[Nexus] Remnant HQ

[Morty]

[Motor Pool]

When the Sirens finish playing, the goblins award them with a rather enthusiastic round of applause, quite a bit quckier than Gustav's clap.

[UncleWolf]

Motor Pool

Geoff can't help but grin at the applause and the Sirens all swarm over Sunny, giving her hugs and kisses. "Thank you, mother." One of them says, loving her praise.

"Told you that I'd get them to sing for you." Geoff says with a lopsided smirk.

Vasquez's Phone

Vasquez closes her eyes and rubs the bridge of her nose for a moment, pondering. "I'm going to need more than apologies, Jake." She admits. "I need answers."

[happyturtle]

Motor Pool

Tears come to Sunny's eyes, and she hugs all the sirens tightly.

Phone

"I..." Jake swallows hard, his heart pounding. It was really too soon for this. For the truth. "I'll try."

[UncleWolf]

Motor Pool

When they see the tears, the Sirens slow down and one lowers herself a bit to look up at her. "Is everything okay?"

Vasquez's Phone

"You act all crazy about me for a few days, then suddenly vanish for three weeks, and now you're calling back to want to try and start over." She says, unable to hide a bit of hurt from her voice. "If it's because I hurt your friend, I would have at least liked to have known..."

[happyturtle]

Motor Pool

"I'm happy," Sunny assures them. "Very very happy. I love you."

Phone

Jake lets out a low, bitter chuckle. "Gods no. I can't trust that I got the true story from Gus, but I'm sure however it happened, he deserved it."

"Please, Vasquez. Meet me at the gate at six. I can't do this over the phone." He hesitates a bit before going on. "I don't know if I can do it in person, but I'll try."

[Morty]

[Motor Pool]

Seeing a personal scene happening, the goblins return to the grenade-like thing they'd left behind.

[UncleWolf]

Motor Pool

Sunny will feel a small familiar hand take hers before Carl kisses her cheek, having been at the back of the group and listening to the music.

Vasquez's Phone

"I'll be there." Vasquez tells him before hanging up and holding her head, needing a moment to herself.

[happyturtle]

Motor Pool

Sunny, somewhat overwhelmed by her emotions, turns and kisses Carl very passionately, and a little inappropriately given all the people in the room.

Front Gate

It's not six yet! *bats location tag away*

[UncleWolf]

Motor Pool

Carl is surprised by the kiss, but replies by kissing her back for a long moment before breaking it off and staring into her eyes with a smile. "Come on. Lets head somewhere more private and you can tell me why you're so happy. I'd love to hear it." The Halfling tells her.

Front Gate

When the time comes, Vasquez is waiting at the gate, dressed in her Dress Whites. She knows it's just a "date"(according to Jake at least, but to her, she was there to get answers), but couldn't help but feel that this was the best way to dress. Probably far from the most flattering outfit, but it looked nice on her at least.

[happyturtle]

Motor Pool

Sunny blushes, suddenly embarrassed, and gives a red faced glance and wave back at the Sirens as she lets Carl lead her away.

She can't really explain her feelings except to say "The music made me feel happy. And then you were there."

Front Gate

Jake arrived early, in a one horse curricle, but left the vehicle back a bit and went to the gate on foot. His heart sank when he saw her uniform. It was obvious he didn't have a hope in hell of convincing her to start over.

But he smiled anyway. "You look beautiful." And if she'll allow him, he'll help her into the curricle and drive it towards Outside.

Spoiler

Show

[UncleWolf]

Front Gate

Vasquez grits her teeth when she sees the curricle, and even before it stops, already has her back turned to it and begins walking away. She had been expecting answers as to why he seemed to have ditched her, not some horse-drawn attempt to woo her with a ride through the countryside.

After a few steps however, she sighs and props her hand on the gate as she lowers her head a bit, thinking. She said she'd allow him another chance, and she usually kept her word with such things. Jake may hear the creaking of metal as she makes a fist of her cybernetic hand, flexing a couple of the metal bars of the gate before she turns back around and walks up to his ride and climbing aboard. "Thank you." She says a bit quietly, unable to look directly at him for the moment.

