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Eighth Arcanum Logs - Thexare - 05-17-2010 Jacob Orine was a man with a very distinct look. He wore his black hair loose and shoulder-length, numerous occult symbols dangled around his neck, and a long, black hooded cloak. Yes, a cloak, under which was a simple green shirt and black pants. Somehow, he still managed to make the look work, though that still didn't make him any less unusual. Yet somehow no one in the sparsely-populated Freeport 2 bar seemed to notice him. He had been there for a week, and everyone there knew him as Mystic. When anyone asked, he told them he was waiting for a message from "Oracle". Most shrugged it off, assuming either a paranormal club or (based on the obvious aliases) a bizarre mercenary team. None guessed that this man was an Order agent, but then that was the point of the whole exercise. Well, that and the fact that it was a very comfortable cloak. Out of boredom, he pulled out his personal datapad and started tallying the Eighth Arcanum's resources. May as well get some work done. he reasoned. It's not like there's any tourist attractions out here. Eighth Arcanum Spaceborne Assets: Ships: Seventeenth Star Pilot: Mystic Ship Class: Crow (DXM-31H model), Light Multirole Fighter Armament: CG-24a Chaingun (4), CP-e Pulse Cannon (2), CP-d Pulse Turret (1), CD95XT Wide-Area Disruptor, MX-17 Mine Dropper Defensive Systems: CM-4 Countermeasure, SG-e Graviton Shield (modified), Class 6 Armor Restructuring Propulsion: O015im Impulse Drive (6), AAMT-320 Maneuvering Thruster (8), CT1320 Afterburner Internal Systems: EWE Model 8 Repair System, AT-90 Security Scanner (modified), Ageira "Aurora" Ship Console (custom OS) Queen of Swords Pilot: Sorceress Ship Class: Scimitar (HFX-A9 Model), Heavy Interceptor Armament: ZT43-5 Photon Blaster (2), ZT43t-2 Photon Turret, CP-e Pulse Cannon (2), CD98a Enhanced Tracking Disruptor, HM-i Mine Dropper Defensive Systems: CM-4 Countermeasure, SG-d2 Graviton Shield, Class 8 Armor Reinforcement Propulsion: BT-101 Impulse Drive (heavily modified), LHP 19 Maneuvering Thruster (6), ZE73 Afterburner Internal Systems: "Phoenix" Autorepair System, Ship Console (homebuilt, custom OS) Fate Pilot: Mystic Ship Class: Armored Transport (Cormorant model), Light Gunship Note: Not a combat vessel. Has enough armament and armor to stay safe, but its role is that of easily-secured storage. Shikigami Pilot: Onmyoji Ship Class: Falcon (CTE-4000/Neo Heavy Scout Variant) Armament: ZT43-5 Photon Blaster (2), CP-d Pulse Turret, CP-e Pulse Cannon (2), CD98a Enhanced Tracking Disruptor, HM-i Mine Dropper, C242 Heavy Missile Launcher Defensive Systems: CM-4 Countermeasure, SG-e Graviton Shield, Class 8 Armor Plating Propulsion: ACE-30 Impulse Drive, AAMT-20 Maneuvering Thruster (6), Z-33 Afterburner Internal Systems: "Phoenix" Autorepair System, "Kon" Ship Console Sorceress is too busy with the shop... I'll have to track down Minamoto personally when I'm done here. Eighth Arcanum Logs - Thexare - 05-28-2010 The Seventeenth Star tore through the atmosphere of Los Angeles, with a somewhat disappointed Mystic at the controls. "Mystic?" a voice called through the speaker. "Mystic, this is Sorceress, are you there?" "Sorceress, this is Mystic. Trip didn't go so well..." "Oh?" He sighed before continuing. "No response at all. I've set up a multi-encryption relay... any message should be indecipherable to anyone that doesn't know the right sequence to run it through." He couldn't see the ex-Hacker, but based on her tone she was probably smiling at his foresight. "It happens. Dove already contacted the Navy... personally, I want to try out some of those plasma guns. No response yet, but it hasn't been long. Go ahead to the new hangar." "It's done already?" "Prefab, Mystic. It's the way of the future... at least, if you're in a hurry." The Crow landed gracefully in the hangar, much to the annoyance of a blonde woman. As the cloaked pilot hopped out, she marched up to him and stared angrily. Mystic simply smiled and walked around her, quietly telling "Swordsman" to meet him inside. Upon opening the door, he was almost tackled by a surprisingly enthusiastic albino woman, and Sorceress and (somehow) Swordsman stood right behind her. "Alicia, Lauren, Melissa. We have much to discuss. Brian, the store's in your hands; call if there's a problem." The cashier nodded, and the four pilots headed to a back room, drawing lewd jokes from quite a few adolescent customers. The four took their seats at the round table that normally held Jacob's crystal ball. To Jacob's left sat Alicia Nall, callsign "Sorceress". An ex-Hacker every bit as dangerous as she didn't look... and given that she looked like a sweet, harmless young woman incapable of harming a fly, that was a very bad thing. The image was entirely intentional on her part; she even opted to wear glasses instead of get corrective surgery (which would be relatively inexpensive) to make herself look even less dangerous. She brushed her long, pale blond hair out of her face and sat quietly waiting for the meeting to begin. To his right was Lauren Ligon, "Swordsman". Every bit Alicia's equal in fighter combat, and even more deadly on foot, she