Beyond the Transcendence Rift

Ren stood patiently as the Captain briefed the group, not bothering to hide the roll of her eyes when the Captain brought up the warning about Albion's views on women. While it was true that many establishments viewed women as second class citizens, as well as a good portion of the population, one truth always prevailed on Albion in Ren's experience: Money talks. No one wanted to deal with her when she first showed up to do business, needing her father or brother to establish ties, but once the money started coming in, she made contacts of her own. Money bought you a lot of things, and on Albion it could damn well buy gender equality.

The thought was immediately followed by another one, however, and it made Ren's eyes shift down to the floor.

I'm broke. I've been out of the game for a long ass time, and I got nowhere near the money to be taken seriously nor the reputation.

This was another tremendous monkey wrench in her escape plans, one she wouldn't be able to surmount without selling every mech they'd hauled in. She might very well have to let Alexander vouch for her while on the station, at least until she looked up some old contacts. Anton would still be reliable after all that shit that happened right after the Ceasefire went into affect, and Felix didn't give a shit who you were so long as you paid him... Those two might be able to help her re-establish herself on the station. She'd need it if she ever wanted to hide here again.

The mention of firearms, or rather Ren's instructed lack of any, snapped Ren back into reality.

"The hell? You're gonna give me the doom and gloom speech and then tell me you're shoving me into the lion's den naked? You really think if I was a security risk that NOW is when I'd strike? Not when I'm in the fucking Harbinger? You know what? Fine. No gun, but I get a knife, or one of these chucklefucks carries an extra pistol I can use if we come under fire. I'm not stepping one toe out onto Albion without some way to defend myself. You wouldn't either," Ren barked, but shook her head and straightened her posture, saluting and gritting her teeth as she added, "Request to carry a combat knife for personal defense, Mam!"

Her tone was that of barely held in anger, all the people she'd pissed off on Albion flashing through her mind. She was bluffing about not going, needing to talk to some people as badly as the captain needed to get the ship parts, but Ren would be an asset on that station and she hoped the Captain knew it.

"From the standpoint of a regular force, infiltrating a rogue haven like Albion may be too much work. If ever you change your mind and choose to go with my suggestion, I can provide you with the means of accomplishing this task. If you don't mind being more indebted to me, that is."

Lilas' temper flared at the comment. A slow ember of anger and irritation towards the woman, that she assumed he would ever owe her a debt for her duties, and that he felt irritated that she implied he'd need assistance anyway. More debts, more regulations. He could almost feel the leash upon his neck tightening.

Yet, he considered it. "I will speak with the Commander, see what he and his little renovation group make of this." He said, his voice carefully measured, "Though, I am curious as to how you'd suggest I need anything other than the Trials and all the equipment she offers to follow this plan of yours. Do you have some sort of trump card I'm not aware of?" He asked, just as Ellis was about to leave.

Whatever her response, after she does depart, he would spend a few minutes examining the schematics of the Trials of Winter, evaluating it's capabilities. It was a ship intended for subterfuge and trickery. His grave mistake previously had been assuming he held command of an armored, indomitable warship. He sought a open confrontation.

Of course, with the tribunal so near, he wouldn't dare make further attempt against the Organum. At least, not overtly. Even with the Human ship's presence, there must be a way to turn the situation to their advantage. They needed to deny accountability, and - if opportunity presents itself, command would very much like to deal with Albion.

He stood up, departing from the room. The Commander might still be briefing his group. He wouldn't usually enjoy the idea of heeding Ellis' advice, but - seeing as how they will all be dealing with closest contact to Albion, it might do to see what he and those under him might be suggesting right now.



"Pleasure to meet you, and please Amelia, this is not an official, or combat setting, no need to salute." Klaus said, and Amelia dropped her hand as indicated. "Oh - my bad, Lieutenant. I thought you were doing one of those tricks the instructors liked to pull on us - make us shake when we should've saluted." Along with all the joys that come with such a mistake in training. The two mile runs, pushups, and pullups - if they were lucky.

Of course, it was really mere minutes - if not seconds - that Amelia established that Klaus was unlike most Lieutenants she knew. And the proof presented itself with the real, earthly-smelling cigar she held, shrouded in unyielding metal. As they walked towards their destination, she could feel it, hidden within one of her suit's exterior pouches (as the stupid thing didn't have any actual pockets, which Amelia could never understand why,) and wondering if she were caught, whether or not they would actually flog her. She didn't think they still did floggings... right?

Her thoughts were put aside after arriving - where she offered a silent salute, as did her fellow crew - and the Captain briefed them. She was to stay behind inside of her Harbinger. A task that someone else might detest, but with how the Captain described Albion's archaic views, she liked the idea of having several inches of glass, and steel between her and whatever might go wrong. Still, what was with Albion being stuck in the twentieth century?

It was that same thought that made her feel sympathetic towards Ren. Though, after the woman's bold (and possibly foolish) choice of words, she kept her lips tightly sealed. She was not about to get caught up in what she saw as inevitable and sudden godly wrath.

"Though, I am curious as to how you'd suggest I need anything other than the Trials and all the equipment she offers to follow this plan of yours. Do you have some sort of trump card I'm not aware of?"

"Time, Captain. Everything will be revealed in due time. And sometimes, it helps looking back into the past for answers." Ellis replied before she left.

Now that she was out of the room, Ellis found herself drifting back to the hangar where the Victoria stood waiting. If only it hadn't been decked in such a vulgar color, all of her tasks should've been over a long time ago. This fact alone is proof enough that even the likes of her was being monitored. Command isn't too trusting of even their own subordinates after all.

