Meanwhile in Zeruel's Judgement.
The High Regent stood near space and cross his arms. "They're pulling out. Why?" He asked before he heard a beep. "Reinforcements have arrived." He heard a deep voice before he grinned. He then turned to an operator for status. "The Instigators, have they breached it?" The operator stood and looked at Termina Central.
"Yes sir." The Regent nodded and called through. "Detonate at once."
...
An Instigator walked towards the reactors and held a compact bomb after finally infiltrating. He heard the order and planted the bomb. The Instigator activated the bomb and raised a fist to his chest. "Loyalty. Dedication. Order."
...
Termina Central soon after shook to overwhelming proportions, debris immediately crashing through as a violet aura took in everything everyone with the entire base. An explosion so large it caused a collapse in organization causing major fleets to scatter. The Crimus Fleet took its chance and moved in to intercept.
Admiral Zhaneys was blinded by the light as Termina Central was destroyed in the blink of an eye.
"Cyka!" He slammed his fist into the chair as the HUD flared up; the Crimus ships were back for more.
"Form up around us! Let the Argos fleet know we're going to form a wall; no ship gets past us to the surface!"
The bridge, which had been relatively calm after the latest battlecruiser was destroyed, quickly erupted into chaos as officers ran across the floor to delegate new orders.
Soon the SDF fleet had formed a impressive wall; effectively blockading off a large par tof Zeruel.
"Ready weapons!"
All ships began charging up every single weapon as the Crimus fleet moved closer.
Zhaneys slammed his fist. "Fire!"
The desperate battle grew larger as Crimus ship tanked hits and exchanged firepower, blowing up few Sol ships and remaining Privateer ships to dust. The High Regent folded his arms and stared at the chaos. "Those men won't last for long." He said with regret before turning to his seat as the Synergy shield took the heaviest amount without getting disrupted. Zeruel's Judgement launched a wave that scattered more out of commission.
[QUOTE=Damian0358;49573422]Dwan nodded. He gave Lion's head a glance, before deciding to take it with him, thinking it might be useful later. He put the head into his backpack, as he stuck Helden into the ground.
He switched his howitzer to plasma mode, and proceeded to fire at Sertum.[/QUOTE]
Mini Roll Critical Failure[highlight]1][/highlight]: Dwan fired extra plasma rounds at Sertum. Sertum then saw his sword laying on the ground. This was his chance. Sertum sprinted towards Dwan and pushed him aside with as much strength as he bore. Bruta fiddled with Vision until he saw Sertum coming for the sword.
"You idiot!" Bruta yelled before dropping the weapon and attempting to tackle Sertum. Their arms interlocked and it was a test of strength. Bruta knew coming this close might be deadly. He sighed and felt that time was almost up. He head butted Sertum and then grabbed an unknown charge behind his back before setting it off. Sertum stared at the charge and shook his head. Bruta then chuckled. An explosion engulfed the two as smoke spawned. A few seconds later Sertum laid on the floor and rose from the ground seeing Bruta's attempt to take both of them to hell. The sword was knocked out of the area due to the explosion. Ject fired his gun at Sertum, teeth gritting.
"God fucking damnit!" He yelled.
[QUOTE=Deathgrunt;49576868]Viper press the attack, not letting him have the chance to even breath as it followed up with strike after strike on Sertum.[/QUOTE]
Mini Roll[2]: With the attempt gone wrong Viper continued to fire hand to hand with Sertum who already got up from the smoke. Viper used its claws and talons to strike at Sertum until Sertum wrestled control. He held his ground and grabbed the claws. Proceeding to tear them out before delivering a kick to the main shell core.
With his back turned to her, Iska spun herself around with the hmg as counter weight.
After building up enough momentum she let out a mighty roar and hurled the large and heavy weapon at Sertum with all the strength she could muster.
The injured and dismembered Viper continued it's struggle even as the Auditor had did serious damage to it's exterior shell.
The Sanghvi again prepared to strike at Sertum with whatever it still had, this at the soft-carbon's arms.
[QUOTE=Radley;49579721]With his back turned to her, Iska spun herself around with the hmg as counter weight.
After building up enough momentum she let out a mighty roar and hurled the large and heavy weapon at Sertum with all the strength she could muster.[/QUOTE]
Mini Roll Critical Success[highlight][10][/highlight]: Once Sertum was distracted fighting the others Iska threw her large weapons towards the man. Firepower has proven ineffective towards the man. Her weapon collided against his body as he kneed down. He was stunned before he had to face Viper again.
[QUOTE=Deathgrunt;49579869]The injured and dismembered Viper continued it's struggle even as the Auditor had did serious damage to it's exterior shell.