[happyturtle]

Front Gate

A few hours later, just after sunset, the curricle returns. "I'm going to tell him that you know. I owe him that much. If he gets violent again... well..." He gives a shrug. "Do what you have to do."

[UncleWolf]

Front Gate

Vasquez leans over to give him a soft kiss. "I'll be sure to be careful. I'll speak to him when he comes for me. I'll be sure to give you a call whenever I decide, whatever I decide. So you have an answer."

[happyturtle]

Front Gate

"Thank you." His memories of their night together are never far from his mind. But despite his wishes, he doesn't try to prolong the kiss, or try anything more than reaching out to softly touch her face. "Goodnight, Beautiful."

[UncleWolf]

Gate

Vasquez reaches up and squeezes his hand before looking away and somewhat reluctantly getting off of the curricle. "Good night Jake." she says before heading in.

[UncleWolf]

HQ - Core Engine Room (Earlier)

Geoff, stripped to his skin, breathes quickly as he's set in the cold metal throne and strapped down by the aides. He shivers a bit, but the cold was necessary to keep the components of the control matrix working well. Bugs frowns as he puts the needles into the mechanic's wrists. "Dammit, why did this have to happen now? (Careful, this will hurt)" The medic asks as he prepares the neural jack.

"You know how it is. We're just too darn pretty to have any good luAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Geoff screams as the cold needle stabs into the base of his brain, connecting him to Remnant's systems.

A few short moments later, the place takes flight under his control...

Briefing Room(Now)

Vasquez looks at the gathered men and women in front of her with an expression of tired acceptance. She and they all knew they may very well be sent to their deaths. "Thank you for volunteering for this. So I'm not going to give you any ****** about what we expect. There's a strong chance this is a one-way mission, as we have no intelligence about what's on the surface." She says, gesturing at a picture of K'rax Naggath. "Her form constantly changes, and we haven't had a chance to send anyone to check and see what the surface is like." She says before closing her eyes. "I know, this is Zee, just megasized. But she's a threat to the entire city now and has killed dozens of people. We have to take her out."

"While her form shifts, it remains in a general shape. You'll be taking equipment and more than a few heavy explosives with you to drill into the back of her neck. With any luck, she has something resembling a spine. Take it out."

The Commander leans forward with her elbows on her knees, hanging her head. "Report to the teleportation chamber. You'll arrive first, secure the area, and then we'll transport the equipment."

The armored men and women begin to file out, but she reaches out to stop one with a hand on his shoulder. "Please come back. Charity would never forgive me."

Edijar, face hidden by his helmet, nods and follows his Praetorians out of the room.

[happyturtle]

Engines

Sunny is running around doing damage control and on the spot repairs. Remnant hadn't been in flight during hostilities before, and the stress points were showing.

Sunny's analytical mind thinks more in pure concepts than in language, but if her thoughts were put into words, it would be this:

It should have been perfect.

I should have foreseen that would give way.

Why didn't I run more tests?





HQ - Carl's Quarters

Carl isn't here. Nor is Sunny. Just a frightened puppy who doesn't understand why the world is suddenly noisy and shaking, and a worried Charity, trying to distract the puppy as a way of distracting herself.

[happyturtle]

Troop Recall Zone

The Praetorians are teleported here, in the depths of the base. For a moment they just float their, the hover modes on their armour still active. Then they fall out of formation and start to move, some landing, and others remaining in hover mode. Submission-In-Adversity-Brings-Peace Halifax (Missy or Halifax to her friends) lands with a hard thump, takes off her helmet, and flings it down as she stomps off towards the locker room.

"Halifax, we had to do it. She was unsealing the Old Ones. She wasn't Zee anymore." Mazarin says, reaching up to put a hand on her shoulder.

She slaps it away. "Shut up. Just... shut up!"

He does.

[UncleWolf]

Edijar's Place

After a few hours, Charity will hear the door unlock as he comes home. Edijar looks haggard in his untidy uniform, apparently unable to put in the time to wear it correctly like he usually does. He shuts the door quietly and puts the keys on the table. Seeing his girlfriend, he goes over and gives her a weak hug, holding her close as he begins to quietly sob.

