"New Peace, Old Hate"

Rokkrinn 8, on the outer edge of the Kree Empire. Like virtually all planets held by the Kree, this one had been uninhabited since the detonation of the Nega Bomb. In the case of Rokkrinn 8, this was indeed unfortunate, because this planet contained a large quantity of the mineral rock Cosmite. Because of it’s magnetic properties, Cosmite was among the most sought-after and valuable resources in the universe.

It should have come to no surprise then, that a star-ship belonging to a race other than the Kree happened to land on Rokkrinn 8. Specifically near what had been the planet’s most productive Cosmite mine.

With a soft rumble, the star-ship settled onto the ground. It was clearly a cargo ship of sorts, with much of it’s interior having been empty space. There was only a small passenger compartment in the front of the ship, large enough to fit only the handful necessary for the loading and transport of the cargo.

It was at this passenger compartment that an airlock opened, and a ramp slid down to the ground. The passengers themselves, ten in all, strode onto the surface of Rokkrinn 8.

They were Skrulls, members of a race of shape-shifters. Their natural form was that of humanoids with rough green skin, a form they wore then. For millennia, the Kree and the Skrull had been engaged in a brutal war that had ended in the near-destruction of both species. Of all the creatures to have arrived on Rokkrinn 8, the Skrull would have most certainly been the least welcome.

Once all the Skrulls had disembarked from the cargo ship, the one in the lead pointed towards the long-abandoned quarry. He had the markings of a captain on his uniform.

“Gather as much as you can, but we have no time to mine,” he ordered to the others. “We must be gone before our presence is discovered.”

“You are in violation of treaty.”

The Skrulls turned to the sound of the voice. They adjusted their eyes, enabled themselves to see in the dark, to see whom had called to them in fluent Skrullian.

Three figures stood behind the cargo ship and the Skrulls. All were humanoid, though one towered over the other two by at least ten feet. This large figure was shaped like a female, albeit barely, while the other two were most probably male. All three wore identical uniforms, blue and white with the emblem of a ringed planet on the chest, and crested helmets. These three also had light blue skin. Kree, and pure Kree at that.

One of the ‘normal’ sized Kree, standing at just over six feet, took a step towards the Skrulls. Gripped in his hand was an unusual weapon, a staff with hooked blades running along its haft, and a spiked ball at either end.

“In the most recent treaty between the Kree and Skrull Empires, signed only a few short months after the Kree threw back the Shi’ar invaders, there is a section about borders.” The Kree spoke in perfect Skrullian, ever nuance and syllable exact in its utterance. “Rather than recite the names of all systems controlled by the two empires, I will be short and specific. Rokkrinn 8 is not a part of the Skrull Empire. Rather, it is a part of the Kree Empire. You Skrulls, therefore, are not permitted on this planet, nor even this sector of space, without the consent and escort of the Kree.”

Defiant, the Skrull captain took a step forward. “You are the Griever of the Kree, are you not,” he asked, not expecting an answer. “Our Empress S'Byll signed the treaty with your Emperor Mas-Kedd. Recent reports have led her to believe that Mas-Kedd is no longer the Emperor. We made no such treaty with the Supreme Intelligence.”

Grieve frowned, and took another step forward. The gathered Skrulls behind their captain raised their weapons, and Grieve raised his free hand.

“Not yet Var-Dann,” Grieve stated. The blur behind Grieve slowed back down to reveal the second normal sized Kree male.

“Being Skrulls you did not have access to the Omni-Wave broadcast,” Grieve told the Skrull captain. “The Supremor’s takeover attempt failed. It managed to escape, but many of its conspirators were killed. The whole of the Kree Empire is being scoured for the Supremor, and when caught it will be destroyed on charges of high treason. It does not rule us, and therefore the original treaty remains valid.”

“Lies!” accused the Skrull captain. “You would have the Skrull believe that you, a shattered people, could defeat the single greatest enemy to the Skrull Empire? Time and again, we have attempted to foil the Supreme Intelligence, as have the Shi’ar and the inhabitants of Earth, yet always has the Supreme Intelligence proven victorious!”

