Chapter CCCLXX: Rebirth of a Killer ~Vector

Deep in the bowels of the wrecked Pentastar, several dormant machines sprung to life. A computer screen flickered on, and displayed lines of code to nobody. In a machine shop deep within the engineering section, several worker robots, closely resembling an automotive robot of today, whirred to life, cutting, shaping, and welding pieces of metal. Slowly, but with sure progress, the robots built and assembled another machine, a mechanical assassin. Fine manipulators threaded data and power cables through fabricated limbs while other robots welded and bolted the frame together, and yet another meticulously etched circuit pathways onto boards before assembling them into the new robot’s brain.

After finishing touches, a blast of paint, and final preparation, the creation of the work robot stood atop a construction pedestal. It stood like a statue, perfectly straight, its body a dark shade of blue, resembling in striking detail, a Yoshi: Mecha had been reborn. The robot’s eyes flashed a bright red, as it powered up, and then dulled to a more sedate, but no less unnerving shade of crimson. It looked around at its surroundings; the darkness of the room, as no lights had turned on, not hindering its sight.

“That lizard bioform sought to kill self,” The robot said aloud to itself. “Self is experiencing anger, and wishes to kill the lizard bioform. Self must also apprehend Vector Priority One.”

Sets of numbers quickly scrolled across its vision, and it set out to procure itself some weapons.

“Self is ill-prepared for combat with Vector Priority One. Self is not equipped with any ordinance systems. Self will design and build an integrated ordnance delivery system.”

Meanwhile, on the Northern continent, Vector had awakened, and was hunting up something to eat, when he heard a scream. He turned into the direction of the sound, obviously not a child playing, but a scream of terror, and caught the eye of a Yoshi child, running over a small hill. Behind him was a small group of Tairez foot soldiers; seven, to be exact, that were giving chase to the child. Vector snorted, and walked towards the Yoshi and the soldiers, when one of the Tairez soldiers fired his blaster at the Koyoshi. It fell, limp to the ground when the red lace of energy hit its back, and Vector rushed to its side, checking for a pulse. He found none.

Vector had just witnessed Tairez troops kill a Yoshi, a child no less, in cold blood. He looked up at the soldiers, and narrowed his eyes. The soldiers stopped in their tracks, obviously terrified.

“It… it’s… it’s the blue one!” one of the soldiers yelled, “Run! Run for your lives!”

The soldiers turned, and started to flee, and ordinarily, Vector would let them go. However, he was angry beyond words at this moment, and quickly snapped his blaster from its holster, and fired three shots, before charging after the killers as fast as he could.

He reached one of the armor-clad troops before his blaster shots impacted – and killed – the three he had shot at. He delivered a vicious kick to the trooper’s back, which seemed to have the effect of breaking his back, if not shattering his spine. The three that were still on their feet turned and watched Vector’s uncharacteristic violence, as he continued to deliver kicks to the soldier he had maimed.

After delivering a series of kicks, all of which were preceded by a pop as his foot broke the sound barrier each time he swung it, and was certain the solder was either dead or mortally wounded, he turned his attention to the three survivors. He dashed towards them, arriving before they could react, and with a vicious left hook punched one of them in the Adams apple, causing them to topple instantly, as he fired at another with his blaster, held in this right hand.

The last solder started running, and Vector merely watched him. He watched for a good minute, letting the soldier run, contemplating whether or not he should kill him. His anger got the best of him, and he raised his blaster, and fired. The blue bolt of plasma lanced towards its target, and then impacted the back of the running man’s head, the superheated gas boiling away tissues, causing his skull to burst.

Vector surveyed what he had done: he had the blood of seven men on his hands, all of which had been killed swiftly and mercilessly. However, he did not feel that it had been done in cold blood: he was avenging a child.

“Damn dirty humans,” Vector said aloud as he walked back in the direction he had come from, back to his quest to find Lich.

While Vector was cutting hapless Tairez soldiers down, Ark was discovering the wrecked Pentastar. He stood in the clearing it had made in the forest, staring up at the mammoth ship from the back: it was a good two kilometers high, and of an unknown length, as much of the front section had buried itself. He proceeded with caution, as there were numerous robots in the area, all of which were armed with construction implements that appeared deadly at the least. If he were discovered, he gathered, his chances of getting aboard the hulk would be drastically reduced.

He noticed an open hatch on the side of the ship, and climbed in, avoiding detection altogether. After a bit of sliding around an access duct, he lifted a floor tile in one of the ship’s numerous passageways, and climbed out into the corridor.

As he looked about, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned about, and found himself staring into twin red eyes, and nearly fainted from shock.