• Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2
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[QUOTE]My ship has a shielded compartment for sensitive cargo. We could probably fit one or two people in there as backup.[/QUOTE] "Fine, but they will have to stay on the ship until things start to go off. A group that large is going to raise more suspicion. Unless there is anything else, I suggest we get ready for landfall."
[QUOTE]"Unless there is anything else, I suggest we get ready for landfall."[/QUOTE] "Right. We can fit Ravis and Sting in that compartment in the ship. They're both small enough, so it'd work perfectly. Karl can tag along with the SDF or Boomes, either one. Since biological warfare probably won't be needed here, Amelia and Porter could remain here. Eve will also remain here unless she's needed for something. I'll send a copy of the plans to everyone else involved." said Taylor, as she began typing up a message on her own holotablet. She didn't have any power armor, so she'd have to go in with regular body armor for this. The mercenary armor that Neasha and the others had provided would have to work, and she could grab a rifle and sidearm from it. And a knife. "Excuse me, I have to get ready. Eve, you have the bridge." she said, standing from her seat. After a nod to Marshall, Iron, and Seth, she departed from the bridge. Heading for the Armory. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A few seconds later, Taylor's explanation of the plan reached the rest of the crew's personal devices. Valk felt her own holotablet vibrate, drawing it out and reading over the message. So she was being placed with Orso and the other Boomes during the fight? Suited her just fine. She'd be guaranteed to get some kills in. She slipped back into the tank, turning it off, before climbing back out and heading to the armory.
Sting flipped the barrel to the side and let the casings fall onto the floor, which was already scattered with casings from her previous test fires. "Ahh, ain't she a really purdy thang, bat-boy?" she asked Ravis as she inspected the revolver. Normally she could fire her own revolvers with one hand each, but this one required her to use two hands, and even three if she really wanted to stabilize it. She let out a chirping laugh and twirled the gun around while two of her arms focused on reloading it while her remaining free hand took out her flask, "Louder than gods revolver and twice as shiny." she quipped, taking a swig. Her and Ravis had gotten along pretty well, their personality types making for a odd but surprisingly functional friendship. As the gun was loaded she took aim down the range again. "If ya ask me, these sol fellas are probably just gon' have us do somethin annoyin. Like, watcha call it... commodity surface."
Seth and Alex both followed Taylor out of the bridge not long after her. They both had to get ready to do their own part of the mission. Alex met up with Amy and explained what the plan was and who was going where. She didn't like him being put in harm's way like this, but it was as good of a shot they would get in a long time. They both went to the armory to put on their gear and armor. Seth met with his men to brief them on what was discussed on the bridge. To say they were enthusiastic to get into a fight with the Creed would be an understatement. After the briefing he went to get ready to fill his own task. If he was going to pose as a bounty hunter, he couldn't wear his own armor. It's why he brought in [URL="https://i.imgur.com/e4n68e7.jpg"]one[/URL] that would work for his cover.
The Horizon, followed closely by the Muramasa, entered their destination with a bang quickly absorbed by the void of space. A pair of corvettes and four escorting squadrons of fighters formed up around the Muramasa while the Horizon docked with the Redstar. Marshall thanked Taylor for the stay and wished both her and her crew, as well as Seth, good luck for the battle ahead. The shuttle departed and returned to its mothership where Marshall confirmed that the Muramasa crew was ready to go. Inside the Muramasa hangar Iron awaited those that would follow him to Zyus II. Standing infront of his ship with crossed arms the bounty hunter made a mental check to ensure that all the neccessary gear was good to go.
"Ready?" whispered Taylor, as she stepped up next to Iron. Taylor had equipped a bunch of different bits from the mercenary armor they had acquired from Neasha, [URL="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f0/20/3c/f0203c7c99e730a25a58b8c23d7aed5c--destiny-helmet-destiny-armor.jpg"]forming a functional freelance bounty hunter look.[/URL] She missed the feel of her power armor, but this would have to do. Besides, she was strong enough physically to deal with anything Creed might toss at her. Power armor just made it easier. In her hands was a rifle of Upyri make, marked on the side as a [URL="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starpath/images/6/67/Upyri-Shotgun.png/revision/latest?cb=20171107071100"]'[I]M6A4 Revolving Shotgun[/I]'[/URL] She wasn't going to bring her larger shotgun into this. On her hip was a plasma revolver of Sol origin, and a machette was slipped into a sheath on her hip. Valkyrie emerged from the Armory wearing different attire, heading over to where the Boome Marines were waiting. She was wearing much lighter gear than Taylor, only equipped with a chest plate and pads on her elbows and knees. In her hands was a plasma rifle, on her hip a large kinetic pistol. On her other hip, her plasma sword she had kept from Rigel. She was geared up light so that she'd be fast on her feet. She'd need to be if she planned to gut as many Creed troops as she could.
Ira smiled underneath her helmet. "Ready." Whatever happened on the ground Ira at least felt comforted by the fact that she'd not be alone, like she often was when collecting bounties. Instead she'd be surrounded by friends and family.
They were joined by Alex and Amy a few moments later. Alex was wearing the armor he had on Rigel, even it it was still a little banged up, it would serve well. Made it look like they had to take him by force. Unfortunately for him, he was going in without a weapon this time. Well, not a visible one at least. Amy was comfortable with using her recently upgraded armor, she just needed to wear a helmet the entire time to mask her face. Thanks to Karl, her Widow was saved and she could modify it using the gear they took from TBC. Now she just needed someone to try it on. After another minute they were joined by Seth, who was wearing his new armor. The rifle was a standard used by many mercenary groups throughout the galaxy still. It wasn't the best, but reliable. On his hip was his own custom [URL="https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/covers/images/001/358/864/large/josh-wilkinson-wilkinson-revolver-materials.jpg?1445022053"]handgun[/URL]. Every Boome commander before him had a modified weapon of choice, so he chose to continue that tradition, even if the one before him was a total bastard. Modified to shoot explosive rounds, it was more of a last resort than his first pick. He had refrained from giving it a tacky nickname, but that didn't really stop any of his brothers calling it the 'Showstopper' when referring to it. "Looks like most of us are here."
[quote]If ya ask me, these sol fellas are probably just gon' have us do somethin annoyin. Like, watcha call it... commodity surface.[/quote] Ravis made sure to discharge the coil interchange and engage the safety before setting his rifle down for a moment, noting his slowly-improving accuracy. "Somehow, I doubt that," he replied. "I- I think we're a bit too, uh, dangerous for picking up garbage and- and all that shit. I just, uh, hope I don't get shot again."
