Through the chaotic blizzard, Archius watched down from the numerous drone monitors as he kept track of everything, making sure that any updates were sent through. As always, that workaholic was typing away, monitoring communication relays. Whilst Eliza was simply helping around where she could. She acted in a junior role to Sato and him, but her adaptability and willingness to learn seemed to have gotten her to handle the basics. Though her track record isn’t clean, she may be a useful, temporary asset for the AGENCY. Yet again, the costs of having her on is ever-present. As of now: she’s still deadweight. If Kazuki had just brought along one of the thousands of other handlers, everything during the Loyalist Crisis could have been condensed.

But for some reason, Kaz keeps her around. BUT WHY!? Archius mulled it over, finding no logical answer to it. Eliza’s involvement will get in the way of both the operation and her own studies! But why… it confounded him. Was it more in line with a human aspect? He groaned, those lessons back in the CRIS were always a drag. Why understand when he can just imitate perfectly?

But now isn’t the time to think. ‘Arbiter, direct your team to the east command relay. Power signatures originate from there.’ said Archius.

‘Alright.’

Looking down, he saw the strobing lights, through the blizzard. Kazuki, Quinn, Claire and Lilly scour through the compound with dozens of other lights. Those maintaining the perimeter soon joined in as Sato highlighted any threats. Those blimps on the map that didn’t go grey were soon a terminated red.

The constant chatter of ‘Clear.’ scared itself into Archius’ mind, the dots on the map disappearing and reappearing into the many shuttle-haulers on the shipyard. Yet its unorthodox platforms create two distinct forces. The sections clearing upwards and those clearing downwards.

Not a single word was uttered for organisation, after all these operatives knew each other well enough, the two most loyal of Kazuki’s talons, to organise anything amongst themselves.

Though their two roles were typically divergent. Heimfall’s shock & awe tactics back when it was a suicide unit in Clandestine; with Deltastring’s organisation & tactics made them perfect for each other. Each unit covered each other’s downsides.

Though, they were already willing to defect.

From the command deck, he looked through the window down at Narisa. Even from orbit, anyone could tell that it was a hellscape. Unlike Anagora, this planet truly felt dead… Abandoned.

Scanning back to the monitor, he watched as Kazuki’s team stacked up to the entrance of the command relay. Drones from Kiri’s team stacked onto them, scanning the building. ‘Archius, we’re in position. Can you hack into the camera feed?’

‘Will do.’ replied Archius, complying with Kazuki’s orders as he always does. Slamming down on the ICAPAD, he connected Krystalink to the relay.

He peered into the camera system, eyes sparkling with information. ‘Arbiter, the first room has multiple tangos hiding behind barricades, go kill them, will you’

‘We have intercepted some communications, it seems like the police aren't too happy.’ Sato reported, wavering a dozen screens away.

Well no shit, Archius thought. He glanced at Eliza, rolling his eyes. She was coordinating Kiri’s team, taking prisoners of anyone they found with drones to escort. She’s not one of them, he muttered to himself. They all had to sacrifice something… and here she was. Two months isn’t enough to mend mistakes… Not her’s at least.

‘Well,’ Eliza started, ‘We are technically trespassing because of a few loopholes regarding warrants.’

The team breached in, cracking the door open as bolts and plasma was exchanged. Through the chaos down there, Archius kept calm. All the while Eliza sweated herself to fulfil some promise he heard from up the grapevine, he wasn’t as overkill as her. If he needed to give this more, then he will.

‘This is sanctioned. Categorically, at least.’

‘Not to the people on this planet.’ muttered Archius, but since who the fuck cares about the people? They’re here for a job, to burn the gunrunners. They can leave the fallout to whoever comes next, the PMC Way™.

The storming continued, both Claire and Edain acting as stimulant-dispensers for the spearheads, using their exoskeletons to carry additional stims. Without damaged implants from before, Kazuki was even faster - and deadlier. He was just like in the old days, no quarter and all death. Archius watched as he crashed through the relay with Quinn and Lilly; anything standing in their way was cut up, living, armoured or machine. He was satisfied that Eliza used her voodoo cybernetic magic to fix Kazuki. But that’s really all of her use… There’s only so much an outsider can do.

Archius kicked his legs back, eating down on a chocolate bar. Everyone calls him a control-freak, but he’ll let Kazuki control the flow of the mission.

