Graham Ashworth's Story

"THE Alexander? I thought people made you up to fuck with me! Get in here ya anonymous bastard, you,"

Alexander chuckled at the other pilot, feeling the weight of an elbow on his shoulder. "So a guy as infamous as you has got to know what's what around here, right? Be willing to show a new face around so she's not wandering around at 0200 hours trying to figure out where the barracks are? Because lemme tell you something about being a last minute recruit, they do not hand out maps," the pilot asked, grinning. "No problem, I've been on this place for so long that I've practically memorized it like the back of my hand. Well, mostly." He laughed heartily before noticing the other recruit coming close to them.

"Wait, you're a convict? What did you do to get conscripted as a punishment?" Alexander raised an eyebrow at the recruit's question- truthfully he had also been pretty curious about that part. Thankfully enough, it seemed that the woman was proud enough of her...history. "Why, for nothing short of patriotism! Taking the fight to the damned Transcendent and doing my part for humanity, just... not as a formal part of the military. Officially, I was classified as a pirate and committed 'war crimes' or whatever, but actually I would ambush Transcendent scouting parties and supply ships and haul any useful tech I could find back to humanity's best and brightest to keep up with the Tranny bastards. I'm half the reason our Harbingers are even capable of engaging the enemy," he watched as the woman struck a heroic pose.

His mind floated back to the Forneus, remembering the numerous times he had thrown away weapons when he was just a new pilot. Due to that reason he was forced to use weapon binders to carry numerous ones at one time. He should have felt bad for the engineers working on the Harbinger's weapons.

"What about you guys? They get you with that whole, 'we'll pay for your continued education' thing or do you just hate the Transcendent? Or are you one of those nerds who just felt it was your civic duty to enlist?" The veteran thought the other's question over- truly, the only reason he had shown up as a pilot for the human side was a little mixture of hate for the Transcendents and the former. Growing up with having to believe that the Transcendents were nothing more than a race who believed themselves superior, he had initially enlisted for that reason. Now that he had seen many Transcendents on the battlefield- who wouldn't recognize those gleaming, shiny colors of their machines and the weird way of speaking, at least to him-, as of now he just fought for the pay. And maybe the thrill of battle. And his life. But that last part he'd keep to himself- gotta show that he wasn't that selfish. Right?

Still, the recruit seemed to have a question. Alexander relaxed his shoulders a bit and waited for the other woman's reaction. Common courtesy to let ladies go first, of course.

Not that the woman he was referring to was a dainty lady, of course, they all had been in humongous metal machines earlier after all.

---

"I just want for her to be returned to normal at the end of all this."

Of course- the Captain seemed to be fond of the Trials of Winter after all. Graham had nothing to complain about, considering that he himself was getting attached to the Eisenritter. "This ceasefire is... I don't have a word for how much I despise it. It's changed our war - if a war it could be called. We were ridding our worlds of a pest. An intelligent, adaptive pest - but a pest none the less. We struck fear into their hearts, painted our machines so they would know what their reaper personified. Now, we have to hide our vessels instead of decorating them."

The commander listened to the other man's speech- it wasn't like the captain didn't have a point. The Transcendents had long seen the humans as pests that would disrupt the flawless mindset that all of them had. Their free will would surely taint the union of the race, causing chaos to spread, and if that happened, then Graham wasn't sure if Central Command would be as powerful as it was now. Still, a nagging thought tugged at the back of his mind- was free will really that bad? Or was Central Command's speeches against humans and their open-minded outlook just starting to grow tiresome to hear?

"We shouldn't have to abide their laws, by their judgement! It is not just to lower ourselves so, as if they were our equals and could even hope to force high command to punish us!" The angered voice of the Captain snapped Graham out of his thoughts. Though the entire Transcendent race was dismayed by the ceasefire- after all, it was due to their loss that the ceasefire was called in the first place, and the pride of each citizen of the race would not have that-, they had to bow their heads to the rules of the ceasefire to keep their lives. They've gone so far now. They couldn't fail.

"I'm rambling. Go and check on your squad, Commander, make your necessary preparations. We will be making the jump to Albion shortly. I need to go prepare for this silly tribunal. Oh - and, as a precaution, keep a minimum of our crew interacting with those human traders. At best, I'd prefer it if you were the only one with face to face contact. Don't let any human engineers interact directly with the ship, and make sure the parts are inspected before they're thrown on." Feeling the tension in the meeting room break, Graham grimly nodded. "Understood, Captain." With another nod, he made his way out of the room.

Despite only having to cover up the Trials, the Commander didn't feel the tension leave his muscles and brain. Despite not being there physically at the tribunal, he was every bit as nervous as the ones that would be there. He took a deep breath, let it go, and forced himself to recall the glorious moments of the Unit, every expansion team of the humans driven away from territory that could be theirs. In his mind, the blue glint of his proud machine's optics gleamed.

Relaxing his shoulders, he continued the trek to make the preparations for going to Albion. They would not fail.