Iron nodded. "You can strap in while we wait for Ravis and Sting." He tossed over a couple of cuffs to Amy. "Cuff your brother."
((We aren't telepathic, if you need us on the bridge, you should use the comm :v:)
[QUOTE=Infab;52958808] [b]A few seconds later, Taylor's explanation of the plan reached the rest of the crew's personal devices.[/b][/QUOTE]
"Do I get to read him his rights or do you guys not do that?"
Iron chuckled. "That's up to you." Ira grinned underneath her mask. "Make sure to savor the moment."
[QUOTE=Sega Saturn;52961896]((We aren't telepathic, if you need us on the bridge, you should use the comm :v:)[/QUOTE] ((She sent everyone a message, but I can work around it.)) Taylor looked around, as everyone got ready. She didn't see Sting or Ravis, whom had been in the firing range while she and Valk had been gearing up. "I'll go grab Sting and Ravis." she said, before strolling back through the hangar. She arrived at the Armory a minute later, then peeked into the firing range. "Guys. Gear up. We got an operation to get to. I'll give you a rundown of the op." she said, before stepping back into the actual armory. She had remembered that Sting couldn't exactly read so it had to be by word of mouth.
Alex gave Ira a death glare as Amy slapped on the cuffs and began to read him his rights while she loaded him up on the ship. "You're enjoying yourself too much with this!" "And I'm savoring every second. Where was I? Oh yes.. You have the right to an attorney..."
Ravis snapped to attention when the captain walked in, hoping that she didn't hear him talking to Sting. He wanted to put a brave face on his anxiety. "Y-yes, right away!" he replied. He grabbed his rifle and dashed out the door and into the main room of the armory where he had stashed his gear. After retrieving them from his locker, he dressed in his company BDU, a ballistic vest, and a helmet, and equipped himself with his knife, rangefinder binoculars, various scouting implements, and a VRI. "Good to go," he declared when he was ready.
While waiting for Taylor and the others to get to the hangar Iron entered the ship. The main compartment housed the piloting controls, co-pilot controls (which hadn't been used for quite a while) as well as four other chairs positioned infront of informative terminals overlooking the ship systems. He motioned for Seth to take the seat of the co-pilot. "You're on Comms, Rollonso." He then nodded for Alex and Amy to sit down. "I'll be right back, need to make sure that the secret compartment is good to go." Said the bounty hunter as the ship began to power up. Iron walked past the bunks and approached a small ventilation console. After entering a specific combination a large panel slid aside, revealing a secret compartment. Iron stuffed the compartment with two spare encrypted radios, some food (because you never know) and two sealable plastic bags (for when the food goes the wrong way) alongside some spare ammo.
Taylor waited for Sting to join Ravis, then explained the plan. "Alright, we're gonna be fighting Divinity Creed this time. Iron, myself, Seth, and Amy are going to pose as bountyhunters, bringing Alex to his father. His father Stanislav is the main target. We get inside, kill Stanislav, and take out the base defenses and comms in the control center. Once that happens, we mop up while getting the POWs that the Creed are holding captive out. You two will be hidden in a compartment in Iron's ship. I'll give you the signal to get out to help once the shooting starts. Alright? We'll have the Boome Marines and SDF forces to assist us, assaulting the compound. Valkyrie will be assisting the Boomes outside." she explained. She paused to let it all sink in. "Need me to repeat anything? Should be a pretty straightforward operation once it gets going. And if we pull it off, we get our UGC bounties removed."
Ravis blinked. [I]Having to share a tiny compartment with Sting? What could go wrong?[/I] "Y-yeah. I understand," he said with a nod.
Sting entered the hangar with wide strides while taking hearty chugs from her flask, her full attire, with bandoliers and spurs, jingling as she did. "Hell, it ain't nothin but a thang. Just tell me where I to sit and yell Fubar when I get to start the shootin."
"Alright. Iron will show you where you'll be hiding. The compartment is shielded, so Creed won't detect you. Lets get going." said Taylor, motioning towards the hangar. After that, she headed towards the hangar herself.
Seth sat down in his seat in the co-pilot chair. Behind him Amy was finishing up reading up her brother's rights. For some it was going to be a long trip planetside.
While Ravis and Sting were escorted into the secret hold by Iron the SDF made its final preparations, forming up into two flanking groups shielding the main battlegroup. Onboard the Horizon Marshall signaled Bobby to contact the Sungazer. "Horizon to Sungazer, the fleet is ready and await your signal. Once your objectives are complete you are to find a safe spot, hunker down and await evac by the Muramasa. Our scouts on the ground will be keeping an eye on you, meaning that as soon as you give us the signal the fleet will be jumping in. We estimate that your jump will take thirty minutes. Horizon out." Iron returned to the pilot seat and looked to the others. "Ready?"
[QUOTE]"Ready?"[/QUOTE] "Cocked, locked, and ready to rock." said Taylor, sitting down across from Amy and Alex. She glanced to them both. "You two ready? Gonna get nasty in there."
