This is my BGE2 fanfiction, many of you have probably read it on Ubi's forums ao you know what it entails. For the newbloods, this story is dark, grim and nasty with lots of violence, blood, death and future swearing. On the other side it is also partly a romance story, but as you know it can't end well.

Here's to hoping this makes it as a stickied topic

AND AWAY WE GO:

BEYOND GOOD & EVIL 2
Jamie “Wolf” Driscoll

“The battle is won, but the war is far from over” the first words of the Alpha Sections Occupation Force as they stormed Hillys, mere months after the death’s of their General and Priest. To live on Hillys now is to know the terror and oppression of a militaristic occupation. The Alphas kill all who stand in their way, the resistance is splintered, 2 million Hillyians are dead and the flagpoles of Hillys are one again flying the flag of the Alpha Sections. The Hillyians have been beaten into submission; the resistance is capable only of making futile and ineffective shows of defiance. To make matters worse, the people’s hero, Jade has vanished and only she holds the key to finding the salvation of a universe…



















Chapter 1: The Shadows of Dawn
“Purpose defines us”-Agent Smith, The Matrix

SYSTEM 4-HILLYS-Seaview-Akuda Bar-26/7/2435

Sev sat in the near pitch-black shadows of the Akuda Bar’s corner table covered in a thick brown cloak with a hood that obscured his entire face, save his mouth and neat, faint beard. Watching the crowd while sipping at his drink. Just then a short a guy, medium build, short black hair and green eyes walked and spoke to Mo, the enormous bull who ran the bar. After an inaudible conversation Mo pointed in Sev’s direction and the young stranger walked over and sat down opposite Sev. He looked up at the stranger.
“What?” Sev asked in a growl tinged with an English accent, a relic of a refined past.

“You Sev?” Nino asked. ‘This better be the guy everyone was talking about’ he thought.

“Who wants to know?” Sev replied he realized he’d given a yes answer without knowing.

“I hope you’ve been reading the local news, have you heard of a reporter by the name of Jade?” Nino asked, he hoped he could get this over with; this guy gave him the creeps.

“Yeah, what about it?” Sev asked, making a dismal failure of sounding nonchalant, he was intrigued as to where this was going.

“Well, she used to live in the lighthouse out there, until last night.”

“What lighthouse?” Sev asked.

“Yeah, we did a flyover earlier today, its been blown to pieces and there are high level energy reading around the island. We don’t know what they are but no one is willing to go have a look.”

“And you want me to go instead.” Sev said, finishing his latest employer’s sentence.
“Here are some photos of the people you’ll want to look for.” Nino handed Sev some photos, Sev glanced at them, memorized each one and slipped them into his jacket pocket. Nino looked like he was trying to think of another subject to talk about.

“Now, about my payment.” Sev prompted.

“Ah, yes about your payment, we can offer you 5K” Nino delivered his offer.

‘5K, I could fix Icarus with that, not bad, not bad at all’ Sev thought, “Okay, I’ll do it, have the money ready when I return.” Sev said ‘If I return’ He had a bad feeling about this.

Nino stood up and went to walk up, as Sev stood up to his considerable height Nino remembered, “Where’s your ship docked?” He asked

‘Local Spaceport, bay 4”

“Right, well send him around, good luck.”

“Send who around? Hey!! Hey!!”

“His name is Hub, ask him about Double H!”

Sev stood still, scowling at where Nino had just disappeared.

SEAVIEW SPACEPORT-Bay 4

Sev made it to the durasteel wall of bay 4 without incident; he looked up at the massive, brownish-yellow doors, towering over him. He located the console next to the door, laughably insignificant yet the only way to manipulate the giant doors. Sev punched in his code and stepped back. The massive doors slowly rumbled open.

“Hello, you Sev?” came a voice from right behind him. Sev stifled a yelp and spun around, a tall man was standing right behind him, Sev hadn’t noticed him. The man was taller than Sev by a good portion, wearing Hillyan regular army armour. He had a large head, thick eyebrows, fairly short hair and green eyes. Sev’s hand went straight to his sword’s hilt, hidden by his cloak. “There’s no need, I’m with Nino, name’s Hub.” Hub held out his gloved hand. Sev remained rigid, not moving, Hub lowered his hand and scratched the back of his neck.

“Your friend, he told me ask you about, Double H?” Sev inquired.

“Yeah, my old codename, I used it when I was working as an agent for Iris, it was…patrol!” Hub looked right, sure enough a trio of Alpha Section guards were marching their way down towards Bay 4.

“Move” Sev hissed at Hub, no time to double check this guy; he didn’t want to get tangled up with Alphas. They walked quickly over to Sev’s ship, Icarus, a Mercadi Stiletto class yacht, Sev usually stopped to admire his ship, a bullet like fuselage with two wide delta wings, green-on-black monochrome paint, slung under the wings were two long barreled G-565 autocannons the body terminated in a trio of large thruster tubes fed by twin Ruhr Mark VIIs, the whole thing was polished to shine bright enough to shave in. Sev quickly shoved Hub into the ship and closed the boarding ramp. Hub looked about in admiration, Sev moved past him to the cockpit, which sat in the transparisteel nose of the ship. It was an elaborate affair. One seat right at the front surrounded by a semicircle of monitors and three more chairs further back each of which having their own monitors. Sev quickly brought the ship online. “Strap in, I’ve got a loose AP valve somewhere so takeoffs are starting to get a little shaky.” Sev shouted over the rumbling engines. Once he was satisfied that Hub was securely in place he pulled up ion the control pod and the yacht lifted lazily into the air, did a nose stand, spluttered and automatically righted itself. “See what I mean?” Sev pointed out “You can get out now.” Hub did so and staggered over to the pilot’s chair, looking a little green. “Where to?” Hub pointed out the island, Sev gave the yacht some throttle and pulled the ship into a shallow dive towards the island and the smoking ruins it played host to.

JUST OUTSIDE SEAVIEW-Lighthouse Island

Sev put the yacht down just outside the entrance to the island’s cave. “We’ll need to take the skimmer” Sev announced. The skimmer was Sev’s other pride and joy, a Dyler GSX-350 turbobike; powered by twin turbofans on its underside the bike was a small version of a skybike. Sev and Hub jumped on, Hub with some difficulty due to his armour. Sev fired up the bike, which made a deep, animalistic rumbling, he hit a button on the wall and the lower doors of the yacht opened, dropping the bike into the ocean. Or rather dropping it onto the ocean, the bike skimmed the crests of the waves before rising about half a meter above the water. Sev pressed on the throttle; the bike tipped forward, much to Hub’s discomfort, Sev guided the bike into the cave.

It was just like Hub remembered, only just. The dock was now strewn with wreckage, whoever had come here had torn the place apart, there were bits of machinery every where, the obvious marks of an attack. The mysterious Sev, still with his cloak on landed the turbobike on the jetty, blowing away small pieces of smashed machinery as the bike shuddered earth-wards. Hub leapt off and immediately started for the passageway up to the surface. Sev had just dismounted when the first laser bolt struck Hub square in the back.

“Look out!” Sev shouted, throwing of his cloak. Hub was surprised at how remarkably like Jade this young man looked, same vivid green eyes, same shoulder length hair, even similar jacket, though Sev was wearing a black sweatshirt that displayed his thick chest, cream trousers with neon purple lightning bolts and brown combat boots. Sev drew his weapon from its sheath on his back, a long, incredibly beautiful, ornately wrought sword. Hub checked out their attackers, they were small Alpha robots called Sentinels, roughly T shaped in appearance, they were simply a thin body with a laser dangling between two gas-turbine engines used mainly to police areas where the Alphas themselves wouldn’t go. Sentinels monitored conversations and were programmed to kill anyone at the discretion of its onboard TES (Threat. Evaluation. System). Which was what the Alphas claimed, though more accurately a Sentinel was also programmed to carry out random on-the-spot executions as a means of terrorizing the public. While these flying spies might have given ordinary people nightmares, the small drones’ simple battle strategies and basic construction would be little challenge to two seasoned warriors. Hub drew his T-Hammer from its hidden compartment and joined Sev, who had already taken down several droids with his elegant, finely tuned weapon and style of combat.

Though Sev fought, his graceful style making mincemeat of the drones, his thoughts were elsewhere, back to the time when he had first held the very blade he used now, back to a time of innocence, before the whirlwind hand of fate touched him, a peaceful time on Furia
“Focus young Sev” Father told me as I stood facing him in the courtyard of our manor, The long blade awkward and oversized in my nine-year-old hands. I strained and raised my guard, the better part of the long blade wavering dangerously in the air. My father came in and, using little more than a wooden stick, defeated my defenses and swiped my feet out from underneath me. “Stop fighting the weapon Sev. Let it become an extension of your arm, let your weapon become a part of you…”
I was fifteen, though I didn’t know it then, the next five and a half years would play host to my darkest hour. Back then I was like all people my age, convinced of my own immortality. Five years in the Border Worlds soon had me seeing my life in a different life. I had stopped fighting my weapon. My appearance set the stage for my current one, my hair was long and I had the starting of a beard. My physique was in absolute top shape. I was dueling with my father, again out on the courtyard under the starry sky. We took a break and stared up at the stars “You’ll be up there one day son” my father said “And I know you will make me both proud and humbled to have raised you”. We stood side by side and watched a small green streak in the sky. At first I dismissed it as a ship, but as the streak became larger, more started to appear, Father was hustling me inside just as the teardrop shaped ball of green flame smashed into our courtyard with a blinding flash of light and a deafening blast….
The laser bolt had streaked so close to Sev’s eyes that it left smears on his vision. Sev shook his head to clear away the afterimage burned on his retina and found the drone that left him the souvenir, he gave the droid a souvenir of its own a X-shaped double slash across its body. Behind him Hub swatted the last drone into a wall where it exploded.

“Well, now we know what those energy signatures were” Hub observed, examining the destruction he and Sev had wrought on their attackers.

“Stay alert, there are probably more” Sev replied. But he was proved wrong. They exited the cave and crossed the short, devastated distance between the entrance to the hangar and the lighthouse. It was completely unrecognizable, what had once been a carpet of green grass was now a junkyard strewn with rubble and ruined machinery, most of which seemed to belong to the Alphas. In places the grass had been burned away, replaced with scorch marks from lasers and airship engines. Sev spotted a small, childlike hand underneath a girder. He rushed forward and pulled the girder away. He immediately wished he hadn’t. Sev’s breath caught in his throat he recoiled away from what he had, he couldn’t breathe, at his feet was a little boy, about a dozen laser scorches burned into his chest, his hand still clutching a kitchen knife, in what had obviously been a futile attempt to defend his life.

“No, poor little Jarred, he was just starting to fit in” Hub commented Sev picked up the waver in his voice. The remark sounded detached but it wasn’t hard to pick up the grief at this senseless act of violence. “How could they have killed him, he was only a…only a child” Hub asked, it was a question that could have no answer.

Sev climbed the stairs inside the lighthouse, he kicked a blackened piece of junk out of the way as he walked up, to consumed by shock to notice the small lens in the rubble until he was almost standing on it. Sev bent down and pulled away a slab of wood revealing, a camera. Sev picked it up and noticed that it had a note attached to it, it read

Whoever finds this,
produce of this film
it contains a photo of
an Mdisk hidden in the
room to your right,
find the Mdisk and play it
You will understand
-Jade
24/7/2435

Sev reread the message and then, as if on auto pilot went into the room indicated in the message, it took one look to figure that this was Jade’s room it seemed the least damaged, though it was clear someone had been looking for something in it, the rooms contents were strewn every where on the floor and that person clearly hadn’t found what they were looking for as they had smashed up the room in anger. Sev located what used to be a film-producing machine but was now a charred hulk perforated with laser blast marks. Then he saw a glint in the sunlight streaming in through the smashed window, he pulled the Mdisk out from under the cushion. Several photos came with it. Sev looked over the photos, they were not as he had hoped, evidence of who was responsible but a record of life at the lighthouse. The photos contained images of the inhabitants’ lives before this disaster befell them, pictures of happier times. Sev looked through them until he found the last one, it was a sepia photo of Jade looking up at the camera from whatever she had been working on at the mahogany desk wearing an expression of half surprise-half amusement. Sev held the photo at eye level , then lowered it, the puzzle clicked into place. “Clever girl” Sev muttered, he walked over to the desk and looked at it, scratched onto the desk was a picture of a fish with a circle around it and a arrow pointing in the direction Sev had just come from. Sev looked carefully at the arrow, it was curved and attached to the circle ‘like a fuse’ the thought suddenly occurred, so Jade had left a trail, on that had led to what she wanted to be found, and then a little further, Sev smiled and walked out past the stained glass fish on the wall “Nice try” he said to the room. He collected the Mdisk from the couch and Hub on the way out “Lets go” he said.

SEAVIEW-Akuda Bar-Iris Den

Nino slid the Mdisk into the player; it clicked, whirred and began to play.

VIDEO RECORDING 20/7/2435

Jade stepped back from her camera and sat down. She sighed, pushed her hair back and then gave up attempting to put of the inevitable. “If you’re watching this I hope you’re not an Alpha. If your not, they’re coming for me, I know it so this will probably be my last chance to record this before its too late, chances are they’ll kill me.” She straightened up and restarted, sounding more like the old Jade: tough and stubborn “Don’t try to rescue me, what I have on this camera is worth more than my life, take it to the Galactic Council, give them the proof they need to deploy their armies against the Alphas. Find my camera and take it to the Council, its all that can be done to stop the Alphas and their DomZ masters.” The recording crackled out and the image on screen was replaced with snow.

END VIDEO RECORDING 20/7/2435

“We’ve got to help her” an American voice said at once, Sev turned slowly to see that the voice belonged to a short, portly pig clad in a brown jacket, whit sweatshirt that did little to hide his great belly, blue jeans and a pair of odd looking boots. “Pey’j’s the name, Ah’m Jade’s uncle’ Pey’j offered a three fingered hand for Sev, he shook it and returned to having his arms folded across his chest.

“Yeah, that’s a great cause, Mr. Pey’j but it has two big problems with it.”

“And they are?” Pey’j asked defensively, personally he couldn’t see any problems with going to rescue Jade.

“One, we don’t know where Jade is, or even if she’s still alive. Frag, she could be in Andromeda” Sev rarely swore but when he did, it made up for the usual absence of colourful language, “Number two, even if we could find her the Alphas will have her locked down so tight a rat couldn’t get with a parsec of her.”

“With that I may be able to help” Nino announced to the group, he was sitting at a computer typing furiously, “I learned to hack over the past few months” he informed the group.

‘You’ve got to be kidding, they expect to mount a rescue based on the information provided by a poster boy who learned hacking within the space of several months!?’ Sev thought ‘I’m collecting my check and getting out of here, suicide runs aren’t I my contract…’

Chapter 2: Rescue and Revelation
“Expect the worst, and you’ll never be disappointed”-Murphy’s Law

SYSTEM 4-Lanos’s Fifth moon, Sahara-Basin spaceport 2/8/2165

Several days later Sev descended the gangway from his ship and placed his first footprint on Sahara, the fifth moon of System 4’s massive purple gas giant Lanos, Sev checked out his environs, like everything on Sahara, and every other desert world Sev had visited, there was not an inch of ground, machine, people or structure that was not covered in gritty, coarse sand. Everywhere machines covered in coarse weave rattled away, tended by spaceport crewmen. He was blasted with heat and dust as an old tug set down nearby behind him Pey’j and Hub walked down the gangway, their weapons displayed in plain sight, for Hub his T-Hammer was slung on his back, Pey’j’s Barocco D-53 cutting hammer hanging in a sling at his waist, for Sev, he had discarded his cloak and his sword’s hilt and gleamed in the sunlight as it hung from the strap attached to his nano-sheath they met between the two ships. Sev paid the dock master for a trio of security bots to guard his ship and a refuel, with that taken care of the three set of into the dusty streets for a guide to the surrounding area, known as the Badlands, and not without good cause…

SAHARA-Badlands-Five hundred metres from ruins at Call--3/8/2435

The old base at Call was in ruins, having been abandoned for years, left to the scavengers, junk merchants and desert elements it was not a pretty sight, there was not a single undamaged building, overall Sev, decided the term ‘ruins’ was fairly appropriate. It was in the middle of nowhere, days from any marked trade routes. So why was a massive black bunker sitting squat in the middle of it? The answer was fairly clear, the dome-shaped bunker was flying the Section Skull, the flag of the Alphas. It was here that Jade was being held ‘Not for much longer’ Sev reminded himself. He lowered his binoculars and started towards the camp, his companions in tow…

ALPHA SECTION BASE-Prisoner’s barracks

Jade had heard the gunfire even in her isolation cell someone was here! She prayed it was to rescue her before the Alphas started killing the prisoners to prevent them talking as a lot of prisoners had overheard conversations between the guards. Right now they were all locked inside the prisoner barracks, a massive rectangular structure holding hundreds of bunk beds, Jade however was inside an isolation cell, cut off from the other prisoners. Conditions inside the barracks were best described as squalid, the barracks hadn’t been cleaned since they were first built and that was the way the Alphas liked it, keeping the prisoners as downtrodden as possible, crush their will to fight. On some it had worked, there had been more than a hundred suicides in this hellhole. Jade had spent the last hour listening to the fighting, trying to find out whether the beatings and ‘interrogations’ had crushed her own will. For the past few months, that answer had been yes but now, with the hope of freedom she had found new strength and she felt some of her old stubbornness returning.
Another hour later and a muffled yell of “Fire in hole!” came through the durasteel door at the barracks entrance, five seconds later a powerful explosion from a D-12 heavy breaching charge blew the doors of their hinges and across the room, Jade readied her makeshift shiv made in secret during her imprisonment, she decided to find her Dai-jo staff later on, the guards kept all the prisoners belongings in the storage lockers somewhere nearby. As the smoke cleared a young man stepped through, bearing a remarkable resemblance to Jade behind him a pair of people Jade recognized better stepped into the barracks “Pey’j!” She yelled out, dashing forwards into her uncle’s arms, the other person was Hub, who stood with a huge smile on his face “Hello Miss Jade” he said. She turned to the third person, a complete stranger who’s appearance was almost like looking into a mirror for Jade minus being covered in blood.

