Planet Storm

Slad and Bobby's race to Googlon

"Give me an update," Slad commands in an even tone.  His eyes address the hologram in front of him, waiting for a response from the AI.
"The Planet Googlon is under attack by the Raider's forces," Kortney, the AI, responds.  "I'm uploading his profile now."  Immediately, a projection of data emanates in front of Slad, allowing him to understand the enemy he is about to face.  "His name is Jackson Campbell.  He was an IGSC-raised Soldier from infancy to adulthood.  At age 30, Jackson, now known as The Raider, went rogue and took over Planet Blackheart and declared himself King. This action barred himself from future alignment with the IGSC, and made himself an enemy of the Council.  He's now #16 on the IGSC's Most Wanted list, but due to a lack of funds, combined with the fact that Planet Blackheart is well outside the IGSC controlled universe, the IGSC hasn't pursued strong action against him.  The IGSC has remained unaware of the coordinates of Planet Blackheart, further aiding in his anonymity. Now, he is launching an attack on Googlon."  Slad's face hardens as he reads the profile, and his mind begins to turn, formulating a plan.
"Man, I'm going to look really cool in these Brand Name Glasses, while I'm stomping the shit out of this Raider character," Zombie Bobby, Slad's younger brother says.  His feet are propped on the back of Slad's seat, a knife in one hand picking at the decaying zombie skin beneath his fingernails.   
    Kortney rolls her eyes and says, "well I'm glad that zombie symbiot hasn't managed to deteriorate your ego, Bobby."
    Slad, ignoring the banter, commands for an increase in speed, "up it to 3 lightyears a second (the ships max speed), Kortney.  We have family on that planet."
    "Yes sir," responds Kortney.
As the ship sped toward Googlon, Slad recapped all that had happened to bring him to this point.  In just a short time, Slad's position and perspective on life had been turned upside down. The Storm Brothers, once IGSC's number one Soldiers, were now the latest rogue operatives and the IGSC's biggest targets. When CPT Bobby Storm's patrol to Planet Z encountered unforeseen complications with an evolved Zombie force, CPT Slad Storm and CPT Bamf Storm, Bobby's older brothers, joined forces to rescue Bobby from Planet Z, against IGSC orders.  The rescue quickly escalated, forcing the brothers to fight for their own survival, while searching for their brother, Bobby. 
    After finding a mindless, reanimated Bobby, the fight for survival continued, as he began attacking them.  BAMF and Slad managed to capture Bobby and escaped Planet Z, retreating to an infirmary in the closest IGSC ship.  BAMF and Slad discovered that the Zombie phenomenon is actually an alien symbiot that takes control of the host's mind once it's dead. Because of BAMF's evolution, and psychic abilities, he's able to tap into Bobby's mind and push him to take control of the symbiot. This allows Bobby's true personality to take back control of his body, while also maintaining the enhancements of the zombie symbiot. 
    As a Zombie, Bobby has enhanced strength speed, and durability.  The most remarkable aspect of the Zombie phenomenon are its regenerative capabilities.  A Zombie can have its entire arm blown off and grow it back within minutes, due to its symbiotic coding.  The symbiotic coding works similar to millions of nanites rebuilding tissue. Also, the symbiots are able to communicate telepathically, so if Zombie Bobby is within close proximity to another symbiot, he can take control of the symbiot in charge of that host as well.  Also remarkable, Bobby is able to determine when or if he wants to infect another host with the zombie virus.
    Once at the IGSC infirmary, the doctors fled at the sight of Zombie Bobby, alerting higher authorities to the presence of a highly dangerous and threatening contagion on Ship 9958. While the Ship's mission is to study Planet Z, and the zombie phenomenon, it was not equipped to take in a Zombie, and quickly feared for the survival of its inhabitants. This breach in security, and disregard for IGSC protocol landed the Storm Brothers at the top of the Most Wanted list.
    Taking advantage of the chaos, Slad and Kortney secured the infirmary long enough for Bamf to bring back Bobby.  But as Zombie Bobby awakened, the IGSC security force broke through the doors and launched an attack on the Brothers. Slad and Bobby secured a ship for the brothers to flee, but before BAMF can climb on the escape pod, the IGSC's security forces began firing at the pod.  Seeing that there would be no way for all three to make it out, Bamf slams the door shut on the escape pod and commands Kortney to send the brothers to Googlon to protect his family.  Kortney, realizing his chances of survival or escape are improbable, says goodbye as she flies away. 
    Weak from multiple blasts to the body from acting as a human shield, Bamf was taken captive by the IGSC to answer for his breach of protocol and endangerment of the ship and its mission.
    As they flew away from the IGSC Ship, Slad watched as his brother fell. And with him, all that they'd accomplished together.  Kortney didn't miss a beat before briefing Slad and Bobby on their new mission.
