《Beretta State》 Chapter One Various Spirit Fish The merciless sun was swollen eye that scoured and bleached the earth below. In great waves did the heat come, singeing the skin and shimmering off the barren landscape asfar as the eye could see. Thin stands of withered trees bent into themselves as if hiding from the scorching sunlight, and blackened rocks crumbled as if giving in to the same torment. Across this wasteland a billowing cloud of dust raged and thundered ¨C a hurricane of debris left in the wake of a cascading formation. Fifty proud fighting matatus bearing the mark of the Beretta State heaved and snarled through the desert landscape. At the head of the fearsome configuration, the agile corvette and scout matatus skimmed and trimmed across the earth, bearing such names as Viper Saffron and Egret; their streamlined bodies and wide stances radiated alacrity, and their whispering engines sung to the dunes as they exploded past. Behind them now came the destroyers. Larger and heavier than the scouts, their armaments gleamed and glinted in the blades of sunlight, and their turbo charged engines spooled and whined as they kept pace with the swift corvettes. With high shoulders and thick armour, such destroyers as Limitless, Bharam, and Taita were quintessential to the Beretta State¡¯s continued success. Falling in behind them, the mighty dreadnaughts declared themselves amidst jets of flame and deep, resonating booms of authority. Up and down their flanks venomous weapons pivoted and ticked as technicians aboard tested their responsiveness and precision. From atop the iconic shoulders of Engedi the infamous rail gun Columbia momentarily cut across the face of the sun, boldly challenging the earth and sky in the way only the fiercest and most valiant matatus could muster. They exuded frenzy and pandemonium as they rampaged across the landscape, clearing the way for the centre of the Beretta defense grid; the crown jewel of the Sankara Armada ¨C The Duika. The flagship of the entire Beretta enterprise, the Duika rocked head and shoulders above the rest of the fleet casting a lustrous black shadow that blotted out the world. Her wheels of crystalized flower petals were a blistering typhoon, and twisted with the same kinetic fury as jet turbines. She was a magnificent machine that struck fear into the hearts of evil doers everywhere, and in every line of her body captured the very essence of adventure and destiny. No matatu in the world could match her spirit, and her rippling wave of authority could be felt by every matatu pilot and captain in the south.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. [spoiler][\spoiler] Standing noble atop the prow of the soaring flagship, a woman with a wild mane of black hair and billowing cloaks cut her eyes on the horizon. She was tall and lithe and all those who looked upon her immediately recognized her as a force of nature. Her eyes bloomed and folded like lotus flowers and held in their depths a restless shimmering light akin to those shafts of moonlight playing on the ripples of an effervescent pool. Her name was Iman Maridadi, and she was the Captain of the Beretta State. She smiled, and felt her heart leap and soar as she took in the awe-inspiring sight of the armada flowing out before her. How lucky am I, she thought, to have met so many who were willing to stake their lives on adventure and wonder! The Beretta State was on the move. Iman spared one last glance at the world before she pivoted on her heel, and with her long, easy steps, carried herself to the command bridge of the Duika. On arriving she sought her first officer, Mansur Kariuki, and asked him this: ¡°What word of Lyra and her scouts?¡± Mansur saluted crisply. He was as tall as his captain, but his shoulders were set much wider and from beneath his uniforms the sculpted physique of a warrior developed itself. His hair was cropped, his cheekbones were high, and his eyes sparked golden-brown; his whole face was in the attitude of a severe raptor ¨C some agile bird of prey. ¡°Captain, the Echo Crab has secured the campsite,¡± His voice was quiet but full, ¡°The major and her scouts reported no majitu activity. The fleet will arrive within the hour.¡± Iman clapped him on the shoulder warmly. ¡°A new land stretches out before us, and the unseen hand of destiny beckons the Duika to parts unknown. What new adventures await us in the Chalbi Quarter?¡± Mansur¡¯s intense eyes softened as his face creased into a warm smile, ¡°My heart races at the prospects!