FREEDOM GENOCIDE

Part Two: Unification Day

the 66^th tale of agc

written and created by Mark Bousquet

2201 / OCTOBER

ASGARD - LOGAN'S BAR AND GRILL

"Skrull 4!" Kovar called, waving the Skrull Ambassador over to his table.

4 walked straight through the crowded establishment, nodding to the fat, metallic green robot whose name adorned the Bar and Grill. There were people on Asgard who'd never seen Skrull 4 use the powers he had at his disposal as a Super Skrull. Typically he played it meek, careful to seem weak and helpless, knowing that the good of his people out in the galaxy depended, to some degree, on the feelings of pity they generated with the more Liberal elements of the Council empires.

Not today.

Today he strode straight across the floor towards Kovar. A person to his right unknowingly tipped their wooden chair back from their table directly into his path.

Instead of stopping, or moving to the side, 4 walked straight ahead. The middle part of his body that would have bumped into the patron became elastic, and 4 swerved that part away, but his feet and his head stayed locked onto Kovar, and kept to their parth.

By the time he reached the Kree Ambassador's table, Kovar's eyes were raised. "4, I've never seen you use your powers in public before."

Without smiling, Skrull 4 sat down and pushed a small digital viewer across the table.

"What's this?" Kovar asked, picking up the viewer without looking at it.

Skrull 4's voice was cold and demanding. "It's why you're going to get your government to hasten the release of Skrull refugees currently living on Kree-controlled planets."

Annoyed and confused, Kovar glanced down to look at the image viewer, where he saw pictures of himself and the Shi'ar Glimmer Girl engaged in a passionate embrace in the hallways of the Thor Odinson Hall of Peace. "You're spying on your fellow Ambassadors now, 4? That goes against the-"

"So press charges against me," Skrull 4 said threateningly. "I've given you all the proof you need. Of course, your dalliance with the Shi'ar woman will be made public, which puts both of your lives at risk."

Kovar just stared; this was so out of character for Skrull 4 that he was left speechless.

The Skrull Ambassador rose to his feet. "I want what's best for my people, Kovar. Blackmailing you with a photograph is certainly less morally reprehensible than the treatment my fellow Skrulls have received as refugees on Kree planets. We've got a homeworld now, Accuser, and I will move cloud and rock to make certain all Skrulls get the chance to live upon it."

SKRULLOS 2 - VOG CITY

"Emperor Vog, are you in, sir?"

Minister Jakool knocked on the door to the Emperor's quarters; he had not seen Vog in nearly two days. While this was, on some level, preferable - it certainly made Jakool's job easier - there were things that needed the attention of the Emperor. This was the third time he'd come to Vog's quarters this day, and he'd yet to receive any response.

"Emperor Vog, I must speak with you," he implored, knocking more insistently.

Too fast for Jakool to react, the door opened and a dagger was placed under his chin by a naked Earth woman.

"Should I rip his tongue through the bottom of his jaw?" the woman asked. Jakool recognized her as an Earth assassin named Elektra. She'd recently been delivered to Vog as a plaything,* and had apparently grown to accept her lot in life.

* AGC 59

"No, no, my dear," Vog's voice came from behind them. "It is only Jakool. Let the priest in." The knife was withdrawn slowly from Jakool's jaw and the door opened for Jakool to move inside.

The first of his senses that was assaulted was smell. The room reeked of sex, alcohol, incense, and drugs. Next came his sight. Vog reclined on his large bed, his stomach bloated to an obscene level and his silk sheets barely covering his naked and sweaty frame. Elektra moved back to the bed, curling up next to the Emperor. On the floor was a black-furred catwoman-

"Is … is she dead?" Jakool asked, turning his nose up at the immobile catwoman.

"Yes," Vog nodded, inhaling deeply on a pipe. "She died … when was it, my dear?"

"This morning," Elektra answered, as if bored. "She couldn't handle the sludge."

"Sludge?" Jakool asked, his eyes still locked on the dead body.

"A marvelous Earth drug," Vog said, his eyes coming slightly into focus.

"I'm sure," Jakool said under his breath.

"Should we give him some?" Elektra asked, leaping off the bed and approaching Jakool with a needle in her hand. "It's a wonderful experience," she whispered. "It slows your body's systems down as it heightens your perceptory functions."

