Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2 - Games

Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2

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[QUOTE]"Captain, can you spare a minute?"[/QUOTE] Taylor glanced up after sending the message off. "Oh, sure. What's up?" said Taylor, putting her tablet away.

"I've been thinking and did some talking with Alex. After everything that happened in the past few days, I've gained a lot more freedom than I had before all thanks to you guys, I can't even express how thankful I am for that. But I feel like I can't fully help the TBC from here. Like I'm too confined. I'm planning to request a reassignment from Neasha to somewhere else in the company. Preferably as a single operative. You're the captain so you have the right to know."

[QUOTE]"I've been thinking and did some talking with Alex. After everything that happened in the past few days, I've gained a lot more freedom than I had before all thanks to you guys, I can't even express how thankful I am for that. But I feel like I can't fully help the TBC from here. Like I'm too confined. I'm planning to request a reassignment from Neasha to somewhere else in the company. Preferably as a single operative. You're the captain so you have the right to know."[/QUOTE] "Ah...alright. I understand. I'll let the others know of your intentions." responded Taylor, with a bit of a nod. So Amy is leaving too? Well, not leaving entirely, but still.

Amy was relieved. She didn't know why she was even worried in the first place from Taylor's reaction considering everything. She was always on the level with the rest of the crew. "Thank you for understanding, cap. I'll have my things ready by the time we meet up with the Aurikha." Before she left the bridge there was another thing "Er, do I have to send the request myself or does that have to go through you?...Sorry, I don't think we've ever done something like this in this company."

"I can talk to Neasha about it if you want me to." said Taylor, looking back to Amy.

"It might sound better coming from you."

[QUOTE]"It might sound better coming from you."[/QUOTE] Taylor gave Amy a thumbs up, before turning back around. She wondered what Neasha would have her doing, since she wants to work alone. Maybe scouting out possible recruits or missions or something, she imagined.

"Thanks for that, captain. I'll get things in order now." Amy left the bridge after a short salute to Taylor. She had to get her things in order.

The remainder of the ride to INTERGALACTICA's studio was uncomfortable. Neasha and Constantine took turns attempting to explain why they wouldn't need Arkadam's involvement in the leadership of the company, to which he replied that Yanim would've wanted it another way. Tensions mounted. "How can you take what she built and then act like her wishes don't matter anymore?" He accused them, "you're trying to send her spirit away, while the company still bears her name!" "That's not true!" Neasha snapped. "And how dare you- I was Yanim's closest friend... the first to know that she was sick. And then you showed up less than a month ago to rekindle some lost romance, and you want to tell me you knew her better than I did?" Arkadam bared his teeth, exposed more menacingly than normal due to his ill-fitting prosthesis. "You're fucking right I know her better than you. I know where she came from. I know what she went through on the Archius; I know because I was there! All those things she saw and felt before she even met you, she told me about them on Duroma. I played a part in it and it's driven me up the wall with regret. We made each other who we are!" This continued until the bus reached its terminus. Before departing for the interview, Neasha, in a fit of spitefulness, revealed that the company's name would be changed to reflect a new phase of its existence. [B]The Terika-Belladonna Company would simply become the Belladonna Company.[/B] It may have been a change that Neasha and Constantine had discussed already, but Neasha's decision to reveal it at that very moment was nothing less than a personal insult. For a moment, Arkadam looked as if he might strike her, before he backed down, looking as if his heart had been ripped out. "Her spirit is with us, serek. Her body is dead, but you can't kill the rest of her so easily," Arkadam warned. "I thought kanads didn't believe in any superstitious zhuka," Neasha replied, coldly. Constantine had heard enough. "That's enough out of both of you. Arkadam, I will find a role for you in this company, but top-level decisions will continue to be settled by the Boss and I," he said. Neasha glanced up, amazed that someone had referred to her as the Boss... Here she had been arguing fiercely that she had taken Yanim's place, but when someone actually used that nickname, she almost felt unworthy of hearing it. "Let's go, then," Neasha said, worriedly. --- [quote]My only name is Abraxas, born and raised in Malmar. I joined the company to help out other people. I thought with my skills as a medic I would be handy to those who fought. During Voyak, things were beginning to go under. Two people got downed and I patched them up as much as I can. After that... I just left. I had no specific reason other than I needed to attend to other people in the Galaxy. I joined up with a different group. After being in that group, I felt inspired and motivated than ever before. When I heard the company today, I felt that I needed to come back and redeem myself.[/quote] Nir took a long, leisurely drag off her cigarette before replying. "Is that all? That's a shitty story. We've got a long way to walk and now there's nothing to talk about." --- Ryvik let the journal fall from his hand, and as it hit the floor with a dead thump, he quickly joined it. Emerging from a coma, having one misconception shattered after another, only to be replaced by a new nightmarish twist on reality left him with his whole body feeling numb... Yanim was dead, but now so was Vorokar? Ryvik had a clone who served in his place, and possibly took his mentor's life? "[This... this is [I]my[/I] handwriting,]" he said fearfully to Korvo. "[They cloned me and I- I killed General Vorokar! Oh... ohh...]" he moaned, holding his head with both hands. He wretched, rolling onto his knees and lifting his head before vomiting on the floor. The rest of the day passed in a nightmarish haze. Korvo called for the nurses, the nurses called for doctors, and finally, the doctors called for a psychological crisis expert. Before long, the SS was swarming the building, tracking how much classified information had been divulged, how accurate the leaks were, and who might be a risk factor in further leakage. Ryvik begged for relief, calling for his own memory to be wiped, but it was no use; the trauma dealt from the news had left an indelible mark on his psyche; doctors warned that trigger words or phrases could result in future breakdowns which would reignite the security concerns the state was so desperate to hide. The question remained: who gave the journal to Korvo? The man gave the SS a false name, one that Vixe had invented when she gave him the journal. They asked for a description, next, and Korvo, unable to understand what was happening but certain that the state had victimized everyone involved, gave a false description. "[She was a lieutenant...]" he began. The mess continued to grow. Multiple arrests were made. Ryvik would never work for the state again, and his travel credentials were revoked, permanently. But as the day turned to dusk, things began to settle down again. Ryvik's parents were contacted again. They came to visit their son. --- [quote]To: Taylor From: Neasha I'm pleased to hear about the success of the operation against the Creed. We've just finished our first interview with INTERGALACTICA, and they say it was such a revelation that they want to turn it into a series. That means a few more interview sessions over the coming weeks, at the locations of our choosing. It's sad to see so many of our trusted crew members depart onto their own enterprises, but if there was ever a good time, it would be now. I don't know if you have time to see the broadcast, but this company is changing its name and it priorities from here on. We're just the Belladonna Company now. While Yanim had a certain appeal of her own, after all the negative press, I would rather the public focus on your exploits at the head of the Muramasa crew. What you say about the SSOID worries me. If they sent one spy, then they might send more. We're quite vulnerable right now because of the large number of new employees we're taking on to fill the gaps being left behind, so I'll make sure someone is doing background checks. For now, we should meet up somewhere neutral and plan our next move, because for the first time since meeting you all, we have nothing we're supposed to be working on. I suggest we keep the Aurikha safe for at least a month so we can get some weapons shipments out and keep ourselves profitable. We'll start with Duroma. Nothing important ever seems to happen there. That's a joke, by the way. -Neasha[/quote] Neasha looked up from her tablet just after sending the message out to find her officers returning with large numbers of fresh recruits. She smiled broadly at the fresh faces, but there was one that caught her eye.

Abrax stood silently.

Taylor read over the message as soon as she recieved it. Duroma, eh? Sting will certainly enjoy being back home, I guess. She typed out a reply message saying they were on their way, and gave Eve the order to head out. The Muramasa II was soon rising into orbit around Novithus. It wouldn't be very long at all before the ship would launch into warp, heading towards the desert planet of Duroma. - - - - - - - - - - - [QUOTE]Meanwhile, in the Renegade Quadrant on planet Sielia...[/QUOTE] "This is how it will look once it is finished." said Jester, pulling up the schematics for [URL="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starpath/images/3/3e/The-Guillotine.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170813200115"]the massive battleship[/URL] on the holotable before them. The blueprints for the vessel rose up slowly, showing it from different angles. Taur and Zadra examined the vessel from either side of the table, occasionally rotating it to get better views. "...These bear the Upyri's Office of Naval Intelligence signature...How did you get these...?" asked Taur, his gaze drifting from the vessel's blueprints to Jester. Jester did a a sort of bow, with an almost sinister grin adorning her face. "Talent." said Jester, simply. Zadra, meanwhile, was still inspecting it. "It reminds me of the Kanad ships. Though it looks more like a sword than a flying triangle." she said, drawing a small triangle in the air with her fingers. Jester chuckled. "That's because it has a special railgun built into it. It's a prototype design able to burst fire three slugs. The standard Upyri main gun only fires one slug." Taur nodded slowly. "...Excellent...do you have a warpdrive or...a jumpdrive to install on it...?" Jester frowned, which was rather rare from what Zadra had seen. "No. But it will have one soon." replied Jester, folding her arms and tilting her head slightly. "Yeah, that's because I'm gonna build the fucker with Taur's help." said a voice from behind. Jester didn't have time to turn around, before Valkyrie patted her on the shoulder. Jester's eyes cut down to her hand, then to Valkyrie herself. Valkyrie was grinning wildly. "Here. Check this shit out." said Valk, stepping over and plugging her holotablet into the table and bringing up the blueprints and files on the drive that her father and Taur had built. "A prototype, of course, but I'm gonna perfect it to be installed in the Guillotine." she said, stepping back and folding her arms. Jester stepped over and examined it, while Zadra looked at it in awe. Taur smiled, looking to Valkyrie. Jester spoke up after a few moments of looking at it. "...a beautiful machine, really." she said, her mouth curling into her trademark smile. "Yeah!" remarked Zadra, looking through all the designs and schematics. Minutes later, Valkyrie and Jester emerged from the small concrette bunker onto the main platform of the docks. Sielia was practically a paradise of a world. Many jungle covered islands, nice beaches, huge oceans. And it was out of most major travel lanes and secluded in a sector nobody really ventured to except to get rid of undesireable personell. These concrette docks were the only real piece of civilization on the planet, which meant it was used at least once before but forgotten about. "What's the current estimate for completion?" asked Valk, folding her arms as she gazed up to where the frame of the Guillotine was being constructed. Crews of organic and mechanical origin traveled about, continuously working on the massive ship. All products of Jester calling favors, and promises of payment. Plus funds from her own accounts. "At the current rate, two years. We can cut it down to a third of that time with some of your drones." said Jester, tilting her head back and letting her eyes drift over to Valkyrie. "Fantastic! We'll need to buy a drone production bench and plenty of supplies." responded Valkyrie. Jester nodded. "Right away! But first, we need to welcome a few recruits into our ranks! Its not a pirate band without pirates!" said Jester, motioning to a nearby building. "Really now? Well, lets go get acquainted." said Valkyrie, with a smirk. Jester grinned, and soon enough she was leading Valkyrie over. Inside was a group of about fourty people. They seemed to hail from various races, and what seemed to be various backgrounds. Valkyrie could spot easily three Khergians right off the bat, along with an Ayr exile. There were a few Upyri, about four Kanads clustered together, and a bunch of humans. There was even a few Namur, a pair of Venatorians, and what looked to be a Sanghvi. "Excellent." said Valkyrie, her smirk growing into a grin. She strolled by the group, who were still talking amongst each other, while Jester remained by the door. Eventually, Valkyrie found a concrette slab on the floor that she stepped up onto. Now she had a better view of the group. "[I][B]ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP![/B][/I]" she said loudly, placing her hands on her hips. The group turned to look at her, their conversations dying down. "My name is Valencia Blackwell. You may call me Valkyrie. I'm sure all of you have met my second in command, Jester. [I][B]Welcome to the Blackwell Reavers.[/B][/I]" she said, looking to each of their faces. "Now, before we go over a few things regarding membership, pay, and rules...I need you guys to do something for me. A sort of entrance exam." She then pointed to certain members of the group. The Sanghvi, and the Ayr. "You. Step over here behind me, you're already in the group. The rest of you, make a circle. We're gonna have a few pit fights to see how tough you fucks really are. Rules are you fight till you knock the other guy out. No killing blows and no weapons. Hand-to-hand only. [B][I]LET'S GO![/I][/B]"