¡± Thus, the Beretta State billowed onwards in high spirits towards Major Lyra Hawa and her scouting party at the deep desert outpost. The jovial atmosphere was shattered as a cry came through the speakers. ¡°Smoke! Smoke to the east!¡± It was the panicked voice of one of the spotters in the Duika¡¯s watchtower. Iman¡¯s head snapped to the direction of the callout and her blood ran cold. Sighting the column of carbon smoke through a pair of lenses, a shivering splinter of fear set itself against her heart. the smoke was rising from the very same spot where Lyra and her scouts were stationed! The thought of her fellow Berettas in danger gave haste and urgency to Iman¡¯s already fearsome decision-making capabilities. In the space between breaths, she thought the entire situation through, taking in mind all possible scenarios and outcomes, and decided on a course of action before anyone else could fully grasp the situation. Iman gave her orders. ¡°Get a hold of Lyra, Beretta,¡± She said to the nearest radio operator, keeping her voice steady and firm. The operator rushed to his task but returned in the negative. ¡°I¡¯m getting nothing but dead air from Major Hawa and the Echo Crab, Captain,¡± There was a slight tremor in his voice. Iman didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Send the call to the Viper, code LANKA if you please.¡± Now she turned to Mansur, ¡°Put the fleet at ALERT one.¡± A shape of tension and danger passed over the Beretta Armada as the dreadnaughts and destroyers raced to complete Iman¡¯s orders by spacing themselves out and disengaging their weapon¡¯s locking mechanisms. Meanwhile, at the head of the fleet, commander Amar Nabeen of the Viper Saffron initiated the code LANKA protocol. In one explosive detonation of speed, the Saffron disengaged its cruise limiters and began to climb to its perilous top speed. With every second the Viper outstripped the pace of the armada, its prodigious engine carved of salt and sunlight howled and echoed among the charred hills of the desert like the wild scream of a charging stallion. No matatu in the south could match its scintillating top speed, and Amar Nabeen and his crew had undergone special conditioning in order to physically endure the force of the Viper¡¯s acceleration. Within minutes, the streaking Viper Saffron had arrived at the source of the smoke. Commander Nabeen clenched his jaw as he took in the sight before him. With a heavy hand he reached for the radio and swallowed. ¡°Commander Nabeen to Duika, come in Duika.¡± ¡°Amar, what did you find?¡± it was Iman¡¯s voice that came through the speaker. ¡°Captain Maridadi¡­¡± Commander Nabeen¡¯s voice faltered, ¡°¡­It is my duty as a proud Beretta to describe what I see before me, but I fear that my heart may give out before my narration has concluded.¡± Some kilometers away aboard the Duika, Iman¡¯s heart convulsed. Nabeen continued. ¡°Ahead of me, in the sandy depression where we were to make our camp, I see the smouldering ruins of those three matatus that we sent here as scouts. The twisted wreckage of the Echo Crab lies to the north, and the red flames coiling around the remains of the once so nimble Hibiscus send up the black smokes that called us hither. I see only a fragment of the iridescent hull of the Natan, such was the ferocity of the assault that befell it. ¡°And it was an assault Captain! I see shell casings and churned up soils, ruinous craters and the staccato trails of bullet impacts on the rocks ¨C the surest signs of heavy matatu conflict!¡± It was just as Iman feared. ¡°Amar, I will ask just one more question of you, and the answer you give will decide the development of events from here on:¡± Her voice was as cool as a mountain spring, ¡°What is the condition of the Berettas on those three fated matatus?¡± Amar Nabeen struggled when he spoke and his voice shook like a taught rope. ¡°Captain¡­ I see motionless bodies dyed crimson¡­ I recognize my friends.¡± Iman¡¯s blood roiled beneath her skin and her eyes flashed dangerously. ¡°Secure the perimeter and secure the bodies, Amar. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡± As the armada approached the desert outpost, a deep grief overspread the fleet as each Beretta digested the news. Aboard the destroyer, Hotel Saxony, Commander Haska gently helped a young Beretta to his feet; his legs having given out on hearing the news. On seeing who was assisting him, he hastily scrambled back to his place and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Commander Haska. Forgive my weakness.