“I take it your Jade” Sev growled, noting that she seemed rather pale, Sev noted that he was covered in blood, none of it was his. Jade nodded weakly. “Lets get out of here” HE said to her.

“What about the other prisoners?” Jade asked.

“Dead.” Was all Sev said.

ALPHA SECTION BASE-Main gates

“Frag” Sev swore under his breath, the Alphas had brought in some reinforcements, a squad of Assault Alphas backed up by a four-legged, 15 foot tall walker. Sev noted that some Alphas were carrying O.I.C.W.s, Objective Individual Combat Weapons, high tech assault rifles which had fully integrated computer systems and two barrels, one firing high explosive grenades or bullets, the other firing basic rifle rounds at a fully automatic rate of fire (ROF). “Hmm, O.I.C.W.s, I’ve always wanted one.” Sev remarked casually. He reached for his sword in its nano-sheath on his back and drew not only it but also Jade’s Dai-jo staff.

“Hey, can I have that back?” Jade asked on seeing her prized weapon. Sev immediately handed her the staff. “Thanks”.

“Let ‘em have it!” Sev roared, charging forwards into a hail of gunfire behind him Jade, Hub and Pey’j charged forward. Sev crashed into the first Alpha, knocking the soldier of his feet, Sev impaled him on his sword and leapt to the next guard, he made his way through the guards towards the walker, when he reached it he scaled up its leg, used his sword to cut the armour of its actuator and stuffed a heavy breaching charge in. He set the timer for two seconds and leapt of just as the charge exploded throwing everyone around it to the ground. Sev recovered quickly, grabbed an O.I.C.W of the ground and fired a burst of bullets at a group of Alphas, what he didn’t realize was that the gun was on grenade mode, the gun kicked back and lobbed a high explosive grenade at the pack, throwing the trio of Assault Alphas into the air. Sev smiled with grim satisfaction, clicked the rifle back to auto mode and open up into the pack of Alphas, felling another three. He held the O.I.C.W over his back, the nano-sheath immediately melded itself around the weapon, relieving Sev of its weight, he drew his sword again and bull-rushed the remaining guard only to have his target collapse to the ground, standing behind it was Jade, looking triumphant and wearing a grin of victory. “Don’t get to cocky, we’ve got to get back to the port, then to Hillys and try to lay low there” He could have said something more accurate like ‘try to keep you alive’ but it seemed to pessimistic in the light of Jade’s optimism and happiness at freedom. Instead he said, “Welcome back to freedom”…

Chapter 3: The Warrior’s Code
“I see that the path I chose through the maze makes me who I am”-Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon

SYTEM 4-Sahara-High Orbit-Onboard Icarus-3/8/2435

“…Frag it! Listen to me I know we can’t return to Hillys with her in tow, just get me a hyperspace vector to somewhere friendly to Iris we can take her!” Sev snapped at Nino over the vidcom “now” he added menacingly. Nino looked way for a minute at another console.

“Got it!” He said triumphantly “There’s a small landing bay on planet Atlas in the Andromeda system, its unregistered and not on any maps so Iris use it for smuggling people and supplies into the hideout there, I’ll e-mail you some maps of the Andromeda system, planet Atlas and Jurgen city. Vector is 44-32-1256 to 65-72-860, once you’re there use he maps to locate the landing pad, Jade knows the Iris contact there so don’t worry about IDing him. ‘Lovely, we have to go to Atlas and meet another mystery Iris contact, last time I did that I got stuck with these two’ Sev looked back down the cockpit at the trio sitting together talking to Jade, he took the time to examine her appearance more closely, she had large green eyes, shoulder-length black hair, green lipstick and had donned her usual gear, a white tank top, green jacket and jeans, and white trainers. He didn’t know why but he felt protective of this woman, who was clearly capable of taking care of herself, she had been ready to gut him back in that prison. And yet… Sev shook his head to clear his mind of whatever he was thinking ‘Snap out of it, you’re a mercenary not some knight in shining armour, she’s already got that Hub guy. Stop thinking about her and start thinking about getting your paycheck and getting yourself out of this mess’ Fortunately Sev had a chance to purge Jade from his mind, according to his computer they were almost at the jump vector “Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking, please find the nearest chair, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for hyperspace. When he was sure the whole team was firmly strapped into a chair he maneuvered Icarus around to the correct vector and hit the jump button. Icarus with its gleaming hull vectored towards the distant star of Andromeda and, with the sun at its back and the purple gas giant Lanos hanging lazily nearby jumped into hyperspace with a loud boom, leaving three long white vapour trails in its wake.

ANDROMEDA-Atlas-Inbound space lane-3/8/2435

Icarus came careening out of hyperspace, precisely, the computer informed its crew, where they wanted to be. The ship lost velocity faster than a falling brick, coming to a full stop, minus drift from solar winds within three seconds of leaving hyperspace and entering realspace. Sev looked out over the view from the cockpit and checked his co-ordinates again, they were exactly where they wanted to be, the hyperspace exit vector for planet Atlas. Unfortunately the exit vector charts didn’t take into account the trio of Alpha Section police cruisers floating around the vector, one thought raced through his mind, unfortunately it wasn’t particularly helpful ‘Alpha cruisers! What the frag?!’Sev took one final look at the trio of bullet shaped Alpha cruisers with long downward sloping wings had surrounded his ship, as good as Icarus was, three cruisers had him sufficiently outgunned. Sev snarled at the cruisers “Nino!” he snarled at no one in particular, seeing as Nino wasn’t present.

“I wasn’t his fault Sev” Hub said consolingly “He must have assumed you knew about the garrison on Atlas.

“You don’t assume anything when you’re dealing intelligence Hub! You of all people should know that!” Sev replied.

“When you’re finished arguing, you might want to answer that comms before they decide to blow us up” Pey’j said, smoothly inserting himself between the two.

Sev swung his chair around, put his headphones on and pressed the flashing reply button on his console.

“This is Alpha Section police cruiser Indomitable to unidentified craft, you have fifteen seconds to transmit you’re identity, license and registration and flightplan.”

“This is personal yacht Icarus to police cruiser Indomitable. License is 2234667801009 and rego is 443556011, I’m on my way to Atlas with a shipment of power cores for a friend of mine who runs a junk dealership there, want me to call him?” That was the golden word; police hated dealing with small business owners, especially ones who were most likely involved in something that was technically illegal.

The Alpha on the other end of the comms channel sighed and said “Alright, proper procedure is that we check your contract and your hold but it’s been a long day. So just move along and don’t tell anyone I let you through or they’ll have my ass.”

“Right, pleasure dealing with you Indomitable, this is Icarus over and out.” Sev cut the channel and let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, that had been tense his heart was hammering. He swung the yacht around to face Atlas and resisting the temptation to floor the throttle flew towards the looming city planet of atlas at the marked speed limit the whole way…

ATLAS, GIANT CITY PLANET-Iris landing pad-4/8/2435

Atlas was a gigantic Copernican planet, meaning it was rich in natural resources. All this wealth had led to huge amounts of construction on the formerly beautiful planet. Atlas was now covered in one un-ending city that covered every hectare of the surface. The only green to be found would be in hanging baskets and artificially made nature parks. The city was comprised of over forty discernable ‘levels’, each one another layer as the builders, lacking the ability to expand, instead went up building new levels on top of old ones and new additions to spacescrapers. In fact the highest buildings on Atlas, in the Upper elements were over 100 kilometers tall.

The secret Iris landing pad was well concealed underneath a giant exhaust fan, complete with steam. After confirming their identity with the suspicious sounding control officer Sev brought his yacht down for a smooth landing on the 120 foot round tarmac. There were already a pair of cargo skiffs being unloaded on the circular landing pad; the entire landing bay was cylindrical, with black wall broken only by vents and the enormous control room window. The pad was concrete and covered in boxes, a generator stood growling at one end while a pair of tanks sat at the other, their long pipes leaking fuel onto the already dirty pad. Sev landed and lowered the gangway, wincing at how long it would take to clean his ship after landing here. He grabbed his nano-sheath from its rack and checked that both his sword and newly acquired O.I.C.W were still in it, he slung the strap over his shoulder and walked down the ganway, Jade, Pey’j and Hub having already marched across the pad and were waiting at the door with ‘lift’ painted on it in peeling yellow letters. Sev joined them “This is the Iris base” he said, giving the dirty setup a dubious look.

“We’ll since were terrorists we don’t have much choice in real estate” a shark in grimy orange coveralls snarled at him.

“So who is it that you know here?” Sev asked Jade.

“I don’t know who Nino was talking about, it could be anyone.”

“Oh great, so you don’t know who it is your friend sent us to meet and you’re dragging me along for this?” Sev asked incredulously.

“Well it’ll do you some good to think about someone other than yourself for” Jade replied calmly, with a trace of strength in it.
Sev didn’t notice the warning “Oh, I don’t ‘think about anyone other than myself do I?’ Frag and to think I agreed to do this for 5K!”

“Money and yourself, you’re a typical mercenary that’s all you care about!” Jade snapped, the air seeming to crackle with her energy, it was.

Sev stepped back, cowed as the life arrived he remained silent, obviously unwilling to risk another outburst from Jade, it was apparent that he had just acquired the slight fear of Jade everyone had, never argue with a woman, why hadn’t he learned that yet? Stubbornness, Sev answered his own question. The lift shuddered to a halt at a grimy steel door marked ‘Control’ the four companions stepped through to meet a familiar face sitting in a chair surrounded by banks of consoles.

“Hahn!” Jade, Hub and Pey’j yelled in surprise. Hahn hadn’t changed a bit in the few months since he disappeared. He still had the orange turtleneck sweater, was still wearing the friendly expression he always had and was still completely bald.

“Hello everyone” Hahn said, clearly just as happy to see his friends as they were to see him. He saw Sev standing in the shadow “Ah, you must be Mr. Caravera, the mercenary Nino told me about, he tight-beamed just after you left for Sahara.” Hahn said as if it were common knowledge.

“Caravera?” Jade asked incredulously.

“What about it?” Sev replied in a just-watch-where-you’re-going tone.

“Nothing” Jade said cheekily, causing Sev to scowl even more.
“Now, I have something you might want to see” Hahn paused, holding his hand to his ear “There’s an urgent call for me from Hillys, I’ve got to answer it.” With that Hahn bustled out, a moment later he reappeared and said “Pey’j they want to speak to you to.”

“Alright, tell Iris Ah’ll be there in a moment.

Ten minutes later Sev heard the sound of the skiff back in the docking bay take off and a new ship arrive, even muffled by the durasteel that both separated this room from the docking bay and covered the entire surface of Atlas, Sev had a faint sense of recognizing the sound. It took him a moment to place it, his suspicion was reinforced when he heard the sound of T-Hammers, a brief scuffle and a laser blast. Sev looked at the others, they all still remained unaware, and it was clear that only Sev had heard the sounds. “Hahn! That fraggin’ human tricked us and I think Pey’j is in on the deal!”. His companions didn’t get a chance to reply with anything other than scathing looks as, at that moment the door blasted inwards, kicked clean of its runners by the power armoured boot of an Alpha Section Elite. The Alpha Elite was the most dangerous of all Alpha infantry, they were the most highly trained soldiers, heavily psycho-indoctrinated, given the best equipment and were the veterans of a hundred wars, the Alphas most trusted soldiers. All in all the Elites were more than a match for a mercenary, an ex-soldier and a reporter and they knew it. ‘But there’s one thing their not a match for’ Sev thought, it was time to reveal who he really was, no more hiding his past, no more running from it, no more fear “Do you really want to fight me?”

“What can you do pup?” The lead Elite growled.

“This” Sev replied, his appearance began to change, his skin slowly turned gold and his eyes began to glow a blue turquoise , slowly, he drew his sword from the nano-sheath, he calmly walked towards the lead Elite the shouts of warning of his allies and the jeers of his victims meaningless noise. Soon sound had no place at all as it faded from his existence, his vision tunneled and only his target was visible. Without warning he leapt silently over the first Alpha, dealing a deathblow to the neck going up and slicing his gas tank of as he landed, odd trails of an insubstantial red mist followed his every move as he decimated the Elites, striking down all but one in a single fell swoop. Then the dream ended, the world resumed its normal state, sound came flooding back into Sev’s ears and his vision returned to normal. IT seemed however Murphy’s Law was in effect and the sole survivor was carrying a permanent state energy shield and large double sided T-Hammer, this was clearly the heavy weapons man of the group and appeared to be the true leader, his enormous, eight foot suit indicated that he was of high rank, leaders get the best gear after all. This one soldier alone could best Sev Hub and Jade in a fight and there was no way to run, there were only one option: die fighting.

Sev stepped forward to die like he knew his father would have wanted him to, fighting to the last drop of blood in his body. It never came to that, a small gun mounted on the Elite’s shoulder pad rolled forward and powered a dart into Sev’s chest, he knew at once what the sudden paralytic feeling meant ‘Tazer darts! So they mean to take us in as prisoners!’ the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was another squad of Elites piling in and the forms of Hub and Jade lying on the floor, then it all went black…

LOCATION UNKNOWN -Time, Date unknown

Sev regained a kind of foggy sense of existence; he knew instantly that he was being drugged and that he was securely strapped down to a surgical table by heavy leather straps. He overheard the conversation being carried out apparently next to his bed, his eyes still shut.

“…All the more reason to dispose of them all” the first voice said in a tired tone, this argument had obviously been going on for some time
“But this is a chance we will never have again!”
“The DomZ have plenty of Furion prisoners from when they attacked Furia.”
‘Plenty of Furions, prisoners!’
“Yes and they don’t seem particularly willing to let them go, those Furions are like a banquet to them.”
“I can always turn to General Kh…”
“Don’t say his name!”
“Alright alright! Don’t go off the deep end, we can still see what high command can do can’t we?”
“The Alphas are a puppet show for the DomZ and High C are the main characters.” The first voice replied cynically.
“You just watch what you say, better people than you have disappeared for saying things like that”
“Oh really, I’m not afraid of the Alphas, they need us too much, why without us the girl would be nothing but a trouble maker and they’d never get her to the DomZ, no my friend, job security is very good here”
“Oh that’s what you think, but one day I’ll wake up and have a new partner!”
“You sound li…”
Sev lost his grip on reality there and then, fading back into a haze and then into a deep, drug induced coma, what happened in the next few weeks Sev felt or sensed nothing of, but the project continued…




This is the entire story so far by the way. Next up, Chapters 3-5

It's great that you have your own story of BGE2, I haven't read it yet, I will soon :). But what I wanted to say is, that you should place this topic in the fanfics section, where other storywriters post theirs. Click Here to check it out. Send Ugly Phil a PM if you want to have it replaced :).

BTW: Great you joined the forum, we're happy to have you here. *officially welcomes you to the BGE revolution* :P

Here's Chapter 4-5. Please post a comment someone, and feel free to stick this wherever you want to put it, that fanfiction section I can't find other than in you link. House Davion rules.