Of the things Ren expected to find in the hangar bay, another pilot was not one of them. He slid down from the catwalks a moment or so after Ren called for the guy in charge of this hangar, but something about the way this guy moved put a knot in her stomach. He was wiry but athletic, Ren supposed, a messy head of hair but the thing that stood out to her most about this man was the way he moved. He wasn't a mercenary but she could see this guy trying out for a crew if the whole military thing went south, an almost arrogance in how he carried himself, as though he believed himself to be the baddest thing in the room. The thought made Ren roll her eyes, but resisted the urge to shoulder past him and figure out who was actually in charge. She had to place nice, after all.

That was her train of thought up until the guy eye fucked the weapon he'd hauled in, looked to be either a rail-gun or an advanced beam rifle, neither of which was particularly panty soaking. The only thing that struck Ren as odd about it was the casing, as Transcendents didn't usually care about flashiness when they designed their weapons, preferring efficiency and ease of production. Either a rogue had that special made, or someone on that fleet bought it from a third party. Either situation was interesting, and she'd most definitely look into that gun later, but she doubted those questions were why the Lieutenant brought it in.

Ren looked bemused as she regarded the man's hand, making no attempt to touch it. She had an idea of where it had been, and she wanted no part of it.

"It's Ren. Ms. Kotko is my father's name," Ren said, grinning at her own joke. She swore on the spot that if he called her M'lady even once it would be worth the time in the brig to shove that gun up his ass.

"So are you part of the engineering crew or are you wasting my time? Cap wants me to rip the meaty bits out of those busted suits and I've got two hours to do it, so either pick up a wrench or track down someone who does," Ren added, walking past the man now towards the crews beginning to swarm the busted infantry units she'd helped drag in.

-=-

The Infiltrator's words echoed in his head several times before they registered fully.

Accompany the commander? He thought, a certain giddiness rising in his chest at the thought of a second chance. Petya kept his cool, though, nodding before a final salute to signify his acceptance of these orders. He might be of use to the fleet yet.

"I won't let you down, mam! I will report at once!" He declared, trying to not let his excitement seep into his gait as he marched away towards the command deck. He he had seen several such decks before, having taken tours with his father and seen photos and video of the ships his grandfather had commanded. There was an air of duty here that the barracks lacked, and the sound of quiet dedication as dozens of hands went about their work filled Petya with both pride and nostalgia. He stopped for a moment to watch as three different people passed about a clipboard, each needing it for different reasons, and each seamlessly knowing who was next to need it when they finished.

That sight, Petya concluded, was what it meant to him to be Transcendent. No one thought their job so important that they needed that clipboard, it was simply there, and it's function maximized due to the unity of the people using it. Humans would squabble and argue over which task most needed materials, placing importance on everything but the common goals they all shared. It was disgraceful.

It took time, but Petya finally tracked down the Commander as he oversaw preparations for their next objective at Albion. He waited patiently until Commander Ashworth had a lull in his duties so as not to disrupt his concentration, before respectfully stepping forward and saluting.

"Sir! The Representative from Command has ordered me to accompany you and to assist in any way necessary with the remodeling efforts. She has also ordered that you keep a documentation of whatever activities you may engage in from here on out including any excursions to Albion and the parts you are to procure," Petya declared, keeping the salute stance until he was ordered otherwise.

"No, no, it makes sense, don't worry."

"Ah, that's a relief." Alexander chuckled, then looked on curiously as Amelia explained her own background and reason. "It's funny though - I'm the opposite of you on that one front - my folks never wanted me to join, and even during the ceasefire, we didn't talk for a few weeks after I told them I wanted to join, even through a non-combat role. I don't even know how I'm going to write home at this point - first official day in the Navy and I already got shot at!" "Better get used to it, those Transcendents are pretty hostile when they see ya!" He managed a small, hearty laugh at her last comment. "Still, looks like not everyone wants their kids going off into a mech and doing battle with a bunch of weird...races."

After their little exchange, Ren came back only to announce that she had more orders. "Captain's a bit of a driver, eh?" "Go on- gotta do what you gotta do." He grinned a bit. Still, as Ren walked away, the trainee spoke a few more words. "She seems to have taken to all of this rather quickly." "Some people adapt pretty easily." He chuckled. Still, though being around the new recruits gave him a feeling of nostalgia, and a bit of warmth- always makes an old man feel great whenever he had young ones to talk to and guide, though this wasn't really guiding he was doing, just striking up a conversation-, he had to be wary. Not everyone could be trusted after all.

With that thought in mind, Alexander decided to turn his mind to knocking back a cold drink before-- "Alex!" "Oh dude, finally." Plastering a triumphant grin, he glanced over at the approaching pilot. "So you win this round, my friend, but I don't think it was a very fair match from the outset. The cradle in the hangar malfunctioned and left me sitting there like a fucking rookie on his first op... However, I am a man of my word, congratulations on outperforming." Alexander watched, amused as the man lit up another cigarette. This was Lieutenant Klaus Cincaid, another ace pilot on board the Organum. Ah yes- he remembered the bet they had made. Hey, if they were going to be going out in huge machines and killing other huge machines, better make it fun.

