Divine Confessor's Story

Kianna released the man as his hands reached for his throat and his breath grew thready beneath the pressure that the Divine Shadow applied with nothing more than a gesture. Folding her hands into the sleeves of her robes she stood calmly at the presidents.

"I'll have the paper work drawn up," the president uttered hoarsely.

His hand shook as he pulled his glasses off and set them on the desk. You could spend a lifetime in power but when all was said and done, it was the moments like these that you would be remembered for. It was strange to be sitting there with everything crumbling around him, and the thought that lingered on his mind was that he would go down in history as the man who knelt to a tyrant with Isiria in open hands.

"Kneel and profess yourself to your god emperor," Kianna hissed at his back. "Profess your worship of the Divine Shadow for all of Isiria to witness."

There was a tremor in the mans hands as he rested them on the desk and rose to his feet. He had always been a proud man, and at times an ambitious man. Kneeling before the Divine Shadow did not come easily to him. It was with a weight of humiliation that he took to a knee with the aid of the desk in lowering himself.

His voice grew husky and the words came with difficulty. "I worship His Divine Shadow."

The Divine Shadow released the man, and then he looked down to the President. "A new age for these people begins now." He said, turning to Nagala. "Prepare a garrison. The Aschen flag will fly over this building, higher than the Isirian flag." He said, stepping back. "Aiyanna, disseminate footage to the media, so the people will know who their new ruler is."

"Let us return to Langara in celebration. I can hand the transition over to you, Admiral I know you will oversee everything properly." He said, turning back to Kianna.

"I see things much clearer, when there's no Coalition hunting us down. We must return to our home. There are members in our very own quorum, whom you must silence." He said, starting towards the door, leaving Aiyanna and Nagala in the room.

"And we will deal with Terra when it has become prudent. But I must wash away the old remnants of the Confederation, and bring in our new order."

The serenity of the night would be suddenly interrupted by five very loud bangs on the front door. Two Aschen marines, a CPF Officer, and a single purple robed Divine Confessor waited in the front porch.

Another moment went by and a second series of bangs echoed on the door, and the CPF Officer shouted.

"Occupational Authority!"

He then proceeded to bang on the door again, three loud bangs as the two Marines readied an explosive charge to stick to the door.

The knock at the door came as an unwelcome call. No one ever visited him at this hour. No one ever visited full stop. "Wrong door. You might want the neighbour. I've been complaining about their noise level for weeks. Or it might be the one down the road. I felt a disturbance earlier." He shouted out.

Dayson was not going to ruin his routine. No way in hell was he going to ruin it. It was time to do the washing up. Then time to get his pajama trousers on. Then it was time to go to bed. No where in that routine was there: answer the door to random strangers. It wasn't happening.

"Hope you find who you're looking for, goodnight." With that, Dayson went back to washing his dishes and stacking them to dry in just his boxers.

There was another pause, and then a deafening crack as the door was blown wide open and clean off it's hinges with explosives.

The Marines entered in first, clad in full combat gear and wielding their standard Disruptor rifles, the CPF Patrol officer followed suit, weapons drawn and aimed as the two Marines moved to clear each room of the house.

"Go go go!" The Officer called out, before coming up on the bedroom door.

'Bang' Came once as he kicked the door.

'Bang!' Twice.

And then the third time the door swung open, kicked by the single Aschen Officer, who lit up Dayson's form with a bright blue-white light.

"On the ground scumbag!" The CPF Officer called out, stepping aside as one of the Marines moved in, his weapon drawn.

"Hands where we can see them! Xeno Scum!"

Dayson finished the dishes... the moments silence allowing him to go to his bedroom. They must have moved on. Funny that he didn't have the chaos of people around his place in his head... It was like that girl from earlier. He'd just closed his bedroom door when a deafening crack filled the house and Dayson covered his ears wondering what the hell was going on. Moments later he had a blue-white light shining in his face, showing the man that was just standing there in red boxers, navy pajama bottoms in his hand.

"What on Earth is going on?" Dayson asked. "There's got to be some mistake. I'm a good model citizen." His hands moved so they could see them. Looking down the guns though were scary. "I haven't done anything wrong! What are you talking about? If you just put the guns down I'm sure we can talk about this and sort out who you're looking for."

Because ever the diplomat, Dayson thought his words could talk him out of this obvious mistake, just like his father taught him. And he'd never heard of himself referred to as Xeno before. He had no idea what that meant.

"What's Xeno? Who are they? I'm not Xeno!" He didn't do one thing though. And that was get on the ground. Because surely this was just some mistake. "It's my bedtime... I really should be getting to bed. If you can just describe who you're looking for maybe I can help..."

Dayson's place wasn't the one only being subjected to such measures. Similar shouts rang from other buildings in the neighborhood as the Illumene Police Department worked alongside the Aschen Marines and CPF officers. Lights were flicking on up and down the streets while officers ordered citizens back into their homes who had found their way out onto porches to see what was going on.

