Alistair vs. Kate Cont. He could feel his strength fading fast. This needed to end. He was overpowered by the robot, and Kate's speed, and needed to do something different. He quickly started swinging at Kate, midswing retracting the halberd blade. The robot leapt in front of her to deflect the blow, but instead the end if the staff, denser now, crashed right into it's head. Metal bent and electronics sparked. He'd destroyed its tracking, and it went down. "Nate!" The girl screamed, then rushed him faster than he'd ever thought possible. He sidestepped and parried, ducked and weaved, but still she landed blow after blow. He couldn't believe the ferocity of her attack. "HOW..." she landed a hard on his face, "DARE..." A kick to the knee, "YOU..." he felt a rib crack, "HURT MY BROTHER!" She punched him three times in the face. He went down, tasting blood in his lacerated mouth. She kicked the halberd from his hand and hit him in the face with it, still closed. She was about to hit him again when he summoned what strength he could and put a vortex right around her head. She stopped moving, a look of horror on her face. The gravity field wasn't strong enough to have done anything, it was only supposed to have been a distraction, to give him time. She dropped the halberd and clutched her head. "What did you..." She staggered, "Do to...ME!" She sounded panicked. He almost felt sorry when he saw the fear on her face. For the first time he noticed she was really no more than a child. He struggled to get himself off the ground, and grab his halberd. He couldn't kill her, not like this. It just wasn't right. He opted for retreat, and staggered away as fast as he could, he was fairly certain that his knee was dislocated, trying to get to Aeros. “ATTENTION VISITORS! This is your overlord speaking! I, an emissary of Black Death, hereby claim this power station in the name of justice. All humans and NCF-sympathizers have ninety seconds to clear the premises... or be purged in FIRE. Goodbye, humans. May your souls burn in the afterlife as my hatred for you burns in this one.” Blared over the loud speakers. Things just kept getting worse. He finally got to Aeros. "We need to get out of here!"
Aeros had the NCF’s device; he wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks by getting involved in the brawl unfolding on the floor of the farm. He was discretely tucked away in the corner of the massive room, searching for a quiet exit amid the chaos. Alistair was locked in a life-and-death struggle with Kate and her twin. What is he doing?! He’s trying to kill her! The neatly laid plans crumbled into disorganization the minute his feet touched the rooftop, and only continued to get worse. I have to get this operation under control. At that moment, the facility’s public address system crackled to life. “ATTENTION VISITORS! This is your overlord speaking! I, an emissary of Black Death, hereby claim this power station in the name of justice. All humans and NCF-sympathizers have ninety seconds to clear the premises... or be purged in FIRE. Goodbye, humans. May your souls burn in the afterlife as my hatred for you burns in this one.” The Black Death? How!?!? Somehow, the Black Death had slipped under the Rebel’s radars. Just then, Alistair ran up to Aeros, evidently worn and overwhelmed. ”We need to get out of here!” He said, forcing the words between rapid, shallow breaths. “You go, Alistair! There is something going on here. The Black Death is in the facility, most likely in the control room. I’m going to make my way there; you make sure the Earthlings get out of here with you.” Alistair nodded, and hurried off, favoring his right knee as he ran into the heart of the farm again. Aeros turned his eyes to the far doorway, and the long, winding hall leading to the control room. He safely tucked the device inside of his rucksack, sprinted the length of the farm, and shot down the hall as the doors of the control room came into sight. He skidded to an abrupt halt when he received a transmission. “We have a situation in the control room. You might wanna come see this.” It was Haldrin. “Roger, hang tight, I’m on my way.” He heard the sound of metal gears grinding echo through the empty tiled hallway, and just 20 meters ahead of him, the door to control opened. Haldrin short, stocky frame was silhouetted by the light pouring from the room behind him. He frantically beckoned Aeros toward him with a large, meaty hand. Aeros bound the remaining distance, and stopped just before Haldrin, extending his hand. Haldrin took it, and they shook. “I’m glad you’re here Haldrin. You look well!” Aeros joked. Haldrin grinned uncomfortably. "Well, that’s a relief, because I feel like I was poisoned. By a mermaid.” Aeros looked at him, confused, and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could utter a word, Haldrin pushed the door the remaining distance open, and Aeros’ eyes fell on a feminine blue humanoid. ”I, an emissary of the Black Death...” It couldn’t be. He slowly approached the mermaid, stopping at a safe distance. “What are you doing here, Indira?”
Kates hell A shrill scream echoed throughout the facility echoed throughout the facility as Kate was once again thrown into a nightmarish state. It wasn't just that half her brain just shut off that terrified her, it was much more. All her memories, her hopes and her dreams where kept alive by her comp brain. It had replaced the part of the brain responsible for long term memory and so when it shut off, her past all the memories of her childhood, of those she loved. They begin to fade as well, but they don't disappear all at once. She desperately grasps at them like paper flying in the wind. She tries to hold them close, grip them tight but like sand, they fall through the cracks. Slowly against her best efforts even her family, begins to fade. "I, I can't forget them, I...can't forget...who? Who can't I forget?" She slams her fist on the ground in frustration tears stream down her face, "Who is it? Who’s it I'm supposed to remember? What am I doing here? Where am I?" Panic grips her, she forgets that it only lasts thirty seconds; she even forgets who she is. But there is one thing she does not forget, the one thing that haunts her, that now comes to the for front of her mind, and only when she is in this state. Even with her memories disappearing this one things stays. Nates grave. the day she buried him, The reality that he is gone, the circumstances of his death; is the only thing she can remember. She clutches her head and tries screaming away the idea, "No, he's not dead, HE's NOT DEAD!" But it simply grows more apparent, the idea just becomes more offensive and there is nothing that can comfort her. This is the cause of her horror. This, is her 30 seconds of hell.
