Rise: Past Uncertain

It had been a two days since Abraham's retrieval, yet no time had been wasted on relaxing; that time had been used on packing up everything of note. Now the entire room that had been commandeered as the team's base of operations had been rendered barren, not that there had much to the room to begin with.

Even with most of the work completed, Sabishii busied herself by constantly checking their stockpile of weapons and ammunition, leaving nothing unaccounted for. She had sent Clyde and Abraham to check on the mechs and load up the bulk of their supplies. Now there lay only a single crate in the room. She would be glad to leave this place and begin proper work finding the rest of the teams.

Already new plans were being formulated Sabishii as took stock of each weapon and every bullet from her checklist. The commander's mind cycled through the information from the recovered datapad, figuring out the best routes to each destination. Aside from dropping of Abraham to a safe heaven so he could finally live a happy life with the woman he loved, there would be no rest for Sabishii Okaasan. Her team needed her; her children needed her, and she would be damned if Ray got to them first.

Boots clacked against the ground, but the old soldier did not bother to turn, choosing to keep looking at the number of rifles that had been delivered to the mechs.

"Everything's set?" Sabishii asked Clyde who walked up beside her.

"On our end. We just need your contact to come through. No messages, yet."

"They'll come through," Sabishii simply responded before placing the checklist aside. She then gestured to the crate as the other hand picked up her cane. "If only I was younger than these injuries would be a thing of the past."

Vegas had left a semi-permanent mark on Sabishii. While the crew had done much to patch her up prior to the cataclysm unleashed on Gonair, her injuries had yet to fully heal. Every so often she could feel the pain and occasionally, relive those moments when the bullets had cut through her flesh and rendered her a complete liability that day. Yet, pain remained irrelevant to the old soldier who had returned from the brink of death to fight alongside her allies before they were scattered to the stars.

Pain and determination could drive many well-beyond the limits imposed on a living being.

A thunderous rumble pierced the hardened walls that shook the entire room. Dust fell from the ceiling that formed small clouds which were quick to fade away. Another rumble quickly followed before repeating several more times that caused Clyde to look up.

"Someone's shelling the city. Shells are less than a kilometre away," Clyde said, recognizing the shock-wave that were reaching their hideout. "Most likely from Imperial warships. High-explosive."

"Already?" Sabishii muttered to herself. "Guess we'll need to speed up the time-table. Fight our way to the destination. We'll use the militias and mercs as cover."

A motor then started to life. A soft hum came from the elevator shaft that lay sealed behind them. It looked like Ray's troops had already found them. Not to be unexpected, however. The man was clever and had the resources.

No where would be safe for long.

Clyde then looked to Sabishii, lowering his visor. "And if our contact isn't there?"

"Then we fight until they show up." Sabishii then gestured for Clyde to place the crate down.

The words "Fenris Labs" were written in clean, bold white letters that contrasted against the pale blue case. Sabishii then kicked the case causing the container to slide open. Various panels slid out and formed trays that contained a rather impressive arsenal of weaponry. Most of them were small-arms, but Sabishii gripped one item in particular with her robotic arm and revealed a compact shoulder-launcher that had a massive battery hooked up below.

"Our contact was kind enough to send us a few samples. Firepower will be crucial. Hit hard, hit fast, and leave nothing standing," Sabishii addressed in a stern voice before grabbing a couple of grenades along with as many other weapons she could feasibly carry.

"Hmph. Quite different from what Haruka would do. Always the flashy one," Clyde responded, hand cocking back a rifle's charging handle after loading a fresh magazine.

Slinging the launcher on her shoulder, Sabishii's remaining eye narrowed showing cold focus. "Blowing things up is fine with me." Sabishii then got on her comm. "Abe, we're coming your way now, stand-by."

"Yeah, got it," was the Ossyrian's simple response in a somewhat laid back fashion though a slight uneasiness behind his voice told of his nervousness. No one wanted the entire Empire knocking at their door. "Best start hauling ass. Empire sounds mighty pissed."

The hum from the elevator grew louder and louder, signalling the final moments of the descent. With a click of the button, Sabishii armed one of the grenades.

The moment the elevator's motor stopped, Sabishii rolled the grenade over to the location not even bothering to see the faces of her enemies. The grenade detonated in a grey puff of smoke and shrapnel; already Sabishii had began pulling back to where the mechs lay.

Despite the explosion, however, there were already boots making their way across the room. Clyde's rifle then blasted to life, providing covering fire as the two entered the hallway.

On the other side were a number of men who all had the exact same height and build wearing black, lightweight clothing that traded protection for mobility. Like the Shishgami of old, they wore full-face masks, hiding their faces, but anyone who had faced them would know that they were now dealing with Ray's clones; deadly and ferocious hunters who were the scalpel that accompanied Ray's hammer, the Imperial Army and its allies.

Pistols shots rang out that barely missed Clyde who tapped the trigger that sent a burst down range in return. The assassins took cover, but maintained their advance, using what minimal cover they had to approach. Only Clyde's honed reflexes and battlefield experience ensured that none of the assassins got time to line up a well-aimed shot with their short-ranged weapons.

As Clyde did his job at covering the retreat, Sabishii had busied herself rigging the entire crate that remained loaded with munitions. Bullets whizzed overhead, but Sabishii did not so as much flinch as a red light in the crate began to glow. Getting up, Sabishii did her best to move as quickly as possible despite impairments to her mobility. Her robotic arm drew out a sub-machine gun before letting loose a volley that dispersed the group who only survived thanks to their extensive mobility.

