"Coup de Kree" Part 4 of 5: "Test of Survival"

In an age of technology, things change rapidly. That which was cutting edge yesterday becomes obsolete tomorrow. However, with all the advancement and complexity, there remains one absolute.

Nature provides for all.

Emperor Mas-Kedd, supreme ruler of the shattered remnants of the Kree Empire, reflects on this as he strides down the cold, echoing hall. The grative walls, mined and built into the foundation of the palace millennial ago, have been proven to withstand extremely punishing blows. Once it's reinforced with adamantium and vibranium, the dungeon walls will become impenetrable.

That would leave the door. In this age of technology, one would expect retinal scans, handprint identification, passwords and voice activation, and numerous other devices that could eventually be bypassed by an intelligent prisoner.

Mad-Kedd stands in front of the solid guardroom door. It is seamless, and impossible to open from the outside. There is no handle, no niche at all on any of the doors in the dungeons. They can only be pushed open, and only by one with the strength of the Kree. Except for Mas-Kedd. Placing his hand on the door, the Emperor grips the wall with his tactile telekinesis, and pulls the door open. Within, five Watchers of the Ancients stand ready, weapons drawn in preparation for battle.

"Stand down," Mas-Kedd states, his voice brimming with power and authority. "I have come to visit with Traitor 3972-4039, so that he may cleanse his soul before his execution on the morrow."

Captain Hawquag bows. "What my emperor commands."

Hawquag turns towards the heavy door at the other end of the guardroom, leading into the dungeons themselves. Mas-Kedd follows, flanked on either side by Watchers standing at attention.

Captain Hawquag places one hand on the massive door and pushes it open with little effort. He and Mas-Kedd stride into the narrow hallway. The grative walls appear unmarked and solid, devoid of cracks or seams. To Mas-Kedd's eyes, it is impossible to detect the doors to the cells, let alone one particular cell.

Nevertheless, Watcher Captain Hawquag pauses after about forty five paces. Placing his hand on the door, he turns to his emperor. "Are you sure you want to enter the cell, your eminence?" Mas-Kedd nods. "And close the door after I've entered."

"But lord-"

"I can handle a mere Kree soldier, Captain. No matter how skilled or experienced he is. You will leave us alone, and only when you hear my voice in your thoughts."

Captain Hawquag nods. "As you command, eminence." Grunting, Hawquag pushes forward, swinging back a section of the wall. Stepping back quickly, he calls out into the cell. "Traitor 3972-4039! You have a visitor!"

Ignoring the captain, Mas-Kedd quickly steps through the doorway and into the cell. It is a rather large cell, roughly twenty paces square. There is no cot, no water or food, and only a six-inch hole in the floor that leads to the sewers.

The room is utterly bare, save for one man facing the farthest wall, his back to the emperor. He is clad only in a pair of shorts. Upon being accused, his uniform is taken and burnt before his eyes. Taking one step towards the traitor, Mas-Kedd addresses him.

"Face your emperor."

The traitor does not move. "I am a traitor," he states instead. "I am no longer a citizen of the Kree Empire. Therefore, you are not my emperor."

"Then face your accuser."

The traitor turns, and looks at Mas-Kedd with those cold, ever-knowing eyes. "There is no reason for you to be here."

"It is the law for the traitor to meet with his accuser before his execution. As a last attempt to plead his innocence."

Grieve nods. "True. However, the emperor is exempt from all laws-"

"-unless the Council of Ancients vote unanimously that he must obey," Mas-Kedd finishes.

"Considering my actions, and the very fact that they were witness to my crime, I find that unlikely."

"Impossible is more accurate. I came of my own free will, so that you would understand the actions that I took."

"There is nothing more to understand. You ordered and led the research for splicing Kree DNA with those of the Dire Wraiths! To purposely taint the pure Kree blood with such a vile race is so despicable an act, that I had no choice but to do what I did upon learning of it!"

"But you did have a choice, Grieve," Mas-Kedd states calmly. "You could have come to me, as your Emperor and friend, to learn the truth. Instead, you knowingly broke a sacred law by interrupting meeting in the Hall of the Ancients."

"Hall of Mar-Vell."

"Excuse me?"

"At your coronation, you declared it to be renamed the Hall of Mar-Vell, in honor of the great Captain Mar-Vell."