Arun and Kerys The human girl came back and emptied a couple of rounds into the pixie's back. It reeled from their impact, letting loose a scream. It was damaged, but not by much. Then she informed Arun of the bad news. The mission truly had failed. But right now that wasnt what required immediate attention - his life was at risk. The pixie steadied itself, it's glowing red eyes as bright as the sun, staring straight at him. It charged, all fours mounting the panels beneath it, cracking their surface. Arun threw his arm to the side, in the direction of his sword. The weapon flew towards them, and then he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being clawed again. His sword cut a deep gash across the pixie's back in mid flight, and landed right in front of the Judicator. Arun picked it up, pointing the blood-caked tip straight at his opponent. He firmly stood his ground. "Arun, we're pulling out. Repeat, back down! Abort mission!" Riley's rough voice shouted into his helmet. Arun heard the distant whir of military aircraft. He lowered his sword and backed away slowly. An order was an order, and if he had to pick between retreat or fighting to the death with this pixie, running away would always be a better option. The pixie reared its ugly head, scratching at the gash across its back. It then got back on all fours, readying a third charge. Arun grit his teeth, taking a lower stance, sword held by both hands in front of him. "Run!" Kerys' said, completely out of nowhere, and quickly cover fire rained down over him, bullets piercing the muscled hide of the monstrous pixie as it brought its arms up to protect itself. Kerys had lowered herself using the wire, SMG in the other hand. When she reached the ground Arun had already turned and was running towards the lobby. She dropped a frag grenade in the monster's position and loosed the rest of her magazine blindly as she followed her partner.
Kelly McKeller Kelly pulled the controls hard as another missle flew by her. D*** that NCF aircraft. She was locked in a tight battle with what she assumed was an NCF evac ship. Hopefully it meant they were retreating. She sent a volley of shots and a missle off at the aircraft before rounding Liberty to the far side of the solar farm. The ship didn't pursue as she had expected but instead landed for a few moments and took back off into the sky again, away from the facility. Definetly an evac ship. She could finally breath easy. Touching a button on her radio she called out to the members of her squad, "Ground team role-call. Whose still kicking and whats the situation down there.?"
Alistair Aeros told him to get the earthlings out. He would, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He ran back to where Kate lay sobbing on the ground. "C'mon, we're getting out of here!" He reached down and grabbed her arm. "No! you win okay just please, no more!"She looked up at him Terrified and helpless. The robot was already getting up, looking at him with it's smashed face. If it had been human, it's face would have been a bloody broken mess. It was bad enough as it was, blue coolant gel dripped from the battered remains of an eye. It stood and made like it was going to attack him. "Whoa! Easy, I'm trying to help you escape!" Alistair hissed. The robot seemed to understand and stood down. "You might want to get your face looked at..." He added as an afterthought. He didn't know why, but something about the androids expression, even mangled as it was, gave the impression of intelligence, like it was always listening. Alistair pulled Kate off the ground, she resisted struggling to free her self. "Please, don't put me through that again. I'm begging you." "I'm not going to hurt you! We have to go now!" Kate as traumatized as she was, calm downed a little. Wiping her tears away she looked at this her foe in confusement. "Why are you helping me?" She asked, sounding like a small child, her voice thick with tears. "Because I've been ordered to." He replied gruffly as he started jogging towards an emergency exit corridor out of the solar farm. "Are you alright?" She was silent, then finally, "Nates really hurt bad, I'm so worried about him." Alistair couldn't believe the turn things had taken. Just a few minutes earlier, he was trying with all his might to end this girl, and now he was escorting her to safety. And he almost, almost felt empathy for her. She truly believed that the mute robot padding along beside them was her brother. And he had just smashed it's face in. She definitely didn't seem like an average human. They reached the door to the corridor and he pushed it open and led them through. "We need to get out of here. Where's your ship?" Kate wiped away the last tear, and finally composed her self. "Hold on Hopes coming." Then she put her fingers n her mouth and made a whistling noise. "Hope come here girl! And hurry!" As she called, Alister noticed the black metal plate in her head hummed a little, it sounded like a machine? Her ship sputtered over the horizon towards them. This definitely was not a normal human.
Kates, decision Hope landed near them, Kate hugged the ships nose as the cockpit opened. "Awwww, did you miss me? Come on Nate lets go!" Nate was about to jump into the ship When Kate realized something. She looked at Alister, stared into his eyes deep in thought. "I'm not sure if I like you enough to let you on but. Okay let me talk with Nate first, Nate?" "...." "He bashed your face in!" "..." "You forgive him?" "..." Well I don't like him." "........................" "Thats just stupid." "..." "Don't bring that dog into this, the fire crackers have nothing to do with Hope." "..." "Fine." She whirled around facing Alister, she still looked annoyed and a little angry. "You can fly with us, Nate says he forgives you. Ya he's way too nice." With that she hopped in.