Signalling for Clyde to pull back, the old woman placed her cane aside and pulled a detonator from her jacket's pocket. She waited until Clyde had gotten clear of the zone before her thumb depressed on the red trigger.

A single click of a detonator caused a portion of the hallways to collapse in on itself. Sabishii was quick to retrieve her cane while keeping her weapon pointed in the enemy's general direction as Clyde quickly changed the magazine of his weapon before returning to rearguard action represented by the short bursts of his weapon.

The clones remained relatively silent while they made quick twists and turns around re-bar, fallen support beams, and large pieces of concrete. The only sign of caution they showed was when gun-fire came their way.

Sabishii knew the collapsed hallways did not provide a perfect barrier, but it would slow down the clones long enough for the team to reach their machines.

And once they had reached their machines, they would have all the firepower they would need.

---------

Ray observed the commercial district from the top of one of the skyscrapers. Above there were dozens of Imperial vessels dropping off his troops who were meeting resistance before they had even reached the ground.

Gun-fire cracked like a whip as HMVs of the assorted variety emerged to meet Ray's army from their concealed positions. The bounty might have been high on those such as Sabishii, but hatred towards his rule took precedence for many and it came in many forms. Some of these mercenaries and resistance fighters were simply here because it offered them a quick chance at making a profit; there were hundreds of wealthy individuals who had the power of the dollars to convince those to do there bidding. Many others, however, could care less about the bounty and wanted the Empire destroyed for how it might have impacted their lives in some form.

Still, on a world such as Ostrog, many of these mercenaries were equipped with weapons from the Northern Federation that signalled not just individuals being involved, but entire states. It bothered Ray that the Federation would indirectly get involved, especially when they had abandoned Ostrog three years ago when the Empire had engaged them. They would do anything to weaken the Empire to improve their odds in a full-scale war should it return. Dangerous, but he had contingencies to deal with the Federation. If he could deal with the Hydra League and Forefathers, he could deal with this up-start power.

But the invasion into former Federation territory hid Ray's true objective. The hunt for the time-travellers and Axel's Gang.

Already he had his hunters combing the city. His own special forces created from his own blood. Clones were far more reliable that the regular rank-and-file and treated his word as God's. He could order them to commit suicide on the spot and they would follow through without a question. The best soldiers, in a sense, were little more than machines that could still adapt to the situation; the only thing that mattered to them was the mission.

"My Emperor, we've flushed them out from the bunker, they should be resurfacing shortly," an answer then came through his comm. from one of the many clones he had deployed. "Second team is breaching the garage. They've found their HMVs."

"Tie them down. I will be there shortly," Ray replied. The Hive's map updated with fresh coordinates of where his men expected their prey to resurface.

While one would think the Emperor would let his own troops do the fighting, Ray had doubts on whether his troops could complete their task on their own. Many times Axel's Gang and the Shakespeareans had survived hopeless odds. It would require his presence to cause his enemies to despair before total victory was brought about.

Boosting through the district, the Hive massacred whatever resistance it found. Weapons formed from the cloud of nanites it emanated before they were launched at enemy HMVs with deadly precision. A dozen mechs fell to the ground lifelessly, their cockpits pierced and their pilots dead. These mechs had not even scratched the Hive who brought about silent death. No guns or explosions. Only wickedly sharp spears that sought blood.

In timely fashion, the Hive soon arrived above the target area to see HMVs similar to the Hive approaching a partially collapsed HMV garage, not far from where the entry team had breached. The Hunters were already moving in a loose formation, weapons forming in their hands to fit their fighting-style and the situation.

One of the mechs formed an enormous sledgehammer in their hand upon arriving near one of the walls. Gesturing for the others to stand back, the mech slammed its hammer into the wall.

A bright flash of light then partially blinded everyone within the area causing even Ray to shield his eyes, despite the filtering provided by his HMV.

By the time Ray could properly see anything, it seemed the entire world had been set ablaze.

Explosions rippled across the streets and buildings like a tidal wave that consumed this commercial district. Dozens of missiles and shells flew forth into the air before they slammed back into the ground. The streets exploded and Ray could already see his clones being blasted apart who had yet to recover from the sudden increase destruction.

Sensors then detected three HMVs. The Buster, MK II, and Last Call barrelled through any resistance, blasting down the streets at full speed in the direction of where the fighting lay thickest. It seemed their plan would be to try to hide amongst chaos despite the risk of being caught in a three-way battle.

"Do not let them leave, after them!" Ray ordered, the Hive already in motion, racing through the sky with his troops following him.

The Shakespeareans and their allies might be able to slow down Ray, but that was all they could do. They could slow his impending victory, but in the end, Ray would be the one to achieve victory.

-----------

The opening salvo had been absolutely brilliant. Almost a work of art in its own right, the dazzling display of missiles, shells, and energy blasts cut a swathe through Ray's soldiers who had yet to recover from the devastation.

HMVs that had not been reduced to ash and debris were sent careening to the ground in smoking heaps forcing the rest of the unit that remained to clear the area. That did not stop Sabishii's group from unleashing hell once again upon breaking free of the garage, charging through the enemy's position and breaking through with overwhelming force.

Guns remained hot, casings were ejected, and capacitors vented with each fresh strike from the trio whose method of breaking free had been to simply meet their enemy head on. And having much bigger guns.

