Maerto left his ship in hangar and went to bar. When he entered to the bar, he thoroughly looked for familiar to him girl, who was shoulder-to-shoulder with him half a year ago. He found her and slowly approached to her:
- “The fallen Angel...” - Maerto bowed.
- “You prolly’ didn’t received my last message to you… Don’t mind if coffee will wait till next time? I’m a frequent visitor here, and I have got my special room here… No, I guessed what you think about. No… I’m not about it. We just need to talk eye-to-eye.”
Leslie was waiting in the bar with glass of pure liquid, sitting in the dark corner. Her dark hair couldn't be seen in the darkness, but it would be imposible to not see her white skin. She noticed Maerto coming to her and took a sip from her glass quickly.
"The White Prince" she says silently and looks up at him. "It's been a long time since we were fighting together for Brailia, Prince. Everything's changed and yet I see you again, that's an awesome surprise. But I guess you need something, rather than talk about old times when we were part of Brailia Security Force. Lead the way, so we can talk in private, White Prince."
Maerto smiled when heard Leslie’s answer. He turned around and said:
- “Follow me… And. Call me just Maerto or Marty.”
Together they went to Maerto’s room. All the way Maerto tried to stay silent and was thinking or dreaming about something. Leslie could see pain in Maerto’s eyes. At the doorstep to room number 304-A Maerto said:
-”Here we are...”
-”Madam…” - he opened door and let her come first.
As soon as Leslie passed threshold of the doors to room all Lights automatically switched on. Leslie could see lot of computers around, it was looked more than Office as there wasn’t bed. In the room was one window with viewing on the Neutron Star.
- “V.I.P. Room, don’t ask how I get it. Anyways. First I wanted to ask you one thing… What you was doing after Reapers gone?”
Leslie followed him through long metal corridor, untill they reached te door of his room. She seemed to be kinda surprised by the room's equipment and stuff around.
"Alright, when Reapers disappeared I remained in Cayman and sometimes I met old friends on Brailia, however I haven't seen anyone from our squadron untill now. Once I launched my Lich again and guess what, one Coalition scum tried to kill me and guess who won."
Maerto went to his minibar and took two classes of Dublin’s whiskey. He gave one to Leslie and say:
- “Here… Take it. It’s good thing” - he sat down on sofa.
- “Communist you say?... No need to guess who won. I saw your quality in fights. And actually that’s why we are here. I need an assistant in one not ended by my brother case…” - he turned to window and attentively look on the Star. - “I know about your skills and I need someone to cover me” - He sadly threw his view dawn.- “My brother tried to find an artifact named White Night. That artifact so powerful, so with that thing in your ship you will have infinite power…” - He sighed - “Two weeks ago my brother was killed… By whom? Nobody knows. He was killed here, on Freeport Five. Zoners cremated his body and even didn’t tried to find out what happened.” - He made one sip.
Maerto put the glass of whiskey on the table and came to computer. A minute later appeared a Hologram with a picture of the artifact and short information.
- “My brother was killed because of this” - he pointed on the hologram.
- “He even got coordinates where should be the artifact. Omega Fifty Eight… Danger place and you know that too. So I need someone good as you to cover my ass in the Devil’s darkness.” - he took glass of whiskey and made one sip - “Are you with me?”
Leslie sighs and quickly andswers to his question.
"Omega Fifty Eight you say? Silly dark system where Corsairs, Hessians, Hunters and Das Wilde are fighting now? It will be kinda hard because radiation after a disaster and not so well working scanners in the nebula won't help you. You are lucky though, I have complete map of Omega Fifty Eight map, including all Jump hole anomalies and possible wrecks. I am with you, however you should know it won't be very nice. "
- “Good. Very good. Prepare your Lich, I’ll get to computers and send transmission to my old friend from the Devil Wing. I’m not sure if you have seen him before, Tawares. I’ll tell him what we are going to do and where he can meet us. My ship ready to launch in any minute, so… I’ll meet you on in space soon.” - he drunk all whiskey he had in his glass - “Let’s do it!”
Maerto arrived to Omega 58 Jump Hole on his Lich fighter, Leslie was already there and awaited for him. Together they crossed Hole. On the other side, Maerto transferred his brother’s coordinates of the artifact placement and told Leslie to lead the way. System was so dark that Maerto couldn’t see anything, sometimes while flashing he could see some asteroids.
Quote:[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Here you are, Amigo
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: 'Ola! Nice to see you here.
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: I promised you I will be here.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Alright.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: So?...
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: I am behind you
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Let's do it
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: It's kinda crazy
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Alright.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: You have map uploaded.
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Si
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: I'll drop you the coordinates in a minute.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: [Sending coordinates... 50%...100%... Done]
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Got it?
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Si
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: I'll follow you.
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Let's go!
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Bloody radiation.
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Here we are
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Look.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: It should be here.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Mhm.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: It's not so easy as I thought.
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: It would be too easy
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Seems like I have to get connection with the board-computer.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Ehey.
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Well…
After few minutes they get to the wreck, few unknown vessels appeared in front of them. Maerto still wanted to get this artifact as fast he could and run away. But to get artifact he had to get connection with board-computer on the wreck to drop it into the space.
Quote:
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: I knew that not only we are hunting this thing.
Wilde.Zweifel: You will not succeed
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Mhm. You was right about the scanners.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Oh... Dammit
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Wha'?
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Well... Was that your plan?
Wilde.Zweifel: did you think your presence here would go unnoticed?
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Leslie! Take their attention I'll try to get this artifact!
Wilde.Zweifel: You are fools to think you could ever manage.
Wilde.Zweifel: Kill them
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Alright... Si amigos!! Let's go!
Wilde.Zweifel: Let the system be fed by your blood
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Alright... I'm starting coding it!
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: [76:F87...:connetion:...90S65K]
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: Faster!
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: [...21-15A1FS... {Error}...]
Wilde.Zweifel: ***(amusement)***
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Dammit.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: I'll try again.
Wilde.Zweifel: you are getting out of time
[RoS]Fallen.Angel: I can confirm it
Wilde.Zweifel: if you run now oyu might succeed
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: [...16-G2. x^2-217x-y17...] Death: [RoS]Fallen.Angel was put out of action by Wilde.Zweifel (Mine).
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: [0174...{Succes}...62-X^17..]
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: Oh damn!
Wilde.Zweifel: You fool
Wilde.Zweifel: it was never supposed to be yours.
[RoS]Bertinelli[X]: *He tractored Leslie's pod*
Maerto wasn’t really good at hacking, and he failed coding after what he started again. In the same minute when Maerto got the connection and dropped the artifact Leslie’s ship exploded. Maerto had to decide, or Leslie’s Pod ,or artifact. Maerto was an egoist, but that’s in the past. He made his decision without thinking a lot. He took Leslie’s escape pod. In the same time, mystery people got what they wanted. Maerto didn’t want to give up, and established beacon on one of the ships and just left.
Maerto targeted Cayman-home system after the actions in the Omega 58. On the deck Maerto asked operating personnel to repair his Lich and went to the hospital where was Leslie. Maerto felt guilty as he took her with him on those danger operation.
Leslie, The Fallen Angel, is in the. Manatum's hospital on 4th deck, left wing. Her leg and left hand is broken and explosion damaged her skin on the belly and right hand. It could be worse however. She's depresed, she lost a short memory including visit of 58th Omega system. All she can remember is their chat on the Freeport and then just white walls of the hospital. She knows something bad had to happen to her, since she's been on Manatum.
"I am sorry and I am fine, you know it could be better"
She appologised to him, even if she didn't know why.