The Koprulu Sector

by TheKopruluSectorUnion


Chapter 28: Old Timers

Sweetie Belle was happily making her way through the sewers towards Rain Sight's house. The fact she was so cheerful about killing someone might have been an indicator about the current state of her sanity, but she was too focused on Sovereign's betrayal at the moment to realize she wasn't in a sound state of mind. To help pass the time, Sweetie Belle began to sing a happy song out lout to herself.

I can't decide
Should Sovereign live or should he die?
I gave myself up to that stallion, he broke my heart and made me cry
No wonder why
I feel so dead inside
Soulless, hollow, empty eyes,
Lock and load, and say good bye
Bullets are gonna fly

Oh I could shoot you in the face,
Then I could launch you into space
I won't deny I'm going to miss you when you're gone
Oh I could burn you alive,
But somehow you might survive,
Then come back to kill me that's why

I can't decide
Should Sovereign live or should he die?...

Sweetie Belle wasn't aware just how much of her latent power had been unlocked during the last burst of rage she had experienced. Ordinarily her singing would only affect those near her, but now she was unknowingly sowing violence and chaos on the surface above while she continued making her way through the sewers. This was also making it very easy for Twilight to track her. All she needed to do was follow the chaos.

Sweetie was moving at a good pace, too fast for Twilight to get there in time. Her other plan was already in motion fortunately, though Twilight would have preferred to be in a position to oversee it personally. All she could do now was hope everything set in place played out to her advantage. Otherwise she could find herself at Hawkens' Mercy.


"So what are we looking at?" asked Karn as he looked at the chalk drawing on the ground of the dead Imperial.

"Male teenager, probably still in high school. He was doing stims in the alley. Most likely with friends. If so they didn't bother reporting it. Guess they didn't want their parents finding out they were skipping school to do drugs. Future infantry I tell you, every one of them" reported Eye Glass. "Aside from the obvious decapitation, the coroner reports he had a number of stab wounds. They aren't sure which of the two caused the death. Also one of his testicles was missing. Guess you could say someone..." Eye Glass paused to put on some sun glasses, even though it was night time. "Dropped the ball."

Karn sighed at the bad TV reference. "I can't believe that stupid show is on it's 38th season."

"Hey! CSI Korhal is a work of art!" argued Eye Glass. "It's half the reason I became a detective." Eye Glass was a large unicorn stallion in stature, and was also rather chubby around the sides. He had a red coat and brown mane, currently wearing a white dress shirt with brown pants. Though his cutie mark was covered, his was a trinity of eyes, each in a different primary color.

Karn ignored Eye Glass' comment and began to investigate the area for his prey. "You know, I used to kill people for a living. I could have probably had my own TV show back in my prime with all the missions I used to do," said Karn.

"And I could have played professional hoof ball back in my prime," said Eye Glass. "We all get old eventually Karn. Well most of us anyway. You ever regret it? Choosing to marry into a Confederate family and becoming mortal?" asked Eye Glass. His horn began to glow a bright yellow light around the crime scene.

The light revealed tiny claw marks in the pavement. At least it did for Karn. The marks were far too small and inconspicuous to tell apart from just another chip or crack in the pavement. Years tracking targets in the Dark Order had given Karn an eye for detail. He followed the tiny claw marks in the pavement as he replied. "Some days" said Karn. "There are some things I wish could have turned out different but... I would probably do it all the same if I had to choose." Karn noticed the tiny claw marks stopped near a man hole.

"How is Rain Sight doing? Any luck finding a husband yet? If she doesn't start dating soon, you might not ever get to be a granddad." said Eye Glass. "On that note, I do have a nephew around her age. Just something to consider."

Karn used his horn lift open the man hole, and was assaulted by the stench of sewage. "Actually she met someone recently" he said.

"What do you think of him?" asked Eye Glass.

"Well... in more way than one, he isn't very impressive " he replied. "But he seems a nice enough guy. If all goes well, I might be a grandfather yet." Karn checks the edge of the wall in the sewer and finds one tiny claw mark. "I think I found where our run away disappeared to."

"Right," began Eye Glass "I'll call for some back up and-"

"No need. We got this," said Karn.

"You have got to be kidding," said Eye Glass. "Come on, we have every right to call this one in now. Let the scrubs handle sewer detail."

"Hey! DI sent me to you guys for a reason," argued Karn. "I'm not about to let someone else do my job."

Eye Glass sighed. He could tell this was just Karn convincing himself that he was still a vital asset to Dominion Intelligence. "Karn, they sent you because K-Sec requested their assistance, and you were deemed the least important asset they could spare. You were chosen to track a zerg, not retrieve it. Our job is done here, you know that as well as I do."

"In case you've forgotten, I've been hunting down targets since those colts were still in diapers," said Karn.