"Good kills, proceed to the next position," Sabishii ordered to both Clyde and Abraham, their HMVs pushing forward.

"Taking point, mind watching my back?!" Abraham called back through the comm. before his mech boosted forward.

Leading the way was Abraham's Buster. The close-quarters mech made a mockery of anything that it managed to get its hands on. While the firepower it held could not devastate a whole platoon of soldiers or a vehicle squadron in one go like its counterparts, its ability to brutalize and smash anything it made contact with in hand-to-hand made it a fearsome combatant. Even the nanite armour of the imitation Hives did little to stop an armoured fist from pounding them into a paste.

Already the mech had sheered off the arm from an Imperial mech with one powerful before crushing the torso with single blow with its own arm. With its enemy defeated, the Buster continued forward, racing to where the main offensive had taken place.

"So why are we going in the direction of hell?" Abraham then asked, noting the numerous tracers and explosions that filled the air over the city's northern sector. "We're going to have to watch our backs and the skies above."

Sabishii adjusted one of her cameras to monitor the rear before re-aligning her gun sighs before responding with, "We want to avoid Ray concentrating his best units solely on us. The mercs will also provide a good distraction as they'll fire on the Imperials first. Still, be ready to take the fight to anyone who looks at you funny. We still have a bounty on our heads."

Sights reset, the Last Call then opened up at an aerial HMV with the assault cannon. Rounds trailed behind the mech before they struck home, sending the machine careening into a nearby tower, causing the structure's upper levels to crumble.

Clyde's helmeted head then appeared on screen already with a question on his lips.

"How we going to keep the drop site secure? Anyone going in or out is bound to be shot down by the Imperial Navy."

"Even I don't know that part, we just need to stay alive. They have our coordinates locked."

Looking to the signal that told of her contact's location, the old soldier saw a blip getting ever closer to Ostrog. They had yet to break atmosphere, but she had to give them credit. They were sending something on such short notice and into the middle of a combat zone.

A sudden crash of metal rippled through the air that nearly shook Sabishii out of her chair. As systems adjusted, the Last Call's sensors and camera told that it had been knocked onto its back. A military-grade HMV typically exported to all corners of the galaxy got up and stood above the Last Call, blade in hand and pinned it down with one leg.

This had been the risk they decided to take for charging into the warzone between the Empire and mercenaries.

Sabishii raised the assault cannon only to have it knocked back by the mech's blade. Immediately she then prepared to volley a series of shells and rocket into the mech, only to have those remain unresponsive to her commands. Something must of temporarily knocked out the connection. Or the cannons simply could not be raised in this vulnerable posture.

Still, no kid would have the honour of taking down the Last Call in close quarters. And Sabishii would not wait for the Last Call's guns to come back online.

Slamming a fist against one of the cockpit's seals, the old soldier shouldered the anti-armour laser as the cockpit door opened with a hiss. Just as the hostile HMV prepared for one final strike, Sabishii squeezed down on the trigger that launched a crimson red energy blast, taking little to no time to aim. The stream of red energy was only briefly visible for a split second, but the small, smouldering hole through the HMV's upper torso told of the woman's victory.

Even as the blade remained pointed towards the cockpit, the hostile mech did stir.

Disabled, it did not take more than a simple push from the Last Call to throw its attacker to the ground, completely lifeless. With a quick boost from its thrusters, the heavy mech returned to its feet. A quick adjustments to the systems caused the Last Call's guns to begin searching for fresh targets once again.

"Sabishii, you alright?" Clyde called out as the MK II kept firing its guns at anyone who dared to enter its sights.

"No worse for wear," Sabishii responded as the assault cannon then opened up, firing upon a group of HMVs who ceased fire and found shelters in the ruins of Volga. "Any sign of the Ray?"

"Right here," an all too familiar voice then announced as the Hive appeared overhead with several copies by its side.

A whip of a blade caused the Last Call to jump back before opening up. Rounds slammed into the Hive's shield, pushing it back before the Buster then leaped forth, being accelerated by a series of additional rocket boosters.

The massive blow shattered Ray's shield, sending nanites through the cold air akin to snowflakes, but a sudden slash sent the Buster tumbling back to earth with a fresh wound on its upper torso.

"Abe, respond!" Sabishii then cried out. The woman kept her cool, though Ray's strike gave Sabishii little confidence on the condition of her teammate.

The Buster slowly got back up as Cylde's MK II laid down covering fire. The Ossyrian built mech staggered for a moment before it rose to his full height. A massive gash had been created on the upper torso with the vulnerable internals exposed for all to see.

"Just a nick, I'm fine!" Abraham responded, somewhat out of breath. "So what's our plan against this guy?"

"Hit him harder and don't get caught out on your own," Sabishii then growled. She knew Ray's Hive had not been invincible when it fought beside them back in 120AF, but being able to simply overwhelm the man would not be easy. He would do his best to avoid being targeted by more than one person at a time.

All guns then opened up at the Hive who jetted to the left, using a building for cover. The moment Ray broke direct line of sight, several of HMVs belonging to his Hunters emerged. A variety of weapons formed in their arms with their thrusters propelling them forward at peak speed.

Shifting over to the new attackers, the Last Call signalled for the MK II and the Buster to keep focusing as the assault cannon spun up and began ripping through the air with heavy calibre rounds. Imitations of the Hive stood little chance as the assault cannon tore up the closest enemy as the Last Call relentlessly swept the area.

