The ships sensors blinked quietly in space as I pulled away from the wreckage, engaging my covert cloaking device.  The remains of the wreckage fell into the atmosphere of the planet as it’s momentum carried it forward, as if still trying to escape.  This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that a foe has fallen to me.  I am a fighter, I chose my employer for their specific desire to engage in hostile negotiations with the enemy.  I have fought many tough opponents, and have even lost many times over.  With each death, I glean knowledge on my skills and hone them sharper…

This is different though..  My prey, are those that would defile their hands by placing them upon the surface of the planets.  I am no longer a space pilot, no longer a pirate, no longer a mere merchant trying to survive.  I am a weapon.  A Child of Heaven, and I wield Wrath at my fingertips.  John… poor John.  He did just as I said, he took the two humanoids’ remains and launched them into space.  And as their lifeless remains floated away from his ship, I destroyed him.  Not as I had done in battle, guns blazing wildly as I rode into the firefight.  Silently I stalked him as he piloted his ship.  And, just as I knew he would, he returned to his planetary constructs.  As he undocked with his freshly filled cargo hold and turned his ship towards the distance, I uncloaked my newly purchased purveyor of destruction.

The fight was pitiful, and barely a fight at all.  It was more an attempt to flee than anything.  My ships electronics flew into action as I engaged my warp disruptor on his ship.  Immediately the comms lit up, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing??” screeched John over the comms.  He did not know who his assailant was, “Listen man, I’ve got plenty of cargo here.  Perhaps we can work out a deal?  If you give me your account, I’ll wire you ISK right now to let me free.”

The Amarrian robes I had picked up shrouded my face completely, I engaged my comms with distortion, “I need not your goods, nor your money.  And now, no longer do you.  You have defiled the surface, and have wrought destruction at your touch. Child of Heaven, you must be punished for your crimes against God.”

John’s face contorted to a sick puzzlement, “Micheal?  Is that really you? Oh my God! Micheal what are you doing?  Have you gone nuts??” It seemed that my earlier words had not fallen on deaf ears, they merely fell unheeded.  I pulled back the hood to reveal my face, and John’s expression turned from puzzlement to outrage.  Sadly, as he attempted to engage my ship, he realized he was outclassed and began pleading for himself.

The words flowed naturally as I spoke over the top of his pleas, “For your crimes against these people, I will strip you of your possessions.  I will relieve you of your cargo, as well as your ship.  Child of Heaven, that which you have taken from the Innocent must be returned.” John’s aggression lessened as he believed that to be the end of his sentence. “Is that all?  That’s fine! You can take it all!” he stammered.  I began speaking again, “Child of Heaven, for your crimes against this planet, I shall return you to it’s surface.  That which you have taken will be returned.” His expression calmed slightly more.  Though he appeared to be calming, his ship was still attempting to escape.  I had come prepared, not only was his warp system jammed, his engineering system was drained.

I let him sit a moment stirring over my words, and as he looked to speak again, I delivered my final judgment. “Child of Heaven, for your crimes against God, I will relieve you of the burden of life.  God have mercy upon your soul Child, for you’ve shown none to the Innocent. I will bestow upon you the gift of Death, and you should pray that you feel God’s embrace after.” I disabled comms just as his face contorted to outrage, and began my attack.  The swarm of drones combined with my ship’s offenses quickly overpowered his small industrial ship.

As I turned my ship homeward, I launched a small distress beacon towards his wreckage.  I had prerecorded a message to be looped ad nauseam, “Child of Heaven, let this be a warning.  The Innocent shall not be harmed, lest the Wrath of God be upon you.”

“What’s this?  Another target?” I set my coordinates for the nearest planetary harvest station.

I have bore witness this day to a foretelling act.  As I wandered the station today, a compatriot of mine contacted me via comms and asked me to assist him in offloading of his planetary goods.  I scoffed at him and began scolding him on the dangers of what he does, when his voice became cold and shocked, “Oh shit.  Come to the bay now, I need your help.” My usual jovial friend rarely spoke in such a manner or tone, so I figured I should see what he was on about.

I took my time and stopped to grab a bite to eat from one of the cafes along the mid-decks.  I had spent a lot more time in space recently than anticipated, and though the podlife provides ample proteins and supplements, it does little to ease the desire to have abundant tangible food before you.  After finishing my meal I hopped the shuttle down to the loading decks and made way towards my compatriot’s bay.

As I walked off the gangway he looked around shocked and suspicious.  I could tell immediately that something was wrong, “What is it?” He just shook his head silently and looked about, as if he was afraid he was being watched.  Finally, after he apparently calmed his paranoia he spoke quietly, “I should have listened.  I should have listened to you.  You drone on and on about how we shouldn’t do this, yet I ignored you…” His face was ashen, and he looked visibly sickened.  With a nod of his head he motioned towards his cargo hold on his ship, “I should have listened…”

I was confused… I was curious… but most of all, I was afraid of what I was going to find.  As the entrance to the cargo hold slid open, I was sick.  The remains of what appeared to be two humanoids, bloated and misshapen from lack of proper pressure, lay on the cargo hold floor.  I stood in silence, staring in disbelief.  Behind me, I began to hear John rattle on about how he was sure he had gone through all his proper procedures.  How he had ran all his scanners etc, but it faded to a dull buzz as my vision began to blur.

“We are the Children of the Heavens.  We are above this.  We soar above the planets to save them from the destruction that we wield.  Children of God do not belong on the surface…” It was a quiet chant.  I had heard it before in my dreams, somewhere, only now it was me saying it.

“John… clean up the bodies.  Eject them into the embrace of space.  Speak not of this to anyone.  This is a minor lesson for you, but think about the lives of those you have ruined…” Without even pausing to see if he was listening, I left.  The pure rage I felt, and still feel now while recording this…   It is indescribable.  A fire that has been smoldering in the recesses of my mind has become a blaze.  I know now what I must do.

“This pestilence must be destroyed…”