"This is Arjuna. I'm going inside Albion to gather intel. If this machine's as discreet as they say it is, then this should go on without a hitch. Also, I'll be disabling all communications systems once inside. Can't be too careful. These humans have the ability to bug specific lines if they so please."

Strapping herself inside her machine, Ellis deployed, covering the Victoria in an ordinary dust cloak to mask its gold color, taking advantage of the darkness of space as she makes her way towards the rogue colony. The visage of the Organum is pretty intimidating and so Ellis entered through a different route, making her way towards the maintenance chambers to avoid getting spotted prematurely.

As soon as she was docked in, Ellis alighted and headed over to the control panels, with the Victoria still docked a few meters away. She has brought her weapons with her, in the event things get nasty.

"Now then...let's see if I can get a closer look at our dreadnought."

---

"I'll pretend that earlier outburst didn't happen." Ophelia spoke a little more sternly this time, referring to Ren's earlier outburst. Sometimes, her leniency does get taken advantage of. Stern displays like these are necessary if she wants the people to know who's still in charge of the place. "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?"

Ophelia checked her out once more. She will be a good asset in this mission truly, having been inside once but then again, so had Ophelia. Will they really need two navigators? Still, it wouldn't be good for her own reputation if she was to remove someone from a mission just for talking back. Besides, once they're in a firefight, ranks and honor wouldn't matter anyway. Especially in Albion.

As she waited for the others to meet her back in the hangar, Fang passed by to see them off. "You seem to be in a sour mood. Again."

"Hey Fang? Do we have enough to negotiate for a Harbinger? Even an old model would do." Ophelia asked, preparing a backup plan in the event things go wrong.

"Probably. Nothing too fancy but, maybe we can buy a used LA-03 somewhere. I'm not exactly following though."

"The same one I used in the Pacific huh? No, never mind. But send the money over to my account nevertheless."

"Are you sure? HQ may not allow it and even punish us for insubordination."

"HQ doesn't exist out here. Besides, we can always write it off as "miscellaneous expenses"." Ophelia laughed as she boarded the shuttle that will take them inside the colony. Amelia's Harbinger had already been transported to the hangar earlier as well.

"I'm leaving this ship in your hands Fang. Make sure you don't scratch it or anything."

"Sure thing. Good hunting then."

"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..."

"Halt the course, put on the cloak, put on the modules necessary to make sure that they can't see, or even remotely guess as to where we are." Lilas said, his feet finally finding him at the entrance of the briefing room. He closed the channel to the bridge - confident that he'd relayed his order, and walked within. From now on, everything would have to go perfectly.

"Commander." Lilas said, giving a nod towards Graham as he swept an eye over the rest of the crew within the room. Most of them seemed to be within the commander's own squad, save for two, Athena - the pilot he had selected for her notorious record, and Petya, a choice he wouldn't have originally made, were the man and his significant pedigree not recommended to him. Time will tell if he ever lives up to it. "I'm assuming that these are the few you picked for renovation detail, am I correct?"

They all looked loyal. He wouldn't second-guess loyalty. Rogues were all-too-often a self-fulfilled prophesy in the Transcendent fleets. He would not see about adding to the problem by attacking their allegiances.

"Anything I say is not to be repeated, relayed, or hinted upon once you leave this room, understand?" Lilas said, his voice taking a careful edge as he surveyed those ahead of him. "Your purpose here was originally to disguise the Trials due to the recent skirmish. Events have changed, and you all will be performing a much more vital role. Instead, your previous task will serve as a cover for you to infiltrate Albion - for, as I'm sure you've either seen or heard now, that the same human vessel we clashed with is currently docked at Albion, for purposes unknown. This grants us a rare opportunity."

"Albion is a hive of rebels and rogues, human and transcendent alike. High command has been wanting to get rid of it. And, we also face the issue of the skirmish, and how High Command might brand us in order to appease human courts of law. We solve both issues today. You will enter the station, under guise to the inhabitants of Albion to be purchasing and evaluating parts for the overhaul. You will actually sew seeds of discord. Acts of sabotage. Anything to rise tensions between the Human and Albion crews. I am not talking about inciting a fist fight. I want drawn weapons, gunfire. Any goodwill between the crews completely severed."

"Meanwhile, the Trials will be hidden nearby, and using our equipment, we will send falsified transmissions between the station and our ship, painting the Trials not as a Transcendent vessel, but a captured rebel vessel, that was explaining a recent failed raid upon Proud for supplies. We will ensure that the 'skilled' technicians aboard the Organum are able to pick them up. This, combined with the conflict between Albion and the Organum that I am telling you to instigate, will paint the recent actions the Trials has taken as a failed attempt at gaining power and strength by Albion, who attempted to blame it upon the Transcendent navy. The Humans will drop blame towards us for the conflict, and High Command will get their justification to invade Albion once they've 'retaken' the Trials of Winter from supposed rebel hands.

His spiel complete - well, as much as he was willing to share. They knew quite more about the plan than most of his position would allow. But no sane commander would have told his subordinates about the tribunal - especially when the outcome of such an event decides not only their lives, but everyone aboard as well.

"For some of you, this will be a monument to already proven skills and cunning. For the rest, such a venture will prove a vital test, especially if one wishes to serve upon a vessel such as the Trials. Any questions?"

Amelia

Bing was already being placed within Hangar 3 once Amelia arrived. The technicians placed it only a few metres away from the shuttle that the rest would board - of which, only Alexander seemed to have shown already. The man must have made a beeline for the hanger, similar to Amelia. The others might be off getting together supplies, maybe weapons.

