prepare the Palkia Burner Nolniana; we are going to Aldon immediately." Izemoru ordered Kamo and cut off the Governor from the feed.

"But, my king..."

"Please do as I asked!" Izemoru cut in sharply.

*

   Neddina and Izemoru share a history that transcends the current serenity and peace which Nolnad currently enjoyed before they had a brutal falling out. Since then, he always kept to his own, and Izemoru never bothered him. But, the theft and attack is new, and the timing premeditated. Though he didn't know the reason for the attack, Izemoru thought it is out rightly presumptuous.

Meanwhile, in the bustling town of Irnin, a suburb of Zelmi, Neddina and his men holed up in one of their secret fortified hideouts.

"We are being circled like hawks and vultures gathering to feast chicks and carcasses!" One of Neddina's men said out loud to the hearing of everyone. They were waiting for the three Dro-Bidders they already contracted with. However, one of them pulled out, citing too much heat, noting that the type of attention on them is not good for his business.

"You are welcome to leave, Nanya. But, if you are going to stay here, you need to keep your act together!" Neddina calmly told him. He wasn't seated himself, but was going through a list of inventories which they had in the place.

"It's happening any moment, prepare the men." Neddina ordered to one of the members closest to him to his right. He always loved the landscape view from the window building's top, so it was his preferred look out choice setting.

"It's done!" Oren, his third in command told him.

"Move it, let's go!" Oren ordered the others.

Afterwards, he walked to the wall on the opposite end of the hall, stood there and uttered "Decrypt and Activate EP-001." to the buildings AI central control.

The wall folded backwards and brought out a big screen projection. He keyed in some key logs which activated a sensor affixed to a structure inside the spacious room to his left. The camouflage gave way to a thick heavy door built as a gateway to the more secured part of the building inside.

"Alright, move it!" Oren said to some of the members, urging them to pack in the remaining energy particles. The energy particles were smoothly arranged and packaged in ash colored cases and perfectly laid inside erabil sealed transparent cubes.

When they were through with everything, Oren asked Neddina the next thing to do, and he said "contact him now!".

"And the other Dro-Bidder?" Oren inquired.

"Forget about him!"

The person he wanted Oren to contact was a representative sent by Bonadi.

"You know, you could just speak to the machine instead of typing and pressing on the screen yourself." Neddina advised him.

"Old habits" Oren replied, smiling.

"Initiate hibernation mode once everything is in stock and fully accounted for." Neddina added as Oren went about his task to set up the communication link with Bonadi's representative.

   At one side of the spacious circular room sat a varble light steel chair, Neddina's second favorite position in the room. The chair was fitted perfectly to the ground with a big computer system to its left showing a round black circle with grey blue lines rolled inside it and demarcated by slight dark holes. On the display were other simulations, links, connections and various other programs simultaneously working and displaying together. Though the computer appeared like the central control, it wasn't. There were other computers and big machines as well as a very big map displayed through a huge lit custom design globe screen.

"It's connected now!" Oren told Neddina after a few seconds. He stood up from his preferred view point and went to the second chair which faced the video link directly.

"You are late." He uttered.

"No, I'm not. He decided to do his thing his own way." The person on the other end spoke.

"What do you mean?" Neddina questioned.

"It means that my business with you has come to a conclusion." He answered and disconnected the connection link from his own end.

The room went silent as everyone looked and stared at Neddina who also tried to make sense of what he just witnessed like everyone else. Few seconds later, they got a beeping alert on their live feed, a connection request from an unknown source.

"Patch it through!" Neddina commanded.

"I really must advice against that" Murena, his second in command stated immediately as he walked into the room. He was sent to finalize a deal with the Retan Gang.

"Your reason?"

"Our current situation Neddie." He retorted almost as a whisper to him.

"Noted"

The moment the feed connected with the unknown connection, Bonadi came on live. "Sorry to come in like this" he apologized instantly.

"A last minute decision on my part. Where are we with everything?" He inquired.

"Everything is ready as planned, but the price just went up by ten percent...for obvious reasons!" Neddina replied.

"Can I see it?"

Neddina signaled to one of his men to bring a case for Bonadi to see.

"Just one?"

"The rest are secured here in this building." Neddina replied.

"Send him the coordinates!" Neddina said to the AI, authorizing the computer to send the locations exact position to Bonadi in order to facilitate his asportation to the place.

"Request Processed!" Few seconds later, Bonadi asported in directly opposite Neddina, startling everyone into drawing their weapons before Neddina calmed the atmosphere.

"Shall we?" Bonadi asked, signaling that he wants to see the whole particles.

"How are we sure you won't zap off same way you zapped in as soon as you get hold of the particles?" Murena questioned.

"He keeps to his words!" Neddina replied him and walked while Bonadi and everyone else followed him. Once he came to a blank wall designed as an access door, he said - "Deactivate Hibernation, Activate and Decrypt EP 002." to the screen right in front of him before turning to talk to Oren.

"Take about ten men with you; secure Lane 2 Point Off 3 and adjacent Lacte building. Lacte is a very popular building that houses a corporation in Zurui which produces and manufactures highly advanced chipsets and advanced computer hardware’s for the Nolnadian army and some gangs.

"Coordinate every activity surrounding that area. Hopefully, everything goes as planned and you meet us in Palir. You already have the location." Oren left as soon as he got the instructions from him.

"The rest of you, follow your unit commanders."