Several vehicles were parked alongside the road where a handful of citizens had already been detained and were being prepared for transport.

Not four houses down a police officer was speaking with a woman holding a small dog in her arms that was yapping its head off with its incessant barking.

"Ma'am, please go back inside and close your door," John McKendry told her. "This doesn't concern you or your family."

Once the woman had returned inside he sighed and made his way back down the steps towards the street where his partner was mingling with several other officers.

Flipping his flashlight on he looked at the papers in hand which had a list of names and addresses on them. It was going to be a long night.

The lead CPF Officer paused a moment, with the Marine keeping his rifle trained on the man, the Officer lowered his pistol, and slid it into his holster before withdrawing a piece of paper.

"Are you Dayson Gorm?" The CPF officer asked, and of course, should the man answer in the affirmative, the CPF officer would continue.

"By Decree of His Shadow, you are to be immediately arrested for being a mutant, and processed at the nearest Imperial garrison." He said, approaching Dayson.

"Hands behind your back, any sudden moves and this soldier will open fire." The CPF Officer added.

Commotion echoing all throughout the Lakeside District, bright white-blue spotlights wandering the darkened streets, a single PCF Airfrigate loomed overhead.

Dayson frowned. "Yeah, my names-" He was cut off before he could continue what he wanted to say. He tried to interrupt a few times. He moved his hands behind his back.

"I'm not a mutant... Can I at least get dressed?" Dayson did what the CPF Officer wanted. The last thing he wanted was to get shot. But he didn't want to end up outside in just his boxers.

"I'm sure this is some kind of mistake and I'm willing to cooperate if I can just get my clothes on first. Then we can sort this mess out." Most people could have used that to try and get a head start in running. Not Dayson though. He just wanted to get his clothes on and then he was fully willing to cooperate so that he could get himself out of whatever mess they thought he'd caused.

The Officer scowled, and then moved to cuff the man, but not before taking out his baton and moving to strike Dayson across the kneecaps.

"Don't backtalk me Mutant!" The Officer shouted, as the Marine lowered his weapon, the CPF Officer moving in for another swing.

With a broad stroke, he moved to swing the baton a second time, aiming for the side, and then a third time backhand swing, aiming for the thighs.

"Teach you to backtalk your new Imperial Masters, Mutant!"

At last the robed Confessor moved into the room, the Marine too approached with a metal collar, but they waited for the officer to conclude his beating.

One thing Dayson hadn't expected was to get beaten up. "Ouch!" He cried out "Stop!" Dayson's hands moved from behind his back to try and protect himself only to end up with him cuffed. The next two beatings resulted with Dayson on the floor trying to move away from the men that had so rudely entered his house.

He had no idea what they were talking about but the chaos wasn't just in his house. It was happening everywhere. His head was full of confusion. Screams and pain were traveling through him mingling with his own pain so that he couldn't tell if he was really in that much pain, or he was suffering other pain too.

"Stop. Please... I'm sorry... Can't we just work this out. I said I'd cooperate." Dayson told them, his eyes resting on the Marine that was carrying the collar.

What were they doing? What was that? And he spoke out again, voicing his thoughts. He couldn't read any of them and so all he could do was ask. "What's that thing for? Why are you doing this?"

The Officer screamed, then swung once more with the baton. "I Said shut the frak up!" He barked, and shortly after the man shouted his order, there were several pops a few houses down. Some residents had been lined up on the wall of their house and shot execution style.

Holding the baton up, the Officer waited, and the Marine moved to place the collar around Dayson's neck. The Psionic inhibition collar would work quickly to provide painful feedback to empathetic and telepathic abilities. Should the Collar be affixed, the Confessor would press a remote, and the collar would send a painful shock through Dayson's body.

Affixing the collar to a metal pole, the Marine yanked on the pole, to drag Dayson from his bedroom. And once outside the sheer ferocity of the carnage would become apparent.

---

Outside similar raiding groups were pulling 'Registered' People from their homes. Some resisted, some tried to fight back. One particular family within sight tried to keep the Aschen from taking their son, in a similar fashion.

They refused, the father reached for the Officer's rifle, trying to pull it from the man. A brief struggle ensued and the father was shot. A moment went by and the entire family was lined up and shot execution style with strange energy weapons. Green flashes of light dotted dark alleyways signifying executions all over the place.

The Officer moved to drag Dayson by his collar into a large van, throwing him in with a few other 'Registered' individuals. One of them made everything clear. Arastel had undergone some kind of alien invasion.

As soon as the collar was on Dayson (which he didn't put up a struggle with), he felt the shocks. He couldn't control his abilities. He didn't know how to just shut them off and stop them. "Argggggggggggggggh!" Dayson shouted as he spasmed with the shock that the Confessor gave him. And when he was dragged from the bedroom, that's what happened, he was pretty much dragged as he struggled to keep himself on his feet. But he managed to follow and outside he was shocked to see what was going on.