Neasha stepped up to Abraxas. "I thought I recognized you. Abraxas, right? You disappeared when the crew was on Voyak... well, not disappeared, you told us all you were leaving... but in any case, you left with the crew and you didn't come back. I'm glad you're safe; it's been a hell of a month. Are you coming back on-board?" --- On holoscreens throughout the galaxy: [quote]INTERGALACTICA - TERROR, TOIL, TERIKA: THE STORY OF THE BLOODY FOX [I]It's often claimed that one nation's terrorist is another nation's freedom fighter. But for the illusive and feared criminal Yanim Terika, there was no nation she could call home- no overarching cause which could name her a patron saint. She was an enigmatic ideologue of her own creation, fighting for a vision of the future that was invisible to onlookers throughout the galaxy. Meeting her end on the frozen wastes of Rigel, her legacy of violence was left to be decoded. Now, INTERGALACTICA's Nicolas Chevelle dives deeper- interviewing the disciples of the "Bloody Fox" to learn the shocking truth behind her company's actions. Are they really just another band of anarchists, or could they be heroes in disguise?[/I] CHEVELLE: I'm sitting across from Neasha Kyral, the heir of the company founded by Yanim Terika. Also with me is her second-in-command, Ioannis Constantine, and Arkadam Sidikan, the closest companion of the Bloody Fox. Thank you for taking the time to sit with me today. KYRAL: Of course. When we saw your offer for an interview, we weren't sure how to react... Had it come a week or more earlier, it couldn't have ever happened. But this is an important time for us, moving forward. CHEVELLE: Would you say that you're all turning a new leaf? CONSTANTINE: (Laughing) If you mean we're going to switch gears and stop doing what we do, then no. But we've decided that our reputation needs to be something we keep in check, and there's been this sort of mythos that's been getting out of our hands. KYRAL: A lot of it has to do with this "Bloody Fox" nonsense, which, of course, originated in the media... The Boss never called herself that. In fact, I'm pretty much certain she hated being called that. CHEVELLE: Well, I didn't come up with it. (Laughing) But more importantly, the name was created in the wake of the Madness on Prospera. Your company was at the very center of that, of course, and your "winking fox" logo was a captivating symbol in the news cycle for some time. Of course, that planet continues to suffer from attacks and instability thanks to gang warfare, mercenary interference, and even the Divinity Creed. Yanim has been seen as the catalyst for all this destruction. How true would you call that assertion? KYRAL: I'd like to dispel the notion that the Madness was something we came to Prospera to cause... We were on Itara just a few days before that, and the Boss discovered that Prospera was being used as an illegal gateway into western consumer markets. CHEVELLE: How so? CONSTANTINE: The Itarans supply food to a number of border planets just outside of the Collective. They supply so much, in fact, that if they were to suffer a major crop failure, planets like Rigel and Duroma wouldn't be able to sustain their normal rate of consumption. KYRAL: The Collective just took on Itara as a client state this year, and from what we could gather, they were intending to offload so much product into the west, that it would have caused a famine in the southeast quadrant. CHEVELLE: That's a bold claim. Constantine: I don't think it is. If you look at the reported incidents of trade violations in Sol and the Federation, you'll find most of them coming from Tri-Enterprises selling unregistered Itaran foodstuffs. They got them from their black market ties on Prospera, who were getting them directly from the kanads. CHEVELLE: So if causing the Madness wasn't the plan, then what [I]was[/I] the plan? KYRAL: Well, as it turned out, Prospera's leading crime families tended to bet large amounts of money on sporting events, especially ones for which they could fix the outcome. The F-MAX Grand Prix was the perfect storm. All we had to do was make sure that anyone outside of their hand-picked winner would take home the cup, and the syndicate would loose so much money that they'd be unable to cover the costs of their smuggling activities. CHEVELLE: So what went wrong, then? CONSTANTINE: Well, isn't that obvious? We didn't realize that Tri-Enterprises was on the verge of collapse at the time. Behind the scenes, the Death Vigil was making a play for control over the same syndicate. There was already bound to be a power struggle, but when we bankrupted the syndicate and slammed the door shut on the food imports, a mob war erupted. If anyone's responsible for the Madness, it would be Tri-Enterprises and the Death Vigil. KYRAL: And once that trade route was closed, the kanads were left sitting on hundreds of billions of credits worth of food products that they were planning on dumping on western markets. There was no time to get rid of it any other way, so they were forced to sell it to the planets that should have gotten it in the first place. CHEVELLE: So you're saying that the Madness was a botched attempt to... ARKADAM: Nothing was botched. We just explained that it wasn't even our fault- NEASHA: And we did exactly what we intended to do. We kept food on the table on Rigel and other border zone planets. CHEVELLE: One thing doesn't make sense, and I'm hoping you can shed some light on the matter. CONSTANTINE: Absolutely. CHEVELLE: What did Terika-Belladonna have to gain by preventing a famine? Who paid you for that? NEASHA: I think you might have the impression that all organizations like ours fetch a major price for what we do, but at the time of the Prospera job, we were so broke that we were salvaging supplies and fuel out of the Albitsky Belt just to make ends meet. When we arrived on Prospera, we came with a mentality of having a job to do first, and making the money later. And we found ways to make money, of course. But it took a while before we started bringing in the kind of income that you'd expect of a group as infamous as we are. CHEVELLE: You were spotted on Voyak a short time after that event. Most claim that you were working for the sanghvi to sabotage the Collective's defenses. CONSTANTINE: That's a mixed bag. We were working [I]with[/I] the sanghvi, not [I]for[/I] the sanghvi. And while sabotaging defenses was part of a bargain we were forced to take, there was something much more important afoot. CHEVELLE: And that was? NEASHA: We can't tell you that. And we can't tell you exactly who we were working for, either, until everything gets resolved. CHEVELLE: You've got to realize how dubious that sounds. CONSTANTINE: We told you everything about the Prospera situation. We wouldn't hide the details of the Voyak mission if revealing them wouldn't be dangerous for the galaxy. CHEVELLE: You make it sound as if you and your company are out to save us. CONSTANTINE: That's more accurate than you probably realize. CHEVELLE: And the galaxy is supposed to believe that you're some sort of heroic force after you openly admitted to sabotaging kanad defensive measures just before a major war? NEASHA: Have you been to Voyak, Mr. Chevelle? CHEVELLE: I have not. NEASHA: I have. I was there with the Boss and Rask Vor'Pangn during a trip last year. The amount of squalor that planet is living under is an insult to international decency. As a serek, I've seen the sort of cruelty that fostering organizations like the UGC can inflict through the indifference of the galaxy. I can't say for sure that the sanghvi will be any better for Voyak than the UGC was for Voyak, but I can guarantee you that it can't be any worse. CHEVELLE: Let's shift gears, here. You've painted a very different picture of Yanim Terika than the media is used to seeing. It's been reported that she was an offworlder and an engineer who once worked for HarkArk before assembling her own crew. From there, there were a lot of attacks on obscure targets that we still don't have the full story on. But, far from the "Bloody Fox" we've talked about in the media, you claim that these attacks were for the galaxy's benefit. Who was the real Terika? NEASHA: Ah, well... first off, she was a friend of mine. We didn't meet under good circumstances, but over time, I came to see a few defining character traits. She was absolutely furious about the way she had been treated at HarkArk and at false charges filed against her by the Collective, and she wanted to strike back in ways that would bring a sense of justice to the situation. Not lawful justice, but justice... She was obsessed with it for a while, while it was just a few of us, and she got herself hurt in a lot of different ways. She was the sort of person who would work themselves so hard that they'd just collapse and die one day. Come to think of it, that's basically exactly what happened to her. ARKADAM: She leads by example. She teaches us that there are plenty of causes worth dying for. And anyone can be the hero... no matter what we've done in the past, it's never too late to save someone else. CHEVELLE: Did she think of it as some kind of redemption? ARKADAM: Something like that- it's redemption on a personal level. Even if the galaxy doesn't recognize us as heroes, we have a voice inside that tells us what's right. Yanim's point is that we should listen to that voice and be the person we want to be, no matter what. CHEVELLE: That's a pretty lofty goal. Do you think that the company represents that ideal? NEASHA: We're certainly proud of our captain, Ms. Caine, and the entire crew of the Muramasa. The sort of sacrifices they've made in the service of others and the galaxy at large, I feel, will vindicate them in history. But as good as it might feel to toot our own horn here, we can't pretend that we're not also a weapons manufacturer. Selling instruments of liberation sounds like a noble goal, but it's really the recipients who are doing all the "liberating." We play a part in the system, but we can't be heroes all the time. That's why, effective immediately, we're retiring Terika's name, and becoming the Belladonna Company. CHEVELLE: That seems like an attempt to dodge Terika's reputation more than a recognition of humility. CONSTANTINE: They're hard shoes to fill- ARKADAM: But they're worth filling. We all know exactly what kind of woman she is, and that she's worth aspiring to be like. Why we would shy away from that legacy is something I can't understand- NEASHA: There's more to Yanim's legacy than the good she did. And that's the problem. The lessons she taught us are dear to our hearts, and they can remain there whether or not we're shouting her name from the rooftops- ARKADAM: If we're too scared to keep her name, then how are we brave enough to wear her mantle? I think more than fear is at work here- CONSTANTINE: Easy now! This is a decision we've just announced today, and so there's going to be some disagreement over what the best course of action is. But now isn't the time for that discussion. CHEVELLE: Maybe I'll ask for your candid thoughts a later, Mr. Arkadam. Before we conclude this interview, what's the next step for the Ter- excuse me, the Belladonna Company? NEASHA: Right now, the Muramasa crew is on a mission to clear its name with one of the galaxy's largest governments. As we continue on, you'll see our participation in far more lawful activities alongside our more profitable adventures, but our goal is to ensure that everyone knows where we stand. We have a motto at our company: Where law is tyranny, the lawless are martyrs.[/quote]