She'll know it's rare for him to do so after a mission.

Other Quarters

A pair of Praetorians, a shorter stocky woman, and an elven man, removed of their armor, walk hand in hand into their quarters, quiet, unable to say a word. There's no food, both feeling too sick to eat, and no smiling or celebration. Silently, they simply slide into bed, unwilling to face each other for the shame they've done.

Combat Control Center

Vasquez waves the last of the personnel out of the door, leaving her alone in the darkened room. With a sigh, she reaches for a hidden bottle of scotch and takes a long pull from it, hoping it'll get rid of the guilt of ordering the death of Zee.

[happyturtle]

Edijar's Place

She wants to ask. To share with him what is hurting him, and help him talk about it.

But she's also afraid to ask. She knows he's done some terrible things before. Whatever this is, it's worse. Much worse.

So wordlessly, she helps him undress and pulls him to bed, holding him close and crying with him.

Outside Combat Control Center

Missy stands and stares at the closed door. Vasquez won't be glad to see her, and she'll be even less glad to hear what she has to say.

But she couldn't let her find out some other way. So she walks in, her cybernetic enhanced vision letting her see easily in the dark, and sits down near her commander.

She catches the smell of alcohol, and asks, in a tone of simple curiosity, "Does it help?"

[UncleWolf]

CCC

Vasquez gestures with the bottle a bit, accepting the presence, as she shakes her head. "Never. Not any more anyway." She says before tapping where her liver is. "Implant. Can't afford to get drunk any more."

[happyturtle]

CCC

"I can't. At least, not to de-stress. Can't keep it down long enough to get drunk." Missy takes a swig of her own bottle - Maalox.

[UncleWolf]

CCC

Vasquez stays quiet for a long time, brooding before looking up at her. "I'm sorry for what had to be done, Submission." She says before taking a large drink, grunting as it burns her throat. "I may not have cared for her too much myself, but she didn't deserve this."

[Murska]

Entrance

A somewhat ragged man wearing what appears to be remnants of an uniform covered with a desert-coloured cape makes his way to the HQ. On his back under the cape is a large rail-rifle.

When/if stopped, he'll scratch his unkempt black hair and say: "Uh. Nathaniel Marath, temporary Special Forces, probably previously assumed MIA, reporting in... what happened here?"

[happyturtle]

CCC

"No. But neither did the people she killed," Missy says. "All our contingency plans.. we never accounted for her becoming a **** mountain."

[UncleWolf]

CCC

Vasquez shakes her head. "No. She's always been one of the harder ones to plan for. I don't think she ever liked Remnant, and know she hated the Empire. Not many of us ever knew much about her I think."

Gate

Luckily, the pair of guards have their faceplates covering their expressions, otherwise they'd let slip a look of shock. After a moment, one pulls out a small digital pad and begins checking down a list of names. Another moment later, she looks up and nods. "Go on in, there are empty quarters for you to take if you want. Shower, rest, and relax. You can be debriefed in the morning. It's...complicated."

[happyturtle]

CCC

Missy bites her lip. This was the hard part. Best not to draw it out. "She had kids. I met them at Trog's."

[Murska]

Gate

Nath nods in gratitude. "Thanks... been a long trek."

He walks in through the gates. If he wasn't so tired, he probably couldn't bear to rest for his curiosity. For now, he'll just try and find his way to someone who can point him to some empty quarters. There's SAND on his BOOTS.

[UncleWolf]

CCC

Vasquez looks up at the woman tiredly, looking drawn and gaunt. "I know, Submission. One of our units ran into them before you came back. I...I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Gate

Nathaniel will be pointed in the right direction by the guards.

[happyturtle]

CCC

Missy feels a wave of relief go over her. She'd been so worried about how Vasquez would take it, and at least - well, it was over. She knew.

"I sent them some toys," Missy says. "It seemed better than flowers. No card though. What would I say 'Sorry I killed your mom. Have some Legos.'" she gives a bitter laugh.