[QUOTE=Viper123_SWE;52962334]Horizon to Sungazer, the fleet is ready and await your signal. Once your objectives are complete you are to find a safe spot, hunker down and await evac by the Muramasa. Our scouts on the ground will be keeping an eye on you, meaning that as soon as you bring down the base defenses the fleet will be jumping in. We estimate that your jump will take thirty minutes. Horizon out."[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]While we're inside the base, we'll give a signal for the assault to start, distracting them and letting us make a move to kill him. After, he's dead, the team should get to the control center as soon as possible and shut down the base defenses from there, making sure that the rest can come in and finish the job and get the POWs out and hit any high value targets with little resistance as possible.[/QUOTE] [Uh, communication error? :v:]
A week has passed since the mysterious terrorists first sieged the Diamond Lady on Prospera. Nothing much has changed. Nothing was known about what could be going on inside. For a week, crews have tried to remove the heist shield covering the building, but each time they were noticed, and a hostage paid the price. There wasn't much the Death Vigil could do, other than keep watching for any opportunity to open up so they may finally rescue the hostages and kill the terrorists. Outside, between the various APCs and DV soldiers, was an Intergalactica news van. A reporter and his cameraman were taking in the entire scene as they broadcasted what was going on back to the station. "...So far the siege seems to have stagnated, but tensions are still high as we do not know exactly what's going on inside the casino. We go now to Todd who's there live at the scene. Todd, what's the situation over there?" said the news anchor as he switched camera feeds to a reporter standing among a group of Death Vigil mercenaries, and with the casino behind him looming over them ominously. He raised the microphone and spoke. “Well, so far there are no recent developments regarding the hostage crisis here at the Diamond Lady, but security forces have remained vigilant and on guard over the past week as they continue exploring methods on how to resolve the situation with as little casualties as possible.” “I’m sure our viewers are wondering, have these terrorists stated any demands yet? Have they stayed any motives, Todd?” “None, as of now. It’s been total silence between the terrorists and authorities. No demands have been made and the motives of the terrorists still remain unclear.” “And what about the terrorists themselves, Todd? What do we know about them so far?” “Authorities are unable to identity them specifically, however one of our news drones captured footage of two of them earlier this week as they ran across the roof of the casino. One of them was wearing a headband that had a very specific design on it that has been associated with the Divinity Creed terrorist group. So there’s a possibility these terrorists are either members of the Divinity Creed, or associated with them at least.” The forcefield covering the main entrance came down, the metallic shields barricading the front doors slid away as they slowly creaked open. And one of the terrorists came out. [quote]Moments before.[/quote] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F1qdiXoBa0[/media] Zaaj paced back and forth across the bloodstained floor as he waited really impatiently for his orders. The last week was spent taking care of every hostage by executing them in the basement. Dragged in there, still tied up, and locked inside with Zaaj after he took several doses of combat stims. Even now, the combat serums he injected himself have not worn off yet, so the murderous intent was still burning in him. The imam of the group stood nearby as he gave orders over the radio, and Zaaj kept his eyes on him, waiting for his. "[Entry team. Is the vault open?]" he said. "[Completely cleaned out, Imam. Not a cent remains. We have a left quite a surprise in here as well!]" an Artisynth replied. "[Good, very good. And the escape route, is the way open?]" the imam replied. "[The way is open, Imam. We destroyed a portion of the janitorial bathroom, and found a sewer that leads to the spaceport. Give the order, and we will escape.]" "[Very well! Everyone get to the sewers! We are leaving! Diversion team, you stay behind, and may God protect you.]" The order was given. Time to go. Zaaj wasn't content with this at all, not while feelings of homicide stirred him. He still wanted to kill more. "[Imam! I choose to stay with the diversions!]" he yelled, causing the imam to be a little stunned. "[Zaaj, are you sure? Don't you know why they are staying behind? You will perish!]" "[I will not! Not when I can still fight!]" he grabbed the imam by his shoulders. The imam could see his eyes were still bloodshot, a clear sign he was still under the effects of the serum. "[Damn you... Alright! But if you change your mind, we will wait for you at the spaceport. You will only have three minutes before we leave this world. Do you understand this?]" "[Yes! Yes!]" Zaaj exclaimed. He grabbed his gun and sped off towards the vault while the Imam made one last transmission. "[Kazem, are you prepared?]" "[Yes, Imam. I am stepping outside right now.]" "[May we meet again in heaven, friend.]" The Intergalactica cameraman zoomed in on Kazem as he stepped through the main doors, as did the DV snipers posted in the surrounding buildings, Slade among them. The bomb strapped to his chest was armed and he held a megaphone in hand. In that brief moment, all eyes were upon him, and he began to scream. “LOOK TO ME!! By order of the Prophet, this unclean, sinful land is marked for death! This land, full of whores, gamblers, and thugs! God calls for your death! We sacrifice this land in his name!" Slade was watching him ramble on through his scope. "Just keep on talking..." he said while adjusting it, bringing Kazem clearer and clearer into view. "For every mosque of ours that has burned, a planet of yours will pay! [In the name of God!] Behold, the future of this land!" He dropped the megaphone to the ground, and turned to reach for something in his pack. What came next made the Intergalactica cameraman turn off the feed. Kazem pulled out the bloodied, flayed skin of one of the hostages, and tauntingly waved it around like a banner. Slade held up his radio as he put his finger on the trigger. "Everyone, take it on three!" The noise of the ensuing gunshots were almost deafening. [I][B]*BOOM!* [/B][/I] The bomb strapped to Kazem's chest exploded in a massive kaboom as [I]every single shot from the snipers[/I] had landed square in the bomb's center. The blast was large enough that it blew the main doors away, and dented the metal shield covering them enough that they couldn't close properly. Slade buzzed through the radio again. "Prepare for entry! Stack up at the doors and wait for my go!" The way into the casino was finally open, and squads of DV mercenaries prepared for entry as they stacked on the ashes of what was once Kazem. Slade rappeled down the apartment complex he was perched in and joined the others. Once there, he seperated the mercenaries into three teams of six. "Alpha, you guys got the casino floor! Beta, check the vault! Gamma, suites!" The teams gave a confirmation as they split up, heading to their respective destinations. Slade himself stuck with Alpha as they searched for any sign of the hostages. After a moment of eerie nothingness, Slade ordered the others to check in. "Gamma here, we've found nothing so far. Lots of bullet holes, lots of blood, lots of smashed furniture, but scanners show nothing. No sign of terrorists or hostages yet." "Same here. What about you, Beta?" "Scanner's showing heat signatures in the vault. Reaper, I think the terrorists are holed up in here- [I]CONTACT![/I]" Gunfire and screams erupted through comms as the terrorists ambushed the mercenaries. "[I]THEY'RE HERE! [B]THEY'RE AT THE FUCKING VAUL-[/B][/I]" Interrupted by a shot to the head. "Shit! Alpha, get your asses to Beta now!" Alpha replied in the affirmitive. "On our way!" The two teams converged at the vault entrance just in time to see the last member of Beta get cut open. They could see it now on the terrorist that dealt the killing blow, the weird design on the headbands of the terrorists. It definitely looked like one of the designs associated with the Divinity Creed. How hated they were among the galaxy, and hated enough by Slade that within the first seconds of seeing it, he emptied an entire mag at his head. A burst of yellow blood splattered all over the wall as the rest of the terrorists took notice of the mercenaries now entering through the doorway, and got to cover. The hallway containing the vault's door was massive and rectangular, lined with storage closets with reinforced doors of which some were open, and at the vault's door itself was an MG nest. Slade needed to be extra cautious here due to cover being so sparse. Though looking at how reinforced the closet doors were gave him an idea. He motioned to the rest of the mercenaries. “Follow my lead!” Sprinting into the room, and sliding behind one of the doors, Slade was caught in the sights of the nest gunner. The terrorist sprayed wildly in his general direction, but all the projectiles bounced off the doors Slade took cover behind. The rest of the DV present took note at what he did and followed him. It wasn’t easy getting close to the gunner. One of the mercs was shoved out into the open by a terrorist hiding in one of the storage cabinets, and the gunner riddled him full of holes. Another had been yanked inside one of the closets and stabbed to death. Things only got worse for the Vigil as another group of terrorists stormed the entrance, shooting at the mercs who now had their backs turned. More mercenaries went down, Slade’s men were trapped and dying. He had to act [I]now[/I]. That terrorist with the MG had to die. He peered really carefully over the side and saw the MG barrel very close from where he was standing. He looked across the room and saw one of his men adjacent from where he was standing. “On three. Ready?” he signaled. The mercenary nodded in the affirmative. “1. 