The corner office wasn't very furnished, beyond a desk with a hologram projector and computer built into it, with a low back leather chair. The room its self was poorly lit from the exterior window facing into the barrier nebula. A faint blue tint from the water cloud accented the shadows. Joshua Hunt sat at his desk, hands over his eyes, elbows firmly on the metal before him. A charred datapad was in front of him, still functional despite the obvious abuse it had undertaken. He sighed, lowering his left hand, and pressing record on the device.
Journal entry Ninety-Three
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
February Fourteenth
Continuation.
"Where to begin... After the fiasco in Kansas... I left. Cut all ties, leaving Geoff in charge of the idiots I've come to call friends... You know, things could've been a whole lot easier, back then, had I not recruited such a select bunch. One goes missing, and I hire outside help. Which didn't work out at all...
I left Kansas in September, Eight-Twenty-One, with Sting Ray and the data on what I now call Dawnbreaker Two. I spent the next six or so months in solitude, Omicron Lost. Inspiration time, I called it. I had actually made some progress, which I'll get to in a minute. I had Ray running me supplies from the Freeport in Delta, and transfer incoming calls to the estate on Cambridge. Total tranquility. Anyways, on to the progress.
After the second power cell was wired into the containment case, I begun up-scaling. I spent about two weeks stripping and rebuilding the adapted tech Helena gave me out of Drake, until I could template them from scratch. Part of the learning process, I documented my findings. I asked Ray for help, but we had left most of the droids on Cambridge... I guess this is when the expanding boomed. Engineers, freelance, contracted. I hired forty-six. A few months in, I relocated to Delta, and we kicked off the design process. Basing it off the Archer, we designed an emitter, with a basic steel casing and a coolant system using water. Far from its perfected variant, but whatever. We had gotten a majority of the work done, before the hired help I sent to find Kovic and Flowers, found me.
Pierce was an investigator out of Manhattan, who I hired to track down Douglas and Butch after they went to Baffin. He was very intuitive, but also sadistic and greedy. What kind of guy keeps a journal about all the homicides he did? Really, paper trail. Literally. As you would imagine, knowing his secret didn't exactly make me trust him, but he was good at what he does. He confronted me about the Dawnbreaker, pulling apart every action and choice, every sentence, throwing the hard, insane truth at my face. He was right, though. I wouldn't have been able to bring Gallia down to its knees in favor of peace, let alone Sirius. It was a fools plan, with some better results. We shook hands, and he decided to fall into old habits. He disabled the power cells containment field on his way out. Before anyone noticed, the Dawnbreaker's emitter erupted, along with the Dawn's fuel pumps. I have, honestly, no idea how I survived. I guess a stubborn enough person can survive just about anything.
For the next seven months, I was unconscious. From the details I got from Ray, Stacker, and Kovic, Pierce built an organization to develop high end gear for the purpose of selling it to the highest bidder. How noble. He developed a story to draw in people who were involved in the creation of the Dawnbreaker, a secret organization bent on destroying all things alien and protecting humanity from its own technological nightmares. Which... Actually became more than a lie. He attempted to draw everyone in with my name, and use some nerve gas he heard of and took when trying to sell tanks to a renegade Legion task force, which is how Stacker got involved.
Anyways, I guess I woke up sooner than expected, and popped Pierce in the neck. He's gone, and I took over his carefully constructed lie, and turned it into the truth. From there, its been cleaning up, and getting back to work. I also got shot by Maverick, but honestly, I deserved it. Him, Sylus, and his crew are on board, which is a step in the right direction. Past tense, of course, its been months since then. Oh, did I mention I have robotic legs now? They're damn cool.
So, after we sorted everything out at Pierce's secret diamond refinery, it got blown up. So we left, and have been moving and working ever since...
On to more recent events, we've become close with Battlegroup Auxesia, and Locklear doesn't actually seem as mad as I thought he would be about my past, Stacker, and the whole stolen Monument thing. It's uncomfortable. Other than that, Azurite Generators. Cool stuff. Investigating those when I have the time, because my mind is booming with excitement and ideas.
So a few days ago, I had a breakthrough, one day just flying around on Pierce's Sutinga. I think it was when that ESRD guy was shooting me. Never-the-less, I thought up a concept design for a ship! Oh wait, forgot to... Man, it's been a long day... Ugh, ahem, anyways, back on Navarro we had modified the Dawnbreakers design, increasing its size by several hundred meters, titanium reinforced alloy for the barrel interior and exterior. Cooling intake, recoil dampening pads, and a set reactor with two man access to the power cell station, which wires power to the recoil hydraulics and cooling system via superconductors. Focusing lens realigned based off of a new algorithm to fire a more accurate singularity, at an increase in speed.
It took about four days to construct around what was left of the Dawnbreaker One. We had to source a new Singularity, which took a lot of hunting. We, unfortunately, had to disassemble it for the evacuation of Navarro, for it to fit on the Sovereign. But, all this waiting and thinking, about the uh... lack of a ship capable of using such a giant gun, and the lack of willing engineers, gave me an idea, which I did my research on, and spent today modifying Sting Ray to be capable of designing a ship! I was, then, faced with another issue. Where are we going to get a big enough engine?
Anyways, the LSF have been poking around, and Stacker is calling me to the bridge. With my new database, I'll be able to record log updates again. Finally."
[Audible alarms]
"Damn it, I wish people would stop trying to kill us."
Log end.
Hunt stood up from his desk, walking around the right side, yawning in the process. Out the sliding door, two soldiers ran past him, as activity began to pick up with threat of an approaching vessel. He casually continued his way to the bridge, where Stacker, Kovic, and Sting Ray, were waiting.
Joshua Hunt was in his quarters, staring silently out the window into the Barrier Nebula. He was relaxed, for the first time in months. He turned to face his desk, where a holographic display of a purple sphere in a shielded container was shown. He smiled for a second, before sitting himself down. He picked up his old, burnt datapad, and hit record.
Journal entry Ninety-Four
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
February Twenty-First
Progress.
"Earlier today, myself, Sapphire, Maverick, and Ivan, set out for the Omicrons for some hunting. We made a pit stop in Omega-3, which was uh... Unusual. Not really going to get into it. Anyways, we headed off, through the Omegas to Omicron Delta. We held at the Freeport there for a time, where I met some people. However, we engaged some Nomads there, to attempt a rescue of a gunboat identified as Lambda, who was, and is, a potential recruit. We were... Unsuccessful, in that regard, but we did get something, that is a big bonus to us. Another Power cell. That's a step in the right direction to resolving the power supply issues.
Of course, this poses a bit of a problem. During the combat, Mister Santiago, the primary protagonist in Operation Drop Kick, noticed that we didn't exactly work for Liberty. That means a fallback plan which... I honestly made up on the spot. Supplying them with A.M.U's and Rheinland equipment. Thank's to Geoff, who carelessly informed me that the Buro is half in bed with the Outcasts, this'll be a good cover. This is going to be costly... But if we can pull it off, Sirius'll be a much better place. It's a long road ahead, and I'm glad I've got the support of my peers for it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the resources for it.
