Objective Consequence (Book Two of the Subjective Justice series)

Chapter One: The No Kill Oath

"This isn't how I thought we'd spend our dating anniversary--" Indra heaved from exertion, pressing her back against Akio's. "It's better than what I was planning."

Akio snorted, hooking her elbow with Indra's and throwing her out of the way of an oncoming attack, before bending backwards to avoid the gun fire. "What were you planning?"

The laser glowed inches from her face, the heat wafting was reminiscent of sticking her face in the oven. . . a mistake she hadn't planned to repeat.

The rolls were not worth those burns.

Indra landed nimbly on her feet, one leg bent and the other extended, with her cane sword out to the side. The gold handle with red embroidery was grasped delicately in her hand, it's serpent-like design menacing in the dimly lit hall. The silver and black blade dripped in blood. "It's a surprise."

Stone shattered on the wall behind Akio, it scattered across the floor, and rained down pebbles.

What was once a respectable hall of green and gold statues of the Lizz kings of countless generations now resembled a demolition site. A large hole had been blown in the wall from Chester's explosives, since this was the closest location they could get to the dungeons. The statues, being the only cover offered, were being chipped away piece by piece from the enforcers gun fire.

The royals, Eris included, had traveled to another planet for a treaty deal a week ago. Before she left, Eris let Akio know the newest declaration her parents had made. That refugees from other sectors were to be treated as enemies, imprisoned, and sent back to where they had run from. It was part of the most recent contract they had signed in exchange for help hunting the vigilantes.

"Watch your back, Akio, it isn't just my family you should be worried about," Eris declared, setting a copy of the paper contract her parents had made on Akio's desk. "The tensions are getting worse, it's only a matter of time before the sectors break into a civil war."

"They've brought reinforcements!" Chester cried, returning fire and ducking for cover behind a statue of the ruling Lizz king. Shards of the face and tail scattered to the floor with each hit.

Akio growled, rolling for cover behind the statue closest to her, of course they did. It wasn't likely they would give up the refugees easily. She willed her oi'ek to turn silver, and inhaled calming breaths. If they knew what she was feeling, it would put her at a severe disadvantage.

Leaping into the air, Akio kicked off a wall, propelling herself forward and into the middle of the ten Lizz guards in the center of the hall.

She grabbed the red scaled one on her right, using his black armored body to shield the gunfire of the others. He screamed with each laser piercing his flesh. The scent of burning Lizz filled the air in gaggablr pungency.

Akio threw him forward into another Lizz on her left, knocking both unconscious.

After Akio became the leader of the vigilantes, she made an oath never to kill again. It was a promise to those in her care, a promise to herself, and a promise to Indra. Too much blood stained her hands and her soul, no more would she let it run.

Five rushed forward, drawing their electrical batons.

In just this moment, Akio could see every weak point with the eyes of an assassin. She knew the fastest way to take them out would be to snap the neck of the one in the middle, stab the eyes of the ones beside it with his claws, then with her cybernetic hand crush the skull of the one remaining and bash his head into the last.

It would take seconds.

But she refused to kill, ever again.

Akio took out her nonconductive bow, extending it with the buttons, and twirling it in her hand. It was harder to fight and leave them alive, but it was worth it to avoid the guilt and shame that accompanied murder.