"It is against my religious beliefs to inject any form of drug."

Elektra ignored him. "Sludge turns your body into-"

"My lord!" Jakool said, nervously backing away from the needle. "The first batch of Super Skrulls is completed!"

"What?" Vog roared, sitting up. Jakool watched as the Emperor reshaped his body, morphing his fat stomach down and regaining a more average Skrull physique.

Jakool noted that Elektra had stopped moving towards him and gained some confidence in that. "The first twenty Super Skrulls have finished their genetic reprogramming."

"They're ready for use?" Vog asked.

"They will be shortly," Jakool answered. "They have yet to complete their training. Their bodies are still adjusting to their new powers, to their new capabilities, but the doctors say that within a week they will be at 100%"

"Prepare the unveiling celebration for this evening!" Vog said cheerfully, stepping out of bed.

"This evening?" Jakool asked. "But they are not-"

"Yes, yes, this evening!" Vog grinned, wrapping his arms around Elektra's waist. "We will have a celebration for all Skrulls to come to Vog City and witness their new super soldiers in the flesh. It will give them all a reason to feel proud."

"But … we will need time to prepare, to-"

"Tonight!" Vog roared. "Now begone, Jakool." Jakool wrinkled his nose as Vog kissed the taller Earth woman full on the lips. "And put out a capture reward for Elektra."

"For … Elektra?" Jakool asked. "Isn't this Elektra?"

"It is," the Emperor grinned maliciously. "She has told me that she is a clone, that Thanos had several hundred of these assassins made from the same DNA."

"Assassins?" Jakool asked, skeptical. "And you want them captured? What use do we have for outside assassins? Skrulls are the ultimate assassins, and our resources are too limited to be offering large rewards for hired killers when we-"

"Jakool," Vog said, a tired amusement in his voice, "does it look like I'm using this assassin to kill people?"

The Skrull Minister of Defense bit his tongue, and exited the room without a response.

CHRONOPOLIS - THE ANGELUX COLUMN

Attumidunn trotted briskly in formation at the front of the Hellcat Regiment atop her nightmare-grey winged-steed, Froegarth. She didn't know how many thousands of troops were being committed to this battle, but she guessed that at least three-quarters - and maybe more - of all Angelux were riding in one long rectangular column to the other side of Chronopolis. The Hellcat Regiment was at the far left of the column, and Toomi was at the far left of the regiment, meaning she was among the fifty or so lieutenants in control of the left flank. Her heart swelled unchecked with pride as they rode forward. The sights and sounds of horses and trumpets and armor clinking together, moving toward the staging area was overwhelming. This was the life she had always wanted, the life Dani Moonstar and the Valkyrior had promised her, but never truly delivered.

With a sudden grimace, she noted that Bruunhilde sat atop her black steed, waiting for her.

"Something I can do for you, General?" Attumidunn asked, not hiding her displeasure. "We are in the midst of final prep-"

"Do you truly think I do not know the time table, girl?" Bruunhilde snapped back, falling in line alongside Toomi. "A gift." Attumidunn slowly accepted the new battle helmet from Bruunhilde, the hooves of the horses clicking on the hard steel ground beneath them. Above, the silver, green, and yellow spires of Chronopolis ascended majestically. "Hellcat has told you that your solo mission has been delayed?"

Attumidunn let out a deep breath, nodded.* She placed the new gold, red, and black helmet atop her head

* Last issue

Bruunhilde examined the young Angelux closely before continuing. She made certain the younger girl was looking directly at her. "Where do your loyalties stand for the coming battle?"

Attumidunn held a sigh within her, and sat at rigid attention. Bruunhilde's voice had not come from her mouth.

"Telepathy," Bruunhilde explained, tapping her helmet. "It is how the leaders communicate during battle."

Toomi looked away, as she thought, "I will not kill for Doom."

Bruunhilde nodded, disappointed but not surprised. "It is as we surmised. Will you capture for Doom?"

"Capture?" Toomi asked, taken off guard, glancing beside her.

"We are going to war, girl," the Angelux leader answered harshly. "Wars are not pretty, nor are they neat. I don't know how guarded Moonstar kept you on Asgard, but here, we will not hide reality from you. We are going to war en masse and thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, will die. Unless, of course, you capture them first."