Chapter 4:Darkest hour
“Wake up Mr.Freeman, wake up and smell the ashes”-The G-man, Half Life 2

ATLAS-Alpha Section Prison-The Pit-8/9/2435

The pair of Alphas marched along the thin walkway that surrounded The Pit, a giant, hollow cylindrical colossus who’s walls were honeycombed with hundreds of small 12x12 foot cells. Rising through the center of The Pit was a giant spire with dozens of walkways leading out to the walls. The prison was different to the one on Sahara; it was dirtier and certainly more dangerous. One quick look over the railings and one saw the curving wall stretching down so far that it was impossible to see the floor several hundred meters down. The pair of guards were carrying a limp object, they opened a cell and tossed the body in it.
“You think he’s dead?” The first Alpha asked.
“No just out to it” The other one replied “he’ll wake up and he’s in for a shock when he does”
The two Alphas marched away, their sadistic laughing echoing around the prison.
‘All things that begin, must end, your journey is at a turning point young Sev, remember these words: You are Furion, their meaning will become clear in time, then and only then will we meet…” Sev woke with a start. Breathing heavily he surveyed his surroundings. A prison, his cell was in the shape of a half cylinder, roughly twice his height in length and width. Sev got up cautiously and moved to the door to his cell. What he saw astounded him, Sev had heard rumours about The Pit last time he visited Atlas, but he never expected to see it. The massive hollow cylinder stretched up and down further than the eye could see, it was going to be a real pain to get out of here…

ALPHA SECTION PRISON-The Pit-Recreation Area-12/9/2435

Several days had passed since Sev’s capture and he had got the
grip of prison life quickly. It was rough, violent and if you weren’t
careful, short. He had already planned his breakout, using the other prisoners to begin a revolt and seize the prison; tonight was the time it would happen, Sev looked down at his tiny shiv a far cry from his sword but it would have to do until he got a better weapon. The guards were not Alpha Section soldiers, guarding prisoners was too trivial a task for them, instead the prison guards were simply basic grunts recruited with promises of glory and stuck on guard duty, armed with nothing but orange coveralls and shotguns. There were rumours of so-called ‘elite guards’ who had access to heavy weapons and better armour. Sev checked his watch, eleven, it was time. He looked up at the burly walrus across the dusty, octagonal yard on The Pit’s floor and nodded. The walrus walked up to the nearest prisoner and dropped him with one swipe, in seconds the guards were down in the yard clubbing the walrus. This was Sev’s cue, he dashed forward at the guards, drew his shiv and impaled one in the back, the guard dropped his gun and fell down Sev grabbed the shotgun and turned it one the guards all around him, before anyone knew what was happening the guards were dead and the alarms were sounding “Now!” Sev roared other prisoners raced about, some close enough to the dead guards to grab their weapons other drawing shivs and clubs made in secret. The pack raced toward the exit killing more guards along the way. At the exit they found a squad of guards set up behind a barricade. They surged forward as the guards opened fire with a mix of shotguns and rifles dropping several of the leaders in a hail of gunfire. The crowd overran them slicing and clubbing its way through the defense. Sev slowed to a halt and turned to the other prisoners “Get their weapons and ammo, anyone who doesn’t have a gun carries ammo, the wounded will have to stay. They picked up several more guns along with retrieving the ones from the twenty dead prisoners the new gun wielding former prisoners now stood at the front of the pack. “Lets go” Sev ordered. Next stop was the lockers that held the prisoner’s belongings but more importantly it was the home of a large room marked ‘armoury’…

AIR VENTS

It had been a total disaster the guards had been waiting for them with elites and mounted machine guns. The prisoners had been cut down in droves, whoever survived the machine guns was torn apart by guards with military grade weapons, Sev had fought until he realized it was pointless, he had his own life to save he had dived into an air vent after stealing a new O.I.C.W from a guard and a belt of magazines. He now crouched in a small, gray vent identical to hundreds of others all over the prison, except for one thing, all vents had a small plaque on the wall at intervals of around 20 meters on which were written where the vent went, came from and where it branched off. This one was marked ‘exhaust outlet 1152-337’. The only thing gained from the massacre was that Sev had been able to retrieve his belongings from the locker with his name on it. He had found his clothes, sword, nano-sheath and S.A.C in the locker and had put them on in the air vent. Sev crawled onward for what seemed like hours until he saw a tiny point of light ahead, he crawled his way towards it and found himself staring out at a typical alleyway, rows of overflowing bins and skips, rubbish on the ground and a fire escape, opposite. He kicked the grate off and took his first breath of the semi-fresh air of freedom. Around Sev were other vents with steam pouring out of them, other exhaust vents. Unbidden, one thought jumped into his head ‘now, to rescue Jade: again’…



ATLAS-Lower Elements-Street level-12/9/2435


A small figure raced through the dense forest of people, pushing his way through with surprising terror-driven strength. The figure squeezed out of the crowd and into an empty alleyway. The figure was fairly short, obviously just a child no more than 13. He ran down the alley and dived behind a large skip, he peeked back out, the trio of large black suited soldiers that had been chasing him barged onward, oblivious of the fact that they were no longer in pursuit of their intended victim. The small child was a goat, clad in a hastily made yellow prison uniform that had been covered up with a stolen jumper and trousers, it was the most outgoing of Jade’s orphans, Fehn. He advanced back down the alley slowly, wary of any other pursuers that may be out there. Suddenly a hand with a grip like iron clenched down on his shoulder. He spun around, painfully twisting his pinned muscles. He stared up into a familiar face. “Jade!’ He squealed, except it wasn’t Jade, though the figure held a great resemblance to jade it was in actual fact a young man who stood there.

“Relax kid, I know Jade.” Sev said in a consoling voice.

“Prove it! Who are you?” Fehn snapped.

“I’m an assassin sent to kill Jade…” Sev paused a minute, then threw back his head, now framed with long shaggy hair that fell onto his shoulders and let out a barking laugh. “Gotcha there kid. I’m a mercenary Iris employed me to be some sort of guardian for Jade. Look let me show you my contract. With that Sev pulled the Iris contract out of his S.A.C. Fehn scanned over it and, when convinced handed it back to Sev.

“We gotta rescue Jade and the others. I know where they are! Jade sent me out to find you.” Fehn said.
“Me? Why me?” Sev asked, baffled by this, he and Jade had not parted in good company. She had accused him of thinking about nothing but himself, ‘she was probably right’ Sev thought honestly.

“Leave that to me.” With that agreed on the pair made their way back into the dense streets and, on Fehn’s instructions made their way to a place even more ominously titled than The Pit, a place known as the Alpha Section PlanetOps building.

UPPER ELEMENTS-PlanetOps

After hiring a taxi to fly them to the Upper Elements of Atlas, with Sev posing grudgingly as Fehn’s nanny the two gazed about in wonder. It had been five years since Sev had been in the company of such opulence, the Upper Elements was were the upper crust of Atlas society lived. It was the highest eight levels of the city that covered the planet. It was almost like home, except that home had rolling green plains, amazingly crystal clear rivers and snow capped, cloud shrouded mountains…
Sev shook his head to clear it of his nostalgic dreams of his home planet; it was from a past that was dead and gone, a future that burned with the ashes of Furia, a fire translated into his own heart, burned onto his very soul. Sev marched onward, now oblivious to the glittering of the magnificent structures, which shone as if they were made of gold. In the middle distance Sev’s sharp eyesight picked out the enormous, sprawling building with that massive holographic title ‘GOVERNMENT HOUSE’. He led Fehn towards it both keeping a wary eye on the guards around them, hopefully the news of their separate escapes hadn’t reached the ears of these guards. Even a warrior as good as Sev wouldn’t be able to fight of all these guards at once armed as they were. Sev’s eye for weapons picked out ceremonial swords, quarterstaffs and halberds but he also noticed the on-ceremonial guards armed with the occasional O.I.C.W, he also picked up H&K MP-500 SMGs, GK-36 Battle rifles, SKS-100 Urban assault weapons and M-23 Urban assault weapons. Against that massed firepower Sev would stand little chance even without having to protect Fehn. Jade would kill him, if Fehn got hurt and that would be if the guards left anything. So Sev kept a low profile, moving with the flow of sightseers as they made their way toward the massive building. As Sev drew closer to the structure he began to see just how difficult it would be to get in. The crowds parted and Sev saw a pair of massive walkers flanking the Government House. The combat vehicles, 30 feet tall had four long, spindly spider-like legs that supported an upside-down hemispherical pod hanging between them. From the pod hanging on thin, highly flexible tubes were two autocannons and, Sev gasped in shock, a long black cylinder that could only be an anti-matter cannon. Along with the walkers were over forty guards plus sentry turrets, scanners and no doubt mines. Fortunately the answer to Sev’s problem came several minutes later, with a rocket that slammed into one of the walkers and a cry of “Liberty or death!” a swarm of colourfully dressed people came pouring out of lifts and buildings, they opened fire on the guards using AKMS rifles, stolen H&K MP-500s,GK-36s and SDS 14 shotguns. The guards returned fire despite being caught out in the open, subjecting the resistance fighters to a deadly hail of crossfire from all sides. The resistance split up and took cover, as the boulevard became a battlezone. By now Sev noticed that he and Fehn were all alone, the sightseers and tourists having run to the nearest cover. Sev dashed over to a small knot of resistance fighters and joined them inside what turned out to be a court. He immediately encountered a small army’s worth of guns aimed at him. Sev thought fast, if he didn’t respond quickly they would kill him ‘Safe and sound in its shell the precious pearl is the slave of the currents’. The resistance fighters lowered their weapons and Sev realized that the he had spoken the words that had come into his mind.

“You know our password.” A fighter with a cybernetic eye and arm said.

“Uh, yeah.” Sev replied, “I’m a long time revolutionary.” ‘Idiot’.

“Well that’s good enough for me. You look well armed enough. We gotta take down those walkers or they’ll cut us to pieces” Another fighter said, this one was cradling a shotgun.

Sev though quickly, small arms couldn’t take down those walkers not even if the resistance had brought along any RPGs or AP rocket launchers. “Give me covering fire, make sure those guards keep their heads down, if the don’t blow them off.”

“What’re you gonna do?” A third fighter asked.

“I’m going to get up inside one of those walkers and use it to toast the other one.”

“You’re fraggin crazy man.” A shark fighter told him.

“Maybe but it’s the only thing that’s going to wreck that walker” Sev replied. Without another word the group rushed out to relay the orders to other fighters. Sev turned to Fehn “Fehn, I’m serious here. I want you to stay right here, don’t move unless the building gets blown up. Stay here Fehn, I’ll be back as soon as this is over.” With that Sev dashed back out onto the streets just as the walkers joined the fight. Immediately chaos erupted as the resistance fighters desperately employed RPGs and Anti tank rifles in a futile attempt to stop the walkers. Sev watched as a trio of RPG rockets exploded harmlessly off the walker’s armoured carapace. The walker turned, singled out its attackers and opened fire with its dangling cannons, the solid durasteel ground was ripped to shreds and the pocket of fighters died in a blaze of fire and autocannon shells. Sev heard their screams from where he was standing. It chilled him to the bone, Sev shook the thoughts from his mind ‘focus on your goal’ he told himself ‘Hold on Jade, I’m coming.’
‘Sev!’
Sev nearly fell over from shock. He had just heard Jade’s voice inside his mind, and his heart. He had heard of certain people being able to communicate on a telepathic level before but he never thought he’d see it, much less experience it.
‘Jade, is that you?’
‘Who the frag d’you think it is, your grandma?!’
The sheer attitude in the reply conformed it ‘Jade, its so good to hear your voice... Uhhh I mean its good to know your alive.’
‘Right, now’s not the time Sev’

Jade sat alone on the bunk in her 12x12 foot cell, desperately trying to maintain the telepathic link.
‘What, Jade, 1 have to say this, I’ve fallen. Oh frag!!!
The link was severed without warning, Jade felt a white hot pain in her gut, like a giant bombed had punched through her ribcage and exploded. She didn’t know at the time but it was that pain that a victim of a 25mm HE autocannon shell felt when they where hit by one. Just like the shells being used by the walkers outside…
WALKER AT0056

Commander Dernud Lown watched the massacre through the cluster of glowing red photoreceptors on the walker’s head. His walker was butchering the rebels, it had lumbered down the boulevard, chasing the fragmented remains of the rebel attack down the street, culling their numbers with long swathes of 25mm death and leaving blood smeared ruins behind it. The boulevard was now totally unrecognizable; every surface was covered with bullet holes, shell craters and smeared blood. At the remains of defensible positions were clusters of corpses riddled with bullet holes and melee weapon cuts. The streets and walls twisted sheets of pockmarked steel. And ahead more destruction lay in wait. Every time the walkers fired their explosive shells tore up huge chunks of metal leaving long jagged tears in the boulevard. Lown surveyed all this with satisfaction, he knew this might be what got him promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and it would be a desk job, no more butchering pathetic rebels and innocent bystanders from the safety of his giant machine. But it would be a nice, relaxing job after his many years of active service. Lown was not an old man, just into his early forties and only staring to go grey. He had a weathered, lined face that smiled only when he could see his enemies crushed beneath the long, stilt like legs of his machine. Lown had steel gray eyes that matched his icy soul, a military standard haircut and a goatee. He was wearing a standard blue uniform with his name, rank and medal representatives sown on to it. On each shoulder was a circular patch with ‘431st Armoured Division’ and a picture of a hover tank on it. Lown might have been an exemplary soldier, as his medal representatives showed, but at the moment he was too focused on the task at hand to notice the small figure scaling his walker’s leg.

Sev flopped onto the walker’s body. The climb had exhausted him, he had been forced to drag himself up 30 feet of smooth steel and the swing across to the body. He lay there for a moment, catching his breath and then started crawling across the swaying carapace of the giant machine. Sev had never realized just how loud those twin autocannons were. The deafening sound gave him extra incentive to get inside. He found a small hatch and prized it open with his sword, he lowered himself into the walker and dropped down smack in the center of the walker’s cockpit. Sev made a quick head count, two pilots and a commander all staring at him with a mixture of shock and mild fear. “Ello guv’nor” Sev said in his best accent. It was the last thing Lown ever heard. Sev impaled the cold-hearted commander on his sword, drew it out and delivered the same treatment to the pilots. In the blink of an eye, the walker was his. Sev kicked Lown’s body out of the way and sat down at the commander’s chair. He jimmied a plate and set to work rewiring the controls. Predictably.
“Welcome New User, you have the con.” Said the impassive computer voice.

“excellent.” Sev said to himself. He reached out and took control of the walker, bringing it around and lining up the other walker. He activated the anti-matter cannon.

“Warning, friendly in the line of fire.”

“Override” Sev ordered.

“Order accepted, powering anti-matter cannon.”

Sev lined up the other walker and pressed the firing stud. A long beam of purple energy lanced out of the barrel and slammed into the target walker, vapourizing a circular hole through the whole body. The walker staggered sideways from the force of the blast and collapsed into a building. Sev then turned the autocannons on the soldiers flocking around his walkers feet. Within 30 seconds it was a complete rout. The few remaining soldiers had gone into hiding and the ragged remains of the resistance attack force stood clustered around the base of the walker, cheering at their victory. Sev managed to operate the grav-lift in the walker to take him down to ground level. There he was met by swarms of rebels who hugged him, thumped him on the back or shook his hand. One young female human even came up to him and kissed him on the cheek. Sev blushed, smiled and asked for whoever was in charge.
“I’m still here,” the rebel he had spoken to earlier said, grinning from ear to ear “This is a great day for us and you made it happen.”
“Were still not finished.” Sev replied. He was about to continue when something small and furry attached itself to his leg. Sev looked down to see Fehn clinging tightly to his leg. Sev pulled him off and put Fehn up on his shoulders where he could see better and wouldn’t get stood on.

“You did it Sev you did it!” Fehn yelled in his ear

“I know, now we can rescue Jade”

“It won’t be easy. My people are exhausted we need to rest before we bust in.” The rebel commander informed Sev.

“I know, but Jade’s in there somewhere and she needs me, I know, I can feel it…”

The rebels rested for an hour before moving in. Sev spearheaded the assault, cutting down the few remaining guards with ease. The rebels encountered little resistance, most of the guards having been sent outside during the earlier battle. It wasn’t long before they found what Sev was looking for.
Sev stood outside the massive durasteel double doors leaning against the wall next to them, a squad of rebels at his back. He summoned a small block of door breaching explosive out of his S.A.C and tossed it across to the rebel on the other door. Then he got one for himself. As one they set, armed and activated the charges. 5..4..3..2..1..the charges went off, forcing the doors to swing open to reveal the Alpha Section PlanetOps, Sev and the rebels gasped in amazement. What had seemed but a simple room was really the gateway to a massive durasteel cave which itself held a sprawling framework city like a scale model of Atlas itself. Their current room was like a massive lobby, which led to a large landing bay full of small grav-sleds of several varieties. It was several full seconds before a furious storm of gunfire broke out as the rebels and Alpha Section gunners vied for control of the lobby. The rebels had little cover and so improvised, going prone behind the corpse of a comrade and hiding behind the pillars saved the lives of those who had not been cut down in the initial trade off. Sev quickly advanced behind the pillars, sword in one hand Alliant/H&K M-29 SABR/O.I.C.W in the other despite its weight. He snuck up on an Alpha position as the guards traded fire with the rebels. He raked the group with 5.56mm rounds and dived at the survivors with his sword outstretched. Sev hacked through the group and immediately moved onto a pair of Alphas manning an -540 SAW he sliced one in half, ducked the others swing and brought his sword up underneath the guards armour lifting him off the ground, Sev dropped the body off his sword just as the gunfire ceased. IT seemed that the rebels had done most of the work.

