It was a relatively calm trip, a lot quieter than most of his voyages in the past. He wasn't even being shot at this time around. As the trio passed Stuttgart, a sense of quiet and remorse came over him. He had not seen his family in over a year... And to them, he was still a Casualty of War. He let out a sigh over the comms as they Jumped into Berlin, and from there, Frankfurt.
Sipher had only visited Holstein once before, and that was on business that didn't quite permit leisure time. The small industrially built platform was somewhat familiar, and he enjoyed that. It had been a while since he felt that soft and comfortable feeling. It had seemed recently that the world was changing around him, and he was at odds to define even himself. Nonetheless, he relaxed, taking a seat on a dusty counter...
"Bah. It's not That cold. I take it your not a fan of the chilly weather Goodie?." He smirked as he glanced over at his long-time friend and comrade.
"Regardless, Here we are... Right on the Doorstep of the Sigma's. Are we going to try and contact this Miner before we head in, or just barge on through and see if we get lucky?"
Izzy sat in the Midnight Roar, snacking on some food she brought and taking an occasional swig of water. Suddenly, another EM signature appeared.
A big one.
"Izzy, this is the Blades of Athena. Ellie sent us to assit you."
"Oh, cool. Lets connect. They landed on that platform; I'm so good I'm invisible heh."
The two laughed as the Raven's Talon connected with the bottom of the IMG Hydra. Izzy climbed up through the hatch to be greeted by Cassie and Lindsay, two of the five on the al-girls craft.
"Hows the others?"
"Thier fine. Alyson's flying, Kari has the comms, and Emma has the maps."
"Cool."
The three returned to the cockpit to watch the three 'musketeers' do whatever they where doing.
Hektor, another report from Archimedes
Been awhile. What's our friend Goodman up to now? Still hanging around Bretonia?
no... he searches for a friend, Lieutenant Ashley Taylor... and is being followed by someone most persistent
Mm. Friend or foe?
unsure... though they appear to have an agenda
Well we can't have interference, now can we... though... how did Archimedes dig all of that up? It can't gauge intentions...
Merlin
Show me.
Memories flowed into Hektor's mind, showing Freeport 1. Their access to the comm center there had proven useful to no end, alerting Archimedes to the arrival of various persons of interest. Trace pieces of the bar conversation had been reconstructed, but Archimedes was in range when Merlin transmitted the vision. The intensity of the psychic bleed-through was staggering- even crippling to Archimedes for some time.
Merlin is very strong, even at this age... we must keep a closer eye on him.
the bleed-through is of much concern to us... it is possible it even presents a threat to nearby agents... more research is necessary
We'll have to discuss that another time. For now, we need to clear the skies, so to speak... if Goodman is captured by Kusari, Iseijin may have difficulty securing his release, and things are worse still if this "Izzy" intends to return him to Bretonia prematurely.
your suggestion?
Send a pack of Scorpion drones after her.
is that really necessary?
As usual, probably not. But we're walking a fine line here. They need not kill her, just get her to back off. Besides, I've been meaning to put some of the new modifications to field testing.
we do not believe Eingebung is ready... the complexity of the modifications is too tough on them...
With many, yes. But three... three it will be stable on. But if this works up to its potential, we will have uncovered something most powerful indeed...
as you wish... we shall gather them...
Within the hour, the set of modified Vorzeichen Scorpion drones set out for Frankfurt. For a single human gunboat, there was no word for it but "overkill".
Izzy jerked up, her ears filled with warning. It was a connection between the addled mind of Jeremy and herself.
Earlier:
Jeremy, being in Pennsylvania on Vacation, and still recovering from a taxing ordeal with a keepers, felt the Scorpians. He jerked had jerked up, mumbled something about Izzy, and that his anme was Merlin. It ws fuzzy, but still he knew what was going on.
The love of his life was in grave danger.
Jeremy jumped out of bed and sprinted to Bethlehem's Command Center, showing his Order Guard ID as he ran up. He was allowed in.
"Major Hunter. May I help you?"
"I need to use your comm array right now."
"Right this way."
Jeremy took one step and collapsed. The burst Merlin had sent had flashed into him, and it drained him.
Jeremy struggled out two words.
"Call...Orion."
He fell unconcious.
Present:
Izzy swore. Namine had sent the message after Jeremy had fallen unconcious. It was important.
Izzy was swearing a blue streak that would have made an Old Earht Sailor stop and stare as she ran to the bossted com array.
"Mayday, Mayday, Orion, mayday, Athena about to be under attack at-"
The Scorpians appeared.