"Careful, they're everywhere," Clyde commented, the MK II shifting an arm to assist the Last Call, firing its autocannons to protect its teammate. "Watch yourself."

"Just keep an eye on Ray!" Sabishii ordered before the Last Call slammed its rifle into one of the Hunters that had gotten too close. The mech staggered with nanites attempting to dive towards, assuming the form of a new weapon.

A simple burst ended that. Another HMV corpse fell to the ground, adding to the tally of dead on the battlefield.

Red lights then flashed in the Last Call's cockpit causing Sabishii to relocate. Moments later, a spear embedded itself into the ground before transforming into swarm of nanites swept across the black mech's arm that began to consume the plating. A pull of a lever caused a series of grenade launcher along the Last Call to then fire off. Shrapnel filled the air as dark clouds destroyed the nanite swarm.

Yet, on her screen, Sabishii noted that the Last Call's entire lower arm had now been rendered useless. Partially destroyed fingers, exposed hydraulics and missing armoured plates told of the damage the nanites caused should they even make contact with another machine for a few moments.

Eyes then shifted to the mech who had caused this damage. The original Hive approached with extreme speed, dodging the Buster's shotgun blast and fists before slashing its gun apart in one move. The MK II nearly gave way upon being hit in the leg joint as it fired, the recoil from its guns almost sent it backwards due to the lack of stability.

The remains of one imitation Hives was then tossed by the Buster at Ray as a weapon. The Hive only stood its ground while a swarm of nanites absorbed the lesser copy back into its own form, repairing any damage that might of been dealt.

Ray could only restrain a slight chuckle, his voice reappearing on the comm.

"At least none of you are making this easy. I forgot how long it had been since a proper challenge. You should be honoured, I was the Empire's most feared assassin for a reason," Ray told the trio before the Hive whipped a chained scythe, clearing out a number of mercenaries who had begun to fire at his troops. HMVs scattered as one was immediately cutdown by Ray's attack before he directed his soldiers towards the new threat. "But let us end this. Surrender now so I won't have to take you all by force. It's a waste of all our time if you keep resisting. I have a galaxy to govern."

Sabishii could only grit her teeth. "I will end you Ray, for what you've done," she spat with barely contained anger. This man dared to tell her to surrender after all that he had done? "Manipulative bastard," she then uttered.

"Betrayal was never part of the plan, but it had to be done," Ray replied, coolly. "You may not understand, but I've made the universe a far better place. If it were not for your actions people could have lived the lives they wanted." The Hive then gestured to the Buster, referring to the fact Abraham had died in another timeline.

Sabishii took a glance at her companions. In a way, Ray was partially correct. Here, members of the old gang were celebrating their victory and ready to move on with their new lives. Next thing they knew, they were caught up in this strange conflict of madmen claiming to be from the future.

"You two still with me?" she then asked them, looking at the two men's faces on screen.

"Hearing this..." Abraham began before the Buster then shifed into a fighting stance. "Doesn't change a thing. He's tried to kill us during a party which means you ain't able to trust him. As you said, 'manipulative bastard'."

Clyde's MK II simply kept all guns trained at Ray without much of a word. That was his answer.

No one budged causing the Hive to surround itself in a cloud of nanites with Ray giving a sigh.

"I gave you another chance and you still refuse? I guess anyone from 120AF truly is a lost cause. Clearly you don't understand."

Sabishii took the moment to glance at her contact's location. They had just broken into the atmosphere so they needed to hold out a little longer. Shifting back to Ray, the veteran had the Last Call's feet dig-in with all reticules locking onto the Hive.

"Not when everyone's still killing each other here," Sabishii then answered.

She then depressed on the trigger.

Ray observed what remained of the battlefield from the bridge of his command ship which loomed over the landscape, blotting out a portion of the sky.

Volga lay in utter ruins. What was left of the city had been ground into dust by the Imperial Navy's guns leaving Imperial mechs accompanied by infantry scoured the rubble and debris for shell-shocked survivors. Most surrendere with soldiers herding the prisoners into small groups, readying them for processing near one of the major landing sites; those with some fight left were immediately put down.

Once again, the Empire proved triumphant against those that would destabilize the peace through force of arms.

But true victory had yet to be achieved. Ray could not rest when his quarry had escaped. A woman such as Sabishii was a dangerous adversary who would keep returning until death claimed her or her target.

Unfortunately, the Emperor now had to deal with the consequences of bringing the Empire to Ostrog.

The Empire's recent actions would put the remaining galactic powers on edge. Armies would be on the brink of mobilization, military expenditure would raise to new heights, and the number of indirect attacks against the Empire would increase.

Tensions with the Federation, in particular, would be at an all time high. It would not surprise Ray if they launched a preemptive strikes into Imperial territory to retake worlds they had lost in the previous war. They were being backed into a corner and at some point, a cornered animal would strike.

"Irene," he then called to a young woman over the communications channel. A face appear on screen revealing a brunette with round glasses in a dress shirt. "Tell my ambassadors I want them on vid-call We must discuss politics regarding our neighbours."

"Within the hour, sir?" Irene replied in a non-nonchalant voice. She had heard that phrase many times.

"Within the hour," Ray replied in a firm voice. With but a simple nod from communications channel, the woman vanished from the screen. The Emperor then turned to the vessel's captain. "Set a course for Homeworld. I have matters I must attend."

