Jenner Reese's Story

Epilogues.

Hanzo Guinness was safely in the hands of his criminal gang who had been more than happy to pay Mister Charles and the White Group what they owed. Hanzo on the other hand was too happy with his reversal of fortunes to make much sense.
Mister Charles was happy as well, Ruby had performed admirably and would make an excellent addition to the team. He was slightly concerned about the interest her job would generate in the Confederate army. His concern only grew when he received the report of Alexander’s mission.

Around the same time Mister Charles was learning about Alexander’s Antics Colonel Autumn was doing the same. He was sitting in the office that had once been Fat Nic Escobar’s then Gretch’s and now his. Fat Nic’s Casino had been rebuilt and was now the Confederate nerve centre the gaming tables that had once stood in the place had been replaced by Models and maps of the surrounding areas and towns. Each one, with the exception of Hope, was well detailed thanks to the reports of the Confederate’s sources.

Colonel Autumn was lost in a world of thought and deeply reading a report by a survivor of a caravan ambush. Apparently the Confederate patrol had blundered into an ambush masquerading as a trade caravan. The Attack had apparently been led by a native calling himself the Butcher of the Wastes.

Autumn sighed and dropped the report before looking at the assembled captains before him. They were fighting men, all very good at following plans but poor at coming up with them. They needed Autumn to tell them what to do.

“At this point I see no reason to be worried about this Butcher. I have arrived at this conclusion through method of... Captain Hayes?”

“Deduction Sir?” Captain Hayes offered.

“Correct Captain. What I have deduced is this was not the work of a single man. The survivor, clearly traumatised, is having trouble remembering what he saw. I have no doubt it was a single man who threatened him but I imagine the massacre involved a well organised group. One man taking on an entire patrol? Unlikely.”

Autumn smiled, a gesture designed to inspire confidence.

“Secondly, by leaving a man alive we know this group to be vain. They wanted us to know what they had done, so that we might fear them. The Confederate Army does not fear, in particular we do not fear highwaymen with delusions of grandeur.”

The Captains nodded, happy that Autumn was there to take charge and ease their worried minds. The last thing any of them wanted was terrorist campaign.

“Lastly are any of you aware of who this Butcher of The Wastes is? Apparently our group of miscreants are unaware of the history that name carries around The Flats. Depending on who you speak to he’s either a hero of the weak or a mercenary that murdered fifty three Women and Children to celebrate a victory. Innocent people, not Slaves or Ochil, free Humans murdered by this butcher. Say’s a lot about them that they would choose such a name.”

The Captains stood in silence for a moment before Captain Lewis spoke up, the dead Confederates had been a part of his garrison.

“What will our response be?”

“Of course Captain we can’t let this stand and a strong message must be sent to any who are involved or are thinking about getting involved in this sort of thing. Our response must be swift and decisive.”

Autumn bridged his fingers and returned to his thoughts before standing and gesturing to a map.

“There is a small town, a trading stop really, called Ganhj about five miles south of New Mesa. Your squad is to travel there and select fifty three people. Execute half on the spot, ensure this is witnessed and the reason for the action is made clear. It is a response to the killings committed by the gang calling themselves the Butcher of the Wastes. The rest are to be brought to New Mesa where they too will be executed and displayed as a deterrent. Hopefully this will discourage the Flatlanders from picking up arms in an unwinnable war. The Confederate Army also shows mercy on their opponents even when they do not ask it.”

#

Mister Charles shook with anger as he read the report of Alexander’s actions. His actions had put the entire White Group at risk for the sake of a single Caravan. He waited for the Confederate response which he was sure would be swift.

It was.

Puck told him about the massacre at Ganhj and the reason behind it. Apparently the Confederate troops had really worked the place over before murdering fifty three of the town’s inhabitants as a response to the actions of the Butcher Of Wastes. Half of the bodies were currently hanging around New Mesa, just as Gretch had done when he had been in charge.

Charles collected the report he had received about the massacre and sent it to Alexander. He also included his message alongside the report.

“I do hope you had fun playing the Hero Alexander, However I do feel it doesn’t suit you just ask the fifty three Innocents. Or is it One hundred and six now?”

Charles regretted sending the message but he could not abide recklessness and felt it had to said. For all his combat skill Alexander still had to learn the wider consequences his actions could have especially when facing an enemy like the Confederate Army.

#

Ada as always reported directly to Mister Charles after her mission had been completed, not only had she successfully reproduced the plans but she had completely avoided detection. Charles commended her on her work and watched as the young woman left his office. She didn’t respond to his praise and not for the first time he wondered what Hope did to turn children into such emotionless killers.

#

The next day Charles had the plans Ada copied in his possession and was getting ready for an arduous journey.

“Ready Mister Costner?”

“Ready Mister Charles.”

Charles nodded and threw his pack onto the back of his horse before climbing on. Costner did the same with his own horse.
The two men were setting off from the Workshop and making their way to another meeting. The client had chosen a meeting point deep in The Flats which was becoming more common as the fear of Confederate spies was becoming more real.

Already Charles was seeing more and more signs of the occupation. Confederate Airship were making piracy a top priority as well as increasing their hold on New Mesa and the surrounding lands. It was clear the Confederates thought they were there to stay but what this meant for The Flats remained to be seen. Skycove was an obvious choice to attack as Charles had heard rumblings the Pirates were trying to sort out an Independent Navy although there were voices of dissent that thought it would be wiser to just migrate south and leave the Flats to the Confederates. Hope was something of a mystery as its interactions with the other towns were limited. There was no doubt they had weapons stockpiles but their religious beliefs meant they did not have many soldiers and would be unlikely to attack the Confederates unless directly threatened. Nevertheless Hope would be a place the Confederates would be wise to stay out of. Farpoint would fall quickly as it was a town founded on commerce and the Confederates had the most beads. To Charles it seemed unlikely that the Flats would be able to resist Confederate rule. While there was a willingness there to resist the people of the Flats were too disorganised to present a real threat.

They needed a leader.

The meeting they were travelling to would conclude Ada’s plan copying job. Mister Charles had been approached by a Group claiming to be attempting to put together an Independent Army that could one day dead direct blows to the Confederate Army. Of course Mister Charles had no interest in their fight. The White Group would always exist regardless of which flag the Flat’s where under. However when it became clear the group had substantial financial backing, thanks to Claude Kane who had recently inherited his mother’s fortune. In all the White Group had been heavily involved in starting the Resistance even if they were doing it for beads.

After a few days travelling they eventually arrived at the meet. It was taking place in a cave network to the west, a nice out of the way place where a meeting could take place away from prying eyes.

The two men spent a few hours scoping the place out but could see no signs of life.

Eventually Costner stealthily entered the cave but didn’t find anything amiss. The pair entered the tunnel network and eventually found themselves in the chamber where the meeting was to take place. Charles could feel the hair on his neck bristle, there was something off about the meet but he felt confident with Costner there.

Soon they heard a distinctive clip of heels against rock. Both men turned to face an Ochillian Woman wearing a white shirt and tan trousers.

“Madame Ti’loke?” Charles asked.

“Yes I assume you two are representatives from the Organisation?”

“The White Group? Yes, it’s fine to say the name.”

“Good Then it’s fine to say our name, the Flats Resistance Army.”

“Not an Army quite yet is it?” James asked.

“We’re recruiting.” The woman said a little defensively.

“We have the information as requested and our operative was undetected. In fact she tells me she was feet away from Colonel Autumn himself. Could have ended the whole thing there.”

“Why didn’t she?”

“If you’re good at something never do it for free. The Operative completed her task as instructed. Now to business.”

He opened the bag containing the plans but instead of producing them he pulled out a Revolver and pointed it at the woman.

“Miss Globe, I presume?” Charles asked solemnly as he pointed the weapon at the woman’s head.

“How’d you...”

“Know? The lie was good in fact it almost had me convinced. Until I saw your face. My Operatives told me about their encounters with you and the wounds on your face seemed familiar. The rest was guess work I don’t know any other female Ochillians that would need to resort to this kind of deception to get my attention.”

Miss Globe smiled.

“Very good. I hope you don’t think me a rank amateur but time was against us.”

“Us?”

“Ah it would appear you don’t know everything.”

Charles heard a sudden whoosh pass by his ear. Costner roared a curse of pain and when Charles glanced back he saw the man had a large blade sticking out of his shoulder. Costner quickly wrenched it out but Charles didn’t have time to consider what was happening as he quickly found himself tagged with an similar knife. Immediately he knew it was drugged.

“If it’s any consolation I got your man Alexander in a similar fashion.” Miss Globe explained.

Charles heard Costner hit the floor behind him and knew he was a few short seconds away from unconsciousness himself. He tried to steady his aim but Miss Globe was floating around the sights so he lowered the weapon.

“Bugger it.” He said before raising it and firing off every round he had.

He then collapsed.

#

A slap woke Mister Charles up and he saw himself staring into a horribly scarred face he knew all too well.

“Charlie! Welcome to the party.” Gretch beamed. He was wearing a leather apron that was covered in various knives and cleavers. “Me and your partner here where just getting acquainted, playing us some twenty questions.”

Charles took a second to get his bearings. He still in the cave but was now tied to a wooden chair as was Costner who was about twenty feet away and facing him. Costner had taken a beating to be sure but he was still more or less in one piece.

“I got questions Charlie. A lot of fucking questions and you two fuckers got answers!”

“If he finds the Workshop he will rape and murder everyone he finds in there do you understand?” Charles called out to Costner.
Gretch turned and looked at Costner. “Not even necessarily in that order.” He shrugged.

Gretch stretched and walked into a space roughly half way between the two men.

“Now we’re going to play another game. Twenty Questions is getting fucking boring. What to play though... what to play...” Gretch pondered as he stroked his chin in a theatrical display.

He abruptly clicked his fingers. “Mum’s not here, so why don’t we do something... bad?”

“Could you bloody well get on with it? I don’t have time to indulge your ramblings.” Charles said staring hard at the Madman.

“Alright. See Charlie that’s why I like you. Straight to the point. All Business. We coulda worked together and run these Confederate dickpleasers out of town but you hadda send one of your fuckers after me. So now you gotta die, then that piece of shit assassin you sent is gonna die and finally you know what’s gonna happen? All your little fucking killers are gonna work for me. Wanna know why?”

“As I said, let’s move this along.”

“The War. I’m the resistance, I wasn’t shitting ya. Who else is gonna stand up to these Confederate fucks? Who else can lead men? I took a bunch of fucking know nothing tribals and took New Mesa. I can send these solider boys back to whatever diseased whore spawned ‘em.”

“Eloquent as always.” Charles sighed.

“Here’s the deal, I want to know where the White Group club house is first. You know take care of the past so I can move on. So I’ve come up with a simple game to get me answers. Let’s take a closer fucking look at your friend’s chair.”

Gretch strode over to Costner and booted him in the chest knocking over his chair.

“See all these twigs and straw and wood and shit?” Charles looked at the heap that was tied under Costner’s chair. “That’s kindling! Don’t you worry now Charlie boy. Yours is exactly the same.”

Gretch heaved Costner’s chair back up.

“We’re gonna play us some Eeny Meeny Miney Moe. The loser gets to be barbecue and the winner gets to watch. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Gretch pointed at Charles.

“Eeny Meeny... Wait I don’t want any cheating so before you ask I’ve pulled those fucking false teeth Charlie. You can’t be sucking down no poison to get out of it, the loser is going to feel this shit.”

Gretch pointed at Costner and began his rhyme again.

“Eeny Meeny Miney Moe,
Catch a Tanu by the toe,
If he hollers let him go,
Eeny Meeny Miney Moe.”

He stared at his finger for a long moment before following it to the loser.

“I’m sorry Charlie. To be honest though it was always going to be you.” Gretch shrugged.

“You Fucker!” Costner yelled from across the room.

“Do NOT tell them anything! We WILL be avenged!” Charles shouted at Costner.

“Sure thing Charlie, whatever you say.” Gretch said as he gathered together some flint and crouched down behind Mister Charles.

“Do not let me down. Tell him nothing.” Charles said making eye contact with James.

Gretch theatrically smelled the air.

“I think something’s burning!”

Gretch exploded into gleeful laughter and got to fanning the flames.

“NO you Bastard! You sick fucking bastard!” Costner screamed from his chair.

The kindling quickly erupted and the flame travelled to the leg of Charles’ trousers. The man gritted his teeth and stared at the floor while trying to ignore the pain and Gretch’s frantic waving and dancing. He tried to go somewhere else, to a time when he was happy and undamaged but after a lifetime spent killing people for beads he couldn’t think of a single happy moment.

Like Gretch said he was going to feel the flame.

Costner watched as Mister Charles seemed to ripple behind the heat haze. Blood was running down Charles’ mouth from how tightly he was gritting his teeth but eventually he threw his head back screamed with pain. The scream filled the room and Costner thought it was loudest, longest thing he’d ever heard.

Gretch dropped to his knees with the twisted joy he was getting from the moment.

“Let it out Charlie! Die knowing I killed you!”

Soon Costner couldn’t see Mister Charles through the smoke and flame. All that told him Mister Charles was still there was the screaming but eventually it stopped. Then only the crackling of the fire remained.

Costner dropped his head.

As the fire died Gretch got to his feet and walked to Costner.

“I’m going to leave this here for you to take a right long fucking peep at. Tomorrow morning at dawn you are going to tell me where the White Group call home. What I did to that is nothing compared to what I’ll do to you. I just wanted to kill him. You I want answers from. You’ll be alive for days while I work on you. Fucking days.”

Gretch patted Costner on the cheek before standing and leaving the cave.

#

Eventually the smoke cleared enough for Costner to see what was left of Mister Charles and he felt his resolve waver. Gretch was going to kill him of that there was no doubt what Costner had to decide was if he was going to die keeping his word to Mister Charles or die quickly.

Costner didn’t sleep instead he spent hours just staring at Mister Charles’ immolated body and thinking about his failure. His first time out with Mister Charles and he’d let him died in the worst way it was possible to imagine. Costner closed his eyes and prayed to whatever God he could remember.

He prayed for the chance of revenge.

He was interrupted when he heard shifting rocks behind him and for a second felt fear grab his heart that it was already dawn.

“Psst James?”

Costner tried to turn in his seat but couldn’t see where the voice was coming from, then he felt small hands working at the ropes that held him. Once he was free he quickly stood and turned to face his rescuer.

Grubby faced Puck stood in front of him and wiped his nose.

“Puck how did you get here?”

“Found a hole in the ground.” The child explained simply.

“Why are you here?”

“Didn’t trust the meet. I always watch meets I’m not sure about. I have Mister Charles’ back only he don’t know I do.”

“Puck about Mister Charles...” Costner started as he positioned himself between the boy the horror of Mister Charles’ corpse.

“I know, but we gotta get outta here and tell the others. Ain’t no way we’re gonna take on nobody. No weapons and Gretch got an Army in the next chamber over.”

“An army?”

“Tribals all of ‘em but he sure got a lot. Let’s get out of here.” Puck sounded scared and the courage it must have taken for the boy the rescue him became apparent.

“Ok.”

#

Puck showed Costner the hole in the ground through which he entered the cave and Costner followed him out. On the way they passed along a rock shelf that took them over Gretch’s Army. Costner counted at least fifty tribals and there had to be more on patrols. It wasn’t enough to take on the Confederates but Gretch was building his army.

Eventually the duo found themselves looking at a make shift stable with a lone guard. Costner guessed there were only a few hours left until dawn.

“Don’t worry I know how we can sneak past him.” Puck said but Costner put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“You wait here and don’t come in. I’ll get the horse and bring it out.”
Costner got to his feet and walked to the Stable. Puck waited for about five minutes before Costner returned with a horse and covered in blood.

“James, you’re bleeding!”

“Not my blood kid.”

#

At dawn Gretch was surprised to learn Costner had been able to escape. He had assumed the cave only had one entrance but it was no matter without their leader the White Group would be no more, he’d had his revenge. As for Alexander without Mister Charles’ network to protect him eventually Gretch would track him down.

A thought then occurred to Gretch which sent him to the stable where the stench of death was over powering.

Every horse in the Stable was dead as was the guard. In fact it looked like before he’d left Costner had taken his time killing and mutilating the man. On the wall in blood was a simple message.

“Soon.”

#

“James are you alright?” Jenner Reese asked James Costner after he explained what had happened to Mister Charles.

“It was pretty rough but he took it like man. He was more worried about me breaking than he was about himself. He was one tough old bastard.”

“We have to let the others know. I’ll brief them when I put up this week’s jobs.”

“What do you mean? There’s no White Group, not anymore.”

“I’ve been working with Mister Charles for a few months now I’m sure between us we can keep it running. The operatives all know what they’re doing and I’m sure they’ll be out for revenge, we owe Mister Charles that as well, he took us in. We also need to find information about Mozambique or have you forgotten about that? I’M though running James, we make our stand here. We’ll kill Gretch, Avenge Mister Charles and go back to work.”

Costner nodded and left the office.

Jenner lifted a pen and started to write.

Jobs.

Before the usual posting of Jobs it falls to me to inform you of the death of Mister Charles at the hands of Gretch and Miss Globe. I assure you this action will not go unanswered. I am using all resources at our disposal to track down this man as well as his associates. To this end all operatives are to remain vigilant for any information regarding Gretch, Miss Globe or any Groups claiming to be the Resistance to the Confederate Army as this is the group Gretch is now commanding.
Additionally, according to Mister Costner, Gretch has a particular interest in the White Group therefore Operatives should take precautions while on Jobs.

Lastly while the death of Mister Charles is a tragedy I assure you the White Group will continue to operate. This would have been his will.

The Ringleader.

Jenner Reese.


Leave no Man Behind.

Target- The remains of Mister Charles.

Location- A cave Network to the west, in the Badlands.

Information- The Body of Mister Charles is to be recovered if possible and brought back to the Workshop where it can be interred.

James Costner can offer the precise location of caves, he should be consulted before you set out. The caves are in the middle of the Badlands so expect to encounter feral gangs of Tribals as well as the occasional, hopefully friendly, tribe of Ochillian nomads.
Lastly while we believe Gretch and his army have moved on, you are to collect any information possible about the group. This can be achieved through analysis of physical evidence or interviewing those who may have seen them passing through the area.
Be aware Gretch is a feral tribal and he is considered a legend amongst these groups if you are detected by a gang of roaming psychos odds are Gretch will hear about it.


Zong

Target- Cuervo “Slim” Banner

Location- The Zong.

Information- Unlike on the Flats Slavery is common in the Peaks. All races and genders have the potential to become slaves and once someone is branded a slave that is their station for life. Branding takes place on the cheeks as a method to easily identify slaves.

Slim Banner is a Slaver who is currently operating in the Flats he seems to be specialising in Ochillians, particularly women and children. Apparently they are sought after on The Peaks by the wealthy as they are seen as exotic.

It’s a dirty trade for dirty people. The client is the Ran-du Tribe who are nomadic traders like all Ochil. Apparently five of their group, two women and three children, were captured by Slim and his gang of Slavers.

Pirates are not welcome in most places in the Flats including Skycove, probably because many pirates are escaped Slaves. The Pirates have established a market called The Zong where slaves are traded before being brought north to the Peaks. Apparently Slim and his Slavers are currently there with the kidnapped Ran-du. You are to kill Slim and recover the five Ran-Du if possible. Expect them to be heavily drugged as this is the preferred Method to keep Slaves controllable. The Zong it’s self will be crawling with Slavers so be aware.


Tit for tat for tit for tat...

Target- Captain Melvyn Lewis

Location- New Mesa and the surrounding area.

Information- Captain Lewis led the attack on Ganhj that resulted in the execution of fifty three innocent people in retaliation for the deaths of Confederate Soldiers under his command. Apparently one of the fifty three killed is worth paying for revenge.
You are to locate and assassinate Captain Lewis. The client has specified, and these are the clients own words, “Let the bastard know his death is coming”. I’ll let the operative decide what that statement means.

Security in New Mesa is much tighter after the ambush so it may be easier to engage the Captain while he is on patrol. We have his previous patrol routes and times available in library.

Target Objective:Captain Melvyn Lewis
Location:New Mesa and the Surrounding Area.

The Unfortunate News

Ruby had rested quietly for the past few days, having jarred her ribs from the last mission, she was letting her bruises lessen before she asked for something new to do. It was painful for her to actually have to sit down, but for once her logical mind won out and so she made an effort to get to know her new family while she rested. It didn't take her long to make her rounds around the workshop and Ruby had acquainted herself with Ada, Arachne and Alexander well enough and in all honesty, now felt more than comfortable in the workshop and now around them. Of course each of them had their own way of carrying themselves. Hell, Ruby was in her own way batshit insane in one context or another at times, but she liked them all in their own special ways.

It was when Miss Reese posted the newest jobs that Ruby realised for the first the time the complications, repercussions and dangers of her new career and then realised the prolonged absence that Mr. Charles had been exhibiting. To her shock and dismay it was her newest employer and the man who took a chance on her who had suddenly fallen victim to the notorious Gretch and a woman Ruby honestly knew little about. As she read the small note, Ruby felt her teeth clench. It was an odd emotion for her to display, seeing as she had only known Mr. Charles for a short time; but the fact still remained, Ruby now felt anger and a burning revenge against Gretch and this Globe woman.

Taking a deep breath, Ruby glanced over the current missions, sorting through each of them, trying to find one that would lend her attention to the perfect distraction and add as a venting system for her current emotions. As Ruby read quietly it was the slaying of Captain Melvyn Lewis that made her tick.

"Perfect"

The Unfair Trial of James Earl Squire

Ruby had been travelling with Ochillian traders for two days now. Her time with the tribe had thus far been enjoyable and Ruby reveled in the rare acceptance among the Ochils with full hubris. Learning early from her mother, Ruby knew her best bet at survival in life was to keep an open mind and hold her tongue when it came to prejudice based on your skin and 'breed'.
It helped too that Ruby had spent her early childhood following her father around the surrounding Flats of New Mesa playing with and getting to know young Ochillian children; as a result, she now had friends among many Ochillian wandering tribes and was usually welcomed with open arms.

This particular tribe was resting for the day a few miles out from New Mesa, they had been circling the city for the last two days, as this tribe did often, waiting for outgoing and incoming Flatlanders to trade with. Ruby was, for once, quietly planning her attack on Captain Lewis. For a change she'd decided to make the whole ordeal something special for the Confederate fuckstick who chose to make a point of killing half of a helpless town. Ruby had taken the known knowledge of Lewis' previous patrol routes from the Workshop library and coupled it with the observations of the Ochils she was travelling with at the moment. Captain Lewis was more or less travelling the same routes he always did when he had to leave New Mesa, but by all accounts, since the public slaughter of Ganhj the Fed's higher ups had taken to less frequent movements outside of their major holds and it seemed Lewis', by Ruby's Intel gathering, had no intentions of leaving the safety of New Mesa, so Ruby had to get creative.

Ruby had decided that getting Captain Lewis out of New Mesa was going to have to be by use of bashing his apparently widely known huge pride and ego. When she'd come up to a dead end on how to taunt Captain Lewis out of New Mesa, Ruby decided to take a new approach and parted ways with her Ochillian friends, thanked them for their hospitality and managed to sneak herself into New Mesa during midnight. Weaveing her way in and out of alleyways Ruby had to refrain from strategically placing bombs all around the town and blow it up when she saw for the first time just how much the Confederate's had taken over the place. The sickening oppression that was slathered across the buildings and streets was incorrigible.

Using as much will as possible though, Ruby managed to slip herself in to the old brothel her mother had worked at before she moved away with Ruby's father and Ruby was thankful that for the time being it seemed the Fed's had allowed themselves some form of pleasure and kept, by chance, this brothel open. Ruby was even more lucky to find her mother's best friend Sera Hawthorne was now in charge and the woman, although clearly apprehensive, allowed Ruby to stay the night, also letting Ruby know that she was a wanted, well-known criminal at the moment since her detention at the Ingur Penal Mines Prison. Ruby rested up and prepared herself for the morning and whatever she was going to do next.

Ruby woke late in the morning and it was nearly 12pm by the time she'd made her way towards the town center. As she moved out into the town center from an alleyway she heard for the first time the shouting coming from a makeshift stage towards middle of the square. Ruby made a point to push herself through the crowd that had amassed, pushing herself in and out of little pockets of space until she was front and center wishing she hadn't made her way there.

The stage was medium in size, constructed of a metal frame, and wooden skirting clearly ripped from anywhere they could find as a base. It was made to look deplorable because it's purpose was heinous and unforgivable. Surrounding the base of the stage were the bodies of Ganhj townsfolk brought to New Mesa and executed. The poor people had clearly been sitting there for more than a few days and Ruby found a sickening anger begin to boil within her. The stage was a pedestal of sorts, that much was clear. It was a talking platform but also served a purpose as a podium at which the base was where all who opposed the Confederate Army were to end up if they crossed them. Ruby found the entire imagery of what they were doing was more than offensive and looking up to the top of the stage Ruby caught sight of the man reeling off a grandeur speech.

"How many more times does the Confederacy need to make this point people?"

Ruby cocked an eye brow, who was this audacious fuck?

"We've been more than patient, time and time again. We've provided you with more parlay than we care to admit and even after the warning we've displayed for you... Even after you stand here before me and look at the bodies of the people who defy the better change we seek to bring to the Flats, you still form these resistances".

The man motioned to the limp bodies tied to the base of the stage and Ruby looked around her as the crowd gave saddened frightened looks. Her eyes narrowed and brow furrowed as Ruby saw the uncharacteristic defeat of the New Mesa inhabitants.

"But, the Confederacy is willing to try and resolve these issues we seem to be having and today we are issuing our final warning and an end to our generosity".

The man on stage brought his hand up to the sky and then curled in into a fist until only his index finger was left pointing as he brought it down to motion towards a man who was kneeling, his hands tied behind his back and a hood over his head. The Fed official spouting his nonsense bullshit walked to the man after he finished pointing and pulled the hood off his hostage's face. The captured man was young in appearance, around Ruby's age; his face was smooth, almost flawless and the man had an almost perfectly defined jaw. Hie eyes were brilliant green, even from where Ruby was situated, his eyes could be seen. Whoever he was, he was fairly impressive to behold. He looked beaten, and was dirtied, but otherwise, Ruby had to admit, he was handsome.

"This is James Earl Squire. He is charged with attempted uprising and mutiny against the Confederation and his sentencing is public execution for the use of dissuading further injustice towards the Confederate Army. His death shall serve as the final warning to anyone who thinks of opposing the Confederate Army. Anyone from here on out who conspires against or who is even held under suspicions of Confederate uprising and mutiny will be punished with death".

The man relaying the name of his detainee then proceeded to pull a gun from his holster around his right side, pulling it's safety back and slowly aiming it point blank towards the young man.

"This sentence is to be carried out by me, Captain Melvyn Lewis, serving as the punishing hand of the Confederate Army, delivering justice, righteousness and -"

Captain Melvyn Lewis was cut short when his gun was shot from hand, causing the man to reel back and fall to his arse in shock. Scrambling back to his feet Captain Lewis stood up to find the source of his would-be killer standing just away from the base of the stage now, left in a small clearing as New Mesa residents watched in careful awe as Ruby stood aiming Sapphire directly up towards the captain. She felt the glare of everyone around her and Ruby felt a small smirk cross her own lips as the tension built and suddenly she could feel the attention of not only Lewis and most of New Mesa, but the careful aim of all available Fed's with guns in the immediate vicinity.

"Sorry there, thought i'd better interject... Seemed like Mr. Squire there was being misrepresented."

Captain Lewis was still shocked at the brazen attack on his handgun and it took him a few moments to regather himself before he spoke.

"Who the fuck are you? Do you know what you're doing? I am Captain-"

"I know exactly who the fuck you are Lewis." she said curtly. "you're the coward who massacred half a fucking town".

Captain Lewis looked taken aback. The audacity that Ruby was showing was clearly something he hadn't endured in a long time, if ever at all.

"Detain her." he said simply.

Ruby fired a shot into the shoulder of the soldier who came bursting out of the crowd and grabbed him when he fell to the ground, reeling around so he was now her human shield.

"I think we need to have a little talk". She yelled out.

Ruby forced her finger into the wound of the Fed soldier she was using to promote his willingness as she made their way up the ramp of the makeshift stage so she was on a more level playing field with Lewis.

"What the fuck are you trying? If this is some sort of Confederacy Resistance stunt, you're out of luck. The Confederacy has now inducted a no-tolerance, maximum punishment for any resistance fighters or persons of suspicion. This now includes you."

Ruby scoffed, rolling her eyes, making sure her frame was in constant protection by her hostage.

"Well, I just feel like Mr. Squire here isn't having a fair trial... but that's not why I'm here Captain Lewis. I'm actually here, on this stage for a matter that pertains to you."

Ruby watched as Captain Lewis cocked an eyebrow, feeling the tension of this entire stunt begin to rise to a plateau of no return. So Ruby cleared her throat and mad sure to speak loud enough so the entire town square could hear over the tense silence.

"I'm here to let you know Captain Melvyn Lewis, that I'm going to kill you tonight."

Ruby pushed her finger further into the hole of her hostage causing him to scream and then proceeded to shove him forward into Captain Lewis, causing the two to fall to the stage floor as Ruby made a quick turn towards James Squire, pulling her hunting knife from it's holster and with a quick strike, severing his bindings freeing him.

"You need to follow me!" she shouted as she dived from the stage as a hell-storm of Fed bullets rained down where the two just were.

Ruby jumped from the stage landing the five foot drop into a roll, feeling the jolt force her to clench her teeth tight as she realised her bruised ribs weren't as good as she thought. James Squire landed right next to her, rolling too and the two were in a mad sprint down an alleyway with gun fire following them all the way. Leaving the mass panic and screaming of the New Mesa residents behind them.

"You're fucking crazy! What was that? Who are you?" Jame yelled as they turned corner after corner.

"Your fucking guardian angel" Ruby laughed as she slowed down after the sixth turn and pulled James into the brothel she'd stayed in last night.

Ruby took a moment to breath deep and jumped when the whole of New Mesa suddenly resounded with alarms, something the Confederates seemed to have installed since her last visit. The noise was deafening and only broke when every few seconds a stern, but slightly cracked voice of Captain Melvyn Lewis issuing orders to kill James Squire and the woman helping him on sight. James looked to Ruby and she was surprised to see a stern look across his face, determination and a consistency that saw Ruby grin.