Alexander took the cred-stick, chuckling. "I did have the good fortune of finding a new weapon for the wrench boys, so we'll see if anything good comes of that I suppose." "Brought back a new weapon too? Funny, I brought back a shiny gun from one of those new Transcendent mechs. Next bet's going to be which weapon was better." He joked, before the other man asked about the new recruit at his side. "Ah, yeah. Heard of the new recruits we just got? She's one," He glanced at Amelia from the corner of his eye. She was the one being addressed, so he'd let her be the one to introduce, at least. Ladies first, once more.

While waiting for the two to speak, Alexander heard a thudding of footsteps before another pilot walked up. "Alex, big news, man." "What is it?" This guy was the other pilot they had made a bet with- too bad he saw the guy's machine's arm go flying off into the darkest depths of space. "Captain wants to see you guys. Better head to the briefing room." "There goes all thoughts of me ever going drinking. Alright, just gotta wait up for a bit. Go tend to your machine, dude." He glanced over at the two again as the other pilot went away.

---

Graham glanced over the pilots that had volunteered to accompany him- of course, there was the ever-loyal Rivaile, though she still seemed a bit worried if he was still angry. Nilson would be showing up as well- out of everyone, he knew the most about ships. He'd even be helping out with the remodeling, really. Still, he'd just have to brief them, then he was sure Captain Setoen would be wanting to head to Albion as soon as possible. He rubbed his neck, thinking of who else to bring before:

"Sir! The Representative from Command has ordered me to accompany you and to assist in any way necessary with the remodeling efforts." Burundukov showed up, saluting respectfully. Graham gestured for him to relax. Still, Arjuna ordered Petya to join him? What for? Was it to help or to keep an eye on him? Still, their new recruit had come from a long line of generals. Though they had failed their last mission, the Commander held no grudge. Besides, he was just new. Not like he had slipped up and done anything too bad. Still, Petya had more words for him- She has also ordered that you keep a documentation of whatever activities you may engage in from here on out including any excursions to Albion and the parts you are to procure," he continued, and Graham managed to keep his face stoic. He felt his blood boil a bit again. "God damn it, Arjuna- that woman is definitely on my tail." He nodded stiffly. "I see...alright."

And now to begin the briefing. He cleared his throat as he faced the accompanying pilots and the crew. "Alright- our mission here is to remodel the Trials of Winter. For a simple reason, really- we have to erase the evidence that we were there. However, we'll need to dock at a rogue colony called Albion to get parts to disguise the ship." He put on a scowl, just to be more effective as he said his next warning. "Now, Albion is a known brooding place of rogue Transcendents. To lessen the chances of our strong unit being broken up by rogues, I shall be the only one to contact the people we will be getting the parts from. Rest assured that my resolve will not fade." He looked around. "Anyone--?" "Lead." Rivaile raised her hand. "Scouts brought me something that might catch your eye." She picked up a small device and showed everyone the hologram image that caused Graham's blood to freeze in his veins.

It was the Organum.

And it was heading for Albion as well.

"Well, if those are my only two options, then I suppose I am just wasting your time. And since you're under orders from the captain, I'll get out of your hair, but if you ever feel like losing some credits, or getting into a fight that won't end with you being thrown into the brig, come find me."

Well, at least if they're honest, Ren thought, though the bit about losing credits managed to actually interest her. Not necessarily the prospect of gambling, but the knowledge that, every now and again, there was a gathering of money in one place. She turned to ask where this poker night might take place, but instead only watched as Klaus pointed out who the actual boss was before stealthily putting a cigarette into the poor bastard's coffee cup. Ren let out a huff of annoyance before closing the gap between herself and the head engineer, grabbing the cup before he could bring up to his lips.

"Yeah, don't. Lieutenant Chinchilla or whatever left you a present," Ren said, the man frowning as he looked into the cup.

"Lil' shit," the man grunted, snapping his fingers to summon one of the younger lads frantically scurrying about. He shoved the cup in the kid's hands as soon as he showed up, muttered something about a new cup, and the kid hurried off as quickly as he'd come.

"Yeah, you also might want to clean that gun Lil' Shit brought in, he was looking at it like it was spread eagle and junk earlier," Ren said, getting a laugh out of the man.

"Klaus is eccentric, true enough, but he's not so bad once you get to know him. That stunt with the coffee was just his way of reminding me I owe him money," the man replied, with Ren shrugging in indifference as a response.

"C'mon... Captain wants me to oversee the removal of some delicate parts on those enemy mechs we brought in. We've only got two hours so I'd kind of like to hurry this shit up,"

Once she settled into the actual work down in the hangar, time flew by. The fuel lines were removed without a hitch and sat in carefully laid coils off to the side, a team setting them onto metal skids for future transport. With the hardest part over with, Ren was ready to start yanking out reactors when she got the call about the briefing room. She turned to the head engineer, Ricky she'd believed was his name, and gave him a hearty slap to the back before excusing herself. He knew his shit and reactors were armored, so she believed her babysitting was over with anyhow.