The Sanghvi again prepared to strike at Sertum with whatever it still had, this at the soft-carbon's arms.[/QUOTE]
Mini Roll[3]: Sertum saw the Sanghvi attack him once forth and halted him from doing anything. He saw the core she'll and immediately pounded on it until it started cracking and cracking Viper began to face critical condition. Sertum then threw it across the area and was all by himself.
Ject snuck around and found himself holding a dangerous piece of equipment. He saw Sertum unarmed and within this range Ject was clear to fire. He had only hoped this would finally kill the bastard for good this time.
"Everybody move!" He screamed as he prepared the energy charge.
[QUOTE=kilerabv;49577658]"Our ship is landed in this base. Take whatever you have and go there."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Viper123_SWE;49578342]"Seeing as you're the only kanad around here with a tail I had the body transported to the nearby infirmary under the watch of Davis."[/QUOTE]
"Thank you gentlemen," Yanim replied with a relieved sigh. "Neasha, Rask, go ahead to the landing zone and make sure there's room for us. [Gat, you and I will get the body.]" Rask gave a sarcastic kanad salute before turning away rather pleased with himself. The battle was finally over and he had emerged a victor. Neasha silently wondered whether serving in a group other people described as "a whole squad of kanads" would come to bother her serek sensibilities.
Gataska only nodded, and soon she and Yanim were walking to the infirmary together. The latter sighed before revealing her intention. "[Gat, while we have a second, I want to tell you that I'm sorry about what I've put you through.]"
"[You have no idea,]" the medic replied, tartly. Her heart fluttered a bit from the outburst; it felt good to let her feelings out even if she somewhat feared the consequences. "[None of us were ready for this.]"
"Yeah," Yanim replied, unfazed. "[That's how it goes out here. Space is a damned playground.]"
"[Not the space I'm from,]" Gat replied a moment later, having mulled over the strange expression.
"[You should go home, then,]" Yanim said. "[I'm releasing you from your position. You'll get your share as soon as we warp out.]"
Gataska stopped for a moment in her tracks. It suddenly occurred to her that Yanim was accepting her hostility without a single criticism in response. Maybe Neasha was right, and the boss really was feeling remorse under it all. As they hoisted Virin's body together they were silent, and for once everything seemed to make sense, however briefly. Gataska began to sniffle quietly as she thought of home.
There was a commotion as the encampment received word of Termina Central's destruction. Yanim wondered whether Arkadam, or "Shenkada" as he was calling himself, made it off the station before the battle began. They continued on to the landing area and brought the body onboard the craft. The four, soon to be three, members of the Terika Belladonna Company looked back one more time on the battlefield before settling in for the ride out. It was out of their hands now.
Dwan was knocked back by Sertum's push, rolling away. When he stopped, he got up and looked at Iska as she hurled her weapon at Sertum. At this point, Dwan realized that the plasma fire probably didn't work.
He pulled himself off the ground and dusted himself off. He reached for his Vibrosword, as he pulled it out of its sheath. He pressed the tiny button on the top of the hilt to activate the crossguard energy shield, as he proceeded to wield it one handed like it was a sabre of sorts.
He began establishing his stance, remembering that someone like Sertum would surely know how to battle against a sworded opponent without a sword himself. After a minute or so, he figured out the posture needed to battle him. Having done so, Dwan rushed towards Sertum, as he prepared to thrust the sword into him.
"What the fuck are you doing?! Move out of the goddamn way!" Ject said as he was preparing the blast.
Dwan strafed to the side. It seemed like his attempt to draw Sertum's attention away from Ject was a bust, so moving out of the way was the only thing he could do.
Iska looked up to see Viper in in a critical condition, laying a some distance away from Sertum. She noticed Dwan getting up to charge at Sertum and she took a few steps herself but stopped when Ject shouted.
Iska scanned the whole scene and rolled back into cover, peaking her head out slightly to observe what would unfold.
[Well Doom? Don't leave us hanging.]
Ject watched as all allies moved away from the battle, as far as possible from Sertum. This was it. Once the charging was done Ject immediately held Vision using the two hilts. Ject unleashed the devastating amount of power held within the weapon coming for Sertum. Sertum stared at the enormous power before shielding away. The energy took hold of him and caused a flash so bright it forced everyone to shield their eyes from the power. The power shook the entire area and causes large cracks throughout the ground. Everyone as a result fell on their backs and were unable to see the results until a few minutes later. Ject got up from the ground and saw the area wrecked.
But he still saw Sertum, except severely injured. Missing his left forearm while his right leg was twisted. Deep wounds pierced through the armor as his shield went offline. Sertum took a view above, watching the amount of adeptors pouring into their lives and properties.