Sato grumbled at Archius’ harmless antics, her navy pride kicking in as she watched him disrespect the command deck. The attack was typical, blood-filled and best of all: clean, with no distractions, and no worries. He’s seen this play out hundreds of times, possibly even thousands. But as he started to yawn, Eliza looked up at him.

“Umm, Archius, how’s Kaz’s team doing?” asked Eliza, quietly as if worried.

“Don’t worry, it’s all good.” He started to smoke a small cigarette, before coughing at the high-quality turbica, immediately snuffing the light. Eliza leaned over, patting him on the back as he placed a finger up. He quickly recovered. “Most missions are normally more hectic, just relax.”

“Relax my ass!” Sato interjected, “I’m out here busting my mind to try and find possible links while you eat on fucking crisps.”

“Oh, rela—”

Sato was taking none of it. She lobbed a water bottle, crashing into archius. It Smacked directly onto his head, reflecting off with a bounce as it collided.

∗ ∗ ∗

Bouncing off, the round skimmed through the warm hood. Quinn was knocked to the side as Lilly dragged him into cover. Blood dripped down from his helm-mask, but he shook her off. “I’m fine!”

“You’re not, stay still, now. Hmm.” Edain, one of the Loyalist defectors, moved up from the rear as he started to treat Quinn. Edain spoke with a Torantionian accent, thick and... relatively nice to listen to.

At least it wasn’t an Engan accent.

By now he was littered with wounds, and scorch marks. Claire was stacked up on the other side of the entrance to the hall, with Kazuki. Another wave of drones poured forward, into the hallway. As expected, they were quickly cut down and disabled by a cabal of smugglers camping down the hall.

Getting to the relay would be hard. They’ll need to breach through a hail of torrential fire, from armoured smugglers. They had old Imperial armour, two decades old. Clunky, but thick - unbalanced but durable. And in a tight space, the AGENTs couldn’t use their heightened agility to their fullest. He cursed the fact that he had to use old Clandestine gear…

Most of the carnage was in here. Kazuki looked at Quinn, there was fervour in those eyes. But not the typical ‘let us get this over with so I can go drink’ type.

Something burnt within him, resonating with Kazuki.

“Let’s go get them!” Quinn shouted, “What? Since when were you guys afraid of being shot?!”

“Since always!” Claire replied. “Didn’t expect you to bring a bloody Loyalist with us!”

“Scared that you’d be replaced as a medic?” Kazuki snapped.

Claire merely shook her head. Edain fired back, “Fuck off, we didn’t hear the news of Jessica’s death till Svenn took us in!”

Lilly shouted, “They shoot good, Lazarus, what else do we need to care about?”

Edain quickly finished up, bandaging wounds and strapping injections through the vest-plates. The moment he released the tourniquet, Quinn tried to poke his head out. “For the Republic!” he chanted mockingly.

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Lilly yanked him back, shouting at her 2iC, “What the fuck is wrong with you? You want to get minced up?”

Kazuki sighed. The burden of leadership takes a toll on one. Many times he has thought of operating alone. Only him. But then again, he was but one man. Sure, a member of the seven mercs, but still innately human - despite whatever the rumours say about him or any of the other mercs or crims… with possible Hartius as an exception to the norm.

“Epsilon. You’re already wounded. I’ll take point.” ordered Kazuki. His exospine reclocked with a blue hue. His leg-braces tightened with each muscle movement.

Quinn nodded, understanding that arguing with his boss’ boss was the worst idea he could conceive. Activating his shield, he continued to reclock his organs, ensuring they were ready. He let off a gasp of steam in controlled scalding burst through the helm-mask’s respirator.

And as he finished his preparations, he turned the corner. He threw himself forward, arching his shield to brace against ballistic impact. Smugglers were hiding away near the back, defending the entrance to the relay.

Kazuki charged, ignoring the thick hail of impacts. A dozen bolts flicked off his armoured plates. They unleashed everything. But it did not matter. The moment Kazuki was in reach, he lunged - plunging into their ranks. Unstrapping his hand-cannon, he flicked molten, corrosive acid down the hall, splattering like buckshot against all the defenders.