Amelia could feel the cold metal rungs - even through her gloves - on Bing as she clambered up it's side, slipping into the cockpit. She left it cracked open, as she liked putting her feet up on the lip of the cockpit and watching the technicians and engineers from what seemed like miles above. While she waited, she checked her Harbinger's systems (and noting with irritation, that the window crack hadn't been fixed yet,), the air tanks that kept her suit and the cabin pressurized, as well as the small emergency kit, which was surprisingly heavy for it's size, mostly for the small sidearm hidden within. A last resort if her Harbinger was disabled, apparently, although many pilots chose to carry the weapon with them upon their hips.

It would take at least ten more minutes for the others to arrive, so she leaned back in the cockpit, switched on some of her favorite music, and waited.

"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.

After listening to the briefing, and not having much to contribute otherwise, Klaus snapped a crisp salute to the captain and was through the door like a shot. They only had a half hour before departure and he knew most of that would be spent walking. It's just as well that he left in a hurry, had he stayed and heard the comments from Ms. Kotko, he no doubt would have drawn his sidearm right there and shot her where she stood for speaking to the captain in such a disrespectful manner.
As it was, he was instead sprinting through the hallways towards his quarters.

A short while later, he was heading full tilt towards the hangars, and blasted past Amelia without slowing. His hair was wet, making it clear he had showered, and with one hand he was brushing his teeth, and in the other he held a sandwich and a cigarette. As he closed in on the ship they would be leaving in, he neared Alexander and a few others that were milling about. He handed one of the nearby privates the toothbrush and asked him to get rid of it, then took a long pull from his cigarette and shoved fully half of the sandwich into his mouth.
He was starving and hadn't had time to do anything before, or after the battle. so, he'd made the most of his time.

He clapped Alex on the back and offered him an unintelligible greeting through the sandwich and took his seat on the shuttle.



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


Athena knew her commander was correct, and that hers were more rash, but they all had their merit, she would have added orbital bombardment to her list as well, but she was suspicious on the young man that was following her commander's heels. Suspicion wasn't a common thing amongst the Transcendents, but one could never be certain of another's motives out here at the edge of civilized space.

Seconds before Captain Lilas walked into the briefing room, Athena looked back to the young man that the commander had sided with and noted the look of pride in his eyes. She found this incredibly humorous since she had even agree with his words, but apparently the praise of a commanding officer was what gave him butterflies and not the approval of the veteran with the highest confirmed kills in the navy.
Her eerily colored pupils seemed to contract to needle points as she locked eyes with him and gave him a smile that was undoubtedly bloodthirsty, but also nearly as insane as anything he might have seen before. Her finger slid along the pommel of her sword as images of butchering his still screaming form drifted through her thoughts.

As quickly as it had come, the smile was gone and she was saluting the captain as he walked in and wordlessly listened to their change in mission parameters.
In all reality, it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever her in all her years with the military. The change didn't make sense, but the haphazard way the idea had been laid out made her seriously question the mental state of the captain. It was almost erratic, but Athena liked chaos and she only wanted to know what her part was hers to play.
And, if she would get the chance to meet with the little tag-a-long in private.

With all of the pilots gathered in the shuttle, Ophelia gave the signal for them to take off and head inside. "Renard, be sure to follow immediately. Upon arriving, I'll need you to map out the entire colony structure. See if anything's changed compared to our most recent data which was taken ten years ago. Also, be careful of some areas along the way. Some of the residents like setting jamming devices to avoid being intercepted in their deals. You won't be able to contact us when in those zones so--well, you get the point."

After finishing her instructions, she turns to the people who will be coming inside with her. Ren was given her knife, as what was discussed but Ophelia will have to keep a close watch on her. She didn't understand why she would suddenly lash out--not after receiving acclaim from almost everyone else. Such small details tend to bother her and she didn't like it. Taking her mind off Ren for a moment, she turned to the two men instead.

"Alright. Upon entering those gates, you'll have to forget that I'm your captain in the meantime. There won't be a warm welcome for women like me and Ren and I doubt if our words will be honored either. So don't talk to us unless we talk to you first. Oh, and finish your sandwich first Lt." Ophelia glanced at the monitor. They had now passed the gates. The artificial gravity started to kick in as well.

"Klaus will act as our negotiator while Alexander will be our bodyguard. Me and Ren will be the navigators. I assume everyone still recalls their speech lessons?"

The shuttle soon landed and Ophelia led the group inside, managing to bypass the security with their identification. "Security here is still regulated by the two worlds but their presence is near to non-existent inside. The deal's already been made. All we need to do is wire the payment, retrieve the parts and head back. We are given a time limit of three days to complete this mission. You'll see why."

Taking a step inside Albion always felt like entering a time machine. The houses were dressed in an old, wild western style and the grounds felt like the coarse desert terrain back at Earth. Being one of the earliest colonies, it was obvious that whoever built it was not intending it to be a residential area. Once inside, Ophelia kept silent, speaking only in small whispers as she kept her face hidden beneath her cap.

"We turn right around this corner--" She whispered as she pointed to one of the intersections, relying solely on her memory of the place. A few people glanced at them which made her a bit nervous. Someone might recognize her. After another hour, they reached a 20th century styled warehouse. The sign said it was closed but the gate leading to the back was left open.

"It's up to you from here on out. Alexander, you take Ren and watch over this small entrance. I'll accompany Klaus inside." Upon entering inside, they were greeted by a rather large man who ushered them in. His shop was filled with farming and mining tools along with parts for mobile workers but, Ophelia was sure there are weapons stocked somewhere.

