The Reluctant Ranger Interlude - Maraline

The halls were so dreadfully sterile, there was no life to anything on the dreadful ship, at least outside of the labs.  Mutants were always being grown, experiments being performed that pushed the limits of what could be done with biology.  It was such a waste of resources, all spent to conquer a world in a way that would prevent irradiation at the native human’s own hands. 

Why The Prime Administrator insisted upon setting their sights on such an underdeveloped world, she could not fathom.  The Sylan improved by assimilating lesser races, bringing their technology with them when conquered and added to the empire.  The species would then be controlled, with their innovations fed into their war machine and their ever continuing expansion. 

Earth would have been easy to conquer if they had just presented themselves as benevolent liberators, anyone not a fool could see that.  Yet, their ‘all knowing’ leader insisted the best course of action was a lengthy and violent conquest.  Her manifesto for winning over the human population was rejected outright.  

Maraline didn’t see things like The Prime Administrator did, she actually took time to study the race she was meant to subjugate and rule.  Nicole had been a prime example of the human race and how easily a presented kindness would win them over.  It was too late for that approach, they were already billed as the evil invaders. 

Which wasn’t far from the truth given the employed methods. 

What they were planning was horrific, she had studied the conquest of dozens of worlds at her people’s hands.  The invasion of the Earth was actually ahead of schedule, surprisingly enough, despite the flawed plan.  The emergence of another Ranger team was expected, they couldn’t control the selection completely, but they could direct it with planned out attacks. 

She didn’t pretend to understand how The Prime Administrator came to those conclusions, just that each attack was calculated.  That was why she was currently being ‘guided’ to speak with them.  Nobody ever met The Prime Administrator in person, the few other Generals she had spoken to often speculated that The Prime Administrator wasn’t even on the ship, but far away directing multiple conquests at once. 

She could believe that, given how hands off their leader often was, which was why the current meeting had her nervous.  The actions she had taken were within her directives to study the species and plan incursions, but the losses had been beyond expectation.  She had allowed her frustrations to cloud her judgment and sent far more automatons than necessary.  The Rangers had prevailed handily, but at least there was plenty of useful data to show for it.  She’d almost sent a mutant after them when the summons had come, and she had no choice but to answer. 

Arriving at a wide door, the two shock troopers saluted, it almost made her want to laugh.  They were controlled by a simplistic VI programmed with a handful of combat routines, there was no thought to them, no creativity.  They weren’t even resource intensive, being built with replicators powered by the ship’s reactors. 

And there was no way that was going to be exhausted anytime soon, not with the power source they had harnessed.  It made her wonder what could be on that primitive rock that had The Prime Administrator so desperate to conquer them rather than just stage a coup and depose their corrupt governments.  They did it just two centuries prior with the Amaraks and the Sylan were hailed as liberators.  Now the species practically worshiped them for it. 

Why weren’t humans being given that same courtesy?

She didn’t dare voice those concerns, it was high treason to question The Prime Administrator and she was loyal to her people.  The doors opened and she strode forward, shoulders squared just as she had been taught.  She was a General of the Sylan Empire, engineered to be a leader of the subjugated people of Earth, Maraline wouldn’t forget that. 

The room was large, with no seating.  At least the meeting room had a large viewing screen that showed the Earth in all of her majesty.  If The Prime Administrator had ever shown a penchant for aesthetics, she might have even believed that beauty was why he insisted on taking the planet for the Sylan Empire.

The last time she had stood in the room was a joint meeting with the other Generals about the status of the Earth’s united military.  The only remaining nation worth speaking about was the United States, which was already the only power worth mentioning before the invasion.  Others might have the numbers, but only the overinflated military budget and research allowed them to last more than five minutes in the skies with their fighters.  It was also the nation with the highest concentration of Ranger teams that actively fought them.

The less said about the Rangers that conquered their nations, the better.  Such a waste of good data, and hardly worth sending trials their way.

Twenty three active teams across the North American continent, most of the time and effort was spent keeping those teams too busy to learn to work together.  The last time a large group of Rangers combined their forces in a meaningful way, they had to accelerate their plans and crush them before they could mount a proper resistance.  It had been costly, and was generally considered a failure.  A second pruning of the New York Rangers was likely in order soon enough. 

