Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2

[Viper123_SWE]

Steve took a sip of coffee. He sighed and placed the mug on his desk while continually scrolling through the endless wall of financial information gathered by his company. He sighed once more. Business had been rough for his company, Eden Landscpaing Inc., one of thousands small-time firms based in Krása- the capital of Mars.
As the war with the USR went into overdrive so did the military and the system-wide industries. The need for materials, food, tools, weapons and soldiers far outweighed the need for handymen, landscapers etc. Several local family businesses that were once supported by goverment grants had now filed for bankruptcy with younger employees signing up with the SDF to fight back.

The problem wasn't localized to Krása. Steve had heard news of firms shutting down on Luna and Terra too, there were even rumors of some companies being forcefully acquired by the SDF to supply them with resources.

A knock on the door forced Steve to look up from the screen. Standing by the door was Anna, his secretary. "Sir, the speech is about to start." Right, Wayford was having a big speech. Again. Steve nodded. "Thank you Anna, I'll be right out in a minute." Anna nodded and left.
Steve stared at the statistics once more. Ten thousand each month. That's how much his shares had dropped. Leaning back into his chair Steve cursed himself for not having invested more seriously into alternate business opportunities. His eyes moved towards a framed picture of the wall. Krása School of Economics, class of 2334. For a moment he pondered if he could reach out to any of his old friends from school. Perhaps Laura could help out, after all her hotels could probably pay for some landscaping. For old times sake.

He shook his head and got up, eventually leaving his isolated office. Walking through the hallways of his company headquarters Steve noted that few of his employees were still at their desks. He counted five that were still busy working, either looking for clients or busy organizing and managing existing ones. As he approached the lunch room he could already here the beginning of the speech. [i]"... shaken Terranos for the past few days. The public should note however that the SISP is doing everything it can to stop further attacks and we're actively working alongside the Homeland Division, the SIG and the SSOID."[/i]

Steve entered the room and quietly made his way through the crowd of employees. Those whom weren't seated in chairs or the three couches placed infront of the large holoscreen remained standing. Steve stopped next to Anna and Michael, his CFO. Michael looked at him with a stressfull expression. "Did you read my report?" Steve nodded.

"And?"

"I'm going to get in touch with some of my older friends."

"Laura?", asked Michael with a raised eyebrow.

Steve nodded. "She owes me one."

This answer seemed to satisfy Michael as the CFO simply closed his mouth, nodded and returned his gaze towards the screen. On the screen was High Councilor Wayford himself, surrounded by SIG bodyguards and with a stern expression on his face. Steve sighed. While he personally didn't have an opinion on the man he knew that his employees did. Currently his company was split into two camps; one which supported the war and considered it as "neccessary effort" and another which were strong supporters of the Okonjo-Eri Agreement, hoping that the war would conclude on peaceful and permanent terms.

Steve glanced at his employees. He knew that Margaret was actively supporting the SDF's veteran support group and that she was advocating for increased military efforts. He didn't blame her, her sons had both perished in fighting on Wokaar. Then there was Jimmy, one of his youngest employees. Like many others he had grown up an orphan because of the Unification war which had claimed the lives of his parents. His entire family, as well as several others, had been caught in the crossfire between SDF and Lunar Children forces.
It was a tough situation and while Steve did his best to keep the lid on he knew that it would eventually split his employees apart.

For now however they remained silent as Wayford delivered yet another speech. The Okonjo-Eri Agreement would remain. The SDF would launch more fleets. Retired veterans and former conscripts would be offered a "return to service" sum for re-enlisting. Increased sanctions against Human companies and organizations found to support the USR.

Same old story.

"Same old bullshit as always", said Elias, one of his oldest employees whom had faked his age to sign up with the UNGDF and, later on, the SDF Marine Corps. He got up from his chair and shook his head. "Wayford needs to get his head out his ass and realize that the sooner we get more guns pointed at those damn terrorists the faster they're gonna back down."
Elias gestured with his clenched fist. "Back in my day we gunned them down because there was no point in talking with a bunch of backwards hippies."

Jimmy grunted and stared at Elias with borderline hatred. "Back in your day "terrorists" weren't the only ones getting gunned down. There's a reason we have monuments in memory of the thousands of innocent civilians that died in fighting caused by rich folk that up and decided that some civil rights were less worth than others."
Elias turned his head around, as did most of the other employees. "Shut your mouth, son. That's collaborator talk."

Jimmy walked up to Elias. "What are you going to do? Gun me down like a rabid animal."

Steve stepped in. "Time-out. Both of you." He observed the two men as well as the crowd. "Let me make something perfectly clear: you're all entitled to your own opinions. I'm not going to tell you what's right or what's wrong, I will however tell you that if anyone here starts a fight you can expect to be fired."
Elias and Jimmy eased up. Steve nodded.

"Good. Now get back to work. The soldiers may be out at the frontlines but we're fighting a war of our own. As citizens it's our duty to make sure that we keep on working."

-----

It was a windy day on Radonus. Veronica sat quietly against the tree ontop of the hill. It was her favorite spot on the planet, not that she had been able to much exploring. Down below chaos intertwined with anger and sorrow as the thousands of refugees went about with their lives. Tried to, at the very least.
Shuttles were coming and going. Some brought more refugees and some brought supplies. Some brought more soldiers.

At the center of the camp was a large improvized compound. Used as a clinic, food distribution point and as an administrational facility it had originally been an SDF command bunker weeks prior during the early stages of the war. Now aid workers occuppied the bunker while the peacekeeping SDF forces lived in a fort right outside of the spaceport (which was nothing more but a dozen of landing pads and fuel tanks).

Veronica allowed herself to relax slightly. It was difficult. It had been twelve days since he had been forced to leave her home abruptly amidst a city-wide firefight on her homeplanet of Zalavari II. Originally a world covered with farms, Zalavari II had also turned into a key trading post where outlying colonies could buy quality food in ample supply.
Then suddenly the Divinity Creed had decided that their massive army now owned the planet. Before Veronica knew the local SDF garrison, supported by a Navy battlegroup, were duking it out against an unrelenting horde of veteran Creed militants.

She hadn't been given much time.

[i]"Get your fuckin' ass moving, woman! Those shuttles ain't gonna stick around!"[/i]

It was the only thing she had been told by an SDF Marine sergeant before he continued to bark out orders to his squad. Civilians had been herded like cattle and sent off in shuttles- civilian and military- to transports waiting in orbit. All the while tracers had filled the skies as anti-air emplacements tried to fend off the swarms of Creed gunships and dropships.

Two days later Zalavari II, or rather what was left of it, had been scorched entirely by the SDF fleet prior to its retreat. Thirty years worth of food for the outer colonies had been pulverized. Thirty years. Veronica didn't even want to imagine how many would starve or how many that would turn to piracy and scavenging out of pure desperation. It had been a costly defeat for both the SDF and the Divinity Creed.

Now Veronica was one of many refugees trying to get by. It all felt like a nightmare. Forced off from her homeplanet and separated from everyone she's ever known. Everything felt so unreal, like it was somekind of horrible joke to test her mind. Veronica shook her head. At least she had her roommates. She didn't know anyone from before but now they were like family. They had all lost their homes and in some cases, their hope. Some were still looking for their families while some were coping with the loss of theirs.
It wasn't an optimal environment but in a way they all completed eachother. Most importantly they could all relate to eachother, for there was no refugee inside the camp that hadn't lost something in the war.

After a while Veronica got up and made her way back towards the camp. One hour left untill dinner was to be distributed. At the gate she simply nodded towards the four SDF soldiers standing there. "Good evening, miss." Said one of the soldiers, nodding. Veronica returned the gesture.
Entering the camp Veronica found herself walking through the maze of tents and dirtroads. Vehicles used by the aid workers to ferry staff, refugees and supplies mixed in with the seemingly endless crowds of people moving about. Every now and then the white helmets of an SDF peacekeeper would break the pattern.