"You're gonna get killed staying here... we'll both get killed".

"We won't be here long enough" she joked.

Ruby moved fast and with James following her she greeted her mothers best friend who gave her a look of scared concern.

"Ruby, New Mesa ain't what it was... The Confederates aren't something to fuck with, and you brought your shit into my business!"

Ruby put a hand on her mother's friend's shoulder.

"Calm down Aunty Sera, me and my buddy here are leaving now. I think i've made my point clear here. I just have one last favour to ask.."

Ruby felt the tension surround New Mesa rise and she and James took the back alleys through the town, it was hard work avoiding public eyes, it seemed every man and his dog was out, Lewis had just issued a reward to residents if they brought Ruby and James into custody. Ruby had to close her eyes and concentrate carefully to drown out the incessant bullshit the confederate alarm was spouting. Sera had promised to keep Ruby's identity secret if the Fed's came to her asking questions for her history with Ruby, and her own secret hatred for the Confederate Army saw Sera, although frightened, it if it meant getting Ruby out alive, lying and risking her own life, as they weaved in and out of the alleys Ruby kept thinking of Sera's last words and hoped that her mother's friend heeded her own warnings,

"Be careful Ruby!" she called.

Ruby pulled James behind her as they reached a stalemate in their movements. She looked him in the eye, he shook his head, knowing what Ruby planned - they were going to have to run through streets now, they could hear the commands of Fed higher ups telling the grunts to start ransacking buildings and explore the alleyways. Ruby moved first with James tailing her tightly, the two tore down the street at an Olympic pace. The wind rushing past her face exhilarated Ruby, and she was more than surprised to find that their mad dash for freedom was less violent than she prepared for. But as the two made their way towards the northern exit of the town Ruby heard James call out to her,

"They're shooting!"

Ruby gritted her teeth, it was taking all her concentration to keep this half-assed plan going, in truth, Ruby was just guessing for the most part how and where to go, coming out of the back alleys near the northern exit was pure luck. Tryiing dodge the bullets was hard enough, but Ruby and James both knew they weren't gonna make it out without covering themselves with return fire. James however couldn't shoot, he was defenseless,

"Give me a gun, I'll help cover!" he shouted.

Ruby turned her head to her side, no fucking way was anyone touching her guns.

"No one touches my babies." she said curtly "Just keep running and concentrate on getting us out of here."

Ruby pulled Sapphire and Emerald from her holsters and began to fire back at the soldiers that made attempts on their lives as they picked up their pace even more. With a yee-haw and FUCK YEAH Ruby couldn't help but smirk as she made spot on hit after hit as the soldiers fell behind them.

It was when James announced they were near the exit that Ruby turned back around and took note of who they were now facing off. It was none other than Captain Melvyn Lewis standing with about twenty men at the entrance of the northern gate. It seemed he'd heard where they were going. James began to shout at her, asking her to stop the suicidal game of chicken but Ruby just cocked her head back laughing as she gripped tight on the revolvers, staring down the Captain. As they neared the gates, Ruby had to think quick, these gates out of New Mesa seemed to be supply gates for the condederacy. Dozens of barrels and supply crates littered the gate's area and Ruby took a gamble something in the barrels might be explosive. Gripping the revolvers sturdily Ruby suddenly found herself ducking her head as another hailstorm of bullets roared by as Ruby fired and an impressive explosion rocked the immediate area, sending Captain Lewis and his men to their feet.

The two broke through the attempted barricade, out into the Flats, their pace never lessening with Ruby shouting behind her,

"Remember Lewis! We have a date tonight!"

Hours had passed since Ruby and James escaped New Mesa and it was only after the two had had time to rest had she realised she'd actually taken a hit to the arm during their escape; the adrenaline rush seemed to have covered up the intense pain her left arm was now fighting. As Night was falling, the two had had to rest at a makeshift camp, having been pushed too hard. But thanks to a passing Ochillian tribe, Ruby had her bullet wound tended to; no where near fixed, she was at least going to survive but was going to have to make do with the stinging wound until she was back at the workshop.

During James' and Ruby's rest period they had learned that Captain Melvyn Lewis had, by the order of Colonel Augustus Autumn, issued a ban on entering and leaving New Mesa until James Squire and the unidentified girl were arrested and brought to justice and also that Captain Lewis was personally now touring the Flats to bring justice down upon them and that was speculated to be more of a order from Colonel Autumn for Lewis' embarrassment of the Confederate Army rather than Lewis taking it upon himself to find them.

Perfect.

Ruby reveled in the memory of the entire day and soaking up the glory of the whole showdown and then reflected on everything. James was still with her, and she'd learned he was the ringleader for a resistance group known as the Black Hornets. People consisting of residents of New Mesa and neighbouring towns. James had rallied people together in defiance of the confederacy but more so when Gretch went missing because James saw it as an opportunity to finally and eventually bring New Mesa and the Flats into something more than just an organised chaos. Ruby had a hard time believing anyone from New Mesa had good intentions, but the more James talked, the more Ruby began to believe him.

But Ruby had to let whatever crusade James was on be his mission, and returned her focus to finishing her current contract. James had asked if he could help Ruby and she reluctantly agreed as the two set about a plan in motion that should attract a fuckstick like Lewis to them.... with James inciting one final piece of wisdom before they went to action,

"Y'know... Publicly embarrassing Lewis like that is enough to put a target on your back by Colonel Autumn already. Killing Lewis will probably ensure Colonel Autumn doing anything he can to finding you and killing you.. and whoever else you're working with"

The Untimely Death of Captain Melvyn Lewis

James Squire returned to their previous camp and propped himself up a faux tent and set about creating a fire as he rested quietly waiting for the time when Captain Melvyn Lewis would 'stumble' upon his camp. Ruby waited patiently about three hundred feet north-west from James, her rifle - long shot- aimed directly towards his camp, her scope carefully trailing around the darkness for any signs of movement.

It was just over thirty minutes when a patrol group of nearly fifteen men came from the darkness and surrounded James. Ruby couldn't help by smirk quietly as Captain Lewis brought himself forward from the darkness, his own arrogance more than what Ruby anticipated. One of the soldiers was aiming a rifle towards James' chest, with Captain Lewis showing a bemused smirk across his own face, he seemed to think he'd won this one.

Ruby moved fast, bang, bang, bang. Three soldiers dropped. Ruby bolted from her position as she reloaded Long shot, hit the ground and aimed again as Lewis' men fired into her previous position. Bang, bang, bang. Three more soldiers down, moving and reloading again, followed by another bang, bang, bang. Ruby did this until Captain Lewis caught on to what was happening and had James in a choke hold with his own handgun at the hostage's temple as he found himself to be the last one left.

"Come out of the darkness you coward, or I finish what I started!"

Ruby made sure there were no more soldiers hiding in the darker perimeters of the camp as she moved into the light, sliding Long shot back over her shoulders and pulling Emerald out aiming it directly upwards towards Captain Lewis.

"It's a bit rich when you call someone a coward Lewis. As I recall you killed an entire town for no reason. That's pretty cowardly. Now me on the other hand.. I'm delivering true justice for the people of the Flats. A justice that requires you pay the penalty." Ruby said sternly.

"Fuck you" he said with a cracked voice, "I'll kill you both!"

"You were going to do something else?" Ruby smirked, pulling the safety on the revolver back, a satisfying click causing Lewis to flinch.

"I'll do it... I'll kill him then you."

"Go ahead" she shrugged, "I barely know him anyway, I only rescued him because it made this whole ordeal more fun"

Captain Lewis's furrowed his brow and grimaced and James' eyes widened in concerned,

"It wasn't my decision! I just had to carry out the orders! I swear... Please... I promise it won't happen again."

Ruby laughed, the coward was a bigger pitiful sack of shit than she'd realised,

"A pitiful excuse for a self-righteous coward."

Lewis grimaced again, his voice cracking again, he now sounded like a little boy, unexpectedly pulling the trigger of his hand gun and firing once into Ruby's already inured arm,

"Who the fuck are you?"

Ruby felt the sting of the bullet as it went clean through her bicep, but her ego and pride were greater than her pain threshold at the moment, and she barely flinched at the wound, instead she clenched her teeth and hoped to god she could hold up this facade just a little longer. Satisfied at his shock and horror of her composure, even after being shot at point blank range, Ruby cocked an eyebrow, flipping her head backwards flipping her bob from her face and then directly staring Lewis down, Ruby spoke with curled lips,

"Ruby Doom".

BANG.

Captain Lewis dropped to the ground, a single bullet through the middle of his eyes. Quietly Ruby removed a napkin from her person, pressed it to her lips, leaving a bright red lipstick mark and placed it in the pocket of the now deceased Captain Melvyn Lewis.

"Thank you for you help James Squire."

Ruby turned and drifted into the darkness, clutching her left arm tightly where the two bullet wounds stung deep. As she moved further into darkness she could hear the call of James behind her,

"I'll see you again Ruby Doom."

Ruby smirked.

Returning to the Workshop, Ruby brought in the identity badge of Captain Melvyn Lewis and gently placed it on the desk of the late Mr. Charles, tucking a small dossier underneath with her hastily scrawled rundown of the mission, detailing what had happened finishing it with the last words underlined the fucker's dead Miss Reese.

Night before the mission.
Alexander got the note from Mister Charles days after his death. Alexander was afraid to open it in a way. But, he knew what it said. He'd heard about the deaths and why it was done. Alexander's brother had even sent him a letter asking, "What the fuck did you do little brother?" Alexander decided to tap into his stash of liquor. He pulled out the best bottle of brandy he had and downed the whole thing in about ten seconds flat. About five minutes later Alexander was drunk, but not that drunk. Alexander had always had a problem with drinking. It had never been full on Alcoholism, but after he was captured by Miss Globe he was starting to drink more to keep his memory suppressed. Evidently, the drug she had given him never really wears off even when you get clean. But, drinking seemed to help a little. It blurred the children's faces when he closed his eyes at least.

Alexander finally maned up and opened the letter. He read it halfheartedly already knowing what it said. The end bit was a bit cold on Charles's part, but the man was dead now so it didn't really matter. He laughed a bit about Charles's count. It was a tad low. Alexander understood war and how to win it. You don't win wars by attacking armies at least not at first. You have to take out infrastructure and possible reinforcements. Alexander must have ordered his armies to sack 20 towns, maybe more. Every single innocent, man, women, and child's blood is on Alexander's hands if they died in that war. Alexander's side was heavily outnumbered. If he had just left it his army would have been defeated easily. But, Alexander really liked to win. So if winning meant slaughtering a village of miners that were supplying the enemy with food not because they wanted to, but because they had to Alexander was down for that. And honestly he still was. He didn't like winning any less. And the power you feel when leading men and women is more addicting then any drug in existence. Alexander smiled at the thought of it. Then he broke down and cried a drunk's cry. It was probably heard through out all of White Group's base. He didn't know why he was crying really. Maybe, it was the realization that he really didn't give a shit about killing the 53 people after seeing their deaths over and over again it just wore down how much he cared. He used to be able to name every single child he had killed. Now all he had were faces, they were clear and excruciating to look at which was why he drank, but it wouldn't be long before he didn't even care about their faces anymore. Or maybe it was because he gave even less of a shit about the thousands that he had indirectly killed. But, more than likely it was because he was out of all the good liquor.

The mission.

Alexander didn't even look at the mission that was assigned to him. until he was almost a mile away from the HQ. Stupid decision on Alexander's part. He had walked a mile in the wrong direction. "Fuck me." Alexander mumbled as he turned around. On his second pass of the base he saw the new girl return. She was pretty battered up, but that was more than normal. He kept on walking until he came across a caravan. They were selling some food and Alexander was hungry so he grabbed a bite. Then Alexander saw the cook. It was a Ochillan boy no older than ten. That was when Alexander had a really stupid idea. "Hey kid." Alexander gestured to the boy to come over to him. "Do you wanna make some really good money. And get back at a slaver that has been taking your people?" Alexander asked. The boy thought for a second then nodded. "Lets go then." Alexander gestured to the boy to move. "How much is a lot?" The boy asked. "You ever had a bag full of beads before?" Alexander asked. "No, I never really had any. My tribe made me an outcast after I accidentally killed my brother. So I mostly work for food now." The boy explained. "Lets just say this. You'll have more money then most people will ever see in their life." Alexander grinned. Alexander covered the boy up to hide his ochillan features. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to use the boy yet.

When they got to the slave trading post Alexander started to ask around. He found that Slim was a rapist which was honestly an assumption. But, there was a surprise. Evidently Slim had his own personal collection of little boys and girls that were his "Servants" And he would pay top dollar for them too. Alexander walked up to where he found Slims quarters to be. It was guarded by two men that looked very overworked. Which implied that the entire base was understaffed. "I have a proposition for Mr. Banner." He said whilst pulling off the little boy's hood. The men opened the door without a word and closed it without question. He walked into Slim's room without knocking. Big mistake. What he saw was indescribable. There were little boys and girls in chains. And what he was doing to one of the boys was just indescribable. Alexanders original plan went out the window. He was going to sell the child who would have a knife on him. When the Man came to do "Things" to the boy he was to stab him to death as Alexander rescued the people that he was to rescue. But, that went out the window. Alexander just drew his sword and cut the man's head from his torso spraying blood all over the child that he was sodomizing. He then cut all the children loose. Now he was stuck. He found them clothing and they gladly wore it and he even managed to bath the one boy covered in blood. But, there was no way to get the children out. Unless he walked them out in chains. Alexander went to each child and explained what he was doing. He then chained each of them up in a line. With the little Boy he had brought with him at the front. He then rummaged through. Slims desk and found the papers that proved ownership of each of the children and the five he was to rescue. He then walked out the door first. Without the children. He looked at the two guards and just frowned. "You two are just just as sick as Slim letting that happen. Alexander then Stabbed one with a knife and dragged the other through the door and just beat him to death. He then dragged both into the room where slim was and just dropped them. He then left dragging the children along as if he were their owner. He came to the cages and Showed the guards there the papers proving he owned all the children and the five extra people still imprisoned. He looked around and did that math. He finally came to the conclusion that he wouldn't be able to break all the prisoners out. "Sir, it's not usual to have any slaves bought at a place like this. Most of these slaves are already sold to bigger markets up in the Peaks. But, these papers are authentic. How much did you give Mr. Banner for these slaves?" The man asked. "I gave him a slice from my fortune." Alexander said. The man fetched the slaves he had asked for and even tied them on for Alexander. Alexander walked with them still tied up for about an hour. Then he untied them all. Then sent the group he rescued on their way. "So what the fuck am I going to do with you kids?" Alexander asked them. "They all looked afraid. He asked them a few questions and found that most of them came from Ochillan groups that had been destroyed by slavers. "Do any of you have intact homes?" Alexander asked. Only one raised his hand. It was the little boy that Alexander had brought with him. Alexander tossed the boy his bag of beads. it was about 500 beads. Enough to buy a house. Alexander sighed and brought the children back to his house. He hadn't been there in Almost 2 years. It was falling apart. He set the children to work on his house just to give them something to do. He put the boy in charge. He had no name so Alexander named him Balder. The other Children had Ochillan names that he would learn in time. He then went to the Base. And for the first time actually met with the new leader of White Group. He explained what happened leaving out all the rescued children bit. He figured she already knew though. She seemed sharp enough. And if she was even half as good as Mister Charles she knew just about everything.

Epilogues

James Squire shot a lackadaisical wave at Ruby Doom as she rode into the distance before sighing heavily. He shrugged his shoulders and quickly made his way back to a Black Hornet safe house in New Mesa.

He waited for a few hours before he finally got word from the rest of the group. It was a letter delivered via street urchin.

“Squire. It would appear you’ve made good on your audacious escape. Congratulations. Unfortunately New Mesa is way too hot for you at the moment. Instead you are to travel to sky cove and parlay with the pirates. Word is they are trying to form a navy to confront the Confederates. Also there is talk of a resistance army to the west they too would be able allies. Good luck with your quest.”

Squire folded the note and burned it.

#

Jenner Reese nodded her head. She couldn’t fault how Ruby had conducted the operation. Melvyn Lewis was dead and his last hours were spent with the knowledge of his impending death. A good job, it almost didn’t enter her mind that the confederate reprisals had already begun and a group called the Black Hornets were bearing the brunt.

She prepared the beads and had them sent to Ruby.

#

James Costner cricked his neck and quickly drew his revolver, two seconds later and the target at the end of the range was full of holes. Smoke hung in the air and James could feel himself slipping again.

Then he was back in the cave with Gretch and Mister Charles. He could hear the screaming again, the screaming that kept him awake at night. Gretch dancing around the twisted beacon that Mister Charles had become. He raised another revolver and emptied that one into Gretch watching as the sadist collapsed into a heap.

“Good little Revolver ain’t she?”

Then Costner was tore from the flashback and was back in the workshop. Gretch hadn’t died in the cave, Mister Charles was dead and it was still James’ fault. He was in the workshop range looking at the target he’d just shot down range.

“I said good Revolver yeah?” Costner turned to see Kincaid, the plump armourer. “Lot of smoke though, looks like you got some in your eye there.” He continued.

Costner raised a hand to his cheek and felt it was wet with tears.

“Yeah good gun just need to work on the Ammo.” Costner agreed.

Kincaid then launched in an explanation about how New World powder was far inferior to the Old World Stuff he was occasionally able to get his hands on. To the extent that any old world powder he found was used exclusively for sniper rifles as that’s where
precision counted.

James just nodded and listened to the screaming in his head.

#

“Slim! Slim! What the fuck are you doing?”

Rufus Cloud was looking for Slim Banner one of the traders at the Zong, Rufus had a buyer that was interested in what Slim was selling. He opened the door to Slim’s holding cell.

“Slim where the...” He didn’t finish the sentence because he lost his lunch at the sight of a decapitated Slim. He wiped his mouth before turning to the buyer.

“Just hold you horses.”

Rufus walked into the room and after he had gotten over the shock of the headless Slim he noticed all his stock was gone.

“Fuckin’ do gooders.” He muttered before going outside.

Truth was the guy outside gave him the creeps, all the buyers who wanted Ochillians gave him the creeps but when you trade in human misery you’re going to meet some weirdos.

He took a deep breath before returning to the buyer.

“Slim’s dead. Don’t worry though I know another guy.”

The buyer just nodded slowly. He was well dressed with platinum blonde hair and porcelain white skin. Rufus thought women would find him attractive if it wasn’t for the way he carried himself. You always can tell the wrong ones Rufus thought as he led the buyer away.

“Yeah happens sometimes out here on the flats they ain’t used to slavery as a legitimate trade enterprise...” Rufus stopped when he realised he was talking to himself. He turned and saw the buyer was looking at Slim with a big smile on his face.

Abruptly he turned and saw Rufus was looking at him. The buyer let out a little giggle following Rufus back to the horses.

Always can tell the wrong ones Rufus thought.

#

“Miss Globe is dead.”

“Who?”

“The little Ochillian.”

“Ha! Fucking idiot.”

“Her whole team got taken out too.”

“Whaddaya want me to do about it?”

“Uh... nothing just thought you’d like to know.”

“What I’d like to know is if those fucking weapons have arrived yet?”

“The pirates seem interested but they’re worried about joining with us, say we’re too unpredictable.”

“Too unpredic.. fucking mutts. Of course we’re unpredictable.”

Gretch was laying in the sand on top of a small dune. He liked to his thinking like this looking at the sun after, all it was the biggest fire there was. He had already guessed Miss Globe was dead which slightly annoyed him. When she told him her plan to ambush the White Group when they came to recover the body of Mister Charles he hadn’t tried to dissuade her, that wasn’t his style, but it did annoy him she was being foolish.

The White Group wouldn’t risk it if there were too many which meant she’d need a small group. The White Group would be on guard for an ambush and the quality of combatants she had would not match a trained White Group Assassin. No it was better to wait Gretch knew this and now Miss Globe did as well.

He knew he would get his vengeance, but the violence was over. His complete victory would come when the White Group took orders from him. That’s why he was building his army and making alliances. His resistance army would be the only game in town, they’d have no choice but to join.

The unpredictable remark had annoyed Gretch. So he sat up to begin pontificating.

“See that’s what people don’t get, when the chips are down, when everything is fucked who do they come to? Me that’s who. New Mesa was a paradise when I was in charge, now? It’s a shithole. See people think they want predictable, know what predictable is? Being a fucking coward. Now they need unpredictable. Now they realise their little lap dogs ain’t enough, they need a Hyena, a jackal and fucking wardog. They need me.”

#

Lieutenant Brutus Lynch was splayed in his chair at the Confederate Army outpost between New Mesa and Farpoint when one of his men poked his head into his tent.

“Lieutenant we got some woman approaching from the north.”

“Woman? She alone?”

“Yes Sir looks armed though.”

Lynch stood and walked out of the tent. He grabbed the spy glass from the table his soliders were playing cards on and spied the woman in the distance.

He could only make out what she was wearing, a white robe and hood while carrying what looked like a shotgun on her back and gun on her hip. Lynch shrugged. The woman was walking straight for them and didn’t seem deterred by their presence like most travelers.

Soon the woman was upon them and soldiers stepped forward.

“Ok that’s far enough. Where you going sweetheart?” Lynch said as he approached the slight woman.
“Here.”

“Oh how nice of you to come visit.”

“Your men should lower their weapons.” The woman said matter-of-factly.

“Really? I’m sorry sweetheart but until we know you ain’t a threat they gotta keep them raised. Now why don’t you slip off that robe so we can all get a look at ya.”

“That will not be necessary. I’m carrying a shotgun, revolver and a hunting knife. I’m well versed in the use of all three.”

“You’re not catching my drift here, lose the clothes.”

The woman frowned as if something had suddenly occurred to her.

“I see. It’s unfortunate it had to come to this.” She removed her gun belt and shotgun before continuing. “My hand is more powerful than all your weapons. The reason for this is I have faith in my savior.”
Lynch laughed but the woman was starting the freak him out.

“I ask you all to remember I am not here to harm you so please do not react out of fear. I just want you to remember my savior can reach out and touch anyone on anything at any time.”

She extended her arm and pointed at a canteen sitting on the table where the men had been playing cards. After a brief second it exploded. She then kept her hand pointed at the table. The table bucked as its legs flew off.
Lynch stood in amazement for a second before his sense returned to him.

“Long Shooters. Where?”

“They have this camp covered. Now you are aware of their existence I strongly suggest you lower your weapons.” The woman explained.

Lynch gave the signal for his men to lower their weapons but most were too transfixed on the woman or table to see.

“Let the hang men.”

They slowly lowered their weapons.

“I have travelled only to deliver a message. I am a representative from Hope. We understand you are new to the region and seek conquest. We have no interest in this, The Flats is a lost cause and Hope stands alone as a beacon in the sinful darkness. We would like to make it clear that we will not stand in your way however, if attacked, the entire resources of the town will go into destroying your army. This is not an idle threat ask the flatlanders about Hope and you will know.”

She pulled off her glove and displayed a tattoo.

“This is the guardian’s mark. You are to allow free passage to any one bearing it on else it will taken as an act of war by my people. Do you understand these terms?”

“Yes.” Lynch said.

The woman retrieved her weapons and started to back away.

“Good you are to bring the message to your Colonel Autumn who will then send one messenger to the walls of Hope with your response. Wait one hour before moving from this place and make no attempt to follow me. We are watching you.”

“Wait I don’t have the authority I’m just a reg...” Lynch stammered.

The woman continued backing away before she turned her back on the troops she offered them one last piece of advice.

“I cannot impress enough on you the importance of this message. Hope is small but I guarantee you we are most deadly group on the Flats. Bar None.”

#

The White Group had assembled for the burial of Mister Charles. Costner noticed Ada slipping away and noted it. He knew she was an Ex Guardian, a rarity on the Flats and knew they could funny about the deaths of their own.

No words were said as they lowered his body into the grave. Kincaid sang a lament and then it was over. The plain headstone identified the dead as Charles Noone, None of them knew his real name. They left the plainly marked grave and made their way back to the Workshop.

Mister Charles was dead and buried.

Yet the White Group still had work to do.

Jobs.

Prizefighter.

Target- O’rak Tbilisi

Location- Walker Gaming Airship Paradiso.

Information- It seems Dylan Walker, who we have done work for in the past, has noticed another gap in the market and created the Walker Gaming Airship. While Gambling is prohibited in the Peaks it is still enjoyed by most men of the Confederate army. As is gaming of any sort. While the enlisted men have the town of New Mesa to indulge their various vices the officer class found themselves at a lose end so Mr Walker had the Gaming Airship built.

It’s called the Paradiso and features all you would expect from a floating gentleman’s club. None of this is of interest to us though. The Paradiso has quickly established its self as the pinnacle of prize fighting. While there was a league of sorts in operation on the Flats the Confederate army however brought much stricter rules and their own fighters.

One of these fighters, called O’rak Tbilisi, is currently undefeated and therefore is the champion of the Flats. His continued success is starting to grate on the Flatlanders. Who wish break his winning streak and return some of unpredictability to the games. This is why a cabal has approached us.

Your mission is to defeat O’rak Tbilisi in a prize fighter match. The rules are quite simple. Anyone can enter a prize fighter match but to qualify for a championship shot you must win at least three matches in a row. Your fourth match will then be for the championship. As stated anyone can enter so it’s impossible to say who the first three fights will be against but the last fight will be against Tbilisi. Tbilisi will have an advantage as the championship fight will be his first and only of the evening so try not to wear yourself out in the first three.

The fights themselves are pretty simple, they take place inside a cage in the middle of a large room normally filled with drunken soldiers. Weapons of any kind are disallowed apart from that there are no rules. Fights end either through submission, death or knock out.

As for Tbilisi he’s a Tanu which means he’s a big man and very suited to this kind of combat, what separates him from his peers is his speed which for a Tanu is quite nimble, compared to humans or Ochil though he’s quite lumbering. His punches will land like bombs so its recommended agility is used.

Of course we’re the white group so there’s no point if fighting completely fair. Tbilisi has been known enjoy a meal before a fight if something was to get slipped into his food before the fight he may be easier to beat. Just a suggestion.

The Cabal have made it clear this is to be his last fight that means you either need to kill him or ensure he cannot compete again.

The Quiet Man

Target- Roland Grey

Location- Confederate Army Interrogation Complex New Mesa, it used to be a hotel but that’s what they’re calling it now.

Information- Roland Grey is an investigator for the Confederate Army. He is highly intelligent, cultured and well dressed. He is easily identified by his pale skin and blonde hair. He doesn’t speak often as it is said he suffers from a stutter. He has never been one to be very interested in what other people think as evidence by his bisexual nature, something frowned on by the Confederation.

It is believed he visited Cuervo “Slim” Banner a few hours after he was assassinated which tells you something about the man.
Grey has recently been conducting interrogations of suspected members of the Black Hornets, a resistance group in New Mesa. Apparently his methods are too effective as members of the resistance are breaking too quickly and he is find out too much before the Hornets have a chance to change their operation. They have requested Grey is no longer able to perform his duties.
He works out of an Old Hotel in New Mesa that is doubling as a holding area for suspected resistance members. He also lives somewhere in the confederate grounds but where is a mystery.

The Meet

Target- Chop Chop

Location- The Badlands

Information- Chop Chop is a Feral Tribal that seems to conducting negotiations on behalf of Gretch’s resistance army. Unfortunately it seems he is gaining some traction. We know that Mr Chop is meeting with a representative of the Black Hornets called James Squire. I do not want this meeting to occur. Chop Chop is to be killed before he can speak to Squire this will prevent Gretch getting access to the Black Hornets and thus establishing a foot hold in New Mesa.
We know Chop Chop is skilled with a blade and, for a feral tribal, is quite intelligent. Expect him to be travelling with support but it is up to you how the actual hit goes down.
Finding the meeting will be the difficult part. Puck has been trying to find out but it’s not looking good. Both Squire and Chop Chop are being very careful. Squire is not considered a threat at this time and should not be engaged if possible but if it is necessary so be it.

Target Objective:Roland Grey
Target Location:New Mesa

The Burial of Mr. Charles and Ruby's reprise

Ruby had been in bed down in her bunker in the Workshop for two days now. The funeral of Mr. Charles had had more of an impact on her than she could ever have anticipated. It wasn't until she watched Costner shoveling dirt onto the deceased White Group leader that Ruby truly understood just what this organisation now meant to her. Mr. Charles, Puck, Miss Reese, Costner... Everyone! They were now the closest people Ruby had to a family. Having only known them for short while meant nothing to Ruby in terms of trying to maintain emotional stability... Fuck it really, Ruby was a woman of the heart at her most basic sense anyway, it only made sense that once she became comfortable here that everyone would take some place in Ruby's emotions. She never was one for consistent sensibility.

So on the third day of moping Ruby gritted her teeth and jumped out of bed. The White Group meant more to her now than anything had since her father's disappearance and her mother's death. It wasn't fair on anyone here if Ruby let the team pick up her slack. Getting dressed, holstering her guns, Ruby made her way to the missions board. She had to make up for her two day moping period and get back into the game without any questions. Not even looking, Ruby grabbed the first dossier off the board her hands fell upon and she read through the mission.

New Mesa again. Ruby considered the place one of her true homes out on the Flats, and she was always more than ready to help Liberate them any chance she could get. Roland Grey had no idea what sort of shit storm was coming his way.

The Oppression of New Mesa

Ruby been travelling with an Ochillian tribe that passing by New Mesa; the same tribe that had sheltered her and James Squire when she broke him out from under Captain Lewis. Welcomed as usual, Ruby had been told that she was now one of the most wanted suspects within New Mesa at the moment. Apparently she was thought to be a ring-leader with James Squire. Ruby had to laugh, the prospect of her being able to lead anything but a bullet through someone's eye socket was humorous to her... But she felt a sense of pride that the Confederate Army felt she was more than a handful.

It was just past midnight Ruby bid farewell her Ochillian friends and made her way into New Mesa through the sewers. The Ochils had warned her of the increased guard patrols outside of New Mesa. Apparently there were now checkpoints visitors had to go through to get in; hard rules and thorough body searches. No one but Confederate officials were allowed to carry weapons in New Mesa. Apparently the Feds had every entrance and exit into New Mesa blocked off and guarded twenty four seven too. Ruby had to laugh at that as well. For all their efforts and interrogations, it was something of a light in the distance for her that at least the New Mesa residents still had the guts to omit the fact the old world sewer systems under New Mesa were still functional, well at least one entrance/exit was.