Anyways, moving on. I've got this itch. I don't know how to describe it. It's not a physical itch, but it is at the same time. It's like a whole new feeling. It's uncomfortable and unnerving. I'm putting faith and trust in someone I don't even know beyond name, age, and a brief bit of history. I don't do that. I never do that. Why the hell am I doing that? Am I sick? I think I'm sick. It's like a protective instinct. Oh well, it'll subside when I eventually get betrayed, stabbed, or blown up again. There's a reason I don't trust people. They're deceitful. Every person I've let get close to me, that isn't without purpose, like the ex-Colonials, stab me in the back. They're always after something.
From here, Op Drop Kick, and progress on the Dawnbreaker, can proceed at a steady pace. I however, have to set up a meeting with the Ingenuus Research Group, to see what information they could chime in about the Power problems. The fluctuations are unusual... I'm also curious what they might have to offer, technology wise."
Log end.
Hunt pressed stop again, placing the datapad back down. He lifted himself out of his chair, and began pacing in his room, as the Sovereign and the Initiative's fleet continued to drift in the Barrier.
Rather than his usual surroundings, Hunt was sat on a couch in a house. He was unusually relaxed, in comparison to his usual tired and paranoid behavior. He crossed his legs, placing his datapad on his lap. He looked down the hall, giving a smile, before hitting record.
Journal entry Ninety-Five
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
February Twenty-Eighth
The unknown goodness.
"The things I've experienced this last week... They've been varied, yet, I have found an overwhelming sense of calm and comfort. It's difficut to find the words for it. I don't even think I know them, really.
First off, I decided to take some time off from things, waiting for the Guild on constructing a Sagarmatha, which they denied, but we'll work on that once we finish up around Liberty. Anyways, I invited Sapphire Raven to enjoy some free time with me. It was fun. We went to Inverness and I shared one of my older journal entries with her. In return, she shared one of hers. From there, we cracked jokes, and I had only brought rice, which as it turns out, Sapphire doesn't like. So, I invited her to dinner, which didnt happen then, but that was my fault for not knowing the Shetland was turned into a hospital.
Moving forward, the day after I had a meeting with Harriet Fieldson. Trying to patch up relations with Liberty was a lot harder than I thought, and she shot down my suggestion for covering the Cincinnati's trail. No big deal though, we were clear so long as we kept Maverick out of Liberty. We'll let that simmer down for a bit. It was still my day off, so afterwards, I returned to Cambridge, leaving Stacker in charge. This is a good sign. I've now got basicslly three of the houses on my side, and I didnt have to point a gun at them.
Anyways... Cambridge. Things got a bit strange there. I say a bit, I mean I walked into an incredibly unknown situation. Raven sent me some coordinates, a bit far out from travelled regions, but I assumed it was to avoid being found. When I got there, we said our greetings, and she wanted to introduce me to a friend of hers. Tarlach. Now, she told all about it, the minishare, and how she's linked with it before. I almost killed her then, for working with a species not known for its willingness to cooperate. I expressed my resentment, but regardless, I... Disabled my Implant.
Tarlach appeared, and it started "talking". It talked through Sapphire, which she apparently agreed to. I almost fired on it when it appeared. I feel like I should have, but... We'll get to that. It explained a theory, and its grudge against what it called "the elders", which I assumed was Harbinger and the others. We discussed influencing Morphlings against them, which is, not going to lie, a damned good idea. They're like children. Impressionable, which is likely why they appear in populated areas, to encounter humanity and be shot at, to imprint hatred of our kind. It offered me a... Link, if you will, to its self, and Raven.
I thought about it, for a long time.
I accepted.
From there, we travelled to the place, the one Geoff and I found years ago, through the collapsing gate in Kansas. Before we arrived, I had second thoughts. I wanted to kill Tarlach again. Really, I did. End that whole fiasco right then and there, but... Somehow, Raven convinced me otherwise. She told me she believes in redemption. She knew. She understood everything I was working for, and without a doubt in her tone. I stopped. She had convinced me to go through with it.
So we arrived, and it gave me an artifact. However, they neglected until that point, to tell me about how excrutiatingly painful the joining was. I lived, but man... I can't describe the pain. Afterwards... I could hear them. In my thoughts. I focused. I was able to speak, but without using my mouth. It was... Really hard to not send a mental image of my middle finger. Anyways... I still have doubts about Tarlach and his method. I doubt they'll ever subside, but only time will tell...
Afterwards, Tarlach left us. Raven tried to weasel her way out of my dinner invitation. She didn't want me buying. Too bad. I did. Roast beef on Cambridge with some wine. Formal attire, of course. I told her the "Butch being chained up in the bathroom" story, and we just talked. She put faith in me, believed that I could succeed. She believed in me, when I don't even believe in myself. It took a while to register, but... It helped. It's hard for people to believe that there are extraordinary things inside themselves, as well as others. I suppose I'm a living testament to that.
We left the Inn, and went to Raven's safehouse. It was well maintained. We talked a bit, about her friend who took care of the place, and in the end, we said goodnight. She offered me the spare bedroom. Beat's sleeping in the chair of the Talon. It was the first night in four years, I've slept without fear, concerns, or doubt. I didn't even tie my toe to the door.
After that... Well, John came back and started causing a lot of trouble. It was unfortunate, but... It is the way it is. I spoke to him, and it's obvious that he's chosen to support the Elders, and he continues to harass myself, my colleagues, and my allies. He needs to be dealt with... Its like losing a friend. He is a friend. We've been through so much together. This whole endeavor wouldn't have happened without him. He gave me the Singularity Cannon in Cambridge.
He's the reason we're all here now.
Unfortunately, it's an inevitability. I just hope Geoff doesn't end up the same way
From there, Raven... Had an unfortunate loss. Despite my best efforts at first, I was unable to console her. I even tried through the minishare. I followed her around, when John appeared to attempt to claim the bounty on her. He lured an ESRD agent to us, but before anything happened, an Order agent had appeared, distracting everyone. I posed as Stacker, with Pro-Legion behavior, etcetera. Then, a Gallic Freelancer named Felix arrived. He followed us for a bit. Saph was still a bit bitter, but we returned to Coronado for a while, discussing things with Amy, Felix, Amy's sister and a few others.
I convinced Sapphire to take some time to relax, until the Eido's repairs are completed. I am now sitting on her couch, after I tucked her in. She needs the rest... I'll be here for a few days, maybe longer. Until the meeting with the Researchers can be reorganized, at least. Stacker is back in charge, and hopefully he'll do a good enough job maintaining everything. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy some of the soup Raven made, before heading to bed myself.
What has become of the old me?"
Log end.
Satisfied with his entry, Hunt set his datapad on the couch and stood up. He proceeded to the kitchen down the hall, following Raven's instructions on locating bowls. He filled a bowl with chicken soup, quickly downing it. He stepped over to the sink, and proceeded to rinse the bowl out, setting it aside to be washed in the future. He proceeded back down the hall to the spare bedroom, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.
The pilot's seat in Hunt's Prosecutor was surrounded by paper, filled with notes, sketches, and diagrams. A half-empty canteen of water was leaning against the glass, and a bloody cloth was unded the seat. Hunt appeared exhausted. He rubbed his eyes wearily, he hadn't been sleeping it seems. Yawning, he removed his datapad from his pocket, pressing record.
Journal entry Ninety-Six
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
March Twelfth
The Future
"I've spent the last two days in my Prosecutor. I haven't really been getting much sleep on my own. I'm also worried. Why? Reasons. Emotional ones. Thoughts and feelings I thought were buried and behind me have returned, and I must say I've missed the warmth. Having a connection to someone like I do, the experience me and Sapphire have shared. It's... I've been enjoying our time together. Feelings arent something I'm familiar with talking about, or sharing... Or experiencing. At all. I'm happy though, to have the ability to be there for someone, and vice versa. It's great.