was a childhood friend of Jacob's and, until joining the Eighth Arcanum, worked as a freelance security contractor. Of course, unlike Alicia, she was far less willing to do anything remotely shady. She was also a blonde, though her hair was a bit darker and she actually did look like she could defend herself. And directly across from him was Melissa Blackwell, "Dove". The irony of her last name is not lost on her, and yes she has heard that joke before. Unlike the other two, she has no real combat experience, and was only hired because she had nowhere else to go; she was thrown out of her house, and Jacob felt sorry for her. Despite her shyness, she was quite a tough girl; a lifetime of belittlement and harassment had killed her self-confidence, though; which is part of what made her earlier greeting such a surprise. Eventually, she took to wearing red contact lenses specifically to invoke a degree of fear, so people would just leave her alone; her eyes were naturally a pale purple. "Oracle never called me back. I hope she's still alive out there, but I can't count on it. The deep Omicrons are very dangerous. A shame, but there it is." "Um... Oracle? But you told me-" "I told you GMG so the Navy wouldn't ask too many questions. Sorry, Dove, but I felt it was the best way. I took a quick patrol of New York on the way back... watch out for Him." "Who?" Alicia asked, looking at Jacob. "Him." "Yes, but what's his name?" "I wanted to use the same joke, but the deputy chief didn't bite. Ship's a Kusari Explorer, he seemed to be giving the officers some trouble. I don't know what it was about though. " "Um... I... don't think I did too good on that request..." "I picked up the signal, since I knew what to look for. You did fine, and I'll handle it from here. Thanks for the effort, Dove. I really appreciate it. Any other questions?" He paused. "No? Good, then. Meeting over." Eighth Arcanum Logs - Thexare - 06-03-2010 Mystic marched into Eighth Arcanum Occult & Oddities, and everyone inside knew something was just a little... Different. "Alicia. Lauren. Melissa. Meeting room. Now." "Um... Attention customers: We need to momentarily close up shop, something very important has come up and we can't spare anyone. If you return in about... oh... half an hour, we'll be open again. Sorry for the inconvenience," Melissa announced, waiting for the customers to leave so she could lock the door before following the more experienced mercenaries. Mystic turned on the projector he hid inside the crystal ball on the table, and showed the women a picture. "What... what is that?" Lauren asked, shocked. "That... is our enemy," Mystic replied. "The Nomads. Our 'Cartographers' encountered them in deep Omicron space about two years ago, and since then we've learned that their goal, put simply, seems to be to kill every human in Sirius." "The destruction of the Donau," Alicia interrupted, "was due to Nomad influence, wasn't it?" "Saying things like that could get you shot elsewhere in Liberty, Alicia... But yes. It was." "Uh... why are you bringing this up so suddenly?" Melissa asked, shifting nervously in her seat. She didn't like the idea of genocidal aliens coming for her. Most people wouldn't. Mystic pushed a button under the "crystal ball", and the image changed. A deafening silence filled the room. All three women were shocked, Melissa nearly to the point of tears. "This Nomad, of the Keeper subspecies, is registered as Sakyamuni in most databanks. It was in New York today, on a direct path to Manhattan." He pushed another button, and the footage of a battle appeared on the wall behind him. The Nomad ship was remarkably powerful and more nimble than even the Seventeenth Star, quite possibly the most agile Heavy Fighter in Sirius, but the Nomad eventually ceased to function. "Tomorrow, our training begins anew. Rest well. Dismissed." Alicia and Lauren left the meeting room, visibly shaken but mostly alright. Melissa sat frozen to her seat, crying. Mystic helped her to her feet and held her, whispering that everything would work out. "Your fighter's the only ship we have that's even quicker than they are. You won't have to fight if you don't want to." "N... no, I- I have to. Someone has to," she answered, calming a little and backing away. "You're a tough girl," he replied warmly. "Th-thanks," she sniffed. "I just feel like... like I'm slowing you all down. I've never fought before, and now... and now this?" "We won't need you to fight. You can help us in other ways. But I suggest you focus on that training tomorrow. You know, just to be safe?" "Yeah... thanks." "Take the rest of the day off, Melissa. The rest of us have been in this kind of situation before... or at least, something vaguely similar. You haven't. So, please, try to relax if you can. And if you need me for anything, here's my address and phone number." Eighth Arcanum Logs - Thexare - 06-22-2010 The hospital Mystic was in was a lot less comfortable than his shop, but then, most hospitals were. Cold, sterile... and cold. Sweater-cold. "Uh... 