Veronica walked past several people. A family comforting eachother with the help of several aid workers after a loved one had succumbed to his injuries. Two elderly women sat outside a tent, knitting on some rainbow-colored beanies for their grandchildren. Six peacekeepers were playing football with a large group of kids- while losing hard.
In a way the camp was a new chapter. A renewed circle. It was a place where life went on, a place for people to start anew. Veronica sighed and kicked away a small rock with her right foot. Hopefully the war would end soon.

Hopefully.

In the distance the food distribution point opened up its wide window. Yellow light emitting from the kitchen showered dozens of people with light while aid workers started to hand out warm meals. A shuttle ascended for the stars in the horizon and somewhere in a nearby tent a baby entered the world crying, surrounded by its family. One thing was for sure: as long as there was hope people would continue fight on.

[K0mori]

[quote]...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. ...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.[/quote]

Neasha and Constantine were confused by Taylor's report. As far as either of them were aware, humans weren't capable of sensing the void, and Taylor hadn't mentioned anything about this foreboding experience in her communique before meeting up at Duroma. "I... I didn't even know that was possible," Constantine stammered out.

"You're sure it was Jag? It wasn't some sort of trick?" Neasha demanded. But Taylor replied in the affirmative, and gave additional details which added to the authenticity of the claim. When it was clear that the story should be taken seriously, Neasha's expression slowly melted from grim determination to hopelessness. Running her claws through her shimmering gold mane, she started to wonder whether it was even worth trying at this point. The likelihood of everything going back to the way it was before seemed remote- either Argos (and therefore possibly YsCom) would rule the galaxy, or the Death Vigil. Or maybe something much worse would happen. Or maybe the Archives won't actually [I]do[/I] anything, but the major players in this scheme won't realize it until after the Belladonna Company has been wiped out... It was difficult to stomach.

She never wanted this life. It was thrust onto her by Yanim, and now, in the latter's absence, Neasha felt the aftershock of that moment, days earlier on Roki-Kohn, when she realized how difficult it would be to stand in her shoes. [I]Boss.[/I] It meant more than just a manager, or a commander. Other people called Yanim "Boss" because she told them that things would happen, and then did everything in her power to remain true to her word, no matter the cost.

[quote]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.[/quote]

Neasha looked up, staring blankly before a sense of awe came over her. Here she was, agonizing over the seemingly impossible odds, while the captain who served under her simply stood by, ready for whatever needed to be done. If anyone deserved to be called "Boss," it was Taylor Caine, not Neasha Kyral. And that was all well and good; it was never the Belladonna Company that needed a Boss - Yanim had never intended to build a weapons manufacturing empire - it was the Muramasa and its crew. Yanim's intention from the very beginning was to [I]save the galaxy,[/I] even from itself. That legacy, in spite of every misstep, was alive and fighting in Taylor Caine.

Meanwhile, Constantine felt a pang of guilt over the whole matter. Sending others to die for the common good was a haunting feeling. He remembered a passage from a Terran classic:

[I]...That is the question: whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them.[/I]

Shakespeare once wrote about the hesitance of the profoundly miserable to end their own lives out of fear of what lurked beyond death. From a certain angle, not doing so could be seen as almost cowardly. In the shadow of Jag's premonition, taking the road offered by the Belladonna company was akin to consigning one's self to Hamlet's noble suicide. "Your decision belongs only to you, Captain. Jag may have witnessed a future in which you're standing bravely against the tide... but you're creating that future, here and now. Godspeed, Captain."

Iron and Karl pledged their support as well, and Alex, one of the Muramasa's most experienced fighters, would be sure to join them as well. It seemed almost obvious, in hindsight, that the members of the crew who had departed after Zyus II had done so because they could feel this point of no return approaching. They were all courageous souls, but their hearts would lead them to other battlefields and adventures. The few that remained were true believers, and in the final month before the decisive moment, they would search for a few more.

There was an exception: Amy. Like Neasha, her place was with the Belladonna Company, just not with the Muramasa. While she wouldn't depart on the fateful mission in April, she had a nonetheless indispensable role to play in the eleventh hour. Nir had proven herself capable of locating loyal mercenaries, but the men and women she had recruited on Roki-Kohn were nothing compared to the remaining members of the Muramasa crew. Perhaps, in time, they would reveal themselves more capable, but the Belladonna Company didn't have the time or the resources to run them through the same gauntlet the crew had suffered through. They needed the very best, now. Perhaps Amy could find them.

And finally, there was Ravis. Lurking in the shadows behind his crew mates, he began to realize that the call was beyond his abilities. His youth and inexperience had always been a hurdle to overcome, but now, the game itself was changing. Through some wonderful conspiracy of the heavens, he had been allowed to ride on the shoulders of giants during the previous few weeks, to taste the glory of combat among the galaxy's most brilliant souls. But now it was clear that he could be carried no further. As much as he would try, to accompany them on this mission would only slow them down. He pictured himself at the helm of some future Belladonna crew, an older, wiser, stronger version of himself, and smiled. He would speak with Neasha after the meeting had ended to return to the Aurikha.

"I think we all know exactly where we belong, then," Neasha said, solemnly, "but no matter who goes and who stays, we're all family after what we've been through."

There was a murmur of agreement, a grim smile here and there.

"I have a job for you all," she said. "The Archive is safe with us for now. Use this last month to do whatever you want. Go drinking, make some new friends, visit some family if you have any. Don't act like you have anything to hide, and leave nothing unsaid. It may be your last chance. Then again, it might not. Either way, don't come back here with any regrets- you owe that to yourself and your crewmates."

[Radley]

Sting had squatted on a small rock in the circle around the fire.
Taking a swig from the bottle, she looked up at Neasha, "It was nice o' you to get me back home. Problem is, ya put me down on the wrong side of the planet."

She jumped down from the rock and walked up to Neasha, "This really blows my weekend, ya see. Cause it means I have to come with ya." She concluded with a wink.

She ruffled her coat and jangled her belts and bandoliers slightly.

"In any case, I'll take ya up on this generatious offer an' get my self a buggy. I wanna kick up some dust an feel the wind in my mandibles for we's goin off and die somewhere.

Tipping her hat, she walked off to the small fueling station besides the landing zone to procure a vehicle, the old fashion duroma way.

[Viper123_SWE]

"I'll go with her, make sure she doesn't drink herself to death." Iron then excused himself, tagging along with Sting.
Karl on the other hand remain perfectly still. "Well. I guess I'll be on the ship. Or something."

[Infab]

Taylor ended up sitting next to the fire, folding her legs and gazing into it. She was just going to sit there for a while, to try and relax. And think. She had a month to get herself ready for what was coming. She needed to talk to her mom, maybe visit her home. Have a few drinks...maybe get shitfaced somewhere and just unwind. But for now...just rest.

Eve, on the other hand, simply glanced around to the others before looking at Neasha and Constantine. "I shall tend to things on the ship. Systems diagnostics and routine maintenance." she said, before bowing slightly and heading back aboard the Muramasa.

[Breadman]

The siblings listened and let the gravity of the situation set in. It took a while for either of them to say anything. It wasn't until the group around the fire started to dispurce that one of them said something.
"I'm gonna go visit a place or two while I'm here then." Alex followed after Sting and Iron "Got something I can take care of.f"

Amy looked at Neasha after her brother left
"Bags and gear is ready to be moved. Just tell me where you want me to go and what you want me to do, boss."

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goDd02TTxBA[/media]

The strange man in the cave was now freed from the womb he was found inside, but not yet free from Beherit's hands. Under his orders, his inner circle restrained him on a bed inside a prison cell inside his personal shuttle. Even still, he then flew it towards another planet outside of the pit, away from the rest, away from Moloch. As Beherit lands his shuttle in a grassy clearing, he takes a look over his shoulder to see the man struggle to free himself. He gets up out of the cockpit and walks towards him, and examines him. Pulling out a chair, he takes a seat right outside the cell before making eye contact with the man.