Abraxas stared at the Serek, nodding. "Yes. I've had personal matters to take care of. But that's dealt with now. I'm ready to get back to work."

[quote][video=youtube;7Cyf8kPsoMM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cyf8kPsoMM[/video][/quote] Following the battle on Zyus II the joint SDF-SSOID fleet had safely relocated and regrouped. Silently the ships drifted through a system void of life. Aside from two barren planets the only thing occuppying the system was a massive blue star. Illuminating the entire fleet and covering them with a layer of bright and blue colors the star watched its visitors from afar. Onboard the SNV Redstar the majority of its crew and onboard soldiers had gathered inside the hangar. Similar gatherings were taking place onboard the other, larger, vessels. Lord General Kaspar Cross sighed. Around him were hundreds of soldiers. Infront of him were a hundred caskets. Some were empty, some were not. All of them were covered with flags, units patches, photographs and other signs of respect and grief. Kaspar observed his soldiers. No, his brothers and sisters. Even the Legionaires. He nodded towards Praxaz whom in return bowed his head. A friendly hand touched his right shoulder. Kaspar glanced at it and was met by his friend, Lord Admiral Viktor Zhaneys. Viktor nodded at him. Kaspar smiled briefly, nodded then looked back to his crew. This was no happy gathering. There were no stages, no fancy uniforms and no medals to be given. There would be no salutes aside from the ones that would honor the dead. Soldiers were still wearing their dirty and bloody armor. Helmets and rifles were held closely or placed on nearby crates or vehicles. Crewmen, hangar personnel and engineers each wore their respective uniforms covered in sweat, blood, mud and engine oil. Those who were wounded were assisted by their comrades or medical staff clad in bright white uniforms. "Today is a sad day," announced Kaspar as his voice echoed across the fleet through monitors and speakers. "We have dealt a serious blow against our opponents. Those who wish for us to die in eternal fires. Those would want nothing more but to butcher us and our families. Yet, it is no victory. No, like the battles before and the battles we have ahead of us the battle on Zyus II will only represent war. It was neither a victory nor a defeat." He paused and spotted Captain Valerie Reed in the crowd, flanked by Ares, Lieutenant Warren and Commander Gladius. Kaspar continued his speech. As the Lord General continued Valerie felt herself fazing out. She saw the General speaking but for a moment it was as if all the sounds in the world vanished. There was only silence. Her hands began to shake and she could feel her knees trembling. What was the point of this? This endless cycle of violence, speeches and politics. All for what? One man's dream to fight chaos through absolute security or one man's dream to fight oppression through liberation? Valerie could a feel a tear racing down her left cheek. It stopped briefly before suddenly falling to the floor. She looked around her. A group of marines clenched their fists and held them against their hearts to honor their lost sergeant. Two Legionaires pounded their armor to show their respect for a fallen clanmate. A pilot covered with burnmarks and bandages cried out in frustration over a fallen wingman. Valerie could not see any good reason for this war wherever she looked. No matter how hard she tried she could only see two sides of the same coins desperately tring to vanquish one another. She thought of Leon, how he had died believing in a bright future for Sol. A united Humanity. She looked at Kaspar. As proud as ever the Lord General delivered his next speech. He appared sad yet he stood tall. Valerie looked into his eyes and saw it. How he mourned. Each speech marking the impending doom for his comrades or honoring their sacrifice. At that very moment she saw just how much pain Kaspar was in. The same pain which probably motivated him to fight on. "Captain?" Valerie was brought out of her trance as a heavy metal-clad hand touched her. Gladius looked at her from behind his tinted visor. "It's time," said the soldier while nodding towards the caskets. Valerie nodded and looked towards the caskets. Several squads of marines which had exchanged their helmets for berets slowly grabbed onto the caskets. One by one the caskets where gently pushed out through the hangar shields and into the cold depths of space. When the last line had left the hangar the crowd moved closer to the shield. Those who wanted saluted. Some bowed their heads. The others remained silent. Outside a swarm of caskets drifted peacefully towards the blue star far away. Unlike their comrades these soldiers would not be buried on Mars. Statues would still be erected in the Valley of Heroes but they would merely be conduits to the souls of the dead. War waited for no one and Valerie knew, like everyone else in the fleet, about the orders to redeploy. Creed fleetgroups were becoming increasingly brazen and it would be up to Kaspar's fleet to counter it. Valerie sighed heavily as the caskets neared the star. "Curse this stupid war."

[quote][video=youtube;W0UbLTyUjm4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UbLTyUjm4[/video][/quote] Hundreds of thousands of people stood gathered before the massive defence battery. Positioned outside the secretive and holy capital on God's Gift- the Divinity Creed's homeworld- this monumental gun served no other purpose beyond its use during ceremonies. Covered in golden sculptures and holy text the gun was blessed by the leaders of the Spiritual Arm once a day. Ontop of that an altar at the very foot of the gun had served as place for the Zealot's to finalize their initiation through a blood sarcrifice. This weapon was more than a tool for ceremonies- it was a key part of Creed history. It was the Lord's Hammer. Situated next to the gun was a small venue fronted by a stage. At the center of it all stood Arch-Zealot Widon Hazadok. Behind him were the Lord's Circle and infront of him were the leaders of both the Spiritual Arm, Military Arm and the Civilian Arm. Overseers and Apostles, Knights and Zealots, governors and ministers. All were there. Zealot Hector Roth looked to the stage with a neutral expression, having been ordered to contain his wrath and direct it towards Sol. Not far from him stood Zealot Terrence Jacobs who was still plotting his revenge against the Upyri Federation after losing his flagship. Behind the top-dogs of the Creed organization were three lines of hardened Creed soldiers followed by citizens and low-ranking soldiers. All eyes were directed towards the stage as Hazadok raised his arms into the air. [b]"Brothers! Sisters! Sons! Daughters! Fathers! Mothers! All of you; bow to the Lord!"[/b] Exclaimed the Arch-Zealot before folding his hands and bowing his head. The sound of metal against concrete echoed as every single person assembled kneeled down on their left knee. The sound was followed by rattling metal as the crowd placed their right hands across their hearts and bowed down with their heads. Hazadok looked up. "Oh Lord, our Guardian and our Shepherd! Our beacon! Our light! Oh Lord, our Saviour and our Provider!" He raised his hands once more. "We call for you in this time of grief! The War of the Righteous ravages us from all sides! With no fear for the Traitors, the Unpure or the False we valiantly resist. We hold your banner high and we speak your holy words aloud as we march to bring justice for all your children." Hazadok then gestured towards another platform positioned nearby. Ontop of it was a massive stone obelisk and on its surface were the names of fallen Creed soldiers. Most of them had died on Zyus II but some had perished during other battles that had taken place during the past two weeks. "We call for you to guide those whom have made the ultimate sacrifice in your name, we call for you to guide those that have laid down their lives fighting for the only true Lord! The God of Gods!" Hazadok raised his voice. "Accept our prayers, hear our voices and bless us with your eternal strength as we bid our fallen farewell!" The Arch-Zealot made a gesture with his hand, prompting twenty Knights clad in golden armor to push the obelisk onto a conveyor belt leading towards the gun. Slowly the obelisk moved towards the weapon and was put into place by an automated loading sequence. A loud [i]thunk[/i] could be heard as the weapon chambered its round. "With the strength of a million Men and Women we reach for you and with the voices of a million Men and Women we call for you! Blessed be your name! Amen! Inshallah!" The crowd repeated the last sentence in unison before looking up. Hazadok nodded towards a pair of Crusaders in ceremonial armor covered with banners and emblems. Slowly the barrel on the Lord's Hammer rose up and aimed towards the stars. Above hundreds of ships observed the ceremony from space. "Fire!" Yelled Hazadok. With a deafening sound the gun fired, launching the now-capsuled stone obelisk into space at mach-speed. The obelisk ascended gracefully past the defense fleet which fired several salutations in response. Hundreds of projectiles joined the obelisk in space as it made its way towards the edge of the system and, ultimately, the far end of the Milky Way assuming nothing collided with it. Roth ignored the tears streaming down his eyes. "Rest in peace brother, rest in peace. Your death shall be avenged." ----- Onboard the Muramasa II things were calm as the crew waited for the ship to reach Duroma. Ira, having taken off her bulky armor and alter-ego, casually strolled through the ship. She entered the kitchen and greeted Alex with a smile. "Hey", she said as she approached him and stopped a couple of meters away. She leaned towards one of the nearby benches. "Need a hand with anything?"