Ruby knew not to take this for granted though. It was only a matter of time before someone let it slip you could use these tunnels, and as she wound her way through the small maze it was apparent the Black Hornets were using them too. Small painted pictures the colour of black and gold here painted on the corners of walls at intersections of the sewers. Ruby guessed the resistance must use the sewers to move about during curfews or when the Fed's were particularly strict some days. Or perhaps it was just some kids trying to boost their morale by painting symbols wherever they could - a silent fuck you to the Confederacy.

Ruby maneuvered herself eventually to an alleyway just off the town square. And much like the last time she was here, had to refrain herself from just going into the town square guns blazing when she saw how much worse conditions in New Mesa had gotten in a few short weeks.

There were now flood lights that lit up the town square of a night. Huge banners hung from buildings, or signs were posted up where most visible that slathered Fed propaganda at every opportunity. The Confederacy Liberates you, The Flatlands aren't safe unless you're with the Confederacy, Believe in us and we'll help you!, just to name a few. Ruby felt sick and infuriated at their egotistical rampage. Nothing about the Confederacy for her was anything more than sick oppression, racism and idealism of the worst kind. Sure she thought the Flats could use some sort of structure... But it was a place of freedom and choices, not to be reigned in and capitalized. The Confederacy saw the Flats as nothing more than less, and that made Ruby nothing more than murderous when it came to them.

Slinking through the alleyway, Ruby had to pause for a moment as she saw just how large a statement the Fed's were making now at the bottom of the makeshift stage. Bodies littered the bottom of the stage and piled up to the side with more signs plastered around them, Without trust and Unity, we all fall to our sins. Let these traitors remind you of the past you should forget and the future you can embrace! What was this bullshit? Traitors? Sinners? They were fucking people who stood up for the right to be free. Ruby removed herself properly this time. Moving through the streets to make her way to Sarah Hawthorne's brothel, hoping her mother's best friend would still have the heart and courage to help her.

The Last Straw for Ruby Doom

It took Ruby the rest of the night to cross the town to Sarah's brothel. The Fed's were patrolling the streets intermittently with groups of six or more. No rhyme or reason to where they went or how long in between patrols, Ruby had spent much of the night hiding in and out of dark places; it was tedious and mind-blowingly frustrating for Ruby. But she was reasonable this time entering New Mesa. She knew if she was caught it was an instant bullet to the head.

Arriving at Sarah's brothel, actually called The Charmant Madame Ruby let herself in quietly and was in shock at the sight she saw when the doors closed and her eyes adjusted to the unusual dark inside. The whole place was filthy now. Chairs were scattered, tables pushed against walls. The staircase that led upstairs was broken in places and the red rug that trailed down to the ground floor was stained dark, with blood. Ruby was at a loss at to figure out what happened, it made no sense?

Suddenly out of the dark Ruby heard movement just a ways off, down the ground hallway and in a room at the end. Ruby cocked an eyebrow and unholstered Sapphire and Emerald, aiming them carefully into the dark as she moved down the hall. Silently she moved forward, more noise escaping from the room as Ruby heard muffled talking. Whatever had happened to the brothel, someone was still here, possibly waiting for Ruby specifically. It wasn't a secret after all to anyone around New Mesa that she knew Sarah Hawthorne, and after her last stunt, perhaps the Feds had found out she'd harbored Ruby and James. Something that suddenly made Ruby sick to think about.

Ruby approached the end door of the hallway, gently kicking it open, aiming carefully into the open crack as the door swung gently. suddenly a loud bang echoed and Ruby barely had time to duck as a shotgun fired just above her head. The doorway splintered and Ruby felt a jolt of energy surge through her.

"Holy Hell!" Ruby cursed as she pinned herself to the wall.

"Back the fuck off! I don't care if you are a Fed, We'll die before you take any of us!"

Ruby sighed in relief, it was just some scared whore of Sarah's,

"Calm down, calm down!" she cooed as Ruby entered with her guns held above her head,

"I'm not here to kill you. I just want to see Sarah Hawthorne, you can tell her Ruby Gowen is here."

"Ruby Gowen? Ruby Doom! Madame Hawthorne said you'd come! Oh god, you have to help us!"

Ruby suddenly had to stay her ground as the woman who had nearly taken her head of charged at her, hugging her tightly, dropping the shot gun with a loud thud.

"Oh god Miss Doom! It's been horrible since they took Madame Hawthorne! They completely destroyed the business when they found out about her... But just before they came in she told me to wait for you! Said you'd help her and the rest of them! Oh god, I hope you're not too late... They might have killed her already!"

Ruby had to push the girl off of her as she rambled, holstering her own guns, Ruby held her hands up to sush the woman as she surveyed the room quickly. About fourteen other girls were cowering in a corner, keeping their eyes trained on Ruby as she pulled a chair up and sat down.

"Now, you need to calm down and go a bit slower. What happened to Sarah? Who took her? Why did they take her? What actually happened here? and who else am I helping?"

The woman sighed heavily, looking to the group of girls behind her and took a deep breath before she began to talk. Ruby glanced over her a little better and could see her clothed in a satin, cobalt blue colour corset and matching dress, stained with blood. The young woman had shiny, albeit currently messy chestnut hair and blue, tired looking eyes.

"The Confederacy Miss Doom. They took Madame Hawthorne, on account of her involvement with the Black Hornets, well, at least they think she is... I mean... well, she is.. But they ain't sure!"

Ruby gritted her teeth, not liking where this was going.

"Wait, slow down... I can't keep up.. Who are you anyway?" Ruby asked trying to keep up.

"Sorry Miss Doom! My name is Daisy, Madame Hawthorne's assistant. After your last visit to New Mesa Miss Doom... After you saved James Squire, Madame Hawthorne was scared to death of what might happen to us and her business. She closed us down for nearly a week, but when Colonel Augustus Autumn visited us and told Madame Hawthorne if she didn't start raising the morale of the Confederacy again, that she and all of us girls would have to be questioned as to why we ain't supportin' the uh, the.. what did he say?" the woman asked looking over to the group of girls.

"The education and civilization of the Flatlands" one of the girls in the corner finished.

"That's right! If we ain't supportin' of the Education and civiliz...civilize.."

"Just go on.." Ruby said curtly,

"Yes well... He just said we'd have to be looked into closer...That is could be considered we were traitors to the Confederacy and that she knew what that would mean... That's when Madame Hawthorne did something I'd never seen her do before Miss Doom! She stood right up and looked the Colonel right in the eye and said, What if we don't support it? Well! I tell you... She was black and blue up until the day they took her away... Madame Hawthorne had never been so stern with a Fed ever! But after the Colonel's visit, Madame Hawthorne suddenly changed... For the better I might add, but she changed Miss Doom.."

The young woman smiled, her eyes widening as she relaxed as she told Ruby everything.

"Well, after the Colonel's visit, she did reopen The Charmant Miss Doom, but it was all a ruse Miss Doom! You see... Madame Hawthorne got in contact with James Squire!"

Ruby cocked her eyebrow, in all the years she'd known Sarah Hawthorne, for all the good the woman was, she was never one to incite any sort of disobedience ever. She was tough on clients who roughed up her girls, but she never ever questioned anyone higher up than a street rat, especially someone like a Fed. It was even more surprising she would seek out the leader of the Black Hornets too, especially after reluctantly allowing them to stay. The girl telling Ruby the whole story cottoned on to Ruby's disbelief but merely smiled.

"I didn't believe it either Miss Doom! I tell you! After the Colonel visitin' Madame Hawthorne decided that enough was enough! She contacted James Squire! He was here on a regular basis!"

Ruby cocked another eyebrow, "A regular aye?"

"Oh no! Not for us" the girl laughed, "Madame Hawthorne was helping Mr. Squire with the Black Hornets and everythin' she was practically runnin' em after Mr. Squire left on account of it bein' to dangerous here!"

Ruby was caught off guard, Sarah Hawthorne was practically leading the Black Hornets ?

"So Sarah runs the Black Hornets? Squire get cold feet?"

"She only runs em' in New Mesa Miss Doom! He left Madame in charge here! She's so smart Miss Doom! You know how charming she can be! And she saw it as perfect! Organizing everything right under the Confederacy's nose! I tell you! They were in here everyday! Telling Confederacy secrets when we boozed them up! We'd do everything we could to get information then we'd tell Madame Hawthorne and she'd organise the other Hornets... that's how we've had the upper hand on em! Well.. we did.."

The young girl trailed off, her amused tone now dull as she looked to the ground.

"I don't know how it happened.. But they got suspicious.. Came in here two or three days ago. A man named Roland Grey... he used to be a regular here. A real creepy man Miss Doom... Pale as a ghost with bone white hair and steely red eyes! One of those Albino-whatsits Someone must have said something that tipped him off and he came back here and took Madame Hawthorne away... He probably would have killed us all if Madame Hawthorne hadn't said enough was enough when she did... But before he got to her she told me you'd be comin'! She said you were trustworthy Miss Doom! That you'd help the Black Hornets when you heard how bad it was gettin'!"

Ruby scoffed. This new Sarah Hawthorne was apparently a know-it-all. But then Ruby rolled her eyes, Sarah knew that Ruby would help. Not necessarily because of the Black Hornets, but because of her history with Sarah and Sarah's ties to Ruby's Mother.

"Alright, alright.. Lets do this..." Ruby said motioning for Daisy to calm down.

The woman sighed in relief and smiled, "Bless you Miss Doom! Unfortunately we can't help you at the moment... The Confederacy destroyed everything and took what we had when they ransacked us.. We've barely been survivin' here... too scared to move on account of the Fed's almost killin' us once.. But! We do have direct access to the sewers from Madame Hawthorne's office! If you go into the sewers and follow this -"

The young woman pulled her hair away from behind her ear and revealed a small tattoo of a black silhouette of a hornet just under the hairline

" - Marker on the walls in the sewers. The picture of a hornet marks where it's safe to pass. I think the sewers can lead you to the Hotel where Mr. Grey is interrogatin' Black Hornets! Also, If you see anyone with this on their body Miss Doom, you can trust em'! It was Madame Hawthorne's idea! Great isn't it! Anyone part of the Black Hornets has the tattoo hidden somewhere on their body... All you need to do to find out if they're on our side is locate it.. though it can be hard since we don't wear it where it can be seen easily!"

Ruby stood up, stretching, a sense of pride welling for the whores of the Charmant Madame. Ruby had never thought much of women of pleasure and had always felt guilty because of it, seeing as her mother was a whore at one time too. But regardless of her past indignation towards women who sold their sex, Ruby was now impressed. But time was running out for Sarah Hawthorne and the Black Hornets and every minute wasted not killing Roland Grey was a minute gained by the Confederacy.

"Be careful Miss Doom... We've heard things about Roland Grey... He's... Please just bring Madame Hawthorne back. The resistance will die here without her! New Mesa will die!"

An unexpected twist

Ruby managed to find her way from the Charmant's sewer access to Roland Grey's little set up without too much hassle. Thanks to everything Daisy disclosed, Ruby felt prepared for this, although all the sneaking was making her antsy for action and a showdown. The access to the Hotel where Roland was conducting his interrogations was easy enough to get through, true to what Ruby had suspected, the Confederacy knew absolutely nothing about the old-world sewers. It seemed too, by luck, that a small supply closet from a storeroom in the hotel's basement was left unused since the Fed takeover.

Leaving the closet into the actual basement, Ruby found herself keeling over restraining the urge to vomit as she realised why no one had really checked the integrity of the basement since it's conversion to a makeshift station. There were countless bodies piled up into small stacks all around the floor. Dim light from a ground window crappily boarded over allowed the afternoon sun to shine down illuminating enough of the macabre scene so that Ruby could navigate the putrid body piles. This was where Roland was keeping the bodies of those he'd interrogated and was finished with for the time being. Why was he keeping them down here where they could fester? Ruby couldn't even begin to imagine why you'd want to, but then again, everything about the Confederacy was a huge fucking enigma to her.

Ruby found the stairs out of the basement and was making her way up them when suddenly the door at the top creaked open and shouting echoed down.

"Bring him down here. I think he'll speak more freely when he sees what we do to people who don't help the great Confederacy."

Suddenly loud thumping filled the air as short breathed groans and moans followed from the top of the stairs to the bottom and a man suddenly fell into a slump at the bottom, followed by a tall, gruff man who's skin was light in colour and who had light blonde hair and piercing blue eyes whose was then followed by a shorter, pale looking blonde one who seemingly glowed in the dim light and had cruel red eyes.

Roland Grey.

Ruby sneered quietly from dark shadows as she saw her target saunter down and step over the slumped man at the bottom of the stairs.

"Now, now now now. Adam, Adam what am I supposed to do with someone who is uncooperative?" Roland knelt down and grabbed the weakened man's - Adam's - face, "Sigh, you are a handsome handsome one. Isn't he Joland?"

The taller gruff man suddenly looked uncomfortable,

"Isn't he Joland?" he sneered violently,

"yes sir, he is."

"Yes, yes you are Adam. And it would be a shame to see a face like this rot down here. Forgotten. Left aside. ninety percent dead, left here to wail and cry as the last ten percent breathes in the scent of his uncooperative comrades."

"Please..." Adam wheezed, "I don't know anything.. I told you"

"Tsk Tsk." Roland dragged Adam until he was face down on his stomach, "Or, I could use your last ten percent of life to bring myself some meaningful existence out of your otherwise pathetic last moments." Roland laughed.

Roland moved so he stood over Adam's body, pulling a knife from his boot and digging it into Adam's hand through the ground while Roland chuckled satisfied, trailing his hand up Adam's arm through the defeated man's hair and then down his back then moved it up to his own belt as he stood up. Ruby felt her hands grip Sapphire and Emerald tightly, she was going to kill the bastard right now. Suddenly another voice echoed down the stairwell,

"Sir, Captain Grey! The whore Sarah Hawthorne, I think we've broken her... she's begging to see you!"

Ruby paused her actions and watched as Roland rebuckled his belt, looking to the man named Joland, motioning for him to grab Adam,

"Tie him up here and stand by until I get back. He's not to die. Make sure he doesn't die brother, or you and I will have to pick up where Adam I left off." he sneered, causing Joland to nod obediently and stand over Adam. Roland straightened himself out and proceeded back up the stairs leaving Joland and Adam to their own devices with Ruby in the dim basement.

Ruby felt frozen solid with pure hatred and anger. The dossier had said Roland was not accustomed to unsavory tactics. That this man was unashamed of anything he did. But he was much more sadistic than anything she'd ever planned for. This Roland, was just another reason why the Confederacy was something that Ruby hated so deeply. She quietly watched Joland with Adam as a memory slip caused her to pause and become scared for a moment.

When her father disappeared just shortly after the Confederacy made their presence fully known in the Flatlands. Was it possible he ended up somewhere like this? With someone like Roland? Could it have been Roland who took her father? The entire possibility made her feel like a little girl again. It made her feel more lost and alone than anything had ever done in her life. It made Ruby feel what anyone in New Mesa must feel right now. Hopelessness.

Ruby watched Joland as he bent over Adam, kneeling down, removing the knife from Adam's hand causing him to whimper. Joland turned Adam over taking the beaten man's face in his hands. She could see from her position the tight grip Joland had by how clenched his fingers were in the young man's hair. Ruby felt anger boil in her blood as Joland smacked the man across the face asking him to wake up. It was then, as though everything in her glazed over. The world inverted in colours. Ruby's tiny frame grew seven times it's original size. Without even processing what she was doing, Ruby removed the hunting knife from it's case over her chest and slipped from the shadows as she silently moved in behind Joland.

This was going to be a merciless, cold kill. Joland it seemed, was Roland's brother. Who better would it be to make Roland reel with the same sadistic fear that he instilled it seemed in anyone unlucky enough to catch his eye. Roland could appreciate the depravity he seemed to relish in, through his brother's corpse. Ruby was going to slit his throat. Then bandage it tightly so the man would stay alive long enough for her to drag his body, as far as it took to get to Roland. Then she was going to show Roland just exactly what it meant to be cruel.

But as Ruby raised her hand, tears welling in her eyes from anger and saddness for anyone who was subjected to this she froze as the most unexpected thing happened... Joland sobbed. Jolan held Adam's body and sobbed as he realized the poor man had passed. Ruby suddenly felt confused. Joland began to cry quietly as he whispered sorry again and again to Adam.

"I don't want this to continue.." Joland hiccuped. "I'm so sorry.."

Ruby wasn't sure what was happening now.

"If you're going to kill me do it now girl" Joland croaked.

Ruby moved quickly and grabbed Joland by the hair, flinging his big frame back on itself, swinging her body back onto his chest, forcing a knee down on it while she pinned his left shoulder with her left hand and held the hunting knife to Joland's throat with her right.

"I'm going to kill you. Then I'm going to slit every tendon in your brother's body until he's nothing but a ragdoll for me to torment" Ruby sneered through the dim light into Joland's eyes. "Then i'm going to hunt down every last one of you confederate fucks and drag you into the desert and watch as I leave you there to die without your eyes. I'm going to let the Tanu, the Vultures, the Scorpions, any-fucking-thing that could contribute to a slow painful death, kill you."

Ruby stared coldly into Joland's eyes. The man whimpered and sobbed beneath her. He could easily have thrown her off he wanted to, but for some reason he stayed put, like a scared dog.

"You're all the same. Tough until the moment you realise I can kill you faster than you kill me."

"I know." he replied, "But believe me... I want nothing to do with the Confederacy more than anyone out there."

"What?"

"You saw just a glimpse then, of what my brother is capable of... and you saw nothing but a speck of what the Confederacy is capable of when you saw my brother..." Joland sobbed, "You'd be doing me a favour if you kill me."

Joland closed his eyes and Ruby cocked her head in suspicion, but climbed off of Joland a few moments later to his surprise. Joland moved slowly to his feet as Ruby re strapped her knife and pulled out Sapphire to aim at Joland. The man didn't even flinch as he moved to Adam's limp body and picked it up to gently rest in the dark of a corner of the hotel basement.

"Twenty six years I've looked for a way to leave my brother. Six years i've been trying to leave the confederacy. But leaving means a fate worse than death if my brother ever finds out or catches me if I do..."

Ruby couldn't explain how she felt about what was happening before her, it was so unexpected, so unreal and yet; it was so unexpectedly honest. She could hear it in his voice. Feel in the way this seemingly giant man cowered in fear.

"You're serious aren't you?" she questioned in disbelief, "You want none of this?" she motioned around the basement.

"Sometimes, Miss Doom. Blood is not thicker than water and is more poisonous than anything found on the planet. Sometimes, you are born into the wrong place and the wrong time. Sometimes, Miss Doom. Sometimes, life is not fair and people are bad. People are sick. Disgusting. They live by, stand for and do things to other people, to other living creatures that is so deplorable."

Ruby gritted her teeth, this man was more pathetic than any Confederate fuckwit she'd ever met, more pathetic than anyone she'd ever met in her life,

"So, Miss Doom, if you don't mind, kill me now. Then kill my brother. Then drag every one of the Confederate fucks you hate so much into the desert and watch them die as you leave them there without their eyes. I know what they stand for. I know what they want... It might be to civilise the Flatlands, it might be to bring unity between the Peaks and the Flats... But you and I both know that it won't be before they've dragged everything good in the world and made it bleed for their cause."

Ruby felt her thumb click the safety off, as she aimed the gun slowly up to the center of Joland's eyes, he knew who she was apparently, so he knew what she was capable of.

"No. Have you killed people for the confederacy?"

"Yes. I have killed people. I deserve your bullet. In fact, I've been waiting for you to come for me and my brother since Captain Lewis."

"Do you regret killing them?"

"Yes. Every day of my life. Every minute, of every day, I feel sick to my stomach. Kill me now, please."

"No."

Ruby lowered her gun, holstering it, walking to Joland and uppercutting his jaw hard.

"You don't get to beg for death Joland Grey. You don't get to take the lives of people of the Flatlands and then feel sick about it later..."

Ruby punched him in the gut twice, keeling him onto his knees,

"It's a rare... and I mean rare moment in history when I chose to save the life of a Confederate."

Joland Grey looked up to Ruby his eyes full of tears and a look of shock of across his face.

"If you are honest right now. If you mean what you say, because Joland Grey, for some unknown reason, I think you are tellin' the truth. What you've done... What you did, you need to atone for that. You dying, that's a blessing you don't deserve. That's something that would probably aid the Confederacy because honestly. You are pathetic. You are weak, you are powerless... And you need to put things right in this world."

Joland moved back from Ruby and stood shakily, clinging to the wall as he stood up,

"What do you mean? How do I start? I'd do anything to stop my brother and what the confederacy have planned..."

Ruby tilted her head to the side jutting her jaw out sizing Joland Grey up,

"What are they planning?"

"Uh.. it's...Well I don't know everything... With The Black Hornets and The Confederate Resistance Army out there... They're not acting too soon.. Plus my brother won't tell me too much..But they've got something big planned Miss Doom..."

"You need to go to Skycove, do you know where that is?"

Joland shook his head and Ruby sighed in frustration

"Jesus. It's also called the Floating City?"

"Yes! I know where that is! We're not allowed to go there yet..."

Ruby shook her head, "You ain't a Fed soldier anymore Grey" Ruby said sternly, "You're going to Skycove and you're going to find the Black Hornets and tell them everything you know about the Confederacy..."

"But I don't know much... and they'll kill me once they know who I am... Plus my brother will come looking for me without a body if you plan on saying you've killed me.."

Ruby walked over to Joland, taking a white napkin from inside her jacket, pushing it into his mouth. Confused Joland fell back against the wall and Ruby grabbed his left hand, pulling it up to her eye level taking notice of his ring finger ordained with a confederate ring inscribed with a number and the initials J.G on them. Ruby quickly whipped out her hunting knife and cut the finger from the base of Joland's hand, pocketing it for later. Joland's eyes widened as a muffled scream escaped his mouth.

Ruby pulled the napkin from his mouth and kissed it gently, writing a message to James Squire on it. Then Tucking it into a pocket of Joland's, gave him more commands,

"Do you think you're brother will be happy and satisfied if I hand this over to him?" she smirked tapping a pocket at her side.

"I suppose... But.. Jesus, my finger!"

"Take that napkin with the message to Skycove. I don't know him too well, but my last meeting with James Earl Squire was amicable. If he has any sense in his head, he'll trust me and that no one can get the better of Ruby Doom. Now in that closet over there. There is a tunnel that will eventually lead you out of the town. There's a horse saddled up and waiting on the only exit from the sewers that is about two miles from New Mesa. Get on that horse and ride until it dies, or you die, or you reach Skycove."

Joland knodded, and Ruby couldn't believe what she was doing.

"You cross me Joland Grey, or you fuck up anywhere along the way. You can get bet I'll find you and I'll be taking more than just your finger".

Joland nodded and went to move towards the basement closet, only stopping to give Ruby some advice as she ascended into the hotel.

"Miss Doom! Wait. My brother... You're here for a reason, you want to kill him?"

"Yes. Oh, and get the woman he's interrogating now."

"He might be tough when he's got guards around or his next play-thing tied up Miss Doom... But corner him on his own and he'll do anything you want... Just take that into consideration. If you make a scene before you get a hold of him. He won't put up too much of a fight."

Ruby nodded, turned her back and prayed she was doing the right thing as she entered the hotel.

The Pardoning of Sarah Hawthorne and Execution of Roland Grey

Ruby was surprised at the amount of guards not around the hotel. She was able to move essentially wherever she wanted downstairs, only needing to sneak past one or two guards to get to the second level of the hotel. It was on the second level Ruby realised why downstairs was barren. It seemed for all it was worth, Roland had been given a hotel across from Colonel Autumn's main base in the town square. Maybe since he got a building to use he wasn't allowed to have many guards? Ruby didn't really care, moving around easily didn't need questioning.

But coming onto the second floor landing Ruby had to duck into another closet and just in time. Ruby watched as Roland Grey entered one room and left another every few minutes, leaving screams and pleadings of mercy each time. Each time he was being followed from each room by about three guards, with nearly twenty other guards standing by in the hallway. Joland was right, he was only comfortable when we was surrounded by a fuckton of grunts to take whatever bullets might come at him. But to Ruby's relief, Roland was shouting loudly at all the guards after his latest exit from a room and something he said about getting to the whore now after everyone's incompetence led her to believe that for some reason he hadn't gotten to Sarah yet.

"How many fucking times do I have to make it clear to you inbreds?" Roland roared, "I can't get the information we need unless.." he looked at the expectantly and they replied obediently,

"We protect and serve you at all times Captain Grey."

Ruby felt sick. He had everyone fearing him for what reason? If they just ignored him, ignored his threats of torture and obedience retraining his words would mean nothing. But that was the Confederacy. Obedient dogs. Fuck them. That's when Roland commanded them to all stand to attention and face his office while he went in there and interrogated The Whore - Sarah! Ruby couldn't believe his arrogance though and the stupidity of his ego as he had twenty guards all face his office in a bid to understand why it was important to 'keep an eye' on him.

Roland enter his office and the immediate scream of Sarah echoed down the hallway and Ruby moved into action. unholstering Sapphire and Emerald, Ruby clicked their safety off and shot clean into the helmets of the soldiers standing with their backs to her.

One, two, three... Six, seven, eight... Eleven, Twelve.

Duck, dodge, uppercut, stab, pistol whip, kick, stab, kick, repeat.

Twenty guards were dropped faster than Roland' Grey's shit when he was about to realise how soon he was from dying. Ruby was mid-reload of her pistols when suddenly the door to Roland's office opened up and the pale faced albino looked her up and down, suddenly a look of fear and anger welling visibly as Ruby smirked,

"I don't believe I have a formal appointment Captain, but I have a big issue to discuss with you".

Roland slammed his office door shut and moments later it reopened with three guards entering the hallway, with a shrill,

"Kill the Cu-"

Ruby went to fire her pistols but quickly realised she was mid reload when Grey interrupted her.

"Shit"

The Fed soldier's fired their rifles, Ruby managed to dive into a nearby room locking it for a few moments of relief. They only had new-world guns. Slow and a pain in the arse to use. She should know, Longshot was a new world rifle. Turning around she met face to face with a young teenager with a look of bewilderment across his face,

"Don't kill me please! I told them everything.. I really did."

Ruby raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes as the door suddenly broke open and another shot whizzed past her head. Turning on her heels Ruby did the only thing she could think of, threw Emerald at the first soldiers face, knocking him back into his comrades as his nose began to bleed. Ruby dashed forward, pulling Longshot from over her shoulders, butting the bleeding solider again in the face, now breaking his nose. Hitting him again, the man fell to the floor unconscious as his comrades now stunned, looked to Ruby.

Ruby threw Longshot into the guy standing to her right, hand's pulling her knife from her chest holster and slashing back into the stomach of the other soldier, pulling up and letting his entrails fall to the floor. The guy who grabbed Longshot fumbled and fell back in terror as Ruby mounted him, taking Longshot back and putting the barrel into his mouth.

Ruby was about to pull the trigger when suddenly she felt warmth hit her legs. Standing up aiming the gun still she grimaced at the man as she realised he'd just pissed himself.

"Y'know what. That's just fucking disgusting."

Bang.

Ruby reholstered the knife, Longshot and picked up Emerald cooing an apology as she reloaded the pistols and kicked Grey's office door open, just missing another bullet as Grey now turned the gun to Sarah Hawthorne.

"I'll kill her.." He sneered.

"Kill her Grey, and I'll take your dick with my bare hands and shove it up your brothers arse."

"What?" he sneered dumbfounded.

Ruby pulled the ringed finger from her pocket and threw it on the table,

"I reckon I already got him, so it's just his arse missin' your dick."

Roland pulled the gun up to Ruby, and fired it once into her left arm,

"Fuck!" she sneered, "Why my fucking left arm! Are there not enough in there already!"

Roland was trying hastily reload his revolver as Ruby kicked a chair to the side in frustration and then fired once into Roland's gut causing him keel over and drop the gun to the floor as he suddenly began whimpering.

"You pathetic little shit." Ruby grunted as she stood over him, aiming a gun right between his eyes,

"No Ruby! Wait!" Sarah shouted.

Ruby turned her head to Sarah, and Sarah nodded down to Roland,

"I can't leave this place without a pardon Ruby... No one leaves here unless Roland says so... We need him!"

Ruby scoffed, "You think he's gonna pardon you! No. We kill him, then we get you out of here and I dunno.. I'll take you to the White Group..."

"The White Group? You're fucking real?" Roland sneered

"You're a part of the White Group?" Sarah asked dumbfounded as much as Roland.

"Shit." Ruby groaned, cover blown. "Now he really has to die!"

"I have a plan Ruby! We can let him live and get me out of here! If you cooperate Roland!"

Roland nodded his head profusely all of sudden. Joland was right, his brother was a little sack of shit when he was alone.

"I'll help! Anything! I won't tell a soul about anything.. I'll leave town and never come back! Please, I don't want to end up like my brother!"

Half an hour later and with some forceful discipline, Sarah's plan worked. They'd made Roland write an official letter and sign it, stating that the snitch who dobbed Sarah Hawthorne into the Confederacy was spinning bullshit to save face but he had been dealt with and Sarah Hawthorne was found to actually be an asset to the Confederacy. To make sure the story was going to fly, Ruby had held Roland at gunpoint while he spoke to Colonel Autumn over the phone too, making him relay some Black Hornet bullshit and small talk about the wrongfully interrogated, making sure that any slip up would in the story would seal Roland's death.

After that, Ruby and Sarah interrogated Roland in a bid to find out what the Confederacy knew about The Black Hornets, so far, they hadn't learned too much, just a few names of the Hornet's higher ups. Once they were done, Ruby made sure Sarah left the Hotel safely, apparently the Confederacy had had some bullshit announcement blaring through Ruby's hally way massacre, not even the two guards downstairs had heard. Perfect. Without hassle, Sarah was able to sneak out and return to the Charmant Madame, she was able to resume her cover and no one was any wiser. Ruby returned to Roland's office to finish up the mission.

"You have been such a good friend today Roland". Ruby chided at the man as he sat tied up.