“[I]Dearest of all my friends, I believe it's for your benefit I communicate to you in a language which we both can comprehend.[/I]” he says. “[I]So, it appears I was gravely mistaken regarding your identity. Still, I do hope you find it within yourself to forgive me. Our civilization, our people were in a situation so extreme that even the tiniest portion of good news would've lifted all our spirits. You will never understand just how much we needed him. But, that doesn’t matter! Not to me, or the others. You see, I have a very special plan reserved just for you. One which, unfortunately, I cannot permit you to have any say in the matter.[/I]”

Beherit reaches out and holds the man’s face in his hands. The man tries shaking himself free from his grip.

“[I]So many years have passed since I've last seen this face scowl at me... God, how long ago that was! But for you, I bet it feels like yesterday, doesn’t it? All this feels like you’ve awoken from a long nap?[/I]”

The man squints at him, while Beherit lets go.

“[I]I thought as much. You still remember it all. How about them, though? Do you remember our people? How you hate them, how afraid they make you feel? And what will they do? What will they do when they see you walk down their streets and mingle with them? What will they do after they get their hands on you and throw you into the fire? What will you do then? You can’t tell them, because they won’t believe you. Only I know who you really are, and he isn’t here to verify your claims after all, especially after you-[/I]“

The man immediately tries tearing himself out of his restraints, thrashing wildly before giving up, realizing it’s futile.

“[I]Sensitive topic, perhaps? Well, in that case, it’s best not to even think of him anymore. He may be [B]dead [/B]after all...[/I]”

Immediately, the man swung one of his arms so powerfully that one of the restraints broke. Beherit stood up and held him down before he could set himself free.

"[I]Calm yourself! Since you've got absolutely no manners or patience, I'll get to the point. From this point on, you and I are partners. I am the only person on this entire planet you can trust to not beat you to a bloody pulp, or skin you, or disembowel you as an offering to Allah, you understand? You will not stray from me for your own sake, and I will keep you safe under my arms. Do you understand this?[/I]"

The man takes a deep breath and slowly nods.

"[I]Excellent! Now, one more thing before I set you free.[/I]"

Beherit reaches into a nearby container and pulls out a modified ayatollah's uniform, and a black mask.

"[I]Our people believe in a savior, one who will descend from heaven to save us in our time of need. One who will slay our enemies and drown entire worlds in the blood of those who dare rise against us. One who will guard our people from those who want to lead us astray and murder us all. One who will deliver us into the promised land, free of sin, we shall never fear or worry ever again! We had thought the Holy Father Most High would be our savior, but things turned out... [B]differently [/B]than expected. We've yet to find him, but I believe I just have![/I]" A smile forms on his face as he holds the mask in front of the man's face. "[I]Now how about that! I think it fits you perfectly![/I]"

The restraints came off as he stands the man up, and brings him to a window. The outside is nothing short of spectacular. Clouds of many shapes and sizes fly overhead, their images adding to the scenery of the beautiful blue sky. The grass swayed slowly as the wind blew gently around them. The sound of rushing water of nearby streams echoed across the trees.

"[I]Look at all this... Look at how beautiful it all is! Don't you want to own this? Don't you have any desire to change it and shape it to your will and yours alone? Don't you have the will within you to establish heaven on this earth? It's waiting for you. And so are legions of willing and able warriors waiting for the order to begin forging a new heaven in your name. They're all waiting for you. Waiting for you to take it in your hand. Waiting to build a new world. A new world where nothing happens without you saying it does. A new world where you are god standing tall over everything else. And do not worry about failing, as I will lead you along the way to your ascension. All you have to do, is put on that mask, my savior, my [B]Mahdi[/B].[/I]"

And the man did. The mask fit his head like a glove. Chemosh may be gone, but it meant nothing towards the impending doom heading towards Sol. Something far more corrupted stands in his place, and unlike Chemosh, Beherit has [B]no [/B]reason to play it safe with him.

[Doomevil]

Abraxas walked down the extended ramp of the ship, seeing a familiar face next to a fireplace. He folded his arms and spoke to Taylor.

"Hello again."

[Infab]

Taylor glanced up towards the source of the familiar voice. Her eyes widened a bit. "Abraxas? You joined back up?" she said, a bit surprised by his reappearance.

[Doomevil]

"Yeah I did." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I had a few, I mean a lot of things to check up on after I left Voyak. It's a story I can tell you." He sat down, facing her.

"I don't really know much about the situation here. But looking at the new faces, it seems that there was a big change going on." He turned around to see the ship.

[Infab]

[QUOTE]"I don't really know much about the situation here. But looking at the new faces, it seems that there was a big change going on."[/QUOTE]

"Well, to sum it up...the shit with the Archives is going to come to a head in about a month's time." responded Taylor, sitting back and looking back towards the fire.

[Doomevil]

"I heard. Not everything mind you but a little bit of stuff." He shuffled legs, hands clasped. "It's strange to see how a lot of stuff can happen in a short time." As Abraxas thought about the things that happened after he left he also recalled Amy and Valkyrie.

"I think that would be Amy I can see over there." He slowly pointed. "What about Valkyrie?"

[Infab]

"She's still alive, thanks to you. She decided to leave and start her own pirate group. Amelia and Porter left with the Boome Marines, and Markus is gone too. Jag...died. Shortly before Yanim, actually...we took his body out to a group of Sanghvi out in the RQ. That's when Valk left." said Taylor. "Valk left an android to take her place, named Eve."

She glanced back to Amy. "Amy asked to be reassigned so that she could be more helpful to the company." she said, before returning her gaze to the fire. "We did have another medic named Mercy. She went...somewhere."

[Breadman]

[I]On board the Death Vigil ship, Poltava[/I]
Nathaniel stood in front of the holotable. It was that time of the month again. The time he detested most of all since it meant he had to waste his time talking instead of doing his job. But the Vultures had to do this in order to know what each one is doing and when. He sighed with annoyance and turned the comms on. The lighting in his quarters went dim as the holographic images of the four other vultures appeared in front of him.

To his left was Morris and Vaz, both fresh from whatever they were doing in Upiry space. To the right was Archangel and Maku. They used to be six, but now they were down to five.

"Our friend from the collective couldn't make it to the meeting." Morris began "He said that recent events forced him to go dark." Nathaniel should have known better than to count that bastard out. He was too slippery to catch and too tough to kill.

"Well in that case, let's begin then. I have a war to win."

"That's number one on the agenda actually." Archangel interrupted him "I've been running the numbers and had a talk with the Executor. While you are indeed a formidable soldier and great morale boost to the troops, what happens next with Argus would require a more delicate touch. And you Petrov, are about as delicate as a sledgehammer."

"Fine by me." That answer came as a surprise to most of the attendants "What? You said you needed subtelty, right? But I do hope you're actually pulling me out of the front for a good reason."

"It is. Vaz, you will take your unit and replace Nathaniel's. Out of anyone here, you have the highest probability of doing this the right way."

"Of course. They will never see us coming until it's too late." A wicked grin formed on Vaz's face. Nathaniel always though she enjoyed her job a bit too much.

"My own squad is prepared to assist, should you need us again, Vaz." Morris added "Working with you has been...entertaining."

"Humans have a phrase for this sort of moment. What was it? Get a room?" Maku interrupted his colleagues in an attempt to get the meeting back on track. "Archangel, I must admit that I worry for our mutual friend. If he's discovered that could mean a major problem for the Vigil in the form of the Collective's retaliation."

"I wouldn't worry too much about him. Out of all of you, he's the best one at scorched earth. If it were to come to that, they would be lucky if they find enough of him to fill a shot glass after he's done. You focus on keeping the relationship between us and the Ayr empire strong." Maku noded.