"I suppose you are the Captain Oliver written in the report?" The man asked Klaus. Ophelia had changed the details of their identity prior to entering Albion. "Okay, the items you asked for are all sorted out: Five blast panels for a large-caliber charged particle cannon, three mobile workers and a cockpit salvaged from a First Generation Transcendent war machine. Oh, and there's another parcel listed under classified. In exchange, you'll provide us with salvaged weapons and parts plus cash. Is that correct?"

Ophelia nudged Klaus lightly to inform him that he was the one being asked. Despite not knocking out a script for the two beforehand, she expects things to go over well enough without much incident. Assuming the boys know what they're doing. Hopefully no one notices anything amiss.

Not quite the reaction that the captain had hoped for. He saw confusion, reluctance, and even outright distaste in the eyes of the men and women before him. Maybe he was being paranoid - though he did know he must have come out of left field, he didn't gauge the bloodthirstiness of these few properly, perhaps.

Or maybe he was still regarded in light of the failed Proud attack. He wouldn't blame them. But, like many of his previous recruits, they would adapt. He didn't thrive in the order and bureaucracy that controlled the Transcendent fleets. War is chaotic. So, Lilas made it a point to practice chaos.

"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." Lilas stated, standing straight, and starting to exit. Before he did so, however, he placed a firm hand on Asworth's shoulder, his head bending to the side to add in a low, almost whispering tone, "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."

And, just like that, the enigmatic man left the room, adjusting the collar on his uniform. "Contact high command. I'm going to need to break a new operation to them before the Tribunal starts." He said, radioing to the bridge.

---

"Renard, be sure to follow immediately. Upon arriving, I'll need you to map out the entire colony structure. See if anything's changed compared to our most recent data which was taken ten years ago. Also, be careful of some areas along the way. Some of the residents like setting jamming devices to avoid being intercepted in their deals. You won't be able to contact us when in those zones so--well, you get the point."

"Got it, ma'am." Amelia said. She gave a signal to the technicians on the hangar floor, and they cleared the nearby radius. As soon as she saw the shuttle leave, her Bing was already hurtling into the void, although this time, she opted for the smaller rifle instead of the cannon. Inside Albion, she'd hardly be able to lug it around.

She turned on the sensors in her Harbinger. She could definitely map out the colony in three days - though, doing it in a military-grade harbinger worried her somewhat. She wasn't sure if thugs and crooks would enjoy the big metallic beast lumbering through their every alley.

Amelia followed the Captain and the others until they had reached the warehouse. Once they went inside, she immediately turned, starting down a dusty, worn-down street. In space, and in the Organum, her Harbinger didn't feel so large, but here - she easily dwarfed many houses, and even a few more industrial buildings. On the cockpit glass ahead of her, she had the two maps listed - the outdated on the left, and the newer, generating one upon the right pane.

It didn't take her more than thirty minutes to reach the first 'dark-zone'. Which, seeing as these jammed areas didn't really have a name, Amelia felt obliged to christen them. She could hear the radio crackle and die, and even onboard systems such as the heat detection couldn't make out some figures she could've before. But - really, the dread or fear she expected to feel wasn't there. Though, it wasn't surprising.

Nobody would dare mess with a Harbinger. No pistol, rifle, or even rocket that any criminal could get ahold of would even scratch the paint. And so, Amelia felt giddy. She felt like the biggest, meanest person on this rock - and in a way, she might've been right. Yet, it didn't take long for this bubbly mindset to leave her in place of boredom. It was only one hour in, and she was already completely bored out of her mind.

Ren was on autopilot from the moment she set foot onto the shuttle until they landed, absentmindedly fidgeting with the buttons on her jacket as she lost herself in thought.

'Three days to make a few phone calls. I can't deal with this not knowing bullshit and in my intrinsic need to not get floated into space I've had no fucking time to do that since the cuffs came off. I volunteered for the landing party because, stupid me, thought I was going to help negotiate the deal and be inside most of the time. But, no, already made the deal, just got to make the trade off... Does no one appreciate haggling anymore? Whatever, I still need to get a hold of Felix first chance I get and see what the word is about-' Ren thought, snapping out of her daze when the Captain said that she and Alexander, Mr. Anonymous himself, would be on guard duty outside while she and Klaus went inside.

Her fists clenched as she reminded herself about how she was just a random bitch now, a dumb one at that if she thought she'd get to play at her old life again. She was getting tired of unlearning things... having to remind herself that she couldn't do this anymore, had to bite her tongue about that, couldn't speak her mind unless she filled out twenty different forms and performed no less than three sexual favors for members of the Admiralty board. She was out of prison, but she wasn't going to be free until she died. The thought prompted her to lightly touch the soft lining on the collar of her jacket, her brother's face flashing in her mind.

She gently shook her head and crossed her arms, trying not to have a complete emotional breakdown on the shuttle.

The colony of Albion hadn't changed since the last time Ren had set foot on its coarse and gravely terrain, though she couldn't decide if this was a good or bad thing. Granted they were still in the port area of the colony and not the commercial district, but she did remember why she rarely hung out outside of said commercial district.

She was surprised to see how well the Captain navigated, speaking up before Ren could about where they needed to go. Admittedly she hadn't been paying as much attention as she probably should have, but she didn't remember the Captain saying anything about having been a former resident. The thought caused her to frown, remembering the dressing down she'd gotten about the gun she was denied.

'Like she had to ask why she'd want one on Albion,' Ren thought, scowling at Ophelia for just a moment but quickly shook off the resentment. She had to remember that Ophelia had commended her, and the order hadn't been her own, but it was hard to overcome how naked she felt right now. Fortunately the parts shop wasn't too awfully far from where they landed, an old junker's paradise that Ren could have spent a few hours in if she had the money and wasn't a slave to the military. That cannon must be older than Ren thought if they had to come here for parts, not that the speculation would get her anywhere. She wasn't even allowed to go in.