Sertum kneed down in an effort to take in the damage that will soon overtake him. He uttered a deep sigh before wandering in his thoughts. "It appeared it was destiny that I die baring the sins I've committed. Even so, the status quo will live on. Men and women will fight one another to satisfy their desires. I never wanted to be this way, but the events that have changed my view on life has gave me a need to fight for others." He turned to the rest before coughing an absurd amount.
"This battle had always relied on one side killing off the other. Pure vengeance. No justice or saving our Galaxy. Simply personal desire." He stated.
"I wish of a dream where I would have saved one person from death on this planet. One person who won't repeat the same mistakes as we did. We fight for opposing reasons but in the end, we fight for our own."
"Leave the planet as soon as possible. Harken Saw will destroy Zeruel no matter what. It is already too late to confront him." Sertum shook his head as he pressed his hand against the broken armor plates. "Protect your Regime. I believe in you." He said to himself before slowly looking below the ground. Sertum laid motionless. His departing words left all of them in confusion until they presumed it was for someone else.
...
Harken Saw watched the fallen Richter, a husk of his former Kauzen self. All mummified to say the least. Harken Saw walked up to him, knelled down as he simply stared.
The silent but mumbled sounds of explosions on the surface overwhelmed the atmosphere. "Hello, Zeruel." Zeruel glared at him but was barely able to turn.
Zeruel attempted to turn but no use, his live was already fading away within the hour and he was submitting defeat by force.
The cold glare didn't fazed Harken Saw. "I hoped things would get better. But you have to understand this Oracle must be destroyed, following with the Conduit." Harken Saw said.
Zeruel struggled to point at him, a frail arm that could possibly snap in two without any effort.
Harken Saw hissed at him before seeing the Oracle in front of Zeruel. He took the Oracle away as Zeruel leaned back, weakened to the point of dying already. “Hmph. You think you're going to cheat death from me using this? I don't think so.” Harken Saw taunted him before placing it inside his pocket. He stared at Zeruel before pulling out his pistol against his forehead.
"I would be lying if I said you were a reliable partner. But you know what they say Blood begets Blood, and you owe me your life." Harken Saw pulled the trigger, fluid landing all over his suit before adjusting his tie. He turned around and then opened the door. He saw Vara go silent in front him as he gestured her to locate the Conduit.
...
"I warn you, the Conduit isn't some room. It's much more than that. It's a life force." Vara explained to him as they were near. Harken Saw pulled out the Oracle and observed it with his own eyes before looking at her.
"If the Crimus has it then it's got to go. Are you sure this will work?" Harken Saw asked her showing her the Oracle by her face. Vara closed her eyes and attempted to breath in and out.
"I-I don't know. Who knows what could happen? I'm afraid [highlight]He[/highlight] might come back."
"Who is [highlight]He[/highlight]?"
"[highlight]He's[/highlight] dangerous to us all. But if we can close it up maybe maybe we might end it."
"Stop it just stop. You're not even telling me the whole story. Listen to me. Get out of here, leave this place and don't try to find me. When I go inside you're on your own is that clear?"
"You're just gonna leave me? Haven't you seen what's been going on? What's happened to you?"
"I've lost my life. Now leave before you lose yours." Harken Saw suggested as Vara stared at him.
"You've changed." Vara declared.
"I know." Harken Saw said.
...
Ject jogged to Elli before cupping her cheeks. "You okay?" He asked. Elli nodded , sighing with disappointment now that Bruta was gone. Both looked above to see a HarkArk Adeptor floating above them all. A loud speaker activated once the Adeptor descended to appropriate altitude. "This is Major Greene or former that is. Come with me, we have to retreat and leave this place right now!"
The explosion knocked both men out of balance. Mercury's vision was blurry from the punishment he was receiving and the force from the blast. Eventually he got up and looked out the window and saw that the crew had managed to beat the last Sun obstacle. "Show's how useful I was. Good job." He felt a hand grabbing his leg. "We're not finished." Mercury grabbed the sniper that was knocked out of it's position."I think we are." Using it as a club he bashed the Gold dust's head.
"Boss, you done with him? Looks like we missed our chance. We have to leave." One of the other dusts said as he entered the room. Mercury blasted him away with the riffle. "Two down. I have to get back to the crew."
---
Mordecai read the message he received from Seth. "Ahh Saw, you can't do anything without leaving scorched earth behind you, can you?" He broadcasted a message to his troops. "Change of plans. Bring whatever you have scavenged and come to the ships at once. We are leaving if you aren't here in 30 minutes, you will be left behind."
"Executor, the Sun's armada is blocking our escape route. We'll need to fight our way through them."
"No captain, we do not. If they stand in our way, we'll smash through them. It's why our ships are designed this way. Now quit your whining."
---
"Troops are ready to leave, sir."