"So instead of death, I bring them enslavement?" Toomi asked. "I will pass."

"You won't," Bruunhilde answered, moving her horse around to grab Toomi's reigns. "You are going on this mission alongside the rest of the Hellcat regiment. You have three choices. One, you kill. Two, you capture. Three, you stand aside and do nothing."

"I take option three."

"Stupid girl," Bruunhilde scolded, letting the reigns go. "You don't have the skill it would take to fend off the attack of your entire regiment. The minute they suspect you are not with them, they will brand you as one who stands opposed to them. And dying will do nothing but put you solely under the control of Hellstrom." Bruunhilde let the words sink in as the ionic energy in her eyes flared brilliantly. "Or have you forgotten he owns your soul? I am giving you the chance to save lives. Will you take it?"

Attumidunn said nothing, but kept her eyes straight ahead and her back rigid.

Bruunhilde waved her past in disgust as she reigned her horse in. "Ride with Hellcat, child. We fight in under a half-day. I pray that you make the right decision." The Angelux commander slowly faded behind them as Attumidunn continued on, waiting for the cold voice to come.

"She will do as we desire," the voice resounded inside her helmet.

"Will she, Doom?" Bruunhilde asked. "How can you be so certain?"

"Because she has yet to do what she came here for," Doom replied.

"And what is that?"

"To kill me," Doom answered without emotion.

ASGARD - SHI'AR EMBASSY

"Skrull 4," Elle'nor, a Shi'ar embassy worker said, "Ash'lin will see you now."

"Thank you," Skrull 4 nodded, following the worker to the Ambassador's office. Ash'lin was, of course, too busy to bother looking up as 4 entered the room, and the Skrull Ambassador politely stood his ground while Elle'nor smiled a silent apology to him.

4 nodded back, smiling politely as well, and watched as Elle'nor moved out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. He counted to ten, waiting to make certain he was alone with Ash'lin, then turned back around.

"Ash'lin-"

"In a moment, Skrull," she said without looking up. "I am busy."

Without voicing his threat, Skrull 4 extended his arms across the room to wipe Ash'lin's desk clear of the work books in front of her. The Shi'ar Ambassador's eyes shot up, hatred burning clear, and she was about to shout for security when 4 encased her head in a clear, invisible bubble, choking her words in her throat. "Sit," he ordered, and Ash'lin, suddenly realizing how shocked she was at Skrull 4's actions and power, sat back in her seat. "We have business to discuss."

"What business could the Shi'ar possibly have with the Skrull?"

"Do you know, Ash'lin, that in all the years we have served on the Council together I have yet to figure out if your problems with the Skrulls are because you're elitist or racist."

Ash'lin cocked an eyebrow. "What makes you think they're mutually exclusive terms?"

"You're the most appalling woman I have ever met."

A thin smile played across Ash'lin's face. "The last man who said that spent the next three years trying to lay with me, Ambassador. Perhaps you have an interest in me that goes beyond your professional concerns."

"Spare me, Ash'lin," Skrull 4 replied. "You forget you talk to a Skrull. If I had any real interest in having intercourse with you …" Skrull 4 morphed his form into that of a high-ranking Shi'ar Planetary Governor, "I think I could find a way to make it happen."

"What do you want?" Ash'lin snapped, suddenly more impressed with Skrull intelligence than she was a second ago. The Planetary Governor Skrull 4 had morphed into was the husband of one of her closest allies, a man she had bedded on many occasions in her rise through the Shi'ar political ranks.

"Glimmer Girl," Skrull 4 said, moving to take a seat across from her. He saw Ash'lin's nose turn up at the name. "You don't want her here because she hamstrings you in front of the Council.* You'd love to be rid of her, yet you can't do anything because she's a friend of your Majestrix, correct?" Ash'lin didn't reply, which 4 took as an affirmative. "I want to give you the proof you need to be rid of her."

* Last Issue

"And in return?" Ash'lin asked cautiously.

"There are 25.3 million Skrulls scattered throughout your Empire," Skrull 4 replied. "I want them sent home. Immediately."

Ash'lin scoffed. "Can't be done."