“All right people find a grav-sled and start freeing the prisoners. Teams nine through twenty set up a perimeter on the shortest route back to HQ take the prisoners there in small groups. Teams 21 through 30 sweep the surrounding areas, try and find someone important looking and see what info you can get them to cough up. Everyone else start work on getting those prisoners out.” A chorus of enthusiastic ‘yes sirs!’ met the resistance commander’s orders as team captains relayed orders for their men to fall out and begin work. A team of rebels broke into the lobby’s office and immediately sat themselves down at the consoles, filling up the entire room; together they worked to start opening cages and bringing systems on-line.

Sev wasn’t one to be distracted. HE grabbed a two-man grav-sled and flew to the back of the chasm city. There was a small tower with its own landing pad. Sev put down on it after reading the massive sign which said ‘SPECIAL PRISONERS UNIT-NO PERSONEL UNDER LEVEL 5 CLEARANCE’ ‘This is a as good a bet as any to find Jade and her friends, I’m sure the Alphas would consider her a ‘special prisoner’ time to get to work’. Sev marched through the doors. This place seemed strangely empty; he hadn’t even seen a servitor bot. IT was like everyone packed up and left when they heard that the rebels had bested the exterior guards and by the look of the place, that seemed to be what had happened. Sev found the brig after a dew minutes of searching, still not seeing a single guard or worker or robot. He pressed the button to open the door, it slid open easily they hadn’t even locked the doors. Inside was a set of 12x12 foot cells each one covered with an energy barrier.

“Sev!” Sev heard the shout and rushed to the cell, Jade was standing at the barrier looking worried. “Sev they took Pey’j and Hub somewhere, I don’t know where they are.” Jade’s large green eyes were filled with worry and sadness, Sev was surprised that she hadn’t broken down yet.

“Don’t worry.” He reassured her, “If they’re out there we’ll find them. Lets get you out of here first.” With that Sev hit the release button on the barriers control panel, the barrier shimmered and vanished. As soon as it was down Jade rushed out and flung her arms around Sev’s neck, clinging to him tightly like a young child.

“Sev they’ve taken them, Pey’j, the kids, Hub, all of them. They took them somewhere! They said they were taking them somewhere I’d never find them, if they survived, their words exactly! Sev, I’m afraid that they’ll die, I could never forgive myself if any of the kids came to harm!” Jade gushed out, getting all that weight of her shoulders, even with all her strength, even she had her limits of how much she could take and she had gone way past them.

Sev put his arms around her shoulders. “Relax Jade,” he said softly, despite still being slightly surprised at the sudden outburst. “C’mon he” said gently prizing her of. He held her by her shoulders and said “I promise Jade, wherever they are we’ll find, whatever it takes.” Jade leaned in closer to him stretching up to reach, Sev looked down at her. Just at that moment Sev’s S.A.C beeped, startling both and ruining the moment, Sev detached his earpiece “Go ahead” he said, thoroughly annoyed at whoever had called at that precise moment.

“We’re nearly done here, come back with whoever you find.”

“Right.’ Sev said, trying to maintain a level voice, with one last glance at a thoroughly embarrassed looking Jade he set off for the hangar.

After another half hour the majority of the prisoners were well on their way to rebel HQ and the stream had slowed to a trickle when the hologram suddenly materialized in the middle of the room.

“Ah, resistance members. You know who I am; you all thought I was dead didn’t you. You were wrong! AHAHAHA!!! You might have won this small victory but it won’t change a thing, Hillys is in the middle of a civil war!!!” Said the sinister figure. Sev took down details in his mind, very large, two blue stripes on his cheeks, Alpha Section armour and a nametag that read…General Kheck. The hologram vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

A storm of protests burst out immediately from the rebels and former prisoners
“No it can’t be!”
“He died!!”
“I don’t believe!”
“This can’t be happening”
“I saw him die!” Jade shouted, startling Sev and a pair of nearby rebels.

“Then what’s he doing talking to us now?” Sev asked, it was the first time the two had spoken since the prison barracks; they had carefully avoided eye contact after ever since arriving back at the lobby. No more time now for being shy, especially with this new supposedly resurrected foe on the scene. “Who is he?” Sev asked Jade.

“He was the leader of the Alphas on Hillys, way back when before all this started. I saw him near his moon base not a few months ago.

Dead or not, Sev could feel that this guy was trouble. Something told him they needed to get back to Hillys right away. Though he wasn’t sure whether that was his feelings or Jade’s, the telepathic link seemed to have strengthened and now he was picking up small clues about Jade’s feelings. Confusion, fear for her family and friends, exhaustion, anger at the Alphas, but the one thing that had been nagging him constantly he had been sensing ever since they met: love, for someone nearby. He tried to banish any thoughts of it being him with little success ‘Stop daydreaming and get on with the job. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’m not working for money now. It’s a greater cause I have been fighting, for what I believe is right. And for this…’

As luck would have it Sev’s ship Icarus was being held in the warehouses at the Government House. Sev and Jade climbed aboard for the trip to Jade’s war-torn home planet.



Chapter 5: War zone
“Though stormed with shot and shell, bravely they charged, into the mouth of the Devil, into the maw of Hell”-Lonard Dawes, Dark Empire’s fall

HILLYS-Seaview airspace-Night 13/9/2435

Sev brought the yacht down through the clouds the ships hulls shimmered as the sunlight slid across its transparent hull. Sev had engaged the cloaking system; it was eating up power at a phenomenal rate, giving Sev just another few hours of flight time before the batteries went dead. He looked back at Jade, who had changed out of her prison uniform into her traditional clothes. It was immediately clear that two stints at Alpha Section prisons had done little for her looks, she had seemed downcast, as if her fighting spirit had been crushed. Understandable given Alpha Section ‘hospitality’ but now Sev could se that she was raring to fight now. Amazing what a good meal and a long sleep could do for someone. Jade’s hair was now as long as Sev’s, hanging over her shoulders with a locks framing her green eyes in a brushed back style that looked just plain good. Sev had to admit that jade had made quite the recovery, only a day after her second time in prison and she was already back to having simple, down to earth good looks.
‘Keep you eyes on the sky’ the thought came from nowhere but Jade had just a hint of a smile. For now Sev returned his attention to the view in front of him just in time to see one of the most heart breaking things in his life.

Seaview, the city that Jade had long considered part of her home was a vibrant, beautiful town. The wide canal that cut through the center of the island it was built upon played host to a multitude of hover cars, small boats and hovercraft of all shapes and sizes. The pedestrian district was home to most of the city’s population. A town within a town it was Jade’s favorite place on Hillys, from the laidback atmosphere of the Akuda Bar, with its Spanish/Latino rap soundtrack to the simple ‘welcome home’ felling you got when you walked into Fountain Square with Nouri’s kiosk, Ming-Tzu’s Equipment dealership and the deep water of the fountain itself, the Pedestrian District was where one could spend hours, watching the hovercraft races on massive screens courtesy of General Kheck’s Alpha Sections, or wander among the various shops and kiosks, owners displaying their latest goods and produce or wile away time at the Akuda Bar and try a game of Three Coconut Monty with Peepers. The rest of the city was just as amazing. Even the few factories, which assembled the non-organic needs of the Seaview population, hover cars, building metal, parts, were part of Seaview’s ‘town on an island charm’ anything for your mechanical needs could be found in the Industrial District. Continuing further and one would find other residential areas. The old Alpha Section HQ and Warehouses now converted into a bustling spaceport that fed the city and its surrounding area with exotic or unobtainable supplies. It was truly a city where you could live your entire life and never grow tired of it, never lose that sense of wonder, never lose that insatiable desire just to keep exploring around the next corner.
Seaview was all these things, no longer. The dark night silhouetted the streams of anti-aircraft fire that lanced into the night sky, questing for a victim. Though it was hard to make out the smoke in the darkness that same darkness enhanced that source of the smoke, brilliant fires raged across the city, the result of urban warfare. It was all too much, Jade stared in shocked horror at the vista below the invisible ship, she looked down at Sev, for most people it was hard to tell what Sev was thinking below the cold exterior and front of grim determination that he put up.

Jade’s horror lanced through Sev like a knife in his heart. Her suffering made it all the more worse. It was the same nightmare all over again.
I climbed out of the wreckage through a small hole I had made by pulling the debris away. As I wormed my way out into the dawn sky I could smell smoke. All around fires raged, pouring volumes of thick black smoke into the orange morning skies of Furia. As I looked around I saw a glow in the distance, the city burning furiously. I looked out across the courtyard where, hours before I stood beside my Father as we watched the night sky and I dreamt of my future as the ruler of a whole system. The courtyard was now unrecognizable, three large, green, teardrop shaped objects covered in strange lumps were half buried in the solid ground. I could tell that danger was nearby; I drew my sword from its nano-sheath. I approached the meteor; I had no other words to describe it, my foot crunched on something. I looked around; small green fragments of what must have been organic matter surrounded me. Alert now I edged around the meteor, my hair blowing in the breeze. My Father, he lay dead on the ground, his body lacerated with hundreds of slashes, in his hands laid a sword and data pad. I did not dare touch his sword, it was crafted for my Father and so must never leave his hand. But the data pad was on and had something written on it. I picked it up and accessed the last entry

For my son, I have a grave warning. Listen well, for if you do not, you will die. I accessed the file and read through it, my disbelief and horror growing with every word. I finished reading, dropped the data pad and crushed it under my boot, making sure to grind the data crystals into dust. I walked to the family’s garage finding the bodies of house staff everywhere. I found the family’s Mercadi Stilleto. An old ship christened Icarus, I gathered my belongings and dumped them in the captain’s quarters. I activated the garage doors, walked back to the ship and flew it out of the ashes of my home.

I had always loved looking at Furia from space, and now I would do it one last time, but it was no longer the beautiful verdant planet it once was, greens and blues mixed with the lights of cities so large they could be seen from space, now the entire planet was blackened. The victim of a ruthless enemy’s scorched Earth tactics, I maneuvered the graceful yacht out through the wreckage of space stations and factories, shipyards and blasted hulks, set up a hyperspace vector and left Furia, never to return. Os so I had thought then…

The ship put down on a small outcropping that no one would be able to reach, unless they had a hoverbike, like Sev’s. The night was cold as Sev maneuvered the bike across the island, Jade clinging to his back. They pulled up on the outskirts of the city.
“Lets go. I don’t know what we’ll find but…We’ll find your friends, I can feel it.” Sev said as much to reassure himself as Jade.
“You do know we might die in there.” Jade said.
“I’ve lived my whole life running, always knowing that one wrong step and I’d die, I’m used to that feeling by now. You just need to have a goal to reach and that goal will be what sees you through.”

Jade thought about Sev’s words. Then did something neither of them saw coming, she stepped closer to Sev, stretched up and kissed him. “I, I’m sorry I, didn’t know what I was doing. I haven’t been thinking straight and…”

It was a testament to Sev’s level of control that he had managed to cover at least some of his surprise at jade’s sudden move. ‘Here we go…’ Sev opened his mouth to say what he had been feeling for all this time when a patrol of twenty Alphas spotted them.

“Hey Stop!” The leader yelled, drawing his T-Hammer. Before anyone could react the Alphas had surrounded Sev and Jade. They drew their weapons, prepared to fight back-to-back, The Alphas closed in. The next thing Sev knew they had both had their retinas scanned, he knew they didn’t have him on file, yet but they would defiantly have Jade on a file. This would mean more trouble ahead, predictably…
‘Its her! Quick kill the other one and bring her in!” An Alpha with Lieutenant markings on his shoulder pads ordered.

“Sir yes sir!” The ring of soldiers chanted in unison.

“I don’t think so” Sev stated, he wasn’t remotely afraid of what the Alphas could do to him, he could take this lot on his own, but he was worried about Jade, Sev had no idea of how she would fare in a fight, he had a good idea that these Alphas would be little challenge for her. “You really don’t want to come any closer” Sev told the Alphas. Something furry and soft gripped his hand, Jade, wearing a gyrodisk glove. Sev gave her hand a gentle squeeze while running a mental checklist of all the weapons he could hold in that hand ‘Any one of my knives, 2430 Desert Eagle SE, grenade, then again maybe not’ he felt the grip loosen. At the same time he could sense Jade placing both her hands o her dai-jo. ‘Here we go again’ Sev thought, he could sense Jade through the telepathic link. He stepped away from her, confident that he would know the moment she was in trouble and directed his first swing, the Alpha blocked it with his hammer, the impact shuddering up Sev’s bones, he brought the sword around again faster than the eye could blink, slicing through the Alphas armour and dropping his enemy to the ground. Sev moved faster than the Alphas could react, dropping two within a few seconds. H ducked under a third’s swing and brought his sword up through the soldier’s armour, he impaled another an brought his sword down through the fifth’s armour. He leapt up onto the ninth’s chest plate and plunged his sword into the soldiers neck, then he launched himself off came over the other Alpha and sliced this one’s breathing tank in half on the way down. He spun around to assist Jade. She was standing surrounded by a pile of dead Alphas and had apparently been watching him fight his Alphas using old-fashioned methods while she had taken down her adversaries with some unknown power.

It had finally happened; with such a release of emotions just a moment ago she knew it would come. ‘dammit, why couldn’t you control yourself? Why did you have to go and let your blind romantic imagination take over? Now it knows, now it’ll try to catch you again! Stop acting like a lovesick school girl and start thinking about what you’re going to do now you fool!’ Jade managed to ignore the mental tongue lashing her more sensible side was giving her while Sev made a flashy show of spinning his sword on his hand so fast it was a blur. He finally returned the sword to its sheath, which melded itself around the weapon instantly.
“Hmm” looks like we’ll need to head back to the ship, they’ll know we’re here now and I’ve got some gear that’ll help us get past whatever the Alphas can throw at us. Oh, and we’ll have to bring Fehn along, we can dump ‘im at the Iris den.”

“You sure it’s a good idea to bring Fehn, he’s just a kid and want to take him into a warzone!”

“I’ll protect him, that’s why we need my gear.”

Half an hour later they were sneaking through the ruins of the city, making their way to the Akuda Bar. Sev had bulked up on ammunition and had changed his cream trousers for a pair of combats, he had also added a dark green cap to complete the effect, ‘You look like an idiot, and she defiantly seems to think so’ Sev glanced at Jade, who he could feel had been watching him the entire time though he had a strange suspicion that it wasn’t because of his poor attempt at camouflage. ‘Focus’ he told himself sternly, he crept forward and leaned around the corner of the ruined storefront they had been creeping along, frag! A checkpoint, there was a durasteel wall that spanned the entire wall, it had a door in the center with a control room on one side, a semicircle parapet on each side with an Alpha manning a heavy machine gun, on top of the wall were two small towers, each one holding what Sev recognized to be an M-606 section automatic weapon, the Alphas in the towers were also cradling Malari M-20 .50 caliber sniper rifles. Sev silently drew his M-29 O.I.C.W from the nano-sheath and took aim at the first machine gunner, he depressed the trigger and a 25mm grenade shot out, it hit the Alpha, smearing him against the wall, Sev blew the other machine gunner clean over the wall before the Alphas could react. One of the snipers spotted him just in time to be flung from his perch by Sev’s third grenade; the fourth grenade blew the other tower to shreds, launching its occupant sky high. Sev fired the last grenade at the door in the center of the wall, the explosion flung the remaining Alphas into the shops on either side of the street. To get through that door they would need something else. Sev, jade and Fehn ran to the wall, which was now blackened from the blast of Sev’s grenade, Sev dropped the spent magazine to the ground, summoned a new magazine of 25mm grenade’s from his S.A.C and loaded it into his gun, he drew the action back and savored the reassuring metallic click as he let the bolt slide back into place. “Jade how are you’re hacking skills?”

“Not bad” Jade replied.