Their gunfire quickly fell short. Despite their high-thick armour and smuggled mil-grade weapons, they were not enough to fight against the acid. And by now, all were writhing in agony, in pain. Kazuki felt nothing when looking down at them. The team started to move up as they euthanized any that survived the blast. A figure pushed past Kazuki, Quinn, trying to rush forward.

“Epsilon! Keep your head straight!” shouted Lilly.

“Ugh… another life-saving surgery, here it comes.” complained Edain, annoyed and snarky at his comrade. Being the command medic of a suicidal team was sure to cause him headaches.

Kazuki grabbed onto Quinn. “Patience.”

Stopping in place, Quinn nodded, looking back at Kaz. He placed a hand against his helm-mask, shaking his head. “Sorry, sir, just… got a little bit excited there.” He knelt down, picking up a few side-arms before shoving them into backup holsters.

He gave a simple nod. Best to leave it at that. Entering into the command relay, he scoured his muzzle across the room. Only one person was left, frantically trying to do something on a control panel.

“Get off that.” Kazuki demanded calmly, muzzle pointed at their neck.

His cold voice pierced the smuggler. He froze and slowly turned around. The team flooded in, investigating the room as Kazuki held the smuggler at gunpoint. Lilly took a glance at them, then shrugged it off, along with Claire.

Edain started looking through the lockers as Quinn stood beside Kazuki, giving a few glances to anything he could steal; there was nothing out in the open for him.

“Hands up. Slowly.” Kazuki ordered.

They slowly raised their hands, revealing their vest-plate to be covered in old grenades. Imperial made, insignias worn out and rusted. Relics, but still practical, he thought. Quinn placed his finger on the trigger as he looked at Kazuki for approval.

“No. This one lives.” lied Kazuki, looking towards the command console they were working at beforehand. “What were you doing?”

“I—”

But as they spoke, a loud deafening voice cracked through the room, behind the man. Kazuki shot to the smuggler’s left. They jerked to the right, revealing the console. It was a holographic message. The cubic measurements formed up in the message. And Quinn’s eyes thinned at the sight.

‘Excellent job… you have not failed me. Their arrival will even the battlefield. Your… family will be looked after very well.’ said the man, his face worn out and his eyes red from drugs - Leon. It was him, he saw the fragments of images Archius and Sato had. It was him, older: but still the target, a stench of drugs behind the projection.

Kazuki could tell even from this distance. It lined up perfectly with his memories of fighting hooked-up druggies; sometimes they were hooked up to ghoul-serum.

“At least it’s not a ghoul…” Kazuki whispered to himself, the form of those creatures still giving him unease.

Leon had a blood red fringe. As the message was about to continue, Quinn activated his exoskeleton’s wargear. It discharged plasma-shot into the console, destroying the projector and the message as sparks flicked up.

‘HEY! I was watching that, you know?’ snapped Sato, speaking up as Kazuki glanced towards the smuggler.

Quinn snapped back, “We don’t need him, we’re already doing what’s necessary.”

‘We got enough information, didn’t we?’ asked Archius, countering Sato.

Lilly slowly looked at Quinn and shook her head. “Sorry about him, Epsilon’s—”

“We don’t have time for this.” Kazuki stated, setting the record of priorities straight.

He gave Kazuki one look, nodding. Kazuki covered Quinn, where many have not. The smuggler shook and started to shake. They closed their eyes as they started whimpering quietly. Quinn shot a look at them. “What the fuck are you crying for? Sad that your family’s abandoned you? Let me guess, that fucker’s gonna shag your wife or something.” Quinn acted like a total ass, remarking with a stuck-up attitude.

“No… I don’t want to… die.” worried the smuggler.

As he finished, Kazuki noticed one detail that all others seemed to have missed. The grenades. They were attached to a separate device, a device that, set to an igniter, just flicked the pin-lights on.

The smuggler started to wail as they tried to drag the grenades off them. What a shame, he could have had intel, but it seems they’ll have to rely on Archius’ informant for now.

Kazuki shot the grenades before they could be thrown. A violent fireball exploded where the smuggler stood. Fragmentation scattered, sending the windows of the relay reeling. It fluttered across shields and armour.

Edain looked over at all of them as he was still ransacking the place, searching for any interesting trinkets. The grenades were so old that they were quite ineffective…

“So, what was that about?” asked Edain, uncaring about the explosion. Most didn’t care, they’ve been through more hell than that. Quinn scrounged up whatever Edain threw out, whistling as he did with gleaming blue eyes.