"How many did we lose, Noble?"
"At least half of the Wolfpack."
"Damn. Better than the projected losses, but still too many."
"First time we've done something like this. I've gathered the tags for burial."
"Good. Is the base ready?"
"Gifts have been left behind."
"Great. The Sun have been gracious hosts. Would be a shame to leave them without parting words."
---
Mercury managed to get to his squad on time to start getting them up. "Come on you lazy fucks. Get up! Move now!"
Iska peaked out from behind her cover and watched the scene unfold.
Sertum lay dead and everyone was getting up and the message coming from the Adeptor.
She jogged over to Viper and picked up her broken husk, "Rocklady, we avenge captain. Now we leave" she said with a calm tone and a satisfied smile on her face.
She looked over to Dwan and Pippin and motioned with her head for them to come along.
Warren gestured with his hand. "Leg it!" Spectre Unit had collected Lion's remains and waited at the dropship. Warren himself had also grabbed the Madman's Vision from Ject.
Dwan brought himself off the ground. He approached Sertum's body. "He's coming with us.", he said, as he grabbed and shouldered the corpse. However, he felt Sertum's weight overbear him. He decided to make this easier for himself by just cutting Sertum's head off, before sheathing his Vibrosword. He then went to quickly searched outside of the area, before finding Helden.
With head and sword in hand, he returned to the group and began legging it like they were.
Unfortunately, due to the excessive weight and at least weight over a thousand pounds Dwan or any other could haul Sertum's corpse.
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOVkYAxHvkk[/media]
Harken Saw stared at the void of auras, holding the orb to his face. He chuckled and closed his eyes. The end was near and he would dare destroy the men that took everything from him. His life. His power. His pride. This war laid many lives. But in the end there wasn't a winning side.
There wasn't a victor. This was survival of the fittest and those who denied it had no right being here.
Whatever happens to him will no doubt give him a terrible fate. He didn't enjoy that fact but nevertheless he moved forward. The void took him as the violet aura encircled around him, bright flashing lights engulfing the entire surroundings as he kept moving forward.
Although his company will soon shatter, there was one thing he was satisfied about.
He fulfilled his personal desire to rid the Crimus Hierarchy...
...
"We're taking off. As soon as we get out of this atmosphere we'll be free." Kira said before looking around to see the mess. The pilot nodded and did a u turn out of the underground network, following others to escape the planet alive.
Soon after in a moment's notice they shift past the massacres of everyone involved. Sol, Privateer, Crimus, Argos, and other mercenaries who died fighting for different reasons. Whether or not the crew was satisfying in killing the Auditors still left everyone turned into people they've wished they wouldn't be: killers.
But alas such as the concept of war where no man has gone unaffected. For the cycle of vengeance breeds violence. And violence breeds violence. Where out of the ashes victims become soldiers. As soldiers create victims. The bloodstained wasteland laid a scenery so bloody for the hardened. Harken Saw, the owner of the mega-conglomerate HarkArk Corporation, sent out a call for specialists in a variety of trades to staff the maiden voyage of a new class of freight vessel. Known as the Archius XI, the lightly-armed ship was tasked to transport a mysterious object known as "the Oracle" to Saw's headquarters at Termina Central. The seemingly-benign job came at a great price for many who accepted the job. Their morals, their beliefs, and lives.
In the end they changed for better or worse. Leaving new foundations. The Battle of Zeruel will forever remain a scar to history. What remains for the future is ambiguous, a concerning moment that could ignite a age of concern. But is it too late to wish for hope and prosperity? No. With conflict brings the light and darkness, the times they are the changing and those that follow with it. We can only understand a person's intention and reasons for committing an action and best attempt a better solution. A better generation. A new hope to achieve something better. The cycle of revenge may never go away but as times go by they force us to look through the glass and see our true nature.
To understand one's view and set right what went wrong. The past will shape you. The future will define who you are. But your choice will always be present.
...
Soon after the rest have escaped out of the atmosphere. The planet emitted a bright violet. A beautiful light marked death at its radar. Signing off.
[The End.]
[Well, Good game guys. Nothing left to do on the thread but post summaries of the various factions and characters then?]
[Can I go ahead with the memorial?]
[Do whatever]
[Got an exam today and will be spending the time after doing other things. So, I'll post the final stats sometime tomorrow or on the 27th. Other than that, good game and thanks to everyone for all the fun.]
[Yeah, good game. It's been one hell of a ride people, eagerly looking forward to V2.]
[Doing a slight time-skip, hope that's okay with you folks.]
[video=youtube;XpdffyOFJso]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpdffyOFJso[/video]
As the wind rolled through the valley, dust was kicked up and formed tiny clouds before disintegrating back into the sand moments later.