Klaus and the Captain walked in to take care of business, leaving Ren alone with Alexander to stand guard, but without looking like military folk.

Ren stuck her hands in her pockets and leaned against the gate, looking out at the horizon.

"You ever been to Albion before?" Ren asked Alexander, trying to make conversation while they waited. If Ophelia had been to Albion before and knew it well enough to navigate, chances are she also knew how to buy shit without other people knowing your business. Chances were that no one was going to storm the warehouse to mug them or anything, leaving the two soldiers with just time to kill.

Not long after the words came out of Ren's mouth, she noticed one of the random people wandering about across the street stop and look at her just a little too long before pressing on, the act making her muscles tense up. She really, really wanted to have a gun right now.

Klaus sat strapped in his chair idly listening to those around him and was just shoving nearly the entire remaining half of his sandwich in his mouth when the captain told him to finish it.
He looked up at her and attempted a smile and a salute. "Yes Ma'am!", he meant to say, but what came out was more akin to a muffled, "Ysssh Mmm..."

Such an potentially embarrassing thing didn't seem to phase him, and he went through checking his weapons and equipment stashed all over his body, ensuring everything was secured and hidden, except his sidearm. Everything was going smoothly, he'd done plenty of drops before, that is until the Captain mention that he would be the voice of the squad.
He nearly choked in surprise. He wasn't used to that sort of thing. Sure, he was quite affable and easily swayed people to his side, but usually such a thing was entrusted to Alexander, while he, the more formidable combatant, took care of the muscle work.
He didn't really have a choice however, so he leaned back in his chair, idly swinging his legs to and fro, a pensive expression stamped across his face.

As they disembarked from the ship and began walking to wherever it was that they were going, Klaus buttoned up the trench coat he typically wore if it wasn't too hot, pulled on a pair of black gloves and wondered at the haphazard manner in which this 'operation' had been put together. They were briefed to only the bare minimum, if that, and weren't entirely prepared for all the eventualities that could occur. He knew that the mental state of the captain was degrading, most of the ship whispered about it, but he didn't want to believe it.
The way this mission had been put together, however, made him begin to doubt this belief.

He shook the thoughts away and focused on the mission, his entire demeanor suddenly changing, as if he were no longer Klaus.

The lieutenant followed along dutifully, nodding to Ren and Alexander as they left them behind and made their way into the shop.
He looked around with a bit of a sneer, taking in every little detail as quickly as he could and making his way to the counter as their host began to speak.
When Captain Ophelia nudged him, he cast a withering glare her way and took a step towards the counter.

Turning back towards Ophelia, he glared once more and said,"Touch me without permission again, Woman, and I shall feed you that hand.", in a deep, heavily accented voice that sounded something like old Russian. Looking back without waiting for a response, he continued. "I am Captain Oliver, Mister...?"

"Jerricho, just Jerricho.", replied the man as he gave an impressed look at Klaus.

"A pleasure.", he responded in a clipped manner, making it clear that pleasure was the furthest thing from the truth.

Jerricho handed Klaus a piece of paper containing all of the information having to do with the deal the brass had worked out with him and his associates. Klaus had an obvious look of displeasure on his face as he pointed something out.

"Unfortunately, my first mate was the one who contacted you, under my orders, and I had no idea the cost would be so great. I refuse to pay such an exorbitant sum to a man that clearly has little use for such an amount."

"I'm afraid it's already set.", replied the significantly larger man, his hand unfastening a strap on a knife sheath at his hip.

Not backing down, Klaus took an angry step forward and slammed one hand onto the counter and the other snapped out a took the man by the collar.
It was obvious Jerricho was taken completely by surprise and his hands went to Klaus' arm, abandoning the knife. The two yelled at each other in another language, suddenly switching from Standard to some other dialect as if it were second nature. The whole thing last several minutes, with Klaus releasing him and continue to speak in a firm, but calm voice and the other man getting worked up as the went back and forth.
A few things were more civil, and some of them definitely threats. Jerricho's hand went to his knife again only for Klaus to quickly unsnap the strap holstering his pistol. They stood, eyes locked for several moments before Jerricho's shoulders slumped a bit and he said something else in the strange dialect before extending his hand.
Klaus took it with a triumphant smile and said, "Glad you could see reason my friend, I bet your fearsome with that blade."

Jerricho nodded, "You have no idea, Captain. And, you can pick up your merchandise tomorrow around noon. Shame about your consort there, though I hope the other is far more capable."

"Oh, she is indeed my friend, if I'm still in port after our business, you and I should have a drink and I'll introduce her personally instead of just sending her in a shuttle."

Turning on his heel, Klaus offered his arm to the captain and they made their way out. As the door closed behind them and Jerricho went back to work, Klaus leaned in towards Ophelia and said, "We have to hurry, I may, or may not have just sold Ms. Kotko to our dear friend, Jerricho..."

"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.

"Touch me without permission again, Woman, and I shall feed you that hand."

"Woman...did he just?!" Ophelia got taken aback in surprise as their cover got blown off in a matter of seconds. Before she could interject though...well, she didn't really know what happened as it all happened too fast. Klaus getting into an argument, weapons pulled among other things. The situation was going from bad to worse as far as she could tell. As she was just about to draw her own firearm, the two men seemed to have finally come to an agreement and left on decent terms. Or so it seemed.

"We have to hurry, I may, or may not have just sold Ms. Kotko to our dear friend, Jerricho..."