"Just make sure these things are showroom ready. Cleaned and polished, whole nine yards. Maybe pass word on to the team handling the in tact units we brought in as well?" Ren asked, getting a nod from Ricky as he took a long sip from his coffee. He wasn't much for conversation, she'd found, but he'd still managed to teach her a few things while they worked. He was alright in her book.

"And maybe invest in a thermos? Less foreign debris in your drink that way," Ren joked before heading off, wiping the sweat from her brow

It only took asking for directions about twenty times before she managed to find the briefing room, surprised to see she was the only one who had shown up so far, aside from the Captain. She hoped that didn't mean she'd managed to get in trouble somehow.

"You wanted to see me, Cap?" Ren asked, hesitating for a moment as she remembered to salute, but immediately dropped back into a casual stance.

"Fuel lines are removed, cleaned, and ready to transport, Reactors were going smoothly too until you rang," Ren offered, but grinned as she got a better look at the Captain. She'd either gotten a shitty night's sleep or she was hungover, maybe both. Ren didn't say anything, but with the shit eating grin on her face she didn't really have to.

-=-

The Commander may not have regarded Petya warmly, but he didn't seem entirely enraged by his presence either which was a step up from how he'd imagined the meeting going. News from Arjuna seemingly didn't faze him, as Petya had been confident that it wouldn't because only rogues feared having their actions under scrutiny, and before Petya knew it it was time for their mission briefing.

Arjuna had already given him these details before, but still he listened intently. While he disliked the idea of even being close to a rogue, much less a colony, he had confidence in the Commander to keep a cool head and get the job done. If anyone could keep their resolve while dealing with filthy traitors it would be the Commander. The briefing had only just reached it's end when one of the senior officers brought the Commander additional news, bringing up the image for everyone to see.

It was the Human ship they the fleet had just fought, apparently also heading to Albion.

Petya regarded the image for a moment before speaking up, "Sir! Perhaps we should simply delay our approach and see where the humans are docking? It will severely reduce our chances of another run in and as long as we dock far away from them, the mission should not be hindered even by face to face confrontation."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Petya's body tensed up as he realized he might have just spoken out of turn. He wasn't here by any choice of the Commander's after all, so his opinions shouldn't be shared so casually.

"Sir! Perhaps we should simply delay our approach and see where the humans are docking? It will severely reduce our chances of another run in and as long as we dock far away from them, the mission should not be hindered even by face to face confrontation."

"Perhaps..." Graham murmured. Nilson cast a small, absentminded gaze at the younger pilot, then shifted his attention back to the commander. A voice cut through Graham's moment of thinking. "The boy is not wholly incorrect in his line of thinking, Commander."

The pilots watched as one of the senior pilots finally spoke, though her words were for the commander. "The way it seems, we have several options. As he says, we simply dock where they will not be able to easily detect our vessel. Or, we could hail them, and hope for a peaceful overture and negotiate terms to keep our little.... Indiscretion from breaking the treaty." The more Graham heard, the more he wanted to agree with Petya's idea. A peaceful overture with the humans? If they were the ones to initiate it, there was no doubt those humans would be suspicious. Graham would be, if he were one. He shook the thought away as he focused himself on the veteran's words instead.

"Or, better yet, we could attack them as they breach atmosphere, eliminating them, and then proceed to..." Graham wasn't very keen on coming into conflict with the Organum, at least not right now. It was a warship, against their much smaller ship. The worth of their unit was in the skilled pilots aboard- at least it was what he believed. Still, it was evident that the crew wasn't up to the idea either. Seeing the glum look on Rivaile's face reminded him that they had just recently come back from battle, and that the Zweireiters and Gungnirs were mostly trashed. He recalled the missing leg and arm of the dual blade-wielding machine. He wasn't up to fighting an entire armada of Harbingers with just his Eisenritter too. He's trashed enough machines.

"In this case, I personally think Burundukov's idea works for us." He spoke after a moment of thought, and he glanced around the room to examine the reactions. Nilson's shoulders relaxed, though the look on his companion's face never disappeared. Graham dismissed the thought.

"I don't want to come into contact with them just yet." Was what he told himself, and he relaxed himself a bit. Just as long as they stayed well hidden and worked fast, hopefully they wouldn't run into the Organum. Now...they just had to wait for the Captain's command. "We'll just have to wait for the Captain so we can discuss this further..." He muttered.

---

"I can wait, Klaus," The veteran chuckled, declining the offer. Much as his head was pounding from being rocked around in a giant robot for so long, he had to at least keep up his good rep around the place. And they were heading to the Captain's quarters too. Wouldn't want to risk anything. He wasn't sure if he was up to any kitchen service or flogging. He sucked at both. A little more on the former than the latter.

It wasn't long until they reached Ophelia's quarters, and after a quick salute, he fell silent, arms crossed over his chest. It was a particularly short briefing, pretty basic. Bring disguises, check. Firearms, check. He and Klaus would be acting as the mouthpieces- "No surprise there," Alexander thought. An outlaw colony would be running rampant with some pretty sensitive stuff.