2. 3.” Simultaneously, the both of them popped out of cover. In the split milliseconds that followed, the gunner hesitated for the slightest of moments as he wasn’t sure which target to pick first, and was torn to shreds by projectiles from them both before he could fire off a single round. Without even hesitating, Slade pushes aside the yellow, bloody mess that was once the gunner and got on the MG. The tables had finally turned, now bullets rained across the room towards the terrorists at the entrance, and the ones hopping out of the storage cabinets. Only one of them seemed to be remaining. He charged full-speed at Slade, but Slade with the MG was faster. But, unfortunately, he should’ve watched where he was aiming. Much like the one that walked outside, this terrorist was wearing a bomb. Only the ones at the furthest end of the hallway, Slade and the mercenary he was with, weren’t killed by the resulting explosion as it slammed them both against the vault door. All three teams, plus the terrorists were dead, save for Slade and his comrade. Slade’s ears were ringing as he struggled to get up. Normally, Slade would’ve had several fractures, internal bleeding, and burns across his body. But being a Reaper, having cybernetics has its perks. Meanwhile, the mercenary was struggling to get up. Slade pulled him back on his feet, they still had a job to do. “Hey! You alright!?” he said. “I’m... I’m a little hurt, Reaper. God damn...” the merc coughed out. “Can you walk?” “Yeah, yeah... I’ll be fine... I think.” Slade scanned the room. Nothing but ashes, scorches, and burned limbs all over the place. They were alone, at least. “Yeah well... Looks like it’s just you and me now.” “Beta said they were getting some heat signatures in the vault... You think it could be the hostages?” “Probably. I hope so.” At least, the control panel for the vault door was mostly intact. A few button presses and it slowly opened. “Hey, look. I’ll take point.” “I got your back, Reaper.” Finally, the vault. They hoped to see it completely full of live hostages, but expected them to be dead and dying. But as the doors opened, they saw there was only one, and the sight made Slade sick to his stomach. “Ah... [B]Fuck[/B].” It was completely empty, save for a single steel chair in the middle, and upon that chair was this red, twitching [I]thing [/I]that had multiple cables running through it, attached to messy piles of metallic canisters, machine parts, and circuits next to it. One of the piles had a computer screen on it showcasing a series of numbers. [B]2:21[/B] It didn’t take long for Slade and his comrade to figure out just what this thing really was. "[I][B]Holy shit.[/B][/I]" Slade scrambled for his radio to warn the rest of the Vigil stationed outside. "Everyone get the [I]FUCK [/I]back from the casino! There's a bigass bomb in the vault and it's this close to going off! I repeat, get back from the casino! There's a big fucking bomb planted in the vault!!” A DV official replied no sooner. "How long until detonation?!” “Two minutes!!” Not enough time to send an EOD team. “Fuck.” the official thought. “Get the hell out of there!!” Slade turned around to face his accomplice. “We are [I][B]LEAVING-[/B][/I]“ Zaaj stares right back at him, bloodstained knife in hand. “Going so soon?” "[I]What the f-[/I]" A cut, one that sliced open his armor, and deep enough that Slade started bleeding through it. Zaaj lunged again with his knife, very nearly striking Slade once more as he quickly dodged out of the way. He pulled out his gun and squeezed the trigger. [I] *CLICK!*[/I] The explosion had forced the magazine way too far into the receiver, now it’s jammed. [B]1:47 [/B] Slade swung his rifle wildly like a club at Zaaj, but he just couldn't seem to land a hit no matter how hard and fast he was swinging. With every swing, Zaaj managed to slip out of the way, and sometimes got lucky, landing a counter which injured Slade further. He was going to have to think faster than Zaaj was moving. [B]1:29 [/B] The rifle had been thrown aside, dented and warped after being smacked against the head and body of a juiced up terrorist. Meanwhile, the knife has found a new sheath right in Slade’s side, and was content it wouldn’t budge. The two were now engaged in brutal hand to hand, each strike more painful than the last as the fight went on. and for a moment it seemed like he wouldn’t get back up again. In that moment, Slade leaned against the wall and started pulling the knife out of his side, slowly and painfully. The sensation was immense, and he was quite sure a fragment of his ribs would be attached to it as he finally yanked it out. It was sharp and barbed, but hopefully sharp enough to cut through all the various cables attached to the bomb. Perhaps, he could defuse this thing. Perhaps, he should’ve noticed Zaaj rising back up like a zombie as he turned to figure out how he would go about defusing the bomb. Maybe then he would’ve been able to react to Zaaj throwing himself on top of him, wrapping his arms and legs around his own as he held him tightly, unable to move. [B]1:00 [/B] Slade struggled to break free from the hold as he looked at the timer. “You die here! You [B]DIE [/B]with the hostages! [I][B]YOU DIE WITH THEM ALL!![/B][/I]” cackled Zaaj. “[B][I]GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!!![/I][/B]” he screamed. Slade leaned forward as much as he could, feeling Zaaj’s grip increasingly tighten with every inch, before suddenly letting go. The back of his helmet flew right into Zaaj’s face, disorienting the Artisynth well enough that Slade wrestled his way out of the hold. He took one last look at the timer. [B]0:30 [/B] To hell with finishing him off, he had to leave! Bolting out of the vault, tripping down the stairs and rushing out of the nearest exit in the back, Slade slid over abandoned vehicles on the street as he ran as far as his legs could carry him. Whether or not any hostages were still inside didn’t matter now that the entire casino was a lost cause at this point. He leaped into a maintenance alley, and... [B][I]0:00[/I] [/B] Smoke and ashes, fire and heat, and ringing. That's all Slade could see, feel, and hear as he opened his eyes. “Reaper!” Slade's ears were still ringing from the bomb, but he could hear the sound of someone calling out his title. "Reaper! Are you alive?!" Out of the smoke ran a DV medic who kneeled next to him, first aid kit in hand. “God damn, they really fucked you up didn't they? Here. For the pain.” The medic reached into his kit and pulled out a syringe full of morphine, injecting it into Slade's neck. “You’ll be alright, Slade. Did any of the others make it?” Only thing Slade could do at the moment was slightly shake his head, though the medicines were making him feel better. "Shit..." A few minutes later, Slade was dragged onto a medical VTOL where doctors were attending to him. More medicine was administered to him as they began taking off his armor and taking care of his wounds. Now having the strength the speak, he asked something to the nearest doctor to him. “...Who the hell were those guys?” “Creed, probably." she replied. "That’s what everyone’s saying.” “No way... The Creed doesn't last as long as these guys did...” Another doctor shook his head. “Well, whoever they are, they’re gonna pop up again. And it's gonna be worse. Just watch. I mean, you guys remember Luna?" [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjekvMVFZRc[/media] “Yeah...” Slade said weakly. As the VTOL took off, he turned his head to a window which gave him a clear view of the outside. The adrenaline wasn't pumping anymore and no longer was he feeling the rush of combat, he only had his own thoughts now about how badly this operation went. It starts hitting him when he was high enough to see past the smoke and rubble, the burning crater that was once the Diamond Lady, it starts hitting deep within what he had lost this night. And even though the fire burned brightly among the numerous neon signs and billboards, the fire inside Slade burned hotter. In the course of a single day, he had lost his men, hundreds of innocents, and a fragment of himself. And the doctor was right. For Prospera, this was a day they would never forget. But for the Artisynth, this was merely a test run conducted on the whim of an Ayatollah. The worst is yet to come.