Grieve’s eyes narrowed. “The Supremor had never faced the Kree before,” he said in a cold voice. “It underestimated us, just as you are doing now. Beware Skrull, else you might find yourself paying the price that awaits the Supremor.”

The Skrull captain snarled. “One-on-one, a Kree has never been able to defeat a Skrull. You are outnumbered three-to-one, Kree.”

“You know of Captain Var-Dann,” said Grieve. “Within one second, he could dismantle your ship and your communications, stranding you on this planet. Be thankful my orders don’t include such a punishment, Skrull.

“Instead, I give you the opportunity to reboard your ship, and leave Kree space. You’re Empire will then wait until the Kree have resumed commercial mining of Cosmite, upon which time trade between our two peoples will recommence.”

“During the war between our peoples, Rokkrinn 8 was taken and retaken frequently,” the Skrull captain replied with a hostile tone. “It was originally held by the Skrulls, and given another month of fighting it would have ended up held by the Skrulls again. We are here to take what is ours, Kree.”

With a speed born from a lifetime of military service, the Skrull captain drew his blaster pistol.

And with the speed born from lifetimes of skill and experience, the Grieve swung his kraft and knocked the blaster out of the Skrull captain’s hand.

“Var-Dannstoptheothersfrominterferingbutdonotkill!” Grieve cried as fast as he could. Just as rapidly, Grieve had spun his kraft about, so that one spiked ball caught the Skrull captain beneath the chin.

“You Skrull are a race of shapeshifters, with complete control over the molecules of your body.” Grieve stepped to the side, and bashed the second spiked ball into the Skrull’s back. “As such, you can shift your vital organs around, even duplicate them in various areas of your body.”

Having jabbed the haft of his staff against the Skrull’s arm, Grieve twisted his weapon. The Skrull screamed when his arm was reduced to so much bloody, useless flesh. “You Skrulls are therefore capable of surviving the most fatal of wounds, as Var-Dann has had occasion to witness.”

Grieve swung his kraft over and up between the Skrull’s legs, smashing and tearing through the flesh and bone like putty. In fact, it seemed that the Skrull’s body was rapidly turning into putty.

“However, a Skrull can be killed. One way is to completely disintegrate the body. The other way, however, I find more enjoyable.”

Again and again Grieve smashed his kraft against the Skrull. “By striking at all points of a Skrull’s body in rapid succession, it can be possible to overload the Skrull’s nervous system with pain. In this manner, the Skrull loses the ability to consciously control his body. He wouldn’t even be able to hold it together.”

At last, after long seconds, Grieve ceased his attack. What was left of the Skrull captain was a puddle on the ground. His breathing normal, Grieve ground one spiked ball of his kraft down in the puddle.

“This Skrull’s brain and nervous system have been completely destroyed,” Grieve told the other nine Skrulls. “Rest assured, you’re captain is dead. Board the ship, carry the message to S'Byll, or you will share his fate.”

One-by-one, without a word, the remaining Skrulls turned from Grieve and began to board their cargo ship. Pleased, Grieve turned to his fellow Kree. “Var-Dann, board their ship and escort them out. Though it really shouldn’t matter to you, try to remain undetected. Star Gate will transport you out once they’ve crossed over the border.”

Captain Var-Dann didn’t nod. He simply vibrated at a phenomenal speed, first become a blur, then finally disappearing altogether. Grieve felt the slight breeze through his shoulder, and knew that Var-Dann had boarded the ship just as the airlock closed.

Grieve then walked towards the giant female Kree. “We’re done here,” he told her. What he said next was into his comm-link. “All right Star Gate. Take Ver-Gull and me out.”

For a brief instant, a blue glow enveloped both Grieve and Ver-Gull. Around them, the scenery shifted suddenly. No longer were they on Rokkrinn 8, near a large Cosmite quarry. Rather, they found themselves in the center of a military command center. Computers hummed around them, massive machines that contained incalculable knowledge and of immense technological power. Mammoth interstellar maps, as well as actual video footage from the farthest depths of space, were all displayed on numerous monitors.