They would all be meeting at Hangar 3, and Alexander nearly tuned out most of the conversation- he decided not to listen to the exchange between the Captain and Ren. "My old man always told me to stay out of cat fights anyway," He reminded himself, and the moment they were dismissed, he stretched a bit before walking out of the briefing room to head directly to his quarters. If they were going to be at Hangar 3 in thirty minutes, he decided talking with the other pilots would have to wait until they were in the shuttle.

The disguise wasn't much to worry about. Casual clothes worked fine- a green shirt and a bomber jacket- as Alexander didn't really stand out on an outlaw colony. Unlike the Forneus, he found it too strange and maybe even a little too obvious if he carried anything more than a pistol. Perhaps his Harbinger was much more lucky than him in the aspect of firearms. He stretched a bit before heading over to the hangar.

When he got there, out of their little group, it seems he had arrived earlier than most. He decided not to speak up but started to board the shuttle as well.

"And now we wait..."

"I'll pretend that earlier outburst didn't happen." The Captain shot back, "You may carry a knife if you want but you'll be under my complete surveillance at all times. You seem to have gotten anxious once we got here...Mind enlightening us what set you off?"

Ren dropped her salute and curled her hands into tightly balled fists. Her gamble was a bust and the sympathy card wouldn't get her anywhere here. The captain seemed relaxed and respected hard-work, but it was good to know where the lines were being drawn with her leniency. That knowledge would come in handy later Ren was sure.

"Hopefully it won't come up," Ren replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself back down, "But I apologize, mam. I've tried to settle in by keeping my hands busy but news like that would piss anyone off, wouldn't it? I'll do better to keep my temper under control, mam," she added, her voice calm and saluting once again, but the hand at her side was still balled up so tight the veins on the back of her hand looked liable to pop.

Ren was just going to have to cross her fingers and hope that Monty wasn't on the station while she was there.

After the briefing, Ren had to track down her belongings that had been transferred in from the PMC ship that had dropped her off on Proud, which included an outfit that wasn't a military uniform or spacesuit. Her usual white tank-top, of course, along with a pair of loose-fitting jeans and sneakers, but the crowning jewel of her old outfit was her jacket. It was a military jacket based on an old design, more military chic than anything, a dark green bomber jacket with a two headed eagle emblazoned on the back in gold. It had been a gift from her brother Nikita way back when, having bought it at a collector's auction. Ren had no idea why the thing was valuable, but she'd always taken care of it and worn it with the utmost pride.

Once she was dressed, she headed back towards the shuttle, having to ask for directions only twice before finding the shuttle bay. A security officer handed her a standard issue combat knife and sheath, as granted by the Captain, as she stepped inside and took her seat.

-=-

There was more than a little bit of pride in Petya's smile as the Commander voiced approval of his idea over that of the other pilot he had not noticed when he'd arrived. He had little time to revel in the feeling of victory before the Captain arrived to issue his own briefing, though Petya had to admit this one was a lot harder to swallow.

Since when had they been ordered to sabotage and undermine this colony? To what end would their limited forces and resources be used in such an endeavor when their lives were already on the line due to the human's having proof of their breaking the ceasefire? Petya was not sure, but unlike with the Commander, whom he had known to be a skilled commander willing to listen to his men, he knew little of the Captain or what he might do in the face of insubordination from his foot soldiers.

Petya looked to the Commander with wide eyes, trying to convey his concern with the completely different objective the Captain wished to assign them in regards to their mission in the hopes he might speak up against them, but the action was all the defiance he dared suggest towards the chain of command. He would do as ordered regardless, though he wouldn't mind speaking with Ellis again concerning her suspicions of a rogue. This was the second time to Petya's knowledge of impromptu changing of mission objectives without due cause or orders from command.

"Then - there is a shuttle prepared as I speak. It leaves in thirty minutes. The human shuttle has already departed from what intelligence we gathered, and the commander will be briefed to their exact location as soon as it is intercepted."

Graham was completely taken aback by this idea- ruin negotiations between the humans and the people of Albion? Outrageous!- but he felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder, and the lowered voice of the Captain. "I am aware this is sudden, Commander. Yet, you will see - when this is over, that it was a miraculous opportunity that could hardly be missed. So - let's see if those stories I hear about your skills are true." "I have some reservations about this plan, but if it will lead to our eventual victory then I'll play along." He murmured, and watched as the Captain left the room. When the man was far from earshot, he turned again to his assembled group.

"It seems that we have a change of plans, that much is certain." He sighed. He could see the concern and confusion among the group, but he had agreed to play along with the Captain's plan- they just had to adjust to the new objectives for now. "To be fair, we can think of anything without worrying about being caught by High Command- after all, their watchdog isn't here as of the moment." He glanced around the room, clearing his throat. "As you probably know, humans and the people on Albion are rather finicky with their money. Since we've been ordered to ruin the negotiations between the humans and the ones on Albion, we could try to play on their greed and stubborn nature. Debating prices of certain items could potentially make a seller not want to sell off the item to the humans at all, perhaps?"