[video=youtube;l0woI6VL_Tk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0woI6VL_Tk[/video] Arkadam and Starvis, as Vrasaya, walked through the doors and into the Academy. It felt cozy and familiar despite the fact that Arkadam had never been there before. It was a good place in Yanim's memory, and so it was... The statues and murals which decorated the commons area were definitely accurate to life, but slightly more colorful, and slightly softer and friendlier. Festive lights hung from the eaves, signalling every student's favorite time of year- Year's End, the gift-giving season. "[It's always a holiday here,]" Starvis mused, "[the only classes here are the first and final days of the semester, when students are either meeting each other for the first time, or saying their sentimental goodbyes... no lessons take place at this school.]" Children bounded by in the hallway, free of order and discipline. Teachers stood by open doors, greeting them or saying goodbye, their demeanor warm and inviting. "[Where are we going?]" Arkadam finally brought himself to ask. "[Eventually, I'll lead you to her... we have plenty of time,]" Starvis replied. "[But I feel that it's best for you to fully understand this place before we do.]" "[Right...]" Arkadam said as they turned the corner and met a pair of doors which, without any visual indication, felt locked and inaccessible. "[...Can we go that way?]" he found himself asking, unsure of the rules in this strange place. Starvis nodded. "[We can travel wherever we want. We're living creatures... the rest of these characters are figments of Yanim's imagination which I've set in motion for her. She doesn't want them to enter that room, but we can enter if we like.]" And with that, Starvis took a step and flowed through the door without opening it. Unquestioningly, Arkadam followed, and moved through them just like Starvis, like a ghost. On the other side, he was stunned to find a starkly different construct: a cold, unhappy place with white walls and all the equipment needed to teach a child how to fire a rifle. At the far end of the room were photosensitive screens, patterned with bullseyes, targets for the students to fire at with training cartridge-loaded OBVs. Arkadam stooped down and took a look at one of the accuracy receivers attached to a still-primed rifle. "[Point-eight-zero,]" he read aloud, "[hell of a shot, for a... a kid,]" he added, sadly. After seeing the innocence of the rest of the Academy, this room, utterly preserved without revision, offered chilling insight to the truth. "[What you saw outside this room is the past she chooses to immerse herself in. She embellishes it... and I allow her to append things, to add and subtract, or change what she wants, but the one thing I don't allow is for her to forget entirely. So memories like these, the ones she wishes to never relive, sit behind doors which are closed off to the rest of this world, where only you and I can see them.]" "[Does she know that all of this is fake?]" Arkadam asked. "[If she has all of her memories, then she knows that this isn't what life was like in Eihboh.]" Starvis shook its head. "[She doesn't know. There are multiple ways to interact with a living creature's mind, to provide it stimulus which shapes the world around it. Have you ever considered the value of light to a blind man? What is the truth of color to someone who cannot discern it?]" "[I don't understand,]" Arkadam said, but Starvis remained reassuring. "[Have you ever dreamed something so beautiful that you awoke in a state of awe?]" Starvis asked with a telling pause. Slowly, it began to make sense. "[In those hours that you sleep, you construct realities which exist only in your mind, and even when brought back to the physical world, there exists a moment where you believe, honestly believe, that what you witnessed was true. It summons emotions and reactions from the core of your being, it changes your outlook on the real world... Friend, I have induced this sort of dream on Yanim before, and now again. And when the time comes to break the illusion and return her to the physical world, it may break her heart, but I promise you, not for long...] "[Just like a dream, the details will elude her, the experience will be abridged, and the escape that this fantasy provided will fade into nothing but a pleasant memory. The one we awaken at the end of this journey will be the one you kissed goodnight a week ago.]" "[And...]" Arkadam responded, stricken with a mixture of grief and appreciation, "[...that's why you don't allow her to forget things like this. ...Because she needs them for the moment she confronts reality again. You want to stop her from erasing the pain that made her who she is.]" Starvis nodded, happily. "[That's right. Everything you saw outside this room exists as a reaction to the world inside this room, and others like it, within the construct. If we were to remove the darkness from her life, she would have no reason to enshrine the light. It is a fundamental part of her.]" Arkadam felt a warmth radiate through himself. The room around him no longer felt oppressive, and he smiled at his host. "[Where do we go now?]" he asked. "[Before we go any further, I want you to understand... a version of you exists in this place, created from her memory. That version of you has seen and experienced things in this world that you have not. You have a home here, and...]" Starvis paused, as if uncertain of whether to proceed. "[You and Yanim have children here.]" Arkadam was dumbstruck. "[We- we have kids? How long has she been living in this-]" "[Time flows differently here,]" Starvis interrupted quickly. "[In some ways it progresses quickly, and in other ways it's suspended, and the experiences which accumulate the quickest are the ones most sought out. Yanim believes it is every year of her life simultaneously. Some events happen out of order, and sometimes people change age. She, in fact, is reliving her childhood as well as experiencing motherhood, alternating from one hour to the next. It's all normal here...] "[But there are threads of consistency. Regarding the children, when she sees them, they're always a year apart in age, a boy and a girl. And [I]their[/I] lives have occurred in chronological order. And right now, they're six and five years old, respectively. You know what their names are.]" Arkadam turned away, his hand over his mouth. "[Viprada and Iskaya... oh, Yanim...] "[I cannot sustain two forms of stimulus with a single mind,]" Starvis continued. "[If you wish to meet them, you will either see them as an outside observer as you are now, or I will subject you to the same dreamlike state that this entire world is suspended in. You will gain the memories of the Arkadam I have constructed, and [B]you will be their father.