------------- College Days - Persis

“Name and designation?”

“Persis 4872, sir.”

“Assignment?”

“Sir?”

“What is your assignment, soldier?”

“I have no assignment.”

The masked figure smiled. The soldier somehow knew he was smiling, even though he couldn’t see the commander’s face.

“Well, you do now, soldier.”

-------------

The stranger known only as Primus to SGL files had initiated a series of experiments during the months leading up to the Crystal War. He knew that the Shadow War was coming and special, elite forces would be needed to fight it. But unlike other off-world agents at the time, it seemed that Primus was set on defeating the Shadows, not aiding them. He had managed to uncover and decode the Zylotrope files, the not-so-secret genetic program conducted by the Antarian Republic during the War of Tryskellias and in the years of their occupation of Arrallon. But Primus was all Arrallonian, or so it seemed, except for the part of him that was Zylotrope.

The Zylotropes were genetic creations, part clone, part genetic experiment. They contained pre-programmed instructions, coding at the neural net level that gave them all superior fighting skills, stealth and technical operations knowledge. They were quite literally born to be tech soldiers. What’s worse, they were made from almost any base genetic stock, humanoid, monstrous or normal animal. Zywolves scouted for Zobgoblin patrols, and ZyTrolls fought beside Zogrillon heavy troops. Wrap them all in heavy plasteel armor and hand them tech weaponry and no backwoods planet of primitive spellcasters could ever stand before them. That’s what the Republic hoped. They were wrong. Primus had hoped to correct their mistakes. The Zylotrope was a perfect soldier. It just needed to be adapted to the world and trained in dealing with magic.

With the premature end of the Shadow War, Primus’ plan was never put in place. The pinnacle of his research and experimentation had not yet seen battle. If his calculations were correct, there was one place that they should go to see how the latest creation faired, one place where bad things and violence were bound to ensue, the new home of the SGL and the capitol of the new city state of Syvasgaard.

Persis 4872 was just another clone in his own mind, but his understanding of the world would soon change. Arriving at the airfield on Syvasmyr, he was greeted by strange stares and hushed whispers. As strange as the things might be that would stroll the halls of Kar’Dhaer, work the warehouses of Draknan-Gar, or sell goods in the shops of Syvasgaard, no one had ever seen a Human Zylotrope before. With his massive muscles, towering bulk, pitch black skin, and brilliant mind, few were inclined to make up some quirky name to describe him.

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