¡± Samira Haska, though usually so stern with the Berettas under her command, said this: ¡°The deep feelings we share with the other members of this miraculous alliance are not a source of weakness, Lieutenant. No matter how many times you fall, I will pick you up, and if I am not here another Beretta will. That is what makes us strong. That is what those who cross us come to fear.¡± Chapter Two Iman Maridadi looked down at the bodies of her friends. There were fifteen in all. Sorrow and anger tangled inside her as she took in the features of the Berettas who had just a few hours ago, been so full of life. Her eyes came to rest on Lyra Hawa and her heart almost gave out. She remembered the evenings she and Lyra spent watching the stars, and her composure slipped. She carried herself away from her motionless allies and walked across the battlefield, keeping clear of the Berettas who hurried to clean away the wreckage. She glanced up and shielded her eyes from the setting sun, watching the great silhouette of the Engedi as it guarded the encampment. She made her way over to her intelligence officers who were crouched in the sands examining the wreckage of the Echo Crab. A shrewd looking woman with dancing eyes and arrow-straight hair unbent herself from her task on seeing Iman. ¡°Captain.¡± She said, bowing her head respectfully in greeting. ¡°Pray tell, Rania Tahan,¡± Iman said in her quiet voice, ¡°What have the Nairobi Eye discovered?¡± Rania took a shuddering breath. ¡°Our Berettas were ambushed in this valley and taken apart. That much is obvious. but what sends our hearts into tremors, is that we can find no signs whatsoever of an enemy.¡± Iman cocked her head. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°See here,¡± Rania said pointing at the various tracks crisscrossing the valley floor, ¡°These tracks belong to our fated scouts ¨C notice the figure-eight motions and the looping maneuvers? All tactics used by the Berettas when fighting other matatus, yet there are no enemy tracks!¡± Iman studied the tracks for but a moment before saying, ¡°If Lyra had them in these formations then we can rule out a majitu attack.¡± She looked up to the surrounding elevations and continued, ¡°So they were cut down from afar. Surely those villains left some mark of their presence up on those dunes.¡± ¡°None that the Eye can find, Iman.¡± The corners of Rania¡¯s mouth were tight with frustration. ¡°We¡¯ve been searching since we arrived.¡± Just then the crackling voice of a Beretta came through Rania¡¯s radio. ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve found something!¡± Iman smiled at Rania as they made their way up the dunes toward a group of waving Berettas. ¡°None that the Eye can find yet.¡± Rania smiled, and in a moment, they arrived before the group of Berettas ¨C these ones also bearing the mark of the Nairobi Eye. ¡°What is it, Major?¡± Iman asked a bespectacled Beretta. The man swallowed and said, ¡°Oil. Just a few drops, but its fresh.¡± ¡°Perhaps a Beretta bullet ruptured an oil line,¡± Rania said crouching down to the dark rosettes on the golden sand. A shadow came over her brow and she muttered as if to herself, ¡°But there are no tracks¡­ How can a matatu travel over these delicate dunes without leaving a memento of its passing?¡± ¡°There are many strange and wondrous things in this city,¡± Iman said, her eyes taking on a distant look. ¡°Lyra and her Berettas gave us the means to follow those who turned them over to darkness ¨C tracks or no, we can follow the drops of oil to the villains who crossed us.¡± Iman held Rania¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Or are they too faint to track?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Rania laughed. ¡°No, Iman. Snooper can follow any trail.¡± The proud captain smiled a grim smile. ¡°Then release the hound!¡± A few minutes later Iman and a special task force rolled out of the defensive perimeter and into the dunes. The first stars glittered in the pale purple brushstrokes of evening-time, and the Duika, lording over the Beretta State encampment swiftly disappeared over the horizon. Four matatus raced over the sandy bluffs amidst the rapidly encroaching ink of night. At the head of the convoy was Snooper, a matatu teeming with state-of-the-art tracking technology. Strange antennae and bulging dishes covered its surface, all in aid of picking up on the minutest of trails. In this manner, it spied the tiny dots of oil on the shifting sands and set a vector for the rest of the squad to follow. Rania Tahan stood at its helm. Behind her, Commander