[/B] ...But the same outcome would await you in the end as what is coming for her; the things you've experienced here will fade.]" Arkadam felt a helpless sort of heartache. Starvis was offering to allow him to experience a sort of joy- the joy of a perfect marriage, of a peaceful life, the joy of [I]fatherhood[/I], likely better than anything he could ever envision outside of this place. And it would only be a dream- an illusion which would dissipate and release its grasp on his conscience the moment he would awaken. No consequence. And yet, the very fact that it would have to end made accepting the deal a bittersweet choice. It would get him nowhere, and leave him just as empty as before. "[I can't...]" Arkadam said, at last. "[There's no point in subjecting myself to it. This place only exists to preserve Yanim and make her comfortable while we work on bringing her back.]" His heart sank. This place was designed to be perfect. Awakening Yanim would bring her to a world which could never live up to the paradise contained within the construct. Unlike him, she had no choice to enter into this matter, and would have no choice in leaving it. Without a doubt, Yanim was better off dead. "[Unless-]" Starvis suddenly seized the back of Arkadam's collar, and the two were lifted upwards and through the ceiling, back into the perfect world outside. "[I know what you were about to suggest, and I want you to know that I won't allow it. Yanim is living in my circuitry,]" Starvis warned, carrying Arkadam higher and higher into the air, providing him a growing view of the city below him, "[meaning that I have had to set aside a portion of myself to keep her alive. I'm doing so because you promised to help me, and I will end this arrangement if you have changed your mind.]" "[N-no... I didn't mean...]" "[Don't lie to me, friend. I already know what you're thinking, after all. But I also know that your thoughts are muddled and you aren't sure what choice you should be making. I understand... for a mortal, biological creature like you, this must be overwhelming. But don't worry anymore. I will make it simple for you.]" Arkadam clung on for dear life as the streets narrowed below into thin, zigzagging lines, and the pedestrians became nothing but indecipherable dots between the distant rooftops. "[You brought her here because you knew as well as I did that her untimely death was a tragedy that should not have occurred, and could be reversed, with my help. And now, you are scared that you cannot provide a life for her that would compare favorably to this fantasy world. But the simple matter is this,]" Starvis explained, releasing him. Arkadam screamed in terror as he clenched into a ball, expecting a fatal plunge. Instead, the air was calm around him. He looked up to find himself floating peacefully above a breathtaking vista, and the sun warmed him down to the bone. "[...your lives will be everything you ever hoped for. Can you sense my power?]" Arkadam nodded, both terrified and reverent. "[It will be true for you, because it will be true for everyone. Or,]" Starvis contrasted, looking angrily down at the city below, "[it will be true for no one. As you said, this illusion was only meant to be temporary. Yanim lives on because you promised her another chance at life. Don't attempt to substitute this charade; I won't let you.]" "[I understand,]" Arkadam responded. "[Then the deal stands, as-is?]" Starvis questioned, skeptically. Arkadam had an idea. "[Take me to her, first.]" "[She's still under the illusion,]" Starvis replied, bitterly. "[She won't be able to tell you which path to take; none of this will make sense to her...]" Arkadam shook his head. "[It doesn't have to.]" Gliding back down, the two ghosts approached a mag train as it flew through the city on its elevated rails. Simply fazing through the roof of the car, they set down softly on the rubberized flooring and began walking backwards through the train. The passengers were a mix of academy and naval college students, as well as aliens and androids, and even fictional characters from holovideo shows. "[Where is she going?]" Arkadam asked out of curiosity. "[Nowhere,]" Starvis replied, casually. "[She hasn't made up her mind yet; sometimes she just rides the train for hours on end and shares a moment with her favorite people. Sometimes you, sometimes the kids, sometimes Iska Volgrim... Arkadam, stop. You passed her.]" "Hm?" Arkadam turned around to see Starvis pointing at a pair of Acadamy-age children sitting in one of the rows of seats, dressed in their white and red school uniforms. There, a twelve-year-old Yanim and ten-year-old Ryvik sat, laughing at funny videos on Yanim's tablet. Arkadam stepped over, entranced by the surreal scene, and leaned on the back of Ryvik's seat for a moment and watched as a cartoon played out in front of him, one he vaguely remembered from his own childhood. He cleared his throat, gaining their attention. "[...Yanim?]" he said nervously. "Yes, shdatra?" she replied in an adult voice. Arkadam blinked, somehow she was already an adult, speaking English, having switched to another persona before his eyes in a way which he didn't even perceive. The seat next to her was now empty, and he sat down, feeling numbness limbs. "Is everything alright?" she asked, sweetly, putting her hand over his. And he felt her there, sitting next to him, a presence different from all the others aside from Starvis. He knew she was real when nothing else was. "Remember when I asked you to marry me?" "Of course I do... We were on Rigel, and you spoke so beautifully." "Do you remember why I proposed?" Yanim smiled with a relaxed demeanor. "You and I always loved each other, even when we hated each other. But we were being mislead, weren't we? We were always meant to be together." "Do you remember being sick?" asked Arkadam, slowly. "Well... yes. I don't like to think about it, it was so long ago. Why do you ask?" She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, and he was torn between one desire to cradle her and another to shake sense into her. He forced himself to relax for a moment, and reminded himself that she wasn't going anywhere, yet. "If I had lost you then," he replied, trying not to choke up, "you know I would have moved the stars themselves to bring you back, don't you? I would have done everything in my power, even things you might not have wanted me to do." Yanim nodded, sleepily. "That's love. I'd have done anything for you, too. Believe me." "And what if... What if right now, you woke up, and we were back there again. Back when you were 'sick.' Back before we had our life together, and our home and the kids. What if it turned out that none of all those good things happened, and all of this was... just... a pleasant dream... all while you were waiting for the right medicine to make you healthy again... If you woke up and I was there by your side, would you live all this with me again? Or would you rather stay..." Yanim looked up, her eyes flickering with soulful understanding. "The things you were willing to do for our love were the the very reason I wanted to spend my life with you, shdatra. So, if I'm dreaming, wake me up. I'll be happy as long as you are." Arkadam smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks. Starvis was nowhere in sight, and for half an hour, he simply road the mag train, with Yanim resting against him, her hand in his, until he awoke on the floor of the room which held the Archive. There was no final conversation with Starvis, as there was no need. He placed a hand on the glowing device and unplugged the cable with his other hand. He felt stronger; he felt rehabilitated. And he felt a stronger drive than ever to see his plan through to the end.