The sun was at its peak, with its light the hundreds of statues at the center of the Valley of Heroes became a shining beacon amidst the scorching martian desert.
Aside from the wind, the only sound heard was that of a military orchestra playing the iconic theme Honor which was used in remembrance of fallen SDF soldiers.
At least a hundred new statues had been added to the monument following the battle of Zeruel, honoring the men and women of the SDF's SSOID branch who had given their lives during the battle which had ended with the planet going out in a bang.
The main focus on this day however, was the secondary monument covered in a white tarp at the moment. It was located ontop of small rock formation to the east of the main SDF memorial.
A large mass of uniformed soldiers faced towards it, alongside a small platform next to it.
Thousands of civilians were gathered alongside the nearby cliffs, paying their respects by simply being there.
Infront of the many SDF servicemen and women was a small section that included non-SDF people. A large portion of this section was occupied by members of the Boome Marines.
On the platform stood High Councilor Quint Wayford with a stern look on his face. Behind him to his right was Administrator Keith Vale, Director Talwin Williams of the SSOID, Admiral Viktor Zhaneys, General Kaspar Cross and a small group of councilors representing Terra, Luna, Mars and the minor colonies.
Despite it having passed a week since the battle of Zeruel, once couldn't help but notice the toll it had taken on the admiral and general.
After the battle had ended the remaining Crimus fleet had disengaged and retreated to a unknown location as the allied forces had conducted a mass-evacuation.
High Councilor Wayford took a deep breath before glanicng to his left; two beautiful coffins with golden decorations were positioned neatly next to small pedestal made from carved onyx which had golden details alongside its edges. Ontop of the pedestal was a masterfully crafted urn.
Each coffin had a flag ontop of it, while the urn had one next to it on the pedestal.
As the orchestra quited down and the theme died out while echoing across the valley High Councilor Wayford walked up to a hovering microphone at the center of the platform.
"As darkness surrounded us, our hope and spirit abandoned us. Everything seemed lost, but then we saw the light. It gave us back what we had lost. We then pushed on; for the hopes and dreams of our people are far more important than mine. - Lieutenant James Vazques, 311th Sol Marine Battalion."
Wayford paused and looked towards the sun. "We've gathered here today not to mourn, but to remember. To remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, not for Terra but for the galaxy as a whole. Make no mistake people, they are heroes. As time move on they will remain immortalized, their accomplishments a part of the Valley of Heroes."
He looked at the crowd of proud military officers, who had their collective gaze fixed upon him.
"As we remember these heroes, we also join together to honor several other great individuals who fought alongside our fathers, brothers, sons, mothers, sisters and daughters. Today we recognize them as a part of our own, for they made sure that our kin did not face the eternal rest on their own."
A tear ran across Wayford's face as he continued.
"With that said, let us behold this new monument of heroism." He nodded towards a pair of guards from the Sol Interior Guard who stood next the tarp-covered statue. As the High Councilor nodded they turned around and gently pulled down the tarp, revealing a grand statue.
A large triangular base had been positioned ontop of the rock formation, on its three sides were hundreds of names inscribed; brothers and sisters in arms who had helped the SDF forces on Zeruel, including several privateers, freelancers and Boome Marines.
Ontop of the base were three sculptures. At the center was a man clad in what could be described as a Captain's outfit with a handgun holstered at his hip. The sign below said "Jeremy Spacehawk, First Captain of the Archius XI. A loving friend and brother, lest not forget."
To his left was a heavily armored man with a wide grin on his face. Despite the grin and militaristic nature the sculpture still had a sense of pride. The sign below said "Varn Merner, Soldier of the Boome Marines. Our loyal brother in arms, we shall not forget."
To the right was another armored sculpture, showing a man in SSFD armor with a beret on his head. Like with the sculpture of Varn, this too had a sense of pride. The sign below said "Leon "Lion" Eastlindth, Commander of Sparta Unit. His sense of duty inspires us all, we will never forget."
To add to it all there was a small scultpture of a ship hovering above one of the Captain's shoulders to further add to his role.
As most of the people were in awe, an officer of the SDF stood up.
"Stand tall!" Immeadiately all SDF straightened up.
"Salute!" A loud clap echoed as every single SDF serviceman and woman, including former ones amongst the civilian masses, saluted.
"At ease!" The officer then nodded towards a squad next to the platform.
"Weapons!" Yelled the second officer.
The squad of Sol Interior Guards unholstered their rifles.
"Ready!"
Bolts were pulled back.
"Aim!"
The squad aimed down towards the sun.
"Fire!"
A salvo of kinetic weaponsfire was let off, trailing off into the horizon.
"Fire!"
A second salvo was fired off.
"Fire!"
The third and last salvo was sent off.