"Nathaniel. The next point concerns us both. It's why we're pulling you out. I'm still in the process of tracking down the rest of the Muramasa crew, but I found something of interest. Valencia Blackwell or someone claiming to be her is recruiting for her new pirate crew. Find out if it's her. If yes, eliminate with extreme prejudice."

"And if it's not?"

"Knowing you, you will be frustrated that your time was wasted. Pirates make for good target practise."

"If I'm lucky the convict will be with her." Nathaniel smilled to the thought of a rematch with Markus "I heard you got saddled with some crazy bitch who wanted them dead. Why aren't you taking her on a joyride with this?"

"Executor has us chasing leads for the Archive and you are free to pursue, but I call dibs on the next one. And I would refrain from calling your fellow horseman a 'crazy bitch'. You can't see her, but she's been listening to this conversation." Nathaniel and the others looked towards him with confusion. "Take my word for it. I wouldn't have allowed her to listen if she presented a problem."

"Anything else?"

"Unless anyone has anything they want to bring up, we can bring this meeting to a close until next month." The few seconds of silence were all he needed "Very well." The holograms disappeared and the lights were back to normal. Nathaniel left the his quarters and headed to the bridge of the ship to give his crew their new orders.

"Contact our new addition and tell him where to meet us. I have a special task for him."

[Doomevil]

As soon as Taylor revealed Valk's fate the veteran turned his head upwards. He stared at the sky without thinking. The stars were there and for once, he sighed a load of relief.

"I never knew what would this world take me after I left. Maybe I would have gone back to Malmar or something. But when I left Voyak, I was with a small group. A group of prisoners at Alcatraz. I followed a person, Mariahlus. She said her real name was Mariah Atmore. She explained her reasoning she broke into Alcatraz because a Crimson Elite soldier was captured, put on death row. And according to her, an Auditor never leaves a soldier behind." He pressed a fist towards his chest. Once they all got out, I met them. A Kercan, An Elite, An ex-HarkArk soldier and an immortal. And here I am, a washed up veteran. He chuckled lightly at his deprecation.

"We were being hunted down by this so called Morpheus ARI. We don't know where they came from, but we suspected it was a front for another faction. Why I don't know. But what I do know about this group was that they all participated in the Battle of Zeruel." He looked down.

[Infab]

Taylor nodded. "...What happened to the others?" she asked after a moment. "Decided to part ways?"

[Doomevil]

Abraxas shook his head. "I simply left. They're still trying to chase down a man named Lanius. Mariahlus said he was apart of some secret organization called Arbitrate Commission. Then we found out he ordered the elimination. But like I said, why I don't know. But I have a feeling he'll get what's coming to him when Mariahlus and the others are hunting him down." He placed a fist against the ground.

"With everything going on, it seems like the past is catching up to all of us. But this woman, it's almost as if she has a lot of regret and guilt on her back. A destroyed home, tracking down a man named Dwan, finding out your ally turned against you and for what? This other one named Kira seemed to have expressed guilt also. I don't know what she did down there but it seemed like she wanted to redo everything again. Whatever happens to them, I hope they'll make it out in the end. After everything we've gone through, it can't be for nothing."

[K0mori]

Neasha, who had been sitting silently as the conversation between Taylor and Abraxas went on, suddenly perked up as Abraxas finished speaking. "Did you say... 'a man named Dwan?'"

[Doomevil]

Abraxas turned to Neasha, nodding. "I did. According to Mariahlus when she told us her story, this man called Dwan took part in Zeruel. Red hair, beard, a dwarf." But he took a second to draw more details down. "She said that he wasn't from here. Somewhere far far away. Able to teleport between universes, which seems like nonsense." He stared at Neasha.

"Why the question?"

[K0mori]

Hearing the description, Neasha had a look of grave concern. "Oh... Well, we have some things to talk about..."

Constantine was similarly uncomfortable. While it may have been shortsighted to think that the mysterious entity would cease to be relevant in the company's affair after the Boss's death, it was certainly a more comforting thought than the potential reality that their problems could extend beyond even the universe. He quietly shook his head. [I]Stupid me... They already do, with that doppelganger involved...[/I]

Neasha knew that the crew needed to be informed, but barraging them with information so soon after revealing the company's current predicament might be too much to handle. She took a deep breath. "It sounds like Mariahlus told you the truth, Abraxas. Dwan is a... being... from another universe. I never met him, but Yanim did. They served together on HarkArk's Archius XI mission, which had a hand in kicking off the Oracle War, and were apparently friends before she learned about his secret. In fact, it was confusion over all the lies Dwan told that led Yanim to leave that mission and run into me, and that's how this company got its start."

"Amy," Constantine interjected, "do you remember that device you recovered from the Viokhmar? The one the doppelganger dropped."

Amy nodded.

"The enemy teleported away, right in front of you, and the GKVR agent we captured claimed she had unnatural healing abilities. As it turns out, she had neither of those talents, she was just using that handset to call for help from Dwan. Does it make sense now?"

The crew considered the situation, a bit hesitant to answer the question.

"It means that the doppelganger was plucked out of a different universe and planted into ours, by Dwan... By the way, I should add: we looked at the computer pack we recovered from the enemy after Yanim passed away, since she didn't need it anymore. She uses a few different aliases- Dwan knew her as 'Damya,' while she apparently calls herself 'Beta.'"

Constantine nodded. "But as bad as it sounds, the relationship between Yanim and Dwan is more complicated than simple antagonism. While Yanim was on her deathbed, she had an entire conversation with the man through the handset and got the full story. As it turns out, Dwan sought out another Yanim because he had regrets about what did on the Archius, but the one he found was messed up in the head. She tricked him, made him think that she wanted to help him make things right, and so he sent her here to find Yanim and fix his mistakes. She made an absolute fool out of him, and now that she's gone rogue, he said he couldn't even track her anymore."

[Infab]

So Beta was being helped by someone [I]OUTSIDE[/I] the universe? Taylor ran a hand through her hair. Well fuck, you learn some new bullshit every day. There's a fucking multiverse. It made her wonder if other versions of herself were doing the same thing she was doing at that very moment, or totally different things. She then shook off the thought. That was something she didn't need to think about at the moment.

"Well, I've got a feeling we'll be meeting her again. Vindictive types and all that..." said Taylor, glancing up to the others.

[Breadman]

Amy sighed "Why couldn't we have normal problems like other big paramilitary organizations?"

[K0mori]

Neasha shrugged. "Maybe we're just not supposed to be happy," she replied.

Constantine thought about Taylor's comment. It was certainly possible that Beta would return for the crew, given how Ryvik described her during his brief interrogations. He remembered placing the handset inside a small safe in his personal quarters, and that he hadn't touched it since. It didn't seem like an appropriate time to ask Dwan about the matter before, but perhaps it would be a good time to do so in the near future. He would bring it up with Neasha soon.

The serek stood, solemnly, and beckoned at Amy. "Come on, then, let's find you a spot on the Aurikha. The rest of you- I expect you to scatter for a while. I suppose when we're ready to send our signal, we'll see how lucky we are... and how many of you bother to return."

((Taking an indefinite break from Starpath. I'll start it back up again if/when it stops feeling like an exercise in futility))

[Viper123_SWE]

[i][b]"Strikeforce Hades report to section A7 for debriefing."[/b][/i]

The sound of the intercom was quickly lost amongst the noise inside the hangar. Dropships and shuttles arrived while others took off. Hangar personnel zig-zagged between equipment crates, cargo loaders, containers, aircraft and SSOID operatives. Unlike the hangar at the SSOID HQ this particular one, located deep in the European forests several miles from Terranos, was a top-secret facility. On paper it belonged to a charity foundation maintaining important monuments of importance from World War III, however this foundation was in fact partially owned by the Sol government.