[QUOTE]Gibel[/QUOTE] Mordecai sat in his chair, watching news feeds flood with information coming out of Prospera. It seemed like that the perpetrators were dealt with and their identity revealed as the Divinity's Creed. It didn't sit right with him. Prospera made sense as a target. It was a den of decadence and sin. It would be in their sights for the same reason Las Vegas was put to the torch all those years ago. But the report he received from Slade made it sound like it was someone else. Perhaps the Reaper was hallucinating after the fight, he did take a beating after all, but maybe everything in his head was working as intended and he was telling the truth. The Executor didn't have time to think about it more as he was interrupted by one of his Horsemen requesting permission to speak over comms. A second later he was patched through and they could talk. "I want them dead!" Nathaniel was clearly angry "Just let me loose and I'll find whatever hole they are hiding in and pull them out by their hair if I have to! " "You forget yourself, Horseman." Mordecai cut him off "And you seem to be forgetting your duties on the warfront. Perhaps I was mistaken in picking you." There air was filled with awkward silence after that. Nathaniel has had a history of going after targets that were religious fanatics in nature while he was climbing the ranks. It was only later while looking into his background, that Mordecai found out about his parents being among the casualties of the Creed. His anger and tenacity were understandable and even useful at times, but not now. Not during the war. "Apologies executor. The war is proceeding in our favor. If things keep up, we'll be holding the Belt by the end of the month, allowing us to have a foothold and strike deeper into enemy territory." "I see. Once you have control of that region, we can discuss possible retaliation later. Oh and do take care, our enemy is not to be underestimated." "Yes, Executor. Horseman, out." --- [QUOTE]Zyus II[/QUOTE] "What do you make of this, ser Ross?" Stanislav asked his knight as they both observed the newsfeeds. "A splinter group? Or perhaps upstarts looking to get our attention?" "Unfortunately, I don't know. But whoever they were, they chose a fine target to make their presence known." "Yes. Propera was allowed to exist carelessly for far too long. It was about time someone put the fear of God into them." He motioned for both of them to leave the room. "Walk with me. Our friend, the houndmaster wanted to show me something and I'd rather someone come see this with me." The walk to the houndmaster wasn't too long seeing that the kennels were right outside the barracks and they just had to leave the palace to get to him. They found him training one of their newest [URL="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/80/45/55/804555e5e49b4fa0a203f6e15c45b2d4.jpg"]acquisitions[/URL]. "That's not any dog I'm familiar with, houndmaster. It's rather large and well, a bit grotesque." Ross commented "It's not of any terran origin, ser!" The man happily replied "No, these besties are used by those Kabela goons for hunting their targets. I figured I could 'persuade' one of their breeders to lend me some of them. For a reduced price of course." "Fine idea." Stanislav squatted down to get a better look at the 'hound' "I hope you will be sending them among our patrols. I feel they will be most useful there." "That's the idea, lord." The houndmaster handed Stanislav a small container. Inside were pieces of meat. Treats for when the hound was deserving of a reward. After feeding it some of the morsels of meat, Stanislav extended a hand towards the creature and allowed it to sniff his palm. After a few sniffs and licks, it pushed its snout as if asking to be petted. The zealot obliged it. The creature let out a few sounds resembling a cat's purring oddly enough. "It looks like the Lord has blessed you with a new companion melord." Ross said, barely holding back a laugh. "It appears so." Stanislav stood up. "I think I'll take this one as a personal pet. Does it have a name?" "None of them do, but just like a dog, call it something enough times and it will learn. Speaking of, they should also be able to do similar tricks like dogs. Sit, fetch and so on." "I see." Stanislav took the leash from the houndmaster and had the beast follow him. "Keep up your good work, houndmaster. You just gave us some valuable assets provided these things are trained right." After a few minutes they were back at the palace, in its lower level where the prisoners were being kept. He told the hound to stay before entering one of the cells. He looked at the prisoners and smiled under his mask. He was looking straight at Mercury. "I've been hearing that you have been a tough one to break. Shouldn't be surprised. Taking a beating is all your kind is good for. Isn't that why you became cannon fodder for the SDF?" No answer "Tight lipped I see. Well, maybe I can have someone loosen them up a bit. His name is Sharo. If you like dogs, you may like him too." He tugged the leash and the hound entered the room. As soon as it had the Boome in its sight, it began to growl "Ah, I see the houndmaster taught it the right things. Now then, let's talk." --- [QUOTE]You two ready? Gonna get nasty in there.[/QUOTE] "Ready as we'll ever be." Alex answered. "Wonder if dad has gotten worse somehow." Amy wondered out loud while doing a final gear check. "Kids, I don't know how you remember him, but when we met, he was a real asshole." Seth answered from his seat. He then switched to respond to Horizon "Got it Sungazer, your scouts should hear the signal as soon as we get close enough to make the move."