“Good, see what you can do about that door” Sev said. He looked up just in time to see a small camera dangling on a long, articulate arm. The camera had been watching them the whole time ‘So much for stealth’ Sev thought, he summoned his 2430 Desert Eagle SE (Special Edition) from his S.A.C, took aim at the camera and fired, the big, long barreled pistol let off a booming report and its heavy .357 caliber bullet blew the camera to tiny fragments. “They know were here, better get a move on” he told Jade and Fehn unnecessarily, both had seen the camera. ‘camera…’ the word jolted something in Sev’s memory, he watched Jade trying to get the door open and the two came together ‘Jade’s camera! Its in my S.A.C I’ll have to remember to give it to her at some point.’ Sev stored the memo in the back of his mind while he tried to think of another way past the checkpoint.

“Got it!” Jade yelled triumphantly. Sev marched over to the booth and the big doors folded away.

“Nice” Sev commented in a way meant to sound offhand, but he was honestly impressed with Jade’s speed. She gave him a sweet smile and walked through the gates. Now would be a good time, Sev decided. He caught up with Jade and summoned the camera out of his S.A.C “Hey Jade, look what I found in the Alpha’s base on Atlas” He held up the camera. It got the reaction he expected.

“My camera!” Jade yelled, she rushed over ad grabbed it, examining her precious camera from every angle, she flicked it on and took a picture, realizing just how much she had missed that whir and click that her camera made. Pey’j had given this thing to her when she was just a little girl; he had said it was from her parents. From that day on the camera never left her side. As the only thing she hade to remind her of her parents, Jade always kept the camera close, these past few months were the only time when Jade had been separated from her camera and now she realized again just how much the precious little device meant to her. She stored it away in her S.A.C, making sure it was safely digitized. She looked up at Sev unable to think of anything to say, so she hugged him and then kissed him again. Though this time Sev seemed a bit more prepared he smiled at Jade’s gesture of thanks

‘Ha!’ Sev thought ‘Didn’t manage to surprise me his time did you’ but he was genuinely happy with the way Jade had chosen to show her appreciation for returning her camera. “We’d best be going. The Alphas know we’re here now.” With that Sev took the lead, quickly recovered from Jade’s second move on him within ten minutes of landing on Hillys he drew his sword and walked forward twelve feet.

Jade watched Sev from where she was standing trying to work out what had come over her again, ‘You’ve got to stop acting like that, this is a war and…’ just then Jade noticed something glint in the window of a two story office across the road from where Sev was standing, something clicked in her mind ‘Sniper!’ Jade started to run towards Sev as a blue laser designator appeared, it traced its way along the ground towards Sev’s feet “Sev look out!” Jade screamed. The beam traced its way across Sev’s chest and came to a rest on his neck. Sev saw the beam, he moved to dodge nut it was to late. In those last few milliseconds Sev, realized what had been nagging at him this whole time ‘Jade, I love you’.

The sniper had watched this man as he demolished his comrades. He knew immediately what this stranger was, a Furion, the last of the Furions. The last of an ancient race of warriors who’s lineage had spanned many millions of years. Now he alone would be the one to finish of this thorn in his master’s side, he would be praised and he would be rewarded in a way none of his comrades could ever hope for. Now was his chance. It took a mere eight seconds to line up the Furion as he stood, calmly watching the streets as arrogant and convinced of his own immortality as the rest. It took him mere milliseconds to finalize his aim on his target’s neck. It took him only another millisecond to pull the trigger and send the fifteen-centimeter bullet tearing towards his target at hypersonic velocity, in that mere millisecond, the last of the Furions fell…sideways? The bullet should have sliced him in half!

Sev owed jade his life, her warning had given him that split second he needed to lean backwards just as the bullet streaked over his head, its massive slipstream pulling at his hair. When he came back up he had a massive Bowie knife’s blade in his hand. He used the momentum to hurl the blade through the window.

The sniper saw the knife coming but unlike the Furion could not dodge it, there was nothing he could do as the blade spun towards him and buried itself between his eyes. At least it was a quick end.

Sev dusted his hands, frowning at the window were the sniper had taken up residence “Now I have to go it there and get my knife” he said in an offhand manner, though it sounded callous. It took hima minute to scale he side of the building and retrieve his knife from the sniper’s body. He swung in through the window to check out the sniper’s roost. It looked like the guy was well set up food, comms, couple of crates. A blocky gun caught Sev’s eye, it was about similar length to most rifle but consisted purely of one long rectangular block, at one end the trigger and grip sat inside the stock and at was a pump action. In between hung a stubby magazine ‘A frag gun! Excellent!’ Sev walked over and picked up the 25th century shotgun and cradled it in his hands it was practically weightless. Though he was used to that now, nearly all guns since the 22nd century were made out of extremely strong carbon fibre plastic, Sev had used frag guns enough to know how they worked, it was like shotgun loaded with flechette shells, rather than pellets, a frag gun shell held densely packed shards of razor sharp metal that ripped a target to pieces, it was a simple, brutal weapon no bothering around with aim simply unload a frag gun shell on your target and they would be torn to shreds by dozens of razor sharp slivers of metal. Sev ripped the bolt out of the weapon; he had never liked frag guns anyway. He dropped back down to street level and walked over to where jade was standing and simply said, “Lets go…”

It took another hour to reach the resistance frontlines battling through the Alpha Section lines. Or rather it took another hour to reach the Hovercraft races. The trio stood on a mountain of wreckage near the far side of the collapsed dome that provided access to the dozen or so races held around Hillys. Sev checked out the local area. This lobby-esque structure was one enormous dome with a short tunnel that led to the main canal that ran through the heart of Seaview, to Sev it was obvious why the sounds of battle had intensified getting closer, this canal would allow either side access to the entire city, not to mention allowing easy access to the outside world. It would be a valuable bit of territory. For now however Sev contented himself with his current surroundings, the dome had three tunnels in a T-shaped arrangement; one led out to the main canal the other lead to various races. The rear wall had collapsed into the water, judging from the surrounding destruction a result of laser artillery. It was on the remnants of the wall that Sev and his companions were standing.

“How are we gonna get to the Iris home?” Fehn asked, looking out to where, in the distance, the docks of the pedestrian district could be seen faintly. He looked up at Jade, who was holding his hand, she could see the fear in the youngster’s eyes.

“Its simple” Sev said in the closest thing to a reassuring voice his English tinged growl could manage. The next part however ruined any reassurance he had given “We swim.”

“Are you crazy!?” Jade snapped “Fehn can’t swim that far. And we’re not just gonna leave him behind!” she added.

“I never suggested that” Sev replied calmly. He wasn’t willing to argue with Jade on account of how stubborn he knew she’d be. But just who would win they never knew, just as Jade opened her mouth to say something a hail of gunfire erupted around them. Sev took the opportunity to grab Jade by her jacket and throw her into the water, followed by Fehn.

Jade hit the water and went under, her momentum carried her about two meters before she came up spluttering and gasping for air, Fehn broke the surface near her. Up on the mountain of rubble she could see Sev with his sword drawn “Go! Go swim! Get out of here!” he roared. Without another word he vanished but Jade could hear the sounds of a fight breaking out, without another look back, she grabbed Fehn and began to swim to across the canal…

Sev drew the fight out to ten minutes, but that wasn’t the end of his trouble, someone had called in air support. Just as he felled that last laser rifle armed Alpha a gunship came hovering up over a ruined apartment block. It was like an L on its side, a long nose that stretched straight down eight metres in a rough D with a large canopy in the center and a long tail with wide fins on it. Just behind the nose were two long fins that terminated in a pair of multi-exhausted ram scoop engines with enormous collection fins on the front. From the bottom of the nose a quad barreled cannon hung, Sev could also spot six gun ports on the nose, a machine gun on either side of the nose and eight missiles, four slung under the two wings. He ran for it and the gunship gave chase, firing as it came and tearing up the street around Sev like paper in a turbine with Sev at the center of the howling bullet storm. Sev dashed down a side street and managed to loose the gunship for a second or two, then he chase started again with Sev slowly loosing ground. He realized that he wasn’t going to escape this gunship there was only one other option: bring it down. ‘Great plan! Notice you haven’t got anything that could SHOOT DOWN A GUNSHIP!’ Sev admonished himself; he would just have to find another way to take out the aircraft. He ducked inside an apartment, hoping to get a moment to formulate a plan, all it earned him was the gunship crew switching to the chin gun. The nose-mounted guns were machine guns but the chin gun was a Hertz-Rutger AMC (Aircraft Mounted Cannon) 550. Sev recognized it by the distinctive sound it made as it chewed up his cover. He dived to the side and the cannon shells shredded the wall where he had been hiding mere milliseconds ago. He was forced to keep up a desperate dash to keep just ahead of the rolling destruction; Sev noticed that he was rapidly running out of room, up ahead was a very solid wall lined with windows he scooped up a charred chunk of durasteel girder and flung it at the window. The glass shattered and Sev leapt through it, flying well clear of the glass on the ground and tumbling into the street. The gunship hadn’t noticed that he was no longer in the building “Ladies and gentlemen, I have left the building” Sev left the corny one-liner hanging in the air before vanishing into the darkness, the gunship crew unaware of his disappearance…

PEDESTRIAN DISTRICT-Akuda Bar

Sev dragged himself into the bar, soaking wet. He had been forced to swim from some part of the city near the hovercraft races across the main canal and into the Pedestrian District, underwater and under fire. Now he walked in and was greeted by a row of gun barrels “Safe and sound in its shell the precious pearl is the slave of the currents” Sev said tiredly and the guards lowered their weapons and stepped aside, allowing him to march up the stair and into the Iris Den leaving a trail of water behind him.

“Hey Sev! You gunna leave me to mop all this up!” Mo shouted from the bar.

Sev turned around, pushing his wet hair out of his face “Yeah, yeah I am Mo” He said. Sev turned and came face to face with the ever-present master of Three Coconut Monty, Peepers.

“Just through that room, go up to the locker and they’ll let you in, the kid, Jade’s been having kittens over you” Peepers informed him, he mimicked Jade “‘where is he? he should be back by now’ You should get in there and calm her down, she’ll come out after you soon” Peepers grinned, nearly losing his long pipe, which was now issuing a faint whisp of smoke and a faint smell of Carosian tabacco.

“Right, thanks for the warning” Sev said, immensely glad that his, current sodden state prevented him from going too red, without another word he trapped into the room with Peepers’ faint laughter fading away behind him. He stepped up to the locker, it jolted and began to rotate. It span a slow 180 and shuddered to a stop, Sev stepped off it into the Iris Den…

Welcome, Sev. It's great to have you around now too. You know I love your story, but I'll make sure that newcomers will know it too. This story is original, has great new characters and a lot of excitement. The story is well written and it has everything a good sequel story needs. And I love a good romantic story now and then, and luckily this story has it too! Enjoy reading it, people! I know I have! ^_^

I really loved the story, great writing Sev. I see your character in the story as a combination between Aragorn and a Fable Hero(his appearence that is), with a Ninja Gaiden fighting style and a BGEish look to it. Which basicly means, He can't get any better for me. So keep on writing, I can't wait for the next chapter(s)!

Btw: If their would be made a game about your story, it would definitly be R-rated :P.

Heck yeah!
This story is the shizzness!

It reminds me of Aeon Flux with a mixture of the Animatrix...
...
Don't ask. But keep going!

Oh btw, I forgot to say that fanfics section can be found under Epicentre---> Fanfics, so go ahead and post it there so, we will have all the stories in one place :D.

Chapter 6:Final Liberation
“For freedom I die today, I fall with glory for I fall knowing that I have given my life to freeing my fellows, remember me, remember our cause”-Last words of Col. Ferris Calman at the battle of Fallenhiem circa 2210

The first thing Sev saw when he walked down the ramp into the square room which provided the Iris base of operation on Hillys was a brief glimpse of a figure dashing towards him before Jade crashed into him and winded him. She pulled him into a tight hug and Sev wrapped his arms around her shoulders, he was starting to run out of oxygen “Jade, I can’t breathe” he wheezed.

“Sorry” jade apologized and loosened her grip.

“Thanks” Sev said, now that he could breathe again he could appreciate just how much happiness he could feel emanating from Jade, laced with unrestrained love. ‘What the frag, since we’re all probably going to die, no point hiding it’ he figured but hey, he wasn’t complaining. Jade looked up at him, her green eyes full of fading worry and now happiness, Sev brushed aside her fringe and kissed her gently on her forehead before letting go and turning to face the assembled members of the Iris network oe arm still around Jade’s shoulders.

“Well let’s get started” Nino said, showing no sins that he had noticed Sev and Jade’s reunion “Uhh, we’ll start with introductions, you already know me. This is Mei” He indicated a blue haired female cat with large green eyes wearing a black long sleeve shirt and combats, a Farrier .45 pistol strapped to her combat belt, on her table she was resting her arm on a Dragunov SMK Sniper Rifle. She nodded in greeting. Sev turned back to Nino, who indicated a pair of men “these are Colo and Eli”

“Yo man” Colo said.
“wassup?” Eli grinned.

Sev took the time to examine Colo and Eli, they were clearly brothers, sharing short, wavy red hair, brown eyes and a solid build, bother were armed with Morita Assault weapons, like an M-29 but smaller and longer, Sev made a mental note to trade in his M-29 for one of the twin’s Moritas.

“Like ‘em do ya” Colo asked, noticing Sev eyeing the guns. “We got a couple o’ spares if ya want one”

“Sounds good” Sev replied. This was defiantly a good day, Sev was a big fan of Moritas.

“Sick deal bro, talk to me bro’ Eli here, he’ll hook ya up with Shard, the armourer an’ he’ll get cha what cha needs”

“Right, I’ll remember that” Sev was well versed in the obscure language known as Street so the Street-talking twins didn’t confuse him and they looked slightly put out by his easy understanding of their obscure speech.

“Okay now that we all know each other, lets get to work” Nino said. “First up we have several important areas that we need to take over, namely the Spaceport, the TachBand Communications Installation and the local Fusion Power Plant. Additionally our spies have uncovered the location of General Kheck’s base where, we have confirmed he is holding Hahn, the chief and the kids from the lighthouse. Their base is impenetrable to an assault, so we will have to make it a one man infiltration, any volunteers?”

“I’ll go” Jade said in a tone that left no room for argument. She felt the comforting weight on her shoulders disappear. Sev had stepped back from her and everyone in the room was staring at her in shock. “Don’t try to stop me, their my family and my friend therefore I go.” Jade resolutely stared each of them down. Sev was last; he only put up a brief resistance before backing down.

“Alright, go up to the surface and talk to Chick, she’ll give you what we’ve got. Good luck Jade.” Nino said.

“Luck”
“Come back soon”

Jade turned to Sev; he nodded and said, “I know you can do it. Be careful.” Jade looked away before he could see tears forming and quickly dashed out before they fell.

Sev stared at the spot where Jade had disappeared for a moment before turning back to the Iris team, who were gathered around the table in the center of the room and the massive hologram of the city and surrounding area with various holographic tags hovering above parts of the three dimensional map.

“Lieutenant Caravera?” Nino asked in a cautious voice.

“Huh?” Sev was startled out of his trance “Just got the feeling like I’ll never see her again” he said, too quietly for anyone to hear. Then Nino’s words sank in “Lieutenant?”

“That’s right, since you’re now a member of the Iris Network’s militia branch we need skilled soldiers to lead our men and women into action. Your skills will be invaluable in a combat command role hence your immediate promotion to lieutenant” Nino informed Sev. Sev declined to respond instead he joined Nino, Colo, Eli and Mei at the table. Nino cleared his throat and made to continue he looked around the assembled freedom fighters, wondering if he would see any of them again. “Alright, to take any of these locations: the Spaceport, Comms Installation or Power Plant we need to first capture or destroy a series of Alpha Section bunkers, dumps and forward bases” As he named each target he pointed it out on the holographic map that covered the table, each target was highlighted with a red ring around it and a unique tag with an Alpha Sections logo in the center, the smaller bases, bunkers, checkpoints, etcetera were labeled by arrows with the Alpha Section logo. “We plotted the best routes through the bases to each critical target, see here” He punched in a command on the holoprojector’s console and three red lines sprung up, each one leading through a series of Alpha bases towards on of the main targets.

“Right, what’s the plan?” Sev asked.

“Well, You Colo and Eli each pick a target and lead your team there. We hit each target simultaneously so the Alphas are confused and therefore incapable of reacting to at least one of the attacks.

“Sounds good, divide my team members up between Colo and Eli, I’ll take the Power Plant. Alone” Sev said in a don’t-argue-with-me tone, his relationship with Jade was really starting to rub off on him. It was going to get him killed.

“Are you crazy!? We’ve already got Jade on a suicide mission we don’t need to lose two of our best people!” Eli snapped.

“Hey! I’m not ‘one of your people’ Nino, I’m a merc and I do things my way or you can find another merc, I’m sure plenty of people will be queuing up to fight the Alphas!” Sev snapped, he wasn’t used to people contradicting him when he decided how he would get the contract done, speaking of contracts… “About my pay Nino, I want 50K or you’ll wish you’d never met me’ Sev said menacingly.