I actually saved her life the other day. She hadn't been taking her medication. I was worried when she stopped talking. I actually risked my life for her. Never really uh, done that before. I jumped, zero G's from my ship to hers. The thought hit me today, what if I missed? I'd probably not be recording this. My helmet only has a day of oxygen anyway... Though... It was worth it. She said some things to me, which... Mean a lot. Again, feelings stuff. Love. It's a new concept, which I've enjoyed. We've been sharing a bed for a few weeks before that, off and on. Curdling... Curdling? Cuddling. Inside joke, fermenting hugs. She's given me hope. She believes I can change, and I think I have.
Oh, right... Work. Uh. I did some scans with Ivan and Stacker of a Liberty H-Fuel engine in use by the Hellfire Legion. We may or may not have secretly gone in to Vespucci to do it. Not important. Anyways, I've been working on the details of the scan, converting it's fuel from H-Fuel to Deuterium. A bit more efficient. Additionally, I ran the numbers of its output and it should fit in with the Tartarus. Oh, I never talked about that yet. The ship being designed to house the Dawnbreaker? We've decided to call it the Mark One Tartarus Class Super Dreadnought. Why is it super? Because it's big. Well... The gun is. The gun takes up most of the ship anyways. Only two things to resolve. One, being the power issues, the other, is locating or contracting a company or other group to construct it.
I still have yet to meet with the IRG to discuss the first problem. However, it turns out my old friend Hans has joined their ranks, which is awesome. Quite proud of him, actually. He's a brilliant mind, and he's now a part of something that will appreciate him. On top of that meeting, I have another one with Golanski coming up. That one is going to be interesting. I'll need to be on my toes about it. Even with him explaining his aggression against the Zoners a few years ago, I have a feeling we might not get along. Our views differ a lot, as do our methods. I also think keeping the work I've done under wraps would be a good idea. Either way, this is something beneficial to both parties.
In the meantime, Travis has asked me to investigate a few people, which I'll do eventually. In fact, Koch wants me to find Segelinde, as do the ESRD. Even with peace between the two, Liberty and Rheinland are competing against each other one way or another. Regardless, I'm doing my best to put those tasks off. Since the fleet relocated to the Taus, we're attempting to get in touch with the Miners Guild and build up relations. This is going to take some time. We also have to be careful, as the Maltese in the area worship the Nomads and hate the Guild. I advised Maverick and Amy to keep their vessels out of sight. A general order to avoid the local Omicrons was also given. We're in dangerous territory.
I keep thinking back to saving Raven. The words she said. What I felt, trying to save her. I've never been in this situation before. I've... Never been happier. Who knows what the future holds for us, as we're in this together, now."
Log end.
Hunt placed his datapad aside, returning to his notes. He smiled, lost in thought.
Hunt sat in a high-back chair, an unfamiliar desk in front of him. The bridge of the Eidolon Wraith was empty, He had seated himself at Sapphire Raven's desk, atop a flight of stairs. Rather than his usual attire, Joshua was wearing his combat fatigues. His datapad was rested on his lap, with various sketches and notes on it's screen. He leaned back in to the chair, letting out a content sigh, as a small, warm smile crossed his face slightly. He chuckled, shaking his head briefly at his thoughts. He picked up his datapad, scrolling through it until he found his journal. He sighed again, only this time, a look of uncertainty had dawned on him. He pressed 'record', quickly clearing his throat, before speaking.
Journal entry Ninety-Seven
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
April Fourth
The Cold, The Family, and The Final Step
"Where to begin...
It's nearly been a month since my last entry, thus tracking down these events in my mind will prove difficult, despite my strong memory. Well, let's start with work, shall we?
Well, we've effectively moved from our brief and uneventful stop in the Taus, back to the Omegas, only this time at the opposite end of the Navarro site. We've made contact with the locals of the area, known as the Fallen Angels, a division within the Reapers of Sirius. I met a Reaper once, many years back, doing escort work after I left the Legion. Crossed guns with him for fun, a quick sparring match in Omega-7. They're tough. Moving on... We opened diplomatic talks, gaining access to Cayman. From here, we're able to base our operations in the region, and Omicrons. We have shipyard access, which is incredibly useful. We've agreed to joint operations against the Corsairs, as well as limited assistance against the Coalition, who have proven less than friendly on the day of our meeting. The Corsairs made an appearance, too, in which Maverick had gotten his revenge for Navarro on the Barcelona. Two Murmillos down, whilst outnumbered twenty to one. We did alright. I see the Reapers being a useful ally, as they're neither friends of the Outcasts or the Nomads.
Oh, I had uh, Stacker destroy all copies of the Dawnbreaker, minus my personal one. The materials and 'it' is hidden at one of our storage sites, minus the uh, more volatile and perishable items, which are in cold storage. Speaking of that, I had the meeting with Finn McCool of the IRG today. It went well. Expensive, but worth it. Finally, the final obstacle is being overcome. The edge... Our edge, is going to become a reality. I should compile and create a digital copy of it, so they'll have easy access. Meh, I'll do that when I'm done. I tossed the idea of using the Azurite Generator design Raven sent me to resolve the fluctuation issues I've been having. A total new power source. Though, she admitted that what she sent me was outdated by two versions, for safety. She's smart. Anyhow, that'll require further investigation. You have no idea how happy I was when they agreed to take on the project. I screamed with joy internally. They're looking in to using their resources and assets in Cayman for the project, which makes things a lot easier, due to the proximity of our fleet, and the security of the system.
I should probably mention, I had a meeting with Golanski and the Order, which was interrupted. By the Core. Then the Nomads. Then some AI. Then the Nomads again. Eventually, we moved to Inverness to complete it, in which we came to an agreement that cooperation works better for the Order and the Initiative. Huh... I just realized how similar those two are, name-wise. Anyhow, we brought up the Ish'tar investigation, which has stopped due to the specimen vanishing. Perhaps it had completed what it came here for. A scare tactic, reminding us what awaits. That's fine, I've got a solution, which is finally underway. Anyhow, Order stuff. The Warhammer is getting a refit, and the Cincinnati is going to get it's crew retrained and a possible refit. I have yet to hear back about both. Irritating, but I'm not pushing about it yet. We've also discussed sharing information, due to our more domesticated operations, and their wilderness front lines, there's a definable line on which operates better where. Our size makes it easy for us to move throughout the houses without drawing attention to ourselves. Plus, we're not branded as terrorists.
Oh, uh... According to Noah, which he heard from Geoff's wife... AI... WifeAI. Heh. According to Noah, which he heard from Zeal, apparently Geoff is doing bad things with a certain type of technology he has previously worked on with me. This is dangerous. I know Geoff, he isn't reckless like this. There's an ulterior motive, something he's trying to achieve, should the rumor even end up being true. I haven't really been following up on that investigation, as I've been busy with my own work. I designed some new armor, including a suit for myself using the Chameleon mod. That's the device that uses a special coat of paint to alter the color of the armor, by heating or cooling it with a particular electric frequency. I toyed with it a bit, and managed to get it to work with fabric. Yes. Fabric. A cloak of some sorts, allowing for total manipulation of my cover, meaning if I really wanted to, I could disguise myself as a rock. I've dubbed it the S-1 variant, since it's built off of the MWS. Modular Warfare System, which is the frame of the C-1. I also uh... Put some work in to design Raven her own suit of armor, as she mentioned a need to upgrade hers. She didn't like it, but was glad I put effort in to it.