"Present arms!"
All the soldiers then safetied their weapons and holstered them, allowing Wayford to continue.
"In traditional SDF fashion I, High Councilor Quint Wayford, present the flags of the fallen."
He nodded towards the flags; one was a banner of the SSFD to honor Lion, while the two others had been custom-made for this occasion.
One of the banners was white and blue and pictured a artistic illustration of the Archius XI surrounded by a circle with words inside. The third banner was in the signature colors of the Boome Marines with their logo at the center.
All three flags were then folded by three pairs of SDF soldiers who then left the platform to hand over the flags.
First in line were a couple in their late 70s who both cried while still retaining a look of pride. "Mr. and Ms. Spacehawk, we are sorry for your loss. We will not forget." The couple nodded as they received the flag from the guard who saluted before walking off.
Second in line was Seth, surrounded by a whole pack of Boome Marines. While there were no tears, their loss had still made a mark. "Seth of the Boome Marines, we are sorry for your loss. We will not forget." Like before the soldier carefully handed over the flag before saluting.
Finally, the last flag was due. Valerie Reed did her best to remain focused. A single tear escaped from her eyes as she blinked. "Ms. Reed, we are sorry for your loss. We will not forget." Valerie took the flag and nodded in reply to the soldier who saluted. As he walked off she began crying.
Lieutenant Warren made his way towards her and began comforting her.
Wayford continued. "Let us never forget these heroes, let us never forget their sacrifices. On behalf of Sol I thank them."
With that the ceremony was over and everyone spread out and began chatting.
(Are we done or are our characters going to interact at the memorial?)
Iska put on the warbosses furcoat that had been given to her by Jotan when she was promoted upon returning home. She looked at the red stripe tattoo that she had gotten over her left, missing, eye. She sighed deeply and began walking to the door.
When she opened it up she ran into Bubal. Iska stopped and looked at Bubal, who looked back at her.
She let out a sigh, "[It has to be done, but that doesn't mean it's easy to do]" she said.
Bubal gently caressed her check and looked into her eyes. "[You're the strongest person I have ever met, and I know you can do it.]"
Iska replied with a smile "[Your faith in me is as strong as it has ever been, and that's what I like about you]" she finished and gave Bubal a kiss, walking of towards the storage hall in a slightly better mood.
When she entered the big garage and walked over to her bike she spotted Nyck working on ´some parts for a siege engine. "[Nyck, the chief wants these parts ready before the dark season so you better not be slacking off just because me and Bubal have other things to do besides keep an eye on you]"
she yelled across the workshop in a stern voice.
Nyck spun around when he heard his masters voice and lifted up his welding mask, "[o-o-of course not, Warboss. T-t-this is the last one and then we can assemble the entire thing at Yarrheim]" he replied with a jittery voice.
Iska smirked "[Tell Bubal to load all this on the Homkah as soon as it's ready, we leave for Yarrheim as soon as I come back]" she finished.
Iska started up her bike and took of towards the house of the dead. Riding at a high speed over the icy plains towards the tombs entrance, she gritted her teeth.
She had endured a lot during her time away from this planet, but this was something she really needed to be prepared for.
She parked her bike, pushed the door open, grabbed a torch and began walking to the her families room within the vaults.
Outside of her families room stood Jotan, the chieftain of the Volgrim clan, along with friends of her fathers. Iska stopped in front of Jotan and observed him, whilst he gestured for her to enter the room.
As she entered the room she suddenly felt very calm, like all the souls of her ancestors assured her that her father was merely a part of the cycle of life. With new found confidence she walked down the corridor of sarcophagi. At the end there was a new one, with her fathers face carved into it.
Iska stopped, then she spoke "[Hi, papa]", a smile appeared on her face. She lit the torch which was next too the coffer and then looked down on her father face once again. "[I've been promoted, and I think I know why as well]" she continued "[The council of clans thinks that the Kanads might try something now that that UGC or whatever is gone. But we'll show them, just like you did last time.]".
Iska paused, amidst all this anger and hatred towards the Kanads who might attack soon she remembered Yanim. She sighed and shook her head.
"[I won't disappoint you, papa]" she concluded and walked out of the room.
Jotan turned to Iska as she exited the tomb.
"[That coat really suits you, like you were made to be a Warboss, Issi]" he quipped.
Iska replied with a grin "[Well you oughta know, old man, you were the one who promoted me]"
Jotan smiled, "[That's because I know you'll accomplish what is asked of you]" he said, "[And the final parts?]"
Iska looked out across the horizon, "[They're done. We ship 'em as soon as I get back]" she explained.
Jotan patted her on the shoulder, got on his bike and rode off.