"No, I unofficially made a declaration that I had no intention of carrying out, so as to gain the approval of Captain Mar-Vell's fool son, Genis-Vell. That is beside the point. You knowingly broke the law and therefore committed treason without knowing all the facts."

"Such as?"

Emperor Mas-Kedd smiles. "Such as the fact that all Kree/Wraith hybrids would be bred sterile. And the fact that I have already seen to it that only five hundred of these hybrid will be created, each with a lifespan of only fifty years. And, of course, the fact that while incubating, these hybrids would be mentally conditioned towards absolute loyalty to the Kree, most specifically to myself."

Grieve, his face one that makes stone appear soft, clenches his fists. He fights the urge to commit ultimate treason. "None of that information was on the disc I found."

"Of course not. I gave Captain Var-Dann specific orders not to leave that information behind."

"You set me up."

"In a way, yes. Had you only come to me first with this information, I would have known for certain where your loyalties lie."

Grieve steps forward, his face inches from Mas-Kedd's. "My loyalty is, and always has been, towards the Kree."

Mas-Kedd gives a disappointed smile. "Exactly, and that's what makes you useless to me. I rule over the Kree Empire, Grieve. I am the first of what will be the next step in Kree evolution. In only a few generations, the Kree as you know it will all be dead, and the new Kree will rule over an invincible empire. You and the others are all extinct, and you don't even realize it. There is no point in being loyal towards a dying breed."

"You hate us," Grieve accuses. "You are alone in the universe, the first of your kind, and for that you hate us. You hate our history, because you yourself have none. It's not enough that someday we'll be extinct, but that we never even existed. That's why you want me dead, so you can destroy the past of the Kree."

Now, Mas-Kedd gives a satisfied smile. "I knew you'd understand eventually. It's best that the new Kree begin with a clean slate, lacking the pathetic history of their predecessors."

Grieve can no longer contain himself. To hear that the rich and proud heritage of his people, an existence of battle and honor, is pathetic is too much. What's one more charge of treason?

With the speed and reflexes honed by a race over millennia, Grieve backhands the Kree Emperor with the full strength of a pure Kree warrior.

Taking the powerful blow full on the face, Mas-Kedd is thrown across the small cell to crash against the opposite wall. Slowly, he rises, and wipes a thin trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"For that, I should grind your bones to powder and liquefy your organs, all the while filling your mind with unspeakable agony." Placing his hand on the wall behind him, Mas-Kedd furrows his brow in concentration and smiles.. "And I will. Tomorrow at first light, at your public execution."

Mas-Kedd steps forward, the wall swinging open behind him. He turns and steps through the doorway, ignoring the horrified look on Captain Hawquag's face.

"Lord!" Captain Hawquag cries. "What has that savage lizard done? Eminence, I beg forgiveness for allowing you to go alone, and promise that the prisoner will be severely punished for his trans-"

Emperor Mas-Kedd hushes Captain Hawquag with a wave of his hand. "I assure you Captain, the fault is all mine. I slipped on a wet patch in the cell, is all. The coward didn't even dare to take advantage of the situation. He just stayed as far from my person as he could. At any rate, he'll be thoroughly punished at first light."

Captain Hawquag bows. "As you command, eminence. Shall you be departing, then?"

"Yes, let us go." Mas-Kedd turns towards Grieve's cell as the wall begins to close. "Until your death," he says with a smile.

Staring at the solid wall, Grieve nods. "Until yours," he mutters, fully aware that Mas-Kedd telepathically hears him.

Emperor Mas-Kedd's response is to laugh as he is led down the dungeon hall.

“Argh!!!!!!” Korath the pursuer screams in agony as emerald fire baths his armor, literelly roasting him alive. When humans die, it is said that their lives flash before their eyes. The same can be said of the Kree.

Since he was a child, Korath has dreamed of nothing save joining the fabled Pursuers, a special arm of the Accusers. While it was the duty of the Accusers to weed out treason and espionage within the empire, it was the sacred honor of the Pursuers to track down the Accused, and bring them in alive so that justice could be served.

In his years as a pursuer, Korath had enjoyed the hunt most of all. Tracking a criminal to the far reaches of the empire and beyond, until at last he is faced with the difficult task of defeating without killing. Korath had loved his work, and so he grew to be the very best at it.