"It can be," Skrull 4 replied. He reached into his robe and tossed a disc onto Ash'lin's desk. "That is a plan to get all Skrulls to Skrullos 2 within the next 8 months using existing Shi'ar trade routes, or those that will soon go into effect as part of the Skrull Refugee Act. This plan requires you to do nothing extraordinary. If a cargo ship is being transported at 85% capacity - which is normal for Shi'ar transport ships - you fill up the remaining 15% with Skrull refugees. Simply by using space currently not used, we calculate that in no more than 8 months shall all Skrulls be removed from Shi'ar space. This is what you will make happen."

"All of that for Glimmer Girl?" Ash'lin asked skeptically. "She is a thorn in my side, Skrull 4, but not that large of a problem."

Skrull 4 reached inside his robe and handed his image viewer to Ash'lin. "Did I forget to mention that the proof that will rid you of Glimmer Girl will also allow you to arrest a certain member of the Kree?"

Ash'lin glanced down to the viewer and saw, to her intense surprise, the image of Glimmer Girl and Kovar locked in a passionate embrace. Before she could say anything, Skrull 4 snatched the viewer away from her.

"This is how this works, Ash'lin," 4 explained, standing to leave. "I have shown this image to Kovar, as well. The first of you that gets all Skrulls to Skrullos 2 receives this image and the corresponding set that goes with it. Which will prove the greater motivator, hatred or love?"

Ash'lin rose to her feet. "I do not like being threatened."

"Who does, Ambassador? And I can assure you that should you fail to move Skrulls as I desire, your government will be made aware that you had the chance to receive information of Glimmer Girl's potentially traitorous activities. Our spies on Chandilar report that there are many who believe Glimmer to be a programmed operative of the Kree." He stared at Ash'lin intently. "You will find that the ladder you have spent so many years climbing does not take nearly as long to descend."

"You're a bastard," Ash'lin fumed, then felt her anger give way to a malicious smile. "It certainly took you long enough. I had my doubts that you would ever grow a backbone. Welcome to the world of politics, noble warrior."

"Free my people, Ambassador," Skrull 4 said, "and then you can play politics all you want."

SKRULLOS 2 - VOG CITY

Minister Jakool looked out at the crowd with a sense of pride. Nearly one million Skrulls, by official estimates, had come to Vog City for the Skrull Unification Day Ceremony.

"What does that mean, Skrull Unification Day?" Jakool had been asked by the Minister of Education.

"No idea," Jakool had answered honestly. "It was the best sounding thing I could come up with on short notice. The way I figure it, we're all trying to 'unite' back here on Skrullos 2, so …" he let his voice trail off.

"Excellent, excellent," the Minister of Education was nodding excitedly. "Well reasoned, Jakool, very well reasoned."

Jakool had been assured by the technicians that the other six large settlements that were being populated around the planet were functioning, so most Skrulls would be able to witness the unveiling of the Super Skrulls. The young Minister of Defense was suddenly struck by how powerful this all was. They were truly at the dawn of a new day for the Skrull people. Six cities were being established already. How many more would start up over the next month? How many would be thriving in five years?

One of the upsides, Jakool realized, to Vog's egomania, was that things were being planned on a large scale. Vog wanted every Skrull born from this day forward to know his name, and so he had his engineers drawing up plans for a planet covered with his image. While public transportation now was little more than old military and transport buses, a complex monorail system was being planned that would cover the globe. Schools, churches, museums, places of commerce, amusement parks … Vog was sparing the engineer's no dream when it came to designing a homeworld to rival Chandilar, Hala, and Earth.

Since Vog didn't want any Skrulls to not be continually reinforced with his image, the first thing the Emperor insisted on for any new city settlement was that a large monitor screen was erected, so they could receive "Vog's Word" daily at evening meal time. Jakool knew that most of these speeches had been taped nearly a month previous, and a good number of them were done with body doubles. No need for Vog himself to be involved when there was sludge to ingest and whores to bed.

"Minister Jakool," a young aide called to Jakool as he approached.

"Yes?"

"Emperor Vog is ready to begin. Please take your seat."

Jakool nodded and moved onto the large platform that had been erected. There, he took his seat alongside the other governmental ministers, all of them wearing ceremonial purple robes, and VIPs that were in Vog's favor. That this was achieved almost exclusively by having donated large sums of money was not lost on anyone.