With salute, the officer began passing down orders to various members of the crew leaving Ray to exit the bridge and head towards the recreation lounge.

On his way there, Ray was met by various members of the vessel's crew who gave him simple salutes or acknowledgements that befitted his status. Deep down, however, Ray knew that his soldiers followed more out of fear than out of respect for either him or his office. His disfigured face made many people see him as a monster.

And that was completely fine. Some men had to become monsters to get the job done.

The Emperor's path eventually led him into the recreation room where he saw a man in his early-thirties sitting on a stool, pouring champagne into a fine glass. The man turned revealing well-trimmed beard and brown hair. His heavy eyes stared at Ray, seemingly carrying the weight of the world on them. Dressed in a fine grey vest that covered his dress shirt, one would think he was quite above the common man.

The scent of alcohol and the dark bags under his eyes told a different story.

Looming over the man, Ray spoke. "Lucas, I have need of you again. Drinks and pleasure can wait another time."

"Ah, yes. They always have need for something when they cannot do the job themselves. Typical," the man responded, arms still crossed as his eyes peered back to the glass of alcohol.

Ray ignored his comment, carrying on, "You are being assigned to a new team to hunt down Sabishii and her crew."

Lucas did not even bother to shift his gaze. While Ray could not see it, he could tell the man had an amused smirk on his face. He enjoyed seeing others, particularly the strong, come to him for aid.

"They are no harm to you, so why bother? Is the Emperor truly afraid of the rabble who opposes him? They are a bunch of fools. You'll catch them eventually."

Ray's eyes shifted into a glare. "I would, but being a leader means resources must be placed elsewhere. That is where you come in."

"Oh. Fleeing from the hunt now are we? After chasing prey for so long you are finally giving up for politics? So much for top assassin of the Empire."

If it were not for Lucas' value, Ray would have tossed the man out the airlock for his insolence. As brilliant as the man was in the field of medical science, he was arrogant, believing all others inferior.

Such beliefs would not do. Already Lucas needed to be reminded of his place. The Emperor had not come to Lucas begging for help.

"Remember," Ray began before his fingers graced a holo-pad that had formed around his wrists. In an instant, Lucas fell to the ground, clutching his head. The glass he had been holding fell from his hands, shattering against the table. "You're not in control here. As you betrayed your team, I have no reason to trust you. You want the world you seek, you will need to do it with your own hands."

Lucas groaned before looking up at Ray with a murderous look in his eyes.

Such thoughts were good so as long as they could be directed to something productive. A man such as Lucas could never truly serve anyone but himself. And once his value was up, he would be fair game for Ray's assassins should Lucas decide that his perfect world required the Emperor out of the picture.

"I hold the cards, Lucas. Best remember that."

Telling the nanites in Lucas' body to cease their destructive activities, several of his clones then entered the room. The masked figures approached the downed doctor and lifted him onto his feet.

"You will have a new team so be on your best behaviour."

With those words, Ray's clones whisked the man away to his new assignment.

--------------

Erin's eyes busily shifted between the aged pieces of parchment, trying to discern anything of importance from the pages of parchment that they had retrieved. She could pick out a couple of images, but the text remained completely alien to her.

Now she wished she had been a linguist.

"Erin, you're not going to be able to read it," Joyeuse stated, bluntly, his voice coming through a digital that lay nearby. The box's small receptors emitted a blue lie that traced over the pages.

"I know, but maybe I can find something!" she responded, still excited from their recent discovery. She then turned to the box that Joyeuse was connected to. "How long until you decipher it? Can't be that long with all that processing power, right?"

"Just because I can review my entire life in seconds doesn't mean make me a translator," Joyeuse responded, somewhat insulted as he continued scanning. "This language is complex, too complex for you to figure out even if the Forefathers gave you a handbook to go along with it. It will take time."

Erin rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Joyeuse. Anything else that will blow my mind?"

"There are a great many things, but that can wait. You might want to read this."

A slight flicker on one of the ship's panels caused a holographic map to emerge with one of the parchment page being displayed.

"I have yet to fully translate it, but the images and words I've managed pick out make reference to a world in the Galactic East. Cross-referencing with data from the net, the world we will be heading to next is Titan."

"That'd be Hydra League territory. Should be easy to slip in, though. There's no unified force, everyone's still fighting for leadership."

"Know anything about Terra and what she's up to?" Erin then asked Aerion as she brought up the image of a young woman with long-black hair that hid one of her brown eyes.

"Can't say I have. Things are still a mess in Hydra League. Why?"

"Terra becomes total bitch queen of the Hydra League," Erin responded without much thought as that was the best way to describe Terra thirty-years from now.

Aerion raised a brow. "That bow-wielding lady rules the League? Crazy."

"Well, the current Emperor used to be an assassin who got tossed into a volcano."

"Having a bunch of murderers being the leaders of galactic civilization seems to be a cruel joke that none will ever understand," Joyeuse quipped before changing the holographic image to a map of the Hydra League's holdings. "Carrying on, we should be able to arrive on Titan without much issue."

"Anywhere we should start? Museum, archaeologists, anything? " Erin then asked.

"You'd go insane, but is our best place. You can do some research there while I continue to decipher what we have here. Just be sure to take caution on Titan. It would not surprise me if we encounter those who want to claim the bounty on our heads. Try not to stand out."

Erin could only give a slight laugh. "No motorcycles off the tops of skyscrapers. Got it."