    Slad and Bobby, fully understanding what their brother would want them to do, accept the importance of the mission in front of them.   Kortney begins to break down the data she is able to get from Planet Googlon's archives on the family that the brothers had no idea existed minutes before this incident. 
Years ago, Bamf married the princess of Googlon, Amus. Additionally, they had three children: Syd, Sam, and Chase.  Heirs to the throne. Bamf's bloodline and legacy live on in them.  While stationed at Googlon just outside the IGSC controlled universe, Bamf's mission was to build rapports with the Royal Family on Planet Googlon in order open a channel of untapped resources to the IGSC by conducting Foreign Internal Defense (FID) as a Foreign Affairs Officer (FAO).  Princes Amus, as well as everyone else on Googlon, became enamored with Bamf because he showed up at a pivotal moment in Googlon's history. 
    The princess had just been abducted by pirates attacking Googlon. Bamf killed all the pirates and rescued princess Amus all within moments of arriving on the planet.  Throughout the years Bamf spent there, he continued to build the country into what it is today.  His most notable contribution being the development and training of the Royal Guard lead by his good friend Gonzo. But, now Googlon desperately needed help again and their hero was M.I.A.
    The Raider being the tactician that he is, was attacking Googlon on two fronts.  The Raider with the bulk of the force attacked to seize the castle, while Blackthunder and a smaller contingent attacked the other side of the planet in order to create freedom of movement for the main effort.  T-bone was in the command and control ship in space with the quick reaction force (QRF) in order to mass effects at a critical point in the battle if either force ran into trouble.
Blackthunder, a giant, hulking mass, and The Raider's second in command, was making easy work of the sparse forces scattered on the Southern hemisphere of the planet.  His brute force, and unparalleled strength gives him an edge in combat.  He wields a hammer that matches him in height, and weighted beyond the strength of any un-evolved human. It shoots powerful laser beams out of the top, and emits a powerful force when thundered against the ground.  Terrorizing the local nationals as he rampaged through the villages, Blackthunder quickly establishes a foothold on his side of the planet.
The Raider's forces had a slightly tougher time seizing the castle.  The only evolved humans on the Raiders forces were The Raider himself, Black Thunder, and T-Bone.  T-Bone and Black Thunder were cousins.  The rest of the force were guerrillas trained by The Raider on Planet Blackheart.  So the Royal Guard could hold their own with the defenses of the castle against the Raiders forces, but they were no match for The Raider himself. The Raider is able to penetrate the castle's defenses with a skillful barrage of attacks coordinated with a timely massing of forces on one central point on the South-East corner of the castle.
His tall, brooding figure is enough of a threat, but his wide shoulders, and menacing mask, that he built from the skull of an alien species he eradicated on Planet Blackheart, leaves him untouchable by most.  With a foothold established in the castle, The Raider is able to push further into the castle and create chaos among the Royal Guard.  The Raider's forces were well rehearsed as they systematically cleared the castle from South to North on the East side of the fortress.  The Raider's Forces were temporarily stalled in the central point in the castle as King Jerry rallied the Royal guard to mass against their enemy. 
The royal family was being protected in the central part of the castle, which is also where the command and control (C2) node of the Royal Guard was located.  King Jerry was able to rappel the Raider on his attack on three other corners of the castle, but when The Raider ordered a contingent to break through the roof of the central part of the fortress, the king was redirected to deal with that problem allowing The Raider critical seconds to get his foothold into the castle.  As the battle intensified in the middle of the royal family's home the king fights with all the might and knowledge that Bamf had trained in him, but it just wasn't enough.  He was no match for the evolutionary abilities of The Raider.  The king fought to his last breath protecting his family and somehow managed to wound the Raider in the side with his mystical sword, but The Raider grabbed him by the head and crushed his skull.  He then grabbed the queen and snapped her neck with one hand and turned his attention to the princess and her children...
Just then Slad and Bobby came crashing in through the roof where the king had been slain.  Zombie Bobby, in a terrifying form, overpowers The Raider as Slad makes quick work of the Raider's Forces in the immediate area.   Princess Amus recognizes the brothers from pictures Bamf had shared with her before and tells the Royal Guard that they are here to help. 
Kortney then tells the brothers that there is another attack on the South side of the planet.  The brothers look at each other and acknowledge in unison.  Bobby says he will secure the castle as Slad says he will neutralize the force on the other side of the planet.  The Raider tries to muster the strength to defend the wholistic ass-kicking Bobby is putting on him while looking really cool in his Brand Name glasses. The scenes are terrifying on the monitors to T-Bone in the Raider's C2 ship as Bobby rips the heads off the minions.  The Raider calls for T-Bone to activate the QRF, but T-Bone freezes with flashbacks from his Z-Tab experience.  The Z-Tab was a right of passage for elite IGSC warriors and another developmental tool the IGSC used in creating their ultimate killing machines.  The Raider manages to escape with his life as the rest of the force retreats back to the ships. 