"They'll catch you know" he said with a defeated tone.

"They'll only catch me if I don't kill you first".

"You said you wouldn't kill me!"

"Oh Roland.. I have no plans to kill you, although I was sent here to do that. We had a deal. You did what I asked, and I would'n't kill you. I am a woman of my word. And the word of a Flatlander is stronger than the rays of the sun here out in the Flats."

"Then let me go.. We have a deal."

"But you see Roland... I don't believe the word of A Confederate Fuck has more weight than his piss. So, I can't let you go, and I can't kill you..."

Ruby moved away from Roland tied at the desk in his chair and pushed open his office door to reveal a hallway crowded with newly released prisoners of Roland's.

"But I never said i'd protect you".

Ruby pulled another white napkin from her person, this time from her cleavage, and pressed in gently to her lips. Folding it quietly and placing it in his jacket pocket as the room began to fill with Roland's previous playthings. She unhinged his identity badge, and picked up Joland's finger, sliding off his ring and putting it on Roland's finger, leaning into Roland's ear as she whispered,

"Your brother sends his regards Roland Grey, and on behalf of the people of New Mesa and The Flatlands, and as a message to the Confederacy, Fuck you."

Ruby grabbed a rope with a noose that was suddenly handed from the crowd as she pushed the loop over Roland's neck.

"You know what to do everyone! Give Roland your regards then get the fuck outta dodge".

Ruby blew a kiss to Roland's pale face as she melted into the crowd and the screams of Roland Grey echoed through the Hotel.

This is not the end

Ruby left her rundown of the mission on Miss Reese's desk. It was unusually thick for a report from Ruby, who usually wrote a hastily scrawled two page rundown of the most important details. It was usually through a sit down conversation and Miss Reese's own writing of Ruby's missions that Miss Reese was able to get a proper conclusion other than "it was done".

This time Ruby felt the need, that she owed a proper run-down. She knew that maybe no one would agree with her decision to let Joland Grey walk and that to send him to the Black Hornets might shift power too dramatically, or perhaps not at all and she potentially let a very good liar live. She knew that letting Roland Grey's prisoners torture the man then hang him from his office window over the town square might have been a little too liberal and that perhaps she should have just done the job herself. She almost left out that she'd let slip she was from the White Group to Sarah Hawthorne, but chose to accept full responsibility for whatever came next... hoping that Miss Reese might see the Charmant Madame and it's workers as potential allies. At the end of her report Ruby wrote neatly to Miss Reese, just to reiterate that even though she may have made an error, the White Group was her family now, For The Flatlands, For New Mesa... For Mr. Charles.

Epilogues.

Alexander entered the Workshop but slowed his walk when he noticed James Costner leaning against a wall blocking his path to Jenner.

“Gonna have to slow your wagon there Hombre.” James said as he held out his hand in a lackadaisical stop gesture. “Miss Reese knows you didn't kill Chop Chop. Now that’s your call but she can’t be having someone running around here that can’t follow orders.”

"Don't wanna talk to you James, I want the boss."

“I don’t want any trouble and neither do you. You know we got enough people down here to kill you about ten times.”

"Of course I know that. I feel what I did was right."

“You make your own choices Lancaster, but I’ll tell you this for nothing. That Gretch is an animal a sick goddamn animal and he’ll turn on you faster than a rabid dog. You know he danced and laughed when...” Costner bit his tongue before continuing. “He’s sick. Just watch who you trust is what I mean.”

"You think I don't know what kind of man he is? I'll kill him the first chance I get, but until the feds are gone he is the only man who can stop them. He's the only one willing to fight the kind of fight we need to fight to beat 'em."

“Bottom line is you’re out. You no longer work for the White Group. Now we don’t want this to turn ugly and whether it does or not is up to you but know that if you decide to cause problems for us we can cause problems for you. Like is Tarkan or that kid’s home.”

"Don't you dare talk about those kids. if you touch the..."

“Nobody here wants to do that. So it’s up to you how this plays out.” James said as he held up his hands in a 'no offence' gesture.

"I have no problem with the White Group you guys have treated me alright. I'll leave."

“Good if it means anything I understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. I don’t want the Feds here neither but in this situation it’s hard to tell whether or not Gretch is the lesser of two evils. You remember New Mesa under his rule? Can’t really tell the difference between that and Confederate rule.”

"I don't care about New Mesa or the Flats, I care about my kids. They're mostly Ochil which means if the Feds win they'll take them up to the flats as slaves. That's a fact, that is what will happen. But, with Gretch he may actually leave them alone and if he doesn't he'll probably kill 'em fast."

“Well just felt I hadda say my piece. Keep your nose clean.”

#


Colonel Augustus Autumn stood over the broken corpse of Roland Grey and tutted gently.

“I assume the passageway used by the assassin and escapees was found?”

“And sealed, sir.”

“Excellent. You are to track down those that escaped and only those that escaped.”

Captain Cole nodded.

“Only those involved Cole. Mister Grey here had too much say in how operations were conducted on the Flats.”

“If you don’t mind me asking sir why was that? A lot of the men say he was... funny.”

“I assume by funny you mean his peculiar sexual appetites.”

Cole looked at the floor and blushed. Autumn rolled his eyes Cole had killed more people than he could count yet talking about sex embarrassed him.

“Mister Grey was a member of the Cabal, that is why he was given such scope in the Confederacy.”

“The Cabal... but they just a kids story.”

“They are that but the tales of derring-do we read as child are somewhat inflated. The Cabal does exist though and they answer only to the Grand General. Grey was sent along with us as a Specialist.”

“What about Joland his brother?”

“The brother was nothing, had none of Roland’s hardness. Which, depending how you look at it, may not have been a bad thing. The body still hasn’t been found?”

“No sir.”

“Well looks like you have a second objective Captain. He cannot have fled far. We should be getting troop reinforcements within the week, Mundus has seen our success and wishes to see it continue. The next target is Farpoint which shouldn’t prove too much of a problem. Of course that leaves the two tough nuts. Hope and Skycove. Once we have taken the major population centres the small towns should not present a problem.”

“Very good sir.”

“Dismissed captain.”

#

Autumn returned to his office and lifted a pen. He quickly wrote a report explaining the death of Roland Grey and attached it to one of the large homing birds they used to transport sensitive messages. It would be back in Mundus before the end of the week.
Although Autumn knew what the response would be he hoped he was wrong.

#

The wind howled through the dunes kicking up a fair bit of dust but the Sniper was sure he could still make the shot. It was dusk and in a few moments it would be so dark they would have call off the ambush but just as things seemed dire a confederate uniform marched into view followed by four more.

“You got a shot?” His spotter asked.

“Yes.”

“Ok they’re moving into position.”

A long moment passed.

“Ok they’re good to go on you.”

Without hesitation the sniper pulled the trigger ending the life of the confederate soldier who had been in his scope. He tried to acquire another target but the ambush team had already emerged from their hiding places and were opening fire. In less than ten seconds the confederate patrol was dead.

The Sniper observed his unit as they searched the bodies collecting whatever weapons and ammo they could. When they were done they ran toward the sniper and spotter.

Once the team had regrouped the leader pulled down his Keffiyeh revealing the face of James Squire.

“Excellent shot. Got him straight through the temple.” Squire said slapping the sniper on the shoulder. The Sniper, an Ochillian, smiled.

“Trick is to use the dunes for windage.” He explained. “Plus these guns are pretty good, not old world but pretty good.”

“Yeah looks like Gretch pulled through we’ll see what other goodies we’re able to get our hands on with the next delivery.”

#

Autumn watched as the troop transport docked at New Mesa from the fortified casino that was the confederate base of operations.

He counted squads of regulars and Specials disembarking as well as a group of engineers.

“Idiots.” Autumn muttered under his breath when he saw the engineers disembarking.

Twenty minutes later he was speaking to the leader of the engineers in his office.

“I understand you have your orders Colonel but I have mine as well and they say I gotta open up train links between here and The Peaks. Post haste. Says right here.”

Autumn looked at the grubby page the Engineer Captain was showing him. “Please stop jabbing your orders under my nose. I’m telling you the situation on the ground is very fluid, we lost a patrol last night to a Terrorist ambush. Your railway will act as a magnet for saboteurs and frankly even with reinforcements I don’t have the man power to protect you or your people.”

“I understand where you’re coming from Colonel but orders is orders.”

“Alright Captain I’m combat, you’re support so I have no jurisdiction over you so do as you please but I urge you to strongly consider the safety of your men first.”

“Noted Colonel.” The Engineering Captain said before leaving.

Once he was gone Autumn sighed. The Captain was young and eager to prove himself as a man. This was difficult in the Engineers as they were support division and therefore rarely saw combat.

#

“He’ll see you now.”

The man nodded and walked down a long hallway the clicking of his heels on the floor like a metronome.

He pushed open a tall door and entered the Grand General’s office.

“Wylde. Reporting for duty.” Said Wylde a man of 5’11 with jet black hair.

The Grand General was sitting behind a very ornate desk on the far side of the room but he stood the great his guest.

“Grievous thank you for coming so quickly. I received a troubling report about one of your comrades.”
Both men began walking towards each other but The High General stopped in front of a table covered in sand. Wylde recognised it as a model map the High Commissioner was found of having made. The room had many such dioramas, each one representing a theatre where the Confederate army was currently deployed.

“Roland Grey was killed on the Flats and it would only seem appropriate for a member of the Cabal to investigate his death.”

“Of course but Grey wasn’t combat, we used him for interrogations. How’d he die?” Wylde’s voice had a mysterious quality to it that was due to his slow speaking speed. A hangover from a childhood stutter he had overcome.

“I know it would seem he was assassinated. Which means I think Colonel Autumn may be slightly over his head. Not to diminish the man’s accomplishments but he’s a big thinker who understands total warfare, this situation requires a more nuanced approach.”

“The Cabal.”

“Yes you are to assemble a team and assist Colonel Autumn so he can focus on further conquest rather than the insurgents.”

“I’ll need four others to conduct my job to a satisfactory standard.”

“As always you have my full support for whatever requirements you have.”

“Very good sir. Work will commence immediately.”

Less than two hours later a squad of Five hand selected Cabal Members were on an Airship and bound for the Flats.

Jobs

White Group Jobs

Going Deeper.

Target- The missing Archaeological team led by Doctor Llewellyn Coleman.

Location- The River Mine.

Information- Doctor Coleman is an academic, a rare thing in the Confederacy. Like all male members of the Confederacy he is officially a member of the Confederate Army although he doesn’t wear a uniform and all reports suggest he abhors violence. His role is that of research and development for the Confederate Army. Often times this role means he reverse engineers Old World Tech.

This means he has clocked up quite a few miles in airships travelling to and from dig sights. One such Dig site is the long abandoned River Mine to the South of the Flats. Apparently the mine was abandoned over twenty years ago by the fledgling River Mining Company. As that was the companies first mine the business failed leaving this mine their only mine hence the name.
No doubt you’ll have heard the numerous ghost stories that are associated with the mine, that the mine has a mind of it’s own or that the shafts seem to twist and shift at will. Of course this is all nonsense.

Doctor Coleman’s interest in the mine was piqued when he learned one of the Shafts by sheer good fortune happened to run into an Old World bunker perhaps not too dissimilar from our Workshop. He brought a small team of researchers down with him and hired some guards. They had been excavating for a about a four days before they failed to emerge from the mine.

I have been directly contacted by Coleman’s daughter who I was friendly with as a child and believes I still live of the Flats working as a barmaid. She reached out asking if I had a few adventurous friends who could look for her father. Little was she to know I work with a team of Assassins.

The job is to enter the River Mine and locate Doctor Coleman, his two research assistants and if possible recover the four Mercenaries that went in with them although they are not a priority. Then guide the whole lot back to the surface.

- Jenner Reese.

Gretch Jobs

A Fisher of Men.

Target- Guardian Patrol. Their hands. Confederate Patrol.

Location- The Badlands.

Information- First old Charlie gets FIRED now you! Still White Group's loss is my gain even if it is a fuckwit like you.
Before we begin I don’t want you thinking I forgot that fucking shit at the casino but right now we got bigger problems than you being a mother fucker. Maybe, if you do real good work, I won’t hunt you down feed you your own face before I kill ya.
Perhaps that’s a story for another time.

You wanna work for me you gotta take the shit work, in my tribe that means the dangerous stuff. See here’s the problem I got a lot of guys and gals who’re ready to go out there and fight and die for the Flats. Problem is they’re all Tribals, now while there aint nothing wrong with Tribals they aint none too bright and on raids against the Feds they go down faster than a New Mesa Hooker. That’s why we need some back up, some people who will actually fuck these Fed assholes up and not get deaded in the process.

Now before you start thinking that mean hombre is you I can tell you it aint, you’re small time, a fucking delivery boy, compared to I have in mind. We need the Guardians outta hope. Those fuckers been sitting on their hands way toooooooooooooo long. Need to get them in the fight.

Looks like they got themselves a deal with the Feds where they both just leave each other alone. We gotta end that or more truthfully you gotta end that. So here’s the plan.

Step 1. Find some Guardians out on patrol and kill em.

Step 2. If you’re still alive (no shame in it if you aint them Guardians are some tough fuckers) you gotta cut off their hands, the one with the tattoos. Collect up all them hands. Maybe fuck around with bodies if that’s your thing. I like fire but I guess you already know that. HAHA.

Step Three. You gotta find and kill a confederate Patrol. This shouldn’t be too much bother.

Step four. Sprinkle the Hands on top of the Confederate Corpses and that’s your fucking lot.

See the Guardians will send someone out to see what happened to their boys, this investigating asshole will find a bunch of dead handless Guardians then find a bunch of dead Feds with the Guardian’s dick beaters. No way Singh can keep outta the war after that and boom the ‘federate fucks are fighting on two sides.

I can tell this is going to a beautiful working relationship, now off you fuck.

- Your Frendo Gretch

Target Objective: Dr. Llewellyn Coleman.
Target Location: The Old River Mines

The River Mine Myth

Ruby gripped the side of her left arm, a short jolt of pain pulsated through it, reminding her what was at stake when her luck ran out. Over the last few weeks Ruby had racked up more than a lifetime of death sentences by Confederate ruling and she knew the lucky escapes she'd managed during her missions had to be running out soon. But still, Ruby was persistent and if she was going to die, she reasoned it might as well be in a blaze of glory and entertainment leaving a hole the size of the earth in the Confederate army ranks. Although she wasn't entirely sure Miss Reese was acting objectively seeing as this mission and the last one resulting in Alexander’s dismissal had seemed biased, Ruby didn't question her leader and so now here she stood, outside the solemn entrance to the River mine.

The mine was at the bottom of a large quarry to the south of the Flats, only half a mile from the Diando River - the birthplace of the River Mine company and the founding fathers of this mine for which it was named after. The bottom of the quarry was hardened and like an oven. The blaring heat of the Flats, even at this time of year seemed to growing harsher and harsher as the days went on. Ruby almost pondered if it was ominously reflecting the situation of the Flats itself.

Ruby eyed the entrance for the fourth time in a row. Getting out of the Workshop was what she had been itching to do, but after Miss Reese had removed Ruby's tactical ban until the heat on her lessened slightly, she hadn't anticipated it would be, to be sent down another hole in the ground. Ruby clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. The other factor that she was being assigned to rescue some Confederate scientist also didn't sit too well with her. But the fact of the matter was, Alexander had absconded the White Group and Miss Reese seemed extra flustered lately, and the least Ruby felt she could do for Miss Reese was at least one favour. So Ruby sucked it up and took a deep breath. She knew the stories of this old mine, she knew what she had to do, but in truth, she didn't know what to expect. So Ruby sucked it up and made the first steps into the deep decent of the River mine. The entrance was largish in it's own right, but the light from outside made it seem pitch black from the get go. It was when Ruby was only about twelve feet in that she suddenly went light headed and before could process what was happening, she collapsed.

The Truth About the River Mine and the Disappearance of Colonel Autumn

When Ruby groggily began to come to, she had no idea how long she'd been out for, but it felt like she had been unconscious for quite a while. Ruby rubbed her head gently and quickly checked herself over, realizing she was unarmed. The realisation her guns had been taken alerted Ruby to glance her surroundings and it was then she realised she was in some sort of holding cell. It was formal looking too; three walls were smooth concrete albeit cracked here and there, but nothing significant. The fourth wall of course, consisted of metal bars with a sliding door pulled shut and locked tight. In her cell Ruby had a concrete slab, possibly supposed to be a bed and a toilet with a basin, that after trying, did not work. Ruby felt a twinge of pain radiate up her arm suddenly realising it was grazed on top of the gun wounds. She grabbed her arm releasing she must have been dragged here as suddenly a voice broke her confusion.

"Ah! Y-you're awake! T-t-that's good! I thought Colonel Autumn was going to kill you to be honest... he was blabbering about h-h-how you deserved to die!"

Ruby rubbed her arm as she turned around to look out her cell and across the way into another cell where an averaged height man stood gripping the bars. He had ruffled light brown hair, a few days worth of beard growth and tired looking blue eyes. He looked to be around his late fifties, dressed in some pretty hardy looking clothes, but on the shoulder of his jacket Ruby could see the obnoxious symbol of the Confederacy, a five pointed star circled by several other stars. Ruby knew each small star circling your center star stood for your rank within the confederacy. This man seemed to be fairly high up, and yet he was in a cell like Ruby and talking about Colonel Augustus Autumn.

"Y-you, I've h-h-heard about you... It t-took Colonel Autumn all but t-two seconds to recog-g-gnise you!"

Ruby moved to the bars in her cell, resting her forearms of the support horizontal beam, leaning into the bars as she stared ar the man across what she could now see was a hallway lined with more cells,

"First of all, who the fuck are you? Second of all, where the fuck are we? And third of all, what the fuck is going on? I was in the River Mine near the Diando River and suddenly wake up here after some sort of bullshit..."

The man across the way sort of smiled pathetically, giving Ruby and empathetic smile before explaining everything to her.

"W-well. You can call me L-Lew. I work for - did w-work for the Confederacy, but unfortunately for me, we don't s-see eye to eye on some things... As f-for where we are... Well, technically you are i-in the R-river mine... But y-you're actually in an o-o-old world facility of some kind... It was discovered only a week ago by accident! Some Confedearate researchers accidentally broke a wall of t-the mine shafts in the mine... I-I think it was used as an emergency facility... They u-used it as a means of last resort! Y-you see, I think there was some k-kind of-"

"Cut to the chase Lew!” Ruby interrupted,

"Oh, s-sorry... I get rather carried away d-don't I! Anyway, This old world facility.. It was used to store things... Weapons and m-more to be precise. That's why the Confederacy is here... T-that's why I am here too, researching the old world a-artifacts found here spec-"

"Specifically any weaponry found here is that right?" Ruby interrupted "And you're Doctor Llewellyn Coleman aren't you?"

Dr Coleman nodded, Clearly surprised that Ruby knew who he was. Ruby wasn't wasting anytime either. Shed guessed she'd fallen into some sort of trap by the Confederacy and the immediate name drop of Autumn made her uneasy.

"T-that's right, how did you know?"

"I was sent here to rescue you Dr. Coleman. Your daughter has been worried."

"She's alive? and she's ok?!"

Ruby shot him a look of confusion, trying gauge what this man was all about. Clearly he was Confederate, the markings on his clothes suggested it, although they weren't exactly formal like usual, but then Ruby remembered to expect that. She sized him up again, now she understood what Miss Reese was talking about; Dr Coleman for all intents and purposes was nothing but a Confederate tool.

"Why wouldn't she be? Having her daddy as a high up in the Confederate Army? I'd be positive that would secure anyone within a family like that a lifetime of security.."

Dr Coleman's face dropped from relief to concern and sadness,

"T-that would only be if the family member within in the C-Confederacy was cooperating Miss Doom.."

"What do you mean? You've been researching old world tech for the confederacy for years haven't you?"

"T-true Miss Doom... That was until I learned what I was doing was being u-used f-f-for."

Ruby cocked an eyebrow, this man was something more than Ruby had anticipated and to be honest, she was starting to question exactly what the Confederacy had planned since her parlay of Joland Grey had returned half-cryptic clues, but worrying clues nonetheless.

"Alright, Alright, you need to step back a moment and start making sense Dr. Coleman. I was sent here to get you by your daughter as a favour to someone close to her. I was told you were a researcher into old world technology for the Confederacy... Now normally i'd ignore what you're saying and assume the Confederacy is just running it's usual bullshit oppression, but you know what? You wouldn't be the first person in the last little while to be questioning their beloved country and people... So what the fuck is happening? What is going on down here?"

Dr. Coleman raised his head when Ruby began speaking about his daughter again, a look of relief crossing his face as Ruby seemed to talk about her freely, as though she was under no constraints, then his eyes widened again when she spoke of other Confederate insiders confiding in her their doubts.

"So she is definitely alright? T-thank the heavens.. I-I am a researcher for the Confederacy Miss Doom. I was researching old world weaponry for the Confederacy... Well, a-at first I wasn't...At first I was looking into improving our transport-trans-transportation technology... I w-was led to believe that there was o-old world artifacts here. I came down here when it was confirmed this bunker w-was here and that it had been untouched for c-centuries."

Dr. Coleman brushed a hand through his hair and sighed,

"T-that was just a ruse though it seemed! Y-you know that I was the one who managed to perfect the r-rail system back at the p-peaks!? I was t-told there was a strong possibility of old world vehicle technology down here... That was a lie! There is nothing but weaponry... This place was some sort of military bunker back in the old ages! They brought me down here to help recreate all this old weaponry! You wouldn't believe what was down here! It's c-c-cruel and horrific what they want! When I t-told them how I felt, that I r-r-refused to further their cause for m-murder... Colonel Autumn had me thrown in here... Told me I h-had to help them understand these weapons enough so the Confederacy c-could m-make them on their own or they'd kill my family... They said they had my daughter imprisoned back at the Peaks under suspicion of conspiracy with some group known as the B-b-black Hornets.."

Ruby raised an eyebrow in suspicion; it was still hard to swallow how openly Dr. Coleman was being. But then again, hadn't Joland Grey openly divulge how heinous he found the Confederacy? For a moment Ruby began to wonder just how strong the Confederacy was internally... Sure they had organised power. But it seemed their methods were less than agreeable to at least some people within it's confines. Was there perhaps a wedge which Ruby could manipulate under the right circumstances?

"Well Dr. Coleman, that's a load of bullshit." Ruby said matter-of-factly.

"I hope you're right Miss Doom!"

The First Meeting of Ruby Doom and Colonel Augustus Autumn

"Ah, our guest is finally awake..."

A few hours had passed since Ruby and Dr. Coleman had introduced themselves and discussed his daughter. The two had quietened down and Ruby had taken to quietly planning her next moves when
suddenly Colonel Autumn came into view and Ruby stepped back as she caught sight of the man. She had never formally seen the sadistic fuck, so this was the first time in her life she was allowed to lay eyes on him. Ruby felt herself staring blankly at Autumn as he stopped outside her cell. She wasn't scared so to speak, Ruby rarely felt the dread of actually being fearful, but the demeanor of this man was cold and calculating and enough to make Ruby wary.

"We're gathering quite the little party down here aren't we Dr. Coleman... I do hope you're showing Miss Doom Confederate hospitality. But I do also hope you're aren't jeopardizing your work efforts either..."

Dr. Coleman seemed to stay put, clenching to the bars of his cell as he glared wildly at Colonel Autumn,

"Y-y-you are a liar! My daughter is s-safe!"

"Of course she is Dr. Coleman. I'm not heartless... Well... Anyway, it's true, I haven't detained your lovely daughter. But you and I both know you weren't going to make the amazing breakthroughs you were making without some encouragement. And look what you've achieved too in the few short days you've been down here too. Two weeks ago you were wandering the flats making no progress and, I might add, resisting progress for the Confederacy.."

"I've told the General time and again Colonel Autumn. War is not the answer in the Confederacy's progress. Knowledge and peace encourages progress..."

Colonel Autumn laughed sarcastically. Ruby gritted her teeth as she watched Autumn taunt Dr. Coleman.

"Now Dr. Coleman, you've managed to secure us the knowledge on recreating a type of handgun, how is your research on reverse engineering us a usable rifle? What ways can we maneuver around old world tech to recreate it?"

Dr. Coleman looked Colonel Autumn in the eyes and turned slowly to move to a desk in the corner of his cell Ruby had barely noticed before. He picked up a small notebook and a torch he'd been using as a light, holding it near the book,

"You can't make me Autumn. You have no hold over me when my daughter is safe!"

Ruby was surprised that Dr. Coleman's stutter vanished when his confidence shone through, but she knew Dr. Coleman was a fool to think his daughter was completely safe.

"Tsk, tsk Dr Coleman. It's true we don't have your daughter under duress right now. But are you really that ignorant to think we haven't been keeping eyes on her... That her current position couldn't be changed within a week if I wanted it to. So Dr. Coleman, those notes on the rifle we've been talking about? Then you can get started on the other munitions we've found. Oh Dr. Coleman, you have no idea about the stuff we've found!"

Dr. Coleman looked sick to the stomach as Colonel Autumn spoke so coldly to him. Ruby was back at the bars in her cell and looking down the hallway trying to gauge her surroundings while Autumn was distracted with Dr. Coleman. Suddenly another voiced filled the air and Colonel Autumn's attention was turned to the young Fed man running towards him.

"Colonel Autumn! Colonel Autumn! Urgent message from a carrier bird! A Mr. Grievous Wylde and a support group will be arriving later today! They've apparently intercepted your message back to the Peaks and are wanting to meet with you here!"

Colonel Autumn seemed shocked by the news but dismissed the young man with a nonchalant wave while a displeased scowl replaced the shock and irritation clearly set in. Ruby couldn't be sure, but it seemed to her that to some degree Colonel Autumn had to submit to whoever was coming.

"Seems you've got more unwanted visitors Autumn!" Ruby chided,

Autumn turned towards the exit of the hallway, coldly speaking behind him as he moved to leave,

"Miss Doom, I assure you, you may think that you've got the upper hand. You may think you're going to get out of this. But the Confederacy has you right now, at a site we have guarded quite heavily. You didn't realise just how deep in shit you were. You didn't realise what was at stake coming down here. It also seems you don't realise what it means to be in your position right now. To use your own words Miss Doom, you are fucked."

Autumn left the hallway and rounded a corner leaving Dr. Coleman and Ruby to their own devices for the moment as Ruby scrambled to make sense of what was happening around her. It was only after she realised she had no idea how to get out of her current situation that she saw Dr. Coleman pacing erratically.

"What's the matter Dr. Coleman?"

"My daughter! S-s-she's doomed unless I keep making these infernal w-w-weapons! And now the arrival of Grievous Wylde!"

"Why does it matter who's here now?" Ruby asked.

"Because, if it's the same man I've heard about Miss D-D-Doom, we had all better be s-scared... we won't be alive much longer when G-G-Grievous Wylde is done with us... The Confederacy is growing darker than I expected it could ever grow..."

"Dr. Coleman, did I hear correctly when you Autumn said you'd only managed to reverse engineer one type of gun for them? How far are you being able to produced a rifle?"

"Yes, Miss Doom. They have the knowledge on how to recreate a type of revolver. As for a rifle, that is more complicated and takes a lot more time... But I am not far from unlocking the secrets of an old world rifle... And I'm afraid i'm going to have to finish the job. My daughter..."

Dr. Coleman trailed off, sitting on the bed in his cell with his hands covering his face. Ruby moved back to her bed, sitting down while trying to figure out her next move and decide what she was going to do with Dr. Coleman once he was out. There was no logical way he was going to be able to blend in. He was far to obvious a character. Ruby, for the first time in her life felt a sense of dread fill the bottom of her stomach; maybe this time she'd gotten in over her head.

The Bombardment of The River Mines

A few hours passed and Ruby stood by the bars of her cell silently watching Dr. Coleman work away, tinkering at an old world rifle and making notes by torch light. The Confederacy had managed to get some sort generator that was left behind from the old world, and while it's repairs meant lighting for this bunker, it was a stretch to say it was comfortable.

Ruby had tried several different ways to shift the bars in her cell, but so far nothing seemed to even give her a glimmer of hope for progress. Every now and again a guard would come by and check on the two of them, but they never said anything. Ruby had managed to probe Dr. Coleman a little further and although he clearly wanted to finish his notes for the sake of his daughter, Dr. Coleman had indulged Ruby when she showed more interest in the bunker this time... Apparently, according to Dr. Coleman's theory, this bunker was some sort of old world underground military base that was used as some form of prison/storage for important personnel. It supposedly currently housed hundreds of old world weaponry, but because of time, a lot of it seemed to be unusable... There had been a lot of documentation too, but again time had taken it's toll and so Dr. Coleman only had what was physically left to go off of.

Initially Dr. Coleman had been told there was great interest for him here in regards to an old world vehicle like no other. When he arrived he'd discovered he was lied to and was expected to reverse engineer the old world weapons the Confederacy had found. Immediately Dr. Coleman had refused any part in creating something that would kill others, and that was when Colonel Autumn had appeared, warning Dr. Coleman of his daughter's imprisonment and danger if he didn't cooperate.

More time passed and Ruby was beginning to grow restless. Guards how now been stationed at the end of this hallway, Dr. Coleman had withdrawn further into his own world now, hastily unlocking the secrets to this rifle. Ruby had exhausted all her efforts in trying to escape. It seemed this underground bunker the old world military had created was meant to be totally impenetrable for the most part. Wherever she was, she was sure it was at the bowels of this place, and she was still nervous as to get out of the actual place and mine itself since she'd fallen unconscious just trying to enter... She reasoned they must have some sort of gas trap enabled towards the mouth of the cave; how else would they have gotten the better of her? How the hell was she supposed to get past that?

Suddenly a deep quake shivered through the base. The shock waves were enough to cause Ruby and Dr. Coleman to their feet, looking towards the ceiling in the dim light that flickered as another shake erupted, causing the makeshift lighting system to falter. Dr. Coleman shot Ruby a quizzical glance, as if to silently ask what was going on and Ruby replied with a silent shake of her head. Suddenly a shouting voice echoed down the hall and although Ruby couldn't make out what was happening it was a moment later a burly looking man was unlocking Dr. Coleman's cell door, and then Ruby's.
Dr. Coleman followed obediently with his notebook clutched tightly, shooting Ruby another look as if to say, comply with them.