Iska sat down on her own bike, but before starting it up she listened to the sound of Jotans bike disappearing, and then she enjoyed the silence. Looking up to the stars, she wondered where Yanim was, and she hoped that they would never have to face each other as enemies.
Iska turned on her bike and tore off across the plains, back towards home.
[Thanks for a great game, see y'all in the sequel.]
[QUOTE=liberalllama;49603158](Are we done or are our characters going to interact at the memorial?)[/QUOTE]
[Feel free to interact.]
"Well, that was a good ceremony. Didn't expect Varn to turn up such a crowd." Noble spoke as the rest of the Boome high command were gathered near the monument.
"Well, he made a lot of friends during his time." Mercury replied. "And a lot of enemies. Bet that statue of him will be a big eyesore for plenty of people."
"Let's not talk about people we don't want to talk about, you two." Seth said, with a stern tone "If people have a problem with the monument, they can honestly jump off a cliff. Change of subject. Noble, did you do what I told you?"
"Yes. I send your gifts to the remaining Archius crew. If they haven't gotten them by now, then they would be waiting for them at home. Except one. Couldn't find an address for Dwan. It's like he has never lived anywhere."
"Keep trying, I'll see if I can find him during the mingle."
"Anything else boss?"
"Nothing. Spend the today and tomorrow resting up. After that we're back to work."
---
"Mercury, tell me one thing?"
"What?"
"How did you not know that Varn's tags were in the urn?"
"Well, Noble, I don't have the habit of digging through the ashes of my dead brothers."
"You're lucky they found them when they were transferring them over to the other urn. Otherwise, dad would have freaked."
"Laugh it up."
---
After the ceremony was done and the crowd dispersed, the valley was quiet. Night had fallen and all was silent. A lone figure stood next to the newly erected monument. Observing it. He got closer to read the names of the fallen. All familiar to him, all dear to his heart. He looked towards the statue clad in armor. "You did good boy, you did good." He looked at the names inscribed on the base. "You all did good, my sons. You made your father proud." He started to walk away from the monument. He turned around to have one more quick look at it. "The galaxy should be proud of every single one of you. Not just my children, but every single one of you." He continued to walk slowly towards the shipyard.
Pippin solemnly looked around, searching the crowd for familiar faces.
[video=youtube;YgEcj3PzFTs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgEcj3PzFTs[/video]
The desert was a sea of eternity. Its vast desolation stretched to the embrace of the horizon in every direction, challenging the blazing red sky with its magnitude. The majesty of twilight reigned, its rays of light scattered in shimmering air. The shadows shifted along the rippling sands as if the whole planet were breathing softly. Soon the stars would be out in their innumerable beauty, appearing as they have to desert walkers throughout the untold history of life in the galaxy. Somehow, even as the folly of mortals bring terror and bloodshed to every corner of space, the distant sparks of life which composed the symphonic display of the Milky Way seemed ever peaceful.
A slab of black granite rested on the sand, reflecting the vista on each of its polished surfaces. The rock itself was quarried somewhere else on Duroma, a planet with little to offer, and yet everything a sane person would ever truly need. On the stone, an engraver from an artisan's workshop in Bonram etched the name of Virin Rozel along with the years which marked his birth and death. The decision to bury him in the desert seemed to come naturally; despite the danger of encountering agents from the Collective, the remaining trio which comprised the Terika-Belladonna Company were drawn to the wastes of Duroma.
Here, the three could disappear for a short time- weeks, or even months if need be. They needed time to lick their wounds and rediscover their self-confidence after having their worlds stripped out from beneath them. Even if they were young, rich, and in some ways brilliant, they were no less vulnerable to the staggering weight that warfare places on one's shoulders and mind. But the time to begin again would no doubt come, and Duroma, with its crossroads of vice, would provide them their next opportunity. Each of them could feel the presence of destiny awaiting them somewhere in this impoverished backwater.
But for now, their lives were tied to an unassuming compound at the edge of town, which served as their temporary home and headquarters. Inside, one would find darkened hallways and luxuriously furnished rooms with every worldly pleasure money could buy- top-quality alcohol and uncut narcotics, exotic dancers and prostitutes. Sometimes musicians would be hired to play for the trio and their guests, lending an atmosphere of an exclusive club. Other times the halls would be silent, and the three comrades would simply take their evenings one at a time. It was all a distraction from the fear each held of walking the streets, of being seen. They hardly ever left after they had settled in, as it was easier to have goods brought to their door.
Yanim, whether or not she was sober, couldn't escape nightmares that plagued her sleep. The truth of what had happened to Lion and Dwan had finally been revealed, thanks to a video recording that Saw had sent with palpable contempt. As the Boomes lifted off from the surface of Zeruel, she watched as Dwan explained to Harken Saw, in the privacy of Termina Central, his otherworldly abilities, and how he was able to survive when he should have been killed. Yanim watched the recording three times before feinting from the revelation.