"Lieutenant..." Ophelia sighed now that they were outside with no one to hear their conversations. "I thought you did your research." She calmly reprimanded him but aside from that, she didn't make too much of a big deal over it. As they met up with Ren and Alexander, she informed them of some changes in the plans.

"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."

Ophelia led their small group into one of the inns she frequently delivered to as a child. Noticing that the person manning the desk was the same one from years ago, she decided to let Klaus handle transaction again but with a word of warning.

"Do not make references about me or Ren this time. Keep it short and simple." Ophelia sternly advised Klaus, keeping a closer watch on the Lieutenant this time. As much as she tries to stay composed, her anger does flare up from time to time. And it's usually not good.

Once their lodgings were secured, Ophelia checked the place for any peepholes or spots where people may eavesdrop. After having secured the place, she proceeded to explain what has happened.

"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." Ophelia paused to take a look outside the window. The people were still going on their usual routines but some were acting shifty. Like they were looking for somebody. If anything's to be praised in Albion, it's the fact that word gets out fast.

"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 suddenly remembered an additional detail. One that she has skimmed while reading a while back. Turning to Ren, she started to ask.

"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? Anyway--"

She turned to the two boys this time. "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?"

"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."

"Captain, you overstep your bounds." The voice was soft, yet barely restrained. "There are two escort vessels reduced to ruin, and over two hundred casualties from your last brilliant plan, or do you not recall?"

Lilas was standing in his office, under scrutiny from the projections of his three superiors. Their gazes bored into him, unreadable save for the doubt that was harbored within. He harbored no unease. They were the ones that had chosen him, after all. They knew how he operated. But, they got to see it in every minute detail now.

"Previously, higher percentages of loss were acceptable for the results I provided." Lilas retorted.

"And yet, there was no result for your raid."

"There is a result. Albion on a silver platter - subdued for you to do whatever you please. A debt owed by this human fleet towards us, and perhaps whatever information we can gain about or from them during the events that will follow." Lilas stated, "All I need is one ship. A few trained marines. My pilots are skilled, but they are not armed with assault rifles and body armor."

"What you're saying seems to suggest they've already boarded?" The admiral replied.

"Correct." Lilas bluffed. They were still likely on board, preparing to leave. If the Admiralty knew that, however, they might've told him to cancel the whole act. He would need to remember to scrub the ship logs later. "This situation can either go perfectly with your aid, or it can fail catastrophically. The Tribunal will still order our eradication. You will lose this ship, over two thousand men and women, and likely pay reparations towards the human fleet."

There was a pause. He could tell the audio was momentarily muted as one of the other Admirals spoke into a headset.

"You will get your ship, Captain, and your marines. If this charade goes in any other direction, the consequences will be dire.

Now, reroute yourself through our connection, the Trials should easily be able to handle such a task. The Tribunal will need to commence soon, and we might as well make sure your part of this trick is successful."

Then the call was closed, though the captain swore he could hear the first Admiral's incredulity before it did.

Everything was slowly falling into place. He had the marines. His pilots were soon to cause havoc. The Trials was hidden, and equipped to start creating waves of misinformation. Somehow, even with such a convoluted operation, the weakest link of it all might turn out to be his acting personally.

Then again, the humans assume that all Transcendent people are emotionless and robotic, no? Perhaps that might be the best persona to go with during the rapidly approaching Tribunal. Perhaps I'll take a tip or two from Arjuna's demeanor.

"Dibs on Alex. Safer for everyone if Klaus has 'communication errors' as far away from me as possible. Especially if they involve me,"

"Noted. Then--" Having heard Ren's opinion, Ophelia charges Klaus with the mission. "Seems like you'll be accompanying me for a little while longer. Consider this another chance. I just pray that we don't run into any unpredictable encounters along the way."

The colonies, despite being large space stations, do have their own simulated cycles of night and day in order to remind the residents of life on Earth as much as possible. For the most part, it works but people still miss out on watching the sunset. So instead of a sky, the people have a mechanical ceiling to look at.

"I can never get used to this mechanical sky for too long." Ophelia muttered as she looked out the window. Their pursuers seems to have given up the chase in the meantime. Figuring that they should be able to catch a couple of hours rest, she decided to wander around a little bit.

"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."

---

"Come to think of it, I haven't heard anything from the Trials for a while now." Ellis realized while she was making her rounds around the inner walls of the colony. Compared to the residential area outside, the utility corridors are shrouded in an everlasting night, making it more suitable for her infiltration needs.

It had been a couple of days since she had entered Albion. Disturbance was quite abundant in such an old colony so she was well aware that scouting here would entail being cut off from the rest but--she had gotten used to something going on in that ship that it was feeling rather suspicious now that it has gone quiet.

"Something's not right..." Making her way back to her machine, she opened a communications channel to the Trials but the strong disturbance made it difficult to deliver her report. Graham and Lilas...two high-ranking officials aboard and she felt like she can't trust any of them. Making a call to the regular soldiers may just mean that the message is ignored, leaving her with only one option.

"No, there is someone else." From the list of available open channels, she opened one that connects to the CCA-VI. "Report from Arjuna. Irregular movement within the colony detected. It's rather low-profile for now but most of the individuals going around were suspicious. And armed. How are things going on your end?"

She wasn't sure with whom does Athena's loyalties lie with but the mere fact that she was a veteran makes her the safer option among the other soldiers to contact.

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.

Deep within the Trials of Winter, Lilas' plan was fully underway. Two uniformed men sat across from eachother in an enclosed room, surrounded by audio and recording machines of high caliber. They wore heavy-looking headphones, holding two identical slips of paper in hand. The scripts for the subterfuge they were to perform.