Anyway, here's the visual of the S-1, with it's Chameleon cloak on.
![[Image: YR33t5V.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/YR33t5V.jpg)
And here's the base suit, standard titanium carbon alloy combination with a powered exoskeleton. A modified helmet for marksmanship. Standard air bladder, re-breather, toxin filter. It's lighter than the C-1, but maintains the same combat capabilities with an added stealth factor.
![[Image: s8d3I7G.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/s8d3I7G.jpg)
Moving on, I've got a few more designs. One of my older ones, I shared with one of Raven's former associates within the Core. I modified it to suit her needs and delivered it. The uh, Type-40 PAR, for the A-1 prototype. I've been in a very inventive and generous mood. I've also been happy. I don't know why, maybe it's because a few weeks ago, I managed to... Wait, I'll explain that later. Either way, work is great, I'm happy.
Now on to more personal matters...
A while ago, after we had met with the Reapers, Raven suffered what appeared to be a psychosis episode, in which she feared she would harm me. Oh, did I mention some time before that, she actively tried to kill me? Yeah. Uh. That happened. She hadn't been medicating, so I was forced to track her down and bring her back to the Eido'. I almost died doing so, which might seem reckless... But she's family. She's important, in more ways than she realizes. Anyways, ERI called me out of the room to speak about it, but while we were gone, Raven took off, disabling her tracker, and leaving me in command of the Eidolon temporarily. I was... Terrified, for her safety. I went looking for her, with ERI's help, which proved useless. We called it off, and returned to Omega-49, getting our footing, planning our next move to stay the course. I asked ERI to remain close to Cayman for her safety, which was the best choice. God... I think back on that day, realizing how strange it was. I was so worried about her, I couldn't think straight. I was talking to myself. My judgement was clouded. I didn't know how long she was going to be gone, or how long I could sit by without looking for her again. In the end, she contacted me, scared... I convinced her to come home.
So, she did, and we hugged. We stripped down for cake. Yeah. We wore robes. Then, Valente Rossi of the Fallen Angels came by to talk, which gave me the opportunity to pass off the shipment of munitions to him from Stacker. Raven joined me afterwards while he was escorting Alan to Cayman. She turned the cameras off, and we enjoyed some cake. From there, we decided to get comfortable, which involved me laying on her along the side chairs on the bridge. We uh... Became intimate, during the middle of a diplomatic talk. With the Reapers. It nearly lead to conception, due to our neglect of contraceptive use. We were careful, afterwards, but... We talked about the idea of reproduction. Which... We came to a decision on. Moving on, Raven and I share a strong bond, that even at her pure, empty and unfeeling core, total neutrality, she still retained feelings for me. Ones that had piqued her uh... Lesser desires. We didn't act on them.
Oh... Right...
He came back out, you know. The 'old' me. Raw Apathy. He popped up when Maverick was angering Raven and I... Like the wall had just broken. The barrier was gone, and he wan't contained anymore. He worked his way through, showing glimpses of himself. This isn't the first time I spoke to him, either. A few weeks back, he was asking me questions from behind the wall, which made me uneasy. Anyways... I... Argued with him. Fought myself, in essence. He kept pushing, pointing out my flaws, trying to numb my emotions... He took control a few times, but was so distracted with the inner turmoil brewing inside that it lead to a confrontation. That... Was painful. I panicked. I didn't know what was happening... Raven helped... Sharing memories of our time together... It gave me reason to fight, and I won. The cold is gone... No longer waiting, creeping it's way over the barrier. She saved me, believing I could do it. Now? He's gone. I hope he never comes back.
Anyways... I've developed social relationships with Noah Xonnel and Inge Wexler. A new concept to me. They've come to me with their personal issues with each other, funnily enough. They had grown close, but Wexler pushed Noah away. I'm still struggling to help the both of them overcome their issues with each other. It's weird, you know? Experiencing all this stuff for the first time. I've enjoyed it, but at the same time it confuses and irritates me. Why do people even like socializing if this is all it is? I like socializing with Raven. She understands that people are impossible to understand. Or does she? I don't know. I like spending time with her. I've been learning more and more about her, and I'm loving every part of it.
He pauses briefly, covering his mouth to yawn.
Man... It's late. I'm fatigued. I'm positive I missed a lot in this, which I'll... Re-record if I remember it.
Oh...
Raven and I are going to become parents."
Log end.
He returned his datapad to his pocket, vacating Raven's chair and proceeding downstairs and out the doors of the bridge.
A hooded figure stood silently in a dining area, staring out the window into space. Their faceless helmet was reflected off the glass. The figure raised his wrist, as a small holographic display was projected. They typed something, and hit a single button.
Journal entry Ninety-Eight
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
May Twenty-Third
Where I am now.
A long, deep sigh filled the beginning of the recording.
"She left. I am alone again. It's so... Empty feeling, without her here. Not being able to feel her presence. It pains me not knowing if she is alright or not. She left me a message, trying to justify herself. I wish there was more I could do, but... I'm too weak. My mind is still recovering from recent events, but... I neglected to document so much over the past month and a half. It doesn't matter. I am alone. My duty is to remain here. ERI has locked the door, despite my attempt at escape. I broke the Drone with my fist. Heh. Thanks, exosuit... Oh, who cares? Why do I even bother... The only human being in all of Sirius to ever not see me as some madman... The most endearing, beautiful and intelligent individual I have ever encountered, has left me alone.
Where to begin...
In my last entry, I noted how we were to become parents. That changed, as she had obtained three. It proved to be too dangerous, and thus was terminated by injection to purge the cells. We had rushed the decision, and weren't quite ready for it. It wasn't safe for her health, either. That was of the utmost priority. God... It feels like so long ago. I even had a meeting with the Ingenuus Research group about the Dawnbreaker, and supplied them with some funds for their aid. Unfortunately, that is on hold for now. Activities resumed normally. Along the way, Daniel McAllister, an Auxesian Venator had reappeared. Raven and him were delighted to see eachother, and began to discuss the return of their Battlegroup. Naturally, I saw this as an opportunity to strengthen both of our organizations, by solidifying into one. Thus, the merge with Auxesia happened, and the Initiative was no more. I had given her everything I built... And now she's... No. Don't dwell on it.
I was given the rank of 'Curator', due to my experience and our personal relationship. The rank is that of a personal guardian and adviser, sharing the same level of power, yet ultimately the final decision is up to Raven. I had decided for safety, due to learning of a potential threat to my life and hers, to use an old guise. The name of my Sabre, "Endurance". I have since kept my identity a secret, save a select few, and... Well... One accident. We'll get to that. We spent a long time coordinating ourselves and solidifying. The Cincinnati required a refit and transponder modification, which of course, I contacted the Independent Miners Guild for. We escorted it from Cayman, across Sirius to Singapore. Heh... Quite a flight. It was good to keep watch on how well our forces cooperated. Even so, Wexler decided to join up with us, under the name Miri Keating. She's a good kid, and a damn good pilot, too. I also met someone from my past... Well, not someone I knew, but a former Neo-Terra pilot, named Malcolm Simmons. I've been trying to remember if we've patrolled together or not.