     The room’s structural access interface automatically and systemically altered, leading them to where the bulk of the refined energy particles were stored. The Nolnads and Muurians have slightly different ways of measuring energy for purchase purposes. But, in all, the amount of a given energy, be it chemical, solar, lightning, mechanical, thermal or gravitational energy conversions and reconversions are measured through a Standard Power of Unerg. This is similar to the Joule's and Watt measurement system. Bonadi went through the cases, about twenty in number, with each casing holding enough energy particles to power an ultra modern city for about fifty-five years. After going through it, he commended Neddina for being a man of his words too.

"Shall we?" Neddina said afterwards, inviting him to come over to his second most preferred place in the building which was in the previous room.

"You said you will grant us a rare opportunity once this mission is complete?" Neddina reminded him.

"Yes that I did"

"I want Nolnad." He said, creating an askance look on the face of some of the gang members still around.

"That's it?" Bonadi asked.

"And your friendship"

"Ah. We are already friends my friend. And you are in luck, Nolnad shall be yours sooner rather than later, more sooner than you realize." He said smiling.

"How soon?"

"The next things I'm about to say are for your ears only."

This prompted Neddina into telling the others to give them space while they wondered deep within them what was actually going on. He went on to tell Neddina about Izemoru's plans and his own plans for Izemoru. He was pleased from what he heard, especially the fact that Bonadi just confirmed to him that Izemoru's plan is doomed to fail.

"So, who keeps the energy particles?" He asked Bonadi.

"You keep it, as a sign of my trust. I will ask for it when i require it. Do you agree to that?"

"Of course" He replied as they shook hands and created a Universal Bonding Agreement. This form of agreement is recognized everywhere as a legitimate agreement mode which is justiciable and recognized by criminals and governments alike.

Once they were done with the whole thing, Bonadi left. A few seconds after he asported off, a big bang sounded immediately, vibrating heavily all through the building they were in. They thought Bonadi has done something funny and may have used the heavy bang to create distraction and abscond with the refined energy particles. Neddina rushed back into the Holding area immediately and discovered that everything was as they left it, including the refined energy particles. The sound instead came from the aggrieved officers, guards and angry Nolnadian citizens  from Zurui, the small peaceful mini-city in Aldon where they stole the particles from.

**

"Sir, we are reading an unusual energy signature from this point." said one of the top ranking officials coordinating operation Doom Zero alongside the chief, Zoria. Zoria himself stood there in the Operations control room observing and directing activities on the big monitor in the room. The official would rank as a commissioner of police.

"There's a team on the way around the location. They're waiting for your order sir." He said.

"Carry on."

Meanwhile, the Midlighters have also tracked the energy particles to the same location, at the same exact coordinates.

*

Neddina requested for situation report from Oren's end and he confirmed that everything is in play. He told Oren to maintain the location and inform him of any further changes.

"What's next?" Murena asked as soon as he dropped the conversation.

"You know what's next." Neddina replied him.

He has anticipated this moment, banked on it after he realized that the total particles reported stolen was actually under-reported by the government in the broadcast. Apparently, the rest of the refined energy particles was hidden somewhere else in an undisclosed facility outside Zelmi. He decided they were going to make a statement. Murena coordinated the men, making available a strange automatic weapon which utilizes the energy particles, making its blasts last far longer. All they needed to do was plug in a refigured particle accelerator energy disk into the weapon and fire at will. One of Bonadi's advanced custom designs.

"They don't know what's going to hit them." Murena said afterwards after caressing the weapon for a while.

"No, they don't!" Neddina chipped in.

"You need to leave." Murena advised.

"And miss this?"

"I'm staying."

"They're ready for transfer now." another member brought to their notice, referring to the packaged cases of the refined energy particles.

"Good. Activate and Encrypt EP 003." Neddina ordered the AI. This was the final exit for their escape with the particles, which will end with its successful transfer to a more secure location. The location is on a need to know basis, including the astac injection. Astac is an illegal drug in Nolnad used to alter memories. The men selected for the job to transfer the refined energy particles left immediately the cases were secured through a secured secret passage inside the building. Once they were safely out of the zone, Neddina hailed Murena.

"Party time!" He said afterwards to the rest after making sure that Oren and his group were still holding their position as instructed. More weapons and body gears were given to the men. After that, a loud speaker that could be heard for miles came on with a live broadcast, and Neddina is the broadcaster.

"People of Zelmi and fellow citizens, if you are hearing this broadcast, greetings; my name is Neddina!" He spoke through their well positioned broadcasting equipment's, his voice reverberating over miles.

**

"Sir, we are getting a live broadcast from the gang." the officer immediately rushed in and alerted the Chief.

"What's going on?" He questioned.

"We don't know yet, but Neddina is making a live broadcast over an open channel."

"Live broadcast? Where are the men you said were on their way there to recover the particles?"

"They're on ground sir." He firmly replied the chief.

"And you are telling me about some live broadcast? Get me the team leader now." He commanded, which the officer promptly linked up with again; they have been in communication all through the mission.

"You had your order. What is the hold up?" The chief queried.

"Sir, we are in some altercation with an elite division claiming to be some Lighters...they say the king sent them." The team leader replied over the channel.

"Put the person in charge on the speaker." The chief ordered, and it was done.

"This is Keiche, but I'm sure you already know that chief."

"State your mission Keiche." The chief ordered.

"As usual, we are here to assist." Keiche stated an indirect ridicule to the Police Force in Nolnad.

"Assist them with whatever they need...and stay out of my men's path Keiche." The chief simply stated to the surprise of everyone, though they didn't show their displeasure.

"Yes sir!" Replied the team leader of the police unit embarking on the mission. They severed the link, and the chief ordered one of their computer guys to jam that broadcast by coordinating with the Broadcasting Division of the Force.

*