“We can’t afford that sort of money. And anyway I would have thought you’d be willing to do this, considering your current…attractions to one of our members” Nino said nastily, with a hint of what Sev deducted to be jealousy.

‘Frag it! I don’t have time for some love triangle! All the more reason to collect my pay and…hell who am I kidding I’m in this for the long haul’ Sev thought while Nino continued ranting. “Give Colo and Eli my troopers. You’ll know when I’ve taken out the power plant, incidentally you do want it destroyed don’t you?” Sev asked.

“Yes, blow it hell and back the Alphas are using it to power their HQ, where Jade…” Nino’s voice broke for a moment and Sev caught a glimpse of Nino’s real reasons for not arguing about his going in alone. It would make things easier for Jade and likely remove Sev from the picture. He’d probably be vaporized when the power plant went up. With him out of the way Nino would have a shot at Jade who he had, now clearly, loved from afar but had been too scared to move in

‘All the more reason to get paid and make yourself scared’ Sev’s more logical side told him. “The next time you hear from me will be a big boom” Sev said no more he turned around and departed.
SEAVIEW FUSION POWER PLANT-Reactor Core

Sev yet again shook his head at the absurd ease with which he had infiltrated the vitally important structure. It had been incredibly easy for him to find a convenient air duct and plant the explosive charges on the reactor core’s thick tungsten walls. When the core was breached the enormous pressure would blast wholly unstable gasses out to meet the air. This would start the most destructive reaction in the universe: a matter-antimatter explosion. Antimatter would be created by the force with which the gasses from the core crashed into the oxygen-nitrogen outside the core propelled by the huge pressure inside the core. This antimatter would come into contact with matter, dust in the air was enough, this in turn would obliterate everything within…Sev quickly ran through some rough calculations in his head…about a mile in any direction. Fusion plants were built a good mile or more from any settlements for this very reason. He finished setting the charges and set the remote detonator to the charges frequency. Then he crawled back into the vent. About two miles away he detonated the charges.

As Sev walked across the farmlands he noticed the strange absence of anyone trying to find him. After that stunt he had expected at least to be being pursued by flights of gunships, hovercraft and high altitude recon planes and drones. If truth be told it was nice not to have anyone hunting him at first, but as time went by Sev became more and more uneasy. Without warning a bright spotlight illuminated him, warming his skin it was so powerful. He quickly found the source: An important looking craft was hovering about twenty meters behind him, as it closed Sev reached for his sword.

“Don’t waste your time boy!” A voice boomed out on a megaphone. The gunship, bearing important looking markings pulled up ten meters away from him and twelve above the ground. Hovering there the voice boomed again “Wondering why you weren’t detected, wondering why you weren’t hunted, well I’ve got a little present for you’ The voice was slowly becoming familiar the Sev placed it Kheck! “You don’t really think that all this sneaky scurrying you did went unnoticed do you? We caught your pretty little friend just as she had let the prisoners out and was about to escape herself” The door slid back and the gunship’s spotlight switched off, in the moonlight Sev was able to make out six figures standing in the gunship, one wriggling furiously, foru with sinister red eyes in the middle of their heads and one holding onto the wriggling figure. Suddenly lights on he side of the gunship came on and Sev was able to see who was in it. Four Alphas, Kheck and…Jade! Kheck was keeping a tight grip on her; Sev made to draw his sword, his body shaking with fury but was cut off by Kheck’s words. “Exactly the reaction I wanted” The huge man smiled and ordered a pair of his alpha guards to hold onto Jade as he stepped back. Jade turned to face him, Sev realized what was about to happen

“No!” He roared tearing towards the gunship at full speed. The gunship started to rise; as it rose Sev stood watching helplessly. Then it came he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun firing, two shots, Jade cried out. The Alphas reappeared over the side of the gunship and tossed something out. It hit the ground with a thud, Sev dashed over, praying it wasn’t what he thought it was. He skidded to a stop and threw his sword aside. He felt tears stinging his eyes and he cried openly as he cradled Jade’s lifeless body in his arms. What he didn’t notice was strange rivulets of green light flowing down his arms and crossing to the center of Jade’s chest before disappearing into her wounds. The two jagged holes in Jade’s chest slowly sealed over, leaving nothing but faint white scars and bloody patches on her shirt. Sev felt a soft breath of air on his cheek stirring his hair, but the grass around him wasn’t moving. He felt Jade’s wrist, a pulse! She wasn’t dead! “Jade! Jade!” Sev shouted shaking her gently. Her eyes fluttered open, she looked up at Sev, a slightly confused expression in her large green eyes.

“What happened?” Jade asked groggily, her memory wasn’t the best at the moment and finding herself in Sev’s arms, while pleasant only added to the confusion. “Sev, what…happened to me? I remember…a…gunship then nothing”

“You got shot” Sev said in a tone half amused half pure joy.

“I…what!” Jade asked wide awake now, ‘shot?! Shouldn’t I be dead?’ “But of I was shot, how come I’m talking to you now? Shouldn’t I be dead?”

“Technically yes. I don’t now how but something brought you back to life. Can you walk?” Sev did the asking, his voice now laced with concern for Jade’s health.

“I, I think so” Jade said, Sev stood up, pulling Jade onto her feet with him. She took a few staggering steps keeping a tight grip on Sev’s arm before walking on her own “I’ll be fine, I’m just a bit dizzy that’s all.”

“You should be happy if that’s all you feel, you took two bullets to the chest and fell 20 meters of a gunship. Most people would be feeling a whole lot worse,” Sev said dryly.

“That’s not all I feel” Jade said staring Sev in the eye.

Sev gave a brief smile at the none too subtle hint. He walked past Jade towards the burning city. He knew she was just flirting with him, but Sev was far too smart to be pulled into a game with someone like Jade. He could make a reasonably accurate guess that he’d come off second-best. “Come on. Lets find out how Colo and Eli went on their attacks” He said over his shoulder…

MAIN CANAL

“We’ll never get back that way,” Jade moaned. They had arrived at the main canal with little challenge. Partly because of the Iris networks multiple “Island Hopping” attacks, most famously used by General Douglas McArthur of Earth back in the 20th century against the Japanese during WW2. The attacks on such a wide front had proven as effective at splitting up the enemy’s forces now in the 25th century as it had back in the 20th. Jade sat on the edge of the canal her legs dangling over the side. Sev sat on a fallen wall just behind her. He stared out across the canal taking in every detail, the defenses the Alphas had on the canal had definitely intensified. “Lets go find another way.” Jade said standing up and walking past Sev.

Sev staid where he was for a moment then stood up and fished around in his pocket for something. He pulled a small gold ring with a tiny emerald stud out of his pocket and examined it on the moonlight. It was an engagement band he had bought on Atlas for Jade. Well considering the current turn of events it was probably going to stay in his pocket for a good long time. As he held the ring he caught sight of his own ring. Funnily enough it was old with his family crest carved out of another emerald. Some would say it was a sign, after what he’d been through in the past few months Sev was inclined to agree.

“Who’s that for?” came a voice from behind him.

Sev jumped and quickly dropped the ring into his fist. “No-one” He answered too quickly, he looked across the canal again “Just keeping it for a friend”.

“Of course” Jade said, mimicking his dry tone with a smile. She didn’t believe him for a second.

“You can have it” Sev replied. I don’t think my friend would want to be tied down anyway” Which was as close to the truth as Sev would come. He took Jade’s wrist and dropped the ring in her hand. “Its yours now” He said quickly turning away again before he went to far and said why he really had it.

“Sev…this is an engagement band. Do you…” Jade never got a chance to finish before Sev cut her off.

“No, its…family tradition” Sev quickly invented he story. His family had no such tradition, preferring arranged marriages that strengthened the family ‘price of being noble’ Sev thought. “I think we could swim across again. We’d have to go underwater though and it looks like a good long way. Can you swim that far?” Sev asked

“Easily” Jade answered. Family tradition she didn’t believe that for a second. Perhaps Sev would ask her after this was all over; then again he seemed so introverted. She could always dream.

“That being the case…Jade are you listening to me?” Sev asked noticing the dreamy look in Jade’s eyes.

“Huh? What? Oh sorry what were you saying?” Jade hadn’t been listening.

“That being the case we can dive off here, swim underwater to the pedestrian district and come up there. Lets go” Was the last Sev said before diving into the frigid, paralyzing cold water.

PEDESTRIA DISTRICT

Sev swum at the very bottom of the canal with Jade not far behind him it was absolutely freezing in the water but Sev was more worried about anything with big teeth swimming into the canal unnoticed amidst the fighting, fortunately none of Hilly’s marine predators had taken any interest in searching the canals for a feed. The smaller, non-biting variety of fish had taken up refuge in the canals and had provided a useful distraction and cover for the pair to swim unnoticed to the docks at the Pedestrian district. They finally reached the docks, Sev indicated to go up and swum for he surface. He broke the surface of the water and took in a huge gulp of air, panting, he swum to the docks and hauled himself up for a second time. He reached over and pulled, Jade up with him. They lay facing each other on the wood catching their breath. Sev looked over at Jade, who’s face was from exertion and glistening with water “There has got to be a better way to make a living.” He said in between taking breaths of air.

“I’m sure there is” Jade panted back. She rolled over and o to her hands and knees; she crawled over to Sev who was still lying on the ground. “Thanks for the ring Sev” She said, with one hand she brushed hair out of the way, bent down and gave Sev a brief kiss, before standing up and walking away.

Sev watched her go, thinking about Jade’s latest token of appreciation, the woman sure knew how thank someone. Sev touched his l were Jade had kissed him, examined his fingers and said to himself “I could get used this”. He rolled over, stood up and joined Jade as they walked back to the Akuda Bar for he second time. At the bar’s entrance Jade gave the password and they walked in and for the second time Mo shouted at Sev for leaving water all over the floor. No longer in his usual sullen mood Sev replied by vigorously shaking his head like a wet dog, sending water from his hair flying everywhere. As Sev looked up again he heard someone familiar shout Jade’s name. They looked in the direction of the shout. Pey’j was standing on the upper floor of the bar, looking down at the two.

“Pey’j!” Jade shouted running up to him ad leaping into her uncle’s arms. “Pey’j I missed you so much” Jade said.

“I missed you to darlin” Pey’j replied. H was feeling so happy and relieved at his adoptive daughter’s safe return and he was so proud of her for what she had accomplished. Because of her Hillys could soon be free again, but what next? Jade was too restless too sit safe on Hillys while other worlds suffered under the Alpha’s regime. At least he would be around to protect her this time.

“Where’s Double H?” Jade asked now standing up.

“Umm, well you see…” Pey’j started to answer but was cut of by the dripping mercenary who had come in with Jade; Pey’j couldn’t quite remember his name.

“I’m not going on another rescue mission,” the tall mercenary stated simply.

“What if it was me who needed rescuing?” Jade asked in a sweet voice.

“You never know” Sev replied in as close to the same voice Jade had used as his English accented growl could reach.

“What happened to Double H?” Jade rounded on Pey’j, determined not to be deflected again.

“Come on, I’ll show you” Pey’j said, turning towards the entrance to the IRIS Den and beckoning them to follow. When they entered Hub was lying on the bed I the small room, his armour gone and in its place a white shirt ad black jeans. A large section of his shirt was missing and the edges were blood red. A large nanotech health kit covered the entire left side of Hub’s gut.

Jade gasped and dashed over to Hub’s side. Meanwhile Sev glanced at the monitor showing Hub’s vital signs, it didn’t look good. The 3D-wirframe of Hub showed serious damage to his stomach, kidney, and lung, his ribs were gone replaced by temporary ones built by the nanotech health kit. Other readouts showed severe hemorrhages in his lung and stomach. With Sev’s limited medical knowledge it didn’t take him long to figure out that if Hub didn’t get surgery soon he would die. The nanotech health kit could repair some of the damage and staunch the bleeding but as soon as it ran out there would be nothing to hold back the internal bleeding. Hub needed to be moved to a surgery where the surgeons could use more advanced Surgery nanites to repair Hub’s injuries.

“He got hit while we were trying to escape” Pey’j explained.

“No standard caliber bullet would do that much damage, what did he get hit with?” Sev asked the pig.

“A frag gun from a good distance I think, cut him up real bad, as you can see” Colo said from his chair, which he was leaning against the wall on. “Moment I saw him go down I turned and blasted the fragbait with a Morita grenade.” Colo held up his Morita for added emphasis.

“Right” Sev answered, he looked down at Jade; she had gone very pale and was shaking. Sev could see she was afraid. If someone as big and strong as Hub could go down so easily, she would be imagining what would happen if she took a hit. ‘Better take her mind of it’ Sev thought. He walked over and put his arm around Jade.

“Don’t tell me he’s going to be all right,” Jade said shortly. “I know what those monitors mean, Hub needs surgery, but where on Hillys can we get him some.”

“I wasn’t going to say that” Sev answered, showing no signs that he had noticed Jade’s harsh tone “What I was going to say is that I think I can help with the surgery part, but I need the Zero-Tau pod on my ship…”

BORDERWORLDS-Hellport-Avarice’s hideout-19/9/2435

The Borderworlds are at the very edge of colonized space. The term encloses the stations and planets that ring Commonwealth territory. The Borderworlds are host to two separate schools of thought. One believes that the Borderworlds are a romantic place where roguish charming independent space captains and mercenaries do battle with space pirates in the name of a damsel in distress. The reality of the Borderworlds is that the ‘charming’ captains are often as bad as the pirates they fight, that is if they themselves are not pirates and the damsels they do battle for are often more than capable of taking care of themselves.

Sev slammed the small man into a wall and held him up by the front of his greasy, grimy shirt with one hand. The man who called himself Avarice was a pathetic, weak miserable excuse for a human being, his only redeeming point being his masterful surgical skills, high tech surgery and advanced implants. This combination made the despicable doctor as arrogant as it was possible for a gen-modified human to be. ‘Dr’ Avarice was a small man, barely 5’7”, which made him shorter than Jade, he had short, scraggly, greasy brown hair which was fighting a loosing battle against grays. The doctor was clad in a grimy green surgeon’s tunic over a black shirt and jeans. “Hey! I…haven’t done anything! I swear I didn’t do it! Okay okay, if this is about Tico’s eye implants, it wasn’t my fault! He shouldn’t have removed the bandages!” Avarice managed to get out in a gravelly Texan accent that was the result of to many years in the contaminated air on Hellport.

“I know you haven’t done anything” Sev replied calmly.

“Then why are you trying to choke me to death?!” Avarice managed to choke out.

“Same reason everyone wants to kill you Avarice. I just don’t like you” Sev explained in the same passive voice that was so out of place with him hold Avarice against the wall that it was obviously put on.

“What do you want Severus? What ever it is put me down or I won’t do it!” Avarice choked out.

“Of course” Sev answered, he let go of Avarice who was at the time dangling a good half a foot of the floor. He fell to the ground in a heap. “Now Avarice, remember how you said you do anything I asked for free after I saved you from those Torran mercs?”

“No I would never say anything of the sort! I Avarice would never do anything for free!” the doctor had managed to climb to his feet, the only thing returning to him faster than his breath was his arrogance.

“Well you did, I uploaded a complete memory of the conversation into my nanite implants which you installed might I remind you, are you saying that your nanites are wrong, you did install them remember. It wouldn’t be good for your publicity if people found out that your nanites aren’t always working perfectly. Think of all those mercs you implanted.” Sev told the doctor. It was all theatrics, it was well known across the Borderworlds that Dr. Avarice built and implanted nanites that were as good if not better than those available in the Commonwealth. The only problem was what he could do to your head if he wanted to. Sev didn’t trust the doctor as far as he could throw a Commonwealth battle cruiser. Which was why he brought Hub into he surgery room encased safely within his Zero-Tau pod he silently decided to keep a very close eye on the doctor.

Avarice looked over the vital signs monitors on the Zero-Tau pod, muttering to himself and making notes in his nanite brain implants, Sev knew the doctor never even looked at any problem without giving it a thorough overview to start with, it was part of what made him such a brilliant surgeon, which in turn gave him an infuriating better-than-thou attitude. After a good minute of muttering the doctor spoke up ‘This is a very serious case, He is completely missing two ribs, his lung is punctured and would have collapsed had you not put the nanotech health patch on, his stomach wall is gone and there are sever lacerations in his intestine, to top it all off there are severe hemorrhages in his lung and stomach. Frankly I’m surprised he has survived this long. What hit him?” Avarice asked as if it was of no consequence.

“The same thing I’ll use on your legs if he dies, a frag gun” Sev answered coldly.

“Oh…well, I’ll um” Avarice let out a sigh “If I take him out of Zero-Tau the shock will kill him, and if it doesn’t the hemorrhages will. I’ll have to operate on him while he’s in Zero-Tau.”

