“Silence, then it all breaks loose”
-A attempt at a poem by a bored soldier
Hiegfal looked down at the console, now after a week of work by those unpleasant creatures the machine was now spotless, if not for the holy machinery itself seemed to have been somewhat defiled with wires and parts poking out of its casing.
“Well then Jenkins, I hope for your sake that you were right to suggest this…”
The priest swallowed, “Y-yes your holiness.”
The priest sat himself down in front of the console, carefully placing the scriptures on the console, opening it up to the marked page as he placed a finger onto the lever and started the tap out of a message on it.
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“The elections are coming up. Both the general and regional ones.” Edward said, looking up from his E-reader with the latest edition of his favourite paper on. It had become a daily routine this, the two of them meeting up in his office and reading the news. It was relaxing in a way.
David looked up from his own device “let me guess?”
“Guess what?”
“You’re gonna be badgering me about who to vote for again.”
“What me?” The admiral asked in mock surprise, “No, not at all!”
“Glad you’ve finally realised how much of a cunt you are when it comes to this.”
“I’m just politically active, that’s all.”
David sighed, “You know how online, where some people say that other people battering them with their POV over and over again makes them hate it?”
“It's happening now?”
“It's happening now and I’ll vote Tory and whatever federal conservative party there is if you keep doing it.”
Edward nearly spat out his tea, his composure taking a moment to reform.
“And you hate them! Not nearly as much as I do, but still!”
“And pissing you off is worth it.”
He took another moment to regain his composure.
“You know, this is the attitude that nearly led to them winning in 2020 and 2015!” Another moment of thought. “You know Labour is putting out Denis Skinner’s prodigy, a certain Addison Taylor as English First Minister for the regional elections.”
David immediately perked, his mouth almost forming the words “Based!” before stopping himself, looking over as he cleared his throat. “Okay you’ve convinced me, but-“
“But what?”
“I might go Tory if they put out Thatcher’s corpse.”
“You mean Theresa May?”
“Yeah…”
They both chuckled for a bit, leaning back in their chairs just as the phone on the desk started to ring with Edward snatching it up, his E-reader clattering to the desk.
“Hello, rear admiral Edward speaking?”
He smiled slightly before his face suddenly transformed into a look of shock.
David’s eyebrow raised, “What’s wrong?”
Edward held up a finger, “Is Elliot there!? Well get him there and I’ll be there right awa- Yes try to contact them Alex!”
“Again, what is it?”
He slammed down the headset as he scrambled out of his chair, “The kingdom has a fucking radio and they’re broadcasting to us now, so get your arse up and follow me!”
“Well this is certainly exciting, and why did you ask for Elliot? Want to bump into him again?”
Edward fiddled with the airlock door out of his office before finally opening as he grunted, “You know perfectly well why I need him there, and anyway, it's only been a bit over a week since I’ve met him and I don’t even know if he’s gay or bi yet, it’s a little early to flirt you know?”
“I know, I know, I joke…”
“It’s a bit hard to tell with you.”
Another airlock,
“Anyway, you’re overthinking it a little,”
“No, I’m not, it will be awkward when my bi ass tells him if he’s straight or asexual aromantic, and I don’t think anyone wants that situation.”
“Yeah, but bandages and all,”
“And I will do it when it isn’t awkward, or at least the least awkward.”
David sniffed, “Fair enough.”
“And again, only spent a bit over a week with him, time is needed.”
Yet another airlock,
“Did they say what message it was?”
“Mmh!? Oh! They said it was just SOS, over and over again.”
“Now, if I wasn’t a brave bastard I would say it seems a little creepy.”
The final bulkhead entering the CIC with Elliot and his small staff there already by the command centre.
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The expected call of, “Admiral on deck!” echoed out of the CIC as he walked.
“At ease!” Edward couldn’t help but quietly sigh again. It was kinda nice at first but at times like this it seemed a little more tiring than anything. “Any further news then? Have they responded!?”