"I do actually." Alex planted the knife in the fish he was gutting. "Somebody has to peel those potatoes over there. If miss bounty hunter doesn't think she's above a simple peeling job that is."

"You got it, Chef." Replied Ira while playfully strolling over to the counter which was occuppied by a sack of potatoes. She grabbed one and eyed it with suspicion before smelling it. "These artificial or grown?"

"I am insulted that you even for a second consider I get the artificial crap." He answered sarcastically.

Ira laughed, nodded and started peeling potatoes. Her smile slowly faded away and was replaced by a neutral expression. She looked at Alex with concern. "Look Alex, I don't know what you and Amy had to go through down on Zyus but I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're both okay." She nodded towards him. "I'm here for both of you."

"Ira" Alex stopped what he was doing "I appreciate it, but it's over and done. The man is dead and so will his legacy in a few years."

Ira nodded. "I just wanted to make sure, you know." She smiled at Alex briefly. "I care for you." Ira lowered her voice and eyes as if she was airing a big secret. Truth to be told there were few people she trusted, aside from Taylor and Miranda.

It wasn't very hard for János to find a passenger ship that would bring him to the system in which Pakihi was located in. According to what he's read, those interested would gather on the nearby planet of Tauhokohoko, which seemed to have filled in for Pakihi following its planet-wide natural disaster, though in recent years trade had started to dry up due to political reasons. János paid for a ticket to the planet, incidentally the last stop for the ship, and spent most of his time sitting and reading up on the news, whether it be what happened on Prospera or other events occurring across the galaxy. He'd occasionally look up from his tablet to see the life around him. Veterans attempting to find work, teens dressed up in cosplay as they traveled to a convention, all kinds of aliens around him. Soon enough, the space bus began to slowly empty as it arrived on Tauhokohoko, as János noted. What he read on the planet must also apply to tourism too, he thought. Arriving at the port, he got off and immediately went searching for the address given online. Activity on the planetary capital seemed more akin to that of a smaller town than of a metropolis, which made the arrival of private ships over the city more noticeable. Following the ships, he managed to arrive to the building Wave Galaxias had rented. Entering the modest-looking high-rise, János found a moderately busy lobby, as folks entered through the ship garage. He looked towards the register, noting a sizeable queue. Before he could do anything however, an employee approached him and greeted him. Initially surprised, she quickly summarized what he had already known, with the various levels of pay available for those attending the reopening. He told her that he wished to pay for the stage that gave him permission to take anything from the planet. She revealed that there were several levels which gave said option, pointing towards the large queue, apparently the most expensive option, and the rest of the relevant queues, which were significantly smaller, especially compared to those that didn't give the option, where queues seemed to be filled by journalists and documentarians, among others. She also revealed that while none of the options provide free transportation of goods from the planet, such services could be hired, whether it be through Wave Galaxias' many affiliates (many of whom offered work for free thanks to WG, thus serving as a means of good publicity) or through a third-party service. János scratched his chin, and chose the option immediately under the most expensive level - the queue for it was minimal, and it also provided the ability to legally claim first-dibs on whatever interested him, though how such a thing could be proven for those without cameras, he had no idea. While the most expensive level overrode him, and contained many more options, he didn't want to bother waiting. János quickly paid the large sum, nearly spending all his money, before being brought to a waiting room with those who paid the same level. He noted the individuals that he saw - men wearing business suits, presumably representing organizations interested in gaining assets, young adults with eyes filled with stars or confidence, perhaps interested in gaining a foothold in their new business or obtain an inheritance, merchants and shady looking fellas, obviously looking for something to take and sell, and so forth. A diverse cast of people, to be sure. An hour passed, and finally they begin the event. Everyone who paid was brought to a large multi-level conference room, with those who paid the most going to the highest level. Wave Galaxias President Aver Lagul came out and welcomed everyone who had arrived. After establishing some ground rules for the planet itself, as well as giving a brief history, she revealed that they planned to revitalize Tauhokohoko and Pakihi, as to make them once more great trading and business hubs respectively, prompting applause from many. She also revealed that many migrants, whether it be former slaves, war refugees or the sort, would be receiving new homes on both planets in an attempt to revitalize inner commerce, though those on Pakihi would receive insurance in case another disaster occurred. After taking a few questions, she concluded and properly reopened Pakihi, with those on the highest level going down first. János waited for another hour before his level was allowed onto the passenger ships; it wasn't long until the ship arrived on the surface, on a port that seemed completely covered in sand. Everyone was checked for their weapons and licenses, before being let onto the planet. Some were given masks due to their biology, but for the most part the air on Pakihi was bearable - not that János would be bothered by it, even if it weren't. Once off the ship, everyone was effectively on their own. While there were some drones flying around, keeping an eye on those around, it was basically a free-for-all for property and goods. Remembering the symbol of the von Junod family, János quickly began his search for a building with their symbolism on it, as at this point they had already changed their family name and blended into another alien race, if the theories were to be believed. The natural disaster that had rendered the planet uninhabitable seemed to have been a massive planet-wide sand storm. While common on other sections of the planet, obviously in such places as the desert, they seemed to have been considered a rare sight in the habitable part of the planet, previously a temperate-esque zone which held an eperopolis - a continental city - before the storm brought the conditions of the desert across the planet in an almost apocalyptic fashion. One could only hope that, if the planet were to be resettled, they had a contingency plan along with the aforementioned insurance for those on it in the event that something like this were to repeat. János walked the sand-dusted streets of Pakihi's old capital, viewing the many buildings that remained standing, but desolate of all intelligent life. With the city's grand scale, he paced alone, only his thoughts of what was keeping him company. He wondered how many truly died on the day the disaster struck. He shuddered at the thought. To distract himself, he pulled out a provided map and searched for his present location - he appeared to be somewhere in the "suburbs" of the capital, though he wouldn't have known, as the skyscrapers of the center seemingly decreased into high-rises and tower blocks, the latter painted in various colors, perhaps to hide the drab nature. Fortunately, János needn't walk much longer, as he found a familiar sight; a large sign depicting the symbol of the von Junod family, or as they seemed to call themselves... [I]Wohundart[/I]. He had originally come to expect the family's complex on this building to be more extravagant, but the high-rise he had stumbled upon seemed rather modest in contrast. Perhaps representative of the financial woes of the family in general despite success as the Wohundart family? It didn't matter now. What did, however, was what he could find inside, if anything. This will make him or break him - will his wild goose chase manifest any results? Only one way to find out. János barely pushed open the front gate, unused for as long as the planet has been abandoned. The foyer was covered in dust, as the windows seemed to have held it together, at least on the ground floor. It was time to search.