Tch. At least Kazuki could take respite in knowing they were more than dead. He gave them justice, they’ll see no more than that. They picked the fight with him, Kazuki thought. He’ll make them suffer for it, he’ll kill each last one of them.

“Suicide bomber. Forced,” Kazuki pressed on his uplink, ‘Overwatch. Scan the area, we might have possible hostile reinforcements.’

‘Uh, hey Eliza you deal with that.’ Sato said, ordering her around.

Eliza connected to Kazuki’s team. ‘Possible hostiles? Unsure to say what, Arbiter, the snowstorm is hampering our scanners.’

‘Switch them to thermal…’ Archius muttered.

A pause from Eliza was clearly from a moment of embarrassment. ‘Oh…’ said Eliza. Kazuki could feel her tomato face behind the monitor, all the way up in orbit. The operatives in the room chuckled under their breaths, finding it less annoying or distracting: but amusing.

‘Keep scanning for anything important. All forces search the vessels, secure as much contraband.’

‘Copy that, Arbiter,’ said Kiri, with a mixture of care in her voice. It was the opposite of what this profession demanded. But they all have their own ways of dealing with all the deaths. ‘We’ve found quite a few crates of weapons in the shuttle-haulers, but other than that we haven’t found much.’

Kazuki nodded, turning to Edain as the group started to search around the relay. Quinn walked over to one of the broken consoles and slammed down on a lever, deactivating the power signature. Edain heaved out a large, vertical box from the locker.

‘Convoy, can’t distinguish what’s in it,’ said Eliza. ‘Will update you when possible.’

“Seems like she’s improved,” said Lilly.

Kazuki glanced towards her. “She always does.”

She nodded. “What do we have here, then?” continued Lilly, looking over.

“Oi! It’s mine,” complained Edain, rolling his eyes behind the helm-mask. “I’m making sure Epsilon doesn’t steal this one!”

Edain rubbed his hands together, extending the porta-bar breaching tool. He pried the crate open. The smell of old dust and rust came through as he coughed at the dust. Lilly walked over, peering over his shoulder. She looked down at what was presented.

“Some antique?” she asked. Clare joined in, then Quinn - and finally Kazuki. He wondered what might have attracted their attention.

“A vesarian-reinforced blade.” Kazuki corrected Lilly, “Antique, yes. Powerful, yes. Impractical, yes… It can sell for a lot, if you have the right connections.”

“Dibs!” shouted Edain. He grabbed it from the box as he waved it around like if he was an Imperial knight of old. Kazuki felt a level of glee at dispelling that information… He shivered at the realisation, it DID not suit the Contract-Breaker. Glee was not his weapon, never will be.

Giving it another look, it was far from robust or pristine. Decades have passed since its neglect caused its rust and degradation… The weapons used to be the ceremonial weapons of the aristocracy and the knights… how far they’ve fallen.

“Imperial Knight weaponry, before they defected to the Republic,” Kazuki decided to inform him. “But in that state, it’s worthless.”

Edain immediately threw the sword away… to be thrown away so casually. Times have changed, he thought - turning away. Quinn sheathed the antique onto his belt, whistling away. Kazuki’s uplink blinked red and green, connecting through the helm-mask.

‘Arbiter, forces are inbound to your location. The power signature was a beacon in the interweb of all places, didn’t know they had connection down here!’ Sato deliberated, somewhat worried as she reported, ‘It’s been shielding itself from Krystalink but whatever the fuck you did uncovered them.’

However, Archius had a much more calm attitude. Operations with Archius were either him slacking off, leaving him to control the situation - or were the most chaotic ops ever, with him working his ass off. ‘Calm it, who are they? If it’s just more smugglers, then we’re fine.’

Eliza sliced into the conversation as she got a new link on Krystalink. His aug-glasses lit up with information. ‘—Not quite! Hold it, I have a clearance rating, Level 2? Clearance from the NMPD to the… Daura Intergalactic?’

Daura Intergalactic… What a shame that they had to be here, Kazuki wondered. But a job is a job, and everyone must spill blood, their own - or that of others. A bedrock of blood under the board and admins.

‘All stations. Destroy any cargo you can’t carry. Start exfiltration now, if you can’t carry it, leave it. I’ll leave Vallé to oversee the evacuation.’