Eventually, Korath’s stature and recognition grew, until he was invited to represent the Pursuers in the newly formed Star Force. The Kree/Shi’ar War was just beginning, and a counterpart to the fearsome Imperial Guard was needed. Korath had fought with honor and distinction, making efficient use of his Pursuer Armor and upgraded Blast Batons.

In the end, however, Korath and the Star Force failed. The Shi’ar wiped out ninety percent of the Kree, and enslaved the remnants of the proud warrior race.

Ashamed of his failure, Korath willingly surrendered himself into the prison camps. As much as he hated his Shi’ar tormentors, he hated himself far more. It took the Kree rebellion to awaken him from his slumber. Eager to atone for his past shame, Korath recovered his Blast Batons, and led a takeover of the prison camps.

But Korath refused to fight in the later Civil War, unwilling to raise his hands against his own brethren. When Ki-Ree and Mas-Kedd came to him with the offer of infiltrating the re-formed Star Force, only his hatred of the Supreme One prompted Korath into accepting. Later, watching his former teammates in the Kree Corps, Korath is convinced that he made the right choice.

Now, after having seen Jaxur the Accuser enveloped in radioactive fire, and feeling that same fire tear at his own flesh, Korath is not so convinced.

Then, to Korath’s sudden surprise, the flames are gone. The pain remains; the amor glows blue hot, yet already it starts to cool. And now he’s resting against an asteroid, Captain Var-Dann floating beside him.

“How did you...” Korath wheezes painfully. “I thought...you couldn’t use your powers in space.”

“Turns out the small guy we rescued has gravity manipulating powers. All I needed was a set path of artificial gravity to move in, and he provided it. Shatterax and At-Las are already clear, and if Ultimus can’t handle himself, its over.”

Fighting the pain, Korath struggles to move in the ruined armor. “What about Jaxur?”

Captain Var-Dann shakes his head. “He caught the full brunt of the blast. There’s no way he-Whoa!”

“Ungh!” Korath cries out as well, as a wave of intense cold courses through his body. “Ah! Wh-what is that!”

Dr. Minerva’s voice crackles of the radio communicator. “Jaxur. I can still feel him. He’s alive, and he’s using his Cosmi-Rod to create cold to fight against the flames!”

Indeed, the sight of Jaxur fighting for his life is indeed a spectacle. Somehow, he’s surrounded with both emerald fire and ice, battling each other in a back-and-forth struggle. In the center of the freezing inferno rests Jaxur, Cosmi-Rod firmly in his grip. A short distance away, a man surrouded by a blinding ball of fire continues to release a stream of emerald flame at Jaxur.

“Jaxur, come in!” Captain Var-Dann cries. “Come in Jaxur! By Hala, his transmitter must have gotten fried. Doc, what’s his condition.”

“Bad, and you’ll be worse if you call me ‘Doc’ again. He’s just barely holding on, using every ounce of his will to fight off the attack.”

“Idiot,” Var-Dann breathes. “If he was already dead, we wouldn’t have to worry about keeping him alive. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not getting investigated by the Accusers. Ulitmus?”

“I am fine. I avoided the blast, and now hover above our aggressor.”

“What are you waiting for then? Nail the sucker. Minerva, when the attack on Jaxur subsides, soothe his mind so he won’t freeze everything. Mid-Get, set up a gravity path for me to use so I can get him to safety-”

“Shut up Var-Dann,” Captain At-Las barks out. “With Jaxur incapacitated, I’m the one in charge here!”

Captain Var-Dann curses. “I’m a Captain too, jackass, as highly ranked as you are. And before you go boasting about experience, I’ve got fifteen years in the military and numerous victories against the Shi’ar”

“I don’t care what rank you have, or how much experience you’ve got! I led the Kree Star Force, and that more than qualifies me to lead this failure of a mission towards victory. Now listen up, because this is what we’re going to do-”

“Is shut the hell up!” A voice screams through the communicators. “By Hala, we’re military, not tradesmen. When two seperate squads are sent in, and the commander of one squad is incapacited, the commander of the second squad takes command. Looks like I found you guys just in time!”

A small cluster of asteroids blast apart, and they propel through the space dust. Two dozen standard Kree soldiers, powered rifles in hand. Leading the pack, a blaster pistol in each hand, flies Lt. Haw-Ki.