It wasn't long before the Aurikha, fully loaded with a fresh engineering crew, new mercenaries, and a renewed sense of leadership under Neasha and Constantine, set off for new adventures on Duroma. Abraxas wasn't asked for much more information as he settled in among his new comrades; he had always been a man of few words, and Neasha could respect that. Instead, she was more troubled by Arkadam. Once her blood had cooled, she looked back on her earlier harshness with a pang of regret. The man had suffered on a much more personal level than anyone else in the company, and to use that grief against him was inexcusable, even under stress. Surprisingly, she found him at his post on the bridge when the moment came to depart Roki-Kohn. "Where are we headed now?" he asked in a dreary inflection barely discernible from his hobbled monotone. It was clear that if the implant was working to overcome his emotional dissonance, he was suppressing it. Neasha sat in her chair and looked out at the skyline ahead of her. "I told the Muramasa to meet us at Duroma. I'd like you to find us a suitable port for heavy freighters after you've laid in a course for us." She drummed her sharp claws on the armrest and let out a sigh. "Arkadam, what I did earlier was wrong. I'm sorry." Arkadam quietly opened the star charts and began setting up the jump route for the bulky ship, not bothering to respond for a while. "I don't even want the company," he finally replied. "...I just want to accomplish something that she'll be proud of when I see her again." If Neasha felt bad before, she was miserable now. She had always assumed that Arkadam, like most kanads, was a lifelong atheist, but his words earlier and then again on the bridge showed some aspect of spirituality. Deep down, Neasha hoped for an afterlife, even if she had trouble believing in the serek pantheon. At the very least, she hoped that she, too, would see Yanim again one day. She couldn't bear to turn around and face Arkadam as he continued to work diligently, even as he muted his emotions. For a while, she sat and read from her comm inbox, looking for topics to occupy her attention. Shortly thereafter, Constantine, Nir, and Mattheus arrived on the bridge for the departure. Relieved, Neasha decided to bring up a topic from Taylor's most recent communication, one which she had carefully avoided in her reply. "Captain Caine sent me a message saying she wants to talk about the Archives. I think it's about time we all put some serious thought into how we're going to handle the situation." To her dismay, Arkadam replied immediately. "I already have," he announced, a hint of forcefulness, perhaps even anger seeping into his voice. "Maybe I'd have told you about this earlier ...if you two weren't convinced I was useless!" [video=youtube;yzjEg5hBcpU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzjEg5hBcpU[/video] [B][url=https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1538825&p=52877586&viewfull=1#post52877586]Summary of Chapters 1-4[/url] Summary of the Intermission:[/B] As the Muramasa II departed from Rigel, the Aurikha stayed below and faced a massive attack from Collective forces in a last-ditch effort to overwhelm the bandit enterprise. The clone of Ryvik Sidikan that had been imprisoned by TBC managed to turn the tables on his captors, returning to base at Vostokrebh to confirm his sister's demise. Escaping repeated attempts by the GKVR to euthanize their clone, now that he had lived out his usefulness, he insisted that he possessed information for General Vorokar's ears only. As a ragtag army of mercenaries of all races and backgrounds stood their ground on the Aurikha, ensuring the company's survival, Vorokar returned to Rigel intending to capitalize on his victory over Terika by embedding himself in the leadership of a future military incursion. Instead, the clone of Ryvik confronted him, ensnaring him in a terrible trap that had originally been rigged for their now-deceased enemies. A nuclear weapon, originally intended to destroy Stalnazyp, was detonated in the wastes outside Vostokrebh, killing only the General and the clone. Days later, the real Ryvik awoke in a hospital on Kanadys, and was quickly informed of the messy conspiracy by Captain Vixe, using an unwitting messenger. From the outside, it appeared as if the Collective's attempts to snuff out TBC had come to a screeching halt. While the Aurikha traveled to Seloveha and Roki-Kohn to replace its now-depleted crew and resume its weapons manufacturing activities, the Muramasa crew traveled to Zyus II to assist the Sol System Government and the Boome Marines, as well as to provide an opportunity for Alex and Amy to finally escape their father's pursuit- by eliminating him. In the process of the mission, the crews' bounties within Sol territory were cleared. For once, the crew was experiencing a high degree of freedom and security. Some members of the battle-tested group took the opportunity to leave the company and strike out on their own. Valencia Blackwell departed the company to begin her own criminal enterprise in the so-called Renegade Quadrant, János Celofán set out to discover his own origin, and Amelia Weinheart and Porter departed together with the Boomes. At the same time, Abraxas surprised the company's leadership by returning to the fold. Taylor would then carry out the final wishes of Jag, as well as discover the truth about Maddox: the man they had killed on Rigel had only been a clone. Upon learning this, Neasha was busy confronting another enemy of the company: the public's perception- a field which she felt Yanim had neglected in life, but would help to determine the company's fate. While the SSOID remained a threat, lingering questions about the Archive were the most troubling to the embattled organization. Unbeknownst to her, Arkadam had already struck out on his own effort to solve the crisis in secret, by contacting Red from Argos. Having made some sort of arrangement in secret, the crew was due to learn of this deal on Duroma, once reunited with their leaders. Elsewhere, the Death Vigil continued to march toward their conquest of the southwest quadrant, challenging YsCom in power at every turn. Beta returned to the organization to collect the bounty for her "sister," but only after encountering Starvis in cyberspace by accident. She was instructed to deliver a message to Mordecai which would inform him of the now-renamed Belladonna Company's possession of a third Archive. And that's not all- while digging in the files left behind on Yanim's computer pack, Beta discovered a power armor design known as the "Velkratkammik" or Infernal Machine. She was then assigned to work with Archangel on solving the Muramasa problem. [B]Chapter 5 - The Finale[/B] [quote]February 23rd, 2385: [B]THAT BASTARD[/B] Arkadam has made himself a problem. I should have known he was hiding something- he kept disappearing every time we turned around, and his voice kept changing, over and over... He wasn't just suffering from his injury; he was intentionally hiding his emotions from us so that we wouldn't know what to expect. I had no idea he would be so bold, though, to contact Argos behind our backs and make plans for the Archive... plans which involve handing the damned box over to the exact people we weren't trusting when Yanim was in charge. That's what you think she would have wanted, lover boy? It's maddening. I can't believe I'm going to have to break this news to the Muramasa crew... they're not going to like where this is going. But they're just going to have to toughen up and swallow their pride like the rest of us. Well, at least I have two days to put together some kind of speech to ease their nerves. We won't be seeing them until the 25th... and I've put Arkadam in the brig, for now. It's the best I can do. -Neasha Kyral, Belladonna Company[/quote] The freighter station at Lynescar Flats was chosen for its relative sleepiness compared to some of the more active ports, which meant that the company would have little trouble getting approval to land a frigate in a space normally reserved for cargo ships. Arriving just before dusk, the Aurikha thundered down through the atmosphere, carefully landing within walking distance of the Muramasa. Nearby lights, hung on strands of cable which meandered around the rural facility, swayed back and forth in the wind as loose livestock animals scattered about in an odd state of rehearsed panic. There were no fences; the owners of the property didn't need to fear their disappearance thanks to the oppressive nature of the desert surrounding the whole port. Despite there being room for two dozen or so large ships, there were only five parked around the lot. Outside one ship, a scruffy looking crew held a barbecue. Outside another, a single man, perhaps a captain, was screaming in the face of a recruit who looked too young for this sort of work. Old ramshackle metal buildings dotted the whole perimeter, belonging to a number of small shops and living quarters for the ones unfortunate enough to inhabit the port full-time. Once again, the leaders of the Belladonna Company exited through the cargo doors rather than lowering the main ramp in order to avoid unwanted attention. The air was cool and dry, and occasional, buffeting winds kicked sand into their eyes and clothing. Between the Muramasa and the Aurikha was a fire pit, and this is where the two groups reunited. "Everyone," Constantine called out, "it's good to see you all after your mission to Zyus. Your work there did us a world of good." "With that special we did on Intergalactica," Neasha added, "we're getting new recruits left and right... Well, at least we're getting applications. We expect to be running a lot of interviews soon. For right now, though, I've got some difficult news about the Archives." She cleared her throat and thought about her next words carefully. "While we were able to keep our ownership of the third Archive a secret until now, unfortunately, that fact has been leaked. Argos knows about it. Now, we all knew that this thing would eventually need to be dealt with. The bad news is that the decision is sort of... out of our hands," she explained, bitterly. ((Happy 2nd Anniversary, Starpath II! :dance:))

[QUOTE]Previously, back on planet Sielia at the Docks...[/QUOTE] As the group of pirates fought inside the circle, Jester rested against the wall near the door. She need not get involved in the fighting. She knew full well what each of these pirates could do. She had studied up on each of them, reaching into various police and military databases for their files or going by word of mouth from other pirates and groups they may have worked with. Each of them would be a wonderful fit for the Reavers. Valkyrie was the one she was most focued on, though. And the one she was the most worried about. Valkyrie had been the perfect choice to lead a group like this. Extensive history and connections amongst the various pirate groups, plus an already stellar reputation amongst the galactic community that only got bigger with her work in the Terika-Belladonna Company. The problem was...Valkyrie was a free spirit. She couldn't control Valkyrie, which both excited her and bothered her immensely. Now Valkyrie had brought this old Kercan aboard, Gorgon Taur. Apparently, he had worked alongside Valkyrie's father on a project regarding an advanced jump drive, and that Valkyrie was going to work with him to build a new one. Useful, of course, since they were in need of one. Her issue with it was that Taur was also going to serve as Valkyrie's tutor of sorts. Which meant that Jester wouldn't have as much sway in what Valkyrie did from now on. [QUOTE][video=youtube;XuSzQCLjf0A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuSzQCLjf0A[/video][/QUOTE] Jester shifted a little at the thought. She'd just have to work a bit harder in steering Valkyrie the way she wanted her to go. Especially if she wished to put the Reavers in just the right spot. Jester's mouth began to curl into a smile. [I]Just the right spot.[/I] She knew exactly where that was. She had been there before, back when [URL="http://starpath.wikia.com/wiki/Keres_Company"]Keres Company[/URL] had been around. Feared on a galactic scale...sublime. Well, till [URL="http://starpath.wikia.com/wiki/Miranda_Caine"]that damn bounty hunter[/URL] came along and ruined everything. At least Jester had her to thank for this body and new state of mind. No more would she serve under short-sighted idiots like [URL="http://starpath.wikia.com/wiki/Eckardt_Rathenau"]Eckardt[/URL]. Instead, she'd do her own thing and build a group that would last. And when that had been achieved, she'd begin the next phase. She tilted her head, cutting a sinister glance to Valkyrie, whom was watching a Khergian and Venatorian beating the hell out of each other in the circle. Valkyrie's drones would prove to be very useful in the second phase of her plan. They seemed simple minded, which meant they were basically dumb foot soldiers and tools. Easy to...manipulate. A simple, quick hack and she'd have total control over almost all the drones that Valkyrie produces. Then comes the fun. She'd capture Valkyrie and Taur. Taur, she'd kill off easily. He was old and feeble. Boring. She could simply disembowel him, and fire him into the depths of space or into a star. Now, Valkyrie...her death will be beautiful. Another future work of art. The rest of the pirates, once she had slaughtered Valkyrie and Taur, would fall perfectly in line. Zadra too, or she'd join Valkyrie in death. Jester would then assume the role of captain of the Reavers and do what Eckardt should have done. Jester chuckled to herself, before stepping away from the wall and walking over to where Valkyrie was standing on the concrete platform. "Things seem to be going well..." said Jester as she stepped up. "Yeah. I really like the group you've gathered. Perfect to start out with. But we'll need more, obviously. We'll need other ships too while the Guillotine is being built." replied Valk, folding her arms and glancing to Jester. "Indeed. I'm sure we can buy a few relatively cheap. Or simply take some." said Jester. A grin formed on her face. Valkyrie chuckled. "Five-fingered discounts are always best." said Valkyrie, returning her attention to the fight. Her mind, though, stayed on Jester. She had noticed Jester's stare from across the room before she walked over. And Valkyrie knew exactly what she had been thinking about. Jester was a serial killer. And though she appeared to be quite insane, she was actually really fucking smart and focused when she needed to be. Sometime in the future, Jester was more than likely going to try and kill her. That was practically a given. The question was...when and how? Jester was insistant on having her produce her drones. Both to boost the group's manpower and to help build the Guillotine faster. Valkyrie wouldn't object to that, really. But what happens later? Jester was cybernetic, and could probably hack as well as she could if not better. Down the line, she could probably hack her drones and use them against her. Firewalls and safety protocols would need to be programmed into any future models, that was for damn sure. She wasn't going to die by her own creations' hands. Nor Jester's. Valk glanced back to Jester, and noticed that she was wearing her creepy trademark smile. Valkyrie gave her a smile of her own. - - - - - - - - - - - - - [QUOTE]Currently, on Duroma...[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]"...The bad news is that the decision is sort of... out of our hands."[/QUOTE] Taylor tilted her head. Out of our hands? What? "How is it out of our hands? We still have it, don't we? We can just blow the one we have up or shoot it into the nearest star or black hole. It needs to be destroyed." she said. What the hell had happened while they were gone?