And in the center of the room, hovering in a sphere of rippling blue energy, was the being connected to it all. It seemed to be another Kree, though it’s silvery-blue skin had certainly differentiated it from any other Kree that existed. Of course, the fact that wires from all the computers ran into this creature was also unusual. It was Star Gate, a Kree that had been bio-genetically engineered by the Supreme Intelligence into a mobile teleportation unit.

“Greetings Grieve, Ver-Gull,” Star Gate said in a cold, robotic voice.

“Star Gate, report,” Grieve commanded.

“The Skrull star-ship has set a course out of Kree territory,” said Star Gate. “I estimate that they will enter Skrull territory in approximately twenty-three keyants. Also, Captain Var-Dann has yet to have been detected.”

“Contact me the moment you bring him back,” Grieve said. “What of the other Corpsmen?”

Several of the screens around Star Gate switched images. Instead of the maps that were previously shown, the images were now those of various uniformed Kree soldiers. One in particular with each of Star Gate’s reports.

The first was of an armored blue Kree, who held a glowing baton in each hand. “Korath the Pursuer has reported failure in his attempts to locate the Supreme Intelligence. Currently, he is on the outer fringes of the Skrull Empire, attempting to gather information from Skrulls that once served the Supremor.”

The second image was of two blue Kree in military uniforms, a male and a female. “Captain At-Las and Dr. Minerva are currently on Kree-Lar, assisting in a training exercise.”

Again the images shifted, this time showing what appeared to be a robot engaged in battle with a massive blue Kree wielding a giant club. “Jaxur the Accuser has almost completely recovered from his injuries, and is currently testing his skills against Shatterax. A current assessment of the conflict has shown that Jaxur is at eighty-six percent of his optimal capabilities.”

Three images then appeared, each of a uniformed Kree engaged in separate activities. The first was firing two blasters at a large crowd of rioting Kree. The second, a pink Kree of rather small stature, appeared to be navigating through an asteroid field. The third, a Kree that radiated power, was hovering near a large glowing cylinder with his arms spread wide.

“Haw-Ki is also in Kree-Lar, assisting in the containment of suspected Supremists. Mid-Get is assessing the damage done to the Vibranium Fields after the recent occurrence there. Finally, Ultimus is standing watch over the being responsible for the occurrence, containing it’s power as well as gathering information.”

“Continue to monitor,” Grieve commanded. “Transport Korath and Var-Dann the moment their lives seem to be threatened. If Haw-Ki requires back-up, send At-Las and Minerva to his location. As always, keep me informed as to the situations as they change.”

“I will comply.”

Grieve began to stride towards the exit. “Come with me Ver-Gull. I wish to discuss some things with you.”

Ver-Gull reduced her size from twenty five feet to a little over five foot eight, and followed Grieve out of the command room. After several minutes of following Grieve down the corridors of the Corps Compound, Ver-Gull had an idea of where they were going.

The doors to Grieve’s private chambers slid opened. “Come in and take a seat Corpsman,” Grieve said as he strode in. “I’d like to discuss some things with you. Privately.”

Ver-Gull stepped inside. “There may be talk that this meeting is for inappropriate intentions,” she cautioned.

Grieve simply gave a rough laugh. “We will simply be talking. And as you well know, Ver-Gull, every chamber of the Compound is monitored with infrared scanners. Our body temperatures will appear normal and separate, indicating that we are only talking. And rest assured Ver-Gull, we will only be talking.”

Ver-Gull nodded. “Okay. What is it that you wish to talk about?”

“I had hoped that you would wish to begin, Ver-Gull,” said Grieve. “No doubt you’re wondering why I insisted that you accompany Var-Dann and myself.”

“No sir,” said Ver-Gull. “The thought of questioning your judgment had never occurred to me.”

“Of course it hadn’t,” Grieve replied. “It’s been my experience that few Kree ever question their superiors. If anything, you had merely assumed that you were brought along for the sole purpose of intimidation. However, physical size and appearance doesn’t mean anything to a race of shift-shapers. Knowing this, I clearly didn’t want you along for that purpose.”

“I see,” Ver-gull said. She was somewhat confused. “Well then, Grieve, since it’s clear that you won’t mind my asking, why did you want me along?”

“You studied medicine, didn’t you Ver-Gull?” asked Grieve. “Primarily medicine of the mind, which was unpopular from what I understand.”