"Go evasive! I got my fighter! At-"
The comms died.
"Dammit..."
Izzy ran to her fighter and unclipped as the Athena took hits. She yelled in the comms to the three on the station.
"DAS WILDE GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
Back in Pennsylvania, Jeremy boarded his Sekhmet, and the unfinished, shell of the Ghost Eye angled for a jump. It's shield was a fighters, its engies where a Hathors, and its hyperdrive was slow. Jeremy prepped the Sekhmet to launch.
For once he wished he had TObias and the Scarlette's Memory.
Austin sighed lightly, "I already contacted them awhile ago before we got here. I told them to keep an eye out for her. Though I highly doubt they'll find her."
"The lad told me to keep away from Gas Miner stations and so forth, so our search is going to be difficult, though hopefully it'll go smoothly, and if we're lucky enough we'll get some help from a few of our Privateers, unless they're out for my head as well."
He took a few steps towards one of the unopened doors. "Well, I think we should get to renovating this place, and get some power back on, eh?"
He turned slightly and looked over at Sipher, "I know you're good with fixing things up, just as I am. Why don't you head down and see what you can do? I'll stay up here with the Ensign and attempt to work on the communications array and whatever is over in that room over there." He nodded towards one of the doors. "Hopefully, hopefully this junk from the eighty year war will still work. If not then I guess we'll be out of power and so forth. Thus making our base of operation a bit like a freezing hell."
He smiled a bit and laughed gently, then started towards the operation room which was up a flight of stairs.
Sipher smirked back at Goodmen as he walked off, himself popping up to his feet. "Why not, I guess it'd be a bit better if it was above Freezing."
As he headed down to the 'basement' of the platform, he found a few consoles, all of which had been either burnt-out completely, or degraded beyond repair. He finally reached what Looked like the boiler room, and decided to take a crack at it. He wasn't all that good with civilian engineering, definitely not as good as Goodie was, but he wasn't going to complain. He should be the one on the Comms anyways.
As he tinkered with a few rusted plates, his mind went through what it could recall of Ashley... It had been a long time, and ever since his return, Rocky has had a hard time concerning his past. The only thing he was truly sure about were his bond with Goodmen, and his feelings for his lost-love, Ariana. Although even that latter one has became shrouded in obscurity since coming back. His mind was struggling to stay in the light, but he kept his composure. He was definitely not going to let himself seem troubled now of all times, right before moving in to save Taylor. There was a sense of arrogance, and self-reliance in it, but those were two aspects Rocky had come to terms with, despite his scorn over them. He tries his best to avoid them, and piece by piece, he's moving ever so slightly away from his Vices. He shook his head as he came out of his thoughtful trance, and returned his focus to heating up this Frozen Prison he for now called Home.
"Junk?", the Ensign snapped after a prolonged period of silence. "Nothing Rheinland produces qualifies as junk."
He revised his statement, knowing all too well that wasn't exactly true. "Well, almost nothing."
Feeling as if he had overstayed his stay in that conversation, Deneth quickly retreated to one of the rooms located on the platform's main level. The effects of abandonment were prevalent and took a toll on the overall structure. Humidity and cold weather obviously didn't help preserve the centuries old edifice, or the electronic components inside it. The large windows were permanently stained by the oceanic salt hanging in the air, keeping the room dimly lit for decades.
Aleski had all but forgotten the initial reason he entered the room in the first place, choosing to investigate the relics of a past era instead. The metallic floor was littered with various objects and contraptions, a sign that the previous occupants left in a hurry. On the wall to the left lied a small calendar, still hanging. The last date crossed off was March 4th, 589 A.S., just a few days after the beginning of the 80 Years War. Written prominently on top of the page, in orange and green font, was one of Kruger's famous slogans while the company was at its apex : "Kruger Mineralien: Mining a better future for Rheinland".
Moving along, he came across several other objects of varying interest. Data disks, books, tools, corporate memos and various assorted personal belongings. The walls seemed to extend to a portion of the room that light simply could not reach. Aleski reached for his PDA, turned it on and used the glow of it's screen as a guiding light.
Carefully treading through the sea of junk, with one hand continuously touching the wall to his left, he examined the area plunged by obscurity until something caught his attention. At the room's end lied several consoles, all completely deteriorated beyond any use. Next to them, however, were several switch boards lined up with old-style switches with one large, red switch beneath them. The bigger switch was surrounded by yellow and black diagonal stripes, probably indicating it affected a critical system.
