“Have you come to a decision?” Jack asked as he stood before Lita and her entourage of paladins. Beside him, stood Jessica as well as three imperial commandos.

“You aren’t giving us much of a choice,” Superbia spat.

“Think about it rationally,” Jack said, walking to stand beside a viewport to stare at the floating city. “Your people and arms are depleted. You barely have food for your population and your lands are overrun by demonspawn. Even if we left you to your own devices, you’d be overtaken in a week? Two? Best case scenario, a month without the Green Bishop manipulating the demonspawn to keep them away.”

Of course there was always that strange statue of Sahaqiel in the sewer hideout, but as far as Jack could tell, its deterring effect could be overcome.

“Your answer? Believe it or not I have other things to do,” Jack said, turning to face Lita's group.

“Bit rude Jack, maybe ease up a bit?” Sahaqiel chimed in.

The more time we waste here, the more time Jill spends in captivity. I want this to be over Sara.

Lita moved the fuming Superbia behind her.

“We agree, however we have terms, your Majesty.”

The word Majesty irked Jack, but he kept a straight face.

“Of course, let's hash this out,” Jack said, sitting down at the table to negotiate with the Theocracy.

****

Aboard a dropship, Jack looked out the Gürteltier-class dropship’s side viewport to stare at the nearing city.

Wearing his helmet, a yellow icon appeared on his HUD.

“Sir, forgive my… presumptuous, but may I speak frankly?” Jessica said over a two-way private helmet-to-helmet channel to avoid the other soldiers listening in.

“What is it?” Jack replied, leaning his head towards the woman strapped to the flight-seat across from him.

“Are you sure this is a wise course of action?”

“What do you mean?”

“Bringing Templars into Imperial territory. It's risky.”

“I'm well aware of the risks,” Jack replied, turning his head as his vehicle neared the city citadel.

“Respectfully, and I mean this with the utmost respect, but are you sure you do? You were absent for most of the war, but the Theocracy laid waste to a number of cities, massacred thousands during their invasion. The Empire has a long memory and some would even say the Theocracy deserved what they got.”

“I wasn't aware you felt so strongly,” Jack said as the dropship touched down, the hull of the metal coffin lurching a its hydraulics stabilized it's mass.

“I don't, I just felt I should inform you of the sentients commonly held by the people of the empire who serve you,” Jessica replied.

“Well, it's a good thing it won't be imperial citizens who will have to deal with it,” Jack said as the ramp went down and he exited the dropship to the sight of two dozen white-clad people on their knees.

“Lord Lumenese,” a paladin said, snapping an imperial salute to Jack as he approached. “We've secured the prisoners per Lady Lita’s instructions. The site is awaiting your inspection.”

Jack removed his helmet to meet the man’s blue eyes.

“Good work Paladin, we'll take it from here,” Jack said before signaling his soldiers to apprehend the prisoners who sat bound and gagged.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Although Jack had an understanding of the facility thanks to Lilith's memories, he still needed to see it first hand and recover any data they could use against their enemies.

To that end, Selfia had dispatched him with a team of techs commanded by Jessica who was already well versed in what they were calling Sensitive Site Exploitation.

Jack's job was to run security and keep the hundreds of Templars weary in case they tried anything funny.

Eyeing the prisoners, Jack's blood boiled as Lilith demanded her crimson rage be satiated, but Jack had other plans. Ones that included his new skill.

“I'm going to go for a little air, make sure there's no surprises,” Sahaqiel said, taking off.

Okay. Jack sent back, his eyes downcast at a prisoner shivering in place.

***

After an hour, Jack began to get restless. Between the Templars praising him, Lilth's constant rage, and Sahaqiel munching of any desert or treat she could find, there was nothing for him to do as he waited for reinforcements to pick up the prisoners.

“You must tell us lumenese, how do your wings work?” The paladin who had greeted Jack asked, now one of many Templars pestering him.

“It responds to my will, moving as a part of me,” Jack replied, deciding to humor the paladin and hand a feather to the man.

“Whoa…” The paladin said, holding the feather out to the other Templars who marbled at the silver shard that was light and malleable and began wiggling under Jack's order.

“Sir,” Jessica’s voice echoed through his earpiece. “We've got something you should see.”

“Understood lieutenant, I'm on the way,” Jack said, retrieving his feather to join Jessica within the Bishop's facility.

After navigating a series of winding tunnels, Jack's heart sunk as he stood before a room filled with cages and imperial commandos rushing about with food and medical supplies.

Within the cages, children, test subjects of various ages in different stages of starvation, decomposition, or dying.

Immediately Jack spun, leaving the facility as Jessica called out to him. However her words fell upon deaf ears as Jack exited the laboratory to stand upon the platform where the prisoners were being loaded onto Gürteltier-class dropships.

“Wait!” Jack barked, stopping an Imperial Black Rose soldier from loading up a white clad priest into the transport.

“Yes? Your maj-” The woman said before her voice died as the prisoner she held was suddenly decapitated.

The entire platform fell silent, all eyes focused on the headless body dropping to the floor.

Jack flicked his bloodied hand, splattering the floor with the crimson gore.

“Bring them back out, and line them up,” Jack ordered as one High Table technician screamed at the sight of their companion.

On his order the imperial soldiers with assistance of the Templars did as ordered, marching the scientists from the transport and lining them up.

“S-sir!” Jessica let out upon joining Jack strangling a High Table technician. “We need them alive!”

“No we don't,” Jack hissed as he grabbed a prisoner and lifted the flailing human by his head.

“B-but-”

“We only need their memories. Not their bodies,” Jack replied as he decided to get some practice in.

Between Jack's fingers, he could see the fear in the man's eyes, his muffled pleas vibrating through his gag to touch Jack's hand.

“Look into my eyes,” Jack ordered as a malevolent aura rose, Lilith all but happy to indulge Jack's wishes.

“NmHH! MMH!” The man screamed, his feet kicking with his body wiggling back and forth upon Jack's mana intruding the man.

“What do you see?” Jack said, his words ripping out the foremost memories of the man who began to cry out in agonizing pain.

“Mmmm! HMMMM!” The eyes of Jack's victim turned golden, mirroring Jack's eyes that glared with power as the nearby paladins tried to keep the panicking prisoners in check.

“What do you see?” Jack repeated calmly as his prey went still and tears flowed from his eyes.

A connection was made, memories of dark deeds, torture, mundane days, and the man's hopes and wishes pouring into Jack. Much like that ability has done to the Green Bishop, memories poured forth from the man's mind. However, unlike the fanatic, the images seen by Jack were less blurry, more clear, with more images and sound.

Was it because the man wasn't an awakened? Was it because he had less force of will or less resistance?

Jack didn't know, but fortunately he had plenty of ways to test his ability.

“I see what you are,” Jack hissed before he released the man, allowing him to drop to the floor with a resounding thud as all signs of life left twitching technician.

Jessica rushed forward, taking his pulse as Jack moved on.

Alive, but seemingly comatose.

The next High Table agent gazed at his companion and then Jack, yelling something through his gag.

“Remove his gag,” Jack said, his tone so cold all those nearby instinctually shivered.

Jessica did as told, removing the man's mouth guard with the High Tables Agent immediately groveling.

“Please! Please! I’ll tell you anything you want! Everything!” The clergyman pleaded, “Please! Please! My lord! King!”

Jack cracked his fingers into a fist.

“That's the neat thing, you already will,” Jack said as he reached out with his eyes glowing gold.