Hana Hatasu brought his interceptor matatu, Snow Pharaoh, in line with the projected route. Twin Joho machine guns rotated independently as the gunners swept them back and forth across the dark dunes, wary of any surprise attacks. In the destroyer Mollyhock, Iman Maridadi surveyed the task force with her strange, rippling eyes, completely confident in Rania¡¯s ability to track the low scum who had killed their friends. She sipped from a cool drink of water and reposed in the captain¡¯s chair like a lazy predator, waiting for the first glimpse of her prey. Finally, bringing up the rear of the swift unit was the interceptor Sheda¡¯in, piloted and commanded by Rama Sinclair, the undisputed ace of the State. Though he was headstrong and arrogant, his deft control of a matatu frame and the extreme precision of his guns were the stuff of legend. On and on the convoy leapt into the vaulted ceilings of the desert night. The Snooper set its instruments on the search and pulled the convoy ahead like an excited dog on a leash. All Berettas on the mission were motivated by a seething desire for vengeance, but also a deep curiosity about what they would find at the end of the trail. Hour bled into hour as they wreathed themselves in midnight. Suddenly, Rania¡¯s voice crackled through the speakers of the Mollyhock, ¡°Bad news Captain, the trail is drying up!¡± ¡°keep on the track Rania,¡± Iman leaned forward, ¡°Have your navigators conjure a series of projected routes ¨C we will not let those savages escape.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain.¡± Thus it was, that in the small hours of the morning, the constant churning of the desert sands swallowed up the last of the oil droplets. The trail had gone cold. But the Beretta State were still on the hunt. Iman had in her possession an ancient map from the Millennium Age ¨C an incredibly rare and valuable object that pointed to the true contours and dimensions of the Marza, the Dark City. Overlaying this artefact over more modern maps showed a long-lost enclave deep in the desert; at one point, a trading outpost. Gathering the projected routes from the Snooper¡¯s navigators and combining them with her maps, Iman found her answers. The enemy most likely had a base there. ¡°Rania, the Snooper and her crew has performed their task admirably, but now is the time for Mollyhock to lead the way.¡± Iman¡¯s voice now came through the speakers of the other matatus, ¡°DENKI formation Berettas, and be sharp about it. Put your matatus on these coordinates.¡± Iman duly sent the information to her team. Snow Pharaoh and Sheda¡¯in fell in on the flanks of the destroyer, and Snooper brought up the rear. The mission was only an hour or so from their target. With the first lights of dawn, Snooper picked up a hidden matatu signature. Rania leapt up and snatched the radio from the operator. ¡°Iman, we have a contact! A single matatu signature ¨C dreadnaught class, just up ahead.¡± ¡°Showtime.¡± The lights in Iman¡¯s eyes flickered like lightning in the belly of a cloud. Mollyhock, chosen for this mission because of her incredible endurance and fearsome arsenal, crested the elevation, and the rising sun glittered on her palatial shoulders and tremendous guns. Below her, at the foot of the dune, the enemy of the Beretta State captured the atmosphere like a great anchor. Though Mollyhock was resplendent in the sun¡¯s newborn fires, the matatu that sighed up at her was an authority in an entirely different league. Running up and down her length, so that they almost looked like hairs, row upon row of black guns cast their judgment, and on her stern-most decks, a fearsome gun ¨C an easy rival of that famous railgun Columbia ¨C commanded the airs surrounding it. A wild smile caught Iman as she picked out the golden letters emblazoned across the intimidating machine¡¯s prow. Mogwai. Chapter Three ¡°So, this is the creature that saw fit to take our friends from us.¡± Iman¡¯s voice sounded like the last winds in September, and her strange eyes rippled and danced. ¡°The retribution of the Beretta State will be as a scouring pad, cleaning this blight off the face of the earth.¡± ¡°Captain, picking up G emissions ¨C they¡¯re targeting us!¡± A young Beretta officer turned his wide eyes to her. ¡°Battle stations, Berettas!¡± Iman stood to clear her orders, ¡°Let the Mollyhock speak!