"Hey... you're murdering people!" Dayson managed to protest but he didn't struggle as he was thrown into the back of the van, several others also there.

"What's going on? What's happening?" He tried asking the others inside. "They're killing people out there."

The Van started to move, slowly through the streets while the raid kept going on.

"Aliens man, we got invaded by aliens. They're human like us, but they worship this 'God Emperor' They're rounding up everyone with special abilities, mutants they call them." One of them said, a CPF Officer calling out.

"Shut up back there!" He called out, before he flipped a switch, filling the back with some kind of sleeping gas, Dayson and his other captives would likely quickly fall asleep.

AHSC Reverence II Absolution
Flagship of the Imperial Occupation
Prison Block

Dayson would be knocked out cold from the potent gas, and would awaken to find himself in a strange, alien room. The collar around his neck was now attached to a metal chain, and Dayson would find himself completely naked.

The room itself was cold, there was no furniture. Only a hole for waste, and nothing else. The lighting was a dull violet color, and there was a shimmering blue force-field near the opening of the cell.

Dayson would find a succulent roast turkey meal sitting on a tray, along with an ice cold glass of water, stuffing and vegetables. When Dayson would go to reach for the meal however, the chain would go taut, and his fingers would be barely a few centimeters from the succulent meal, which the scent had filled the room.

Standing just outside the forcefield was a Confessor, who was watching with slight contemplation.

Dayson groaned as he started to come around. The last thing he remembered was getting attacked and thrown into a van. Something about aliens had being said. Human aliens. He realised he was shivering. It was cold. Dayson rolled over only to feel something tugging at his neck.

His eyes opened and Dayson panicked, struggling against the chain and collar before realising he couldn't escape. He looked around the room, frowning. He couldn't escape. He couldn't get himself out of the collar.

"HELP!" He shouted. "HELP ME!"

Dayson's nose and then eyes sensed the food. His stomach grumbled. How long had he being out. Frowning, Dayson stared at the food for a little while. Was this a trick? Was it poison? After a while, Dayson moved to grab the food. He was hungry. And just as he went to reach the plate his fingers stopped short. His middle finger just touching the edge of the plate, but not enough to get any kid of grip. Just the tip.

"I can't reach the food!" He shouted. "Someone help!"

And then he realised he was naked and screamed for his clothes in a panic, struggling against his bonds again.

The Confessor remained silent as he watched Dayson panic, struggling against the chain while bearing a sick and twisted grin behind his black mesh facemask.

The Force-field disengaged and the Confessor stepped forward, staring on while Dayson struggled.

A second minute went by, and a single Marine rolled a cart into the room, the Confessor reached for a cattle prod like device, then he touched it against the wall along a circuit attached to the metal loop. It sent a shock along the chain and into the collar.

"Welcome to Hell, abandon all hope, ye who enter here." The Confessor said, pacing around the man, just outside his reach.

The Confessor looked to Dayson, and shook his head only slightly. "Your world and your people are doomed." He said, continuing to pace about. "We will make slaves of your people." He reached up, and pulled up a holographic screen. The thermostat to the room, where he turned the temperature down only slightly.

"Tell me about yourself." The Confessor said simply

Meanwhile unbeknownst to Dayson, another figure watched on from within an observation room near at hand. The Black Hand had requested to personally oversee the handling of the mutants that had been rounded up, and her expression was one of passive neutrality as she watched on with her hands folded into the sleeves of her crimson robes.

The one way glass and speakers afforded her a visual and audio view of everything transpiring within the room but if there was any sympathy or compassion within the woman, it was well hidden beneath the shadowy cowls of her hood.

At her side stood a second confessor, who was informing her of the progress of their operation.

Dayson jumped in shock as someone entered the room and then behind the figure was another male - a male. Dayson had never been naked in front of anyone except his parents before and he quickly covered himself up as best as he could with his hands. Dayson watched with fear as the unknown figure picked up a caattle prod and the next thing he knew he collapsed to the ground from the pain as he screamed.

Once he'd recovered, he stayed lying on his stomach on the floor. He didn't dare move. He didn't want to feel anymore pain. But he was already feeling the drop in temperature as he processed what was been said. Slaves. They were making people like him slaves. People with powers.

"My name is Dayson. I'm 26 and I come from Lorhill. My parents are farmers there. I'm an empath and telepath. I don't know how to control it though. I'm sorry... Please... I just want to leave and go home. I promise I won't use them."

The Confessor shook his head. "Oh but you will." He said, pacing back and fourth, then he approached Dayson, and he stood over him.

"But you will." He said, tapping the man's back with the cattle prod, but not shocking him.

"Lorhill, New Haven. Ah An interesting world, a rural planet that would be of no consequence if we destroyed it." The Confessor said.

"You want to go home? What if I told you, you have no home to go too? That it was burning to cinders?"