“General Maraline,” The Prime Administrator said, a hologram flickering into existence.  They wore a wide pauldron cape on their shoulders, with heavy armor covering their torso.  The being was an enigma, never presenting the same appearance twice.  Currently they had high cheekbones and sharp ears that trailed upward, a combination of masculine and feminine traits for the Sylans. 

She pressed her fist to her chest and bowed slightly.  “Your eminence, how might this servant be of use to the Empire?” 

“That remains to be seen,” The Prime Administrator said.  “You know our purpose on this insignificant ball of dirt?” 

She recognized the trick question for what it was.  “The Prime Administrator wishes to seize the planet, no further purpose is required.” 

“Indeed,” The Prime Administrator said.  “You have been given command to further that purpose, so tell me, how did the attack you just committed advance those goals?” 

She bowed a bit deeper, already knowing she was walking a knife’s edge.  The Prime Administrator could have her killed on a whim, she understood that instinctively.  She refused to allow that, there was too much to life, so much to experience.  If she had to kiss the heels of her master to get another day in the light of the sun, then so be it. 

“On one of my reconnaissance excursions, I encountered someone I had met before.  Conversation was made and it was then that I discovered she was a Ranger.  Her team arrived and were set on conflict, so I retreated and sent in a small force of Drones to keep up appearances.” 

“Yet, they managed to quell hundreds of our drones with minimal damage or losses,” The Prime Administrator said.  “That should not have been possible in the time they managed the task.” 

The Prime Administrator wasn’t wrong, Nicole and her team of Rangers weren’t typical.  The Sylan Empire didn’t fully understand the technology behind the Ranger transformation, but there was a theory being floated by Commander Bartran linking the initial transformation to the form the Ranger adopts.  That this team took on the appearances of their costume play, well, the man had been rather excited by the finding when she passed it along. 

“Agreed,” she said.  “It was a minor expenditure of resources, and proved that the prior incursion they repelled wasn’t an outlier.  I believe we might have an Anomaly among them, and if so, the confirmation will make the resources worth using.” 

The Prime Administrator watched her for a moment, their image unmoving.  “Very well.  Take a smaller detachment of Shock Drones with you next time, as well as one of the upgraded Mutants.  We need to see how far this aberration goes before we move on to forcing another Ranger team to emerge.  We can’t risk continuing to forge them if they continue to come out sharper each time, not without understanding the mechanism.  If this is an outlier, ensure the next emergence and all further are crushed in the cradle.  The next stage is at hand and we cannot have aberrations risking everything.” 

“Understood, your eminence.  I shall carry out your will.” 

“See that you do,” they said.  “I do not tolerate failure.” 

Maraline bowed deeper, then turned on her heel and departed.  The drones outside fell into step behind her without a word or command.  She knew The Prime Administrator could link into any drone they wished, see with their sensors, even control them if they were on the ship.  It meant that they always had to assume she was under observation. 

She lived in a cage, gilded as it might be.  Maraline envied humanity in many ways, for they were free to walk in the light of their star at will, to enjoy the world that chance had seen fit to gift them.  That the species squandered something so wondrous did not sit well with her.  It was why she had thrown herself into planning the subjugation of the species. 

A world liberated of the pollutants slowly destroying it, a people free to pursue the arts and create, that was the vision she held for the world she was destined to rule in the name of The Prime Administrator.  Pity she couldn’t voice that, even if she knew that Earth’s creations would be well received throughout the Empire. 

She arrived back at her quarters, looking about at the spartan living space.  She had everything she needed to survive.  Food synthesizers, water, a sonic shower and lavatory.  Her bed was a simple surface, molded to fit her body optimally.  Survive, but not live. 

Once the Sylan Empire stood triumphant, and she was installed as overseer, then she could have proper accommodations, but not before.  At least the machines didn’t follow her inside her quarters, it was her one refuge on the orbiting fortress.  

Sighing, she stepped over to her replicator, getting a glass of cool water before she took a seat at the view screen and activated it.  The Earth hung in the expansive void, suspended by nothing more than the primal forces of the universe. 

It was beautiful. 