“Yes,” Ver-Gull replied. “My mentor, Fre-Ude, was often ridiculed by his peers, as was I later on.”

“Then, after the Nega Bomb was dropped, you worked on many of the survivors,” Grieve continued. “You helped them to cope with their horrendous losses. Tell me, how did you do that Ver-Gull?”

“You obviously know.”

“Sometimes I do, but at the moment it can’t come to me,” Grieve whispered. “Tell me. Please.”

“Very well,” Ver-Gull sighed. “I convinced them of the way of the Kree, that personal pain and suffering did not matter. The race as a whole, the empire, was all that truly mattered. Even if one Kree lived, the entire species would come first to it, and thus it was that Kree’s duty to keep his people alive. I convinced those whimpering souls that no matter what profession they had take in life, that they were soldiers of the Kree. Therefore, it was their duty to move past their emotions and work towards the good of the Kree.”

Grieve nodded curtly. “As it should always be,” he said. “I myself have always worked towards the goals the Kree rather than my personal self.”

Grieve frowned and shook his head. “No, not always,” he said. “Before the Nega Bomb, before I was nearly overwhelmed with a billion billion individual memories, I had no idea what I did. But since then, I had always acted in the interests of the Kree.”

“I don’t see how you could do otherwise,” Ver-Gull agreed. “There is nothing individual about you. Your movements, your manner of speech, it continuously varies. One moment, you speak with the grace of the politician, and the next moment you fight with the skill of a Watcher of the Ancients. There are moments when you are capable of outsmarting the Supreme Intelligence, then there are moments when you almost seem to have the mind of a child-”

Ver-Gull paused for a moment, then nodded. “That is why you wanted me to accompany you, wasn’t it? To observe your behavior.”

“Yes,” Grieve whispered. “My mind is.....it’s full of memories. Too many, in fact. They swim in and out of my mind, so that something that came to me so clearly one moment is impossible to recall in the next. Moreover, these are the complete memories of billions of individuals, the sum of all the experiences and teachings that made up all those personalities.

“That is where the true problem lies, Ver-Gull,” Grieve continued. “I am supposed to lead the Corpsmen, and yet I am locked in a constant struggle to control my own mind. Minute by minute, day by day, my way of thinking changes. My temperament refuses to remain still, my confidence is often a far cry from what it should be, and I’m always questioning every facet of my actions. You agree that this is dangerous, Ver-Gull?”

“Very,” Ver-Gull replied. “With your condition, everything that you say or do is impossible to predict. You could find yourself overwhelmed with an unfortunate prejudice towards one of the two Kree sub-species, or the memories you based certain tactics on could fade away at a critical moment, leaving you to grope in the dark.”

“I’m unable to trust my memories,” said Grieve. “I’m unpredictable even to myself, and that is unacceptable. Once, when the Supreme Intelligence absorbed the minds of a select few pink Kree, it was nearly destroyed by the resultant racial hatred that raged within itself. Near the end of the civil war, I was prepared to force myself into the Supreme Intelligence, to give away the billion billion minds that it had murdered.”

“So far, you’ve succeeded where the Supreme One failed,” Ver-Gull said. “For several years now, you have borne the burden of an entire species.”

“For those years, it was only myself,” Grieve said. “One man, using the memories of the dead to silently rebel against the Shi’ar and save whatever lives he could. Now I’m responsible for the safety of others, the security of the Kree as a whole. I will not risk the inevitable consequences should I lose control.”

“What is it that you think I can do?” Ver-Gull asked. “I don’t see how my training in regards to the mind can be of any value to you, sir.”

“In my brief time on Earth, I’ve learned a bit about them,” Grieve answered. “In the field of mental analysis and treatment, they are quite advanced. In their terms, my condition is a form of multiple-personality disorder, albeit a far more extreme case than anything encountered before. I’ve been compiling what I could of human theories and reports, but I lack the necessary training to make proper use of it. And besides, I can hardly treat myself.”

Ver-Gull nodded. “I’ll certainly need those files. But even with that, I seriously doubt that I’ll be able to help you. To the Kree, this is a relatively new field. I am still learning as I go along.”