Changing of the Guard “I’m surprised you called Aeros instead of the halfie,” Indira said, while she and Haldrin waited. “What’s the matter, dwarf? Don’t trust your leadership?” He ignored her. He was getting very good at ignoring her provocations. Indira remained silent until the elf arrived. She was sitting on the floor, with her hands tied behind her back. The dwarf’s knots were very sturdy. He wasn’t taking any chances. Aeros showed up a minute later --limping, she noticed-- and approached her after greeting Haldrin. He kept his distance and wasted no time. “What are you doing here, Indira?” the elf asked. She smiled. “Oh, you know my name? I’m impressed.” She squirmed slightly, trying to move her hands into a more comfortable position. “Come a little closer, dear. Don’t be a stranger. We’re all friends here.” Haldrin shot her a very angry glance. He didn’t like the games she was playing. “She was talking on a neuro-transmitter a few minutes ago," he said to the elf. "It sounded like some of her ‘friends’ robbed our base and made off with some supplies.” “I heard such great things about the generosity of Rebels, I simply had to come see for myself,” Indira said coyly. "What's a few supplies between friends, right?" Aeros glared at her. "Interesting," he mumbled, looking at Haldrin. "Why do you suppose she would come here, disguised as a Rebel, who," he turned again to Indira. "I'm certain is dead now, when she could have been at the base, gleefully participating in destruction and theft of our resources? You don't think she has a soft spot for the rebellion, do you?" He said, mockingly. "I don't care why you're here, Indira." He approached her, almost within reach of her feet. He stopped again, just out of range. "I don't care what 'noble' reason you can sell for your presence here. I know your kind." He glanced at Haldrin. "Cut her loose, please." When Haldrin didn’t immediately approach, Indira smiled. She didn’t fault the dwarf for his wariness. “For what it’s worth, I only ‘gleefully participate’ in the destruction of humans," she said. "Relax boys; your precious base is still in one piece. We only took what we needed. The real Camilla is alive and well… and would probably like her glasses back. I swear she must be blind. Do you see how thick these lenses are? Poor girl…” Haldrin muttered something under his breath and approached. He handed his shotgun to Aeros before doing so. That way, if she attacked, she wouldn’t be able to get a firearm from him. But nothing happened. The dwarf hauled her up, cut the ropes off, and moved back to a safe distance with no hostilities. “See, was that so hard? I can be reasonable,” Indira said as she rubbed her sore wrists. She looked to Aeros and smiled. “To answer your question, the reason I came is pure curiosity. I wanted to see how you do things. I can’t say I’m impressed, but...” She let the statement hang in the air for a moment while she came closer, until she could truly look the elf in the eyes. She placed a hand on his face and stroked his rough, unshaven chin. Her other hand deposited Camilla's glasses in his breast pocket and she backed away. "...There is much potential," Indira concluded. "I think we could both benefit from a closer relationship between my people and yours. I will always need supplies. When the time comes, I would prefer to enter through the front door, not the back, when I come to retrieve them. It's time the Rebellion stopped treating me like a monster in the closet. We're on the same side." "No. We're only two sides of the same fence." He moved forward as he spoke. "The Rebellion doesn't fight for elves, nor dwarves, nor orcs; we fight for the equality that is an intrinsic part of our collective species. This isn't a war against humans, but a war against tyranny." He stood only a foot from her now, returning the same gaze deep into her eyes. "I don't think you understand that." He turned around without warning, and paused for a moment, his back turned to Indira. He was exposed; Aeros disagreed with her, but after the events of tonight, he couldn't deny that he trusted her. "Ultimately, though, the choice is not mine," he paused as he saw Haldrin still glaring at her. Losing a dwarf's trust was nearly irreversible damage. "Nor, fortunately, is it his. The Brigadier will decide what is best for this colony." He walked toward the door, stopping once more. Aeros turned around, and looked into her eyes once more. "I know that more than curiosity brought you here tonight. Few animals are that curious." He backed out of the control room, nodding to Haldrin. "Whatever you came for, thank you. Undoubtedly, more Rebel blood would have spilled had we not had you here." "Let's go, Haldrin." "Yes sir!" The dwarf gruffly shouted, and left control, shooting one last baleful glance at Indira. "I hope to see you back at the base, Overlord." He smiled lightly, an expression wrought with regret, as he left the room. “You will,” Indira said as she watched him go. The half-breed was chirping in her ear, asking her to report for a roll-call. Indira thought for a moment. Should she get on the Liberty or not? She didn’t like the idea of riding around with that half-breed. On the other hand, Aeros had given her an open invitation. She ultimately decided her hatred of Kelly outweighed Aeros’s likeability. Indira tapped the neuro-transmitter in her left ear --the one linked to Black Death-- and called up Daryn Varris. She took a seat at the console. The two humans in lab coats looked at her suspiciously, but she ignored them. “I have some new orders for you, Varris. You ought to like this,” she said to her second-in-command. “Are you at Omega Outpost yet? Pack up everything there and meet me at the power station in about an hour. We're moving.”
Riley There were a few more rebels alive as he hid behind the damaged vehicle. To his right was a gaping hole in the wall, which the pixie had made upon breaking into the facility. Riley had never seen one so big before, but they were a rarity on Eris. The monster took out the remainder of his squad, including the driver, who had had such vicious fighting spirit. She now lay in a pool of blood, the same scarlet colour of her hair. At least she died doing what she loved. "Evac squad in position." The Judicator heard in his helmet. He had heard from Arun and Kerys, who he assumed were fighting the pixie, but nothing from Danyl. "Roger!" Riley winced. He saw the shuttle land outside, several feet from the facility's new entrance. He tried to stand, and immediately pain shot up from his knee. The adrenaline in his system had run its course, and his knee throbbed with an after-pain. He could barely put weight on it, which he had a lot of. Injuries were much harder to heal at his age. Arun and Kerys emerged from beyond the lobby, ignoring the rebels who fired at them. They made their way over to their commander and helped him walk out of the building, each taking him under one shoulder. When they left the building the firing stopped, but soon a much quicker, more powerful noise came from behind them. Riley recognised the sound of a rail gun well enough. They set him into the aircraft and he was able to see Danyl walking towards them, his long blond hair exposed due to a lack of a helmet. The expression he wore was ambiguous, Riley couldn't tell whether he was angry or pleased with himself. He would ask later. The aircraft lifted off with all four Judicators, the only survivors of the sabotage team.