"Of course, I'll still take suggestions on how to ruin their encounters with the corrupt people of Albion. If you have any then feel free to speak."

---

Alexander listened to the Captain's briefing quietly, chuckling a bit at Klaus's little sandwich warning. Still, hearing that he would be a bodyguard made his shoulders relax somewhat- he wasn't in the mood to debate with corrupt people today. Especially not the ones on Albion- while he hadn't really been there before, as a teenager he would hear his veteran grandfather murmur harshly about the people of Albion. "Alex, don't you dare be like those people," He heard the old man's gritted and husky voice in his head again. Klaus on the other hand seemed surprised that he would be the one handling the negotiations this time. Still, it wasn't too long before they had reached the rogue's paradise everyone called Albion.

As soon as they got off the shuttle, Alexander took a good look around at his surroundings. Just as he'd expect- quick glances around made him remember his grandfather describing it to him. To his grandfather it could have been the equivalent of hell for a weak-hearted person. Thankfully though, the shop they were heading to wasn't too far from where they landed. As Klaus and the Captain disappeared in, Alex leaned against a wall and took another look around.

"You ever been to Albion before?" He glanced over as Ren spoke suddenly. "Not really. My grandfather did, though. It was all he could talk about whenever we were having dinner with him. He hated this place." Alexander shrugged. "He'd frequently remind me that if I ever landed on Albion when I become a Harbinger pilot to never be like the people on here." He spoke lowly as to not attract much attention, at least.

"Not really. My grandfather did, though. It was all he could talk about whenever we were having dinner with him. He hated this place. He'd frequently remind me that if I ever landed on Albion when I become a Harbinger pilot to never be like the people on here."

Ren couldn't stop herself from letting out a soft laugh, a sad smile spreading on her face as she said, "Solid advice. Grandpa had a good head on his shoulders". Ren scanned the horizon again, and spotted the same guy from before that she'd locked eyes with passing by again, this time on his phone. She looked from the man to the gun Alexander had on him, and thought about whether or not it would be worth the hassle to steal it. She caught sight of a flash in the corner of her eye, and snarled in the direction it had come from. The man was gone, but the damage was probably done by now. Good thing they wouldn't be outdoors long.

"I hung out here a lot myself. Lot of people interested in buying up parts. Lot of good bars too, if you aren't squeamish about getting into a brawl or two. May not look it, but this place has a hell of a downtown. Maybe the captain will let us hit the town one night before we shove off again," Ren mused, but tilted her head back at the commotion going on inside of the shop. She could hear Klaus and another guy shouting, too far away to hear exactly what though she was picking up a word here or there. A vein in her forehead began to throb in irritation as she heard mention of a 'woman outside'.

"Tell me, Alex, does Klaus piss you the fuck off every time he's around or is it just me? I haven't haggled on Albion in a while, but I coulda fucking swore that somebody just blew our cover," Ren said, irritation heavy in her voice. The voices quieted again, leaving Ren to only guess what was going on, though she found herself inching closer and closer to the door until Klaus and a very annoyed Ophelia came walking back out. Klaus was whispering something to the Captain, but the only thing Ren managed to catch was her own name. Her face turned a bright shade of red, and her hand was gripping her knife tightly.

She saw now why Ophelia hadn't wanted her to have a gun. If she'd had one, she'd have shot Klaus on principle.

"We'll stay at one of the inns ten minutes away from here. Due to some "unexpected development", we'll need to rethink our approach here. Getting out will no longer be as easy as getting in."

Ren's face contorted into something resembling a grin as she glared at Klaus.

"You don't say, Cap? Would it have something to do with a 'woman outside' or is my hearing just now what it used to be, Klaus?"

She didn't bother waiting for an answer, storming off before she did something she regretted. She kept her distance from Klaus as they made their way to the inn, trying to keep either Alexander or Ophelia between herself and Mr. Cincaid to keep her temper in check. She also hung back with Alex when the Captain and Klaus went to get their rooms. Once they were settled in, Ophelia sat them down and briefed them.

"Regarding our shopping, things managed to go smoothly aside from some communication error that compromised our cover. Now, the tricky part is retrieving the items. These guys keep all of their stock in a large warehouse up North, right next to the exotic animal farm. But we won't be going today."

Ren shot Klaus a look as Ophelia looked out the window, but bit her tongue. They weren't in public, so their ranks were somewhat re-established. She blew up once today in front of the Captain, and didn't want to make it a habit.

"I'll rent a transporter up North and retrieve the parts. As much as I was instructed to, I won't be able to take all of you with me, especially you Kotko. We are not in a good position to be seen together right now. At this point, I expect that those men at the streets are looking for the two "foreign guys" and their female companions," Ophelia started, but a thought seemed to cross her mind as she turned to look at Ren, "Being from this colony as well, have you gotten into any kind of trouble with any of the people here? Do you think those people will recognize you if ever you did?"