“Frag!” Jade started earning the stares of Sev and Avarice, she didn’t seem like the type to use language like that.

“Lets go Jade, leave Avarice to do his work.” Sev said, steering Jade out onto the streets of Hellport, she was immediately assaulted by the variety of smells, fuel from passing vehicles, the waste and rubbish flowing onto the streets and a million other noxious elements that made up…

“The smells of home’ Sev said, taking a huge breath and savouring the contaminated air of his home of five years. It felt good to be back on the filthy, rusted and dangerous streets of Hellport and Sev took a moment to refresh his memory of the place. Hellport had first been established way back when in the 23rd Century when the Commonwealth was funding colonization of the Borderworlds, back then Hellport was known as DSCR (Deep Space Colonist Relay) 11345529 but due to the rich asteroids that shared orbit around Terbus the criminal element soon took over and Hellport was born. Hellport itself was a huge, vaguely ring-shaped space station that formed a complete ring around the green and white planet it orbited, a tiny Fahrenheit-class planet known as Terbus, as well as the ring around the planet that made up most of Hellport there were innumerable small stations among the ring of asteroids that also orbited Terbus. These asteroids were the why and how of the criminal overlords taking over Hellport, they contained many millions of tons of pure Trlyiium, a key ingredient in forging durasteel. The barons started by taking over the mining and processing stations among the asteroids. With a virtual stranglehold on Hellport’s only income the barons were able to take over. Since then the baron’s descendants had been in total control of Hellport. Hellport’s interior was an odd conglomeration of rusted metal, glass and shining durasteel, down on street level where Sev and Jade were standing everything was built out of original parts from the old sleeper ships and Colony Cruisers that originally came to the Borderworlds, as such the street level was a mess of old rusted bits and pieces welded together to form a barely airtight, vaguely street shaped U of rust. About five kilometers up was the clear, transparisteel roof of Hellport, blackened from years of asteroid and weapon impacts and starship engines. Above street level was a the durasteel walls of the cleaner upper decks where any business that held any degree of self respect or legality was based around the shipyards and massive docks and hangers in the upper decks.

“Lets eat” Sev suggested, trying to take Jade’s mind off Hub, there was nothing she could do for him now. It was all in Avarice’s hands. After warning Jade to stay close to him again Sev steered her over to one of his old haunts, a spacer’s bar which had been here since Hellport was first built: The Crashed Cruiser, a title which was rather appropriate seeing as the bar was made out of a decommissioned Colony Cruiser bridge. Sev stepped in waving greetings to old friends and taking a moment to restore his memory of the place. A semi-circular room with a couple dozen tables and a long bar in front of a twelve meter holoscreen, the whole place was lit by dim blue lights and some soft melodic music was playing through hidden speakers. Sev walked over to the bar and sat down on the stool, the bar, like everything else in the Crashed Cruiser seemed to be made of a blue metal due to the lighting and the fact that it actually was made of blue metal. “Usual Kresta” Sev said without looking at the barmaid.

“And that would be?” A young female voice asked, Sev looked up, a young girl no more than sixteen was standing behind the bar, and she had blonde hair that brushed her shoulders in a way that was vaguely familiar. It was exactly the way Sev’s own hair fell but the girl also had a long, thin braid and large brown eyes. The whole combination was annoying familiar to Sev but she hadn’t been here when Sev had made Hellport his home. “Well?” The girl asked, irritated now.

“Seraph Downs, that’s the usual” Sev replied.

“Everything’s the usual’ the girl replied in what Sev only just realized was a English accent almost identical to his. ‘Ally!’ the name burst into his head, his little sister was alive and standing right here in front of him! “Allyshia”

Allyshia Caravera looked up at the scruffy mercenary; it was a long time since she’d heard that name. There was only one person it could possibly be. “S…Sev, is it you?’ she asked shakily.

Sev just smiled, “Who else could it be”.

Ally leapt over the bar and threw her arms around her brother Sev returned the embrace. As far as either could recall it had been five years since they had seen the other alive.

“Let me get a look at you” Sev said, holding Ally at arm’s length. “You’ve grown, how old are you now?”

“Sixteen, and look at you Sev, I think you’ve got bigger to and I don’t remember that haircut” Ally laughed.

“Sev?” Jade broke in.

“Jade, allow me to introduce you to me little sister Ally. Ally this is Jade my contract” Sev performed introductions. Now that Jade was satisfied as to this new girl’s identity she reached out and shook Ally’s hand. ‘Why would you be jealous of her anyway, she’s sixteen? I must be getting paranoid’.

“What brings you to my humble home?” Ally asked “Surely not the drinks”

“Actually we came to see Avarice” Sev explained the story so far in brief: his contract, Jade, the revolution and Hub’s surgery. “And that about covers it” Sev finished; he shuddered to think what Hub was undergoing at Avarice’s hands.

“The Alpha Sections helped destroy Furia and our entire race, I’m coming with you” Ally looked up at Sev with a look that said ‘I’m not taking no for an answer’.

Sev knew better than to ague with his sister, she could be extremely stubborn at times. “Alright, I’m going to check on Avarice, hopefully he’s done something I can impale him for.” Sev growled. “Jade, you fill Ally in on what’s happening.” Sev’s only reason for giving Jade the task of bringing Ally up to date was that it was probably a good idea to keep Jade away from Avarice’s Hideout until Hub’s Zero-Tau surgery was over. It would be good for her if he did what he could to take her mind of it.

“Why I am playing teacher to your sister Sev” Jade said with a bit more venom than usual.

“Because it would be better if you don’t see Hub being operated on in Zero-Tau” he leaned closer to Jade and said quietly “Look, I just don’t want to put you through seeing someone get cut open in Zero-Tau, its not pretty.”

Jade put up the defiance act for a moment longer, it wasn’t that she was squeamish, it would take someone with an extremely strong stomach or emotion blocking implants to watch a Zero-Tau operation let alone perform one. “Alright” Jade said, trying to make it sound grudging. Sev patted her gently on the shoulder before disappearing.

As Sev walked of he was sure he heard Ally trying to get to know Jade. “Hey look at that hair colour, are you sure its natural…”

HELLPORT-Samson’s Home

Sev didn’t go back to Avarice straight away, first he made a sop at the home of an old friend: Samson. Samson’s home was a small, tubular affair about twelve meters long by three wide. It was a gutted McDonnell Douglas C/A-13 Combat Cruiser main thruster tube and so Samson’s home was the butt of many good-natured ‘my home is a starship engine’ jokes made by both his many friends and Samson himself. Samson was a man in his late sixties, gray haired, wrinkly but a powerful build and piercing blue eyes. Samson’s wife, Betty a woman slightly shorter than Jade but with the same powerful build Samson had and brown eyes that held a perpetual ‘favorite aunt’ look. She placed two mugs of coffee on the table and sat down next to Samson. “Well my boy, what brigs you back to my humble home?” Samson asked in a mechanical voice, his vocal cords had been destroyed in the Battle of Paris way back in 2390, ever since then he’d had to use a nanite implant to speak.

“Well, its complicated Samson” Sev replied, trying to find a way to voice his feelings. ‘I don’t know how I can say this”

“Then do what I always tell you to do boy, say it up front. Don’t go pansying around with flashed up lit’acy words and frag all.” Samson said in a mock-harsh voice.

“Samson! Don’t use such language!” Betty scolded.

“Sorry Betty” Samson said meekly. “Anywho, what’s on your mind boy?”

“Really awkward contract Samson” Sev said slowly, choosing his words.

“You got involved with your target again” Samson cut straight to the point.

“Not target exactly, I took out a bodyguard contract on this girl and…” Sev hadn’t finished trailing off before Samson interrupted him again.

“Boy how many times do I have to tell you, women and contracts don’t mix!” Samson said in the same mock-harsh voice.

“I know I know” Sev replied, how many times had Samson told him that? ‘Well you’ve really gone and stuffed it this time, she knows your I love with her’.

“Well I can see in your eyes how much you’ve fallen for this girl, so I can’t help you, you’ll just have to deal with this one on your own. I can however give you a little tip, make sure you appreciate her” Samson told him wearily.

Sev finished his coffee and stood up “Well, thanks for the advice Samson. It’s been a pleasure meeting you and Betty again.” Sev sighed “Look, I might not make it to the end of this contract so I’ll say it now: Thanks for everything Samson.” With that Sev turned to leave.

“Your welcome boy, your welcome…”

Out o the street Sev brushed the single tar out of his eye before heading back to Avarice for real.

AVARICE’S HIDEOUT
“Sev!” The twin shouts immediately dispelled Sev’s misery as he saw Jade and Ally at the door to Avarice’s Hideout.

Sev smiled and walked up to the pair “Have fun playing teacher” Sev asked, unable to restrain the grin. Jade smiled back and backhanded Sev with a loud crack. “Oww, that stung” Sev said, rubbing his cheek, it didn’t hurt that much but it was unexpected ‘you probably deserved that’, Ally was doubled over with laughter behind Jade.

“The brave mercenary beaten up by a girl! Ha, wait until my friends hear about this one!” Ally managed to say through her laughter.

“Have we had enough fun at my expense?” Sev asked in mock-irritation. “Let’s go inside” as the walked in Sev put his arms around Jade’s shoulders and whispered “I’m gonna get you for that” in a playful tone.

Even though Sev was holding her Jade didn’t respond. Her mind was far away.
She knelt on the hard durasteel platform, towering above her was a massive, four armed statue, a robe covering its body and it’s face hidden behind a veil. A voice issued from the statue even though it’s mouth did not move “Shauni, Shauni, listen to me. I am your master”

“You are my master, what is your bidding?” Jade asked the statue obediently, she was eager to serve.

The mental orders appeared directly in her mind, showing her what she had to do. An anguished shout from the back of her soul came through, she silenced it instantly. There could be no room for distraction. The master had called and she would obey.

“Come to me Shauni…”

“Jade!” Sev said, she looked pale and was staring off into the distance.

“Hm?” Jade was startled out of the vision of the statue. “What happened?” She asked, dazed.

“You just went into some sort of trance and started muttering something about someone called Shauni. Who’s that?” Sev asked pointedly.

“Just…just something from, from when I first fought the Alpha Sections” Jade lied, she knew perfectly well who Shauni was, Shauni was the entity which resided inside her, Shauni was her true identity.

That's the last completed Chapter, I'm wrapping up Chap7: Shauni now if you check the Uni BGE Forums.
Next chaps will be (AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU DONT WANT TO KNOW!!!)
Chap8: Solar Flare
Chap9: Angel's Revenge
Chap10: End of all things good
Chap11: To die a warrior's death (???hint???)
Chap12: Maw of the Devil
Chap8 Will be Solar Flare, I can tell you because you will see it soon enough.

I moved the story to the fanfics section, now let's hope Sev will return soon and continue. It's such a great story.

Beyond Good & Evil: Return of the Sev? I hope so. :D

Better Pm Sev about the replace, he might not be able to find it, and that would be a waste of good story :D.

You're right, I'll do it right away.

Next chapters will be up soon, I promise.

Thanks Sev, that would be much appreciated. I need to read some new BG&E-fanfic-holyness before I'll be able to continue myself. Right now, making silly videos is more fun. But that might change if I redicover how wonderful a well-written story(like Sev's)can be.

Oh..if i could...i would write a BG&E meets M*A*S*H Fan Fiction....but in english...hmmm. That would be very difficult for me. My english is not so good to write a huge Story :(

Oh I read chapter 6 today, great work as well. I hope to see your next chapters soon :D.

Alright since I've finishd the story on the main forum I'm just going to skip straight ahead to BGE3, if you want to know what happened check Ubi's forums. I've gone for an even darker tone with blood and brutal, violent fight scenes, tell me if you think its too graphic.

BEYOND GOOD & EVIL 3

Nothing happens, nothing but a crunch, I pull the action open. The bullet didn’t go off, the cap didn’t fire, I suppose I should count myself lucky that I bought a percussion cap gun and not a Gauss one. Slowly I holster the weapon and lie back on my bunk…

REBORN
“My life for my empire, my heart for my love, Mina”-Most famous words of poet Alkern Dorian 2245-2336

MAGNOS SYSTEM-Apris-Foundation Starbase-Magnum Bar 2/4/2437
A lone figure reclined against the grimy wall of the Magnum Bar. A brown sleeveless jacket covered a lightweight, similarly sleeveless black shirt. The figure’s face was obscured by long black hair that hunh around his shoulders and at the corners of his eyes and pair of reflective black wraparound glasses. On his face could be seen part of a two spiked tattoo and a long scar that ran the length of his cheek. On each shoulder was a ring of ornate tattoos that looped from under his armpits to the middle of his large shoulders and were similar to the one on his face. Another tattoo of a stylized Wolf Spirit was visible on his lower right arm. It was clearly visible that the man was huge and heavily muscled, not the sort of person to mess with. This fact was further confirmed by the hilts of two ornate swords visible over his shoulders, held on a sheath whose strap ran across the figure’s chest and stomach. It was Severus Angelo Caravera, outlaw, mercenary, and warrior. The one who had watched his only love killed before his eyes.

Sev looked up as the door to the bar opened, sending a shaft of dust-filled light across the room, two well-dressed people quickly marched in. The taller one was a man with graying hair and a similar beard, he was wearing an immaculate coat with perfectly tailored waistcoat, shirt and trousers. On the outside he looked like some Earth seventeenth century upper class but Sev recognized a fellow soldier. The man carried himself with utmost confidence and Sev could see a small bulge under his coat at the hip that he would have bet the Daggermouth on was a weapon. The woman he was with was a hell of a lot younger. Flaming red hair that covered her shoulders and amber tinted reflective glasses like Sev’s. She was dressed in a similar style to her companion, old dress, corset, waistcoat and overcoat. Sev picked up the shape of a handgun in her pocket. The two walked quickly so as not to get too much dust on their fine clothes, not that it really mattered, there’d be enough dust everywhere else when they looked. The pair talked quietly to the barman who pointed Sev out, Sev glowered at the barman who gave a ‘Do-I-look-like-I-give-a-vrak’ look. ‘Bastard’ Sev thought at the portly old man, he’d told the old bartender he wanted to be left alone, but he thought he saw the barman slip a credit slip into his pocket ‘So that’s what my prvacy is worth these days, well I’m a wanted criminal, for a crime I DIDN’T FRAGGING COMMIT!!!’ Sev felt like screaming it out. The pair sat down at his table with drinks.

“I thought I would take the liberty of buying you a new drink Mr. Caravera,” The old man said in a posh, upper crust English accent.

“Sev downed what was left in his glass in one shot, he was drinking too much these days and he had paid for it several times. Three consecutive arrests for drunk and disorderly, and the hangovers in the morning to boot ‘My life has gone to hell in a hearse, frag it I’ve go nothing to live for anyway’ Sev thought. “Cheers” he said in a growling, gravelly but strong English accent of his own. He took a gulp from the glass, whisky, and waited for Old Man to continue.

“My name is Lord Richard Ashton, this is my daughter Sandra Ashton. We would like to offer you a contract on a most dangerous and deadly adventure. Like they used to write about in the books about the Dark Continent, King Soloman’s Mines, that sort of thing.” Old Man explained further, Sev was to form part of a guard as the group headed out to explore an ancient, several million-year-old temple that had recently been uncovered on Sahara. Once there he would assist in protecting the researchers as they adventured into the temple and uncovered whatever wonders lay within. “So, are you in?” Ashton asked in a manner that suggested he probably wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“How much?” Sev asked bluntly.

“We are willing to offer you five hundred thousand galcreds if you take this assignment” The woman spoke, removing her glasses to reveal crystal eyes. She seemed to get indignant when Sev showed no reaction “Have the decency to remove your glasses when I am talking to you!” she snapped.

‘Upper crust baby, lording over her little realm’ Sev chose to not to remember the fact that he himself was of noble blood and had once looked down upon the ordinary masses of the galaxy the same way his woman was looking down on him. Sev pulled his glasses down his nose, revealing the long scar that ran across his right eye and the tattoo that covered most of the left side of his face. Sandra Ashton recoiled at the sight, but was also drawn in by Sev’s emerald green eyes, which bored into her soul, ferreting out any seeds of deceit. Sev slipped his glasses back on, hiding his eyes, scar and tattoo. “Alright, I’m in”.

“Excellent, meet us on Sahara in twelve days, that should be enough time for a hyperspace journey if you have a relatively fast craft.” Lord Ashton seemed happy and relieved that Sev had decided to come along.

“What do you know about this temple?” Sev asked. For the briefest moment Sev saw a flicker of something in Lord Ashton’s eyes, fear. He knew what was in hat temple and he was afraid of it ‘that’s why he wants me, a mercenary and a Furion to tag along, he thinks with a Furion around he’ll be okay’ but the next second it was gone.