Alistair Confused Alistair was extremely confused. "I think it would be better if I stayed here." He couldn't imagine that he could just jump in the ship with her without any repercussions. "After all, your working with the NCF... and we were just trying to kill each other..." That was the part that confused him. " Either you stay here and risk getting slaughtered by the NCF or you come with me, there coming in droves by the way, and in your state I don't think you can fight them. As for us, we had to fight each other right? To be convincing, in the end you didn't kill me. I guess that's why Nates forgiven you. She presented a valid argument, he climbed into the ship. He still didn't trust the girl, but he respected her more. She was as close to and equal as he'd ever fought. And she wasn't like other humans. She didn't have the same hardness toward that he'd seen his whole life. As a dark elf, he had always had to deal with prejudice from every race, but especially humans. Dark elves were feared for their power. Especially when it became known that he had trained with the Vo-su void mages. They were feared by all for their power, and superstition surrounded them. But this human seemed to look at him with more curiosity than anything. And there was something innocent about her, like she was a child in denial. Inside the ship was primitive, lacking even the basics of modern ships. "It's a bit... dated," he finally settled on the least offensive word he could think of, "in here." "Do you want me to jettison you?" She replied. "No, that's alright." He walked to the back of the cabin. "I'll drop you back, just outside of the rebel base." She said and engaged the ships thrusters. Alistair's mind wandered to how weak he felt. "What did you do to my mind before?" Kate asked. "I put a dark matter vortex around you, I don't know why you reacted the way you did... unless..." He paused, thinking of how to ask the next part. "Unless you're part machine. It disrupts electronics." "How do you know how to do that?" She asked in amazement. "I trained with an order of powerful monks. They taught me everything I know." Alistair had sought out the Vo-su monks when he was still a young man, drawn by the stories of their power over darkness, a technique he had yet to master. He had learned how to manipulate dark matter though, to see it, to wield it as a weapon. He still wasn't as powerful as a fully initiated Void Mage. While they could harness and control the power of the void with ease, he still struggled to cast a vortex. With the escalation of violence that loomed on the horizon, perhaps it would be good for him to finally finish his studies. Then he had an idea. He tapped a set of coordinates into a tablet and handed them to Kate. "Can you take me here?" "Where is this?" She asked. "A space station perpetually in the dark side of the moon. It's where I trained." "Um...hold on, what do you think Nate? ya, mmhhmm, I see. He took the tablet back and tapped out a brief message to rebel command explaining where he was going. Kate shifted the ships course. "Alright, I'll take you! But in return, can you answer a question? It's something that's been bugging me for sometime. Whats the difference between humans and elves?" A seemingly obvious question, but there was a sparkle in her eye, like she was testing him. "Humans and elves?" He thought about it, it was harder than it seemed to answer. "Well we're different species." "But, I mean, what makes us different?" She looked bemused. "I..." He couldn't come up with a good answer. It was disturbing. He hated humans so deeply, and yet he didn't even know how describe the differences between them and his own kind. "Humans are ignorant and close minded." He finally fell back on rederick. "You don't sound very convinced of that." She said, shaking her head. "From what I've seen, I don't see much difference. Just a bunch of of petty people fighting over phoney ideas." Alistair was shocked that he nearly agreed. "Well, it's the humans who started this war." He said finally. Kate's fresh perspective was something that he couldn't accept, not yet. It made a surprising amount of sense, but his hate of humans was too deeply engrained in him. "Just fly the d*** ship." He said finally. She laughed at him.
Captian Kelly Mckeller "Ground Team! This is McKeller. Whats the situation down there? Any casualities? Are you ready for Evac?" This was the second call she had sent through the radio. A sick feeling had developed in her stomach, as she worried about who might be carried from this fight in a body bag. Then again, it might have just been the G-forces she had defying with her gravity. The mission seemed to have been a success so far. Minus the roof; the facility seemed to be unharmed. At least as far as she could tell from the outside. The NCF had evacuated and the supposed bomb hadn't been detonated. All in all, a successful mission. Now, she just hoped the majority of her team had survived.
Kate Kate received Kellys call and quickly chirped back, "I'm alive! and so is mister grumpy elf, last time I checked Aeros and was alive too..." Kates voice suddenly got solem she sounded devisted to even say it. "I, Camilia, the elf girl is dead." "Alister and I are flying to the far side of the moon, he wants me to take him somewhere. Um... that's about it I think. The pixie is still down there as well." A moment of silence followed. "Commander, are you okay? your not hurt? Maybe it's not my place to ask."
Captian Kelly McKeller "Commander, are you okay? your not hurt? Maybe it's not my place to ask." "I'm fine Kate. You should get off this frequency so that the NCF don't suspect you. As for Camilia, I didn't know she had jumped off the ship until half-way through the battle." Stupid Girl. Why couldn't she follow orders? Kelly brought the ship in for a landing near the entrance of the facility. Her heart was heavy as she thought about the men they had lost. But at least they had succeeded. The NCF had been pushed back. "Pick up is at the front of the plant. I've already called into to base. They're sending engineers to repair the damage. Our mission was a success." One small battle won, now...on to the war.