Of course, with the combination of our forces, we've grown significantly. Nearly five-thousand people spread out across all ships and the safe-houses... Amazing. The City Ships, Titania-II and the Sovereign, the former mobile base platforms, house a majority of our personnel, as well as their own Research and Development sections. Glass has happily joined the crew of the Eidolon Wraith, and is one of the few who knows who I am. Of course, this was accidental. Anyways... Our steady gain of momentum had attracted a lot of attention, thus we move frequently. As per usual, the Order decided they didn't like us too much, and upon attempting to rectify things, they sent a battle-fleet calling for Sapphire's head. The Core happened to be prepping a fleet for an assault nearby, and as neither side quite liked us, we went with the ones that weren't trying to kill us right then and there. The Order were wiped out in minutes. Yet... The Core charged on and assaulted the Freeport. Amusingly, we were accused of attacking the Freeport directly.
That didn't happen, though. In fact, after the attack started, we escorted one of the largest convoys Sirius had ever seen from the Omegas, which merged with a convoy to double in size in the Omicrons, all the way to supply the Freeport. From then on, Auxesia was directly involved in the defense of relief effort convoys and defense of the station. It... It felt good commanding such a force. I, however... To alleviate stress from Raven, overworked myself. I remained conscious for five days, before she forcefully removed me from duty. I dislike waiting around and doing nothing, but it was comforting to know how much she cared for me. To avoid upsetting her, I agreed to a days rest. It was well worth it. We continued direct combat against the Core across all fronts for several days, and withdrew when the attacks began to slow, so as to prevent the Coalition or Order from turning their guns onto us again.
Of course... Before that, Raven had gone ahead to give herself an implant, which had side effects. She... Lost her memory for a brief period of time. She believed she was nineteen again, upholding to her codes. She noticed a uh... Increase, in her upper parts, and I had noted that her and I were together. She found it difficult to believe, and noted she broke the code. To help her remember, I took her to her home on Cambridge, which of course - She didn't recognize. She drew a knife on me, silly girl... I bent it. Exosuit. Armor plating... Heh. She looked around inside, and panicked at the sight of her diary. Eventually, she sat down and read it, remembering everything. We hugged, and she apologized for threatening to kill me. We... Made the decision to 'try again'. Procreate. It was an endearing and enjoyable experience, and the results have since shown themselves. Twins, genders still unknown.
Then... Something happened. The mindlink, the one Tarlach had connected us to... Tarlach is gone, as well as the link. Raven took it hard and... She attempted suicide by hanging herself. I was... I was lucky enough to save her in time. She promised she'd try to be here for me... I guess she broke that, huh? No-no... She'll be back. She has to come back... No. Moving on. I thought of a means to restore the link. To end her pain and reconnect us. I... I succeeded, but may have almost died in the process. My mind was taken elsewhere... It was cold, and empty. I was alone there, just like I am now. I awoke, and Raven had lost it, believing I had died... She came to, eventually, and connected the next day. The process, as before, was extremely painful, and the connection just... It doesn't feel right. Different. Unnatural. Still.. Comforting when you're not alone in it.
Heh... Another accident. Aren't we just prone to trouble? In an attempt to rescue Finn McCool of the Ingenuus, Raven took the Wraith - which houses the transmitter for our mindlink - Into Iota. It was... Loud. Painful. It was as if millions of voices whispered at once, like white noise. I-I... I panicked when I couldn't feel her anymore. I tried to force my way through the disturbance in the connection... I passed out, apparently pooling my helmet with blood. It seems Sapphire suffered a similar situation. We were both rendered comatose. We found eachother, though... The empty place. We were together, but I felt... Weak. Every action put strain on my being. She tried to stay with me, but vanished. I thought she was only a hallucination when she just faded from between my arms. She spoke to me through the link, reassuring me that she was okay, and in reality. Explaining that I was trapped, and that she wouldn't leave my side until I had recovered. It took a long time, but I eventually awoke in the med-bay, with Inge and Noah speaking through a relay. I felt just as weak in reality as I did in the empty room.
I still feel drained now.
...
Why did you have to leave me...? I'm not sure whether to listen to every fiber of my being and try to chase after you and our unborn progeny, or to just... Wait. You said in your message that you disconnected for safety... It's obvious that my proximity places you in danger. So much for personal guardian, huh? I suppose you were right, though...
Nothing lasts forever."
Log end.
The figure lowered his wrist, concealing it under his robe. He continued to stare into the vast expanse of the void, observing the distant stars from Omicron Delta.
Hunt had just sat himself on a couch within Raven's quarters aboard the Eidolon. He crossed his legs, and took a moment to look around. He let out a sigh, then reached into his pocket for his datapad. He brought it out and examined it. The charred, aged piece of technology was still functioning. The corner of the screen was cracked. He scrolled through it for a while, until eventually he pressed 'record'.
Journal entry Ninety-Nine
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
May Twenty-Sixth
Overreactions, Promotions, and Nightmares.
"So... This is a little embarrassing to admit. I overreacted. Raven didn't run off like she did before. She had a task to accomplish, which my presence would've jeopardized. Here I am worried she ran out on me... Pffft. Don't know why. Maybe I'm just worried for her condition. Well... I am very worried. Either way, I overreacted like an idiot. Inge and Noah managed to keep my mind occupied, but I couldn't avoid the notion to try and chase her. She came home, exhausted and covered in volcanic ash. I didn't even know what to say. I helped her to the room, and she rested for a while. She came home when I had informed her of the Order's demands for her execution. She was... Considering turning herself in for the better of the fleet. I told her no, and we thought of solutions.
The first being, using Thalatte. Being the biological offspring of her and myself, there were quite a lot of similarities in a visual sense. So, we spoke to Michael, and he accelerated the one who looked the most like Raven. She should be fully grown within the next day. The plan was to use a neural controller to turn the Thalatte tank-breed into a puppet, as so few have seen Raven outside of Auxesia. She'd then control the puppet and send Oh-Two, the designation for the tank-breed, to The Order in her place. They'd have their blood, which would share ger genetics, which they don't have, and Sapphire would continue to live on, under a new guise within the fleet - Curator Zaphara. This plan, however, didn't go far after we wound up in a meeting on the bridge.
Inge, or Miri as she goes by in the fleet, came by to talk, and Raven was still debating turning herself over or not. Miri disagreed completely, as did I. Raven and I prodded Miri for a time, testing her reactions, to see if she was promotion material. The discussion about Raven and the Order continued when Malcolm Simmons joined us on the bridge, who provided insight into the Neo-Terran Front's history with the Order, as well as his own opinion. Raven was convinced turning herself in was not the way to solve this problem. Man... I was glad. We instead are going to work on improving the view their allies have on us, in the hopes that their major friends will be willing to vouch for the Battlegroup. Klugmann has already seen our worth, now it's a matter of the Coalition.
Raven and I spoke afterwards, of her plans to continue her journey. I made a notion that it would be safer for us both, as well as our unborn children, if I were to accompany her. She never finished the discussion, but had agreed with many of the points. That night, we headed to sleep early, due to her fatigue from the first part of her trip. She had woken up at night and wandered off to the main room, to sleep on the sofa. She started having a nightmare, and I had picked up on it through the mindlink. I tried to calm her from there through the mindlink, but to no avail. So, I went and joined her on the couch, and tried again. It was there I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to any of them - Her, or the twins. I intend to keep that promise, even if it kills me.