The two seemed to rushed around bends and corners and Ruby barely had time to appreciate or understand the place around them. It had a stagnant feel, something she quietly found amusing; it must be perfect for Confederate asshats. Dark-grey, smooth concrete walls, with bare minimum décor. Ruby almost wondered if this was what the Workshop might have looked like before the White Group took hold. It was only a few minutes later Ruby found herself chaperoned with Dr. Coleman into what looked like a mess hall of sorts and told to wait while the burly man collected his superiors.

The man left and as soon as he was sure, Dr. Coleman grabbed Ruby by the arm surprising her totally as he pulled from his person a small leather bound book. He shoved it into Ruby's inner pocket of her jacket, while pulling out another small leatherbound book from somewhere else on him. Ruby watched with a concerned look as he turned around and bent over a rusted table and started to scrawl all over the pages.

“Y-you must take that book to my d-daughter! She'll understand everything in it!”

Ruby pressed her hand to the pocket in her jacket, cottoning on to what he was saying,

“Dr. Coleman, you can take the book to her yourself..”

“D-don't be kind M-miss Doom... I know w-when my time it up. I d-don't expect to live past this... and i-if there's one t-thing I can d-do... It's s-stop more blood shed...”

Ruby watched as Dr. Coleman kept writing,

“I'll g-give them this copy!”

“What'll be in that?”

“A-a-a a lot of poems I used to read Alexia when she was younger...”

Dr. Coleman turned to Ruby and smiled.

“I used to love my people. T-trust them wholeheartedly.”

Ruby felt a sense of dread overcome her. Dr. Coleman really didn't plan on leaving.

“B-but somewhere along the way w-we, well most of u-us have lost our way... A-Alexia hasn't though. In that book I gave you... I-it has my research on the old world rifle Colonel Autumn h-has been making me work on... I've taught A-Alexia everything I know... P-pass that on to her with my sincerest apologies Miss Doom... and she'll know w-what to do...”

Ruby nodded as she listened. Another rumble shook the bunker and part of the ceiling in the mess hall collapsed away allowing dirt to sift into the room, an earthy smell now filled Ruby's nose.

“I-I've never been one for war Miss Doom... P-progress yes.. But at the expense of b-blood – no. I don't know if that makes me a c-coward or a h-hero... I can't on my c-conscious make any more weapons to aid in the destruction of innocent people... N-no matter how far it takes the Confederacy... My daughter is s-stronger than I am... She will make the right choice as to w-what to do with my knowledge... P-pass on the information I have given you Miss Doom and I am confident Alexia w-will make the right decision.. Just promise me, that in me trusting y-you with this information... You won't let Colonel Autumn g-get his hands on it...”

“I promise Dr. Coleman.” Ruby said sternly, her eye contact with Dr. Coleman strong and determined.

“I-I'm serious Miss Doom.. The Confederacy has b-big plans... I only k-know a small part of it... But I do know if they get their h-hands on my knowledge and my dear Alexia... T-there's no stopping them...”

Suddenly the door to the mess hall banged open and there in the doorway stood Colonel Autumn, taught and serious as he glared down Ruby and Dr. Coleman.

“Dr. Coleman, it seems we are under attack. By my information, the Black Hornets are here looking for trouble...They're actually tossing dynamite down the quarry to the entrance of the Mine. Have you finished your notes?”

Dr. Coleman looked nervous, but nodded his head solemnly as Colonel Autumn, smiling held his hand out expectantly.

“Good, hand them over.”

Colonel Autumn nodded his head to behind him and two men shuffled in past him and headed towards Ruby and Dr. Coleman. Suddenly Ruby found herself restrained as Dr. Coleman handed the notes over and Autumn smiled. He flicked the through book but didn't take any particular noticed of any one page.

“Ah. Good. You've really helped the confederacy a great deal Dr. Coleman, we will never forget your servitude. I'll make sure to send your daughter your best regards...”

Autumn turned on his heel,

“She must be at your level of expertise nowadays at old world reverse engineering am I right?”

Dr. Coleman whimpered,

“Yes that's right Dr. Coleman. We know all about little Alexia's talents. That's why we will no longer be needing your help with the Confederacy's progress. Suddenly Autumn turned on his heel and withdrew a revolver from his side, shooting Dr. Coleman in the chest, collapsing him to the ground.

Suddenly Ruby had a flash back to the basement of the hotel Roland Grey was running in New Mesa. The piles of bodies. The crumpled heap of a young man dying as Joland Grey whimpered over him. Ruby found her blood boiling and her insides silently screaming as she witnessed first hand the kind of evil Colonel Autumn was comfortable with.

“Time for us to leave Miss Doom.. I believe you and I have some talking to do. You're still of importance to me. Then you have an appointment with a colleague of mine coming a long way to speak with you.”

Ruby felt something within her shift and suddenly the two men restraining her were on the floor as she twisted from their grip, bringing a leg up to connect with the face of the man to her right and then ducking down to kick the feet out of the other man who was standing. They hit the floor fast and before they could process themselves, Ruby had grabbed the gun from the first man and pulled the trigger into the men's chests.

She scrabbled to her feet and was out the door of the mess hall and into the hallway of the bunker just in time to take a pot shot in the direction of Colonel Autumn as he turned a corner. The arrogance of the man was astounding to Ruby as he merely turned around and fired once in her general direction before shooting her a disgusted look and moving forward.

Ruby took chase after Autumn and was rounding the corner within seconds to only duck just in time as a silver sword swung out to try and decapitate her. The sword clinked against the wall and Ruby pushed from her feet bringing her body up swinging her fist as she rose to upper cut Autumn, reeling him back stunned. Autumn took a moment to adjust himself, and Ruby glared coldly as the man realised he wasn't walking away as easily as he thought.

Ruby pulled the gun up to point blank range but just as she went to pull another rumble from above coursed through the bunker and a portion of the ceiling between Ruby and Autumn collapsed, catching Ruby off guard and giving Autumn enough time to escape. Ruby quickly composed herself and saw the haste in Autumn's run. She made her way over the collapsed rubble feeling another shockwave travel through the underground base again. What the fuck were the Black Hornets doing!? They were going to collapse the whole damn bunker! Or was that their plan?

Ruby rounded another corner just in time to see Autumn making a bolt towards a door where two lower Fed's were motioning Autumn to hurry. Ruby shook her head and blew a curl of hair out of her way and double timed her chase for Autumn. It was obvious he was no different to any of the Confederate fucksticks Ruby had dealt with in the past... Running as soon as Ruby had any notion of an upper hand.

Autumn was almost through the door when Ruby realised she wasn't going to catch him if he got through clear. She aimed the stolen hand gun up to eye level and pulled the trigger twice dispatching the two guards ushering Autumn through. When the guards dropped to the floor Ruby almost had to smile at the pace Autumn now seemed to running at. She continued her pursuit and was through the door after him chasing the man once again through the halls. Every now and then Autumn would stop to take potshots back in Ruby's direction, but the ferocity of the fight up top coupled with his exasperated emotions meant Autumn was too flustered to get a proper connecting shot in. Ruby however was reveling in the chase at hand. The loud noises, the shockwaves, the anger coursing through her veins... They were all boiling up to a climax Ruby was ready to confront.

What seemed like hours of chasing Autumn through the bunker suddenly sped up as Ruby realised Autumn had taken her straight out of the bunker and was leading her into the actual River Mine and out to the surface. It was as the bunker opened up to the actual cave that she noticed all around the two as they raced towards the surface were Confederate soldiers running back and forth trying to salvage old world weapons and any men who had fallen.

No one seemed to be taking any notice of Ruby or Autumn at this point, but in reality, as far as she was concerned Ruby could only see herself and Autumn in the cave. She failed to noticed the other men and woman fighting to get to the surface. She failed to see the mine start to give way and she didn't even notice as they reached the mouth of the cave the bodies of Confederate soldiers and other men and woman dressed in black and yellow laying limp in the mouth of the mine too.

As Autumn ran through the mouth and into the open Ruby noticed the man falter in his sprint and collapse to his knees just shy of freedom. As she gained ground on Autumn she suddenly began to feel faint herself – like she had when she first entered the cave... That's when she noticed some sort of contraption just up head of her.. It had been pumping some sort of gas into the mouth of the cave.. That had been how the Confederacy was keeping tabs on who was coming to the cave... Unless someone wearing some sort of protective mask operated it, no one got in our out without passing out.

Ruby made a bee-line for the gas-tank, shooting wildly when she realised she wouldn't make it to it. A shot made contact and the tank exploded, luckily it seemed whatever gas they were using wasn't too flammable as it created a large but mainly localized explosion. Ruby kept up her pace but noticed two more tanks stood in her way she assumed were spilling the incapacitating gas. She shot out towards them, but her sight was weakening and soon she had no bullets.

The Showdown in the Quarry and Reunion of Ruby Doom and James Squire

It seemed Autumn had made it to the outside and he was on his knees breathing heavily, trying to take in fresh air so he could get away. Ruby gritted her teeth and upped her ante one more time, calling on her last reserves of energy as she bolted forward through the noxious gases. She felt everything within her body click into place and it was as though she was a steam-train within a small woman. Without notice she rocketed through the mouth of the cave screaming as she tackled Autumn, rolling the two out into the wide open as another explosion halfway up the quarry caused a small rock slide down to their location.

The dust flew up around, blocking out the light around them, pluming halfway up the depth of the quarry. Ruby managed to maneuver herself on top of Autumn landing a punch to the man's face causing Autumn to collapse back. Ruby brought her fist back up again but stopped short when Autumn bucked underneath her flipping her off to the side. Suddenly Autumn rolled all his weight to his side and brought his right hand backwards into Ruby's stomach winding her. Ruby coughed hard as Autumn stood shakily to his feet,

“I don't know who you think you are... But you are - “

Colonel Autumn was cut off just as he withdrew his sword. Punched to the side of the face. Ruby's head reeled as someone began to fight on her behalf. Autumn fell backwards and suddenly Ruby's savior kicked the man in the gut, causing Autumn to take a few steps backwards. Ruby clambered to her feet, heaving to take in a breath and watched as the man who was saving her seemed to have the upper hand on Autumn. Ruby's savior punched twice to Autumn's face and suddenly had Autumn incapacitated. Standing over him the mystery man called out over the raucous of the dropping dynamite from somewhere above the quarry.

“Well, fuck me damned. Colonel Augustus Autumn. I wasn't expecting to see you here to be honest.. Just your fuckin' baby pricks... What a pleasant surprise!”

Ruby recognized the voice immediately from her last interaction with him.

“James Squire!” she called out.

James turned away from Autumn when he heard his name being called out, and looking upon Ruby's face smiled wryly,

“Well, I told you I'd be seeing you again Ruby Doom.”

Ruby smiled but the moment was short lived when suddenly another explosion rocked the quarry and rocks began to fall around them. Ruby had to maneuver herself out of the way as a largish boulder rolled down passed her, just narrowly missing James and Autumn.

“Fuck! What is going on!?” Ruby called out,

“Just a bit of Black Hornet camaraderie with the Confederacy... We got a hold of some info that said these fucks-” James motioned to the crumpled heap of Autumn “Had some fuck workin' for them makin' old world weapons! Can you believe it! So we thought it was best to get our asses down here and show them just what they can expect when they try to get sneaky!”

Another explosion and more rubble began to roll down the quarry.

“You're gonna bury the mine squire!”

“That's the poi-”

Suddenly out of nowhere James hit the floor cold, rolling towards Ruby. She moved to his aid, but kept her eyes upwards to see who had knocked him around through the dust. That was when he stepped through the debris and Ruby felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

The Introduction of Grievous Wylde

He was cold, calculating and his demeanor was nothing less than heartless... At least that was what Ruby felt looking at him. He wasn't particularly tall, but he was robed in something that made him look more imposing. He looked to Ruby, but seeing her crouched over James he moved to the heap of Autumn that was getting to his knees.

“Get up Autumn.” he said coldly and slowly over the explosions.

Autumn looked up through the dust and Ruby suddenly felt colder than ever before when Autumn said with relief,

“Grievous, you're just in time.”

Ruby got to her feet, dragging James with her while Autumn and Wylde were distracted with their conversation.

“Wake up James, we gotta go!”

James came to as Ruby pulled him into the safety of the dust, but tripped when another loose slide of dirt and rocks came down. James mumbled something and Ruby had to ask three times what his plan for escape was when he pulled out some sort of flare gun.

“Fire it straight up...” James groaned.

Ruby took it and aimed to the sky and fired once watching the flare go through the dust. A few moment passed when suddenly a rope dropped through the dust in front of Ruby. She didn't question it and tied it around the waist of James and tugged once as she held on tight as suddenly the two were lifted through the dust and out of the quarry. Ruby looked to the ground below and saw as Grievous Wylde watched them ascend. The two came out above the dust and Ruby caught sight of the battle that was raging above the dust.

It seemed the Black Hornets had stolen two Confederate airships and painted black silhouettes of a hornet on their outsides. Ruby could see as on each deck at the stern of the airsips men and women were lighting sticks of dynamite and dropping them blindly into the quarry while other's aimed old world rifles at Confederate soldiers on the visible ground and at an enemy Airship.

On the airship Ruby and James had been pulled to, there were more than ten men to the starboard side firing across the sky to the Confederate airship. The scene was something out a story Ruby thought as she watched the small war waged.

Ruby turned to James, he had gotten to his feet and held a hand out to her helping her up. She looked to him with a concerned eye but before she could speak her attention was diverted when suddenly something shot up to the railing of the airship and all of a sudden Grievous Wylde was leaping onto the ships deck effortlessly. The man pulled on the skyhook gun he'd used to get onto the ship, holstered it and turned towards James and Ruby.

“We need to have a little chat.”

Ruby moved fast as Grievous spoke coldly to her, stepping forward and ducking down then kicking off the deck to bring herself up so her elbow connected with Grievous' chest. But the man was faster than she was and stepped back causing Ruby's weight to move forward giving Grievous the chance to bring an elbow up and hit Ruby to the face sending her rolling across the decking. Jame's leaped just after Ruby and he was more successful in landing a punch, but for all it did, Grievous seemed unfazed.

Ruby was back at her feet and suddenly she and James Squire were working together in unison. One would duck, faux hit at Grievous and when he was distracted the other would make a connecting hit. It was working for a while, but Ruby and James were drawing to the end of their energy. Grievous at that point, began to fight back more. He dodged an attempt from Ruby to kick him in the gut and twisted her leg forcing Ruby to the ground. James tried to swing his weight back into a reverse hit, but again Grievous was able to floor James shortly after.

Grievous moved to James while Ruby wheezed to catch her breath, He picked James up by the collar and whispered something to James that caused his eyes to widened. Ruby saw the look of horror on Jame's face but took the opportunity to take a chance at downing Grievous. She ran forward with everything she had and grabbed Grievous on either side of his head and brought her knee up to his connected square to his forehead.

Grievous stumbled back and Ruby smiled in triumph as finally they'd managed to make the seemingly unstoppable man truly falter. Ruby went to help James up quickly but suddenly Grievous was kicking James in the gut and grabing Ruby across the bullet wounds and grazes on her arms. His grip was so tight it forced Ruby to her knees as Grievous hissed at her,

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You wouldn't happen to part of the reason I'm down in this pathetic excuse of a cesspool would you?”

“Go fuck yourself...” Ruby grunted.

“This must be the flatlander hospitality I've heard so much about...”

Grievous pulled a large knife from under his cloak,

“You and I have some things to discuss, so let's make this short shall we...”

Ruby felt the knife press to her lip and watched as Grievous coldly stared into her eyes. The pressure of the knife was growing and Ruby actually began to worry for the first time. But just the knife point began to draw the first drop of blood James had tackled Grievous to the ground, forcing the two across the deck and toppling a man wielding live dynamite.

“OH SHIT!” James shouted!

James and Grievous were both out of harms way before the dynamite exploded, but the explosion was big enough to break the stern of the ship. It was only seconds after the explosion that the airship started to tilt. Ruby found her body sliding towards the rail of the deck as the ship headed towards the ground. She grasped wildly for anything to hang onto but it was seconds later that she found herself being grabbed by James Squire and him shouting something intelligible as he was directed her to jump from the falling Airship and landing, only just, on the second commandeered airship.

The ship began to turn as the last of the dynamite was dropped and Ruby watched in awe as Grievous Wylde swung from the crashing ship to the ground with ease using the skyhook, meeting Colonel Autumn and four other cloaked figures on the ground. Autumn motioned to the Confederate airship that was on his side, and Grievous looked up to it too, Ruby guessed they planned to follow them and turned to James,

“They'll follow us if we don't stop that Fed ship!”

“On it!” James shouted.

He ran across the deck and seemed to operate some sort of catapult on the deck of this airship. He loaded it with dynamite, lit it, and sent it sailing through the air in the rough direction of the enemy ship. The dynamite made contact though and before Ruby knew it, she, James and the last survivors of this attack were flying off in the distance.

Ruby couldn't help but look to the ground below as they left the quarry behind. On the ground below, looking at them, sending a shiver through Ruby was a nonplussed Grievous... It was Autumn in fact who seemed more than angry while he and Grievous and his companions watched them leave, but Ruby was thankful that they had survived.

The 'Wise Words' of Ruby Doom...

Ruby lost track of how much time had passed when the airship was finally docked at Skycove. She watched James sell it for a hefty sum of money and then donate half that money to some orphanage at Skycove. Ruby quietly wondered how far money would go on anything that was remotely good in Skycove, but chose to appreciate the sentiment of the Black Hornet's donation – perhaps was even just a publicity stunt to gain loyalty?

It was shortly after that Ruby had made her own arrangements to get back to the Workshop that she managed to get James alone and speak to him,

“What was all that?” she asked sternly

“What was what? The thing at the River Mine? Black Hornet business...”

“Bullshit.” Ruby said

“It was”

“No way Squire... Black Hornets don't attack like that...”

“What would you know Ruby? The Black Hornets are a resistance group...”

“But you guys haven't killed unless you needed to... and I KNOW not all of those men were civilised!”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I could see they were tribal James.”

“And we needed to kill back there... we were after something and we knew the Fed's had it...”

“You were after Dr. Coleman... and you didn't need to kill.”

James looked at Ruby suspiciously, and honestly she found it odd she was speaking against murder... Especially killing Confederates. Ruby was usually the first for killing a Fed. But she couldn't deny that all the knowledge she'd managed to obtain in regards to the Black Hornets and James Squire... They didn't... and He didn't sound like the type of people who killed just because... that was someone elses influence.

“Yeah, That's right... How did you know?”

“James, you need to separate from Gretch befo-”

“Hey hey hey, that ain't any of your business...”

“None of my business? Bullshit!”

“Hey, you barely know me... barely know the Black Hornets.. You don't get to talk about shit you know nothing about..”

“I saved your ass James Squire! I saved your people too back in New Mesa from that sick fuck Roland... I sent you a trustworthy Fed your way too... When I met you James you told me about your plans to Unite the fucking Flats.. and now you've thrown in your shit with a psychopath like Gretch?

James went quiet,

“You were fighting for something worth fighting for Squire... I know this because I saved you... Because Sarah Hawthorne trusts you enough to die for your cause... But you're contradicting everything you stand for the longer you throw your shit in with Gretch... He won't save you... He won't help you once you've been used get what he wants... James, he is a fuckin' monster! God damn it! He sent you down to the River Mine didn't he?”

“He gave us a tip...” James retorted

“Yeah... I bet he did... Gave you a tip to get Dr. Coleman... Then what were you gonna do after you got Dr. Coleman? Huh? Give him to Gretch I bet?”

James was completely silent now.

“It's up to you how far you take this James Squire. I ain't disputin' the Feds are bad. I know better than anyone what they're capable of. But you also gotta know, It's not all black and white! And uniting the Flats, making a change... It ain't gonna start with random killing, of anyone.”

That was something Ruby had learned from the White Group.

“Joland Grey should be proof of that for you...Whatever he's doin' for you, you gotta know he ain't bad... I wouldn't have sent him to you if that were the case. And I ain't sayin' people aren't gonna die before anything gets better.. But that blood... that blood you spilled already... has that been for the freedom of the flats? Or has that been for Gretch?”

Ruby cocked her head upwards, staring James down. When the conversation went no further, James gritted his teeth and breathed out heavily, solemnly talking to Ruby,

“Stay outta my business Ruby...”

“I'm only gonna tell you this once, cut your ties with Gretch James. I promise you that's not an investment you want to make.”

“Is that a threat?”

“I don't want it to be...”

“Thank you Ruby Doom...” he said sternly

James turned away, walking to the small group of Black Hornet's he'd brought back with him, Ruby watched as they melted into the crowd, noting Joland Grey wave half-heartedly acknowledging her, prompting Ruby to nod back and call out as they melted away,

“I'll be seeing you again James Squire!”

The Return to the Workshop and an Unexpected Visitor

Ruby double timed her trip back to the Workshop. She'd already spent too much time traveling the Flatlands already. She was nervous to be carrying around the notebook of the late Dr. Coleman and she wanted to tell Miss Reese everything she'd seen in last week or so and offer her assistance in getting to Alexia Coleman before Autumn and that Grievous man did.

It was late at night she made it back to the Workshop, but she didn't waste anytime in getting the information to Miss Reese. She woke the woman up and the two spent the entire night discussing what Ruby had seen, trying to figure out what was happening next. Ruby wasn't sure where she wanted to take the conversation... So many things hinged on the opinion of so many people and the reality was, there wasn't much anyone could do but to try and persuade people to listen to them. When Ruby gave Miss Reese Dr. Coleman's notes she hesitated at first, not sure how to proceed with the information... On the one hand, it would be certainly beneficial to have Miss Reese's friend from the Peaks here, helping to decipher her fathers notes, but then again... Were the White Group opening themselves up to something that should be left alone?

That was when Miss Reese stopped Ruby there and took her to a room of the Workshop Ruby had never taken notice of before. She knocked once and soon after a woman around Miss Reese's age answered the door. She was short, blonde with long wavy hair and wearing tight burgundy pants with a white frilled top and some sort of magnifying goggles on her forehead. Miss Reese spoke first before Ruby felt her gut drop when she realised who they were talking to and the news she was about to deliver,

“Alexia... We have a few things to discuss, it really can't wait...”

Epilogues.


Gretch


Gretch lifted the spyglass to his eye and observed to scene of bloody violence occurring a few miles away. He was standing with an entourage of not necessarily his brightest but some of his best and overlooking the scene of carnage Alexander Lancaster had wrought.

“Those Feds dickbeaters are learning the first rule on the Flats.” Gretch said.

“Wass tha Boss?” Kara asked one of the Tribals he’d taken as part of entourage.

“Never but never fuck with the Guardians. Gotta be about twenty of ‘em down there beating seven shades of fuck outta those assholes. Looks like the Grocer of the Wastes didn’t do too fucking rough.”

“Wha ‘bout now? They gonna be real angry.”

“You bet your left tit they’ll be pissed. Now we gotta do one of them meeting things, you know... a uh...”

“Parlay Boss?” One of the Entourage offered.

“A fucking PARLAY!”

“Was tha?” Kara asked.

“What are you fucking slow?” Gretch said as he lowered the glass and looked at Kara who gazed dumbly forward. She was tripping on something that much was certain. “Stupid question. Parlay is where we get all the big dicks together in one room and have chat about kicking these fuckers outta New Mesa and outta the Flats.”

#

Autumn

Autumn was nursing a bruised face and looking at Coleman’s notebook when Wylde strode into his office. He walked up to the desk with a swagger Autumn hadn’t witnessed in many years, normally men bowed their heads when they saw Autumn.

“Most people knock Wylde...” Autumn said with a sigh.

“I’m not most people.” Wlyde responded while talking a look at Coleman’s book. He snorted derisively when he saw it was full of children’s poetry and tossed it back onto the desk.

“Well take a seat then.” Autumn said gesturing at the chair opposite him.

“I’d rather stand, I won’t be long. I’m taking command of the Alpha Company of the Specials you will remain in command of Bravo, Charlie and Delta in addition to the regulars.”

“That’s outrageous!”

“What’s outrageous is the Confederate Army is getting bested by crowd of savages. This is not your decision Autumn it comes from the Grand General himself. You are to continue with your movements but leave the Terrorists to me, my men and the Specials.”

“I strongly disagree with...”

“Are you disobeying a direct order from the Grand General?” Autumn slowly shook his head. “I’m not here to take the Glory, I’m from the Cabal there is no Glory for us. Your political ambitions in Mundus will be unaffected by my actions. If anything I’d take this as a sign of trust, the Grand General has seen fit to give you Cabal support. In a few months we’ll be shaking hands in the middle of Hope.”

Autumn was blushing heavily due to Wylde’s surgical exposure of his motivations. “Very well. I agree.”

Wylde smiled thinly. “I didn’t come to ask for your agreement, I’m simply telling what I’m doing. Operations begin today.”

With that Wylde turned on his heel and left the general to lick his wounds.

#

Jenner Reese.

Jenner flipped through the book Ruby had presented him with as she gave her report and made a mental note of a few page numbers. She raised her eyebrows when Ruby told her about Autumn and Wylde but held her comments until the end. After she had delivered her report Jenner eyed Ruby for a second before making up her mind.

“There’s someone I need you meet.”

Jenner than led Ruby down the cold halls of the Workshop towards a section of the Workshop not often visited. She knocked on a non descript door that was answered by Alexia Coleman.

“Alexia... We have a few things to discuss, it really can't wait...”

It was bad and Jenner regretted bringing Ruby along, of course Alexia’s first instinct was to blame Ruby. That quickly passed and the girl was inconsolable for what Jenner thought was the longest time. She could remember how she’d been when she had learned her own family was dead. It seemed like a life time ago now, it had been for some people.


“Alexia I know you’re sad and it feels like it will never end. I can’t tell you that it will, what I can tell you is you need to let it turn.”

“Turn?” Alexia asked through the tears.

“Yes, turn the sadness into something else. Those monsters worked your father against his will, they made him a slave and you an orphan. Are you going to let that stand?”

“What can I do? I’m just... I’m not strong.”

“No you’re not, but we are. She is.” Jenner said nodding to an awkward looking Ruby. “You’re smart. That means something. You give Ruby the tools and she will use them to hurt those that hurt you. I guarantee it.”

“But revenge is wrong, Father always said we... shouldn’t act out of fury.”

“It’s not fury, this is righteous indignation. This is Justice. The Confederate system only works because it’s based on strength and fear. Good in a war but look what that thinking did to the Peaks, to you father. You can stop it here, turn the storm. Your father would have wanted that.”

Alexia sniffled and finally let go of Jenner. She rubbed her eyes which were red and puffy.

“You’re right. I’ll give you’re tools but it will take some time, I’ll be working from scratch.”

“Not exactly.” Jenner said as she fished Coleman’s notebook out of a pocket.

Alexia welled up when she recognised the handwriting but choked back the tears. She took the book and flicked through it.

“My they must have found quite a haul of Old World artefacts down there. Would it be possible to...”

“Forget it. They’re gone.” Ruby said, her first words in quite some time.

“I was wondering if you could focus on these pages.” Jenner said as she turned to the pages she’d made a mental note of earlier.

Alexia nodded at each one but her eyes grew wide at the last one.

“That might take a little more work.”

“Our resources are yours. Kincaid in the Armoury will help as will Armoured Serpent, a Smithy we’ve worked with in the past.”

Alexia nodded slowly. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I ask.”

Ruby and Jenner left Alexia to pour over her father’s notes and slowly walked back to the office.

Before they parted ways Jenner turned and spoke to Ruby.

“Very good work. If we can get half of those things working we should be alright in the coming war.”

After saying goodnight Jenner returned to the office and collapsed in her chair. She felt terrible, she had exploited someone’s grief over their dead Father to get them to make weapons, the very weapons their father had refused to make. She felt dirty. She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and produced a bottle of Purified Shine. It was the only Item that remained which had belonged to Mister Charles.

She poured the liquid into a dainty glass and corked the bottle. She looked at the glass for a while before taking a long pull and letting out a long sigh.

#

“Father I must insist we move to The Overwatch.” Guardian Avers said while he walked alongside the fail old man know as Father Singh. Avers was the Commander of the Guardians although his uniform was no different from any other.

“I understand but I am needed here.”

“We cannot trust those confederate wolves.”

“They maybe wolves but I have my Watchdogs.” The old man raised a weak hand in the direction of a pair of Guardian’s perched on Hope’s massive Walls.

“We lost 20 men in that last encounter.”

“I hear over 200 enemies were slew in the battle. The men fought well and drove a dagger of fear into the hearts of our enemies.”

“Yes but we couldn’t survive another fight like that.”

“You are being dramatic. That’s not a trait I knew Guardians possessed.”

“I’m sorry Father I just...”

“You just lost comrades. I understand, they were your brothers in arms, of course you feel their loss. What I will not do though is leave Hope and travel to the Overwatch.”

“Your word is my law.” Guardian Avers said quietly.

“What we now need to address is the fact that there was a battle at all.”

A smile fluttered across Avers face for a second before returning to its normal composed state.

“We have been working on responses. At the moment our focus is on disrupting supply lines, targeting their airships and preventing their rail lines from being built.”

“How soon can you start talking action?”

“Today.”

“Very good Avers. I give you my word.”

Avers nodded and began to walk away from the old man and toward the barracks.

“Guardian wait!” Singh shouted to Avers back. He spun on his heel and was quickly back at the old man’s side. “I’m sor... It was wrong of me to trust the Confederates and it was unfortunate that the Guardians bore the brunt. I thought I was protecting...” Words failed the old man.

“Father you are a man of peace, not meant for the filth of this world, just like all who reside in Hope. You have kept the pure, pure. The Guardians and I are damned yet by defending you and this place we may yet know paradise. This is what we do, the Guardians who died did so in service of something greater. They had the best deaths we can hope for.”

The old man reached out and patted Avers on the shoulder who visibly stiffened at the kind touch something the Guardian wasn’t used to. “Thank you Avers. Do what you must.”

The Barracks was a hive of activity as Guardians were cleaning weapons, exercising, sharpening blades and sparring. All activity ceased when Avers entered and each Guardian looked his way.

“He’s let us off the leash.”

The roar was deafening.

#

Skycove.