Alistair Kate get distracted by the radio. The halfbreed pilot was asking for a rollcall. Alistair realized that once again, he had lost his radio. He looked around the cabin of the small ship. He found the android, Nate's, smashed in face very disconcerting. Thankfully, It didn't take long to reach the space station. Alistair watched as it grew in the window, a pitch black series of modules and tubes. "Dock there." He pointed to a protruding docking tube. The small ship drifted closer, and gently secured itself to the tube. He gathered his things and went to the hatch. "You've given me much to think about human." He said to Kate. "Thank you." He said and before she could reply had drifted out into the gravity-less station and closed the hatch again. He floated forward, opening the airlock, and entering the station proper. Once he had it shut, Kate's ship departed. Inside, there was yet another door, framed by two black burning candles and writing in ancient elvish. It read, "To he who seeks the void, you are home brother." He banged on the door three times with the butt of his halberd. After a few minutes, the wheel in the center began to turn, and the door swung open, revealing a tall dark elf wearing a black robe, his face covered with runic tattoos. "Ala gayam brother." Alistair said, bowing low. "Ala maru." The other elf responded. "Welcome back Alistair." It stepped aside, and Alistair floated through the open door, and then settled down as gravity once more pulled him to the ground. The Void Mages maintained gravity on the station using the Void. "I'm hear to finish my training. May I see Arcesh?" Alistair asked. Arcesh had been his teacher. The other elf nodded and turned, walking away, robes swishing. The station was still covered in thick tapestries and illuminated with black burning torches. "Ala maru, Alastair." Another voice called from behind him. "It is good that you are here brother. So you have finally decided to take the rite?" It was Arcesh. He was an aged Elf, at least 1000, his wrinkled skin the color of tar, his eyes luminous purple, and hair braided and hanging to his feet. "Ala gayam Arcesh." Alistair responded. "I am ready to commit to the rite." "Does this mean that you have finally purged the hate from your soul? The void cannot enter where there is already emptiness. Your heart must be at peace, unclouded by rage and hatred." Alistair knew this. It had been why he hadn't ever taken the rite before. But now, he knew that he had to let it go, especially after his conversation with Kate. Hate would solve nothing, but the power he could gain here might. "I am ready Arcesh, ready to become a full void mage." Arcesh laughed slowly and laid his hand on Alistair's shoulder. "Good. Then let us begin." He led him into another, larger chamber. "Sit, I will call the brothers." Alistair's heart beat. There was no going back from this. If he lived, he would be different. There was of course the danger of dying, but he wasn't to worried about that. Arcesh returned with the other mages. There were nine of them, and they each took seats surrounding Alistair, while Arcesh sat face to face with him. They all started chanting. Arcesh spoke over the chant. "Open your heart to the void. Open your soul to the void. Open your mind to the void. Open your body to the void." Then he opened his purple eyes and took a knife from his sleeve. With lightning speed, he stabbed it into Alistair's chest. "Let the void heal you!" Alistair gasped as the blade entered. He had know it was coming, but still he wasn't ready for the pain. He could taste blood in his mouth. But this was the rite, and he had to follow through now. He entered the Vo-su meditation, and tried to ignore the pain. His mind flowed free into the void. If he died right now, his consciousness would be trapped here for all eternity. In the swirling nothing, he found a point of light, and followed it. His memories and experiences flashed before him, and the emotions that went with them. He sorted though the emotion, found the colors, red and brown for hate and anger, blue and green for peace and happiness, white for love. He took the red and brown and threw it into the point of light, out of the void, out of his heart. He let the blue and green and white take over for a moment, basking in the peace, before pushing them down once more and letting the black in. The black of the void. It filled everything, filled in the spaces, swirling. He felt the pain again, and found the part of him that hurt, and focused all his power on it. The pain shriveled and died. Alistair gasped and opened his eyes. The torches of the room were burning low, and the chanting had slowed. The luminous purple eyes met his. In his hand was the charred handle of the knife. He looked at his chest, there was only a small scar to show that anything had happened. "Welcome brother, back to the world of the living." Arcesh said slowly. He looked weak. "H..." Alistair tried to speak, but was surprised at how little strength he had. "How long?" "17 hours. But you defeated the pain and hatred. But now you must rest. Tomorrow, you may take the shuttle." Alistair nodded, and closed his eyes. He was exhausted, but could feel power in him. It felt good.