The next day, we aided Vertiga in escaping from The Core with his vessel, an AP-609 Mako-Class Battleship, dubbed the Apahanta. In command of the Cincinnati, we were to put on a good show and scare the Core-Loyalist crew. I think we did rather well, and later escorted the Apahanta to Omicron Kappa, Livadia shipyard. We received a payment of a hundred-and-fifty million credits for our assistance. This will likely be put towards our next endeavor, constructing a home to base from. The target location? Kansas... Heh. That brings back memories. The time I began to repair Junction, Geoff getting cut off. Harbinger, the liner... It feels like it was so long ago. I've changed so much since then. Frankly, I'm glad I did. I don't think I'd be where I am today if I kept to my course.
Later on, I had convinced Raven to allow me to accompany her on her journey. I'd be performing a support role. Overwatch with a rifle at range. The planned destination was Nauru. I said 'was', as she had mentioned that she should likely wait to complete her trip until our children are born. I mentioned that we can do it bit by bit, but she retorted with her selection of worlds being hostile environments. To be honest... I'm glad she's considering the risk to herself and her condition. In the meantime, we need to collect our heads and prep our resources for the next step. The project is still on hold for now, but it'll start up soon enough. I just hope the Ingenuus Research Group didn't forget about me. I doubt they have.
For now, I continue to play the role of the Curator, and have just reached out to the IRG to further strengthen our relationship. With the way things are going, we might do better than I ever did on my own.
I'm happy to be a part of it."
Log end.
Hunt let out a content sigh, and set his datapad on the table in front of him. He stretched and stood, looking around the room briefly, before turning to walk to the bedroom.
Joshua Hunt was sat at a desk, surrounded by shelves of equipment and firearms. The room he was in was quite obviously an armory aboard the Eidolon Wraith. Before him, on a work table, a recently assembled NTR-2 was laying across the tool covered tabletop. A small inscription along the butt of the rifle was visible, yet not quite readable. Hunt let out a long sigh, and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, thinking to himself. Eventually, he sat forward. His datapad was sat on the desk. He picked it up like he had done so many times before, and pressed record.
Journal entry One-Hundred
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
June Fifth
Mistakes
"Looking back at my history, as far back as I can remember, I never realized how often I've ran from situations. Many years ago, I ran from the Navy, only to find myself fighting them on the opposite side - The Legion. Yeah, defector, blah blah. Whatever." He sighs "I ran from the Legion, as well. Desertion. Eight-Nineteen, the Battle of Humboldt. We weren't fighting for our goals anymore. Just for some backwater system in the middle of no where with nothing of value or no real reason for us to maintain a foothold. Deep Space was picking the resources there clean. Next thing we know, the damned Rogues and Outcasts send in a fleet to stake a claim on that desolate, deserted system. We fought them alright. I ended up on board the Libertine. The same warship that ended my Naval career. I don't know whether to call it ironic or not. Hell, I don't really care. I ran. I saw no reason to throw my life away for that war. It did me no benefit, nor did it benefit my nation. I. Ran.
Oh, what happened next? I went back under a new name, as I've mentioned before. Freelance work, earning some funds to support myself. I was alone. Eventually, I ended up buying the exact same firm that was draining Humboldt a year prior - Tesla. They had filed for bankruptcy, and put their name on the market. So, I took it, and started doing paperwork out of a hotel on Newark, managing the profits under an old alias - Leonard Dunn. The same name I used to track Baker down a year later, when I had gotten the idea for the Dawnbreaker I. Endurance, the Curator, the name derived from Leonard Dunn's persona. His fighter, after the Archangel, which was my Sabre, had finally killed over. Eventually, I had a steady flow of income, and to nobody's great surprise - Things started to go bad. Again. Seeing the company name on the lanes prompted an unhealthy response from the Padua Rogues, and rather than standing to support what I had rebuilt, I left. I let it crumble. I took my resources, the money, and moved on. Hey, guess what? I ended up in Bretonia, breaking down on the Endurance. Middle of no where. I ended up picked up by an artifact smuggler. Sounds familiar, right? I've told it so many times. I shot him, right as he was about to shoot me. I ended up in charge of his little smuggling ring, the Violet Suns.
Oh, but of course - I'm not a Cretin by blood. The Council saw this and forced me out, yet named me a friend. So much for that, since they stabbed me in the back a few years later. No wonder she hates them... I could've stood my ground and justified myself, but no, I backed down. I ran. I left. I went off, taking even more resources from them as I did, leaving an idiot in charge as a shell leader. This is where I got my liner. Where the real work began. Building the Dawnbreaker I. Recruiting Geoff, John, Butch, Jayse, Michael, Wolfgang, Daniel, Douglas, Creed, Pierce... Everyone. The people I lied to. This is where the name Leonard Dunn comes back into play. I tracked Baker down to organize the meeting for my planned deployment. That meeting never happened. Why? Well, I went to Kansas to rebuild Junction. I needed a place to base and build from. Somewhere safe and secluded in history. Why not go to the old Neo-Terran home and claim it? The Legion had collapsed into darkness. They wouldn't notice me. Oh, but the Nomads did. Harbinger sure as hell noticed, and paid me and Geoff a visit. Then I left. I ran. Again. To the Omicrons alone. That's where it all ended. My liner destroyed, my legs gone, my project eliminated. I didn't die there... Life still had something in store for me.
I decided to try and change for the better. To hold my ground for a goal. Knowledge and protection. Of course, subconsciously, and openly, I knew I was going to fail. I doubted myself. People doubted me. I had NO faith in my own ability to change my ways, and it seems I shouldn't have tried. That's where you and I met, you know. When you joined me in Inverness to talk, Sapphire... Heh... Talking to myself. You were the first person to believe I could change my ways. Hell, I was making good progress. The lying stopped. I didn't abandon you to die in Coronado... I fell in love. It's an amazing and confusing feeling, but god it's great. Everything just... Melted away. The barriers I put around myself. Seeing you smile and laugh. The dedication you put into your work, the warmth, our connection is just... I can't live without it. I'm not whole without you. You'll probably never hear this recording, but I do love you, and I'm sorry for trying to run like I've done so many times in the past. Before I recorded this, I spent so long just looking at an image of you. I can't believe I was so foolish and selfish enough to try and throw the greatest part of my life away out of fear. I should know better, that you weren't yourself. I should've helped, not ran... You won't even talk to me. I need to make it right."
Continuation and Recollection - Entry One-Hundred, July Sixth
"We spoke last night. I was so convinced she hated me, but I was wrong. Sapphire and Aria played the most uncomfortable game of Truth or Dare while I was trying to sleep. I'm not getting into details." He shudders briefly. "She welcomed me back into the room. It'll still take time for us to recover completely, but I'm just happy she's still with me. I realize, however, I never elaborated on Aria. During my last entry, I mentioned the plan to fake Raven's death with Glass, using Zeta-Zeta Zero Zero Zero Two - Oh Two. She had her growth accelerated and last half of her programming halted to compensate. She was released from the tank at the physical age of nineteen for the plan. Raven was unsure what to think and panicked, leaving the room. She gave her a name - Aria. Over time, the two spoke more and more on a personal level... That girl needs to read a freaking book. Anyways, they spoke, and Raven and I decided to welcome her into our family as our actual daughter, being our biological offspring. She's quite like her mother, and is amazing when it comes to her training. I'm... Proud.