Ren sat down on her bed at the question, looking off to the side as she thought about how to answer. She remembered the guy from before, who'd been taking pictures on his phone, and bit her lip. She might as well say something now, if he had been doing what she thought he'd been doing.

"I may have been in the middle of a job when I was arrested. I was hauling cargo for this guy named Conrad Walker, mean bastard most folks know by Conman Conrad. He...might not have been too happy about my not delivering it" Ren said, looking out the window now herself. This was assuming Conrad survived his buyers not getting those mech class weapons she was supposed to deliver.

"...Anyway. One of you will accompany me up North and the other is to stay here with Ren to monitor the situation outside. You can see the streets from the rooftop. Call us if any blockades or other deterrents are being prepared. So, who's staying with who? Who wants to be bossed around by me for a little while longer?"

"Dibs on Alex. Safer for everyone if Klaus has 'communication errors' as far away from me as possible. Especially if they involve me," Ren barked, glaring at Klaus again. No one had said exactly what his slip up was, but Ren had caught enough to know it had involved her in someway. Klaus might have thought he was being cute, but Ren was lacking her usual sense of humor today.

-=-

As the Captain scanned the room, Petya caught a glimpse of one of the other pilots, Athena if his memory served, looking at him. The look was intense, though Petya was uncertain as to what emotion the woman was having as she looked him over. He'd never seen eyes do the things hers were doing, but what confused him most was how she was doing so when they'[d not even so much as greeted one another. He'd had an idea that was somewhat perpendicular to the one she had shared, but she'd gone so far as to commend him, hadn't she? She shouldn't be upset if that is the case so Petya couldn't help but be confused as to her motives. The look was brief, so Petya had assumed it must have just been gas. They'd added some spice to the food in the mess hall, and figured it might not be agreeing with her. Either way, he'd not dwell on it much. Perhaps commenting on the food might be a good way of establishing comradeship with her after the briefing...

Petya refocused his attention as the Captain addressed the men once more, saluting as he finished and made his leave. It would seem the Captain and Athena were in unison as to the direction the unit was to move in.

"It seems that we have a change of plans, that much is certain." Graham sighed, "to be fair, we can think of anything without worrying about being caught by High Command- after all, their watchdog isn't here as of the moment." He glanced around the room, clearing his throat. "As you probably know, humans and the people on Albion are rather finicky with their money. Since we've been ordered to ruin the negotiations between the humans and the ones on Albion, we could try to play on their greed and stubborn nature. Debating prices of certain items could potentially make a seller not want to sell off the item to the humans at all, perhaps? Of course, I'll still take suggestions on how to ruin their encounters with the corrupt people of Albion. If you have any then feel free to speak."

Petya's eyes lit up as he garnered a new idea.

"Sir, I believe a bidding war would cost the enemy financially. If they are here for repairs, then there is no way they could afford to forego parts. We could drive their prices up and stall them while our own work is done. Either we frustrate the enemy into leaving for another colony, leaving them open to ambush as they limp away, or bankrupt them and drive down morale. They would literally be unable to afford another full scale battle with us," Petya beamed, though another idea struck him as soon as he'd finished the first.

"We could also send out a demolitions team to set charges on the enemy hull, forcing them into new negotiations. I have faith our scouts could infiltrate a repair team on colony."

Alexander listened to the woman's musings, glancing around occasionally to see if anyone was suspicious. The sudden sound of shouting- softened by their distance from the place- directed his attention to the shop. He considered moving closer to listen in for a moment, but managing only to pick up a few words here and there, he decided that it wouldn't have been the best choice. A few moments later the voices quieted down, and Klaus emerged along with the Captain.

"Looks like someone's not happy..." He murmured to himself, seeing Ren storm off. Shrugging, he followed. They were already trying to stay undercover- might as well try and prevent any inner fights from breaking out within their little group. Luckily enough they were able to make it to the inn in one piece. When they were safe in their rented room, the Captain briefed them on what would be going on. Due to the unexpected development from earlier, it looks like they would be delayed. For now. The thought made Alexander's soul sink for a moment- he almost felt like a Transcendent hanging among humans within this place. And all thanks to his grandfather's words.

Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud.

As usual, they were split off into pairs. He had barely spoken out when-- "Dibs on Alex. Safer for everyone if Klaus has 'communication errors' as far away from me as possible. Especially if they involve me." "That sums it up nicely." Alexander shrugged. "Well, there you go, Cap." While he would normally be more laid-back and admittedly, under normal circumstances, in a situation like this he would crack a joke and possibly make it worse, but right now no one seemed to be in the mood for humor. He was no exception.

"I'm going sightseeing for a little while. Try not to get into anymore trouble. Oh, and keep your curtains open. More private quarters attract more unneeded attention in this side of town." While it seemed that their pursuers had given up for the meantime, there were still risks. "When they come back, hopefully it's not with guns and knives and bloodthirsty expressions."

"And I really need that drink now at this point."