Indira and Zanne The room was small, with bare concrete walls and no windows. There was a metal table with two chairs in the center, illuminated by a single hanging bulb. A shadowy hooded figure was sitting in one seat. The other was unoccupied. Brigadier Marta Zanne dismissed the two guards standing outside the door. “Leave me with her,” she said. The two soldiers nodded and left. She stepped inside, shut the door behind her, and took a seat with her guest. Indira Blue laughed as she removed her hood and grinned at the brigadier. “Is all this secrecy really necessary?” she said, amused. “Are you afraid what will happen if the UEFSF finds out your noble Rebellion is working with Black Death?” “We aren’t working with you yet,” Zanne said and laid a package on the table. There was an envelope pinned to it. “You did a good thing, protecting the power station. You have my thanks, Miss Blue, but-” “Please, call me Indira,” the mermaid said, with a devilish smile as she took the envelope and opened it, expecting cash. Instead, there was paperwork inside. Her smile vanished. “What’s this?” “Identification papers. Photo ID. Before I can agree to anything, I need to know you’ve put your extremist ways behind you, Indira.” Zanne smiled kindly. “I don’t negotiate with terrorists. However, I am willing to work with a former terrorist, if it can end this war with less bloodshed.” Indira dumped out the contents of the envelope. It was all information pertaining to a dark elf by the name of ‘Syl Nerrier.’ She tore open the package. It was a Rebellion uniform, including a patch with that same name. “I want you to do something for me, Indira.” “My men are already babysitting your power station, when we could be off doing far more productive things,” Indira said angrily. “Don’t push your luck, fairy.” But Zanne went on: “I’ve received some very important intel. A vital NCF official --a man we’ve been trying to get our hands on for months-- is going to make an appearance soon.” “You want me to assassinate him?” Indira’s devious smile returned. “This, I can do.” Zanne slowly shook her head. “No, I want him captured-” “Tortured? Interrogated? Made and example of? Keep talking, I like where this is going.” Zanne sighed. “Listen to me, Indira. I want this man captured alive and unharmed. If he dies at your hands, you can forget about any alliance between us. Do you understand?” The look in Zanne’s multicolored eyes made it clear she wasn’t kidding at all. Indira’s gaze was cold and dark as the deepest ocean trenches, but even she felt the weight of Zanne’s ultimatum. “Fine,” the mermaid said. “It’s not the first time I’ve taken a human prisoner. Me and my people can take care of this.” Again, Zanne shook her head. “No. I have two stipulations. First, Black Death will not be involved in this operation; your squad will consist of Rebel forces. Second, Syl Nerrier will lead the mission.” She gestured to the envelope. “She is a figment of my imagination. She exists only on paper. Fortunately, I know a talented shapeshifter who can breathe life into those documents… this way, you don’t have to drug a poor girl and shove her in a footlocker. I’m giving you an identity, so you won’t have to steal one.” “Ummm... yeah... How’s Camilla doing?” Indira said timidly. “Very well, thank you. A little shake up, but she's fine.” Zanne stood. “We have nothing further to discuss. Those are the terms of our agreement, Miss Blue. Upon successful completion of the mission, we’ll speak further. Assemble your squad. I’ve reserved a briefing room for you at 1800 hours.” The fairy paused at the door, gave the rebel salute, and departed. Indira wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a sign of respect or an insult. She quickly donned her uniform. A few minutes later, the dark elf Syl Nerrier left the tiny room.
Captian Kelly McKeller 6:00 pm. Kelly sat at the conference tabel. Her brown hair was wet from her recent shower and she changed out of her uniform into a comfortable blue t-shirt and slacks. The woman who was leading the meeting was someone she had never seen before. And yet, there was something very familiar about her. Especially her eyes, full of contempt...as Camilla's had been. Before she found out that someone had been impersonating her. The whole base knew that there had been a fake Camilla on the mission while the real was was trapped in a locker. The weird thing was that identity of the impersonator had been kept secret. Kelly had the feeling that some of her team members, especially the dwarf, knew what was going on; and it was quite frustrating. Why was it such a big secret? What was worse however was the feeling of uselessness. The mission coming up didn't need a pilot. They needed warriors, trained hand-to-hand combat warriors. What she going to do? Play back-up? If that was her part...she would do it to the best of her ability, but she still wished she knew more than how to pilot and shoot a gun. The final team members trickled in and took their seats. This breifing was about to begin.
Alistair For the first time in years, Alistair felt something: peace. It had been three days since he had returned to base, and the hatred he had felt was only a shadow of what it had been. He felt powerful and refreshed, having rested fully and recovered from the last week. Earlier he had received the mission briefing on his tablet, and now was seated in the conference room once more. A dark elf he'd never seen was supposedly the mission leader. Her manner reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite figure out who. Regardless, he was ready for another mission. Although his hatred was diminished, he still knew that the NCF were evil and needed to be stopped, and he was willing to put his all into making that happen. And there was still a little hate, he had to admit. "So, we're attacking a train?" He said. "Seems a bit quaint doesn't it?"
Arun "Dark elves?!" General Wilson's fist slammed onto the head table in room 211. He shot a glare at Arun across the room. "One dark elf," Riley explained, referring to the one that had attacked him at the power facility. The head Judicator was resting, seated for once, among the officers and high command of the NCF. "Those damned void mages!" Wilson spat, "we give them peaceful exile and this is what they repay us with? Joining the rebellion?! We attack them on the morrow!" The exterminist general's eyes were so accusing that Arun actually thought that he was responsible for the slender man's rage. Perhaps he was. There was a sudden uproar as half of the room agreed with Wilson's suggestion and the other half rose with protest, alongside Merridew.* "Silence!" Lord Commander General Soloman's voice rang out. The heavily bearded old man was stern and annoyed. "You want to risk losing another battle like today, Wilson?"* Wilson blinked, as if he had just been insulted, "Sir, my operation went exactly as planned. If those Judicators had simply performed the task assigned to the-" "I don't want to hear it!" Soloman shouted. Wilson was at a loss for words. "Your soldiers behave like bloodthirsty animals, hunting what they think is prey. These rebels are smarter than that. You and your men are hereby suspended from duty until you educate yourselves!" Solomon stood, indicating that the meeting was adjourned. The smirk on General Merridew's face was priceless.* After the de-briefing, the Judicators headed straight for their ship. The Dies Irae was equipped with its own armory, and held five complete suits of armour for each Judicator that had come along on the journey, as well as weapons and military tech from Eris. Then they went straight for their chambers to rest. Kerys lay on Arun's bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He had just taken a shower and was getting changed. There was heavy bruising on his chest, from where the pixie had struck. Luckily his armour was thick enough to stop the blow from penetrating, but it was only because the angle wasn't right. Arun believed that if the pixie had hit him straight on, its claws would've swept cleanly through. "Ever feel like we're on the wrong side?" He said, slipping into bed next to Kerys. She was silent for a moment, but then spoke comfortingly, "We're from Eris. We don't belong here. Things are different back home - there are no sides." She cuddled up to him, placing her hand on his chest. "It's like you said. The sooner we get out of here, the better." Arun was trying to think of it like that. There were no sides. No good or evil. But there was a right and a wrong. They had only been on New Hope for a couple of days, but it was already difficult to justify the actions of the NCF. Maybe it would've been different if he was human. "Thanks for today," Arun whispered. Kerys smiled. "Next time, that pixie won't stand a chance!" She said confidently. They went to sleep. The next morning the Judicators suited and headed off to room 211. There was a new mission, and Riley was the leader this time. Arun was sure that it would go a lot smoother, but Riley was injured. He had visited the military medical centre the night before, but looked as if he still had trouble putting weight on his left knee. The Judicator commander was very good at hiding it as he made his way to the front of the room, before Soloman and Merridew. The surprisingly tall Deputy Commander had replaced Wilson to the left of Soloman. His eyes suspiciously scanned the room, like a watch tower.