'Mystic'," the nurse rolled her eyes at the nickname, the injured mercenary just smirked in response, "you have some visitors. Four women and a man." Four women? Sorceress, Swordsman, Dove... "Send them in," he replied, his arm moving toward a loose bar in the bed. If it wasn't who he thought it was, someone's skull would be caved in very quickly. But they'd already be in a hospital at least. The nurse nodded and walked out, leaving Mystic with only the ticking of the clock and the throbbing pain in his left arm to think about. About two minutes later, his guests walked in. Sorceress, Swordsman, Dove, Onmyoji, and... Oracle?! Alyssa Menaris, a busty Order agent with short black hair and bright blue eyes, an old friend of his from the Cartographers. "Are you alright, Jake?" "Yeah, Alyssa, I'm fine. These four are the mercenaries I've told you about." "Have they seen the owls?" Mystic looked at her quizzically for just a moment before remembering what that codephrase meant. "No, but I think we can show them." "What the hell are you talking about?" Lauren asked, the expression on the faces of the other two women indicating that they wanted to ask the same thing. "Close the door, Oracle." "Alright, Lancer." Alicia instinctively reached for a gun that wasn't there, and Mystic raised a hand in a gesture meant to calm her. It didn't work, but there wasn't much else he could do in his state. Heavily bandaged, practically unable to move his left arm at all because it got torn up so badly when the Seventeenth Star was wrecked. "Alyssa isn't the only Order agent in the room. I am Jacob Orine, Wizard Squadron, Gamma 2, callsign 'Lancer'. I came to House space on a mission to find somewhere for the other Wizards to operate from, but... problems came up." Melissa somehow managed to look even more pale than normal, and Alicia... Alicia was pissed. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" "Hmm. 'Oh, by the way, I'm part of an organization that's been labelled terrorists by the House that we currently reside in.' That would've gone over really well." "Then... why are you telling us now?" Melissa asked nervously. She didn't like this at all; she hasn't liked much since she started working for Mystic. "I'm sorry, Melissa. I didn't want things to go like this for you, I just wanted to just give you a steady, normal job." "Please quit stalling," she interrupted, visibly shaking. "Because... I've been watching you. Every one of you would make an excellent agent... two of you are already wanted criminals anyway, Alicia, Masayuki. I trust you with my life and the lives of everyone in Liberty. If another Keeper had attacked California while I was gone, I'm confident that any of you could've taken care of it. Yes, Melissa, even you. I would be proud to call you Wizards." "And that's probably a good thing, if we ever return to normal duty. Wizard was re-organized and re-integrated into other squadrons. The Order assumed you were comprimised, and took every security measure they could," Alyssa added. "They probably think I'm dead, considering the lack of response I've gotten. Why do you think I called you directly?" "Or worse, that you've been turned," Alyssa replies with a resigned sigh. "We'll have to make the most of our situation... I'll have to be your contact in The Order probably. If you need anything, give me a call. Anything at all." "Thanks, Alyssa. And, everyone... I'm sorry. But with the Nomads and the Phantoms-" "Phantoms?!" Lauren shouted, everyone - especially poor Melissa, who was right next to her - cringing at the sound. "You never told me-" "That's my fault," Alicia said, hoping to defuse the situation. "I didn't want... well... I didn't want this reaction, drawn out over the entire flight." That shut Lauren up. She wasn't happy, but at least she wasn't mad at Mystic. "If you... go back to The Order, I'd like to take you up on that, Jake." "I would as well," Masayuki added, finally breaking his silence. "I know of The Order, and I've seen the speech President Jacobi gave after pardoning them. Powell... no, I'm not going to say it. But I'm with you." "I... ah... all this time, it's... it's been fun, but..." Melissa started, and Mystic braced himself for what was coming... he'd heard it before, from Lloyd. "But I wasn't expecting this at all. I... don't know how much I can do, but if... if you believe I can, then... then I'm with you." It was rare for him to show surprise, but he was visibly surprised at this." "When we were younger, Jake, I told you I'd follow you to hell if I had to. I meant it then and I mean it now." "Oh, Jake... we need to speak privately after you've recovered-" "Wait, Alyssa... could you stay here until I get out?" Melissa stopped in her tracks. "Melissa, wait a moment please, I want to talk to you and Alyssa together before everyone leaves." The other three mercenaries left, and Jake took a deep breath. "I want Alyssa here... in case the Phantoms send someone to finish the job. I believe you could take a Keeper in space, maybe even hold off a Phantom... but here? No, I need someone like Alyssa. Someone proven. And... don't tell Lauren. Please." "Oh, that's all? Okay." She leaned over and quickly kissed Mystic, apparently just before realizing she actually did that instead of just thinking about it. "Uh... bye!" And he never saw her walk so fast before. Alyssa watched the whole scene with a small smile.