The Sleeping Dragon Pub was packed and smelt of a very distinctive mix of stale beer and sweat. The Pub was normally quite raucous but on this evening there was an uncommon hush over the place. Two men were standing in the middle of the floor holding the audience rapt.

“We go south and just use the southern Trade routes. We can work outta the Red Coast.” Gull Barbour said in summation of the short speech he had just gave.

The cry of applause went up from the assorted Sky-pirates. When it had died down the other man cleared his throat and gave his rebuttal. “Aye but then where? They’ll keep nipping at yer heels till they run ya out right outta land.” It was Blinky Waters speaking. Again he got a round of applause.

“Are you dense Blinky! I know you only got one eye but even you can see we’re in fucking airships we don’t need land!” A roar of support went up for Gull.

Blinky stood “Food, bed, women, fences all them are on LAND! We can’t be just be floatin’ ‘round up here. We’re sky pirates, PIRATES! Ya stupid Manpleaser!”

Gull stood with fire in his eyes. “What did you say! That was only the one time and I was in prison and it was dark and he sorta looked like a woman. A body gets lonely, Damn it!” He screamed before rushing Blinky. “I’ll take that other fuckin eye!”

This was how most of the Sky Pirates attempts at civilised debate ended up, nothing was achieved and a couple of people died. This time was different though.

A shot rang out and the fighting stopped immediately.

“Who’s shootin’!? Youse all know no shootin’ in the bar! You might hit bottle, waste the booze!” The barkeep shouted from somewhere deep in the scrap.

“If you boys are done having your wee wrestling match we’re gonna have us a talk.”

Every set of eyes in the place turned to Captain Carla Reynolds, a diminutive woman with brunette hair and a large old world revolver on her hip.

“Now Blinky and Gull are both right, but nobody cares. We’re pirates we only care about one thing which is...”

“Women?” Blinky offered

Reynolds shook her head.

“Drink?” Someone from the crowd shouted.

Reynolds shook her head.

“Violence?” Another anonymous voice called.

Reynolds shook her head. “In addition to all those things the only thing we care about is... Booty.”

“But I said women.” Blinky said looking dejected.

“Plunder ya morons!” Reynolds shouted, finally losing her cool. “All of ya sit down. We’re going to talk business.”

The pirates who moments before had been locked in mortal struggle now sat down. Some right beside the person they’d been beating.

“Alright here’s what’s going on. The Confederates are going to push us outta the Flats and down south to the Red Coast. Maybe they follow us and push us into the sea I don’t know nor do I care because the Red Coast may as well be the ocean. There’s only small towns down there and not a lot of targets. The Pirates that are down their already ain’t making a lot of beads.”

There was a murmur of agreement and Captain Reynolds continued.

“So there’s no plunder down on the Coast and then we arrive. We’d be eating each other in a week. Unless we all promise we’ll go different ways, like say half of us go in any other direction but south and into the arms of certain death or slavery. We can trust half of youse to do that right?”

“Naw Reynolds, that sounds terrible.” Gull said sincerely.

“It’s a rhetorical question idiot. That’s technique used in the art of rhetoric, which is to say the art of orating.”

Gull looked confused but nodded and leaned back in his chair in a lame attempt to feign comprehension.

“So we can’t go South and that was the only option. Which means we gotta stand, but I ain’t getting shot at saving the day for all these idiot flatlanders for no financial compensation.”

There wasn’t any applause but Reynolds could tell by their faces they were gripped.

“Now what do we know about Confederate Airships?”

“They’re big?”

“They got soldiers on ‘em?”

“No, stop it we’re not doing that again. They got plunder, weapons, food, beads, clothes, all the same shit you got on your ships except more better. We go to war with these Snowdwellers and we take what’s theirs and makes it ours. Then we fence it. We’ll make a killing.”

“Or get killed.”Blinky said.

“When was not getting killed part of piracy? This right here is a great deal, we stay on the Flats, we get plunder and we get to buzz the Feds at the same time. Its called war profiteering dummy! What’s not to love?”

The crowd devolved into a rabble as twenty people tried to make themselves heard at the same time.

Reynolds shouted and the crowd hushed again.

“Look this aint gonna work. I’m gonna find these resistance fools and tell ‘em me and the Crew of the Arcadia are gonna stand with ‘em. If any of you wish to do similarwise come find me. The Arcadia is docked near that Pub that smells real bad like bird shit.”

With that she left.

#

Grievous Wylde.

Wylde had collected his team and given orders to the Alpha Company. From Mundus he had brought Five other Cabal members all like him were specialists at their various roles. Wylde was an expert in individual combat specialising in the Martial Arts, to aid him on his mission two of his protégées were at his side. He also brought along an expert Sharpshooter, Interrogator and Tracker completing the Cabal Team of five.

He entered the small house the Cabal had claimed as their own and the Men all quickly got to their feet and stood to attention.

“At ease. We have the Alpha Team of the Specials, they’re not well trained but better than the regulars.”

The men followed Wylde into a room that had at one time been a family kitchen.

“Autumn is going to take Farpoint, however with recent losses he will be stretched too thin if he decides to push on. He knows this and those problems are his own. He will most likely have to wait for reinforcements. We are to focus on Terrorist activity.”

“So now we play detective.” Rakamil, the Tanu tracker, asked.

“Yes. We play detective. Shouldn’t be too hard though this resistance movement depends on numbers and luck. I encountered a group called the Black Hornets that seemed to made up entirely of drug addicted Flat Landers.”

“Easy prey.” Williams, the Sharpshooter, commented.

“There’s more to it than that. I’m thinking there are multiple groups with either no leadership or a cell structure.”

“So what’s the lead?” Asked Blackthorn, the interrogator.

“We have Names, lots in fact. Top of the list is Joland Grey, then James Squire who was in confederate custody until he was freed. Then there’s Ruby Doom, she’s something of an Enigma, there’s also been isolated reports about a group or individual called the Butcher of the Wastes. Lastly there’s the contractor Autumn used to take New Mesa. A tribal by the Name of Gretch.”

“So where do we start?” Asked Oswald one of Wylde’s Protégés.

“Our own house. Joland Grey must be found and interrogated. Additionally it’s obvious Ruby Doom has some connection to New Mesa, so we start knocking on doors.”

Blackthorn smiled.

Wylde Laid out his plan in simple steps.

#

James Squire.

An explosion of red and then the tiny body fell to the ground. Yet the accusing eyes remained on James. He felt them boring into him, making him feel the guilt.

He jerked awake and found himself sitting at desk in the modest bedroom he had in the Black Hornets Safe house in Farpoint. He hadn’t slept in days since he’d killed the child and it felt like he’d only been out for a few seconds. He looked at the untouched bottle of shine sitting in front of him and reached for it, he was about to pop it open when he felt the bile rise in his throat. He kicked the chair back as he stood and shattered the bottle on the wall opposite.

“LANCASTER!” He roared. As he punched the desk in front of him, any fear he had for Alexander had now long since dissipated and been replaced with fury. From James’ perspective Alexander was responsible for the death of Balder. It had been his stupid plan that led to the killing and more importantly it had put the guilt of killing a child on James. As much as he blamed Alexander he now understood what Ruby Doom had meant when she said.

“It's up to you how far you take this James Squire. I ain't disputin' the Feds are bad. I know better than anyone what they're capable of. But you also gotta know, It's not all black and white! And uniting the Flats, making a change... It ain't gonna start with random killing, of anyone.”

He got it now, his hatred of the ‘Feds had made him oblivious to the shades of grey. It made it impossible for him to see the bigger picture. That was something Gretch had preyed on, something Lancaster had preyed on.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a knock at the door and Joland Grey’s ruddy face appearing in the door Jam.

“Just got a letter from Gretch for you.” Joland said offering a crumpled piece of paper.

“Thanks.” Squire said as he opened the letter and scanned it’s contents.

"Dear Concerned Citizen.

How you doing? I am well.

But enough small talk.

Like you, I too have noticed the bags of shit walking around dressed in Confederate Army Uniforms. Like you this turn of events has disturbed me greatly and I wish to do something about it.

If, like me you, wish to address this most fucked of issues I would like to invite you to a meeting or PARLAY at Sula Rise.

Your fellow concerned citizen, Gretch."

Squire noted the location and decided he would attend.

He then made a decision, lifted his own pen and began writing.

“Ruby,

You were right, I got in over my head and wound up doing something I didn’t want to do. That’s mine to carry. I was blinded by hate or some old black and white morality. I don’t know.

What I do know is you are right and the enemy of my enemy is not my friend. Gretch and his kind stand for something I can’t support. I just want a life of peace and freedom. It seems the only way to get that though is through the sword, I just want to make sure it’s pointed at the right people.

I guess what I’m trying to say is the Black Hornets no longer work with Gretch. We’ll stand on our own if we have to but I think your people and mine could work together. All I ask is you consider the offer.

Sincerely

James Squire."

James pocketed the letter and left the room. His eyes were finally open and he didn’t like what he saw.

#

James Costner.

Costner walked up the small ridge and spotted a decrepit looking outhouse. He drew his pistol, walked up to the rickety door and kicked it open.

The Feral tribal screamed and Costner nearly gagged from the smell. He’d caught the guy in middle of talking a dump.

“Shit!” The tribal yelled as he kicked the door closed.

Costner smirked. “Yes it is.”

A few moments later the Tribal remerged and Costner pointed the gun at the skinny man. Who stopped in his tracks.

“Can’t scare the shit outta me pal, I’m all empty inside.” The feral said he rubbed his belly.

“I’m here to see Gretch.”

“Well he ain’t here.”

“The note said...”

“Note said you come here not Gretch would be here.” The tribal smiled, showing off the few teeth he had in his head. “I gotta bring you to him.”

Costner nodded it made sense, in fact he was surprised Gretch had thought of it at all. All the representatives would have been given different locations to go to and it ensured if the Feds got wind of the Parlay only one group would be affected.

“Where?”

“Tell ya when we get there.” The tribal said as he grabbed his skinny horse and climbed on. Costner did the same with his and they started to head west.

They had been riding for a few hours and Costner noted that the Tribal kept taking snorts from a small leather pouch. Costner guessed it was red sand from the way the Tribal was getting talkative.

“Ya know, I know you. I know you from somewhere.”

“I think I just got one of them faces.”

“Naw, naw I know you. What was it...”

Costner had a feeling he knew where they were going.

Back west.

Back to the caves.

“It was... oh yeah. Hehehehe. Your one of them scary assassins right? Weren’t so scary when Gretch got aholdya.”

Costner raised his gun and shot the Tribal’s horse in the head. The Tribal and horse landed in a heap with a sickening crack.

Costner leapt off his horse and grabbed the Tribal by the shoulders dragging him from under the horse. The tribal’s leg was broken and shards of bone had broken the skin.

“That looks real sore.” Costner said as he placed his foot on the broken leg and applied the slightest pressure. The tribal screamed and his eyes rolled back in his head. Costner took his foot away quickly. “You’re gonna die out here but I don’t want you to feel bad about that because I personally am going to choke the life out of every single one of your friends. Then I’m going to kill Gretch and the world will be a better place for it.”

He stripped a rusted revolver and knife from the tribal while he spoke. “You know me? The only way that’s possible is you were there the last time I met Tribals which was when they killed my friend. That’s why I’m gonna kill all of you but not before I’ve used up all you got.”

He then stood and returned to his horse.

“Not many people pass though this way, you won’t get found. Should be a hot one today as well. I’d hate to not have any shade.” Costner threw the rusted knife at ground beside the moaning tribal. “You can try to crawl but I’d suggest using that.”

Costner then started to trot towards the Caves the only place where the meeting could be taking place.

“You can’t leave me!” The tribal shouted after Costner.

“You won’t be lonely long.” Costner shouted over his shoulder.

#

The Parlay.

Gretch sat at the head of a long mahogany table in a throne like chair. The table was in the middle of a spacious cave. Costner entered and saw that there were already a lot of people in the place. He recognised James Squire, Gretch and a Guardian from the Uniform but the small brunette woman was a mystery.

“Fuckin’ finally. Out of everyone I thought you’d be the one who’d find this place easiest.” Gretch moaned. “Take a seat... No surprises underneath this time.” He said with a wink.

Costner grabbed the chair Gretch had intended him to sit at and instead pulled it over so it was opposite Gretch placing them at opposite ends of the table.

“Great Gangs all here. Before we get started I think we should introduce everyone. Ya’ll know me, Gretch Saviour of the Flats. That there’s Jimmy Squire, representing the Black Hornets, Next we got Avery from the...”

“Avers from The Guardians of Hope.” Avers interrupted.

“That was rude AV very fucking rude I was speaking and you just interrupted like a...”

“Get on with it you sick fuck.” Costner said through gritted teeth.

“Just like Charlie. AV is from Hope. Capt Reynolds represents the Cloudfuckers and our late comer there is from the White Group.” Every set of eyes turned to Costner. “Yeah they’re real and very over-fucking-rated. Where’s the red head? I hear she’s much more fuckable than old Charlie was.”

“We won’t work with you.” Costner said ignoring Gretch’s attempts to get a rise out of him. The truth was Jenner had wanted to come but it was agreed it would be a poor idea. Instead Costner was to go and tell them the decision of the White Group. “However we would be open to working with any other group.”

“Are you actually White Group?” Captain Reynolds asked. “I was expecting some kind of lithe sexy little hard body with a set of blades.”

Avers tutted. “Hope will work with whoever wishes to end this occupation. In times such as these we’re willing to hold our nose.”

“The Black Hornets won’t work with Gretch anymore. We stand with the White Group.” Squire said.

Costner smiled when he saw Gretch’s disfigured face twist into a mask of shock.

“You little cunt. After all I’ve done for you!” He said in disbelief.

“You turned me into something I don’t want to be...”

“Who gives a fuck? Did it fucking work? DID IT FUCKING WORK?!” Gretch shouter suddenly seething.

“That’s not the point.”

Gretch turned his head in disgust. “See that’s the problem nobody wants to get their hands dirty. Jimmy here is sad because he hadda do something that goes against his personal code of fucking ethics! Avers you know what I mean. Sometimes we all gotta do things for the greater fucking good.”

Avers Nodded. “Everything to protect Hope.”

Squire shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wanted to turn and tell Avers what had really happened to his men but if he did there would be no way the Guardians would work with any of the groups. This would weaken the resistance as a whole. So he kept quiet.

“Fuck it, it’s fine, your people were shite anyway.” Gretch exhaled loudly.

“The White Group accepts.” Costner said. Ruby had received the letter Squire had sent and Costner knew it was a possibility that The Hornets could turn. Jenner and the rest of the White Group had decided this was a good thing as it would give them some much needed manpower.

“Fan-fucking-tastic. So Avers what about Hope?”

Avers glanced at Costner and then at Gretch. “We fight for Hope and care nothing for your alliances. We will work with Gretch and his rebels so long as they are the best choice. At the moment they have the weapons and people. We will not garrison your people and will only trade supplies and intelligence. We will also lead your people in combat.”

“Yeah your boys don’t really know what the fuck’s going out outside those big walls to much do ya? But you sure know how to leave a lot a confederate uniforms on the floor.”

“So Captain Reynolds where’s the Sky Pirate Armada landing on this?” Squire asked.

“No offense to either of your boys but here’s the story.” She turned to Gretch. “You are a fucking psychotic who under normal circumstances I’d shoot on sight.” She then turned to Costner. “You work for a bunch of murderers for hire. Look I’ve done a lot of bad things for plunder but I ain’t never killed nobody I don’t know for beads as the only reason.” She then looked at Avers. “Sexually repressed cult of emotionally dead killers.” She then looked at Squire. “I don’t even know who the fuck you are. The Black birds or something? You was a nothing who got lucky a few times. That luck is gonna run out for you.” She leaned back in her chair. “Then there’s us, the pirates who, if we were all inclined to be logical here, have the power. We got the Ships with the guns on ‘em, no show without us.”

“True points all of ‘em but none of that matters. All you gotta do is choose a fucking side and stop waxing lyrical.” Gretch moaned. He felt his position of power slipping. He’d have to find away to gain complete control of the Pirate Armada.

“Well we don’t really care ‘bout the spat between the psychos and the Assassins. So we’ll offer our services to whoever needs ‘em.”

“What you can’t... You need to fucking choose!” Gretch cried.

“I am. You can use our ships to quickly transport troops while these sneaky sons of guns can do the same. No point backing one horse.” Reynolds said with a shrug.

“So Hope will fight alongside Gretch’s resistance and we’ll fight with the White Group. While the Sky Pirates will act as transport.” Squire said.

“Yeah, only Transport, ain’t no way we’re going up against their Leviathan with that Gatling gun. We’d be cut to shreds.”

“Well that concludes our Parlay. I hope it was as good for you fuckers as it was for me.” Gretch said with a smile.

“For now, Gretch. After all this is over we still got business.” Costner said as he stood and walked for the door.

“I’m quaking in my fucking boots, last time we played that game you near pissed yourself!”

Costner left the cave with Gretch’s laughter still echoing off the walls.

#

Joland Grey

Joland was sitting in the Black Hornet’s safe house cleaning his revolver, an act he found slightly more fiddly now he was down a finger. He dropped the cylinder and sighed. He lost his brother and his place in the Confederate Army but at least he could have pride in who he was now. With the Hornets there was none of the guilt that came with being a Confederate.

Someone cleared their throat behind him and he turned to see the face of Grievous Wylde staring back. He was flanked by Oswald and Harvey, his protégés.

Joland leapt to his feet and immediately fell over the stool he’d been sitting on. Oswald snorted and walked over to the man.

“Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!” Joland screamed.

Oswald viciously kicked the fallen man in the face and sneered in his ear. “You’re a fucking traitor, I should gut you right here.”

“That’s when Joland realised how much trouble he was in. If they wanted him dead he’d be dead already that meant they wanted to take him in.

“Please no I can’t, I don’t want to... Just let me go?”

“You betrayed the Confederacy and your own brother for... this.” Wylde said with distain as he looked around the shabby room. “There are questions that must be answered.”

#

In New Mesa Blackthorn had broken Joland in record time. Joland spilled everything about the Black Hornet operation in Farpoint. Now Blackthorn kept going just for the sport of it. Wylde strode into Autumn’s war room and dropped a dossier on top of a map of Farpoint Autumn was studying with his command staff.

“What’s that?” Autumn said looking at the slightly blood stained dossier.

“Names and locations of Black Hornet safe houses in Farpoint. That’s where we found Joland Grey. Said a woman called Ruby Doom killed Roland Grey and sent Joland packing to Skycove. There he met a Group called The Black Hornets led by a man called Squire. Turned out the Pirates weren’t too fond of harbouring terrorists so they sent them packing before too long. They ended up in Farpoint.”

“Squire, I know that name. He escaped execution a few weeks ago and that obviously I know Doom. Good work, Wylde very good work.”

“I know.” Wylde said as he marched back out of the office.

He returned to Blackthorn’s ‘office’ and ended the interrogation. Joland was swinging by his arms which were tied to a beam that ran the length of the ceiling.

“He’s had enough Blackthorn. It’s time for the trail.”

Blackthorn looked sad but placed the bloody saw he had been wielding on the table.

“Joland Grey you have been charged with Treason. How do you plead?” Wylde asked.

Joland blubbed something indecipherable. Wylde leaned a little closer and raised a hand to his ear in a mock attempt to hear the man better.

“Guilty. A wise choice, by the powers afforded to me by the Grand General I sentence you to be hung by the neck until you are dead.”

Joland cried but through the blood and broken teeth it came out like a gurgle.

Twenty minutes later Joland Grey had been publically executed and Grievous Wyle was on the hunt for Ruby Doom.

#

Squire.

He had arranged to meet with the White Group later in the week and had returned to Farpoint. The small town that was nestled below the Airships of the rich. There was no will to fight there, the only thing that interested most of the population was money and power. The Confederates represented both. At least now Skycove was open to them again and he’d take the first opportunity to move the Black Hornets there. Gretch was going to Garrison some of his troops there as well which would make for an interesting dynamic. While Squire didn’t want to work for Gretch he could work with him towards a common goal. He knew the distinction was tenuous but to Squire it was there.

He tied up his horse and entered the safehouse he shared with Joland and few other members of the resistance. As soon as he set foot inside he knew something was wrong. The place had been ransacked and the three resistance fighters who had been with Joland lay dead only one had his sword drawn. Joland was missing. Could he have been a confederate spy?
Squire did a quick sweep of the area and found Joland’s revolver in bits. It was in the middle of being cleaned. That meant Joland had been taken by surprise.


“Fuck.” Squire whispered as he ran out of the house and back to his horse. He went directly to one of the other Safehouses and battered on the door until it swung open.

A young woman answered the door and her eyes went wide when she realised who it was.

“James... I do...”

“We have been found out. Everyone needs to get out now and to Skycove. You need to complete the chain ok?”

The girl nodded and shut the door in his face. He didn’t mind, it was what she was supposed to. Complete the chain meant she would need to pass on the message to the next safehouse who would pass it on the next and so on. The rest of the resistance fighters would need to sanitise their safe houses and bring what they could to Skycove.

Squire went directly to his horse and rode out of Farpoint.

#

Autumn

The Confederate Army took Farpoint with one casualty and ten Terrorists dead. It was a good operation and it seemed like most of Farpoint was happy to see the Confederates. It was something of a relief to Autumn who needed something to go right. Now he was in charge of two locations New Mesa and Farpoint although he knew Farpoint wouldn’t cause as much trouble as New Mesa. In fact some of the local populace had offered to join the Confederate Army.

A downside had been they had only taken ten members of the Black Hornets and none of them alive. It seemed like their dedication was growing as the occupation wore on.

He was still supremely confident that he could take the Flats, he was due another deployment of troops and that meant he could better defend his conquests. All he had to do was keep the momentum up.
#

Gretch.

The Confederate Captain moaned and a thick hand slapped him awake. His eyes filled with terror as a large scarred face came into focus.

“You know who I am?”

“Y-y-y-yess.”

“You know what I do?”

“Y-y-y-y-yess.”

“I’m gonna do it to you if you don’t tell when this Airship fulla your fucking Fed buddies comes in understand.”

“Due next week, it’s called the Rising Sun just please don’t...”

Gretch slit the man’s throat before lifting a piece of paper and scrawling Alexander’s orders.

#

Jenner Reese.

“So they weren’t at the meeting?” Jenner asked.

“Nope, I know Gretch is a sadistic fucker and I guess we can add racist as well.” Costner responded.

They were standing in her office discussing the Parlay.

“Well then I guess we have some friends to make.”

#




Gretch Jobs.

Return to Sender.

Target- Confederate Troop Transport Rising Sun.


Location- In about a week it should be around the Northern Flats


Information- Good Fucking work getting the religious nut jobs or our side. Maybe you’re not a complete fuck up after all. That’s why I’m giving you this one. The Feds have got another load of troops coming in on an Airship called the Rising Sun. Problem is when those fucks get here they spread out like ants and we can’t kill ‘em all. Better to find the ant hill and burn ‘em out.

Point is I need you take out the Airship before it lands. Should fuck up Autumn’s plans and take some of the wind outta the Confederate Sails. Now he’s got Farpoint he’s a little stretched.

This is gonna be a Gang bang though. Hope, the pirates and me are in on it. You are going as my representative the Guardians are sending some prick called Brother Jacob and the Pirate Ship is called the Spry Pigeon that’s captained by a cloudfucker called Gull Barbour.

Job is simple use the Spry Pigeon to get close then get onboard. Apparently this Gull fella is so shit hot at piloting he can get close enough to drop youse off without being seen. Then you and the Brother will sneak on and take out the Soldiers. I’d suggested doing it quietlike. Use blades if you gotta drop someone and blow the fucker up. You can use smoke bombs or something to signal Gull for the pick-up. No way you’re jumping off unless you wanna end up a fucking mystery stain in the middle of the desert.

Gretch.

White Group Jobs

Hot Shot

Target- Williams, The Cabal Sniper.


Location- The Badlands.


Information- Gretch is a moron. This is clear now. He had his little Parlay and left out one of the major forces on the Flats. I speak of course of the Ochil. The Confederates have not made the same mistake. The Ochil have been trying to get together their war council but efforts are being thwarted as the clan leaders are being assassinated by a Confederate Sniper called Williams. We believe he is one of Grievous Wylde’s Cabal team and all we could get was a second name, Puck was lucky to get that much. Williams is lethal with his rifle and is a master of concealment. You could walk right past him and not know. He’s cabal so expect him to be a deadly quarry.

The Ochil have sent out war parties but Williams has dropped them with ease. When I learned about this situation I offered the White Group services free of charge. Hopefully this will lead to a more stable working partnership with the Ochil Clans. Assuming this Sniper doesn’t kill the leadership before then.

The Sky pirates can provide transport if you wish but I recommend using something lower key. The Hornets have offered you a squad of two members to assist, but let’s be honest their main use will be as bullet magnets, use them to identify the shooters location. The Ochil will also supply a tracker.

The sniper seems to be operating in the Badlands in a small mountain rocky mountain range called Sula Rise.

Kill Williams and secure Ochil support for the White Group.

Jenner Reese.

Mission Objective: Kill the Cabal Sharpshooter and forge an Alliance with the Ochil.
Location: Sula Rise

In Memory of Dr. Coleman.

Ruby had been out of action for nearly two weeks, deep within the confines of the Workshop. Nothing seemed to lift her spirits, and her stomach was reeling every moment she allowed herself to think about the state of the Flatlands. The conversation with Alexia and Miss Reese was still hanging heavily on Ruby's shoulders and although it had been entirely out of her hands, Ruby was still guilt-ridden for not getting Dr. Coleman back to his daughter. She supposed her only saving grace was the book being in Alexia's hands now... Although, Ruby wasn't confident the woman would be able to carry out her promises; not that ruby would blame her, she knew all too well the heartache of losing a parent before you were ready.

It was about halfway in the first week of Ruby's two week hiatus that Puck had come to Ruby with James' letter. It was the first small boost she felt to help lift her guilt too. James' confession and open commitment to the White Group was enough to give Ruby a glimmer of hope that perhaps not everything was lost just yet. She'd passed the note to Jenner and Costner and the two had taken the news with an uplifting positivity. It was shortly after that that Miss Reese had received the parlay letter and she and Costner had concluded he should represent the Group. Ruby, like Miss Reese, and insisted on her accompaniment of Costner to the parlay, but like Jenner, had concluded her involvement with the parlay wouldn't be wise.

So it was with a quiet determination Ruby had begun to set new plans in motion. To the best of her abilities she was gathering information about the Flatlands while she waited for the grazes on her arms and the bullet wounds to fully heal. She'd learnt of Farpoint's fall to the Confederacy, something she took with disdain. She'd heard of the bigger commitment in the finding of Black Hornet hideouts and assistance groups, but so far to the best of her knowledge, Sarah Hawthorne and anyone else within the Black Hornets she considered worth caring about were still un-captured. That information in itself had also lifted Ruby's spirits, it seemed, although they were small wins, that the people still had a slight upper-hand over the Confederacy.

Amid her growing cabin-fever though, Ruby had taken to befriending Alexia Coleman and Kincaid down in the armoury. It had seemed although Alexia was deeply troubled and depressed by her father's murder, that her involving herself in weaponry development and the like with Kincaid had given her an outlet to function. In fact, if she wasn't working with Kincaid, Alexia was more or less useless; the woman could only hold a conversation while working. But nevertheless, Ruby had, albeit not without a cold shoulder at first, managed to get in on the camaraderie of Kincaid and Alexia. It was a symbiotic relationship really... Alexia was using Ruby to test out the rough prototypes she was developing from her father's notes and Ruby was able to mourn the loss of Sapphire, Emerald and Longshot by testing Alexia and Kincaid's gun.

It was also in Kincaid that Ruby found another comfort. Apparently the old man used to be a member of the Lady Waste - the same pirate airship her grandfather had been a part of apparently. Although Kincaid never actually knew Ruby's father, he had plenty of stories of the man who had fathered her own father. Apparently it was in Ruby's heritage to be gunslingers. Nearly Four generations of Gowen's, including Ruby, had been renowned for their gun expertise. Ruby had found a quiet self-indulgence in Kincaid's war stories of the Lady Waste... In a way it helped her remember her father through the stories of her grandfather, and it also gave Alexia, it seemed, something to focus on when her work became too much.

It was at the end of Ruby's two week hiatus that Miss Reese came to Ruby with her latest job and the news of the formal alliance now made with the Black Hornets. Ruby had taken the news of the Black Hornets with relief, but was still concerned when news of Sarah Hawthorne hadn't emerged other than her location was unknown. Apparently the Charmant had been burnt to the ground, according to Puck, but by all accounts no one had been inside. Ruby pushed that aside though for the moment as she focused on her job at hand.

"Wait, Miss Reese, I can't do this!" she rebutted as Miss Reese delivered the job information.

"Well, sorry Ruby, but you don't have a choice... We can't afford to have this man on the loose. And the Ochil, they can't either. Plus we need them, you're going to have to do it... Regardless of how you feel."

"No, no... Miss Reese, I can't do it because I ain't got nothing to fight him with but my bare hands... I - " Ruby went quiet thinking about her guns.

"I lost Sapphire and Emerald and Longshot in the River Mines... The Confederate army either has them, or they're definitely lost in the collapsed mine..."

"I see, well, you're just gonna have to buy new equipment..."

"I can't use just any old gun!" Ruby said disdainfully.

"Well I'm sorry Ruby, there just ain't no -"

Alexia and Kincaid suddenly broke the discussion between the two woman and Ruby and Jenner looked towards the two as Kincaid cut in,

"Hold up a second there you two. You especially Ruby..."

Ruby looked to Kincaid quizzically then to Jenner as if it ask what they were up to? But Jenner simply stared blankly to Ruby shrugging nonchalant. Then Alexia spoke up, her timid voice breaking her own silence,

"I know it's not the same Ruby, and it's far from being perfect, and anything like your old guns... But, I think this might suit you Miss Ruby..."

Kincaid stepped to the side as Alexia stepped forward, a surprisingly ornate box awkwardly held in her hands. Alexia placed the box on the table nearby to the small gathering and motioned for Ruby to approach. Ruby looked to Kincaid who nodded with a wry smile and Jenner followed with interest as Ruby approached the table and opened the box gently. As Ruby flipped the lid her eyes widened in awe as the beautifully crafted rifle that lay before her. The make of the gun itself was something that resembled a golden-brass new-world rifle, but the body and actual design of the weapon itself was old world nostalgia. Ruby picked the rifle up and was surprised at the light weight of the munition. It's design was sleek, curvaceous and at the very tip of the rifle just above the barrel hole was a single, pear-cut Ruby.