Syl Nerrier (Indira Blue) The dark elf, Syl Nerrier, watched as her subordinates flowed into the conference room. She sat with her legs crossed, in a very regal, yet predatory posture. Her skin was the color of cold stone. Someone who’d never seen a dark elf before might mistake her for a statue; a statue whose eyes watched each and every one of them. Many of the people she had requested for this mission were the same ones she’d worked with in defending the power plant. That mission hadn’t gone smoothly, but it had been successful. Thus far, these were the only people in the camp she had experience with. When it looked like they were all present and seated, the dark elf Alistair spoke. "So, we're attacking a train?" He said. "Seems a bit quaint doesn't it?" “Not just any train,” Syl said as she stood and placed a flat round device in the center of the table. It was a hologram projector. “I am Commander Syl Nerrier, Special Ops. While on assignment, you may call me ‘Commander’ or ‘Syl.’ During downtime, you may call me 'Syl,' 'Nerri,' or 'Ma'am.' I will not respond to any other name, nor any combination of the two,” she said sternly. They could see immediately that she had little tolerance for nonsense or insubordination. “And one thing I truly cannot tolerate is a lack of decorum,” she said, with a sharp glance at the wet half-elf in a t-shirt. "Consider yourself warned." Using a handheld remote, she activated the projector, revealing a detailed image of the train. It was many cars long, like a titanium snake, and covered in armor plating. Even the wheels were concealed. What few windows it had were only narrow slits, with machine guns poking out. The engine at the front had rocket thrusters that pulled the entire vehicle along at incredible speeds. And the caboose was pretty much a battle tank, with a cannon big enough to blast any chase vehicle clear off the tracks. “This quaint little train,” she said, looking to Alistair, “was designed by George Smith, a mathematician and communications specialist whose encryption algorithms have been virtually impossible for us to break. Among his many eccentricities, Smith is terribly afraid of flying. He works in underground bunkers, heavily guarded, where he toils away making unbreakable codes. The NCF moves him every few months, to keep us from pinning down his location. This ‘quaint little train’ is designed to move Smith from one base to another, via a secure route, at speeds in excess of 300 miles per hour.” The image changed, revealing the route Smith’s train would be taking. It snaked through mountains, canyons, and tunnels and traveled though parts of the moonscape where incomplete terraforming meant the air was nearly too thin to breathe. Syl pointed to some key points on the map. “Smith’s ride will take about two hours. Due to the nature of his route, getting support from an airship or gunship will be virtually impossible. The train will be going in and out of tunnels, some of them many miles long,” Syl explained. She pointed to a spot where the rails spiraled down into an old rock quarry before going underground. “Unless one of you has a better idea, this is where we’ll board. We’ll come up from behind in a rocket-propelled chase car. Timing is critical. The turret won’t fire while the train is turning --the recoil could derail it-- so we have to board while they’re going around the spiral. From there, we fight our way through, car-to-car until we find our man.” She looked to her team sternly. "If you have any questions or suggestions, speak now."
Alistair The plan was sound. He didn't like this woman, and she seemed to be enjoying her rank a little bit to much. He was the same rank, and it galled him a little that he would be forced to take orders from this pretentious witch. She didn't seem like a dark elf, she had none of the elegance or quiet intensity that most dark elf females possessed. She had the dark temper characteristic of their race however. "It's a solid plan, but I recommend having the gunship on standby at least. If worst comes to worst, we may have to derail the train. Backup extraction is always a good idea. Also, I'd recommend that we split into two groups when the assault begins, one group storming through the interior of the train, and another with exo suits on top. The interior team could draw attention from the front cars, and the exterior team would be able to move to the front, possibly disabling the train, or at least reaching Smith. What do you think?" He swallowed his pride with that last statement. He knew that if he were leading the mission, that's what he would do, but this was not his mission, it was hers. So he posed it as a suggestion.
Syl Nerrier (Indira Blue) “Well said,” Syl replied to the dark elf’s suggestions. “I’ve included breather masks in your supplies, in case we need to travel along the exterior of the train. Integrating that capability into the mission parameters, instead of keeping it as a ‘backup plan’ is a solid choice, Commander Sur'ma-rac. Well done.” Their ranks were the same. She acknowledged that by giving him the due respect. But she couldn’t let him get away with too much. Syl took her seat, crossed her legs, and looked to Alistair again. “However, derailing the train is not an option.” Her tone was respectful, but she had to let them know she couldn’t support that plan of action. “A derailment at these speeds would surely kill everyone inside. I am under strict orders to take Smith alive. Anything less is unacceptable.” She didn’t like this short leash Zanne had put her on. Failure to bring this man in alive could have an adverse affect on any chance of brokering a deal with the Rebellion. If Indira had her way, she’d blast the damn thing off the rails and be done with it, but Zanne seemed to think capturing Smith alive was more important. On the other hand, Zanne said nothing about destroying the train after they got George Smith out. Indira's destructive side relished the thought... “The gunship won’t have a clear shot ninety percent of the voyage, but I suppose no harm can come from its presence,” she said, finding a compromise. “With precise timing, we can make use of it on the brief stretches between tunnels. A skilled pilot might even be able to follow along through the narrow canyons.”