“I heard a good plan, so we’re doing it! We’ll distract this guy Ultimus. Just don’t let him fry us!”

“Belay that order!” At-Las and Var-Dann both cry out at once.

“I outrank you!” Captain At-Las cries.

“I can kick your ass a thousand times before you can blink!” Captain Var-Dann snarls.

But Haw-Ki and his squad doesn’t listen, and neither does Ultimus. A barrage of blaster fire scorches through the void of space, exploding against the radioactive man. His sphere of fire flares outward, blinding all that view him.

Su-Ree glides along the cooridors of the Corps Compound, her long purple cape flowing behind her. Stepping through the sliding doors, Su-Ree enters the main control room. In the center stands the unmoving Star Gate, hooked into the computer systems through various outlets.

“What’s the status of the away team, Star Gate?” Su-Ree purrs, fingering a large piece of amber hanging from her neck.

“The terrorists have been defeated. Unfortunately, radiation interferance has set in, breaking off my contact with the Corps.”

Su-Ree smiles. “I’m very pleased to hear that.” Grazing her laquered nails along the computer console, Su-Ree quickly types in a code. “Kreco whirq inrec polv!”

Completely surprised by both the computer virus and the spell, Star Gate spasms uncontrollably. “Warning! Warning! Unathorized programming has invaded this unit’s systems! Failure! Failure!” Abruptly, Star Gate goes limp, then once again stands straight.

“I was getting worried there for a second,” Su-Ree mutters. “It must be that damned free will of yours that delayed the program. I’d best hurry.” Su-Ree enters a stream of coordinates into the computer. “Star Gate, teleport all individuals at the following coordinates into the Compound.

“I...won’t-won-wi-will comply....” Star Gate stutters out. The room fills with a soft blue light. When it dies down, roughly a hundred Kree in armor and robes fill the room.

One man, clad in Accuser armor complete with Cosmi-Rod, steps forward. “I’m glad to see you were successful, Lady Su-Ree. There were no complications?”

Smiling seductively, Su-Ree steps up to the Accuser and kisses the front of his face plate. “Nothing I couldn’t handle. Star Gate proved quite resistant. Even combining the virus with my spells, I don’t think he’ll be under our control for long. We don’t have much time.”

Gondar nods. “And the rest of the Corps? I’ve lost contact with the Star Stealth. I fear they’re lost.”

“If they can bet past the interference, any of the Corpsman will be able to purge the virus in seconds. We can only hope that the anomaly is too much for them to handle.”

“Whatever that thing is, it’s power is off the scales. The Kree Corps are as good as dead, and such power will be in the master’s hands.” Gondar looks at Star Gate. “And that thing will be back where it belongs. Program it to send us all into the Palace of the Ancients-”

Su-Ree shakes her head. “The Corpsmen are more resourceful than you give them credit for, Gondar. They managed to survive my ‘mistake’, remember? It’d be best if we left a small force here.”

“You’re right.” Gondor turns to his forces. “Squad 8-B will remain here, with orders to take the Kree Corps prisoner upon their arrival.”

As one, twenty soldiers salute the Accuser. “Sir! Yes sir!”

Gondor turns back to Su-Ree. “Now, give Star Gate these orders. All my men, save for Squad 8-B, shall be teleported into the Hall of the Ancients. You and I shall be teleported into the dungeons.”

“The dungeons are magically sealed-”

“Then we’re to reappear outside the guard room, beyond the magical protections. Between the two of us, the obstacles should mean nothing.”

“Less than nothing actually. I’ll do it immediately.”

Before Su-Ree can start back towards the computers, Gondar grabs the amber from around her neck. “Is this what you did with the half-bred freak.”

Su-Ree nods.

Gondar crushes the amber in his fist. “The only good Skrull is a dead Skrull. Now go issue the commands.”

Su-Ree gladly does so.

“Polarize your lenses and keep firing!” Lt. Haw-Ki yells. Through his own protected lenses, he sees their target cease it’s attack on the Accuser, and turn towards the new threat. “Ultimus!” Haw-Ki yells as a burst of emerald fire blazes towards him and his soldiers.

“I am here.” Lowering himself in the path of the fire, Ultimus takes it head on. The radioactive flames burn over him, then vanish, absorbed by the mysterious and incredibly powerful Kree.