She wouldn’t be returning to the object of her affections for several days, bringing more chaos and death with her when she did.  She didn’t like being a harbinger, and the survivors would resent her rule once the dust settled, no matter how much she improved their lives.  She would struggle for at least the first century to maintain order, and would be forced to withhold medical treatments to ensure the population died off naturally. 

She didn’t need people alive that could recount how much better things were before the invaders liberated them, memories often were colored to only reflect the best of times, failing to highlight the hardships that came time and again.  It was how many of the problems she would need to solve came to be in the first place. 

At least she could spend a few hours taking in the beauty of it all before setting her forces back into motion.  This time she would remain, to observe and lead as she was meant to.  She wished to see if the anomaly was the fault of the Power, or the people chosen.  An excuse really, all to observe Nicole further.  She wasn’t sure what it was about that human that captivated her, and it almost had her wanting to defy orders, knowing it would be the end of her. 

“Maraline, are you available?” Commander Bartran’s gravelly voice came over the intercom. 

Maraline startled, falling from her chair with an indignant squawk.  She was just thankful the view screen hadn’t been on for the Commander to have witnessed it.  He would have teased her for decades to come. 

Sighing, she stood back up, changing the view screen from outside the ship, to the labs within.  “Commander, what do I owe this pleasure?” 

“I just received a request for a Mutant to be deployed,” Commander Bartran said.  “The Prime Administrator wanted something that would give the combined forces of the New York Rangers trouble, though it seems the target has been designated as your latest project instead.” 

“That is correct,” Maraline said, already lamenting the damage to come.  “Their eminence wishes to confirm the anomaly and how it may impact the coming plans.”

The Commander growled, looking off to the side.  “The sequencer has just the thing in the works, it will require three days to be grown, and another two for it to be on its feet and ready to deploy.” 

“Timely as ever, Commander,” Maraline said, bowing slightly.  “If the test proves the anomaly, we will need to delay the plans for Kansas, I’m afraid.” 

“We can always throw it at your newest pests,” the Commander said, chuckling deeply.  “It would seem I have much work ahead of me.  A pleasant evening to you, General.” 

She bowed ever so slightly deeper.  “You as well.” 

Out of all of the Generals, he was the one who stood above them.  A veteran since the first war, the oldest living warrior of the Sylan Empire.  If anything, he was the closest thing she had to a father, being that she was one of his creations.  Combining Sylan blood with that of humans, his own blood at that, had led to her creation.  She was thankful for the life she had been given and all the opportunity it granted her. 

The view screen returned to showing the Earth, the world that Nicole seemed so weary of.  How Maraline wished she could have helped her see the beauty of it all, the way she saw the world.  There was so much Maraline wished to show her, to experience with the girl that had opened up to her.  A friendship kindled and ended in the same breath, torn apart by workings beyond either of them. 

All she had wanted was a friend that hadn’t been handed to her, to forge a bond of her own that she owed to nobody.  That was all but impossible now, with Nicole being a Ranger and Maraline’s Sylan blood, any hope for a friendship was all but extinguished. 

A true tragedy. 

How she wished that wasn’t the case, but there was nothing that she could do about it.  Lamenting things immutable would do her no good, but she couldn’t help herself.  She stepped over to her storage space and retrieved a small instrument, one she had acquired on her first visit to the Earth with General Tyrn before the invasion began.  She hadn’t known anything about it at the time, but the pale blue frame inlaid with Sapphires and strings had seemingly called for her. 

The harp was nothing special in the grand scheme of things, but to her, it represented her love of the Earth, painted the color of the skies that she adored.  Plucking the strings produced a most wondrous and mesmerizing sound.  Standing there, looking at the planet beneath her, playing a song only she knew, she wept for what she would do in the months to come. 

All because she wished to live and grow, to know the beauties that the future would hold. 

She could only hope that Nicole would come to appreciate them too, given time.  Of course, that depended on Nicole’s continued survival, despite the odds.  Raising her glass to the view screen, she offered a silent wish to the vast unknown that somehow, Nicole would continue to prevail where none who came before her had ever managed. 

“Fight well, my one and only friend,” she said softly, and drank, before returning to her gentle strumming as she sang softly.  “Live, despite your own wishes.  Prevail, despite everything arrayed against you.  I will see you again, sooner than you would like, my fated foe.”