One of the dropships with a more sleek and sportty design carefully touched down. Spotlights illuminated the onyx-colored hull as the rear ramp slowly deployed. A pair of pilots bearing no emblems nor insignias ontop of their black flightsuits stepped out and saluted a man at the end of the ramp. The man nodded and the pilots left. Clad in black BDUs the man wore a two-hole balaclava on his face. On his hip was a modified gauss pistol. Upyri design. The man nodded at two other pilots who stood quietly next to him.
The pilots saluted and entered the dropship while the man slowly walked up the ramp.

Sitting on one of the benches was Cobra. Still clad in his armor his rifle was resting against his left leg. Next to him was the backpack filled with the stolen files recovered from the previous mission. The masked man stopped infront of Cobra.
"Report."

Cobra looked up and got up from his seat, standing at attention.
"Mission successfull. Hostiles eliminated. Critical files recovered from the site."

Vampire nodded, pleased with what he'd heard. He already knew the outcome but mission reports were still mandatory for legal reasons. Realistically without one the operation could, from a legal perspective, continue for forever.
"Excellent."

He pointed at the backpack. "Is this everything?" Cobra nodded.

Vampire grabbed the backpack. He then nodded towards the cockpit. "New mission. Insurgents on Turfaal are mounting a massive assault in efforts to liberate their planet from the Sol Colonial Authority. While the tactical value is non-existant it so happens that we have a safehouse on the planet. You are to advance on the safehouse, destroy all sensitive data and extract all on-site assets. Sensitive assets such as POWs are to be eliminated."
Cobra nodded. "Hostiles and friendlies?"

"Large concentration of CLF forces reinforcing the local insurgents. Unconfirmed reports of Nightstalkers. They are being engaged by the local Army garrison supported by several SSMC battalions. It's going to get messier."

"Support?"

Vampire frowned underneath his mask. "One squad of marines. They were at Zeruel so they've already been cleared for covert operations."

Cobra adjusted his gear and checked his rifle before replying. "Get in, destroy and extract, get out. Sounds simple enough. When do I leave?"
"Now." Replied Vampire. Cobra nodded.

Several minutes later the dropship took off, heading for one of three SDF cruisers preparing to jump for Turfaal and support the ground forces. Cobra leaned back and opened up one of his pouches. Inside were three of datadrives stolen at the Terranos research lab. He pulled out a cord from his helmet and inserted it into the first datadrive. Then the second. Then the third.
The information took a long time to process, even with his enhancements. Cobra shook his head. Secret projects. Blacksites. Experimental weapons. Experiments on live subjects. Unconfirmed reports and sightings along the Eastern Fringes. Project Rebirth. Project Tiger. Project Doppelganger.

Cobra was overwhelmed. He pulled out the cord and returned the datadrives to their pouch. He sighed. After this mission he had some leads to follow. Could it be true that he wasn't the only one? Could there be more like him out there? And just how much shit was the SSOID trying to keep secret? One thing was for sure: Cobra didn't like any of it.

[Breadman]

[QUOTE]Come on, then, let's find you a spot on the Aurikha. The rest of you- I expect you to scatter for a while. I suppose when we're ready to send our signal, we'll see how lucky we are... and how many of you bother to return.[/QUOTE]
"I'll be right there...just give me a second." Amy had plenty of time to prepare to say her goodbyes to the crew, but she still had trouble saying anything. After the all that was said, she had the feeling she was abandoning them in a time of need, but she pushed that aside. She would be going out to do the opposite. They needed new people now more than ever. Not some ragtag groups of wanna be mercs, but specialists, experts and contacts. Something she could help them find.

She tried to say something to Taylor when Alex came back. "Don't mind me, I just forgot something in the ship." He stopped for a second as he passed by Abraxas and slowly turned around to face him and then looked at the others. "When did Gasmask MD come back?"

"He came back just now."

"Well then." Alex patted Abraxas on the shoulder "Good to have you back with us doc. I hope my sister thanked you for saving her life."

"I was about to, among other things." She paused for a second before continuing. "Like Alex said, thank you for doing everything you did for me. I wouldn't be even standing here if you hadn't been for you." She turned her attention to Taylor "I owe you thanks for so many things, captain. Taking me in, trusting me when you had no reason to, paying my debt to the sisters and then the business with our dad. Not to mention that final favor for my transfer. " She finally looked at her brother. "Where do I start with you..."

"Don't." He interrupted her. "We've covered this a lot already. Just remember to keep in touch this time."

"You're such an ass." She said with a slight smile. It was getting to that time for her to go. He things were already loaded on to the Aurikha, she just had to get on board. 'Eh fuck it' she thought and gave her brother one last hug for goodbye "Take care, big bear. You got less mouths to feed, but I'll be sending you more in due time."

"Just make sure they can hold a fork, little fox."

The two separated once again. As Amy walked up the ramp to the Aurikha, she thought of what would follow and if the crew could handle it. Her thoughts then switched to possible options to even the odds abit.

[Infab]

[video=youtube;aEB4wUcQsEk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEB4wUcQsEk[/video]

[QUOTE]Elsewhere, on Shadespear Terminal in the Renegade Quadrant...[/QUOTE]

"Alright, boy. Lets try it again. See those guys over there? Third table on the left. Yeah, them."

"Well, the one wearing the military cap still is an Upyri. He glanced this way about five minutes ago, and his eyes flashed. He's also the only one drinking without a plate in front of him. His drink is also a dull yellow, so its that serum stuff. Muscular build, probably a former UF Marine. He's packing two weapons. That Bolter pistol the Marines always use, and a second smaller pistol tucked in his belt. The way he walked and sat down gave that away. He's wearing a ring, though around his neck instead of on his hand. His significant other died recently. The circles under his eyes say that he doesn't sleep well, so he might be still dwelling on the death. They probably died violently, and it was probably related to the Federation, otherwise he probably wouldn't be out here. Clothes are too clean, so either he's got money or he just ditched the service to join up with some group out here. I'm betting on the former, judging from his comrades."

"Good...next?"

"The one next to him is Human. Long, blonde hair, tied in a pony tail. Keeps his hair out of his face so that it doesn't get in the way while he's working. Or shooting. Runic tattoo on his neck, so he's more than likely from Valhalla. Holotags around his neck, so he's former SDF. He's got a bowie knife tucked into his coat, just over his heart. His pistol is on his left thigh, unloaded. He has a sort of arrogant pressence, judging from his outfit and how he seems to be talking to his friends. Confident in himself and his abilities. So his pistol's unloaded, because he thinks he's fast enough to load it or fast enough to use that knife in his coat. No scars to speak of, and with that attitude, points to little or no actual combat experience. He was probably talked into coming out here. Dreams of riches and a fun time. Better than what Sol offers."

"Nice...and the third one?"

"Third one is taller than the human. Orange fur with stripes, so probably Namur. Female, as the fur is pretty sleek. Probably on their pilgrimage, but they look experienced so I'd say early twenties in age. Obviously carrying a sword of some sort, made of some form of metal. Judging from the jagged shape, part of a ship's hull plating. Outfit seems to be of Upyri origin, bearing a few tribal designs. Probably her home tribe or that of her crew. The way she looks at the Upyri is like that of affection. Maybe she likes him, and hasn't let him know. Or she feels bad about him losing his partner. Either way, she's that [I]special[/I] kind of close to him. She has a kinetic pistol tucked under her left arm in a holster, loaded."

"Excellent. Now, the fourth that just walked up."

"Female Kanad. Exile. Probably a highblood. Carrying a kanad-made plasma pistol, and what appears to be a plasma saber on her hip. Former Black Fleet SS, judging from the outfit and how she carries herself. Few small scars on her face, fresh. Probably from a recent job. Blue hair, well groomed and kept combed over her right eye. Seems to be their first officer, judging from how the three reacted to her walking up. The human appears to bother her quite a bit, as the look she gives him is like one would look at a dog that just shit all over the floor. Seems to respect the Upyri, and the Namur."