"Force One, requesting assistance from Homebase. The raid has failed - we have sustained heavy damage." The first man spoke, his voice sounded akin to crushed rocks, and had a distinctive twang to it. All an act, of course - but hopefully a convincing one. It was much easier for a skilled Transcendent agent to mimic the voices and mannerisms of an inferior human than it was for them to mimic a Transcendent.

"You are not secured, Force One. Run your communications through the required scrubbing before further contact." The second man spoke, playing the part of an operator within Albion. His rank was lower - and he was still new to his role in disinformation, so he maintained a steadier tone of voice more typical of Transcendent beings. After all, Albion was a heaven for traitors of both races.

"We can't do that, Homebase, most of our equipment was damaged. Listen - we're using the code and everything. We're limping over here, and we're being chased by a Transcendent ship. Requesting immediate assistance." The first man retorted, a well-performed bluster creeping into his voice.

To their sides, a stern-looking woman held up a finger, her shoulder adorned with the significant rank of Lieutenant - and was the one in charge of the disinformation department.

"We get all that?" She called, addressing a trio of lower-ranked technicians in the room.

"Every word, Lieutenant."

"Perfect. Broadcast it quickly. We're short on time, here - we need to have the boarding script done before the marines arrive." She ordered, and the two actors slipped their headphones back on as the technicians in the side of the room hurriedly worked on their consoles.

---

By now, the transmissions should have started. The marines would arrive in less than an hour. They'd 'liberate' the ship in another hour. Three to four hours total for the sabotage and information teams to concoct a story about an ill-fated vessel. Three to four hours for those pilots to somehow incite conflict between Albion and the Organum.

Three to four hours he would be spending in this horrible, dreadful tribunal, not knowing the outcome of his fleet's labors. 'Ahead' of him sat six prominent military figures - three were human, and the other three were his superiors. For almost three minutes, the tribunal had consisted of rough coughing and hushed discourse amongst the two groups - as if this were supposed to be a real courtroom without a jury, or even audience to see the proceedings.

One of the human generals cleared his throat.

"Transcendent Captain Lilas Shelby Setoen. You are held in contempt of Article five..."

The man had hardly said a sentence, and Lilas was already missing a direct battlefield as the man began to rattle off numbers and names of legal documentation.

"The crimes are as follows; breach of a wartime ceasefire treaty, invasion of human domestic territory, sabotage of civilian infrastructure, sabotage of military infrastructure. Do you accept or deny these allegations?"

Lilas met the hard general's gaze when he spoke his reply, "I deny these accusations. Neither I nor anyone under my command are responsible for the unfortunate attack upon Humanity."

"I told you. They always prefer the hard way." The left-most general said, her voice so low as to be indistinguishable.

---

---

Amelia was growing tired. It wasn't enough that she had to map an entire colony by herself - but, according to the older woman defiantly staring towards her - she was to pay tolls. Ahead of her was a large gate - a gate she was sure she could easily break through. But, then again, such destructive sorts of behaviors would ensure that the Organum's stay would likely be very brief.

Behind her, Bing was on a knee - she had clambered down from the cockpit to haggle with this woman. Of course - she assumed they were haggling. She couldn't understand a word of the woman's language, and every time she added a bill (from her own pocket, mind you!) the woman seemed dissatisfied.

This has to be because I'm military. Amelia thought. You'd think that people would be kinder to a pilot from the one organization saving them from utter ruin.

The one-sided exchange was abruptly halted when the young pilot heard a beeping from the cockpit. Taking the offered cash and leaving the now-infuriated woman, she scrambled up convenient rungs on Bing's leg and chest, slipping into the head with a semi-practiced ease.

One of the sensors had picked up a larger moving object, apparently. Of course, checking it now meant whatever had momentarily appeared was now likely hidden in one of the numerous dark and darker zones within Albion.

Of course, she hadn't seen a whole lot of ships or even trucks running through this urban-looking area. Perhaps it was the size and shape of the buildings - flying would be nearly impossible through this area. And with the streets as they were, most large haulers could not pass either. Amelia could barely manage at times with a much more nimble Harbinger, after all.

Wouldn't hurt to check it out, though. Chances are, it might be related with local syndicate operation - and she doubted any time spent on information for that would be considered wasted time.

The last time it had appeared, the blip was south to her current location. So, spurring Bing back into life, she began the process of attempting to track it down.

Ophelia was rather early to rise the next morning. Well, she felt that it was morning since the lights outside started to simulate it like how it is on Earth. Recalling her earlier errand, she immediately got dressed to leave, taking in a couple of pills to help with the headaches as she did. Of course, Lt. Kincaid had to accompany her again, leaving Ren and Lt. Hunter alone to their own devices.

"Let's get going. This time, try not to get too carried away with the acting." Ophelia reminded him though no longer as stern and serious as she was earlier.

"Yes ma'am although..." The Lieutenant eyed the inventory she had chosen to take along. "Are you sure about leaving your weapons there?

"Yes. I've still got my handgun so it's not as if I'll be completely unarmed. Besides--" Ophelia's eyes darted to the streets. "Those men have a higher chance of going after Ren than me so, they may need all the leverage they can get. Of course, there is her anger to consider but--well, that's why I've left her with Lt. Hunter."

Prior to leaving the room they stayed in, Ophelia recalled Ren's personal request for a knife. It was obviously for self-defense purposes so Ophelia didn't mind leaving her own knife behind. However, there was that lingering sense of danger that she can't quite determine. In face of this, she didn't feel comfortable leaving her own men defenseless. So she only took her own pistol, leaving behind the rifle she brought with her, along with two spare magazines. The key to release Ren's restraints, she left on Alexander's side table.