Ultimus is unmoved, completely unhurt. “Radiation. The energy is similar to that released by the Nega Bomb.” Ultimus slowly floats towards this ‘Nega’ man, as if the constant assault of radioactive fire isn’t there.

A cloaked Shatterax flies closer, weapon systems charging. “We are only a few parsecs from ground zero. The vibranium must have lessened the radiation enough to save his life. My calculations are that his powers manifested, and he ending up absorbing all the radiation in the area. The sudden extremes in temperature would leave him trapped in ice.”

“A poor existence,” Ultimus states.

“Okay, I’ve got Jaxur clear,” Captain Var-Dann’s voice cuts in. “The Accuser armor is fried. I’m trying to contact Star Gate, but I can’t get a signal.”

Ver-Gull, floating next to Dr. Minerva and Mid-Get, shakes her head. “The same thing happened when I tried to contact the mining outpost. It might be all the radiation.”

“So let’s contain this walking reactor!” Lt. Haw-Ki exclaims. “Since our blasters can’t do squat, I’m willing to concede this to you Corpsmen.”

“It’s about time you got smart,” Captain At-Las snarls. He draws his blaster and takes aim. “Let’s end this-”

“You are included in his statement, At-Las,” Ultimus states, still floating through the flames. “Shatterax, I will do what I can for this tortured soul. Can your capture globes contain his power.”

“Negative. He would disrupt my capture globe in a matter of seconds.”

“Then I shall do what I can.” Mere feet away from the crazed man of radiation, Ultimus reaches out with his hand. The moment his palm makes contact with the ‘Nega’ man’s forehead, the flames rush in, swirling around both men.

The shockwave comes without warning, sending the soldiers, Corpsmen, and civilians hurtling back. Most managed to maneuver away from the asteroids, though a few do get knocked around. Shatterax kicks in his thrusters, fighting against the shockwaves so he’ll be on hand to immediately contain the threat.

And a good thing too. The flash of flames and the shockwave subsides, revealing Ultimus and a shriveled pink Kree floating in the cold vacuum of space.

“Quickly Shatterax. Without the radioactive energy to sustain him, he is suffocating!”

Nodding, Shatterax fires a burst of clear energy at the now dying threat. Immediately, an opaque globe of energy surrounds him, trapping him.

“It is done. The globe will recycle the air, keeping him alive. However, my sensors confirm that he is generating radiation at a rather rapid rate. I am configuring the capture globe to slow the process, but he will soon be powerful enough to escape.” Shatterax turns to look at the approaching soldiers and prisoners. “I am currently in the process of contacting Star Gate. There is some minor interference, but I am getting through.”

“Well, I guess that means we won,” Lt. Haw-Ki says. “All that’s left is to clean this stuff up.”

“Ver-Gull and I need to get to the mining outpost with our report,” Mid-Get cuts in.

“There gonna be a standard pre-excavation party, with entertainment courtesy of Sirens?”

Mid-Get nods, smiling.

Lt. Haw-Ki returns the nod and smile. “Okay, me and my men will stick around here for a while. You guys want the remains of the Star Stealth, or should we drag their carcasses in?”

“We’ll have our hands full with Jaxur and the new meta-Kree,” Captain Var-Dann replies. “You handle the dead-weight. And Lt.,” Var-Dann holds out his hand. “Good work.”

Lt. Haw-Ki accepts and shakes Var-Dann’s hand. “You too Captain. We all did good.”

Star Gate appears in a burst of blue light. “Emergency! Kree Corps report to Corps Compound-”

“We don’t have to around to talk,” At-Las cuts in. “Just teleport the Kree Corps and captive to the Compound.”

Star Gate tightens his mouth and eyes, then nods. An instant later, nine individuals vanish in a burst of blue light....

....And reappear in the main control room of the Corps Compound, entirely surrounding by blaster-wielding Kree in red robes. Cultists of Ki-Ree.

“Don’t move!” One shouts. “This Compound, and everything in it, is under our control! Prepare to be taken as prisoners of war, to be executed when-”

One second, it looks like the Cultists have everything under control. The next, all their blasters lie on the ground in pieces, and only the speaker is conscious. Captain Var-Dann has one hand at his throat, with the other hand raised and rapidly vibrating.