Elliot sighed, “Well they kind of have but they seem to be struggling from what Alex has said,”
They nodded, “Its very slow and they keep correcting themselves like they haven’t actually done morse code before…”
David snorted, “They still teach morse to communications officers?”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“Exactly, I’m just glad to see that they’re keeping good old reliable communication methods alive.”
Edward couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “You’re too much like Beatty.”
“What?”
“Oh, nothing,” he mumbled before returning back to his usual volume, “Well, what have they said so far?”
“Something along the lines of wanting to arrange negotiations as soon as possible.”
“Really!?” Elliot asked, eyes widening as they darted over to Alex, their head nodding. “Oh! T-this is amazing!”
Thoughts rushed through Edward’s head that could only be summed up as “How cute!” as he looked on, before suddenly realising where he was with his face regaining its composure.
“Well then, I suppose you lot should keep at communication attempts, and I will go to talk with lieutenant Harley about security and maybe put in some calls to lieutenant colonel Laurence. We must be ready to get down for a meeting as soon as possible.”
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“Providing security then? Well, I think I can help out, I worked as a security guard for a bit before joining up, my, I think about 20 years ago…”
It was a bit of a nice coincidence to find that the armoury was empty apart from old lieutenant Harley, browsing his little collection of firearms he seemed to have scurried away.
“Well I think lieutenant colonel Laurence will also have to be involved given their greater number of troops and their-“
“Black suits?” Harely asked, “Yeah, I’ve heard her battalion has two companies of them. Quite remarkable to have so many attached spec ops heavy power armour troops in there…”
“It’s nice and lucky for us. I can’t help but feel like we have to be approaching something like the empire with those guys given their after-action reports after they stormed that Chinese lunar fort.”
“So, you’re going to have them with you during our visit?”
“Oh, certainly, for as long as their suit’s batteries last, I don’t want get into a red wedding situation.”
The old Lieutenant laughed, a long gravely one that felt just as warm as it was rough. “Well, I guess then we should sort out your second amendment rights then.”
Edward couldn’t help but let slip a smile, “Do you have my rifle locked up nicely still?”
“Oh, I do, but I don’t get what so great about that AK-101, I’d take a M4 or our new R-10s over that.”
He shrugged, “Well I like nice looking weird guns and it’s a collectable. That and I wanna be able to fix the inevitable jams I’ll get with a good hard hit.”
“Oh, weird then? Doesn’t the look of this thing look weird enough for you?” Harely asked, hauling up the black, smooth, curved and sleek profile of a R-10 Infront of him, the picatinny rails merging softly with the cooling cowl around the barrel, the entire thing looking like something ripped out of a Si-Fi film, “800 rounds per minute, bullpup, magazines going from 20 round boxes to 100 drums, it fires 6.5mm rounds but it feels like you’re firing 5.56 and all wrapped up with a 2 round hyper burst. Now isn’t it a beauty?”
Edward felt himself start to salivate, the mechanical perfection inside of that thing must be amazing… And it did look so nice… He swallowed, “I think I’m convinced, but is it really okay if I take it?”
“Oh, it's alright! But, mind you, about your standard issue weapons, that little Berretta there could do with a little upgrade on me, if you don’t mind another gift…” Harely said, pointing at holster on Edward’s belt.
“What about it?”
“I’ve got myself a little American-made upgrade to that wimpy Italian thing,” He chuckled, going to the storage lockers, and pulling out another gun Edward swore must have been taken from a film set. Another black polymer gun, but with quite a lot of bulk to it with a lot of mass on the front from what seemed to be capacitors… The back also had a bit of bulk to it with a detachable back. Oh! “This is an ArchFlash EMG-08, a practical coil gun hand cannon, and just given to us for some in-field testing, have it.”
“W-wait?! Have it?”
“What’s that for? I’m giving it to you now so you can taste some good old American gunsmithing and innovation, take it!”