"Fantastic work, Uric." said the captain, patting a young [URL="http://starpath.wikia.com/wiki/Uric_Corbett"]Uric Corbett[/URL] on the shoulder. Uric smirked. "Just working with what you taught me." The old Upyri captain grinned a bit, then pushed a beer into his hand before turning and heading to an empty table nearby. Uric followed, sitting down across from him. "People watching is useful. It helps you size up future allies or future targets. Paints a nice background. History, personality, experience..." said the captain, taking a drink from his own beer. Uric nodded. "...but looks can be deceiving." "Exactly," said the captain, "Which is why you have to really pay attention...for example..."

The captain motioned to the kanad. "She's not SS. She [I][B]is[/B][/I] former Black Fleet, though. The outfit and how she carries herself is to make herself look imposing. Beneath all that, she's not a hardass. She's also romantically involved with that human, and they just had a fight. One that he won. That's why she's giving him that look." Uric raised an eyebrow. "Romantically involved? A human and a kanad?" "...don't think about it too hard. Anyway...you did really well. You just have to focus a bit more. Consider all the options. Prepare for everything." said the captain, with a grin.

[Damian0358]

[QUOTE]Meanwhile, elsewhere, on Pakihi - still the 21st of February, 2385[/QUOTE]

Despite the modest size of the Wohundart high-rise complex, the above ground area was absolutely packed with things. However, unlike the foyer, it seemed like windows cracked on some of the floors, causing them to get absolutely filled with sand, degrading the already poorly maintained above ground area. Fortunately, János managed to confirm some things - firstly, this high-rise was the only building on the planet belonging to the Wohundart family, so he wouldn't need to search for more; secondly, there was an equally modestly-sized below ground area, for their employees to work in, and if necessary sleep in; and thirdly, the photos and paintings of the family that are intact confirmed something mentioned on the conspiracy sites - the photos always had them smiling with closed mouths, while the paintings have them smiling and proudly displaying their cuspids. Rather odd, he thought, but that alone couldn't confirm that they weren't Upyri.

After spending some time searching the above ground area, dense with sand, János paused and reflected on all he had found. Much of what he had found, beyond what was mentioned above, was mainly boring company stuff like financing. The more thorough he is, the more useless paperwork he found. He knew he had to shift gears, and go to where he hadn't gone yet, that is below ground. He went back down to the foyer, dusting himself off, before going down.

[QUOTE]Pakihi - February 22rd, 2385[/QUOTE]

At least 3 floors below ground, János sat down. He had spent a day here so far, yet he yielded no results. Perhaps he hasn't been as thorough as he thought, as the dusty below ground area went further down than the upper ground area went up, but many rooms were combination office bedrooms, with some areas like libraries for employee rest. Nothing he had discovered below brought him closer to the truth. Has he blown all his money on a wild goose chase, he wondered.

As János sat, thoughts of doubt began to flood him. Slowly, doubt was substituted with self-frustration. He grew frustrated over the seemingly impossible task at hand. He questioned aloud and to himself only why his memories are locked away in such a manner. Whenever he attempted to recall something locked away, it was always depicted in such a strange manner - the colors were greyed out, all symbols were largely removed, people appeared as grey blobs and all dialogue, if it isn't classified, is made to sound in the same robotic tone as a text-to-speech program. He could find out the most basic details of what he did, mainly pertaining to his work, but to find out why he did it, what reason, and details such as his upbringing, etc; that is to say, the context of whatever he did, and the surroundings he was in, were classified.

János began to wonder whether it was the hardware failing on him or whether it was the lack of context for his past actions that led to his spiral downwards, to allow him to just hand over Frosty as he did, to do the mistakes he made throughout his time with the TBC. He seemed as though he could just about go mad at this point, with how nothing was going his way.

János looked up from where he was sitting, apparently not having paid attention to where he was now - he was now located in an area somewhat resembling a study, obviously put for employee rest. The shelving units that dot the room seemingly taunted him, containing much, but nothing which was any use to him. He got up from the chair he was on, and just glared at the cabinets and bookshelves, which he had looked into already. He wasn't sure what to do, but he was rather nettled. All of a sudden, a thought popped into his head - has he investigated the backsides of each and every object that has its back against the wall? There could be something hiding behind there-

János punched himself in the head at the thought. That was an absolutely [B]ludicrous[/B] idea! Why in the hell would someone hide something behind a cabinet?! It was a [I]cliché[/I], something to be expected. This building was made sometime in the 23rd century, no one would be [B][I]silly enough[/I][/B] to do something like that! In his frustration, the android kicked down one of the shelving units to prove his point - nothing was behind it, or not its backside.

János began to kick down every shelving unit in the room, and if a kick couldn't do it, he pulled them down. Every single one proved his point, even if it made a mess of things. He was enraged now, wanting to truly prove to himself that no one could be so [B][I]daft[/I][/B]. He approached the last unit still standing, a giant bookshelf. Kicking would prove worthless, so he began pulling it away from the wall, but strangely, the thing wouldn't budge. He tried pulling even harder, but it wouldn't move an inch. He then tried pushing it from the side, but he noticed how he couldn't get a grip on the backside of the shelf, as if it were part of the wall itself.

Despite that, János began pushing from the side. He pushed, pushed and pushed, hoping to topple the shelf and finally end this madness, when suddenly, he just nudged it slightly. The nudge caught him off-guard, considering how hard it was to push, but he noticed something... there was something behind the shelf. It was completely covered in darkness, so he couldn't even wager a guess on what was on the other side. Determined, he continued pushing the shelf, and an hour or so later, he had nudged it far enough to allow his body to pass through.

The light that shone from the study-esque room revealed an area that was entirely made of metal, and János quickly noted a switch to the right of him, just barely illuminated as it was behind the shelf. He flipped it, and the lights slowly came on in the area. He appeared to be in a hallway of metal, but it somewhat resembled communist hospitals in style... though he wondered why that was the example he thought of.

János wasn't sure what to make of all this. He had uncovered an entirely new area, behind a shelf of all things. He shook his head at the absurdity of it all, thinking folks were better than this. Nevertheless, this was the final frontier for him. This was [B]all or nothing[/B].

[Damian0358]

[QUOTE]3rd of March, 2385[/QUOTE]

"...to have found such a secret passage was ludicrous, but it seems as though clichés never really die. Nevertheless, I continued onward into the mysterious metallic hallway. The walls were sparsely decorated, but when they did have something, it was signage in a language I didn't recognize at the time, the same which appears written in Glagolitic in my UI, or at least, I suspected as much. Thankfully, there was some miniscule English written underneath.

Despite the English however, I ended up traversing rather aimlessly throughout the area, which I discovered to be some sort of research and experimenting facility. Unlike the below ground area of the high-rise, which did not have any remains indicating that there used to be people in the building, the facility was decently filled with skeletons. I assumed that the folks that worked here ran into this hidden facility for safety, hopeful that they'd be rescued... poor sods, they were.

Out of the many rooms I went into, there were only three that were really noteworthy - the first was the office of a 'Salmak Raba', Ph.D. in Genetic Engineering. Unlike many of the other offices, this one lacked any skeletons, as though they couldn't access the room at the time. I ended up snatching a map of the facility, a key card of some sort and an ordinary set of keys from his table, though I kept staring at his name plate holder.

The second room was a laboratory, filled with many transparent chambers, large enough to hold a person within. Due to the dust and the skeletons, I didn't want to stay in the room for long, but using the set of keys, I opened up a bunch of cabinets, to see if there were any documents that could aid me. I couldn't really read any of them, though some had a little English and Upyrian, but what really caught me off guard was the signatures found on some of them... they matched the signature of the von Junod and Wohundart families! The former family had the practice of having a single standard signature for the whole family, a practice they seemed to have brought over as the latter family! They kept their original signature in private, it seemed! By god, the conspiracy theorists were right for once! Thank god they'll never know though.