“I’m going to count to one thousand,” he says rapidly. “If you have not told me everything you know I will tear you limb from limb and scatter your remains to the four corners of Hala!”

Var-Dann made it to nine hundred ninety-three when the Cultist immediately began talking as fast as he could.

Technology is ever-evolving. What was cutting edge yesterday is obsolete tomorrow. Eventually, all technology will grow out of control and essentially useless.

That’s when magic comes in.

The solid grative wall explodes inward, scattering chunks of grative throughout the guard room. Startled and amazed, Captain Hawquag and the other four Watchers of the Ancients leap to their feet and scramble for their weapons.

“Stand ready Watchers!” Captain Hawquag shouts out. As one, the Watchers raise their blaster swords, prepared to annihilate their opponent.

“Yes Watchers, stand ready,” Gondor the Accuser mocks. “Stand ready to die!”

The Watchers move fluidly, releasing five devastating bursts of cosmic energy at the Accuser. Even a Cone of Invulnerability couldn’t withstand such at assault. However, with Su-Ree at his back, casting her spells, Gondar is untouched.

In his hand, the Cosmi-Rod flares to life. A burst of cosmic fire bathes the room. When it passes, the skeletons of five brave Kree are all that remain.

Gondar strides through the bones, crunching them with each step. “The Watchers have grown lazy since the Nega Bomb. Had they activated their blast shields, they would have survived to renew their assault.”

“They still would have died,” Su-Ree states, casting a spell to enhance the power of Gondar’s Cosmi-Rod.

“True,” Gondar raises his Cosmi-Rod. “But they would have died with more honor, as true Kree warriors. I am ashamed at the weakness of our people.”

Gondar brings the Cosmi-Rod crashing against the grative wall, shattering it as if it was mere stone. Clearing an opening, Gondar steps into the dungeon, Su-Ree behind him. “Which cell is he in?”

Su-Ree brings her hand to her forehead, concentrating. She points down the hall. “The last cell at the end of the hall. I can feel the captivity spells from here. Even together, we might not be able to free him.”

Crossing his Cosmi-Rod over his chest, Gondar strides purposefully down the hall. “The master will give us strength.”

Alas, they never get the chance to test their strength. At less than twenty feet from the cell, the wall explodes, showering the hall with dust. A figure steps through the opening, his features indiscernible through the dust. Nevertheless, Su-Ree kneels in the man’s presence.

“All praise to the master. Nothing can contain his power.”

Gondar also kneels, placing the head of his Cosmi-Rod against the ground. “Master, we have come to assist you in slaying the usurper and his followers.”

The man steps through the dust, his features revealed to be those of Ki-Ree. He nods and raises his hand. The three vanish, teleported by the powerful spell.

An instant later they reappear in the Hall of the Ancients. Two robed Cultists guard each exit with four soldiers. The Ancients are herded in the middle of the room, surrounded by soldiers. Emperor Mas-Kedd still sits on his throne, a robed Cultist at each side.

At the sight of Ki-Ree, Mas-Kedd leaps to his feet. “No! How you freed yourself is no matter Ki-Ree! I am the Emperor, and whatever rebellion you plan will end in failu-Argh!”

His brain on fire, Mas-Kedd slumps back in on the throne, his head in his hands.

Ki-Ree lowers his hand, and he smiles.

“You are mistaken, usurper. Ki-Ree is dead, his mind scorched from the Astral Plane by my power. On your knees, lizard! Grovel before the Supreme Intelligence!” ________________________________________________________________________

Epilogue:

The cell is small and bare. The walls are solid and seamless, capable of withstanding far more power than one unarmed Kree possesses. The massive door that takes up one wall is undetectable and swings inward. It is impossible to open from the inside, and incredibly difficult from the outside.

There is only one opening, a six-inch hole that leads into the sewers.

There is no way to escape from a cell in the dungeons beneath the Palace of the Ancients.

And yet, impossible as it may be, Grieve’s cell is empty.

Next Issue: How can it be that the Supreme Intelligence inhabits Ki-Ree’s body! Even if he is free, can an unarmed Grieve accomplish anything! Even if the Kree Corps can enter the Palace, can their weakened ranks stand against the Cult of Kee-Ree, Gondar the Accuser, and the Supreme Intelligence! Find out next issue, in the Hala-shattering conclusion to Coup’de Kree!