---

"Sir, I believe a bidding war would cost the enemy financially. If they are here for repairs, then there is no way they could afford to forego parts. We could drive their prices up and stall them while our own work is done. Either we frustrate the enemy into leaving for another colony, leaving them open to ambush as they limp away, or bankrupt them and drive down morale. They would literally be unable to afford another full scale battle with us."

"Stalling them is one of our objectives, and the other is to pin the blame on Albion..." The idea sounded promising enough. The recruit had a good head on his shoulders. Before he could speak, the man had come up with another idea- "We could also send out a demolitions team to set charges on the enemy hull, forcing them into new negotiations. I have faith our scouts could infiltrate a repair team on colony." The second one was a bit more risky than the first- Graham thought it over for a moment.

"Hey, Lead? The new guy's kinda right." Nilson spoke up, grinning crookedly at the Commander. "Going with your idea for messing around with their pride and stubborn nature, that's our best course of action. We were ordered to ruin any form of goodwill between the crews, right?" A glance at his personal unit and he could notice that the other pilots seemed to agree as well- Rivaille still looked like she had much more to say, but as he met her gaze she quickly looked away-. "Then our plan is settled. Our purpose here is to stall the humans long enough while the Trials will send false transmissions to make it look like this ship was captured by rogues. Some of us will also disembark out to ruin the negotiations between the humans and the people on Albion, through the bidding war idea. The humans will be at a disadvantage against us if this mission goes well- not only will they have problems negotiating, they'll also be almost defenseless against us when they come into contact with us again."

He'd say completely defenseless, but the image of the wrecked ships and Rivaille's trashed Zweireiter popped up in his mind again. The humans wouldn't be able to afford another fight with them like that, but if there's one thing that he could praise about the humans, it was their fighting skill.

"If there are no more questions about this plan, then I will be meeting you all at Hangar 2. Prepare everything you need to carry out the mission."

Exiting quickly, he prepared himself for the next occurring events that would no doubt make him question his allegiance. Again.

Alexander didn't seem particularly upset at being teamed up with her again, which was the best news Ren had gotten all day. The only thing that could make it better was escaping... which the split up might facilitate if she managed to distract Alexander for a few minutes. A few phone calls to her former contacts...

'Conrad also knows I'm here...' Ren thought, gritting her teeth in frustration. Being alone for any amount of time now might mean getting jumped and black bagged, waking up in an old abandoned house out on the boonies of the colony with a pistol aimed right at the bridge of your nose. Freedom wouldn't mean shit if she was dead. Not to mention, aside from Klaus, she actually liked the crew she was with. She just hated being on a fucking leash.

"I'm going sightseeing for a little while. Try not to get into anymore trouble. Oh, and keep your curtains open. More private quarters attract more unneeded attention in this side of town."

Ren's eyes darted back to the window, frowning at the Captain's statement. Ren had a solution for that problem... not staying cooped up in the room with a view.

"When they come back, hopefully it's not with guns and knives and bloodthirsty expressions... and I really need that drink now at this point," Alexander chimed in, which brought a smile to Ren's lips.

"Bar across the street, if you don't mind the occasional civil disagreement and enthusiastic problem solving," Ren offered, her grin turning into a sly smirk as her posture relaxed, "Never did get that drink before Proud. We can put it on Klaus' tab. Or you can sit around while I drink for the both of us. I'm flexible."

She had, admittedly, not known Alexander for very long in any sense of the word, but the pilot seemed a bit more lost in thought now than back at the hangar. shot or two might help him loosen back up. Albion wasn't the best of places to have a stick up your ass, unless you intended to beat people to death with it.

"Besides, you said you'd never been here, right? I can show you around a few places if there's an itch you haven't been able to scratch on board the ship. Mid-day, so most of the spirited citizens are sleeping off hangovers. Some shit I'd like to grab up town if we're stuck here for three days too."

-=-

The commander had chosen Petya's idea. It was the highest level of praise he'd received since leaving the academy, which left the raw recruit practically walking on air as the meeting went on. The commander didn't seem particularly pleased about the situation as a whole, and Rivaille seemed to have even more issue, but there was no doubt she would speak once the briefing was finished.

"If there are no more questions about this plan, then I will be meeting you all at Hangar 2. Prepare everything you need to carry out the mission."

Petya saluted, and filed out with the men as soon as the order was given. Petya assumed that they would interfere with negotiations posed as rogues, as the dense rogue population on the colony made true Transcendents generally unwelcome, for fear that they might take back what was rightfully theirs. He would require civilian attire to be readied in the event that he was chosen for the interference team, but would not change unless instructed to. It would be poor form to assume the Commander's will.

He also hadn't heard from Ellis since he received his orders from her. He wondered if she might want him to report in about the briefing...

He reached for his comm unit, but hesitated before dropping his hands at his side again. Ellis, if she was what Petya believed, was a professional. She would seek him out for a report when she required so. Until then, Petya would do all he could to acquire information as wll as ensure the Commander's mission was nothing less than a success.