On the South side of the planet, Blackthunder is about to crush a young boy named Ty who was standing in an open field, but as his giant devastating hammer fell, CPT Slad Storm grabs the young boy inches before he is smashed.  Slad barrel rolls with the child and throws him to safety as he sprints to re-engage the hulkish figure. He sprints to build up speed as Blackthunder readies the hammer for another smash. Slad executes a skillful front flip as the hammer drops that dodges the attack while maintaining critical speed. He uses the momentum to launches him from the top of the hammer. He uses all the force he had generated and concentrates it to the end of his stick with a spinning uppercut that throughs Blackthunder into the air, separating the beast from his hammer.
Slad carries a small stick that is engineered to change in size based on the type of atomic energy he applies to it, and the stick can have powerful nuclear pulses of energy when he charges the sticks with his radiant power.  Coupled with his evolutionary speed, he can strike opponents with mass obliterating power that even Blackthunder can not withstand.  Slad beats back Blackthunder and his forces as the Royal Guard rallies behind him.  Blackthunder and his forces retreat to the ships. 
The day had been won, and the Storm name once again is the heroic icon Googlon so desperately needed to survive.   
The victory is short lived though, as the reality of all the casualties began to take its toll. Princess Amus wept near the corpses that used to be her parents. She missed them deeply. The tragedy of having them brutally killed in front of her would haunt her forever. She was happy to see her brothers in law and was eager to get to know them. But, was struggling with the grief inside her. Her sadness was felt across Googlon. Syd, Sam, and Chase had no idea how to process everything. They too were deeply saddened and angry at the way their grandparents were murdered in front of them. However, they too were excited to finally meet their uncles. They were even happier to think that this meant their dad was returning.
Syd's face swelled with joy as she asked Zombie Bobby if her father was coming. Zombie Bobby could not answer her. He looked at the floor with deep sadness, then in a fit of rage, leaped from the castle. Slad was speechless as he too was struggling with the loss of his brother and had no idea how to break this news to his new family.
Slad removed his helmet to reveal a handsome face with sharp features. Glowing green because of the radioactive isotopes that lived in his body as a result of IGSC experimentation. The radioactive isotopes coupled with his suit gave Slad incredible speed and explosive power. 
He looked at Amus and told her Bamf sacrificed himself to save Bobby and him so that they could come to Googlon and rescue his family. Even the calculated Slad struggled to find words.  He paused to maintain control of his emotions. Kortney, recognizing the severity of the situation, stepped in to fill in the gaps. She was being projected from Slad's helmet as a life size image. She was an attractive woman with beautiful features. Although she was  simply codes and algorithms that gave her the artificial intelligence (AI) that she was, she seemed more human than the IGSC trained brothers.  She showed images of Bamf being shot down as they fled in the escape pod just after Bamf locked the doors on them. She also replayed his charge to his brothers to find Amus and his kids to protect them.
Syd screamed, "my daddy can't be dead! He is invincible and the greatest warrior in the galaxy! HE WILL RETURN and you will see!"
Chase and Sam clung to their sister to try and comfort her. They all held each other and left the room. Amus was horrified from the images. She collapsed and held her face as she wept. She felt as if this day was the worst day in her life. Kortney analyzing reactions was not programed to conceptualize the catastrophic reactions the family had based on the awful images she showed them. The AI side of her was learning and recoding. She realized now that it was a-sympathetic and understood why Slad struggled with informing the family. Slad stood there in silence as Kortney apologized. Slad understood what just happened and nodded. Kortney was just being informative which is what she was designed for. She then disappeared back into the helmet. Slad knelt beside Amus and placed a hand on her shoulder. He still could not speak and had great sadness in his eyes.
Meanwhile Zombie Bobby was punching a hole in the ground in a horrifying site to those around. There just happens to be a bar and grill nearby that was being rattled with the vibrations as Bobby pounded the ground.  Everyone was terrified. Word was out that he was Bamf's brother, so the manager of the pub, Monroe, pours a beer and bravely approached the ferocious beast. He reached out with a shaking arm holding a beer that was vibrating from anxiety. 
He says in a scared shaky voice, "this was Bamf's favorite brew."
Zombie Bobby stopped pounding the ground, took a step toward Monroe with dark red angry pupils and gently grabs the beer. He chugs it, and hands the empty mug back to Monroe.
Monroe thinks to himself, "wow, they really are brothers. He chugged that beer just like Bamf used to." Then says to Bobby, "Hey, CPT Storm, I would be honored if you would come in my pub and have another drink."
The scary ora of Zombie Bobby started to melt away and Bobby walked inside the pub where terrified Googlonians sat frozen with fear. Bobby was a big man and sat with a thud at the bar. Still with a troubled look on his face. One by one, people around the bar said they would like to buy this hero a round of drinks. Bobby felt the love from these Googlonians and began to open up. They spent the rest of the night exchanging their favorite Bamf stories.