"That's what I'm worried about. You aren't in the shape you used to be in Karn," countered Eye Glass. "Can you even stand on two hooves still?"

Karn quickly stood up on two hooves and activated a warp blade on each forward hoof to show he could still maintain a fighting stance. Though doing so did cause a loud cracking noise in more than one joint, and a slight expression of discomfort on his face. "See... I can still stand."

Again Eye Glass sighed. "Alright I won't call it in. But you got to say it!"

"No!" demanded Karn.

"It's the only way" said Eye Glass.

Karn knew there was only one way short of killing Eye Glass to keep him from calling in for back up. He sighed and muttered something quietly.

"I didn't catch that" said Eye Glass.

Again Karn muttered, slightly louder this time.

"One more time, a little louder."

"Arrgh.... I'm getting to old for this shit," said Karn regretfully.

Eye Glass let out a laugh. "Come on, that was great movie and you know it! Besides, you do a good Roger Murtaugh."

Karn shook his head. "Can we get started now?" asked Karn.

"Yeah yeah, lets go" said Eye Glass.

Karn entered the sewer first. Eye Glass entered second and lit the area so Karn could begin to search for the next claw mark. It only took a few seconds for him to find it and the two stallions were again on the rogue zerglings trail.

Karn new what Eye Glass said was true about Dominion Intelligence sending him only because they didn't feel like sending someone more important, but Karn also knew he was still the best choice for tracking down a target. Age had done little to dull his keen sense of detail. As long as he still had a job to do, he would show everyone that he could still do the job right.

Eye Glass however was less than enthusiastic about the current situation. "You know Karn, we could be at a bar right now, watching a game, having a beer, not smelling like sewage. Instead you insist on a chasing a zergling through the sewers. A job no one will even thank you for," said Eye Glass.

"I don't know what I'd do without your company," said Karn. "Now shut up and keep the light going."

"So, this potential son in law, what's he do for a living?" asked Eye Glass.

"He's... between jobs right now" said Karn.

"You're going to let her marry an unemployed bum?" asked Eye Glass.

"He isn't a bum. He is... was a historian. He just lost his job recently. I'm sure we'll figure something out," said Karn.

"I hope so. I'd hate to see Rain Sight throw away her career over some stallion she barely knows." said Eye Glass.

"I appreciate your concern, but she likes this guy. I like him too. Believe me when I say he may be her only chance to be a mother, so I willing to support her decision," said Karn. "That and we have a lot in common he and I."

Eye Glass accepted the answer and let it go. He looks around the sewers for a moment before making his next comment. "Kind of sad how far we've fallen eh buddy? We're pretty much glorified dog catchers right now."

Karn didn't take much comfort in his words which weighed with an unfortunate truth to them. "Well let it not be said we can't still carry our own weight. We still hold the record for most spies caught in our lifetime right? Got that much at least."

"I guess that's true" said Eye Glass. "Aww gross, what is that smell? I thought the sewage was bad but..."

Karn turned a corner to find a dead zergling in the sewers. Someone has already beaten them to it.

"Well... I guess that takes care of that. Too bad it's dead though. There was a bounty for bringing it in alive" said Eye Glass.

Karn took a closer examination of the body, then looked around site further. "A bit of help here?" asked Karn.

Without response, the light emitting from Eye Glass's light turned from a yellow light to a blue light. A few bright white blood drops could be seen leading away from the zerg's body down the tunnel, but ended shortly afterwards.

"Well, so much for that approach" said Eye Glass. "Trail ends only after a few yards."

"That's all I needed," said Karn. "Bring that light over here and shift focus until I say to stop."

Eye Glass did as Karn asked and intensified the light, slowly altering the color. When it finally turned a shade of greenish yellow Karn told him to stop. "Ok... now what?" asked Eye Glass

Karn further examined the ground and found slight disturbances in the dust. Hoof prints. "I think I just found who stole your bounty" said Karn.

Eye Glass couldn't tell what Karn was looking at, but he had learned by now not to question Karn's tracking skills.

"Just stay beside me and keep your horn towards the ground" said Karn. The two stallions continued to make their way through the tunnel in search of their new target.


A number of Templar warriors gathered in the hangar bay as a retrieval drone brought in the crate. If their scanners were to be trusted, it held a cryo chamber in it, along with one life form. Though it seemed at first glance they had won, Starsong learned from his last experience with Dominion Intelligence not to underestimate them. His crew believed he was simply being paranoid, but he felt it was best to take the necessary precautions.

A dozen warriors pointed their psi casters at the crate, ready to fire on anything unexpected. The wrist mounted weapons were powered by each Templar's own psionic potential. They could be used to deliver a blast a psionic energy at a very long range that could burn steel and flesh alike. In close quarters, the psi casters energy could be focused into a short beam, and used as a psi blade for hand to hand combat.