He passed it over, Edward turning the gun around in his hand dumbfounded, noticing the iron sights and the little piece of glass attached to the rear sight, flipping it up to reveal a red dot sight as he marvelled at the design with childlike wonder.
“More power than a standard 9mm” he continued, “with plenty of new features to turn anyone who’s trying to get to close into a body on the floor.”
“How does it work though?”
“Oh, you just press the on button, select a fire mode with that switch, have a battery and clip in and you’re good to go.”
“Huh… Quite simple then?”
“Quite, but unfortunately this place doesn’t have a shooting range so I guess you’ll have to wait till someone makes you use it to test it.” Harley said, another grave laugh following.
“Well, I’d prefer not to be in life threatening situations so let’s just say I’ll wait until there's some sorta shooting range…”
“Ha! Well then, you do you.”
He got up, picking up a holster for the new gun and putting the other one to the side before pausing, “Oh dear god-“
“What is it?” the marine asked, eyes raised.
“I forgot to say thank you for it, that’s all!”
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Light glared through the glass windows reaching up to the ceiling in thin streaks, the light casting down onto the table and the arranged nobles and at their head was Duke Nathaniel. In front of him was arranged the city bailiff, his and the king’s marshal, the court artist, the king’s steward, and his spymaster.
Looking over them he could see their general apprehension, all of them shaken from the revelation that he had given them with the assistance of Hiegfal… Said the high priest was sitting at the other end of the table, completely unperturbed, only his characteristic spite of everyone painted across his face.
The Nathaniel wasn’t particularly keen on him he had decided. The man seemed to hate everyone, even the king and seemed too… Hawkish for what he liked… He wouldn’t have included him in this to be honest if it wasn’t for the fact that this entire situation was inherently linked to the church.
“A-are you,” finally asked the bailiff, fingers seemingly not knowing what to do with themselves as his eyes stared at the duke, “asking us to keep this secret?”
“As secret as you can.” Snapped Hiegfal, doing so even before the duke had processed what the nervous wreck was saying.
“As secret as you can, if they come down in their craft in the city, you’ll instead have to quell the panic and I’m sure we all don’t want a revolt in the city.” Nathaniel affirmed. It was a little frustrating that the priest also seemed to like interrupting people too…
“G-got it my lord.”
He sighed, “What other questions do people have to the privacy of this?”
“No, sir.” His spymaster responded curtly. The spymaster wasn’t however truly reeling from this revelation, he’d found out before the court and was only playing the part of one of his other retainers now. He needed another set of ears and eyes in this room just in case…
“So, now that we have that sorted, I think we should get on with creating a grand reception for our guests, shall we? To give these honoured angels everything we have to offer while we make sure of their true nature. So hence we should give them the greatest impression we can give them.”
“Well, uh- my lord, I believe I can create a tapestry of the founding of this kingdom for the event possibly? I know craftsmen who can have it done in time! So, we can show our roots and how we remember them.”
“Well what good news then,” The duke exclaimed, a with him putting on a small smile, “have that done at once! And I presume it will be done to the highest quality?”
“Nothing less sir.”
The priest however, took his time to speak again, “And I presume we, the church, can be welcome to ordain this meeting? We have a display that we are required to present to the angels of Ifcan if they ever return after all.”
The duke’s eyes darted over, his smile somewhat dampening a little, “Well, of course, you can then, its only your duty…”
“Of course. And I hope we can continue to plan this grand event together. This is what the church has been waiting for all of this time.”
Nathaniel fell silent for a moment, his mind settling on something to say to the uppity priest. “Where’s the current Prophet in this? I thought he’d be the one taking over this affair if anyone would be.”
It was then the high priest’s moment to fall silent. “He’s currently indisposed and to what reason is for only for the higher circle to know.”
“I see, well,” he said, a strained smile creeping across his face, “I suppose I’ll have to work with you on this.”