“Now, now Mr. Caravera we wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for you now would we?”

Sev took that as conversation over, that and the fact that Lord Ashton immediately stood up and left, Sandra Ashton following in his wake.

Sev stayed there for several hours, working on his flight plan. He would need one that took him around any installations that might not take kindly to the Daggermouth appearing; after all it was a one million year old gunship with a Lancaster Rating (The Lancaster Rating is a galaxy wide system used to measure a starship’s firepower) equal to a battleship. It was at nine, station time that the attack came. The first blasts threw Sev off his stool along with his PDA. Then came a series of ominous thumps amidst the sounds of a battle going on between the attackers and the station’s defense gun turrets. Sev knew any half decently equipped attacker would easily get past the turrets, they were simple Dryson AT-94 Gauss guns mounted in a four barrel revolving dome turret called a ‘chrome dome’ a reference to the shiny durasteel used to make them and their utterly obsolete nature. Another ten minutes later the bar door slid open again and a frag grenade soared through the air. Sev drew his sword and sliced the table’s leg out so it fell over as a shield. The next second the grenade exploded, blasting razor sharp shrapnel across the bar, shredding half a dozen patrons who weren’t fast enough and re locating their interiors from inside to outside. Sev pulled himself up to a furious firefight between the occupants of the bar and the invaders. Something strange started grinding at the back of Sev’s head, music, grinding metal.

And I wonder
Day to day
I don’t like you
Anyway

Sev launched over the table and sprinted towards his attackers along the wall, as the first one came through Sev sliced his head in half. He saw from their scruffy clothes, makeshift armour and diverse weapons that this was a gang of pirates.

I don’t need your
S**t to take
You’re pathetic
In your own way

Sev dropped off the wall and sliced the next pirate in half. Drawing his spare sword Sev leapt into the fray, he impaled two pirates, decapitated a third and with one vicious stab of his katana-like sword impaled a pair of pirates in one go. He launched himself over one pirate and stabbed the unfortunate through the spine. By now the walls were crimson and Sev’s sword was slick with the blood of his enemies. He swung again, cutting a pirate in half just under the ribcage and spraying blood over another pirate who was soon cut down by a head to foot swing from Sev, he swung back up and caught the second last pirate as he tried to run. The final one made it half way down the corridor when Sev flung his sword. The razor sharp blade buried itself in the pirate’s back and most of its length burst through his ribcage. Sev sprinted forwards, his destination the hangar bay, without even slowing down he yanked his sword from the pirate’s corpse.

Better f**kin’ go away
I will be there yeah
You better f**kin’ go away

The whole bloody affair had been watched by two figures, sitting alone in a darkened room made of stone. The only light came from the holoprojector they were watching. It showed a long haired, well muscled and athletic figure in a brown jacket and trousers running down a bare metal corridor, killing any pirates he came across in brutal style.

“He is an interesting one isn’t he?” one female voice said, the owner of the voice was draped in a black shroud that obscured all of her features except for her incredibly long brown hair.

“You know what I think of him” the other figure, again a woman but with shoulder length black hair and a ponytail that hung half way down her back replied shortly.

“Ah yes, you love him” The hooded woman turned to the other one.

“What’s it to you, jealous?” the other one asked. She looked up, revealing her eyes, hidden at that point under a long fringe of jet-black hair. They were vivid green, with a strange, otherworldly inner light that glowed from behind them, like the eyes of a DomZ monster.

“No I am not jealous Shauni, or would you prefer your human name, Jade?”

Wondering how Jade survived/ She didn't, but Shauni did...

Sev, you wrote an amazing end to your first story and I'm happy you're putting the second story on the Revolution forum as well. Haven't got time to read right now, but you bet I will as soon as possible.

So I've read it now and it looks like it's going to be one hell of a story again. As I said on the official forums, I'm curious about Shauni's character here.

You'll ahve to fid out about Shauni, I've put some little bits for you rmental wanderings on the Ubi forums as well.
Here we go again.

The Crate rapidly hit terminal velocity with Sev trailing behind it I near free-fall with one hand on the severed rope. As the crate neared the floor Sev pulled himself down onto it in a low crouch, he calculated he had ten seconds.
Nine.
Eight.
Sev tensed his legs and prepared to jump
Six.
Five.
He saw a suitably soft landing spot: a pile of bags filled with something soft.
Three.
Two.
He leapt forward, soaring through the air.
One.
The crate slammed down behind him, its floor buckled instantly and the shock ripped the walls apart. The doors fell off and the roof caved in. Sev still hit the pile of bags with enormous force, enough to give him a serious headache and a dislocated shoulder. His sword went flying and Sev rolled off the pile, crashing onto the floor. He lay there in a daze for a moment then leapt up and began searching for his sword. As Sev walked he took a hold of his shoulder, gritted his teeth and wrenched it back into position. IT hurt like hell, even for a Furion but in that brief flash of pain someone called out to him.

“Sev!”

“Jade!” Sev shouted his voice echoed around the hangar lit only by red emergency lights. But no-one answered his call, telepathically or otherwise. A laugh echoed out of the shadows and an Alpha Section Elite stepped out, his enormous durasteel boots clanging loudly on the hangar floor. Sev spotted his sword and kept walking, keeping his eyes o the Alpha Elite.

“So we meet again Severus” The Elite said, his voice distorted into a supposedly deep, terrifying growl by the speakers in the helmet.

‘The Elite from Atlas!’ Sev realized, he had only met one elite before and this must be him. “You survived before, you won’t this time” Sev said in a low, animalistic voice. He knew how to intimidate others simply through speech as well. He reached his sword, kicked it into the air and snatched the hilt out of midair.

“You really think your little stick is going to help you against my durasteel armour?” The Elite asked in an extremely amused voice.

“You better believe it, I’d give you a quick and painless death but it’s just not in my nature” Sev smiled like a predator scenting its prey. He sprinted forward and used a new trick he had learned just a year ago. The Elite swung, Sev dodged and the hammer smashed into the ground putting a huge crater in the titanium-tungsten floor. Sev ran up the Elite’s arm and leapt over his head, delivering a powerful slice across the unarmoured neck of the Elite. As he came down the other side he sliced the Elite’s gas tank off, spewing the noxious green contents across the battlefield. The Elite stumbled around, his choking and spluttering audible through the speakers, Sev stepped into the Elite’s way, reversed his sword and stabbed up under the Elite’s chest plate. It worked, his sword slotted into the tiny gap between the chest and belly armour and coaxed spray of red-green blood from the Elite. Sev twisted the blade, bringing more blood from the wound. As the Alpha came down like a ton of bricks Sev did a series of back flips and made a run for his new ship. The Daggermouth was a small ship about the size of a Commonwealth gunship. It highly resembled a dragon with a dragon head like cockpit and plates of overlapping armour covering its body, long wings were mounted on either side of a luster of a dozen engine tubes. On main tube with a smaller one underneath it, three on either side above it and two below in a pentagon like configuration. Long tube mounted on the flanks between the sections of mobile scale armour as Sev called it sucked in hydrogen in space and anything else it found to use in its fuel mixture. Sev sprinted up the ramp and flung himself into the fighter style cockpit. He powered the ship up and charged the Molecular Laser hanging under the ship in its long, needle-like casing. The Daggermouth lifted off slightly, hovering just a metre above the floor as Sev retracted the landing gear and fired the Molecular Laser. The thin purple beam blew the hangar doors open and everything was sucked out into space. At the same moment the engines ignited and the Daggermouth soared into space. As Sev calculated a vector back to System 4 he was sure he saw an object that looked just like a Hunter Killer robot sucked out of the hangar and into the vacuum. He lingered at the station only long enough to fire the Molecular Laser through the pirate cruiser’s engines; it would be a slow, painful death for those trapped aboard…

SYSTEM 4-Sahara-Sardis March -6/4/2437
It had taken all of eight days to fly half way across the galaxy back to a place Sev had never wanted to return to. As the Daggermouth had touched down Sev had been bombarded with memories. He looked through the doorway of a bar and remembered how, song long ago he and Jade had sat together in the Akuda Bar, just talking.

“Thanks for coming to the rescue Sev”

That was what jade had said to him, quite casually as they had lifted off in Icarus and headed to Atlas. That was what had kicked it all off, he had saved her life and she had such a casual attitude about it. Sev almost smiled at that memory, and would have had it not brought up such pain that he felt his inside being torn apart all over again. He had managed to avoid thinking about Jade for two years. Now back in her home system, memories of her tortured Sev everywhere he went.

“Severus pay attention!”

The voice craclked harshly in Sev’s earpiece, bringing him sharply back to reality. He was on watch for the Ashton’s convoy, a procession of three massive land crawlers. Land Crawlers were immense, wheeled vehicles shaped like half a pistol bullet split lengthways, exact dimensions as far as Sev could recall them were about 30 metres long, 12 wide and about the height of a five story building. He had memorized the land crawler’s layout already and spent most of his time exploring its grimy, oily bowls. He really didn’t really care if the land crawler got attacked; the armoured hull was made of starship quality neosteel and there were dozens of armed guards inside anyway. “How much further?” Sev asked.

“We’re here”

Sev looked up at the massive dark green temple, it was vaguely pyramid shaped with countless spires, balconies and small structures built onto it. But one balcony interested Sev; he drew out his binoculars and zoomed in on it. There was a figure there dressed in a beautiful white gown with short black hair. He knew it was impossible but as the land crawlers shuddered to a stop Sev leapt onto a nearby pillar and began jumping his way towards the pyramid. He hit a flat, rectangular structure and began running up the slope. It was possible but difficult and he struggled to keep his footing. Sev had to rest several times one the way up it was so difficult and so tiring. He leapt onto a pillar and checked the balcony again; she was gone. He sprung across three pillars and finally reached the balcony. Inside was a sumptuously decorated room fit for a queen. Sev didn’t quite follow but didn’t care anyway. He crashed through the wooden door and sprinted down the hallway, following the occasional glimpses of white gown. Whoever it was ducked into a small room Sev followed but a metal door slammed shut on him, a split second later another one behind him also slammed shut, trapping him. “I don’t have time for this!” Sev roared in the tiny space, lit by a sole light above the door, the far end of the room and its walls were hidden in shadow.

“So sorry to keep you waiting, we are done” A voice echoed through the room, its source unseen. The doors rumbled open and Sev burst through to find the most amazing sight of his life. Jade stood before him in a white gown, he hair still an untidy shock of black held up with a green headband. Her green eyes showed just as much shock as Sev felt.

“Who the hell are you?” Jade snapped, quick as lightning she snatched a Dai-jo staff off a table Sev assumed must be behind her.

“Don’t remember me?” Sev asked.

“I remember someone who looked like you” jade ignited the ends of the staff ad hidden emitters extended scythe like energy blades from the ends of the staff.

“Do you have a gold ring with a cross shape of emeralds set into it?” Sev asked.

“What’s it to you?” jade said shortly.

‘That means yes’ Sev knew, he slowly drew the ring off his finger, it had the same pattern it emeralds on it, the centrepiece of his family crest. He threw it to Jade, who caught it deftly and examined it. “Miss me?” Sev asked dryly as Jade began to shake. Sev was beyond words but wasn’t about to give in, he showed absolutely no reaction ‘Is this the price I paid, my humanity? I should be shaking as well. What have I lost that I can’t show any humanity now?” Sev took a step forward as Jade sprang at him.

“Liar!” She yelled and swung the staff, its deadly blades shimmering in the dark room.

Sev drew his sword more out of instant reaction than anything else and held his blade flat against the swing. He blocked it effortlessly, Jade was an incredible fighter but Sev was better, he had been trained to fight his whole life, and he was a Furion, his DNA gave him faster reflexes than Jade. Jade sprung back and her eyes lowed green, in alighting fast pounce she crashed the tip of her staff into Sev’s chest, throwing him against the wall. Sev had a sudden idea, if objects couldn’t jog her memory, maybe words could. As Jade swung back to finish him Sev spoke “Its me Jade, its Sev. If you don’t believe me kill me now” with that he bowed his head. He heard the air swish as the blade came down. Expected the searing pain, but it never came. All that he felt was heat from the energy blade held just an inch from his neck. He looked up, jade stood there, staff in hand, eyes stung with tears.

“Sev” jade, said quietly, she deactivated the blades lest she decapitate Sev accidentally. It had been known to happen with bladestaffs. Sev stood up rubbing his head; he towered over Jade, twice her size. He could kill her now if he so chose, but he didn’t, Sev simply put his arms around Jade the moment she fell against him. She felt Sev rest his head I her shock of messy black hair.

“I thought you were dead,” He whispered, for the first time ever he allowed his voice to show some part of the fear he lived with. “Now hard feelings about trying to kill me okay” Sev said in a mock reassuring voice.

“Yeah sorry about that, I thought you were some thug trying to break in” Jade replied impishly.

Sev stepped back from Jade, trying to sound insulted but the first smile he had worm since the death of Furia ruined the affect “A thug? You thought I was a thug?!”

“Well you look like one” Jade said in the same impish tone.

“I’ll have you know I am a…” Sev never got to finish his defense because at that moment jade leapt forward and kissed him. After about half a minute she stepped back.

“You were saying?” asked as if nothing had happened. Sev was looking somewhat surprised understandably. A loud boom interrupted the moment. “We gotta go” jade said, instantly serious “Get your stuff, here’s you ring”

Sev snatched up his sword and slipped the ring back on his finger. Jade seized his hand. The boom became a constant rumble

“Follow me!” she shouted over the noise “We’ll head out to the balcony we have to get to the top of the pyramid and find Etheria!” Jade ran, leading Sev by his hand.

“Friend of yours?” Sev shouted.

“You could say that” Jade replied. They rushed back the way Sev came, the rumbling all the while becoming louder and louder. As they reached the balcony Jade whistled loudly, a high-pitched note that Sev heard even over the rumbling around them.

“I don’t think your pet dog heard you” Sev shouted, either because she couldn’t hear him or because she wasn’t listening Jade ignored him. What Sev saw next was simply amazing. An immense dragon like creature appeared from below the balcony. It had smooth scales and webbed feet with a long snout surrounded by hard spiky carapace. What amazed Sev most of all was that the creature landed on the railing, balancing perfectly and allowing Jade to clamber up a brown leather harness the dragon wore. Sev followed and came out on the dragon’s wide, pale green back. Jade was already strapped into a seat and Sev found a seat behind and to the left. It looked like a passenger set up. Pilot’s seat at the front and four behind it Sev quickly found the straps and the dragon took off at Jade’s command. The flew to the very top of the pyramid and Jade ordered the dragon to land on a platform that was cut into the face of the pyramid. The two disembarked and Sev saw a woman standing before them. She had extremely long brown hair that hung in sheets down to her belly, pale skin and blue eyes. She was dressed in an ornate white gown under a brown habit.

“Etheria let’s go!” Jade shouted.

“I’m coming my child!” Etheria shouted back, she struggling under the weight of a huge, lumpy bag.

Sev raced forward and took the bag “I’ll carry it” he said, hefting the bag onto his shoulder with ease. The trio climbed onto Jade’s dragon and the huge creature soared out into the sunlight as the rumbling stopped, giving way to an ominous, prefect silence…

That's it.

Looks like Shauni is going to trick Sev later on, or does she love him as well?

Ah, questions, questions...that's what I love about these fanfics. It makes you keep reading them!

I've changed my mind about the dragon, its got a rounded, blunt head like the creatures on Surface if you've seen it or a pistol bulet of you haven't. The Daggermoouth's appearane is a takeoff of the Ranarok from Final Fantasy 8 incase you didn't guess.
Denden I said maybe Shauni was after Sev, maybe she just wants a minion. Don't take it literally,

Oh man, the ragnarok from FFVIII was just an awesome design, but most people probably won't know what it is...

Yeah well the lazy bastards can look it up, but here's an image just so you can all have a look. Changes: One large engine tube in the centre with a smaller on underneath it, other tubes in a pentagon shape around that and a much longer barrel for the chin gun. Also the weird arsed fins aren't on Daggermouth, its just a massive block at the tail that mounts all the engines. Might do a picture if I can be stuffed, or I'm stupid enough to try it.



Ships to appear
EGCPS Prometheus Unbound
Burke & Wills
Outlaw
Phoenix Rage
Shadowtail
Nightblade
The last two are Daggermouth's sister ships

:o

Whoa! Very detailed, Futuristically cool. Sev, you play UT right? Know how to use the UnrealEd? Cause if you do...



...heh heh heh... :sinister:

Yeah I know how to use UnrealEd, not very well but I'm making a pretty cool map. Or it would be if half the lights I set to flicker actually did it. Speaking of UnrealEd I had a cool idea to make a skin of Jade for UT. What were you thinking?