Starsong himself was also in the bay, with six warriors standing at each of his sides. Lightning crackled around him as he prepared himself to face whatever threat revealed itself. He unfortunately wasn't 100% focused on the situation as he used one of his hooves to scratch his groin area.

"Captain are you alright? You've been doing that for a few days now" commented one of the warriors.

"No I'm not. I've had a burning irritation down there these last few days that just won't go away. I don't know what it is exactly, but I think that Imperial mare I... encountered on Raydin IV did something to me. Don't worry though. It's nothing major, I'll live" said Starsong. He gave out an order through the Khala ordering for some robots.

A quadruplet of robots formed a square around the container and erected a shield. For all Starsong knew, the Imperial agents may have booby trapped it with a bomb. If so, hopefully that shield would be enough to contain the blast. After insulting what he may as well have considered their demi-god, he was certain they had something planned for him.

With the Templar and shields in place, a temporary opening in the shield was created to allow a fifth robot to enter and begin opening the container. Inside it found the cryo pod, and nothing else. The shields lowered, and two warriors cautiously entered the container and searched the inside for any signs of trouble. All seemed well, and two more robots pulled out the cryo pod.

Starsong couldn't believe it. Nothing. No explosions, no agent trying to slit his throat, no poison gas releasing into the air. Could his crew have been right about him being paranoid?

Starsong examined the inside of the cryo chamber and indeed found his missing Dark Templar, though in much worse condition than when he had last seen her. Whoever put Seeker in that pod did a real number on her. She was completely naked, and Starsong could see she had a massive cut on her side, as well as a number of other slashes through out her body. Her rib cage seemed a bit misshaped; obviously her ribs had been broken.

Most notable was her face. While he never said it out loud, he did consider her a creature of beauty. Now her face had large slash on its right side. Her eye socket had been smashed, and cut open, completely destroying the eye. Whatever medical attention she had received before being stuffed into this device was clearly done in haste, and with very sloppy effort.

"Is she stable?" he asked one of the robots. One of them scanned her body, then sent the data through the Khala to the ships medical bay. Starsong was informed through the Khala shortly afterwards that she was in an stable state, but that waking her too quickly could put her in a permanent coma. Clearly her captors didn't seem to care if she ever woke up, though that made him question what their intentions with her were. What good was a Dark Templar who couldn't be interrogated?

He stared at her face with a mixture of pity and gratitude. Dominion Intelligence had him at their mercy as well. The fact they only had one cryo pod meant that if it weren't for her presence, it would have been his broken body in that pod instead. In a way he owed her his life.

Starsong said to one of the robots, "Take her to medical, and have her thawed slowly. Take as much time as you need, I don't want to risk doing any further damage to her," he commanded.

"Does it matter anymore sir?" asked a Templar. "We've completed our mission. We can return home now. As long as she isn't in enemy hands, what would it matter if she lives or dies."

The warrior spoke an unfortunate truth. No one really cared for her kind, and as long as she no longer posed a threat to the Khala, his crew probably wasn't going to put much effort into her own well being. Her behavior when they were trying to rescue that civilian vessel from the Diamond Dog raiders did little to earn her any popularity.

In all fairness, she made very little effort at all to connect with the crew, and showed she cared little for the honor and traditions of the Templar. Even so Starsong knew the true nature of their mission, and he would need her to help track down Sovereign. While anyone could simply extract the details from Starsong's mind while he was in the Khala, no one had yet tried. Though he would soon have to share those details if he wanted to convince the crew to stay in Consortium space.

That notion he found particularly troubling.

He needed her alive, but once the Prophet finds out he has her on his ship, she will most likely insist on him handing Seeker over. Against the fleet she had brought with her, Starsong knew he would be able to do little to stop the Prophet from killing Seeker. After seeing how the Prophet was willing to discipline her men for even the most minor infraction, Starsong was certain she would be more than willing to destroy the Radiance and everyone on board if it ended in Seeker's demise. That was something the rest of the crew would probably not be willing to get on board with.

But the Templar were devoted to the Matriarch's will. Starsong was confident that even if they didn't agree with the mission, they would still carry out their duties to the death. A fate which he knew would be an inevitability for many of his crew as long as he stayed in Consortium space. Though a loss of morale was something he would rather avoid, it seemed inevitable under the current circumstances.

As the robots took Seeker to the medical bay, Starsong dismissed his warriors. He began to examine the container, and indeed found nothing else but a metal casing. Scans of the container revealed no signs of any other electronics or life forms on board. No heartbeat, no electrical discharge. Just plain, ordinary metal. Though as Starsong further examined the backside of the containers outside, he noticed something. There was a puncture on the back. It wasn't made by a piece of floating debris.

No this was done with a shaped device. It looked as if something had been lodged into the back, like some kind of hook. "A grappling hook!" Starsong quickly sent a signal through out the Khala. "Red Alert status. All Templar to their stations. We have an intruder on board!"