"You carry our Big Stick. Those two might need those tools later on. For now, we'll drive up North. Get ready as it's going to be a rather long ride..." Ophelia sighed as she boarded the cargo truck she borrowed.

---

"Navigating this place is starting to lose its novelty..." Ellis silently cursed in her mind as she made her way along the secluded colony walls. She wasn't sure if her message got through, which only makes her all the more agitated. Reviewing the schedule, she realized that she was way behind the tribunal schedule.

"Doesn't matter. This should go over well--if Capt. Setoen is the Transcendent that we think he is. Which means--"

Beep, Beep

A low hum resonated from her machine's sensor. Apparently, it had picked up something. "We've got ourselves a visitor huh?" Ellis muttered as she set maneuvered her machine slightly farther back, taking care not to come too close to any dense areas where interference was strong. She was trying to pinpoint the location of the intruder as she moved silently across the terrain--all possible thanks to the sophistication of the Victoria.

"Alright, let's see who slips up first in this game of cat and mouse."

Amelia had shot through darkzone after darkzone chasing this signal. Every time she got close, after passing through jamming she discovered it to have relocated even further. It was irritating - and worrying. Whoever she was following had to know they were being hunted. If they had a goal or purpose, they wouldn't be doubling back on Amelia's route. If they were unaware, she would have found them by now. But instead they saw fit to play this game - never disappearing - they somehow seemed to avoid every darkzone, but seemingly happy with running circles around the flustered recruit.

She had no doubt that she was chasing a Harbinger, though. She would have heard a ship or other vehicle in the sky, or seen it on the rare occasions she was a mere block away - and anything driving on the ground would not be able to keep a pace like this, especially on these crowded streets. While Albion was powerful, the technology behind the Harbingers was supposed to be solely for the navy's use, if she recalled correctly.

If I can catch this thing, would I get a promotion? It sounds like the sort of thing you'd be promoted for.

Of course - she was entirely occupied with her hunt. She had forgotten to radio the Organum to this new threat - a mistake that would definitely prove costly later on. A mixture of her own arrogance and feeling of invincibility made her turn caution to the wind, and her thoughts were too preoccupied with what would result from her success - rather than a failure.

And - well, she also believed she was the hunter, and they were the prey. It couldn't be further from the truth.

At this point, Amelia had pushed Bing into a run - attempting to catch up to the elusive signal. There was the occasional crackle as the Harbinger's head or shoulder likely clipped a power line, and more than once, the loud, heavy footfalls from her Harbinger would leave a noticeable crack in the concrete below.

I'm getting so close! A few more blocks - just a few more! Amelia urgently thought, urging Bing to an even higher speed - her gaze switching between the radar and the rapidly-approaching environment ahead of her.

It was just a five minute walk from their hotel room to the bar Ren had mentioned. The name of the place was on a crude wooden sign, with 'Felix's' prominently displayed in sloppy red paint. Below the crude sign was another, a small but bright yellow banner that read, 'Stop stealing my neon you fucking animals!'

Ren looked over her shoulder at Alexander with a grin on her face. "Bet you anything that sign gets stolen before we leave," she said, chuckling to herself as she opened the door and waved Alexander inside.

The establishment was like something out of a an old western movie parody, with most of the furniture consisting of wood, and live entertainment playing nervously behind a mesh cage lined stage. It was meant to keep beer bottles from beaning them in the head if the audience didn't like their music, but every table had a bowl of tomatoes sitting suspiciously at their center. A young man was calmly playing guitar at the moment, singing a moving rendition of an Anti-Transcendent ballad Earth used in their recruitment ads. The place was practically empty, a few patrons lining the bar, and one or two at the tables, but even with only the handful of people, two of them were off in the corner, wrestling each other on the ground while one of the waitresses watched with an annoyed expression on her face.

The waitress casually looked to the door as Ren and Alexander walked in, and on seeing Ren, her eyes instantly lit up.

"You salty old bitch! Who the fuck let you through cutsoms?" She said with a laugh, casually stepping over the entangled patrons. A large Transcendent man strolled over to the men just as she left, and ended the brawl by stomping on one of their throats and grabbing the other by the shirt collar.

"Samantha! Didn't recognize you without money sticking out of your skirt," Ren replied, laughing as she drew the waitress into a tight hug. Samantha returned the embrace, but also managed to eye up Alexander in the process. She was a blonde woman who looked to be in her late twenties, her maid outfit about a size too small, resulting in it hugging her features in an assuredly intentional way. Her eyes were a bright green, and one could practically see the mischief brewing in them.

"Who's this handsome little thing you brought along? I know he's not with you," Sam said with a smirk, and Ren snickered before ending the hug and pointing back to her comrade.

"This is Alexander. Never been to Albion before, so I figured we'd get a drink at my favorite bar."

Samantha laughed before motioning them over to a table, pulling the chair out for Alexander. She started to lean over and whisper something to Alexander, but Ren shot her a look and Samantha backed off again.

"Alexander, this is Samantha. Waitress and escort of the illustrious Felix's bar and eatery," She said, casually motioning to Samantha as the waitress winked at him. Ren shook her head but never lost her grin.

"Tell her what you want. Felix can make the best fucking barbecue you've ever tasted, or a fine Duck a l'orange and a Poignée that is aged in the wine cellar out back. Loves to cook, hates being relegated to being a burger flipper because the people here are fucking animals," Ren said, a genuine smile to her face. This was a true taste of home to her, but even as the nostalgia swept through her senses, she could still see two men out of the corner of her eye looking at her and whispering amongst themselves.