Iron sat down and initiated the pre-flight protocol. "Looks like we're green across the board, hold on to your asses." The Sungazer slowly took off and left the comfort of the Muramasa. "Sungazer to Muramasa, we're heading out. See you soon, out." With that said the Sungazer powered up its jumpdrive and in an instant the ship catapulted towards Zyus II. Monitoring the ship systems Iron spoke up. "Time to pray, folks." ----- Meanwhile the SDF fleet was on full alert with crews readying their vessels and soldiers gearing up. Throughout all ships captains made final checks of the onboard systems while officers went over the tactical plans one last time before planetfall. It was a busy, yet somehow organized, mess in true military fashion. Onboard the [i]SNV Terran Proverb[/i] at least three hundred marines watched as Marine Captain Duane 'Linebacker' Hawkins casually paced from one end of a podium to the other. Clad in heavy armor with his rifle on his back, helmet in his left hand and head held up high he stopped and turned towards the marines. "Marines!" The sound of metal boots clamping down echoed throughout the hangar, temporarily muting the sound of crewmen readying the dozens of dropships. Hawkins watched his men, his sons and daughters, brothers and sisters in arms. His intense penetrating gaze would make most folks shiver. Not the marines however. Instead, they met his gaze. Some even nodded. Hawkins slowly nodded. "I'm not gonna' lie, marines. The mission ahead of us is A-grade bullshit. I'm talking special forces-tier mindfuckery. Most men and women aren't cut out for this kind of shit, in fact they'd probably piss, shit and barf on the same time when having the very thought." The Marine Captain paused and observed the marines who appeared just as frozen as an army of stone statues. "You're not going to do this though. Why? Simple, you're marines. We don't shit ourselves, we don't piss ourselves and we don't ever feel scared. "Why is that, oh wise Hawkins?" you may ask. That's because we're the ones who make the enemy tremble, piss and shit themselves. Don't get me wrong, special forces are crazy motherfuckers with balls harder than a Khergian surrounded by scrapmetal. Marines however, are much worse. With special forces the enemy knows they're fucked. They know that no matter what the fuck they do they're dead already. With marines however they don't know shit and that's because we're one group of crazy motherfuckers. The enemy ask themselves where the enemy is coming from. On the ground? From space? From the water? Holes in the ground? Depths of Hell itself? They don't fucking know." Several marines nodded while others grinned. Hawkins continued. "As you all know by now we're jumping to the backwater planet of Zyus II. Apparently our good friends with the Divinity Creed have themselves a fancy base there and, from what I've heard, Stanislav Motherfuckin' Koronov himself lives there. What does this mean marines? Oh boy, so many things. It means that we, the finest Sol has to offer, will be spearheading an assault on an enemy stronghold tighter than Wayford's goddamn ass. It means that in the near future we will be deploying to strike right into the heart of the enemy. We will strike so hard that the Arch-Zealot himself will feel a vein pop in his head." Hawkins pointed at the marines. "We're marines and when we get the word we're gonna' show these fanatical cunt-breath, shit-eating motherfuckers that you don't fuck with the SDF. Most importantly, that you do not fuck with the Sol System Marine Corps! Ain't that right, marines?" A deafening "hoorah" echoed across the ship. Hawkins grinned. "That's right! Untill then, you will all eat, sleep, piss, shit and, hell, even fuck in that armor of yours. Once those ballsy-ass mercs gives us the signal the entire fleet will jump in on Zyus II and assault the planet. I can't tell you how many enemies we're up against or if we'll even win the battle. I can tell you this much however: we will be the first on the ground. Move out!" The marines let out a collective warcry before dispersing. OMS troopers hurried towards the docks where they would board the many corvettes, destroyers and cruisers destined to saturate the planet with drop pods while the regular marines made their final preparations and grouped up next to the dropships that would carry them to the surface. --- Onboard the [i]SNV Final Say[/i] a similar speech was being delievered, this time by Legionaire Centurion Praxaz of the SDF Foreign Legion. Infront of him was a varied mix of aliens and Humans, criminals and villains, outlaws and rogues, survivors and brawlers. Praxaz sniffed the air and let out a deep breath. Next to him was his second in command, Legionaire Sabrina Keller. Praxaz spoke up. "[i]Braviskas! Sistaskas![/i] Brothers! Sisters! Today marks the first day the Legionaires will be delivering the first strike. Today marks the day when we will not cower behind our fortifications, rather we will make the enemy cower behind theirs!" The Cazarith pounded his chest as he spoke. "In moments we will fight, forgive me for uttering their name, the Divinity Creed." Several boos could be heard from the crowd and several legionaires shook their heads. Praxaz spit on the ground. "These fanatic beasts is no new enemy. We have fought them before, many times. During our previous battles we have not only lost [i]braviskas[/i] and [i]sistaskas[/i], but also other comrades in arms." Murmurs could be heard from the crowd. "I cannot promise you an easy fight, no, but I can promise that we will get the chance to make them pay. Today marks the day when the Legionaires rallied and struck down a great enemy. The Divinity Creed are strong, but Sol is stronger!" Several Khergian legionaires began to pound the floor with their heavy machineguns and automatic grenade launchers. Human legionaires nodded and let out several yeahs. Praxaz gestured towards the other Legionaires. "When I look at you I see not only soldiers, but I see those who fight for a righteous cause. I see those who have taken a second chance. I see those who want to see the fallen avenged." An Eridian legionaire, surrounded by other survivors from Eridia, raised a fist. "For Eridia!" Another Human raised her fist. "For Aspix!" Praxaz nodded and started to pound his chest faster. "For Eridia! For Aspix! For all those that have fallen! Brothers and sisters, today marks the day our fallen will be avenged! We will crush these mongrels and we will show them that a beaten dog can still bite! At the end of this battle we will stand triumphant! Legionaires! [i]Kalthir ala´kir ulaa´raz na hiivar dar Sol!"[/i] The crowd cheered on. [i][b]Sol! Sol! Sol![/b][/i] --- Lord General Kaspar Cross watched as the Sungazer left the system with a bang. "Good luck Rollonso, you crazy bastard." He glanced at his friend and colleague, Lord Admiral Viktor Zhaneys. "What's the status of the fleet?" Zhaneys looked up with a slight grin. "The fleet is ready. I'm getting bombarded with ready signals across the board. Right now it seems like the Marines and Legionaires are hyping up for the battle." Kaspar grunted. At least the troops were enthusiastic. The entire mission hinged on the Sungazer team not getting caught. Horrible odds. Still, the SDF needed a victory. For the past month the SDF had been on the defensive. Between Divinity Creed sieges and Fists of Sol assaults there simply hadn't been an opportunity to strike back. The SSOID had been busy tracking the Lunar Children and tinkering with their own special pet projects. Zyus II needs to be a victory, it had to. Morale was getting lower for every week and soon it would be hard for the SDF to keep it together. After all, one could only ride on the winds of patriotism for so long. "Patch me through to the fleet." One of the bridge techs glanced at Zhaneys who nodded. Kaspar stood up and the entire bridge of the SNV Redstar fell quiet. "Attention fleet, this is Lord General Cross." Suddenly each and every ship fell quiet as everyone stopped what they were doing. The message was even being broadcasted to the Muramasa. [i]"As you all know we will soon jump the planet of Zyus II. Make no mistake, this planet is the hold of one of our greatest foes and lies deep within enemy territory. Our very presence will have grave consequences. I've never been the kind of general who lies to his soldiers."[/i] Onboard the SNV Shadow Valerie Reed was joined by Ares and Gladius while Trudy joined Captain Marshall onboard the SNV Horizon. [i]"The battle ahead of us will be difficult, like the ones before always have been. We fight a determined and motivated enemy. What they lack however is conviction and compassion. We don't do what we do for some figure watching above, we do it for the people back home. All our enemies, past, present and future, will know this. Sol will never bow down to fear and we, the SDF, will always stand guard. Carry yourself with pride and hold your heads up high. I believe in each and everyone of you and I know that as long as you are still breathing none of you will ever go quietly into the night. I personally commend you all because none of you have any form of obligation to be here. You're all here out of free will. That is why we will win. Cross, over and out."[/i] ----- The Sungazer entered orbit around Zyus II. As far as the scans showed the planet was dead. Iron looked at Seth and the others. "Here goes nothing." "Sungazer hailing Morningstar. We know you're down there."
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