Doctor M M reached into the conference room late wondering how the new commander would take it. His back stung slightly as he sat down. The wound from the sword had finished healing a few days ago but was still sore, he wondered if the blade had been poisened. As he snuck in he looked about, a few familiar faces dotted about. Kelly sat on the opposite side of the table, dressed casually. "The interior team could draw attention from the front cars, and the exterior team would be able to move to the front, possibly disabling the train, or at least reaching Smith. What do you think?" A dark elf said. “Well said, I’ve included breather masks in your supplies, in case we need to travel along the exterior of the train. Integrating that capability into the mission parameters, instead of keeping it as a ‘backup plan’ is a solid choice, Commander Sur'ma-rac. Well done. However, derailing the train is not an option. A derailment at these speeds would surely kill everyone inside. I am under strict orders to take Smith alive. Anything less is unacceptable.” They want him alive? So either the NCF has one of ours or we're taking a hostage. "I'd like to volunteer for the distraction team. My eye's would make infiltration difficult. I would however be useful in grabbing Smith, I doubt he can overpower a pixie."
Kate in the NCF Kate sputtered over NCF territory as she flew to where the military head quarters where located. She was tracking the receiver in Aruns to help her locate him. With any luck he would vouch for her genuineness. Given fake documents, pass ports and other necessities she easily got past security. Landing her Ship in the NCF base, and going through inspection she began searching around around for the briefing room. "Boy they're in for a surprise aren't they Nate." "..." "I know its so exciting." She sent a message to Aruns suite once again it read, "I'm the girl back at the power plant incident, I want to take part in your efforts to defeat the rebels. Where can I find you?"
Syl Nerrier (Indira Blue) As the pixie entered, Syl noticed he sat down stiffly. His files said he’d been released from the hospital days ago, but perhaps she should have personally checked on his condition, rather than request him based on what the files said. Oh well, an injured pixie was better than no pixie at all. He was still useful. "I'd like to volunteer for the distraction team,” the pixie said. “My eye's would make infiltration difficult. I would however be useful in grabbing Smith, I doubt he can overpower a pixie." “Request accepted,” she said, very formally. “You and a few others will accompany the exterior squad, led by Sur’ma-rac,” she said, with a nod to the dark elf. “McKeller will be on standby in her airship, should we need aerial extraction. The train’s speed will make all exterior operations highly difficult. On the other hand, Smith is a tactical mastermind: the inside of the train is probably littered with traps and just as dangerous as the exterior.” She stood from her seat and checked her watch. “We have a train to catch, ladies and gentlemen. You have thirty minutes to gather what you need and meet me at the hangar. Dismissed.” She gave the rebel salute and headed for the door. * * * * * * The chase train was essentially a rocket on rails. It was about the size of a bus and had a single door at the front, allowing them to board Smith’s train from the rear. The chase train was too slow to catch up on its own, so it used rocket boosters, at which point it would latch on, allowing the Rebels to board. The exterior team (Alistair, Dr. M, and a few soldiers to assist them) boarded Kelly’s airship. Everyone else (Syl, Aeros, the dwarf, and some soldiers) boarded the chase train, which was carried beneath Kelly’s aircraft. Kelly lifted off from Rebel Base 12. Unlike her transporter, the gunship wasn’t built for carrying heavy cargo; it strained under the weight of the chase train. Syl sent some coordinates to the half-elf. They led to a rail line that intersected with the route Smith would be taking and would allow the chase train to come in behind him. “Deliver us here,” she said, via neuro-transmitter. “I hope your piloting lives up to the rumors I’ve heard. You’ll have to set us down on the rails – you must be precise. Once the chase train in place, you’ll fly ahead and deliver the exterior team to the roof of Smith’s train. Try not to drop anyone, please. I’m counting on you.”
Alistair-Train Jumping Alistair, M (the pixie who he'd finally become acquainted with in the hangar), and two soldiers--elves, Rimm and Vosi-- waited in the troop hold of Kelly's gunship. All of them were wearing breather masks and oxygen tanks, goggles and thermal suits to protect against the frigid moonscape. "Everyone ready for this?" He asked. "It's not going to be easy. The train is moving around 300 miles an hour, and we'll be on top. Thanks to the low atmosphere, wind will be minimal. It would still be all to easy to fall off the back of the train. If that happens, you're as good as dead." That was going to be the hard part, he knew. "Here's the plan, one more time. The chase train docks with the target, and the Interior team storms the train from the back, distracting the guards away from the front. At the same time, he repel onto the top of the train, and move up to the front. Once there, we should be able to get in through a door between cars. If not, I have a hot knife. Once inside, our objective is to extract Smith as quickly as possibly, and then get out. We should be able to time extraction with one of the few straight shots in the line, but timing will have to be precise. After that point is a long tunnel, we do not want to be on the train still when it goes into that tunnel. If anyone has anything to say, now is the time." This was going to be a tough mission, and Alistair didn't want anyone to go into it without having said their peace. But time was running out, they were getting close.