Joyeuse remained silent, though Erin knew it was his way of acknowledging her response.

Giving a nod to Erin, the Crossbones' engines roared into life as they carried forth on their adventure across the galaxy.

Sabishii adjusted the various components that controlled her robotic arm. With an intricate repair kit sitting on the table next to her, the old woman delicately ensured all internal components were returned to peak condition; barring that, she had them simply replaced. This heavily contrasted with the exterior of her robotic arm that had seen many battles which even had the bite marks of a terrifying creature still imprinted on the hardened casing. 

With a few final adjustments, Sabishii screwed on the final bolt, securing the last plate to the mechanical arm. With but a thought, the elbow joint was finally released from its locked state with diagnostics from Sabishii mechanical eye-patch reading green across the board.

Looking out a small rectangular window, Sabishii restrained a smile. Outside lay a warm sun that glowed bright, its rays beaming off the lush, green trees and tall blades of grass. A stark contrast to the cold city of Volga or the artificial interior of a starship.

Westros was a quiet planet. Diverse in its climate with plenty of natural resources that could be used, such a world was a jewel in comparison to places such as Brimstone, Oasis or Factory. The world, however, numbered only a couple million despite being an ideal paradise. Small communities were spread out across the continents with decentralization describing most of the federal government's policies. 

Perfect for people trying to start new lives.

And starting a new life was exactly what the building Sabishii was in represented. Most of the basic furnishings and utilities were in place with white painting coating most of the walls. Yet, another structure connected to the house could be partially seen outside. Large empty holes represented where the windows would be with a large sign post -that had nothing written on it- hanging above the entrance way. Sections of the wall had yet to be completed and bits of the wooden frame still visible to the naked eye.

Several footsteps then caught the woman's attention. Slowly, she turned to see Abraham who had two mugs in his hand, one being placed in front of Sabishii while his wife, Autumn, took a seat with a small basket of fruit and fresh bread.

Looking into the mug, it was surprising to not see any alcohol in the glass. It was just regular old coffee. A first for Ossyrians.

"Hope you don't mind Westros. Quiet place, but I think it'll be good for the kids," Autumn said, her bright face gleaming with a smile. Her youth and demeanor made even the old Sabishii a few years younger just by looking at her. "Maybe we can try and forget all the terrible things and focus on an actual future."

"Who decided Westros would be the place?" Sabishii then asked before taking a sip of the coffee. It had a tad too much sugar, but she could not complain. She was the guest after all. "You, or Abraham?" Her hand then reached for a small piece of bread. She took a small piece and tried it.

It was alright, it could have been softer. It needed to spend less time in the oven.

Abraham gestured his head towards Autumn as he took a seat. "She did." Abraham then looked at a nearby mirror, taking a moment to capture fool and drunk who stared back in confusion before looking back. "I tell ya, luckiest man 'round."

"Without me, you have no luck," Autumn joked.

"That'd be true," Abraham laughed.

"You deserve it after all the shit you've been through," Sabishii responded before she placed her mug down. "A war of annihilation followed by a desperate search and suicide missions. Anyone who survives that deserves to have what they want in life."

"Strange you should say that, Haruka. Whatever happened to party girl we all knew and loved?" Abraham then said giving her a curious. He pulled out a small photo that showed a purple-haired woman having drinks with a number of various people which included Abraham himself.

Sabishii gave a slight frown upon seeing her past self. That part meant nothing to her. "Things just never worked out as I thought they would and once that happened, Sabishii was born."

"So, the war still on?" Abraham then slowly questioned Sabishii, taking note of her repair kit at the table.

"Always." Sabishii stated rather bluntly. Her good arm then brought out the datapad that Clyde had found, previously. "I plan to head to Ossyria. From the information we have combined with a little research and news, I guarantee someone I know is there. Something about explosives and salvaging."

Abraham then leaned in and took a glance at the datapad. His smile dropped almost immediately. "That'd be the Ossyrian Deadlands. People be crazy to go there. Half of it's still irradiated and shit. Other half is a bunch of a'holes trying to kill ya," Abraham noted with a mutter, hand rubbing his chin. The man took a closer look at the map of Ossyria, zooming the view in to a the southern. "Ossyria as a whole might be dead, but she still got plenty of interesting things people want."

"I'm more concerned why any of your team would even be there," Autumn then said. "Only been a couple years, but there are already stories of people murdering over little scraps of tech and prying the gear of the fallen. You've also got radio transmissions stored in the old Network being looped over and over on all frequencies. Ossyria is a graveyard filled with ghosts."

"All the more reason why I need to go." Sabishii then stood up straight and cleared the table of her things. Taking one last sip of her coffee, she rinsed the mug at the sink and prepared to leave.

"You're going alone?"

"If I have to," Sabishii replied, turning her head to them. "I'm not dragging anymore of you into my mission. Clyde's already paid for that and I prefer that this universe doesn't end up like ours. Lilith and Issac don't need to grow up missing their father or mother."

Abraham nodded in understanding before he then stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I owe ya' for getting me off Volga, so if you need anythin', feel free to stop by. I'm sure we can help with..." Abraham then looked at the front end of the house that was still under construction. He scratched his head for a moment before he sheepishly looked towards Autumn."Uh, what kind of business were we planning to run?"

"Bakery."

"Baking cakes, bread and the like?"

Autumn smiled. "C'mon, Abe. Can't be frying everything now."