The third and final room of importance was a research room, which I could only open with a key card... thankfully the one I had grabbed earlier was correct! Entering the room, akin to Raba's office, there weren't any skeletons, but what caught me off guard was what was in the room - papers! Piles upon piles of papers! Completely untouched, neatly piled all over the room, seemingly surrounding a little robot on the floor. Grabbing a paper off the top of the nearest pile, it spoke of this project, codenamed Pita.

Apparently, those accusations Moloch spoke of long ago, of the von Junod family funding very dubious science programs mostly relating to eugenics, were true! The project, funded by the Wohundart family, intended to create the ultimate lifeforms through genetic engineering. Based on a planet in the north-western part of the galaxy, which they named Pita, the project seemingly lasted some 200 or so years, before mysteriously ending around the same timeframe as when Pakihi went under. It referred to some other papers to detail what happened, but I wasn't about to investigate that, as I ended up noticing a computer.

I went ahead and turned the computer on, which had a retro-esque style to it, which didn't seem befitting of a research room. When the OS fully booted however, it requested a four digit password. Previously, I had noted a four digit code written on the edge of the facility map I had grabbed, and I typed it in. It worked. Things seemed sorta convenient, but I wasn't about to argue it. I noticed that there was a folder right on the desktop, the only one written in English - 'Videos', it was titled. Opening it up, I found a whole bunch of videos, lasting some 5 minutes each, all made on separate days.

Clicking on the first, the man in front of the camera introduced himself as the good doctor Salmak Raba. He explained how he was making this video blog while his friends were slowly transferred into new android bodies, and he'd be making sure the procedure was going fine. While there were many more of these vlogs, the one that caught my eye the most was the final one, differently titled that the rest. I opened it, and suddenly, Raba yelled 'PA/TP A08K JONES RESTORE!', which caused me to grip onto the table, as I felt myself freezing up and shutting down. I tried to continue listening to the video, with it saying something about calming down, but I ended up collapsing into a pile of papers, posture frozen.

I turned back on a day or so later. I'm sure it was the 23rd by this point, possibly even the 24th, but that didn't really matter. I remembered everything now. I knew how I was, what I was, and what I did. And I remembered why I wanted to forget it all. My name was Karone Jones; I was among the many genetically-engineered lifeforms that lived on Pita, a 3rd generation lifeform at that point. And we were pawns to those tycoons, tools to further their grotesque plans of creating a "master race", without any care for the people whose lives they were controlling. They didn't care when, while they weren't watching, a civil war broke out demanding they be overthrown, with the rebels demanding self-rule. They didn't care when the government they put in place to represent their control was overstretched, overworked and losing.

As I steadily remembered everything, I pulled out my retractable cable and plugged it into the computer. I transferred everything that the computer had into myself, and quickly looked through it all. The piles of papers were useless now, as it appeared that they were printed off of that very computer. I knew Doctor Raba, and he knew a lot more than us. Now I knew what he knew, as these papers were effectively a personalized encyclopedia of knowledge he kept to himself. And watching these videos, I knew what had happened to me, and how I was separated from them by accident.

I reactivated the little robot on the floor, and requested it destroy all the papers, to leave no physical evidence of this project. I leave the research room, and the hidden facility, and head up to the foyer. I go outside once more, natural light shining upon me for the first time in days. I pull out my tablet and put in what I wanted to claim - using the exact coordinates, the entire hidden facility located under the high-rise now legally belonged to me. And now, I needed a means of transport, so I decided to look into the many affiliates of Wave Galaxias. It seemed that the ones in the area were already busy doing work elsewhere on the planet, but out of nowhere, one became available - Opto. I remembering reading about how Opto announced a cooperation deal with Galaxias a while ago, and they seemed to offer transport, among other things, so I called them up, and they proceeded to fly to my location.

Their ship arrived shortly after, and landed in front of the high-rise. About 7 or so androids came out, introducing themselves to me. They seemed to have dropped the mysterious identity act after so many folks leaked that they were androids, and apparently that was a huge relief to them. Two folks, however, stepped forth as the leaders of sorts. One looked like an Upyri, named Kuno Jones, while the other looked like a human, named Joss Cuddon. Kuno insisted he speak to me in private within the high-rise, so that all the details could be settled. The moment we left the sight of the others however, he pinned me to the wall and demanded to know what I wanted to do with the building. I tell him my intentions, and he looks at me as though he just saw a ghost. I then remembered something from Raba's video blogs - after they lost me in a freak accident involving my new android body being flung into an escape pod and shot into space, Raba stated that he would give himself the surname Jones in my remembrance, claiming that it was a popular foreign surname for the Upyri at the time.

Before I could say anything though, he outright asked me if I was Karone, to which I responded by asking him if he was Raba. He gives me a great big hug, relieved that somehow, fate had left me here, just as he had prayed so many years ago when he had the video blogs and printing commands sent to the facility here prior to initiating the transferring process on himself. We spoke some more, I explained that I owned the facility now, and he revealed the news to the others, to their jubilation. It didn't make sense, but somehow, Pakihi brought me back to those I cared about the most, especially my brother, the aforementioned human android, as the two of us specifically wished we were humans rather than the genetic cocktails we originally were.

We quickly got everything from the facility onto the ship, with the doctor and I resetting many things back to the factory default, albeit now in English, with the doctor's drive becoming the hub for all the original data, ensuring the others never knew. In spite of their original plans, Kuno preserved his past memories, just in case he could discover me in the scenario that something changed in my look, and well, my face did get damaged after that pod I was in crash-landed, so it doesn't really resemble the original design much now after being initially restored.

The good doctor wanted to directly upgrade my body, to bring it up to snuff with their upgrades, making them more and more accurate to the species they chose for their android forms, but I revealed to him the damages and told him that it probably wasn't going to survive soon. As he got disappointed with the thought of having my brother make me a new body, I ended up mentioning that I still had one thing left to do before this body dies. I suggested that everything in my drive, sans a few select files, be transferred temporarily onto another drive, while a transmitter was placed within the body, so that I could control it. So, while I waited for my new body, I could deal with my remaining business.

That remaining business was that of the Children of God. I was unafraid of death at this point, since my body was now just a vessel I controlled from afar. So, I traveled to Sol, and headed to the planetary capital of Saturn, located on the moon Dione. From there, I headed to the moon Enceladus. Despite its greater geological activity and smaller size to Dione, it seemed to be a popular tourist spot, and the bars and clubs on the moon were indicative of that. I headed to the club known as the Liber, known for its reservable rooms and excellent bar service, though apparently the last great bartender they had left for Terra some three years ago.

I reserve myself a room for a week, and I get myself set up. I placed a laptop onto the table in the middle of the room, and quickly went to a file-uploading-and-sharing site. I connect my retractable cable into the laptop, and uploaded the remaining files my drive had, that is, everything I had collected on the CoG. As it uploaded, I prepared several webcams just in case I was discovered and they sent assassins or something. Then, it was successfully uploaded!

And I waited for a response. And I waited. And I waited. By the time my week-long stay was to end, no one had mentioned anything on those CoG files I uploaded! I didn't understand why! Surely, all of this would be breaking news to some! It just didn't make sense. As my stay came to a close, so did the stability of my body. Glitches became more frequent, and I could feel myself losing power. I ended up collapsing onto the laptop, as my body fried itself and subsequently short-circuited the laptop, and the webcams connected. My body was discovered a day later. János Celofán was now legally dead.

While this occurred, my new body was finished, with the original intended face, and I was given a new name - Clive Cuddon - adopting my brother's surname. The doctor, having watched my failure through the same transmitter I was using, questioned my decision to keep my memories, both as Karone and as János, intact. I explained that, without the context needed to explain why I was the way I was, I was practically impaired, and that contributed to my failures as János. I didn't want to make any more mistakes. I am going to live with the knowledge I have, and learn from them, not hide them from myself. He understood, thankfully.