The rifle I was working on the other day was mine. I improved it, and gave it an inscription, to give to Aria as a gift for her excellent work in training. To show my appreciation and pride for how well she's doing. I told Raven about it, and she hung up on me... That was of course, before we spoke. Anyways... Aria became a full fledged member of our family, and I'm glad. She's still acclimatizing to social scenarios, and often asks rather inappropriate questions, or does inappropriate... Things. It's... Part of the learning process. She has her mother's competitiveness. Heh... I love them both. In addition to family matters, the twins are both male. We've given them names - Zaire and Isai. I'm still nervous about the whole thing, but still excited. They're family, just like Aria and Raven, and I'm not leaving them, or making an attempt to ever again. You don't leave family behind.
On to work, we've contracted various companies to aid in constructing Ataraxia. I went ahead to contract Detroit Munitions personally, and they've surprisingly agreed to work with us. The first phase of stockpiling is nearly complete, which marks the clearing, digging and landing site construction. I've been toying with the idea of combining the AMU with standard Anti-Ship batteries for added defenses. Another idea - A shield for the complex. Nothing major, but enough to protect the surface assets should danger occur. Backup generators? Definitely. Hm... I also began to work on the Dawnbreaker again. Finalizing the initial blueprint designs. I... Also gave Raven my backup copy in case anything were to happen. I trust her enough to keep it safe. Either way, I'll attach a small portion of the document to this recording. The framework is essentially finished on paper, but with Ataraxia taking up a majority of my time, as well as my standard business, I find very little time to continue the project. I'm not too worried. We're still far from ever being able to deploy it. Very far, but it's still nice to make sure the document is compiled and ready.
I'm not backing out now, or ever. My family and friends need me. My children need me. Raven, most importantly, needs me here, at her side. I can't abandon them.
No more running."
Log end.
As the scenery had changed from last night, Hunt was in their quarters alone, seated at the desk. He set his datapad aside and dawned his armor, leaving for the bridge to resume his duties within Auxesia.
Early in the morning, Joshua Hunt had awoken and dawned a bath robe. He looked around the room, which was decorated with various oriental objects, mainly of Blood Dragon origin. He looked back, spotting Sapphire Raven, sound asleep in the bed he had crawled out of. He smiled and walked over to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He gently rubbed her head, then tucked her in. "Sleep well, my dear." He said softly. He stood and walked towards the exit, passing through a double door to a balcony overlooking a living room. Three couches were visible, surrounding a fire pit. Directly across was a window facing outwards towards the ocean on planet Honshu. The sunrise accented the sky with a tint of pale blue from the crow nebula. Hunt leaned on the railing and looked out.
After ten minutes, he removed his datapad from his pocket, and pressed 'record'.
Journal entry One-Oh-One
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
June Twelfth
Happy birthdays.
"I nearly forgot to mention it last time, but a few days ago was my thirty-ninth birthday. Raven had actually gone ahead to throw together a surprise party for me. I've never uh... Actually had a party for my birthday before. It was nice to see everyone come out and celebrate. Poor Raven was nervous, heh. She didn't know if people were having fun or not, but everyone was. I was, too. It was a good day, with magnificent cake. Who would've thought that even Inge would show up? I suppose she is a friend, after all. Anyways, Glass gave me a bottle of fifty year old wine. Inge gave me some whiskey and a rather unique stone, which I've placed on the desk in our quarters for a little 'decorative' taste. Raven is still working on my gift, even though she doesn't need to give me anything. The whole thing happened on the Eidolon Wraith. Aria helped her mother set everything up, which was quite the hit for everyone who came.
After that, we had the uh, falling out in Kansas, which prompted my last entry. I really don't want to go into details, as I very much dislike having to stun Sapphire and force her onto her medication, but I had to. The newer medicine Michael had given her took a lot longer than anticipated to kick in. Hence why I uh... I ran. Or tried to. Of course now I realize my mistake. I can't leave. I don't want to leave. I'm not going to leave. Ever. It isn't happening. From there she... Ignored me. Aria as well. I broke down and spoke to her, as I mentioned before. I couldn't stand being apart from my dear bird, heh. Anyways, uh. I decided to throw together a party for Raven's birthday, which happened last night in fact. I'll get into it after. I had Noah contact me one day, and he was speaking a little vague. I was uh... Concerned. So, I invited him to the Wraith after speaking to Raven about it. We sat down and talked for a bit, enjoyed another cake. Man, she's fantastic with baking.
He got a little into detail about his 'plan' to try and infiltrate the Oracles after he was removed from the Order. He wanted to put himself at risk for information that likely wouldn't be worth it, nor would it leave his hands after he ended up infested or brainwashed. So we sat him down and reminded him that he does have something in life - friends. Friends who care enough to sit him down and convince him not to throw his life away. We were successful, but he had already started his plan to avoid having his memory or mind read or whatever. Not important. Well, somewhat important, as he wound up in the med-bay on the Wraith the next day in intensive care. Apparently, he had died. Or at least, his crew as well as Raven thought he did. I was occupied with Aria in the simulators at the time. Rifle training day. I'm so proud of her. Of course, I suggested Glass be called up from his dungeon. She did so, and he managed to bring Noah back. Epinephrine, citric juice, and sea salts. Weird combination, but he's the doctor. It was here we found out that Noah Xonnel wasn't actually Noah. His real name is Johan Lennox.
His reasons for hiding was to keep himself safe from harm and those around him, due to him claiming to be a wanted man in the houses. I'm unsure if this holds any truth, but I can do some digging if I must. I don't think I need to. He didn't lie, but he wasn't honest in the first place. I had a feeling there was more going on around him than he was letting on. Maybe that's just my paranoia coming into play, but I've always had that sense. Perhaps because he was in the Order. Hell, what if he's a plant to kill Raven? No. That's over-complicating it. Noah's a good guy... Or Johan... Or... Name words. Whatever. I went into the med-bay the day of the party. I had just gotten back and decided to put on my armor. He recognized me immediately, which was good, considering Michael and Raven mentioned he had amnesia or at the least, slight memory loss. It all seems to have come back to him after a little while on the track and some time in the General Training Room. He joined us at the safe-house in Honshu for the celebration.
The night before, however, I had gone ahead and given Raven the first of three gifts. A long time ago, before the merge happened, when Raven and I had uh, just started our relationship, she planned to leave Sirius with the Wraith to follow some leads. She would've lost the mindlink connection, and I'd of been unable to keep in touch. So, to prepare... I compiled some recordings and data for a memoir of our time together to send with her, so she wouldn't forget me or be lonely. When her plans changed, and she decided to stay, I... I never actually stopped working on it in my spare time. I'd collect everything. I even went so far as to get a picture of us and engrave it into the pendant. Needing to polish it off, I tracked down a sapphire to serve as a decoration. Fitting, right? Well, there's more to it than that. I collected all of the personal data of our time, added Aria onto it, programmed an auto-upload feature, and added all of my research to it - Dawnbreaker included. I know she isn't a big fan of jewelry, but she loved it. It took me months to set the stone properly and have everything fit and not look abnormal. The microchip is hidden below the picture. Everything we've done together, and everything I've ever conceived is on that necklace.
I trust her with it.