Abraham gave the tiniest of sighs. "But frying is so much easier. Throw it onto the pan or fryer then your done. And everyone loves fried stuff."

For once Sabishii then smiled. "You need any hints on baking, ask Clyde when I bring him around."

"Clyde bakes? Since when?"

"Since always," Sabishii then turned towards the door. "I'll be back in a bit. I'm not going anywhere just yet, even I know the troops need to recuperate. Need me to pick anything up?"

"We're fine, just come back soon," Autumn answered as Sabishii disappeared outdoors.

Taking in the fresh air, the old woman proceeded down a small trail that led towards a different section of the town, leaving the Keyes residence and most of the town's core behind her. Slowly, the woman made her way to a small port not too far from where she had set off. The buildings that formed the majority of the space port in the town of Sera were prefabricated that had additional components added on to expand various features, be it the radar or refuelling stations. Only a couple of the structures looked to be of local design and most served as a waiting areas for passengers and crew.

A good fifteen minutes passed until Sabishii had finally made it to the port with her gaze then shifting to the numbered signs that designated various spots where private ships were docked. The port had not been particularly fussy when their ship had landed. So as long as they made the considerable payments, caused no trouble, did the paperwork, and went through all the security checks, their ship would remain untouched.

Her walk across the port eventually took her to the vessel she had arrived in. The ship gleamed in the sunlight, its sleekness contrasting with its surrounding setting. Where this vessel was top of the line and built to exact specifications, everything around it had been modified to fit changing requirements with a one-size-fits-all-policy. It was almost as the ship itself was saying that it deserved far better facilities than the ones located here.

Coming up to the massive transport shuttle, Sabishii met a guard. "Papers, ma'am," the security official immediately asked with a hand gesturing for the required documents. Sabishii presented the papers to the man who marked the form before letting her pass without a word.

Boarding the vessel from the passenger's ramp near the cockpit, Sabishii made her way through a series of hallways past several rooms which included the bridge. Eventually her path led her to a room labelled "Medical Station". Tugging down on the door's handle cause it to slide open revealing a pristine room with sophisticated medical equipment attached to Clyde.

Nearby was Ivanna who turned to Sabishii, unsurprised by the veteran's arrival. She gave a slight yawn before crossing her arms.

"Clyde still among the living?" Sabishii asked. There was grim humour behind her words, but she already knew what the answer would be.

"He'll live. I just don't know when he'll wake up," Ivanna responded before leaning to one side. "Even if the man wakes up, he's won't be ready for a fight for-" the woman paused before turning back to Clyde, glancing over all the machinery that had been hooked up to him. Taking account of the man's condition, she then looked back to Sabishii. "Awhile."

Taking a seat near the bed that Clyde lay on, Sabishii glanced up at Ivanna. "We best get him as ready as we can. When he's stable enough to move, we'll take him to the Keyes' residence before we set off."

"And the guards? We're not exactly a medical ship."

"Going through traditional channels and hope they let him off. If that does work, bribe them. Simple as that. The people here on Westro want no trouble. Not like Imperial space where we'd be shot on the spot," Sabishii answered knowing how things worked outside of Imperial territory. "You best take a break, maybe stop by the Keyes for a coffee. Tell them I'm I will be over soon."

"I will tell them that." Ivanna then stretched her arms before. "Just so you know since I never got to say it, I'm helping you because I don't like the Empire. Simple enough?"

"Common cause is what's drawn teams together for ages. Not everyone has to like each other to make an effective fighting force," the old woman replied as Ivanna had already proceeded out the door. "Also," Sabishii began catching the younger woman's attention, causing her to peak back in through the door just after she disappeared. "How are things between you and our fellow reporter?"

Ivanna let out a slight hum with narrowed eyes before saying, "You know?"

"Me and Julius talked about when our hairs started to turn grey."

"I'm guessing things never worked out between us?" Ivanna replied casually, though her eyes showed curiosity on what someone from a different time period had to say. She then shrugged, eyes closed with a slight smile. "I was likely too much for him to handle. He's too selfless and dedicated to his work to have time for anyone else. Am I right?"

"You died before it even got to that stage," Sabishii stated bluntly that immediately killed the mood in the room. Sometimes the simple answers were the best rather than trying to sugarcoat a terrible event or leaving one guessing.

"Oh." Ivanna remained silent, her expression now constantly shifting between confused, surprised, and shocked in rapid succession before finally returning to a neutral expression. "Did I go down fighting, at least? No, "I'm dying, someone help me!" sort of thing?" she then asked in a more casual manner.

"You did," Sabishii responded before noticing a black-haried man peering over Ivanna's shoulder, trying to get through.

"Sabishii!" Ryunosuke called out waving an arm that caused Ivanna to move to the side, letting the man through. His face was blackened by grease and oil that matched his jumpsuit that he wore. Various tools hung out of pockets that were worn and in need of some maintenance.

"What is it?"

"You don't want to hear this," Ryun paused before wiping the sweat and grease off his face. He took a breath, looking directly into Sabishii's eyes, ready to tell her the bad news. "I can't fix 'em. I don- I need parts."

"Do what you can, focus on the Last Call if possible. I'll see about getting the parts you need," Sabishii responded before putting her hand forward, asking for a list.

Ryunosuke was quick to draw up his components list. Upon taking a glance, Sabishii noted an extremely long list that pointed out how little their vessel actually carried in terms of maintenance equipment and supplies. It made absolute sense given they were on a shuttle meant to deliver or extract mechs from a combat area, but it made her realize how easy things had been before.