Still, Jakool looked out over the crowd and saw happy faces. It was not easy on Skrullos 2, and wouldn't be for many years. Everything needed to be built from scratch, which was how they wanted it. They'd been offered several abandoned planets over the years that came with pre-existing structures, but these were mostly mining colonies that the Kree and Shi'ar had depleted. The Skrulls had wanted a world untouched by alien hands, and that's what Skrullos 2 provided for them.

Skrull anthems blared from speakers around them, adding to the festive mood. As Emperor Vog began to walk through the middle of the large crowd in procession, Skrulls roared their approval. 'For all he is to me,' Jakool thought, 'he is not to them. To the Skrull people he is a hero, the man who gave them a new world and for that his name would live forever.' Many of them, he knew, had been living barely above poverty as refugees among the Shi'ar and Kree, and no matter how bad it was here, they were free. Free to make their own way in the world. Now, they knew, when they build a house, or mined an ore, they would reap the benefits, even if Vog was slicing a large chunk off the top for his own needs.

What should have taken five minutes was stretched out to twenty as Vog let the crowd love him. When finally he had arrived atop the platform, the sun was dropping low in the sky to their right. It made, Jakool had to admit, a breathless, wondrous sight and even his newly jaded heart swelled with pride for his people.

"Skrulls unite!" Emperor Vog roared and the crowd exploded the same chant back at him. Vog loved the simple phrase when the Minister of Education had brought it to him. "We are at the beginning of a new age of existence!" Vog roared. "The Skrull Age!"

The crowd went wild for his words. The governmental Ministers and VIPs on stage with him cheered wildly as the Emperor spoke. Even Jakool, who was a bit uncomfortable with the "new age" phrasing given what Doom was trying to accomplish, stood and cheered.

"For years we have been the dogs of the Shi'ar and Kree, our supposed allies in the Eternal War! But now that War is ended, and we can speak freely about how they treated us when we lived as refugees on their worlds! We have a homeworld now and we can grow our Empire unchained by the Kree and Shi'ar elites! In time, they will recognize us not only as equals, but superiors!"

Across the planet, Skrulls cheered their Emperor's every word. It was a speech for them and them alone, words to bring them comfort in the long days of Reconstruction that followed.

"As a sign of our new stature, I have defied the Skrull Refugee Act and empowered twenty former refugees as our new elite security force! Yes, my fellow Skrull, the mightiest breed of warrior the galaxy has ever known has returned … because of me!" Vog motioned to his left and twenty male Skrull warriors walked slowly up the ramp to stand beside the Emperor. "I give you," Vog shouted, "the Super Skrulls!"

At that, the Super Skrulls flexed their powers for the crowd. All at once, they began to turn parts of their body invisible, showing off their stealth, then turned their body to orange rock as a sign of strength. Next came their elasticity, as their arms shot out a hundred feet over the crowd, then quickly turned to a raging inferno, before finally snapping back into place, where they stood at attention.

Behind them, Jakool noted that a few of the Super Skrulls were sweating profusely, their bodies not yet fully accustomed to their new powers.

Vog, however, was on a roll. "My fellow Skrulls! We will be looking to add to the ranks of our greatest warriors. All Skrull families with young males are encouraged to bring your son to-"

Vog's words were lost to the crowd as a large set of sounds blasted across the near horizon. SSSSZZZZZZNAAAPPPP! SSSSZNAPPPPP!!! SSSSSZZZZZNAPPPP! Following these three lightning snaps that cut horizontally across the sky in short bursts, three large portals opened before them and a hurricane wind slammed into their turned faces.

The Army of Doom had arrived in the form of one hundred thousand Angelux, their winged steeds riding hard and fast across the expanse towards them.

"Wh-what are they?" the Minister of Education asked Jakool.

"Our death," he answered slowly, wondering if the dream of his people would be over before sunrise.

FREEDOM GENOCIDE to be continued …

We've got a homeworld now, Accuser, and I will move cloud and rock to make certain all Skrulls get the chance to live upon it.

Y G G D R A S I L

comments to bousquet22@earthlink.net

Mark Bousquet

10 May 2003

Northern Bear Productions