Anyways, the second gift was to restore the knife I had bent when she lost her memory, as she mentioned it was sentimental. A traditional blade. I used Tetsuzo's blade workshop to replace the bent blade with a diamond crafted steel one. When she tried it out, it wasn't the same. I don't think she was fond of it at all. A little disappointing, but she said she was happy I tried. It did, uh, cut a hole in the granite floor when she dropped it. She put it back in the box and we sealed up the workshop and headed off to bed after the par-... Oh. I forgot to talk about the party. Right, so I lured her to Honshu while Aria, the security team, Inge and Noah were setting themselves up. We had a banner hanging from the ceiling loaded with confetti for when she walked in. When we got there, her face was priceless. She was happy. She loved it. I had spent most of the morning with Aria and the team that's stationed there setting up the place for it. I went so far as to bake si-... Seven cakes, to get it right. Aria handled most of dinner, including an amazing turkey. She's got her mother's cooking talent, heh. We all sat down and had dinner, then opened the gifts. Inge had given her an expensive brand of Rheinland chocolates, as well as a decorative chest and knife. As Noah was a late invite, he didn't really have time to get anything, which honestly is fine. The gifts don't matter. It's the time spent with friends that does.
So here I am, in the morning, watching the sun rise, as Sapphire sleeps behind me after an evening of fun with friends, and more personal stuff between us. My daughter, a few rooms over, catching up on the sleep she lost when she volunteered to help set up, and our two best and most trusted friends sleep nearby. One in a room, and apparently Noah fell asleep on the balcony. Whelp. Everyone's still sleeping now, so I might as well get into some work related thoughts, huh?
I've spent a considerable amount of time thinking of a means to sustain the singularity generated by the material in the firing chamber. I know what you're thinking, right? Modify the original magnetic accelerator rail with superconductors and gravity field stabilizers, problem solved. See, it isn't that simple. I don't know the formula that generates the energy from the alien matter, and for all I know it could be a random sequence which if improperly timed, could cause the generated singularity projectile to open too soon within the barrel and destroy the vessel. Let's take a look at it per the standard algorithm of a singularity generated naturally in space. Much like a standard unformed Baxter anomaly, they tend to be unpredictable at first, especially when scaled to a specific size each time. Without a field test, or the proper formula, it's near impossible to estimate the event horizon of the singularity being generated to determine a minimum safe distance. Naturally, the singularity is temporary, and not sustained beyond the firing sequence. Below is a file from a standard scan of a singularity, showing the gravitational flow and field generated by the anomaly its self.
![[Image: singularitygravity.gif?w=500]](https://anotherfinemess.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/singularitygravity.gif?w=500)
Of course, this is all relative depending on actually determining the generation effect. I know it functions, but I don't know how to prevent it from destroying its self at this time. Even with the added safeties in place, there is still a need to sustain and stabilize the projectile within and beyond the weapon. Additionally - Powering it. Azurite generators? Still a prototype theory that I'd need to consult Sapphire about. I do, however, quite like the idea of moving beyond the use of volatile power cells, or overloading a standard nuclear reactor. Radiation isn't fun. Additionally, I might seek some more outside aid, but... I don't think the person I have in mind is willing to keep a secret, or even see me again. I do owe him a beer, though. Baby steps.
Ah... I can't quite determine the future, but as long as Raven, Aria, and my friends are happy, I can be happy too.
There's still some cake left. Time to raid the fridge.
Heheh, no. That's Glass' piece, and he's busy on Cambridge by now, setting up the third gift from us both. I hope she likes it."
Log end.
Satisfied, he returned his datapad to the pocket of his bath robe and stretched. He stared at the sunrise a little while longer, then turned to return to bed for a few more hours.
Journal entry One-Oh-Two
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
July Twenty-First
The Coming Storms
"It's been a little over a month since I last recorded an entry. The amount of things that have occurred, well... You could probably imagine I've lost track. Even now, there's still so much preparations to make. So much to do. It's imperative that the ground work be established for the future. Though, within this time, I'll give as much of a recount as I can.
Well, to start... One of the twins died. Aria was sexually assaulted on Cambridge, on her way to meet me at the house to prepare a surprise dinner for Sapphire. I went looking when she wasn't answering her comm, and found her near an alleyway towards the spaceport. My immediate reaction was to get her home - back to the Eidolon. I loaded her in to my ship and took off. At the time, we were based out of Omega-3, helping the Bretonians fend off the Red Hessian advance in the region. A bit of a waste, but it needed to be done to solidify relations with the Kingdom. Be that as it may, that didn't exclude us from our personal lives. I brought Aria to the med-bay, where Raven was already. We were both afraid. Terrified. Aria wasn't awake. She was bloodied, bruised, beaten... We didn't know the extent of it. Raven took off for Cambridge on her own to find them and we may have let our emotions control our actions. It was only later that I found out what happened to her.
She was violated.
Beaten. Shot... I'm an idiot for letting her go. I should've gone. Had I, then Zaire would've still had a chance at life. Now he's gone, and I fear a piece of Raven may have gone with him. She probably would've died were it not for Inge, who doesn't seem to be all that fond of us anymore. Though, it's true that he wasn't alive when it happened. In any case, Sapphire and Isai are safe, and she's taken maternity leave. Heh. Hard to believe that it's three months already. She's staying on Honshu, with Aria and myself. I had the place remodeled, including the addition of a personal work space for us both so we aren't kept bored and stuck toiling around in public. There's still some questions we need answered about the future of our family. Where our son will live, grow up, and be educated. We've decided private education is for the best, and that socializing is likely going to be a difficult thing to work with, but we'll find a solution. I'm worried about Sapphire and her state. I've been looking through everything I can find about how to help her, and I haven't stopped, but she's scared of harming us or herself. I've decided to remain on Honshu and work from here to stay close to my family when they need me the most.
Speaking of work, since Raven has stepped back, I - or rather, Endurance - was named Keeper of Auxesia. Two people have returned, and Noah has officially joined the fleet. The two returnees are William Foulke and Miranda Nagase. Ex-Navy and LSF. They're here on Honshu as well, visiting. They're friends of Sapphire. Interesting pair. Peculiar social ideals. Anyways, we've regrouped back in Kansas and have begun working closely with the Miners in the Taus and Crayterians locally. They were generous enough to open Sabah to the Cincinnati, which was rechristened The Arktos, and is receiving a refit. Hopefully that'll be finished, and it can return to service soon. The Lane Hackers, in the meantime, have offered to host a meeting with myself, and requested Raven be present as well. I'm cautious, as requesting personal names might mean another attempt on her life. Thankfully, she's stepped back from the field, and won't be attending. If, however, they cancel the meeting due to her not being present, that just furthers my assumption that it was an assassination attempt. In addition, the Blood Dragons are finally willing to talk. That's on hold until the Arktos is prepared for flight. For now, the fleet has been conducting carrier patrols in the vicinity of Kansas. Raven and I intend to hand out new orders sometime today.
Oh. Sapphire has entrusted me with the Eidolon's core, and the Lightrider engine design. I've incorporated the Lightrider in place of the dilithium crystal fusion engine concept I had. With this, there's only one thing left.
Construction.
It's ready. three years of work. Finally ready. The project remains on hold until needed, but I intend to show Raven the final product. Man, I'm sure I've missed some things here or there, but I'm pretty exhausted. I'm going to crawl back to bed now."
Log end.
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