Logistics had never been an issue for the team in the past. Anytime the Last Call had been damaged, there had always been a carrier or forward base nearby to allow for repairs and resupply. Anytime an upgrade was needed, she could get her hands on it within a couple of days for minimal cost.

"Uh, we're gonna be okay, right? You need me to spend more hours in the shop, I can-"

"We'll order what we can," Sabishii began before handing the list back and rest one hand under her chin. "If I have to fight on foot for the time being, so be it."

"You do know we still have two completely good mechs. We've got my lover and..." Ivanna then looked over to Ryunosuke, waiting for him to complete her sentence.

"It's called Frostbite," the man replied, annoyed by the fact she had not even bothered to ask about his machine's name until now.

Ignoring his tone, Ivanna turned back to Sabishii. "We can take on the heavy lifting. Worst case scenario, we get the shuttle involved. Fenris Labs spent quite some time tuning her up."

Nodding her head, Sabishii acknowledged the fact the younger generation would need to pick up the slack; though, that did not mean, however, they would be going out guns blazing like they did before on Volga, however.

"I thank both of you for covering my weakness, but let's fight smart for now. When we get to Ossyria, quick snatch and grab. Nothing to draw attention," Sabishii said before she signaled for the group to leave and give her time to review their next move.

------------

Erin had never been one to spend time in museums in study, let alone the study part. Extreme stunts, outdoor activities and marshal arts were her thing.

Things were different this time around, however. The former college student eyed every bit of detail regarding a series of ruined pylons that had been recovered. Inscribed on each were the same texts that she had recovered from Heaven that had yet to be translated by the linguists from Titan. All the signs pointed to the language being completely unknown just to how little of it actually survived with many of the symbols and scripts appearing only once or twice.

Taking a glance over her shoulder, Erin then pushed a small button on her watch that started a tiny camera recorder in her sports jacket before continuing her tour of museum.

"The texts written on the pylons appears to be incomplete, but it's given me more of the Forefather's language. That's the most important part," Erin heard Joyeuse say through her ear-piece who was catching a glimpse of her world through the camera.

"And what does that translate to?" Erin whispered, hoping no one from security saw her taking pictures and recordings of the displays, despite the pronounced warning signs hanging each one.

"It's far too complicated for me to explain to you, Erin. You're better off waiting until you get back once I've fully translated everything. By the way, where's Aerion? Do the words, "safety in numbers" mean nothing to you two?" he asked in a somewhat exasperated tone.

"He's nearby, somewhere. Said he needed to grab a few things. Hopefully he can be inconspicious about it."

"A pirate walking in the middle of in a proper city? No, he'll blend right in."

"Cool it, Joyeuse. No need to get uppity. He wouldn't blend in even if we changed his clothes out. He'd still want his sword and his pirate-talk."

"I guess you are right there," the AI admitted, if albeit reluctantly. Joyeuse never did like admitting Erin was right on anything. He preferred being the smart one of the group thanks to the intellect provided by both his hardware and software.

Spending a couple more minutes, Erin believed she had managed to capture everything they needed. Leaving the museum as if nothing had happened, Erin proceeded down the streets, on her way back to the space port.

Making her way back home, Erin caught another glimpse of Titan's Aurora city.

Organized streets, modern buildings, plenty of cars, and lots of people. This place did not appear much different from many other places that had been erected by humanity in the later stages of colonization.

Not much was to be seen or heard. So far, any Hydra League troops under Terra's command had remained out of the civilian zones allowing life to continue as normal. There did, however, seem to be more than the usual amount of patriotic bulletins and posters asking people to join.

In particular, the ones that had Terra's image with troops representing various worlds of the League which said, "Let us Rebuild our Future Together!" were incredibly common. It made Erin wonder just how many worlds Terra was negotiating or fighting with to rebuild a shatter coalition.

Continuing on her path, Erin began cutting through a quiet park towards her destination. It would shorten the time and she wanted to pick up some food from a rather nice eatery located nearby.

Her stomach already rumbled on such a thought.

Proceeding forward, Erin did noted only one other person who was walking in opposite direction, further down.

The woman had a lean, muscled figure and stood taller than most. Her brown pony-tail hanged over right shoulder while her bangs were swept well off to the side revealing brown eyes. Her clothes were relatively light for this weather, being a t-shirt and a pair of jeans that emphasized her form. And her rather impressive chest.

"Krystal?" Erin asked, immediately recognizing the woman from Haken's book of Rise and old photos of Axel's Gang. "Hey, Krystal, aren't you part of Axel's team!" she then called out, excited. She then took a step forward towards the woman, hoping to break into proper conversation.

"Yeah, who's-" the woman turned to her. She looked over Erin for a moment then shot her a smile. "You're Erin, right?"

They had finally found another member of Axel's old team! While Krystal might have not been on Vegas, she could definitely help. From what Erin remembered, Krystal was loyalty to the group, despite being described as a "loose cannon".

Erin stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing Krystal's response. Despite the friendly manner, the young woman knew something was wrong.

How does she already know my name.

By the time the thoughts had passed through her mind, Erin found her feet suddenly giving way as the woman had transitioned into a slide tackle. Erin's hands barely managed to find the floor before she did a flip and then found herself grabbing hold of a fist aimed directly at her face.

What's going on, is she on the Empire's side? Erin then though as she found herself forced to block another blow.