"Could this be... the electrical system override?", he muttered to himself while examining the larger switch. He then shrugged, wrapped his right hand on it and pushed it to it's upward position, making a large clanging noise in the process.
"Here goes nothing."
Izzy twisted her fighter as a rain of bolts came from the lead Scropian. the Athena was taking hits, but was dishing out more.
"You idiots, get the hell out of here! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS NOT LISTENING?!!?"
Izzy fired her Mini Razor and flipped, evading a Scorpian that couldnt stop. THe AThena lost its sheilds and took a round to the hull. A crater appeared.
"Dangit Cassie, just run!"
"And leave you? Jeremy would have our heads!"
"Then its a good thing I arrived!"
They looked to see the unfinished, unarmed, under powered, under shield, under-everything Ghost Eye appeard and launcha single Sekhmet.
"Izzy, you cover the Athena while I give these guys a snac or two."
Izzy nodded as Jeremy roared in. His Energy Guns and twin EMP guns tore into the shields. Izzy and Cassie lconcentrated fire with Jeremy, and a SNAC turned the second Scorpian to atoms. The other two came in for another pass. The Ghost Eye moved to block the shots as they rain in. THe shell took every hit, but miraculously held together. THey repeated thier tactis to destroy the third Scorpion. But the lead one held on stubbornly. As they poured fire, it dished back.
"We cant stop this one. Took forever to take the other three...where the hell is the cavalry?"
"Dealing with a trio of Stortas heading for Manhattan."
"Frakk."
"Ellie said she will try and send help, but unfortuinately they need all hyperdrive equiped ships. Most are on missions, and the Eureka.One is being sent to get supplies."
"Well, lets try something cute and reckless."
"Like..."
Jeremy acclerated toward the Scorpion. It fired, but a quick barrel roll fixed that. He fired his snac, then popped up as twin GB Battle Razors fired. A Mini Razor followed, and the Scorpion finally, mercifully fell. The Ghost Eye jumped to Evora, and Jeremy was dropped back on Bethlehem.
Back in Frankfurt, the Athena and Izzy went to the nearest base and docked for repairs.
The Athena was a mess, and the Midnight Roar was falling apart.
"Looks like we aint doing much for know..."
Aleski flipped the switch.
The lights came on with a bright flash... but the blinding white light did not leave Aleski's vision.
He was alone, standing on what must have been a white floor- but it merged with a white "sky" flawlessly, and he could not distinguish one from the other.
But he did not have much time to gather himself, as he soon experienced the sensation of the floor moving under him at great speed. In the distance, something appeared, and before long Aleski could see them growing into statues. The floor stopped as he arrived near them, and he found himself in what appeared to be a large cathedral. The statues towered over him at impossible angles, knights in full plate armor save helmets. He could not make out their faces, but he felt like he knew them nonetheless.
His vision was drawn forward, to the end of the Cathedral. There was a man, walking up to a pedestal with something on it- but it was too far to make out what. A hooded figure appeared from the shadows, and beckoned to the object on- no, in- the pedestal, and the man grasped it. Something happened, though Aleski could not see what, and a great light came from the pedestal. It engulfed the man and the statues, and eventually the cathedral itself- but the hooded figure remained, untouched, and seemed to bow. A voice spoke into Aleski's mind.
your task is before you... gather them, and heed the call
Then, the light consumed him as well. Aleski found himself back in the room on the platform, the lights functioning and other systems beginning to boot up.
Austin glanced up from shifting through the old piles of rubble on the ground near the entrance, there was a loud humming sound, and suddenly a bright flash of lights lit up the entire inside of the room he was on.
He quickly shut his eyes, nearly paralyzed from the sudden blinding light. You could say it was his stupidity to look directly up at the light bulb, which was an industrial flood light.
After a few minutes passed by, he finally came to his senses. "God damn it Ensign. Could have gave a damn warning or something." He shouted in Aleski's general direction, rubbing his eyes for a few more seconds before stopping and blinking.
He looked over to his right to see a skeleton laying sprawled out on the metal flooring. The sight of it made him shudder a bit, but curiosity won him over easily and he began to walk over to it moving things out of his way gently as if not to disturb a sleeping giant.
Finally reaching the skeleton, he knelt down and gently poked at it with his bare hand. Without warning the part of the skeleton he had touched turned to dust, which made Austin jump a bit and fall backwards, scrambling away quickly, until he realized that an extremely old skeleton had just scared him by turning to dust. He chuckled lightly a bit and pushed himself to his feet, glancing around until he found a Communications system.
"Ah ha." He said happily as he moved towards it.