The Spider Queen

Inquisitors.

One word that would send shivers down the spines of both criminals and law aiding citizens alike. So feared were the hounds of the Federines government.

These super soldiers were not chosen but rather… they were bred. Monsters created in a lab.

Artificial beings with no parents. Just the cold calculating gazes of scientists who worked tirelessly to make them into loyal servants of the government.

Created from a genetic splice between a race of predatory- like organisms known as the Tharyens and several other DNAs in order to provide the mindless beasts with a high level of intelligence.

The selective breeding process ensured that each subsequent generation of Inquisitors steadily grew to be more powerful than the previous ones. Greater physical attributes, heightened senses, and a tenacious healing factor.

But just their base stats alone were not the reason why they were the bane of the Federines governments' enemies.

From the moment they emerged from the birthing chambers, training would begin.

The young Inquisitors would be instilled with strict code of disciple, loyalty and above all else… a respect for authority.

This could be seen as a form of brainwashing, but it was a necessary evil. The training period of harsh, arduous and would last for over fifty years before they were considered as ready.

During that process over ninety five percent of the newborn Inquisitors would perish. The ones who remained were the strongest, most brutal and possessed the qualities that would make them the perfect hunters.

Inquisitors were not citizens. They were not people.

They did not have rights.

They were living weapons.

Meant only to serve the government above all else.

Inquisitors were rarely deployed. With such a limited number of super soldiers, it was important that the government used them wisely and only for missions of the utmost importance.

Now for the first time in centuries, all of the available Inquisitors had been deployed.

Their mission was simple.

Capture or kill Rokan Peterlor.

. 𝚋ｅ𝚍ｎ𝚘ｖｅ𝚕．𝚘𝚛𝚐

.

.

.

(Nyrean Super Galaxy- Rtern Region)

(Illegally Modified Spacecraft- Central Room)

"No," Captain Mordred immediately replied as his mind quickly flashed to his mysterious guest onboard the vessel. Was 'John' a human? No… that didn't make any sense.

He was clearly a weakling.

There were many species that fit the description of two legs and two arms. Plus, John's body had always been covered by a large cloak and he wore a mask on his face… to… hide…

Wait… why would he need to hide? Wait… his body shape… it was…

Fuck.

Captain Mordred's eyes widened for a microsecond as the furry paw behind his back trembled violently.

Oh no… no… no…

He was going to die.

He was absolutely going to die.

"No?' the Inquisitor on the other side of the screen raised an eyebrow as his vertical pupils locked in on the trembling furry alien and took in flustered appearance.

The Inquisitor smirked and his mouth slightly opened. One could see rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth that gleamed under the dim lighting in the room.

"Now… Mr. Du Corant… allow me to speak… openly with you," the Inquisitor casually spoke with a lighthearted tone as if discussing a small topic between friends.

"There are currently ten plasma cannons locked on to your starship. Three of those cannons are aimed at your warp core, two at your main engines, four at key areas around your hull and the last one…"

"Well let's just keep the last one as a surprise for now."

The Inquisitor cleared his throat and gestured for his subordinate to hand him another glass of wine. He paused for a moment and took another sip of the purplish liquid inside the glass.

He let out a sigh of contentment and then proceeded to slick back the sparse hair on top of his head using his claws. All the while his unspoken threat hung in the air.

Captain Mordred was not a fool.

His starship was designed for camouflage, escape, and smuggling. There was a defense system, but it would not last against the force of ten large plasma shots impacting the barrier.

And if he tried to escape… that would just be a death sentence.

Inquisitors were hounds.

No criminal who had ever fled from them had survived.

To make matters worse, if someone tried to flee… they were not given an easy death. The process was usually transmitted and broadcast across the Federines controlled space just to send out a message to the populace.

Do. Not. Resist. The. Authorities.

"I do not need to spell out what I am trying to say… right?" the Inquisitor chuckled lightly as he set the now empty glass on the side of his chair where his subordinate quickly put it away.

"Now… I am going to ask you this question… one more time."

"Have you seen any human- shaped lifeforms? Yes or no."

Captain Mordred closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths.

He could feel his heart pounding fiercely in his chest as the world feel silent. All he could sense was the harsh stare of the Inquisitor and the fact that time was running out.

He needed to say something.

He just needed to lie… make up some nonsense about spotting an odd fellow at the trading post. He just needed to… to…

"I'm sorry," Captain Mordred whispered under his breath as he opened his eyes.

He couldn't risk it.

He couldn't risk the lives of himself and his crew over some unknown alien. John may not be the missing human, but he was a close match, and it was better to tell the Inquisitor the truth.

"Yes… there is a passenger onboard my vessel who matches the description of a human," Captain Mordred confessed as he lowered his head and could not meet the stare of the Inquisitor.

"Really?" the Inquisitor purred gently as a look of excitement mixed with curiosity briefly surfaced in his eyes. This was probably just another lead that would go nowhere but he did have a few hours in his patrol left to kill.

Might as well have some fun with these smugglers before blowing up their starship.

"And can you bring that passenger to me?" the Inquisitor asked politely but Captain Mordred had the sinking feeling that this was a request that he could not afford to refuse.

"Yes… I will bring him to the command deck…" Captain Mordred replied with a trace of remorse and guilt in his voice. If the Inquisitor noticed his conflicted emotions, then he did not say anything.

Captain Mordred walked out of the room with heavy steps. The alarm blares had stopped ringing but there was still panic and confusion going on as the crew did not know what would happen.

The furry alien would occasionally stop walking to calm down the panicked crewmembers that he encountered on his way to the passenger cabin located at the back of the vessel.

He looked at the heavy metalloid door and then pressed his furry paw against the scanner. A green light flashed over his paw and the door slid open quietly.

John was sitting down quietly on the mattress. His appearance was just as it had always been.

A heavy mask on his face and a long thick cloak that covered the rest of his body.

He did not seem surprised by Captain Mordred's sudden visit as if he had been expecting him.

"Sorry…" Captain Mordred quietly whispered.

"You have nothing to apologise for," John replied solemnly as he stood up from the mattress and walked towards the entrance. He turned to face the window and stared outside at the passing stars.

A nostalgic look flashed across his face before he turned around and stepped into the corridor.