"I know it seems over the top, and honestly Miss Ruby, it probably needs refinement... But it's my way of thanking you.."

Ruby looked up to Alexia confused,

"You tried to bring my Daddy back. Jenner told me you did. She said that if anyone was gonna be able to bring him back from the Confederacy - which was going to be a long shot anyway - it would have been you... Plus, you brought me back his book... Something that I'll always have to remember him by... And I know the gun isn't"

"Perfect." Ruby said,

"Well, yes it isn't perfect..."

Ruby looked up to Alexia horrified the woman had thought Ruby was implying the gun was anything less,

"Oh god no Alexia! I mean, it's Perfect! I don't know what to say... I can feel this beautiful beast aching for the sunlight!"

"What you gonna call 'im Ruby?" Kincaid asked looking to Ruby expectantly, "You name all your guns don't you?"

Ruby nodded, thinking for a moment then smiled as she looked to Alexia who was smiling shyly,

"I'd like to introduce you all to Coleman."

The News of Joland Grey

For Ruby, it seemed she'd been out of action too long already. It had been only six or so hours since she left the Workshop and was on her way to Skycove when she stopped to trade beads for some food for her journey with a passing trader caravan. She'd asked the man of any news from the Flats recently and he'd spoken to her about his recent visit to New Mesa. Apparently it was entirely, or near enough entirely, Confederate controlled. The Confederacy had started to build upon New Mesa too. It was only a short greeting with the man but Ruby had learned of a nearly 24/7 execution cycle that had been taking place since last week. Supposedly after Colonel Autumn's successful taking over of Farpoint, he'd seen it fit to no longer require anyone who wasn't necessary to the Confederacy or who didn't openly support the Confederacy to be executed. It was also apparent people from the Peaks were trying to settle New Mesa and Farpoint as quickly as possible.

Listening to the recount of what had happened already made Ruby's blood boil silently within but it was when the Caravaner mention Joland Grey's name, Ruby had to stop him and make him explain in as much detail what he was talking about. It was after the explanation began she'd wished never asked.

Joland Grey hadn't died mercifully by all accounts. Apparently his execution was very public, brutal and served as the greatest of lessons to anyone within the Confederacy thinking of defecting. Joland had, by all accounts been interrogated to his wits end, essentially hung, drawn, his punishment fell short of being quartered, although apparently when the town was made to look upon his form, he wasn't far from being quartered. The more the Caravaner talked about the witnessing of Joland Grey's murder, the more Ruby began to grow worried for Sarah Hawthorne and the rest of the Black Hornets within New Mesa.

"Tell me, what have you heard about the Black Hornets in New Mesa?"

"Gone miss.." he replied,

"Gone? Where?"

"They up and left just after Joland Grey's execution miss..."

Ruby eyed the man over suspiciously,

"After the raids is that right? I heard the Confederacy was finding them out... Did they find the Black Hornet base for New Mesa?"

"Why the hell would you be asking about that?"

"None of your business..."

"Dangerous times to be asking about the Black Hornets Miss, anyone suspected of cooercing with terrorists is killed. They got rewards out for information on people asking questions like you are..." he replied wryly

Ruby felt her body stiffen, starting to regret such brazen questioning of a random traveler. Suddenly the man relaxed against his horse and laughed hysterically.

"Don't shit ya pants miss..."

Ruby felt herself tense again but this time in confusion at the man who was obviously laughing at her. It was momentary lapse in her usual compsure, but Ruby suddenly felt herself pushing the man against his with a knew knife Kincaid had given to her to the man's throat.

"Breath a word of me and i'll come find you..."

The man went stiff under Ruby's control. Although he was a giant compared to Ruby, her own fiery demeanor had managed to quell his laughter,

"Uh, calm down Miss.. I ain't gonna dob you in... You see..."

The man squirmed out from under Ruby and lifted up a few braids on the right of his head to reveal a shaved patch of skin with a Black Hornet tattoo above his ear.

"Friends in all places aye..."

Ruby sighed in relief.

"You're fucking lucky."

"That's me nickname on the Flats... Why you lookin' for the Black Hornets miss?"

"I need to find their base as of now... I have a mission from the White Group, and I'm supposed to be working with two of you..."

"You'll be headed to Skycove then Miss..."

Deeza the Native Ochil

Ruby had been making slow progress across the Flats to Skycove. The entire Flatlands was a mess of Confederate troops and Tribal raids. Ruby had had to, on more than several occasions, had to take to hiding among the hills and random outposts to avoid major confrontation. Her journey was only made harder too when she was more than halfway to Skycove when a crow from Miss Reese had found Ruby with instructions on where to meet an Ochil contact who Ruby was going to need to Track down the Sharpshooter 'Williams'.

Ruby had had to divert her course to a half a days trek parallel east to Skycove to a valley within the Flatlands known as Grazers Heat. Arguably one of the hottest locations in the Flats, Ruby was dreading the trek into the valley, but according to Jenner's letter Ruby was going to find the only Ochil rumoured to be good enough to track Cabal without being caught in return. Apparently part of his ability to go unnoticed was due to the rampant racism of two thirds of the Flats and the inhabitants past it's borders.

Ruby had needed to tie her horse off about a mile before Grazers Heat; the temperature there already soaring to uncomfortable levels. She'd entered the valley and managed to stumble upon, purely by accident an Ochil tribe the likes of she'd never seen or heard of before. These people were especially different from the regular Ochil nomads of the Flats. They wore barely any clothing, and they spoke in a dialect that was like none other Ruby had ever heard, and arrogantly she considered herself well versed, or at least strongly competent in Ochil language.

Ruby had approached them cautiously, she had realised early this Tribe had seen her first and her cautious approach from life experience with new Ochil tribes had given her a small heads up. When Ruby was within a short distance of the tribe she found herself stopped in her tracks when three Ochils appeared from nowhere surrounding her. Ruby was moved into their camp and it wasn't long before she was meeting with their leader - Deeza.

Ruby spent the better half of two hours talking with Deeza and her tribe. Although it was hard going and Deeza was the only Ochil within the tribe who spoke proper english, Ruby eventually managed to convey her request to the tribe; although it wasn't met with the answer she'd suspected she'd receive. Apparently while Miss Reese had been given solid information about the Flatlands best tracker being in Grazers Heat, she'd failed to mention to Ruby that she'd have to convince the tracker to join her quest.

It was when Ruby's request had been understood properly that she learned that Deeza, while being the leader of this perculiar Ochil tribe was also the fabled Flatland tracker. Ruby had had to fight to be listened to when Deeza had communicated to her tribe what Ruby was requesting. No one wanted to Deeza to leave and even Deeza herself was less than keen on the idea of leaving her tribe. But thankfully Ruby had managed to get her point across... The Ochil tribe in Grazers Heat weren't oblivious to the state of the Flatlands, even though they were rarely visited. Ruby eventually managed to get Deeza and her tribe to side with Ruby and it was nightfall when Deeza and Ruby had arrived at Skycove.

Ruby and the Queen of the Flatlands

Ruby was beginning to wane in patience when she realised that she and Deeza had been wandering Skycove for longer than should have been necessary. Upon their arrival Ruby had inquired as to the whereabouts of James Squire and was told her was in a meeting with Gretch and some woman the inhabitants of Skycove had taken to calling the Queen of the Flats. Ruby hadn't given much thought to the notion of a Queen of the Flats, but as she and Deeza set about trying to find this meeting, her frustration was escalating and was only accelerated by Deeza's calm composure.

It was nearing midnight when Ruby had admitted she and Deeza weren't going to find James Squire to get his assistance anytime that night so Ruby had taken Deeza and moved to a well known pub/airship in Skycove - the Sleeping Dragon. Ruby and Deeza had taken to a corner of the Sleeping Dragon and Ruby had taken to getting to know Deeza a little better...

As an hour passed, Ruby had come to sincerely and overwhelmingly admire Deeza. Although the Ochil was less than open about her tribe, or why they lived the way they did in Grazers Heat, Ruby had learned that Deeza and her tribe were considered 'traditional Ochilians' which wasn't hard to guess why. Ruby had also learned, but not the details of why, that Deeza and her tribe apparently possessed a rare ability that Deeza told Ruby was a gift from the old gods long ago; which was apparently the crux to Deeza's ability to to track anyone. For the most part Ruby ignored the myth, but was fascinated nonetheless in Deeza and her beliefs, they truly were above and beyond regular Ochil - well more appropriately, socially intergrated Ochil.

As Ruby tried to probe Deeza further it was nearing one thirty in the morning that suddenly a loud, but muffled roar turned every patron in the pub to silence. Crashing and banging ensued from a room towards the back of the pub and Deeza and Ruby were to their feet, both women seemed concerned by the nature of the crashes. More muffled shouts echoed through the pub and suddenly a door was thrown open as Gretch stepped backwards into the center of the pub.

"Listen to me you fuckin' lady chaser... You ain't got no right -"

"You listen to me you filthy little cock.." a woman stepping from the room retorted. "You're in my town Gretch, My town... You don't get to decide what I can and can't do..."

"Watch yourself Reynolds! I'll fuck you til you die... then fuck you some more if you piss me off!"

"Not before I fuck you first precious." Reynolds retorted again, "Now piss off. You'll get Pirate aid in two days time when you can pay for it. You won't get it any sooner."

Gretch drew his gun from his side, but didn't have time to lift it before half the pub had their own guns aimed straight towards Gretch.

"Fuck you Reynolds. I'll be back with the money in two days.. .You better fuckin' deliver... And watch yourself Squire, fuckin' her won't get you far for too much longer..."

Suddenly James came into view behind the woman Ruby know knew was called Reynolds. He seemed gruff and tired looking, clearly whatever had changed James' mind to side with Ruby was tolling on him... But through his tired eyes Ruby could see his fighting spirit as Gretch talked. Gretch soon stormed out of the pub and Reynolds and James moved to the center of the pub where Reynolds had a local deliver her a beer.

"You a'right?" one of the men called out

"Nothin' gets this bitch down" Reynolds laughed holding a beer up.

The pub cheered and Ruby motioned to Deeza to follow as she approached James.

"James" Ruby called out,

"Ruby! What're you doing here?"

"Did you get Miss Reese's letter? I'm here on business, with Deeza here" Ruby motioned to Deeza, "I was told you were gonna be able to lend me two men?"

"Of course..." James said, sounding almost disappointed at Ruby's reasons for being in Skycove, "Nice to meet ya Deeza, i'm James squire. Yeah, tomorrow, I'll show em to ya, we've waiting on you for nearly a day and half now... what took you so long..?"

Deeza bowed her head quietly in acknowledgement and Ruby and James were cut short when Reynolds interrupted,

"And I am Captain Carla Reynolds."

Ruby looked Carla up and down, she heard of the woman before, but nothing beyond being a reasonably intelligent pirate.

"This your girlfriend James?" Ruby mocked, sizing the woman up -was she jealous?

Carla laughed heartily pushing herself past James to slide next to Ruby,

"No need to worry about who James' here is bedding Ruby Doom..."

Ruby was taken aback by Carla's physical introduction but stood her ground when Carla drew her face close to Ruby's. Deeza seemed uncomfortable for only a glimpse of a moment and James glazed over with confusion.

"It certainly ain't me... I prefer people of, stronger virtues. Well, not the kinda virtues that earn you entrance into Hope... But people who can handle The Queen of the Flats"

Carla leaned into Ruby's face and Ruby found herself suddenly pulling back as Carla playfully pecked Ruby across the lips. Ruby was, for the first time in her life, speechless. In truth, Ruby wasn't one to shy away from coy flirtatiousness, but Carla Reynolds, it seemed, liked to up the ante more than anyone Ruby had ever met. As Ruby backed away in shock, Carla roared with laughter and the pub joined in with her.

"Mmm, yes, you were what I was expecting... Not that old limp dick Costner..." Carla chided.

Ruby looked to James who was red in the face and rolled her eyes regaining composure. Then looking to Deeza who seemed to be displaying a fantastic neutrality about her.

"Alright James, meet us at Dawn at Sky Promenade with the two men I need... Good night."

Ruby and Deeza walked towards the door, Ruby trying to remain as composed and seemingly level headed as possible. As the two women pushed the doors to the Sleeping Dragon open they could hear from behind them,

"Nighty Night Ruby Doom... Sleep tight."

The Tracking of Ezikiel Williams

The next morning Ruby and Deeza were at Sky Promenade, watching the sun break on the horizon. Although the name of the location might have sounded grandeur, it was anything but. Merely ramshackle scrap pieces of metal hastily thrown together and loosely supported by beams stuck into the cliff face that stood just near SkyCove, Ruby had often liked to sit here when the sun rose on the occasions she found herself in the Floating City.

"Morning Sweet heart!" Carla called out as the sunlight completely illuminated the world now.

Ruby turned around to see Captain Carla Reynolds and James Squire accompanying her moving towards Ruby and Deeza. Ruby gritted her teeth in disdain as the woman approached and Ruby had a feeling her mission wasn't going to run smoothly.

"Why is she here?" Ruby said, almost scolding James.

"Can't help it.." he said shrugging

"I'm helpin' you darlin'" Carla said smiling, turning around to whistle loudly.

Suddenly from overhead a ship appeared and docked itself in front of the four and Carla turned to Ruby,

"This week it's Black Hornet shift! Mr. Squire here has racked up the funding to hire the Skycove pirates for the next few days..."

"Hell no!" Ruby grunted looking to James,

"She'd helpful Ruby..." James pleaded

"That's right, I am... And hey, Squire has paid for Pirate services you might as well use em'"

"Alright then, give us a crew and go back to being the Queen of the Flats while I do my business..."

Carla laughed, and pushed her breasts up and then yawned nonchalantly,

"I didn't ask to be called the Queen... They just started calling me that... Flavour of the week you could say... Besides Ruby... Your business out there on the Flats... That is my business, and from what I hear, you're lookin' for Ezikiel Williams. That's something I can't miss..."

Ruby looked to James again then back to Carla,

"Who the fuck is Ezikiel Williams?"

Caral smiled, "The Cabal fucker I hear you're hunting. Hmm, you don't know much about your target do you Ruby Doom?"

Ruby shot James another look, "This is how you ally with the White Group Squire? GO tellin' anyone what we're doing?"

"Oh relax... I'm not gonna tell anyone anything" Carla said, "If I wanted to, I would have told Gretch already..."

"What do you want?" Ruby snapped

"Whatever the moment has to offer. Now, enough bullshittin' the Queen wants to find this fucker and deliver a royal sentencin' which you can carry out.." Carla joked.

Ruby felt her eye twitch as Carla sauntered past her and Deeza and onto the airship she had commissioned for Ruby and Deeza. After a less than amicable conversation with James, it was Deeza who had convinced Ruby to just follow Carla and have faith the woman was trustworthy. Ruby felt less than ok with the whole idea... It wasn't that Carla was particularly dangerous to Ruby, it was that the woman seemed opportunistic and unpredictable. Ruby had no idea how long Carla's cooperation would last; the woman was a true pilot and when she had the Flatlander pirates calling her the Queen of the Flats... That just made Ruby even more apprehensive about the woman's stability.

The journey to Sula Rise had been anything but quiet for Ruby. The entire trip had been only Carla, James, Deeza and Ruby in one airship with a single pilot to fly them and two very quiet Black Hornets who'd come along as promised to Ruby. The entire trip Deeza spent scouting the Flats below, using binoculars. The woman seemed to be a magician of tracking as she was able to not only warn the pilot of sand storms thirty minutes before they came, but she moved almost at a state of invisibility across the ship, popping and out to inform the group where she suspected Ezikiel Williams was moving in Sula Rise. The other portion of the trip was Carla drinking what Ruby could only assume was a quarter of a Barrel of shine and obnoxiously flirting with James and his Black Hornet men. Under normal circumstances, Ruby even internally admitted she'd probably like Carla... But the woman was all over James and running her mouth and uncomfortably sexualising Ruby to a point where Ruby would have been quite content with pushing the woman over the deck of the airship.

As Ruby's was reaching her limit and Carla seemed to be reaching her reserves for patience with Ruby, Deeza suddenly appeared.

"He's two miles north.." she said quietly to Ruby and the rest. "He knows we're coming."

"How the hell can you know that?" James said unbelieving

"The old gods!" Carla roared holding a flagon upwards "Ain't that right Deeza!"

Everyone looked to Deeza expectantly to scold Carla for obviously laughing at Deeza and her beliefs, but nothing happened. Deeza simply nodded and turned to Jame's men,

"Get to the stern, you're gonna need your guns ready.."

Suddenly Deeza was gone before they could ask her anymore questions as to how she could possibly know Ezikiel Williams' location. James motioned for the men to follow Deeza. James then began to question Ruby on the authenticity of Deeza but before Ruby could answer Carla cut in, this time there was a tone of seriousness to her voice.

"James, James, Jimmy jim... Do. You. Know. Nothin'? Haven't you ever heard of the sayin' harder to find than an Ochil? Hahaha... Deeza out there.. She's a true native!"

Ruby was genuinely surprised at the level of genuine knowledge Carla seemed to have,

"I bet she and her tribe come from Harlem.. That's where they learn to do that walky thing.."

Now even Ruby was confused by Carla, but James seemed to take the bait and got the answers Ruby was also asking silently,

"What the hell you talkin' about Carla?"

"Harlem! The Ochil city! What? You never heard of Harlem? Shit James... I thought you were travelled out here? What about you Ruuuby Doom? No? You neither.. shit! Harlem? No idea? Fuck... Well, I suppose they keep it under tight wraps... I probably shouldn't talk about it really.. Deeza might off me.. HA! She might even be here... ooohhh"

James seems irritated with the inebriated Carla,

"You're fuckin' drunk..."

"Yes. But that's irrelevant. Harlem is the Ochil city they all come from right. It's kept under lock and key and only the most most MOST trusted of outsiders are allowed to know about it... Racism and all that shit... Haven't you ever wondered why the Ochil move so freely through the flats? Hahaha... They do that thing.. they call it mirage walking? Dunno how much I believe in it... But apparently they use the technique to move almost to the extent of being invisible... it's a state of mind! They're able to think invisible so therefore they are invisible! ooohh" Carla laughed

James rolled his eyes, clearly his interest now shot at Carla's drunken mockery.. Ruby however seemed to believe she knew what she was talking about and for the first time didn't mind the woman shit-talking

"and how the hell do you know all of this...?" she asked

"been to Harlem! Was fuckin' hard to get in there.. but been there."

"Bull shi-"

Ruby was cut short when suddenly the airship dipped violently. In a matter of seconds out of nowhere Deeza was by Ruby's side.

"He spotted us! He's killed the pilot and the two Black Hornets! We need prepare for a crash..."

It was moments later without warning that the ship hit the Flatlands with a colossal crash and Ruby and the rest were thrown about, only coming to watch as Ezikiel Williams dragged James Squire from the wreckage.

The Quick Death of Ezikiel

Ruby was pinned under a metal bar and was helpless to move towards the limp, but breathing body of James Squire as Ezikiel Williams stood over his body, then dragged it away, shooting Ruby a wry smile as he moved into the mirage of the heat. Ruby struggled fiercely, silently begging for the strength to move the metal. It was only thirty minutes later that Ruby was aided by Deeza and Carla that she shimmied free and was to her feet.

"The fucker got James..."

"Mother fucker." Carla hissed "James owes me the fuckin' second half of this job's beads."

Ruby glared at Carla,

"Don't worry Ruby Doom... we'll get him back. Ain't no one dies without paying their debts to me.."

Ruby looked to Deeza who was already pointing across the way towards a rock formation about six miles to the west.

"He's gone that way. He might be a sharpshooter, but he's hopeless at covering his tracks."

Ruby nodded to Deeza and the three women set off towards Ezikiel Williams and James Squire. The walk was anything but quiet as they made their way across the Flats. Ruby had initiated the unrest though, inquiring as to how Carla knew Ezikiel's name when no one else on the Flats seemed to. Carla had been tight lipped initially but quickly broke her silence only to divulge to Ruby that a pirate is probably one of the most underestimated sides on the entire flats, that and Ochillians. Ruby was honestly surprised at the sensibility Carla could display when she wanted.

The three woman were half a mile from Deeza's projected location of Ezikiel and James when a lone shot hit the ground before the woman and they had to dive behind a rock as another lone bullet nearly pierced Carla's leg.

"The fucker!" Carla called out over the rock "We ain't gettin' near him when he's got a clear shot on us."

"Leave it me" Ruby grunted as she pulled Coleman from her back.

Ruby ducked out from the rock and took aim fast. There had been a special scope equipped to Coleman and with less hassle than she'd ever had before, Ruby was able to focus on Williams without trouble, she fired once but had to move just in time as he fired back. The two soon began a dance of gunshooting. Their back and forth lasted for nearly thirty minutes before Ruby realised her ammunition was running low,

"Fuck me dead Ruby! Make a fuckin' hit so we can go home."

"He's not exactly a run of the mill fuckwit is he?" Ruby retorted

"I have an idea.." Deeza quietly said.

The Ochil lifted herself to her feet and walked out into direct sight of Williams. Both Carla and Ruby screamed to Deeza to get back to cover and rushed out to the open to grab the Ochil. The women were forced back into cover but watched in amazement as Deeza maneuvered the half mile without once being shot at. Ruby kept her scope on Deeza within safe cover as much as possible and it wasn't long before she watched from safety as the Ochil walked right up to the side of Williams and began smothering the man.

"I don't fucking believe it!" Ruby cried

"What? What?" Carla asked eagerly

"She's bloody got right next to him! She's suffocating him!"

"Mirage Walking! YEE-HAW! I fuckin' told you!" Carla laughed.

Ruby kept watching Deeza as the woman seemed to effortlessly take Williams down but their win was soon triumphed as Ruby watched through the scope, Williams suddenly regain strength and flip Deeza straight over his shoulder and bring his foot down on her chest.

"FUCK! He's got the better of her, she needs help!" Ruby shouted to Carla

"On it!" Carla shouted

Suddenly the pirate was out of cover, withdrawing her old world revolver and firing off into the general direction of Williams. Ruby had to pull herself out of cover completely and cover Carla as Williams tried to fire at the pirate in her suicide mission. Although Ruby was able to keep Williams at bay from landing a lethal blow on Carla, she soon found herself at her last bullet. She fired it one last time and threw Williams off his game. Ruby called out to Carla but the woman was still firing her own gun outwards and didn't hear. She went back to her scope and breathed easy as she saw Williams search frantically on his person for more ammunition, it seemed he and Ruby were so equally matched they used the same amount of ammunition at once...

Carla was about one hundred yards from Williams when Ruby started her own sprint towards the fucker. She was making good ground and Ruby was soon a hundred feet from Carla and Williams who were now locked in a fist fight. As Ruby neared the two fighting, she could see Deeza collapsed on the ground nearby a rock with James also unconscious nearby.

Ruby acted quickly while Carl was locked in a punching war with Williams. The man seemed to be getting the better of her, his Cabal training, although focused on guns, seemed to be well above average with hand to hand combat. Ruby grabbed Coleman by the barrel and swung his weight behind her, bringing him forward into the lower back of Williams crippling the man to his knees as Carla brought an elbow down on the man's shoulder.

Williams collapsed to the ground but rolled out of the way as Carla tried to stomp the man's head. "Stay still you fucker!" she shouted as she brought her left foot up to kick Williams in the face. Williams was silent the entire ordeal, he looked to Ruby and then to Carla as the two women now stood side by side watching Williams stagger to his feet, a cold smile across his face.

"You can smile now you little ass-fucker" Carla taunted.

"Where are the leaders?" Deeza suddenly wheezed from the ground,

"Somewhere special..." Williams suddenly taunted back.

Carla wasted no time and rushed forward, bringing the butt of her gun up into Williams' gut, reeling him to the ground.

"Get your fuckin' ass over here" Carla grunted as she gripped Williams by the hair and dragged the man across the dirt to Deeza, "Now. Answer the woman's question. Where are the Ochil leaders? We know you've been hunting them in addition to the war parties you seem so fondly of killing.."

Ruby was suddenly caught off guard. Carla was just as vicious as Ruby was, the woman also seemed to know more than Ruby did about Williams' hunting of the Ochil, and that was only solidified by Deeza who was asking the same questions.. Something bigger seemed to be going on here.

"I killed them all... Fuck the Ochil" Williams said coldly.

"Rafeet Gu'l Cunt" Deeza hissed as she stood to her feet.

"You ain't going to win... Especially against me..." Williams hissed.

That's when Ruby grew tired and walked to Williams picking him and standing him on his shaky feet. Ruby looked to Deeza and Carla,

"This fucker has said enough, what do you agree?"

"Right on!" Carla cheered

Deeza nodded once.

Ruby took the first punch, her left fist connecting across William's face. Carla took the second hit, swinging her left leg backwards round-house kicking Williams into Deeza who took the last turn, driving a small Ochil dagger into the socket of Williams' eye. The man screamed out suddenly catching the three women off guard as he collapsed to his knees and suddenly went quiet.

"Well, that was more than anti-climactic." Carla shrugged. "Now we gotta get outta this bullshit mountain range.."

"That'll be easy" Deeza said quietly, "He's got his own ship hidden about half a mile further into the mountains... It's how he's been moving so freely across the Flats... It's how he's managed to stop all the efforts of my Tribe communicating with the other clans... But thanks to you two, I'll finally be able to unite all the nomad Ochils..."

Ruby looked confusedly to Deeza. It was then that Carla broke the awkward silence,

"I knew it! You're the fuckin' Ochil leader! Like, the whole operations number one!"

Deeza shrugged off the accusation but Ruby saw the reality of Carla's words. Deeza was apparently the leader of the whole of the Ochils. Ruby could only hope her efforts in taking down Williams today bore favorable repercussions for the White Group.

End, but not permanently.

The end of the whole ordeal was probably more anti-climatic than Ruby had expected. The three woman had managed to take down the Cabal Sharpshooter, though Ruby couldn't lie, the did heavily outnumber him, though there was absolutely no shame in that. James was ok, though his pride was a little shot having been rescued a second time by Ruby... It wasn't helped either that Carla made a point of reminding him.

After they were done with it, Ruby and the others had took Williams airship and tied his body to a rope, setting the ship into a forced automatic direction, they had the ship fly in the general direction of New Mesa. Ruby had made sure to leave a white handkerchief with her lipstick mark in the corner in Williams' pocket with the word 'regards'.

When the mission was done, Ruby bid farewell to James and Carla for the time being. Although she still wasn't fond of the pirate, Ruby knew she couldn't leave the woman without at least an acknowledgement of her help. Ruby took a moment to speak with James and thank him personally for 'coming to his senses'. James merely smiled and as Ruby went to leave with Deeza she could hear Carla calling out behind her,

"This might be the end Ruby Doom, but it's only for now! I'll be seeing your ass again real soon! For the right price o' course!"

Carla started laughing at her own wit and as Ruby and Deeza left the Sleeping Dragon she heard Carla's last words,

"Alright Squire, your times up.. I got me a date for the next few days with a psychopath! I'll see you when you got the money..."

The Ochillian Alliance

It wasn't exactly the most formal of proceedings. Deeza wasn't apprehensive so to speak, but she didn't like the idea of having to say the Ochils were formally committed to aiding the White Group if they needed them. Ruby acknowledged that fact but insisted some form of written acknowledgement would be a good basis to start a relationship on. Deeza agreed and the two worked a declaration of codependence for the Ochils and White Group. Ruby thanked Deeza and she in return. Admittedly, Ruby hadn't spent nearly enough time with Ochillians and her latest mission proved that point when she learned there was much more to the people than she realised. She almost ashamed that someone as obnoxious as Carla Reynold - the Queen of the Flats - knew so much about them. But nevermind, for now the Ochils seemed to be with the White Group. Ruby hoped that this was a step forward in the right direction.

The Workshop

Ruby returned to the workshop exhausted. The mission had been more than draining but she was satisfied she'd done what was asked. Her journey home though, Ruby had begun to wonder about the fate of the Flatlands.. It needed someone to lead it, to support it and encourage growth without sacrificing it's freedoms. Ruby wasn't always sure who that should be, but what she did know was that she sure as hell wasn't going to let the Confederacy jeopardize it.

She wrote her dossier for Jenner; it was shit to be honest, but Ruby attached the agreement of the Ochil's to the dossier, showing she'd done what was asked leaving a simple note at the bottom let me know when Williams' body turns up would you..

Mission Objective: Rescue Farts and Bounder
Mission Location: New Mesa

Ruby was sitting silently within her room. She watched herself in the mirror as her face stared back at her. What did she feel? It wasn't clear whether or not she was angry, caught off guard or empathetic with it all... How could Puck have done what he did? Admittedly, if it had been anyone else disclosing what Puck had, they would now be on their way to Wylde in a number of pieces with a polite 'fuck you' written on each piece of the body. But it wasn't just anyone, and even it was, this was a kid. A child who clearly still doesn't know right and wrong. A child living each day as it comes and surviving to the best of his abilities... But the truth of the matter still remained; Puck was playing a man's game. He wanted to be apart of the man's game. Puck betrayed the White Group.

Ruby stood up with a stern whispered curse and paced around her room. She was going to have to rescue his friends of course. Ruby wasn't heartless. That was probably her problem more than anything nowadays. The fact she couldn't even walk away from a Fed kill without consolidating her motives. That in itself was proof enough that Ruby wasn't as a cold as she pretended to be sometimes. Ruby kicked a chair over and shouted out loud and suddenly a knock on her door surprised her as Alexia Coleman suddenly appeared through the ajar door.

“Excuse me Ruby, but have you got a moment?”

Ruby looked to the door with an almost surprised expression, Alexia never left the armory unless it was to eat, and even then she never spoke. Ruby still stared and Alexia just shuffled quietly into the room and sat on another chair nearby.

“Couldn't help but notice you haven't been to the armory for the past few days...”

“So? I wasn't aware I had to be there...”

Ruby saw Alexia sort of tense up and soon Ruby found herself sighing as she picked the kicked over chair and sat it upright and took a seat herself.