Iron nodded in agreement with Taylor while Karl facepalmed. "Just as I thought that things were going to calm down for a while."

It was time. The hour of the ceremony had begun. The void of the cave entrance stared back at the mix of ayatollahs and sorcerers gathered around it. All of them held torches burning bright which illuminated the path before Chemosh, the path to becoming a sorcerer. He wasn't alone however, as he was joined by his two friends: Moloch, who silently walked next to him, and Beherit, who could hardly contain his excitement. "[I][I've been waiting for this moment, my dear friend!][/I]" says Beherit as he patted Chemosh on the back. "[Indeed! I cannot even begin to think about what I could do as a sorcerer!]" Moloch says nothing. He keeps his eyes down and his mouth shut. He wasn't paying any attention to what the two were talking about, and was instead kept occupied by his own thoughts. "[I][Do not worry, you'll have all the time in the world!][/I]" exclaimed Beherit. "[I][Trust me, there will be nothing you won't be able to do! Perhaps, we should bestow this blessing to the rest of our people as well!][/I]" This caught Moloch's attention as he jerks his head around, now staring in Beherit's direction. "[I][Something the matter, Moloch?][/I]" he asks. "[I][Nothing.][/I]" replies Moloch. "[I][Chemosh, are you certain you want to do this?][/I]" "[Of course I do. With this power, who in this galaxy could rival us? No one. And that is how it should be, yes?]" Beherit nodded in agreement. They soon reach the entrance of the cave, and while both Moloch and Beherit had been inside before, they both feel a tingle down their spine. Chemosh, on the other hand, has a sudden onset of anxiety and starts shaking. He shook his head to ward off the feeling. Before they let him go, Moloch pulls out a ground anchor and drove it firmly into the earth beneath him. Tied to it was a long cord which he unfurls as he passes the loose end to Chemosh, who he then instructs to tie it around himself. "[I][Listen, Chemosh. Remember what I've told you. Hold on to the cord, do not let go, and stay close to me. Should anything happen, shake the cord and we'll both be pulled out.][/I]" he implores. "[I][Yes, yes, now go!][/I]" beckoned Beherit. "[I][It's time you've joined us, Chemosh!][/I]" He stays outside with the others, but Moloch doesn't want Chemosh to go alone on this as he fears for his friend's safety, not wanting whatever may be inside to hurt Chemosh as it hurt him many years ago. The cave itself branches off in many directions, and lights dangle above the two as they made their way inside. Though the deeper the went, the lights became more sparse until it was pitch black. Chemosh couldn't see anything, but Moloch guids him onward. Unknown to him however, something starts forming in the air like a cloud hanging over his head. It reaches down and coils around Chemosh's head like a snake, and chokes him for a second before it disappears. "[A-Ah!]" Chemosh falls over. "[I][What happened? Are you alright?][/I]" asks Moloch. Chemosh clutches his head tightly in pain. It feels as if something was trying to burrow itself in his brain, ripping his grey matter apart and slowly making it's way inside. Through the pain, he hears something. At first, it sounds like wind blowing through the trees, but he swore he can hear a voice in the middle of it. [quote][B][I]-̶̶̡̪͍̲͎͈̝̜̱͍̯̐ͭͭ̿ͨ̑͛̋̌̚ǫ̢̦̥̝̼̪̣̱̹͎̃̈̀̎̿͌ͣ̍͢2̸̨̤͕̹͚̗̖̮͉̼̻ͯ́͆ͣ̑ͤͬ̈́̔ͧ́͝͡A̴̗͉̮̺͕͍ͯ̓̈́͆̿̐̓̈́̀̚͞͝5̨̥̭̙̂͐͒̊͌̿̾ͣ͑̎̎͐̿͂̾̌̚ͅh̶͛̄̏ͭͨͥ͛̓ͮ͂ͨ҉̶̡̹͎̝̜̺̮̪͔̙S̡̙͕̳̭͓͚̪̣̤̜̲͎̻̾̓̓̇͆͗̀ͦ̍̽͢͜͜͡!̬̲̳͓̫̹̠ͬͥ̽͒͑̈ͤ͢͜!͗͛̂̾̆̇̑ͨ̽̍͛̓ͣ̍҉̴̸͕͉̮̭͍̞͠[/I][/B][/quote] [I]Something [/I]is trying to speak to him. [quote][B][I]-̵͘͞R̢͘͞͡-̵̵̛͜ ̡͢͡-͝҉̀͡-̴͟ ̀͟͝͡͠Į̵̨͘?҉͢?̶̀̀͞[/I][/B][/quote] The voice ceases just as suddenly as it made itself heard. "[I'm... I'm fine, Moloch. What the hell was that?!]" Worried about what just happened to his friend, Moloch pulls up Chemosh and seizes him by his shoulders. "[I][That must've been it! Do you feel any different?! Any pain?!][/I]" "[I feel no different!]" responds Chemosh. "[It didn't work!]" Moloch tugs at the cord. "[I'm taking us back-]" "[No! Not when we are so close! I can sense it! I sense we're getting closer! We must continue!]" Chemosh pleads. "[I][Absolutely not! I will not let you put your own safety at risk! We're going back, and that is final!][/I]" yelled Moloch. The cord began dragging Chemosh back against his will while Moloch held on. "[I][I'm sorry, Chemosh, but I cannot let this cave hurt you.][/I]" As the two were slowly being pulled back outside, the cord got snagged on something. "[I][Is it stuck?][/I]" asked Moloch as he turned to see what was causing it. Both he and Chemosh fiddle about with the cord, but then the both of them start getting pulled in the opposite direction! The cord around Chemosh's waist and torso tightens itself more and more, squeezing him enough that he began tasting blood in his mouth. "[Moloch! What's happening!?]" blood seeps from his mouth as he spoke. Moloch tries helping his friend by loosening the cord, but something yanks Chemosh violently into the air, slamming him against the ceiling and the walls. "[[B]AMIR!!![/B] [I][B]HELP ME!!![/B][/I]]" Moloch immediately tries dragging Chemosh away, but the moment he grabs him, he's forced to let go as [I]every single one of his senses[/I] are overloaded at once. Blinded and deafened, he falls to the ground as the cord around Chemosh finally breaks, leaving him helpless as he's dragged deeper into the cave. The last thing Moloch sees of him once he's able to open his eyes again was Chemosh being enveloped by a fleshy mist, swallowing him whole. The only thing Moloch could do is scream in horror. The mist takes Chemosh, but expels Moloch from the cave. It opens itself again to let out a torrential storm of this black, inky liquid which tosses him outside the cave. The ayatollahs outside rush to Moloch as they see him washed out. "[Moloch! Moloch! Are you alright?! Where is Chemosh?]" they ask. "[[I]It took him! It took Chemosh![/I]]" he says in between breaths. "[[I]I tried to save him, but it took him! It ate him alive right in front of me[/I]!]" "[Damn! Hold this, I'm going inside!]" An Ayatollah takes off his coat and prepares to enter, but is quickly knocked back as the entrance collapses, now buried under heaps of rubble. Moloch looks around him as he stands himself up. The ayatollahs are in full panic mode. Some were yelling orders into their radios for a mining crew to arrive as soon as possible, while others were trying to dig through the rocks with their own bare hands. But not Beherit. Instead, he stands there with his back turned to the cave, appearing in deep thought. "[[I]You![/I]]" he shouts to Beherit as he marches towards him. "[[I]This is all your fault![/I]]" "[[I]Excuse me? [B]Mine?![/B] He wanted to do this![/I]]" Beherit yells back. "[[I]He wouldn't have if you hadn't pushed him into it![/I]]" "[[I]And yet you knew of the dangers in the cave, didn't you? You didn't try to stop him, did you? I bet you didn't even try saving him! Some kind of friend you are![/I]]" Moloch explodes with anger at that. "[[I][B]HOW DARE YOU-[/B][/I]]" he screams. Just as he did, however, everyone around him stopped to see what was going on. This wasn't worth it, thinks Moloch. Especially not if everyone's looking. "[[I]Know this. Should he have died, his blood is on your hands.[/I]]" Beherit scoffs at this as Moloch walks away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-xHtjngCeM[/media] Chemosh struggles to move around, but the membrane wrapped around him was too tight for him to even tremble. His heart's racing and his body is shaking in fear of what just happened. He tries screaming for help but he can hardly move his jaw. All he can do is feel the odd sensation of sinking, sinking [I]somewhere[/I]. As he's just about to give up any hope of rescue, he hears something. [quote][I][B]W̶̨͠͞H̨O͞ ̶͢҉A̵͘͟͜͟R͏̕͟҉Ȩ ͏҉̀́͜Y̡͡O̢̨U̵̷͜͠͏?̸̀!͝͡[/B][/i][/quote] As the voice spoke, Chemosh's mind was assaulted by visions and hallucinations. Visions of something twisted and metallic burning. [quote][I][B]Ẁ̶̛̕͡H̀͡͏̸͠À̡̢T́͟͜ ̴̵͘͟͡A̛͏R҉̨̀E̴͟͝͝͝ ͏̵Y̕͞O̕͘͜͢U̴͟͢͝ ̸͟͞͏̀D̢̛̀Ò̸͢͏͝Į̕͞͠N͏̵Ǵ̷́͜ ̵͝Į̨͏̶͠N̸̡͞҉Ş̶̵̢I̧҉͢D̡̡͟Ȩ̕ ̡̨M͘͢Ý́͜͏̷ ͟͏̀H͘E̕͟A̛͞D̛͘?͢͏!̷̛[/B][/i][/quote] The membrane is getting tighter. The crushing pain made Chemosh scream. There was something sticking out, a burnt hand sticking out of the twisted metal. [quote][I][B]W͟H́͘A̶T ̶̢̨H̀́A̶̕V͘E Y͢OU̶̡ ͠Ḑ̛O͠N̶̵Ȩ͠ ̧W̨I̶͜ŢH ̴M̴̵͟E̸͘!͟͜?̵́̕[/B][/I][/quote] The hand twitches. Chemosh feels something going on with his body. He feels like it's getting softer. [quote][I][B]I͏ D҉ON'̢T E͠V̸E̡N ̨KNO̸W҉ ̨Y̶ÒUR̕ NA̢ME̡!҉!![/B][/I][/quote] It grabs a metal bar next to it, and pulls itself up. Chemosh couldn't feel his legs anymore. [quote][B][highlight][I]GET͢ OUT OF ̷MY ͜H͏ÈA̡D́!!!̛[/I][/highlight][/B][/quote] It stares at him now. Two wide eyes staring at Chemosh from a head that's been burned to a crisp. They were weeping. The last of Chemosh went as the remainder of his body finally liquefied. It was not the end of him however, as the melted pool of what once was him starts taking form... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "[Everyone, get back!]" [I][B]*BOOM!*[/B][/I] The last of the rubble has been cleared and the entrance to the cave is now open. The entirety of the Quds Force, clad in powered armor and armed with their most lethal weapons, rush into the cave to find and rescue their leader. They didn't have to go very deep though, as they quickly come across a body inside. "[Lord Beherit! Something's here!]" one of them radios in. "[There's a man here wrapped in what appears to be a womb! I believe it may be Lord Chemosh!]" "[[I]Quickly! Get him out of there![/I]]" orders Beherit. Though one of the Quds leans in for a better look at the man inside. "[[I]I don't think this is Chemosh. Look and see, the complexion of his skin and facial features look rather different.[/I]]" "[Regardless, we still must bring him out!]" another reassures. And so they do. They place the man on a stretcher and bring him outside. The first to see them bring him out was Beherit. "[[I]Hold! Let me see.[/I]]" he orders. Though when he does see the man inside, his face glowers heavily. His gaze transfixes on him, not breaking eye contact for what seems like forever. After a moment of silence, his face returns to normal and he looks back at the Quds. "[[I]Get him out of this pod-thing and place him in quarantine. Go. And don't let [B]ANYONE [/B]see this man except I. Understood?[/I]]" he says, with a very unusual sternness to his voice. The Quds member nods. "[Of course, Lord.]" As they left, Beherit holds his head and tries to think about what just happened. This was a complete disaster. Not only did the Artisynth lose their leader, they were given back someone he tried keeping a secret for centuries. What would he tell the ayatollahs? What would he do when the Artisynth hear the news? What would he say to [I]Moloch?[/I] The latter worried him the most as only Chemosh, Moloch, and he knew who the man in the pod [I]really [/I]was. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [quote]Surgeon’s log. Date is December 7th, 2074. Parviz, assistant to Doctor Moloch speaking. Recently, as an act of goodwill towards the EASDI, Moloch and I volunteered ourselves and our services to treat and medicate those who were crippled and injured during the great war. And for the past few days, I have been meeting the staff of the medical camp I will be working with, as well as receiving a quick overview of the patients I will be overlooking. It's up to Moloch and I to ensure they can function normally now that the war is over. Seeing the patients however, their various injures and afflictions made me wonder just how bad was the war on the other fronts. As part of the Quds deployed in Asia under the fallen Lord Chemosh, we had done things which we were told constantly by the EASDI would surely earn us the scorn of the entire world. Wherever we went, we left it in ashes, but we never thought the rest of the world would be experiencing things like what we were doing. We didn’t think any of the other armies were capable of the brutality and destruction we displayed. After meeting my patients, it’s evident this war did not pick any favorites. Col.Angelo Ramos defended his home in Chile when the AAWP struck. Several mortars landed right next to his command bunker during the siege. One landed nearby, severing his legs at the level of the patella, as well as shattering his femurs. Parts of the tibia and tibialis muscles are still present on his left leg however, so we may have to amputate. I'll have to consult Moloch on this. Lt. Daniel Armstrong fought on the Alaskan front and was taken captive by the MKA. His captors interrogated and tortured him using chemicals, and the resulting burns have left a partially exposed spine at the thoracic level, and numerous bullae around it. Cpl. Whitney Hammond, and the patient next to her, PFC. Joseph Chang also have suffered numerous dermal abrasions and fissures across the body due to shrapnel bombardment by the MKA. But this is nothing. These men, even the soldier who had been burned by chemicals, at least they would be able to live normal lives once they are fully healed and out of the camp. By far the worst out of all of them is a very particular patient they have cordoned off from the others. It’s just… it’s simply awful. It’s nothing but horrifying what became of him. When I first saw him, I simply couldn’t believe it. I asked one of the technicians if that really was a human being on the bed… and his response summarized it aptly: “Used to be”. The technicians, they have him hooked to multiple machines just to keep him alive somehow. There are tubes running into and around his legs, around his arms, into his body… if you can even call it a body anymore. If you want a mental visualization of what he looks like, take a large pile of ground meat, shape it into something that just vaguely resembles a man, stick lots of rubber hosing in it, and then burn it in an oven, and have it writhe in agony every time someone comes to clean the tubes. If there is any fellow doctor out there who believe they can heal any sort of injury with today’s medical advancements, then I demand that they come and see this specific patient immediately. There’s just no way anyone can fix… [I]whatever[/I] he is now. I will never ever be able to forget what he did when he saw me, no matter how hard I try to forget. When I fostered the courage to get up close to the burned pile upon the bed, it opened its remaining eye to see who was the rare visitor. It… reached for me. It grabbed me and tried pull me in closer. I saw within its eye, that it so desperately wanted to start crying… but it couldn’t. And then came the noise. The [I][B]noise[/B][/I] this thing made. It screamed. It was loud and horrifying enough that it woke up half the camp, and the guards rushed in just to see what was going on. They didn’t like what they saw, one of them even vomited upon seeing the patient. I don’t know what I can do for him. Moloch even refuses to tell me his name, and has informed the rest of the staff I should not know. They should just let the poor man die…[/quote]