Now I sit here, in the room they had prepared on this ship for me, after they brought me up to speed on what's been happening with them... just thinking about the last couple of days, over and over and over. This is like, what, the sixth time I've repeated this train of thought. I overthink a lot. With [URL="https://pastebin.com/ahcdsxVz"]my memory[/URL] restored, I've got a lot to think about now. And even if I didn't, the fact that no one responded to the CoG info dump will probably trouble me for the rest of my existence, however long it will be. Whatever happens now, I just hope Chemosh gets his comeuppance," the human android formerly known as János thought to himself at length.

A buzz could be hear to his right - it was the comm. Clive picked it up.

"Hey, Bro! Come down to the bridge, we got hired on for another job, and we'll need all hands on deck for it!" he heard Joss say.

"Alright, I'm coming," Clive responded. As he got off his bed, he looked out through his windows into the vastness of space. He wondered what would happen to himself now. He wondered for a moment, before coming to the conclusion that nothing else will happen for him. His time of granted importance had passed. He just hoped that everyone at the TBC was doing well. He left his room and headed to the bridge to see what this job was.

[b]<JÁNOS CELOFÁN / CLIVE CUDDON - END>[/b]

[Breadman]

[I]Somewhere in the Foxglove region[/I]
It was just a normal day in this hole in the wall of a bar. The bar usually sees the same regulars of pirates, mercs and other rejects. Perfect place for Amy to find the person she was looking for. It had been two weeks since she parted ways with her own crew to pursue other ways to help the company and so far she had managed to do some good. Mainly getting in touch with old suppliers of guns and armor she met over the years as well as finding old war buddies that got tired of risking life for enough cash to get wasted the following night.

Some were harder to find than others like her latest lead. The bar smelled like cheap alcohol was used to mop the floor instead of actual soap. She sat down next to a large figure in a corner deep inside the building. By the looks of things, the figure had gone through a lot of booze before she arrived. It looked towards her and then back at the bottle.

"You joking."

"Glad to see you too, Viga." Amy leaned on the table. "How's life been treating you."

"Fine." Viga did a so and so motion with her hand. Amy got a better look at her face. Scarred and missing and eye. She wondered if the Sisters did this or someone else did the deed.

"Fuck, what happened to you?"

"Small bitches are lucky." Viga answered before going back to her drink "You want something from Viga?"

"I'll get to it. After I left the Sisters I got hired by a PMC and I'm currently on the lookout for talent. I heard from Shank that you went free agent now."

"Viga is. But Viga won't work for you."

"I'm forwarding you to get your own unit under your own command."

There were 2 seconds of silence before there was an answer
"Viga will work."

"Good to hear. Just show up at the coordinates I give you and tell them I send you." She looked around the bar, trying to get a look of the locals. "You know them better. Anyone here with a grudge with the Vigil?"

"You have good luck." Viga motioned for another bottle to be delivered "Someone came a few days ago. Looking for work. Hates Vigil." She spat out the name like it was a stuck in her throat for days now "Two of them unlucky. He saw them. Dead."

"Might be just what I need. His name?"

"Harvey. Should come soon."

"I can stick around till he comes then." Amy leaned back in her seat, legs crossed and ordered a drink for herself.

[Infab]

[QUOTE]Elsewhere, on Mars...[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE][video=youtube;9ei3S9bsHfA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ei3S9bsHfA[/video][/QUOTE]

It was a rather sunny day out on Mars. Beautiful really. Lush green grass and trees, wind faintly blowing the blades and leaves about. People coming and going, viewing the various statues and memorials in the Valley of Heroes. Tourists sightseeing or former soldiers remembering their fallen comrades. Nearby, a trio of people were simply taking in the day and talking. Two sat in the grass, a mother and her daughter, while the third simply rested against the tree that the trio were sitting under. A simple red oak.

"...so what you're telling me is...you're basically choosing to go on a suicide mission." said the mother, looking to her daughter. The daughter paused for a few moments, looking around, before finally replying. "...I have to go, Mom. I'm their captain. Their leader. If I'm not there..." she said, looking down to the grass she was siting in. "...if you're not there, they'll probably all get killed...Hell, there's just as good of a chance of them getting killed [I]WITH[/I] you there...You'll be fighting the best the Vigil has, probably that damned Archangel guy...and from what you've told me of this 'Beta'..." said the mother, looking out at the monuments. The third person finally spoke up. "Miranda, she's just like you. She'll fight tooth and nail. She'll shed her blood as well as theirs...and hopefully come out on top. Exactly like you did."

Miranda went quiet. What if she didn't survive, though? What if somehow...Taylor lost the fight? Miranda looked back to Taylor, whom was looking directly at her with a smile on her face. "Mom...I'm not changing my mind. And if you were in my position...you know you wouldn't change yours. You didn't when Dad and Lex and all the others needed you. You fought on to the end. After Dad took three in the chest and literally died for six minutes. After Lex had her brain almost fried by that 'Jester' lady. You didn't stop till you finished the fight...I have to finish mine."

Miranda was speechless, her lone eye widened. Taylor was right...Miranda wouldn't have changed her mind. Still wouldn't. Maybe deep down...she just didn't want to lose someone else that she loved. She had already lost [URL="http://starpath.wikia.com/wiki/Vasil_Kirilov_Zaikov"]Vasil[/URL], and that tormented her to this very day. She had lost most of her friends over the years. Could she cope if she lost Taylor too? Her sweet little Maddie? What about Ira? Ira was also going on this suicide mission...she could lose both of her daughters in one go. The Mad Dog was known to be one of the hardest women in the galaxy...but losing the children she had raised could break her. The other missions before this one...those were a different story. She knew Taylor could handle them. Ira too. This one...

Miranda looked down into the soft green grass. "...You know...I promised myself...after Vasil died...that I would take care of you. That I'd protect you, raise you by myself, and see you grow up to be a good person. I'd raise you better than my sorry excuses for parents tried to do with me. ...And I'm proud of the person you've become. You know that? You are my greatest achievement. Fuck the bounty record, saving the Federation, and probably the galaxy. I really wish your father were here to see you. He'd be proud...but would probably hate what you did to your hair." she finally said, looking up at Taylor and smiling. Taylor noticed that tears were streaming down her mother's face.

In all her years alive...Taylor had never seen her mother cry. Even after her father's death. Her mother remained strong, but was basically crumbling now under the thought of losing her. "...Mom, I'll give it my all. Ira will too." she said, still smiling. Miranda nodded. "I know, baby girl. I know." she replied. A moment later, they hugged each other tightly. It almost seemed like the hug would last forever, but in reality lasted only a minute or two. Lex, behind them, bore a smile of her own. Miranda spoke again once they had broken their hug. "...Here...I want you to have this. Put it to good use." said Miranda, drawing something off her hip. It was her personal rail-revolver. One she had kept and used long before Taylor was even born. "...I will, Mom. I promise." said Taylor, taking the rail-revolver and gazing down at it. It was a faded blue, the paint worn from years of use and being carried on Miranda's hip. In her handwriting on the side, in faded permanent marker, was Miranda's nickname. Mad Dog.

"Its got a hair trigger...and pulls a bit to the left when it fires. And since it has no iron sights...you just sorta point and shoot. Nothing you can't handle, though." said Miranda, smiling a little. Taylor nodded, before looking back up to Miranda. She was still crying, studying her daughter's face. "I love you. And I always will. Ira too. If the two of you don't make it...I want you to tell your father that I'll be joining you three soon enough. And tell him that he still owes me that fucking whiskey he promised me the day we met, and that he better have it when I get there." she said, chuckling as she finished. Taylor smiled yet again. "I love you too, Mom."

The trio would remain under the red oak tree for a few more minutes, simply talking and passing the time...before finally standing and departing.