“Sorry Alexia... Just personal problems...”

“I thought so..” Alexia said with an knowing nod “You're always down with Kincaid and me when you're back here... We both started to wonder where you got to... That's why I popped up to see if everything was alright...”

Alexia's words hung in the air and Ruby felt the earnest, but still pressured inflection in Alexia's voice to open up to the timid gunsmith. Ruby shook her head, but Alexia nodded again as if to say, start talking...

“Honestly Ruby... I've grown to like it here... And everyone around here has done so much for me since I came here and after the news of my father...”

Ruby looked up, hoping Alexia wouldn't start crying. It wasn't that Ruby minded consoling her when Alexia became a bit, sensitive... But it wasn't the right time, and Ruby was less than sympathetic towards anyone since Puck's confession.

“I just consider you and Jenner among my good friends now. You can ask Jenner too, I told her that as well. And being that I consider you my good friend, I notice when you're not normal... So what's going on?”

Ruby sighed and turned to the mirror in her room and blew a stray hair out of her face.

“Ugh.. You're really not gonna leave? Fine...”

Ruby chose her words carefully now. Although she would say she trusted Alexia, it was clear to Ruby that mentioning Puck's name would not do anyone any favours.

“What if you found out that someone had betrayed you? What would you do?”

“Depends on what they did?”

“What if they potentially have had someone close to you killed...”

Alexia thought carefully for a moment and then spoke quietly..

“Well, if they've willingly potentially killed someone close to me... If they knew what they were doing when they did it... Even if they were sorry... Ruby, I'd kill them.”

Ruby was taken aback at Alexia's cool tone. She had honestly expected Alexia to give a timid, passive response.

“What if they person who has betrayed you had no other options... What if they didn't foresee the outcome of their choices to be so bad?”

“Ruby... Whatever this person has done to you... The fact of the matter is they have been dishonest.”

“Where's this coming from Alexia?”

“My nation betrayed my father Ruby. They Betrayed me when they betrayed my father too. If there is one thing I've learned since coming to the Flats. You pay all your debts in blood.”

Ruby felt something within her drop like a lead balloon. Alexia stood up and smiled weakly to Ruby. Opening the door and turning only briefly to give Ruby one last piece of advice,

“Clearly whoever has betrayed you Ruby... They mean something to you. A great deal by the sounds of it. But the only people you can trust in this world now, I realise, are the ones that don't fuck you over... And when and if someone does fuck you over... You take your gun and you put it to their head... and if you can't put it to their head.. You put it to something else they care about... And then you make them realise, don't fuck with me.”

Alexia left and Ruby sat in a silent admiration and stunned shock and Alexia left, leaving Ruby with a stark realisation... Puck was going to have to pay his debts.

Thief's Rest and the Bargaining of Skills with Deeza.

Ruby had tried twice to get into New Mesa in the past two days, each time cutting it very close to being killed. With the Levithan hanging overhead too it wasn't easy trying to sneak in. Ruby currently found herself sitting in the middle of nowhere about four miles south of New Mesa, hiding from the heat under rock formation commonly known as the Thief's Rest. It was, before the Confederacy's invasion, known to be a regular meet point for Caravaners and the like – A rest stop of sorts – it apparently got it's name over a hundred years ago when a highly sought after criminal on the flats spent nearly a year at Thief's Rest just four miles from New Mesa without ever being detected. Ruby always scoffed at the story, finding it rather boring really, but true to the story's nature, she had to admit that whenever anyone was looking for Theif's Rest it never seemed to appear if someone else was already hiding there...

Suddenly a calm, quiet voice broke Ruby's silent thoughts and she found her self bolt-upright, a stern nod towards Deeza as the Ochil woman greeted Ruby.

“You've lost your gusto..” Deeza noted.

“Something serious has come up...”

“Well, it must be serious if Ruby Doom ain't having a laugh..”

Ruby felt her stomach drop further than it already was as Carla Reynolds rounded the corner, a wry smile plastered across her face.

“What the fuck?” Ruby hissed as Carla slung an arm around Deeza.

“You wanted me here so fast Ruby... I couldn't exactly ride a horse this far from Grazers Heat in the time you wanted me...”

“And I am always more than happy to help out a friend Ruby!” Carla taunted.

Ruby gritted her teeth, feeling an eye twitch as Carla just guffawed and leaned against a nearby rock. Ruby was about to speak her mind when Deeza surprisingly cut her off.

“What is it you need Ruby? I don't have Carla's assistance for long...”

Ruby sighed in relief, so Carla was just here to make Ruby's life a momentary hell.

“I need to learn to mirage walk...”

Deeza's eyes went wide, Ruby could see the Ochil was between offended and surprised.

“I cannot teach you Ruby. It's something only the most trusted ever learn, and that includes our own. Plus it can take years to learn... It just can't be done...”

“I just want to know enough to get into New Mesa without a hassle... You can trust me! You must have heard about me at least from the local Ochil Clans around these parts? Surely they must be enough to validate my trust...”

Ruby was desperate. She pleaded back and forth for nearly an hour with Deeza. The Ochil acknowledged Ruby's flawless reputation, but also rebutted that Ruby's nature on its own was reckless and the skill of Mirage Walking took more patience than she thought Ruby possessed. But it wasn't until Carla interrupted that Ruby managed to, much to her disdain, get Deeza to agree to give Ruby a crash course.

Ruby sat with Deeza until just before nightfall, learning the theory behind Mirage Walking. The concept itself was simple to Ruby – Move like air, think as though you are see-through and don't move unnecessarily. However, when practicing, Ruby soon found out the process was much more complicated than the concept. As Ruby and Deeza had practiced throughout the day, all of Deeza's hardcore training managed to amount to nothing more than Ruby being able to approach Carla – who still hadn't left - within a few feet before the woman became aware of Ruby.

Deeza stressed profusely that considering the limited time Ruby had had, and the fact she'd never mirage walked before, that Ruby was doing excellently. But frustratedly Ruby reminded Deeza and the repeatedly frustrating Carla that Ruby performing excellently with where she was at was not enough.

“New Mesa... Going into New Mesa... That is what I am doing... I've practically got my face on every surface there. If I can't move through that fucking town without being seen, I'll be hung drawn and quartered before I even have a chance to raise my fist.... Fuck Deeza.. isn't there something you can do?!”

Deeza sighed, rubbing a hand across her face and shaking her head.

“You've got the skill at it's base level. Perhaps if someone went in with you... Their skill might be enough to buffer you both.. The other person may be able to hypnotize everyone else enough to give you a break..”

“Well then excellent! You can come with me!”

“Absolutely not Ruby” Deeza stated sternly “My people need me... and I know we're allied, but I simply will not put myself in that kind of danger...”

“What am I supposed to do then!? I NEED to do this Deeza... people's lives are at stake! I need another Ochil.”

Deeza breathed deeply and Ruby watched as the woman's body went stern and rigid.

“Don't push me or my people Ruby Gowen. I acknowledge that in your time you have done a lot to aid us. You are one of the few Flatlanders who I truly believe in. But whatever this is... Whatever has you in this... position. You need to tread carefully. I have already helped you more than many Ochils would have. I have placed a great deal of trust in you, teaching you the beginnings of my peoples sacred art. I cannot go with you. I cannot offer you Ochil assistance today that exceeds what I've already done. I am sorry.”

Ruby gritted her teeth and leaned against the main rock that formed Theif's rest. Puck and his friends really had gotten under her skin. She wasn't sure still if she wanted to kill Puck or help him. All that she knew in her almost auto-pilot state was that she needed to be in New Mesa.

“Fuck it. I'll go with ya'” Carla grunted as she put herself into the conversation.

“Huh?” Ruby said in confusion “You need to know how to mirage walk Carla.. and well!”

“Fuckin' really?” the woman retorted “And why wouldn't I know how to do that?”

Ruby shook her head.

“Coz you're a pirate. Why the hell would the Ochil teach you their most prized skill?”

Deeza interrupted this time,

“Because Carla Reynolds has known our skills for many many years Ruby...”

Ruby went silent. If it wasn't enough that Carla had to make her life difficult enough after only having known Ruby the shortest amount of time, she was now forced to once again ally with the woman who changed her mind every five minutes.

“Fuck me dead. I'll do it alone.”

“You're not that stupid are you?” Carla snorted. “C'mon Ruby. I told you before, James Squire ain't my type...”

Ruby's eye twitched. Carla was more than irritating. Besides, what was she getting at with James? Ruby kicked off the rock and moved to stand in front of Deeza, a hand outstretched, shaking Deeza's hand earnestly,

“Thank you Deeza. Really.”

Deeza nodded and smiled weakly, turning to Carla,

“I need to get back to Grazers Heat as soon as possible..”

“No worries there. Already anticipated a longer stay round these parts. My men and women will take you where you gotta go!”

Carla shot Ruby another wry smile and Ruby found herself reaching boiling point on an already unsteady emotional train. Ruby gripped her fists tight and stepped towards Carla, pursed lips and all. For the first time Carla's smile wiped from her face.

“I swear to whatever fucking god is laughing down at us Carla. Step outta line and I'll cut you down.”

Carla raised an eyebrow, locking her gaze with Ruby as if she was trying to size up just how real the threat was. When Ruby hadn't blink for nearly a minute and a half Carla silently nodded but added a coy,

“I'll try my hardest.”

The Infiltration of New Mesa

Ruby and Carla had bid Deeza goodbye and had made their way to New Mesa. The women were sitting about a mile away watching the stark glow from Confederate floodlights cast upwards into the night sky. Although they couldn't quite make out what was echoing from New Mesa, Ruby and Carla could hear a booming recording playing on loop every few minutes. From where they sat Ruby and Carla could feel the depression emanating from New Mesa.

“They've fuckin' lost it” Carla though out loud.

“You can say that again...”

“I knew Colonel Autumn was a fucker... but it just looks like they're going over board...”

“That there ain't Autumn's handiwork... I mean, he started it... But Wylde is keeping that shit going...”

Ruby looked to Carla and nodded her head towards New Mesa and the two picked themselves up and moved towards the town. As they neared Carla stopped Ruby and gave her a few new pointers on Mirage walking. Ruby still wasn't convinced that the mere company of Carla would help her. Besides, the eagerness of Carla to get into New Mesa seemed off to Ruby. The woman never seemed to do anything unless she benefited. For the time being however, Ruby chose to think about Carla as a tool to reach the end of her mission.The woman moved closer to New Mesa and Ruby quietly reflected on Deeza's words,

“Mirage walking is a state of mind. Hypnotism and willpower. Combined they allow the user to fool those around them into unseeing what is there...”

Those were Deeza's words. Ruby couldn't deny the proof that Mirage Walking worked, but it still seemed too simple. Carla breathed deeply first and looked towards New Mesa as she moved,

“Stay close... It's one thing for me to be able to walk without being seen, but being able to trick others that you're not there too... well, lets just say i've never seen it work properly...”

“great” was all Ruby could manage.

The two women approached the only entrance to New Mesa, funneling themselves through a crowd trying to pass an apparent checkpoint. As they neared the Fed soldiers at the actual entrance, Ruby began to feel herself panic at the prospect of not being able to slip past the guards. Carla could sense Ruby's inhibition and stopped in her tracks, barring Ruby from passing.

“Don't stop!” Ruby hissed

“You need to stop whatever it is that's got a hold of you... We ain't gonna get past the guards if you don't pull your shit together. Now I'm helping you here... But you gotta trust me on this one. Pull it together or I fuck off.”

Ruby gritted her teeth for the umpteenth time and took a deep breath. The woman approached the gate and for a moment a nearby guard stopped and gave a quizzical look towards Ruby's direction. Shortly afterwards though Carla dragged Ruby through the final gate and into the town itself. Ruby felt a wave of relief pour over her but she barely had anytime to relax as Carla pulled her into a darkened alleway.

“Alright, we're in, what do you need to do?”

“That's my business. Besides, why are you here!?” Ruby retorted.

“Hey, I got you in, you need my help. What are we doing.”

Ruby sighed,

“The internment camps they have here... I've gotta get two kids outta them.”

Carla stood back, her head dropping in disbelief.

“You came here to get two little maggots out of New Mesa? Damnit. I thought this was something important.”

“It is important!” Ruby retorted. “And it's more complicated than I can explain.”

Carla stood back a little further, sizing Ruby up and down before deciding to interrogate her some more.

“Jenner Reese, your leader. She don't know you're doin' this does she?”

“Of course she does. Why the fuck would I be doing this otherwise?”

“No, she doesn't! I'm a skypirate Ruby Doom. I lie for a livin'... When I ain't killin'”

“Fuck off and leave me alone.”

“Hell no. I'm here now. I'm following through with this... But I wanna know why you're doin' it.”

Ruby felt another pit in her stomach form and kicked the ground in protest. Carla was a fucking hard bitch to turn away or convince to leave things alone. Every attempt Ruby made to push past Carla were met with the pirate standing in her way or threatening to yell out. Ruby was growing increasingly agitated. The pirate was too similar to Ruby and her attitude was grating to say the least. But after nearly a half hour stuck in the alleyway Ruby had to concede defeat and began to explain the story to Carla – however, Ruby omitted the part about the traitor to the white group being Puck... Instead changing the story to suit her needs. Ruby explained to Carla that Farts and Bounder had the information on who betrayed the White Group.

Carla had had to stop and think for a few moments. Ruby could see the woman trying to decide if Ruby was being honest. For a moment there, Ruby almost though Carla wasn't going to buy it. But then the Sky Pirate nodded and clearly pleased by Ruby's story simply gave her a thumbs up and moved further down the alleyway, leading Ruby towards the center of town into something she wished she'd never witnessed.

The Massacre in New Mesa

The night was still young when Ruby and Carla had made it into New Mesa. They two had spent the better half of an hour arguing about Ruby's motives, but they eventually found themselves cooperating and at the end of an alleyway looking into New Mesa's town square. Ruby had grown to hate this particular location in New Mesa, and today only reiterated further why she thought it would better to burn the town square into ashes.

The makeshift stage that Ruby first saw after the Fed's had taken over was gone now. Instead, in its place stood the cold, structured and deliberately placed and formulated platform that had Confederate banners hanging from it's front. The stage had huge floodlights in it's four corners with a single staircase from the back of the stage leading up to the main platform. On the platform stood a lectern of sorts. It was as Ruby gazed over the square she now saw the unbelievable amounts of piled up bodies at its base. They were covered in sheets to 'preserve their dignity' but the sight was more horrific knowing that underneath the wrapped corpses lay the bodies of innocent people.

Ruby felt her blood boiling again. She went rigid as she took in the scene around her. It was more than anything she'd ever felt in her life. Grievous Wylde had turned New Mesa into something abominable. The buildings were slowly being converted into something more reminiscent of Mundus. Stark colours and rigid designs that left a feeling of cold hopelessness were being constructed all around the Town. If it weren't for the known circumstances, one visiting may have thought New Mesa had got it's shit together, albeit in the worst way. Ruby stepped into the light, grabbing Coleman from her back, but suddenly Carla was pulling Ruby back into the shadows.

“what the hell are you doing? We need to get to the internment camp!”

“And we will.. I've gotta settle a score first.”

“Ruby Doom.” Carla hissed, “Pull your shit together. You can't keep changing your purpose. Besides there's no one out there but a pile of already dead.”

Ruby shot Carla a glare. How dare this unstable bitch be the voice of reason. Ruby was about to swing a punch at the Sky Pirate when suddenly a voice rang out across the town.

“All POW's are to assemble in the own Square immediately for an announcement. You are to move in an orderly fashion and assemble in accordance to your age. Youngest to oldest.”

The message relayed itself four to five times before suddenly from all major streets into the square burst forth with about five hundred degraded looking people. All their heads were shaved, man or woman, and they were all kitted out in some sort of standard plain grey pants and top. Everyone seemed to order themselves accordingly and Ruby scanned the crowd trying to understand who these people were.

Suddenly the voice from before echoed loud again, this time it was coming from atop of the stage. Grievous Wylde stood proud and demeaning, himself scanning the crowd as if searching for someone. As everyone found their place in the square, Carla and Ruby watched in silence from the shadows of the alleyway.

“You may all be wondering why I have gathered you here at this time..”

Grievous was cold and methodical in his tones. Ruby and Carla both looked to one another and back to Grievous. Ruby knew already that nothing good ever came from the man's mouth when he spoke. Nothing good ever came from any loyal Confederate ever. Probable even more so when a Cabal member was speaking.

“I have, on good authority, the understanding that a Miss Ruby Gowen or, more commonly known, Miss Ruby Doom, to be within our fine town's borders. She was sighted tonight entering the town covertly. Well, almost covertly. This woman is a danger to everything the Confederacy is working towards.”

Ruby felt Carla grip her shoulder and pull her back again. Ruby didn't even realise she was moving forwards.

“It appears, to me at least. That Ruby Doom never appears before us unless it's to spread destruction and unfounded resistance to the Confederacy. I believe she is here to see one of you tonight.”

Grievous motioned across the crowd. He was scanning it again. Clearly he believed Ruby was among them.

“I urge whoever is accompanying her to bring themselves forward and tell us where she is. You know we have you all on roll, we have checked everyone off as you have entered so we know you're all here and we know at least one of you knows where she is. I'll give you one minute to own up or you'll be facing the consequences of your silence.”

The crows seemed to tense up dramatically. Ruby watched carefully as the crowd shifted quietly but no one seemed to talk.

“No? Alright then. Let what happens next, serve as a reminder to you all why hindering the Confederacy is considered betrayal and a capital punishment.”

Grievous raised his hand and brought it down swiftly. Suddenly from the rooftops unknown numbers of Confederate men and woman appeared aiming rifles down into the crowd. Shots rung out across the square and suddenly people began to drop to the floor. Screaming erupted and cries and pleas for the hailstorm to stop were met with silence as Grieves calmly watched the massacre of New Mesa town square.

The finding of Farts and Bounder

Ruby felt her stomach wretch as she struggled to keep vomit down. She had never witnessed something as cold and evil as what had just happened. The screaming was deafening and the bullets continued to hail as Ruby keeled over onto her knees. It was something Ruby had never experienced before. She wasn't stupid.. She knew this sort of thing occurred in the real world. But through all her own killing she had never experienced such merciless hatred for other living beings who had nothing wrong.

Ruby felt Carla picking her up and leaning her against a wall. The woman was yelling something at Ruby but honestly, she was too taken aback by everything to compute any instructions. Suddenly Ruby felt herself being thrown to the ground as a Fed Soldier pinned her with his knee. Ruby felt the cold barrel of a revolver pressed to her cheek and heard the familiar click as the safety was pulled back. Just as the soldier went to fire his gun though he slumped off of Ruby and into the alleyway wall.

Ruby shook her head and suddenly once again felt the hard push of Carla as she was brought to her feet. Ruby felt herself returning to reality just in time to hear Carla shouting commands.

“He's shuffling them to the internment camp! Get your arse into the crowd and into that camp! I'll distract the Feds!”

Ruby dazedly looked to Carla as if to say, are you fucking stupid? But before any sort of conversation could be struck, Carla pushed Ruby into the square. Grievous Wylde's voice echoed out suddenly and that was when Ruby snapped back into reality. The cold voice and hatred for the man was enough to give Ruby her fight back. She wanted the fucker dead.

Ruby turned to face Greivous, but the crowd was moving erratically around her. Everyone was running towards the only exit now – Grievous was instructing the survivors to move towards the camps. Apparently when Ruby and Carla had been surprised by the soldiers in the alleyway, they had alerted others that they'd found Ruby and Carla. Grievous was now instructing everyone to point out Rubyif they saw her. Luckily however, everyone was too concerned with themselves to notice Ruby.

Ruby had managed to make it through the gates and into a smaller square where the 250 or so survivors from the massacre now cowered. Ruby began to regain herself a little more as each moment passed and looked around for Carla – she was no where to be seen. As Ruby began to shift through crowd wondering what was going happen next and where Carla was she heard the gruff voice of young girl sneering at a boy similar to the girls age,

“Farts. Get it together. We gotta get outta here and fast! We ain't gonna survive if you're crying.”

“Bounder!” Ruby called out, prompting the girl to turn around and hold a shiv upwards towards Ruby.

“Piss off lady! We don't want no trouble...”

“You're Pucks friend?”

“Who wants to know?”

“I'm here to get you two outta here...” Ruby said quickly

Farts continued to wail in hopelessness but Bounder quickly sized Ruby up and down, then smiled when she realised who Ruby was.

“I knew he'd save us!” Bounder cheered to herself. “How we getting outta here! It'll have to be fast.. the internment camps will be here soon!”

Ruby shook her head confusedly, “What do you mean?”

Bounder rolled her eyes and kicked Farts to signal him to shut up.

“The internment camps.. That's what they're calling the airships they use to keep us held. They lock about fifty of us up in the holding bays of an airship... If we get put onto one of those.. who knows if we'll come back!”

Ruby looked even more confused and Bounder could tell so she continued to lay everything out on the line for Ruby.

“Every few days one of the internment camps – the airships – goes away... When they return no one come back and the body pile grows in the center of town... They make us get off the internment camps and stand in the town square for a few hours reflecting... That's we thought tonight was...”

Ruby nodded her head in understanding now. “Got it” she said sternly.

Ruby looked around the massing crowd. Everyone was cowering in corners or big groups. No one seemed to be paying attention Ruby or the two kids, but Ruby couldn't help but notice that Carla was no where to be seen. Suddenly from above the small square she was in, floodlights rained down to the ground.

“Oh shit!” Bounder cried out, “They're here.. we're fucked!”

The Showdown of Carla Reynolds -the Queen of the Flats, and Grievous Wylde

Carla had barely had time to get Ruby back to reality before she was fighting off another two Fed guards. The woman had managed to so far evade bullets aimed at her. But as the crowd began to thin Carla soon found herself having less and less buffers as the bullets flew past her. It was only after the last POW made it through to wherever they were going that Carla stopped trying to hide and found herself square in the middle of the town square facing nearly ten Fed guards.

“And who might you be?” Grievous Wylde called from the stage.

Carla looked up to the man her stance strong and defiant of his clear attempts at intimidation. Carla raised her head in a fuck-you-manner and Grievous simply laughed as he leaped from the stage to the ground without injury. The man seemed almost super-human.

“Tsk. I asked you a question; Who are you?”

Carla laughed, wryly smiling towards Grievous as he pushed past the circling guards and entered into the circle facing directly opposite Carla.

“You can call me Carla..” she taunted.

“Do you have a last name Carla?” Grievous calmly retorted

“I do. But you gotta earn that...”

Grievous smiled. He clearly thought he had the upper hand.

“You're here with Ruby Doom aren't you Carla.”

“Yes and no.” she replied, “I came here with her... But she's got her own business in New Mesa and I have mine...”

“Is that so?” Grievous asked, “And what is your objective here...?”

“Well I wanted to meet you...” Carla replied, trailing a hand across her breasts, in turn taunting Grievous again.

It was apparent Grievous had grown tired of the simple conversation and suddenly he held a gun outwards at Carla. Carla felt the butt of her revolver and her fingers squeezed gently on the handle as she pulled it upwards herself to face Grievous in an apparent duel.

“It takes more than a gun to get me...” Carla purred.

“I'm afraid it won't” Grievous said as he smiled coldly.

Just as Grievous was about to fire his gun a second hailstorm on the now almost eerily quiet Town Square fired down onto the soldiers circling Grievous and Carla. Grievous looked up to the rooftops and saw the guards that he had had stationed were now falling dead to the ground, being replaced by a gang of pirates.

“You need to step up your security Grievous Wylde...” Carla laughed

Carla was cut short however when suddenly a full on gun battle was waged as more Fed soldiers appeared. Carla barely had time to maneuver out of the way as Grievous thrust a sword forward. Carla managed to step to the side and swing her knee upwards winding Grievous, collapsing him to the ground.

“You see Grievous, I have a message for you from the Flats... Fuck off.”

Grievous got his feet and this time opted to fist fight with Carla. The woman didn't have time to back away as Grievous swung hard into the side of her face, sending Carla stumbling backwards, holding her cheek.

“You Flatlanders are arrogant little maggots.” Grievous muttered as he approached Carla again.

Carla was prepared this time and stepped back avoiding another hit. She brought her right leg upwards into a kick but Grievous was ready and grabbed it, halting Carla in her place. The woman pulled her leg back, but Grievous had a tight grip and pulled Carla in close and with his free hand connected with her chest using an open palm.

Carla fell to her arse and barely had anytime to move as Grievous went to bring a foot down on her head. Carla managed to avoid a skull-crushing and swung her leg around on the ground toppling Grievous this time. She rolled over onto his chest and gave a quick one-two punch to his face, slamming Grievous' head into the ground.

“Like I said Grievous... Fuck off back to the peaks and I'll let you live...”

“I'll rip your heart form your ribcage” he retorted.

Grievous bucked upwards and Carla rolled across the and stumbled to her feet. She managed to turn around in time to see Greivous aiming his gun at her. Grievous shot without hesitation this time and Carla felt the full thud as a bullet hit her square in the chest. The woman stumbled for a moment as the gun war around her and Wylde continued. No one else seemed to notice what had just happened and Carla grabbed her chest as she waited for a quick death to take her.

Grievous closed the distance between himself and Carla and swiftly kicked the woman to the chest knocking her to the ground. He stood over her body and grinned coldly as he looked her in the eyes.

“Don't ever tell me what to do.”

Grievous turned away and moved swiftly into a nearby building leaving Carla to come to terms with what was happening. As a few moments passed Carla gripped her chest, wheezing heavily as the wind returned to her body. She rolled to her side and looked down to her hands, expecting to see them covered in blood. Instead, what Carla saw puzzled her beyond belief. Grievous hadn't shot her with a bullet intended for killing.

Carla was covered in some sort of luminescent powder that irradiated a strong glow under the artificial light. What the hell had Grievous done. At first Carla thought it must have been poisonous but after a few moments and not having dies she wondered what its purpose was. It was soon apparent though as a shitstorm of bullets rocketed the square around Carla as the monstrous Leviathan hailed it's gateling gun towards the earth.

Carla soon realised she had been tagged by Grievous for a killing much worse than a simple bullet. Apparently the luminescent powder was an indicator as to what the gun should be aimed at. The bullets were ripping apart the Town Square and soon Carla found herself removing as much of her affected clothing as possible.

It appeared the Fed's that had been fighting with Carla's men had scrambled when the Gatling had started to downpour. Carla looked to her men and shouted out to them,

“get back to your ships! Get outta here!”

Carla started to move from the square as quickly as possible as she managed to somehow avoid being shredded. She managed to move through the gate the POW's had been sifted through and with a quick dispatch of a guard, now found herself holed up with the survivors of the massacre.

The Narrow Escape from New Mesa

As the rattling noise of the Levithan coupled with the blaring lights of the Internment Camp ships filled the small square, Ruby had to think quick as she realised she may not be leaving with Carla. The first ship docked and all the POW's seemed to move away in fear. As a Fed soldier lowered the doors for the docking bay of the Airship Ruby withdrew Coleman and shot out across the crowd dispatching him swiftly. Some people cried out in horror as the soldier fell to the ground, but the chaos being caused in the square was more than enough to distract most of everyone.

Ruby motioned Farts and Bounder to follow her as she moved towards the Interment ship, instructing them to get on as Carla suddenly appeared from nowhere.

“Fuck yes! You got us a way out!”

Ruby turned to see Carla, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips,

“We need to get all these people out!” Ruby shouted over the still hailing Levithan.

“Fuck no.. I'm sorry Ruby, but shit has hit the fan! My men'll be lucky to get outta here!”

“What?” Ruby said baffled,

“I'll tell you later! We gotta go!”

“Not without getting everyone out!”

Carla looked to Ruby, their gaze locking again. This time Carla conceded defeat.

“Fine! What do you want to do!”

“You get as many on this ship and I'll get the rest onto some others...”

As Carla took control of the ship Ruby had managed to secure, Ruby told Farts and Bounder to stay put. The kids however wouldn't listen and soon Ruby found herself accompanied by two kids as Carla set about getting the first Interment ship into the air and out of New Mesa.

Carla it seemed, at least from the ground, had managed to get the first one hundred POW's piled into the airship. It was slow going, but at least the ship managed to avoid the Levithan's wrath because of it's Fed markings. Ruby had managed to commandeer two more Internment ships. She'd found someone prepared to pilot one all the way to Skycove and she had taken control of the second one.

Ruby successfully made it away from New Mesa with Farts and Bounder and around fifty other survivors. The same couldn't be said for the three out of four airships Carla had apparently had come into New Mesa. Three of Carla's ships had similarly been plastered with the targeting powder and the Levithan had dispatched them quickly. It was only thanks to the scheduled removal of the POW's that Carla and Ruby had managed to escape unharmed.

For a few hours Ruby had trailed Carla's surviving pirate airship. She herself hadn't spoken to Carla since she'd sent her away on the fist internment ship. But what Ruby did notice that whatever Carla had had her men in New Mesa for, they'd at least succeeded. From her ship Ruby could see that the men had gathered some from New Mesa...

Ruby had had to admit that Carla had been asset to her latest mission.. But still there was something about the pirate leader that left more questions that answers.

The Confession of Puck and the Trial and Verdict of Jenner Reese

Ruby had had to get of the internment ship with Farts and Bounder halfway between the Workshop and Skycove. She'd sent the ship back there, hopefully sending James a few more recruits. When Ruby had made it back to the Workshop with Farts and Bounder the three of them were greeted by a relieved looking Puck and confused Miss Reese.

It hadn't been something Ruby wanted to do. But the entire mission had left Ruby feeling that some sort of debt, at the very least was owed by Puck. She had taken to explaining the whole situation herself to Miss Reese with Puck and his friends in the room. Ruby explained she wasn't necessarily forgiving of Puck, but acknowledged that he was just boy.

At first Puck pleaded with Ruby not to inform Jenner why his friends were now at the White Group, but Ruby's conscious was stronger than the feelings of a boy's embarrassment at that stage.

“You wanted to play the game as a man Puck” she sternly told him,
“You need to pay the price of a man's wager.”

Ruby had just hoped that Jenner could see sympathy somewhere for Puck.. Because honestly, Ruby wasn't sure she had any left after what she had experienced. And the thought of what was she'd seen at New Mesa left a giant gaping pit inside of her thinking about what James Costner must be going through.