[quote][quote][Img]https://img00.deviantart.net/055e/i/2011/063/f/8/spaceclub_by_maykrender-d3avscu.jpg[/Img][/quote][B][I]2385, Athens, Aegeus tower, 78th floor.[/I][/B][/quote] In the myriad of blinding neon lights and deafening music, there stood a peaceful bar amidst the chaotic environment. It's patrons tired and relaxed, the servers calm and chill, the lighting was a peaceful deep blue. One of the patrons tapped the counter for another shot of Tox Gas, a gas that had similar effects to that of alcohol when inhaled, able to be processed safely by a man of his condition. His masked appearance didn't gather too many eyes for many more peculiar looking guests have made their rounds here a many times before. "Nevertheless, this masked man, clad in a brown coat, casually lifted his respirator before placing the shot up and underneath it. When he had finished inhaling, he tightened the mask again and let out a deep breath." He then immediately rose his hand again to tighten it, letting out a deep breath after he done. His ghastly eyes diffed onto that of a news broadcast being played on one of the bar's holograms, his left arm resting on the counter while his other tapped the bar for another shot. [quote=INTERGALACTICA] The scene was that of three individuals sitting in three chairs across from one another. Two were holograms of UGC officers wearing formal officers uniforms. They seem to be in the middle of a fierce debated with each other. SYNTHZUCKOR: And I'm telling you that there's something else going on in their seemly bizarre movements...That a have plan that we just can't see yet... VICTOR: And I'm telling you that you are vastly overestimating our enemy's strength...That this odd exodus of numerous forces to the renegade quadrant is a clear sign of an enormous retreat, not some elaborate tactical maneuver or the like. SYNTHZUCKOR: You really think...That after all of their gains...That they would willingly let themselves lose the initiative in such a vital stage of the war? VICTOR: Yes...Because after the massive number of causalities that they have constantly sustained...That this whole rotten affair is simply too infeasible for them to continue with, for this has been a losing war for them since the very beginning. I just think they are finally beginning to see it and that an surrender on their part will come soon. SYNTHZUCKOR: But our latest estimates and battlefield reports show that much of their forces are still very much combat-ready, even with our continued attacks into their territory. Many of their front-line units are still being seen in large numbers and are holding steadfast against our forward elements. VICTOR: Well...Estimates are just that, Synthzuckohr, Estimates...And now, our estimated time before we can achieve a triumphant breakthrough is rapidly closing. ANDREW: But yet...Mr. Victor, do you really that this is possible in only one solar year? VICTOR: I don't think it, Mr. Andrew. I know it. ANDREW: Thank you for your time gentlemen but we are all out of time. Again, thank you Commodore Jurgal Victor and Commodore Synthzuckohr for your time. Our sympathies are out with the family and loved ones of the late Alice Lu, respected UGC naval captain and the newly commissioned commodore of UGC's 9th United Reserve Fleet. Commodore Lu gave her life just in the last six hours among many others during the UGC's counterattack to rescue the late Fleet Admiral Sidas Inesimam's isolated forces still fighting on Sirgas. Let us take a moment to mourn their and many other lives that have been taken from us too soon during this war. In Other news, our contacts within both the Elysium Combine and Tri-Enterprise report that both factions have signed numerous new trade deals...Does this have to do with the heightened military presence in the respective governments bordering the planets of Death Vigil's space. Many of our experts believe that this an action taken in response to the rapidly rising number of open skirmishes between the Elysium Combine and, many more are wondering what role, if any will the Upyri Federation play in this growing conflicts as the UGC continues to mobilize it's assets east, reinforcing it's efforts on it's renewed offensive against the Sanghvi Mantle. This chain of events has left many in the southwest quadrants in a state of panic as attacks rise in renegade quadrants and among its borders.[/quote] "This whole galaxy's going to shit..." The man muttered quietly his breath, before taking another gas shot. "Not a fan of news, Sir?" The Bartender asked calmly while cleaning out a drinking class with a trusty bar rag. "It's all the same nowadays, shit's all burning down everywhere and it's spreading fast to everywhere else. From Zechariah to Prospera, dying empires are throwing they got to keep the fire from consuming them whole but all they are doing is feeding that raging flame." The masked man replied bitterly, his eyes focused on his gassed poison. The Bartender let out a tried sign before continuing. "Well, at least the Elysian sector's safe for now, barring the rise of these armed disputes with those unsavory mercenaries on our borders. Though I doubt that they can prove much of a match against the fleet with all recent spending on military hardware that the board has commissioned." "That's what Asset Protection thought too. But those death reaper fans were able to break their tight grip on Prospera and now the Enterprise has all but lost their hold...Too bad they had to nearly burn down most of the western side of the planet in their death throes." The Man said before taking another shot, the gas having little effect on his demeanor. "And I'm guessing that you were there when this all went down?" The Bartender asked as he finished cleaning his glass. "Yeah..." The masked man said under his breath, "I was...Not on the side of the mobs mind you. Nor the DV or the Enterprises...Well not for too long..." The masked man said as he looked down at the glass counter, lost in thought. "I'm just a wanderer without a home and when I saw all the...Chaos, all the violence of everything on that big, old rotten world. I put myself right in the middle of it all to give a helping hand to those poor, poor bastards." The masked man continued, resting both arms on the bar top as he leaned in towards the Bartender. "Who? If you don't mind me asking Sir." The Bartender asked, putting both hands on the counter and staring directly into· the masked man's visor. "The people...The citizens, the poor bastards that we're stuck right in the middle of it all and you know why? Because no one else was there at their side, not the mafia, not the Enterprises and sure as hell, not the DV. There was nobody there but the local government who were only there to keep the rampant bloodshed from spilling into their buses routes, their Casinos, and their clubs..." The masked man answered, blankly staring pass the Bartender. "Sounds real noble, if I must say so myself ." The Bartender bluntly replied. "Heh, Thanks, buddy." The Masked man said. A faint cheer could be heard in his normally jaded voice. "I'll give you an extra 10 on the tip." "Oh, Sir...That won't be necessary." The Bartender said, taking a few steps back from the Masked Man as two towering individuals flanked the Masked Man's left and right. Cloaked in long white robes covering their armor and wearing elaborated helmets that hid their faces. "Fuck..." The Masked Man muttered as he found himself surrounded, Hoplite Officers covering the exits and escorting away the guests while drones hovered around him, their optical sensors scanning the Masked Man closely as he turned to grab one last shot of Tox Gas, inhaling it quickly before pushing it back towards the Bartender.