¡± The early morning tranquility was shattered by the cuffing roars of the Mollyhock¡¯s broadside armaments. The dunes rippled and the dark matatu Mogwai ¨C so mysterious with its lack of tracks ¨C rocked and stumbled under the concussive onslaught from the Beretta State¡¯s heavy destroyer. The dark machine snarled into life and its myriad guns chattered and sparked sending a cloud of lead up to the Berettas. In the same instant, its strange tires blurred forth and made to carry the monster out of its unfavourable tactical position. Iman smiled as the bullets crumpled harmlessly on the Mollyhock¡¯s thick hide. The Mogwai leapt up out of the dune with astonishing speed, but all its energies were focused on the Mollyhock and it didn¡¯t make a move to defend itself from the Snow Pharaoh until it was far too late. Swooping in out of the rising sun in the east, the Pharoah tilted its twin Joho guns towards the opposite flank of the Mogwai and tore open a seam in the side of the strange matatu. The iconic stuttering bark of the Joho guns was like music to Iman¡¯s ears, and Commander Hatasu brought the Pharaoh well clear of the Mogwai¡¯s boiling counterattack. Now the dark matatu swung its giant cannon in Iman¡¯s direction. She and her Berettas stared down its rifled barrel without an ounce of fear. With blurred hands the pilots pivoted the Mollyhock out of the canon¡¯s firing line and made a charge for the cover of the nearby dunes. The Sheda¡¯in announced itself in the same moment by launching a ruinous rocket that caught the Mogwai¡¯s proud gun on its snout, and disabled the weapon entirely. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Without letting up the pressure, Rama Sinclair guided his blade of a matatu right up to the wheel base of the dreadnaught, right under the firing cones of its defensive guns, and fired a second rocket into the imposing matatu¡¯s miraculous wheels. Mogwai gave a shuddering jump, then leaned severely into the sands and under the titanic weight of its own inertia, buried its nose deep into the shifting dunes and tore itself in half from the scar the Snow Pharaoh wrought. The Berettas gathered themselves in a semi-circle around the stricken matatu as its fuels caught and went up in flames. Iman watched with grim satisfaction as the black smokes, so similar to those of her fated scouts, billowed up into the atmosphere. ¡°Such a fearsome contour,¡± Rama Sinclair said to himself as he eyed the fallen matatu, ¡°Yet it moved only as an ambush predator ¨C when it became the prey, the creature was undone in an instant¡­¡± Suddenly, from within the glowing wreckage, a hunched figure wrapped in a flaming cloak stumbled out before the Beretta court. With a twitch of its arm, it tore the flaming cloth from its body and roared its challenge to the merciless matatus surrounding it. Iman was out on the ground striding toward the figure before anyone on the bridge even noticed her absence. Her eyes were like ice, and her jaw was set. The figure revealed itself to be a jitu ¨C a lesser demon from some fathom of the Dark City ¨C and it slung a heavy rifle off its shoulder, leveling at Iman¡¯s head as she marched over. Its face was a horned skull, and its chitinous body was brightly coloured and ornamented. It stood a good two feet taller than the Beretta Captain. ¡°Iman Maridadi,¡± its rasping voice clattered across the dry air, ¡°You have committed a grave sin by striking against us.¡± Without breaking her stride Iman split the creature¡¯s skull with a heavy bullet from her revolver, and she walked over its still twitching corpse to get a closer look at the Mogwai¡¯s wheels. The intense heat of the raging fire meant she couldn¡¯t get too close, but even from this distance she could feel the influence of some power emanating from the strange matatu¡¯s tires. A power that she was familiar with. ¡°So this is how you were able to glide across the dunes without ever leaving a trace of your passage¡­¡± Iman spat on the ruin and climbed back onto the haunches of the Mollyhock. From her perch, she signalled the Berettas to return to the desert camp. On the return journey, Rania asked Iman about the Mogwai¡¯s tires. ¡°How was that monstrosity able to move so delicately, Iman?¡± ¡°Its tires were blessed by Tuasa.¡± ¡°The desert god?!¡± ¡°The very same.¡± ¡°But how is it possible that you recognize the aura of the desert star himself?¡± ¡°That is a story for another time,¡± Iman laughed, ¡°For now, let us hurry back to the embrace of our friends.¡± Every Beretta listening in on the conversation shook their head in wonder and joined Rania in a hearty, ¡°Aye Captain!¡± The four matatus whistled into the new day, homeward bound and ready for whatever adventure next awaited the Beretta State. END.