Dwan was a creature which did not obey the laws of physics; his very existence could not be explained by any rational notion in Yanim's mind, or in anyone else's mind for that matter if they weren't in on the secret. Why then, did Saw treat her with such contempt for her actions if she only committed them as a direct result of such unbelievable circumstances? It would have taken little effort for Saw to contact her immediately after the taped conversation in order to confide in her and reverse the damage which had been done.
First, he could have explained that he was aware of the true reason for Lion and Dwan's survival, and that it did not involve treachery. Even if he did not explain that reason, at that time, Yanim would have trusted Saw's word. Second, he could have acknowledged that, without access to critical information, Yanim couldn't be fully blamed for acting in self-preservation. There could have been apologies. Yanim could have been reinstated to the Archius. Instead, the man saw fit to discount everything Yanim had done for the crew, to deride her as a quitter, and to only provide the explanation she desperately sought after it was too late to reconnect with her comrades on the Archius.
She became aware of Varn and Lion's deaths a few days after the battle. While the loss of Varn troubled her, she found herself unable to mourn Lion a second time. She was thankful that Iska had apparently survived, and wondered if she would ever encounter her again. She hadn't heard one way or another about Dwan, but hoped he had somehow been annihilated by the Crimson Son. She doubted it was possible, however. Dwan probably slipped away using his powers, and might one day trouble her again. And finally, she knew of Saw's demise shortly after he sent his final message.
[quote]But... consider this [B]the last thing I've ever done for you.[/B][/quote]
Yanim didn't know how Saw reacted to her earlier claim that she would undo everything she had done in his employ if she were capable. She probably wouldn't have been surprised to know that it meant precisely nothing to him. His response told her everything she needed to know in remembrance. It was his megalomania which sent the Archius crew on the search for the Oracle to begin with, leading them into conflict with factions all over the galaxy. He exploited their idealism and comradery- the crew had so much of each that they never caught on to Saw's egocentric motivations. And finally, it was his commitment to destroying the Crimson Son which destroyed a planet and killed millions of innocents.
Yanim had been transformed from an obedient, dutiful, and reliable technician into a terrorist who hated everything she once stood for. Even if she could return home, she would be unable to relate to her former classmates and family members. She would be rightfully seen as a sociopath and a danger to everyone around her. After all of this, Saw sent the message above, implying that Yanim had reason to be grateful. Now she was splayed out on the floor, half naked under a large ceiling fan, watching the colors melt away as her self-medication ran its course. This is the lifestyle Saw's ambition had bought for her.
If he hadn't have died, Yanim would have tracked him down and murdered him in cold blood.
What made the least sense of all was why Dwan's secret had been secret to begin with. Such incredible abilities could have been put to use saving lives and preventing disaster had Dwan simply been candid about them from the start. However, he decided to keep them secret with everyone on the crew, except Lion for some inexplicable reason. She remembered the classic dilemma presented where the operator of a lever can choose to kill one person to save five others. In some people's minds, flipping the lever and choosing who dies is an unbearable responsibility, and they would rather shrink away, allowing fate to run its course.
But how can someone who has seen the lever and understood its purpose assign guilt to anyone else? How could they assign guilt to fate? Someone who could throw a lever and save lives, but chooses not to, is guilty of condemning those people to death. Dwan's powers entitled him to greater control of the metaphorical lever than anyone else on the mission. So why did he shrink away? The answer was right in front of her the entire time. Dwan's own words:
[quote]Besides my adventuring...[/quote]
[quote]Before you ask, yes, I have been using my powers to benefit myself in this universe. I've used it to get booze for my bar, as well as sell drinks that don't exist in this universe at a higher price...[/quote]
[quote]However, the mementos I want are the weapons of any fallen Auditor; their weapons hanging on the side of my wall would remind me of the good fight we fought for the galaxy...[/quote]
Dwan was only ever interested in profit and entertainment. The affairs of lowly mortals, confined to the laws of physics, it must have seemed so far below him when he came to Yanim's plane of existence. The whole nightmarish series of events that swallowed up Yanim's life were nothing but a diary entry in Dwan's travel log. When Hanza exploded, he only saved himself and a friend. When the bikers at Picaea killed dozens of children, he let them. She concluded that someone so negligent toward the lives of others didn't deserve life themselves.
She sent him a singular message after recovering from the revelation.
[quote]You monster.[/quote]
Yanim's gall was rising again. Climbing shakily to her feet, she dressed herself and retrieved her gun. She called her driver through her tablet and requested a ride for herself and her two comrades into the desert. There, they would pay their respects to Virin one last time before getting back to work.
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