[quote]How is it out of our hands? We still have it, don't we? We can just blow the one we have up or shoot it into the nearest star or black hole. It needs to be destroyed.[/quote] Neasha knew exactly how Taylor felt. There was no point beating around the bush, and the only way for the Captain and her crew to understand the problem was for them to hear the entire story. "So, as you all should already know, the ancient AI, Starvis, was reawakened after two of its Archives were moved for the first time in centuries, possibly millennia. The UGC took them back to research facilities on Sirgas and Voyak. Argos hired us to go nab those devices and hand them over without ever explaining why they wanted them. Turns out the Death Vigil also wanted them, and that's why you all were attacked after you left Voyak. "We made the decision, together, to get to the bottom of that mystery and as a result, we ended up with the third Archive and a lot of reasons not to trust Argos any further. First off, we learned that Starvis is a military supercomputer that's existed for tens of thousands of years, with a lot of that time spent designing weapons of war so unthinkable that the galaxy may as well be defenseless. We also learned that those Archives are keys to 'unlocking' the prison that holds the AI in stasis and isolates it. For that brief period in time, Argos held the power to conquer the entire galaxy, and they probably didn't even know. Right about the same time we cut ties, the Vigil turned its attention to Argos and stole one of the Archives. After that, we each had one." Neasha rubbed her forehead before continuing. "Before Yanim died, she had a 'conversation' with Starvis. It promised her a lot of things that most people would find difficult to turn down, not the least of which was a cure for her palsy and, if I understand correctly, some sort of artificial immortality. But no matter what it promised, she refused to trust it, it was too great of a risk for the galaxy. If this had been even a year ago," she said, shaking her head with a cynical smile, "she would've made a different decision. But working with you all completely changed her priorities. Unfortunately, that's... more than I can say for Arkadam." Neasha's bitterness turned into a deep expression of hatred which the crew had only seen once before, when it was directed at Rask. "He's apparently decided that he's the sole arbiter of Yanim's final wishes, and he has decided that he's entitled to act in any way he pleases, to jeopardize our whole organization, and put all of your lives in danger because of that view... All because he thinks he knows better than anyone else what she 'would have wanted.' So... sometime in the last week, he had a 'meeting' with Starvis in the same manner Yanim did, and claims it revealed the solution to him. "He said that Starvis was afraid of Argos because they only want to seal it away again, and the Death Vigil because they only want to enslave it. He said Starvis wanted him to be the one to free it from the dome, which can only be done with all three keys at once. And he says it tried to tempt him by promising many of the same things it promised Yanim. "Now this is the part that bothers me," she said, her anger becoming white hot. "We had a plan already. Our next job was supposed to be: infiltrate the Death Vigil and destroy their Archive, and then destroy our own. That way, the threat stays sealed up forever. But while Constantine and I were visiting Seloveha a few days ago, he placed a call to Red, our old contact at Argos, and told him about the third Archive, because he thinks that if Starvis is afraid of being sealed away by Argos, and that's what we're trying to do, then that makes us friends again- no evidence, no leverage, we're just supposed to take Argos at their word because Arkadam thinks Yanim would have trusted them... "So, he contacts Red, and Red tells him that the only reason Argos hasn't destroyed the Archives is because they're worried about a fail-safe mechanism. They think that if any of the Archives are destroyed, then the AI could simply release itself from the prison regardless of whether or not it has the other two keys. And while I don't believe that for a second, I'm not going to fuck around with the fate of the galaxy just to find out!" Neasha pounded her fist on the concrete next to her, obviously thrown off balance by the sudden dilemma. Constantine took over speaking. "At this point, the only reason Argos hasn't tracked us down and slaughtered us for the third Archive is that they know the Death Vigil is watching their every move. We might escape Argos at least once, and that provides opportunities for the Vigil to take a crack at us. Think of all the trouble the kanads gave us this last month, and that's just because we poked them a few times with a sharp stick. Imagine how much those organizations would be willing to throw at us if we were carrying the machine that would crown them kings of the galaxy? It's their fear of each other that keeps them at bay, not their fear of us, by any stretch of the imagination." "I wanted to kill him," Neasha confided. "I wanted to drag him by his ear into the airlock and kill him right then and there. But he's a wily piece of shit and he knew how to fuck us up if we tried. Every day, from here until April Fool's Day, he has to stop a coded message from being sent to the Vigil which would reveal our secret to [I]them[/I] as well, along with the coordinates of the Aurikha at that moment. If we were to kill him, it would not only intensify the situation ten-fold, but it would give the Vigil a major advantage in the race to run us down and kill us for the Archive. "Our [B]only[/B] choice is to accept this arrangement with Argos. They're building incredibly secure bunkers at opposite ends of the galaxy, as far apart from each other as possible, so that they can bury their Archive and ours, and kick this can another few centuries down the line at the least. At least, that's what they're telling us... On the first of April, we'll be given a set of coordinates to a likely-uncharted planet, and we'll fly the Archive there. Hopefully, they'll be true to their word, and bury it deep, and do the same with their own. And then we can part ways and never speak of this again. "...Unless they decide they don't want us as witnesses." A harsh wind blew through the freight station. Just when the crew thought they had found some breathing room, a terrible burden had fallen on their shoulders. If only they had left the third Archive buried, they could have still stolen one of the other two and hidden it away. If only they had stayed away from Argos's contract entirely, maybe the two Archives would have remained in UGC hands, or squirreled away into Collective space behind one of the strongest borders in the galaxy. If only it could be any way other than this. "Whoever goes to those coordinates, when they come," Constantine concluded, "has to be ready to lay down their lives, not for themselves, not for money, not for pride, not for any of that... If you accept this job, it'll be for the sake of the galaxy itself. On that day, you'll go to port one last time, and anyone who wants to walk away, it'll be your last chance. After that, you come to us, and we'll give you the device. It'll be up to you."

After a few moments, Taylor breathed a sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose between her eyes. She swore she was developing a migraine from all of this. Whenever they get one good foot forwards, they were knocked back two steps. They escape from Rigel alive, and boost the Belladonna Company up a bit with the mission to Zyus. They start to get recruits and business picks up. Only to have Arkadam fuck it up by getting them into this with no way out but through. "...you know Jag actually contacted me while we were out in the RQ dealing with his body? He projected himself into my mind using the Void. He spoke to me, and told me that he could see glimpses of the future. What's coming is bad. In his words, he said it was 'a great tragedy' that will affect the entire galaxy and that I'd be right at the fucking center of it. He saw terror, fear, and death...he made it sound as though we were going to lose this." she said, finally letting her hands rest on her hips. She paused for a moment, before continuing. "...if I had to guess, Death Vigil already knows about us and the third Archive. They're just waiting for the right moment to strike." She looked to the others, then back to Neasha and Constantine. "Kinda looks like fate chose my path already. I'm in this till the end...and beyond if I'm still kicking and you still need someone like me." She glanced over to Amy nearby. "Amy's requesting that she be reassigned somewhere else, by the way. She wants to stay with the company, but thinks she'd work better on her own."

Iron grabbed Taylor by the shoulder. "Someone is gonna have to watch your ass." He nodded towards Neasha and Constantine. "I'm in. Never was one to bail out on an assignment, no reason to start now." Karl massaged his temple and shook his head slowly. "Life used to be so easy when I only had to worry about my holoscreen ratings." He looked up and nodded. "Then again that did get pretty boring. You can count on me."

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