“It will have to be enough,” Grieve said. “I’m not asking for a miracle, Ver-Gull. All we need to accomplish is for me to properly control and focus my memories. My sanity, and more important the safety of the Kree itself, may depend on it.”

It was then that Star Gate’s cold, metallic voice echoed throughout the room. “Grieve, the Skrullian cargo ship has entered Skrull territory. As per your commands, I have transported Var-Dann back here to the Corps Compound. He awaits you in the debriefing room.”

“Thank you Star Gate,” Grieve spoke aloud. “Inform him that I will be there momentarily.” Grieve then addressed Ver-Gull. “You are excused Corpsman. Our first session will be tomorrow, at 0500 hours.”

Ver-Gull nodded in understanding. The two exited to the room together, then walked off in different directions. Ver-Gull to her private quarters, and Grieve to the debriefing room.

Grieve entered to find an impatient Var-Dann awaiting him.

“What took you so long?” Var-Dann snarled. “I was waiting for almost two minutes.”

“Spare me the whining about the curse you carry known as super-speed,” Grieve snapped. “The Skrulls left without incident? Did they contact anyone?”

“Empress S'Byll herself,” Var-Dann said. “By attuning my body to the frequency, I was able to hear both sides of the conversation. She’s under the impression that we ambushed her ‘peaceful negotiating team’, and brutally slew the captain before being driven off by the superior Skrulls. Lousy lying Skrulls.”

“They will be punished,” Grieve said. “S'Byll is not nearly as foolish or deceitful as you may belief. She actually did send the Skrulls as a peaceful negotiation team. Unfortunately, they thought that they could curry favor by skipping the negotiations, and simply stealing a load of Cosmite.”

“She could still believe them,” Var-Dann argued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she leapt at the excuse to draw first blood. We should contact the Emperor, have the military mobilized for an immediate first strike!”

Grieve cut off Var-Dann with a raised hand. “S'Byll will do no such thing. While the Kree are currently a weak empire with a strong and organized center, the Skrull are still an empire of disorganized factions without a true homeworld. S'Byll would not risk a war at this point, even if she does believe the lies. Diplomats will meet, negotiations will be made, and the peace will hold.”

Var-Dann curled his lips into a gruesome snarl. “The Skrull’s don’t know the meaning of the word peace! They live for treachery and deceit. We must show them our strength, and scour them from the universe! We must-”

Though Var-Dann is one of a new breed of Kree mutated by the Nega Bomb, possessed of the ability to move at speeds greater than sound itself, he was taken completely unawares by the Grieve’s blow. Var-Dann fell to the floor, and looked up at the towering, angry Grieve that stood over him.

“I will permit none of that talk uttered in my presence,” ordered Grieve. “Whatever occurred between you and certain Skrulls is long over. Thousands of years of hatred has ended in two broken empires, and still so many have failed to learn. We must put aside our old hatreds and work together if we are to survive! Am I understood, Corpsman?”

Var-Dann nodded, his eyes betraying his hatred. “Understood, sir.”

Okay, it has been nearly a year since the last issue came out. I’m sorry. I had other things to deal with, and for a time my mind was drawing a blank with this title. And fortunately, because this is my creator-controlled title, I can take as long as I want between issues. But don’t worry, because I plan to have my next issue out soon.

Just as soon as I figure out what I’m going to write.

You see, this is a very unorganized title. I have some vague ideas of mentioning some aspects of Kree culture. I’m fairly sure that one of my stories will be through the eyes of an Earth ambassador, and of course I need to get around to writing in that Frightener guy who appeared in Captain Marvel #100. Maybe as part of an arc featuring Nightmare and such, to show that these entities aren’t exclusive to Earth. I honestly have no idea.

So enjoy this issue, send me feedback, maybe even pitch story ideas to me and be listed a co-writer of a future issue. I’m sure I’ll get around to more stories on my own, but help is always encouraged.

Hmm, come to think of it, I do know what’ll happen next issue. The Nega Man, that radioactive freak who crippled several Corpsmen during Coup’de Kree, wakes up. Probably have a huge fight, make some use of Dr. Minerva’s empathic abilities, and so on. Till then, sit tight.

Stephen Crosby