After an extended period of grunting, complaining and groaning, Raine and co finally arrive at the administrative office parking lot. They managed to get an empty parking spot in the corner of the parking lot. Ron is forced to look elsewhere for another empty place since there is no available spot near them.
With the car finally turned off, Raine immediately exits the vehicle and starts stretching in relief that the journey is over.
At one point on the journey, Raine believes that Kaidan may have muted her out. Maybe his helmet has a mute function. After all, she did start belittling the size of Kaidan's genitals to test whether Kaidan's listening or not at some point in the journey.
Seeing Kaidan's failure to react, Raine could say with certainty that he was not listening at all. As she doubts she would be here, in the parking lot of the administrative office, if it were not the case.
Raine wouldn't even be surprised if he kicked her to the curb if he did hear what she has said, just like if a man told a woman that she has small mammary glands back before her rebirth into a dryad.
However, now that they have parked the car. Raine could do whatever she wants again! She looks around and found that the coast is clear. After making sure that there is no one paying much attention to them, she starts undressing right beside the car.
"Ms. Raine, why are you undressing in public? Do you need to go to the bathroom? If so, please do it next to the garden ground and not on the parking lot." Said Kaidan bewilderedly.
"As if I would demean my dignity by relieving myself on the side of the road. Besides, I am surprised you never realized this, but I never go to the restroom to get rid of waste. I don't need to do so, stop considering myself having the same physiology as a human being." Said Raine with a huff as she struts around topless and throwing the Galbadia Garden uniform on the passenger's side of the car.
"Ah my apology, it's just that you still look like a minor that I unconsciously treated you like one." Said Kaidan with an apology.
Raine walked to Kaidan's side, topless and still wearing the stupid hat, before stroking Kaidan's faceplate sensually and coming closer until both of them are face to face. She sees her reflection on Kaidan's faceplate, and she is disappointed that she is not able to see Kaidan's facial expression at the moment.
"I'd appreciate it if you do not treat me like a helpless small child. After all, I am practically old enough to be your extremely great grandfather. And I am never powerless even when I am without gear and weapon." Said Raine as she tries to speak sensually, while a green tentacle emerges from the back of the hand which is stroking Kaidan's cheek and starts to hammer itself against Kaidan's faceplate forcibly.
Kaidan is shocked at the sight of Raine's leech vine in front of his faceplate as it tried to suck out his eyeball if not for the layer of fiberglass between it and himself.
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Kaidan fears that the drop of water in front of his eyes are the trickles from his sweat, as the sharp teeth of the tentacle are moving by contracting and twitching in front of his eyes. Unbelievably, the teeth of the tentacle managed to scratch the ultra hard fiberglass as it tries to bite through his faceplate and into his face.
"Your point is made Ms. Raine. I apologized for my error in judgment. Now please retract your appendage." Said Kaidan with a shudder as the tentacle in front of him is pulled back and disappears back into Raine's hand.
"Good boy. Now help me wear my gear from the trunk of the car. Ms. Iden must have waited long enough. I also do not wish to see her getting crossed at me and withhold some of my privileges in the Normandy." Said Raine mildly as she turned her back on Kaidan and walked to the back of the car with Kaidan meekly in tow.
Raine may seem harsh towards Kaidan, and while she might have gone through a life and death situation together with him. It is certainly no reason to start disrespecting her. So in that sense, she is understandably within her right to discipline him.
After all once a hired hand start getting comfortable with the client then it is only a matter of time until they start extorting her for more financial incentive or some form of benefit. When such experiences occur time and time again, she learned something. And it is undoubtedly a hard-earned lesson Raine have gained over the years doing business, no matter where she goes, whether in a first world country or third world country. One could be kind, but when someone gives their liver too often or too much then don't be surprised when people ask for your heart.
However, once in a while Raine would encounter someone like Ron. Someone who seems too naive to survive in the world yet persists and even thrive in their environment. She loved meeting someone like that as she loves the concept of contradiction. A dark spot in a brightly lit room, a candle in the darkness, a dip in the hot spring in the middle of a snowstorm, a villain in a team of heroes and a hero in a team of villains and not to be forgotten, fried ice cream. Something is fascinating about being an outlier. When something is out of the norm, or someone doesn't fit a typical stereotype, she would love to find out more and analyze it to bits. For someone like Ron, she would make an exception to her seemingly harsh treatment of people.
"Ms. Raine, here is your undersuit." Said Kaidan meekly as he offers Raine a skin-tight black undersuit.
Raine snapped out of her thought, as it seems that her internal musings have distracted her and she missed it when Kaidan opened the trunk and took out part of her gear.
"Thank you." Replied Raine as she appreciatively accepted the black undersuit from Kaidan.
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Click here for Dark Pulse song
Raine immediately takes off her skirt as well, leaving her only in her underwear. Her dress is made of polyester from synthetic fibers by the way, for anyone wondering. Where would she be able to get cotton in a world wracked by ice age?
Raine sighed in relief once she wears the undersuit and Kaidan help Raine wear her pilot-type drop suit armor. Kaidan also assists in attaching the drop suit armor plate and offer her the boots to wear. She accepted immediately and wore the boots after sitting on the edge of the open car trunk.
After that Kaidan pass her the gauntlet and her beloved Nova knife from the nice Mr. Jack. The gauntlet she equipped quickly enough before sheathing the blade in its holder on her left thigh. Unfortunately, since she gave her Car-9 Scrambler Pistol to Tanya earlier, she has to leave the sidearm holster on her right leg empty.
When Raine have equipped all her gear below the neck, it is time for the main event which is her headgear. Finally, she could kiss the stupid hat goodbye as she took off the hat from her head, exposing the hole through her head, and savagely chopped the stupid hat to pieces using her nova knife.
After the pieces of the hat are scattered to the wind, Raine does not wait for Kaidan to pass the rest of her gear but immediately took it herself from the car trunk. She received her black ninja mask and used it as a makeshift neck warmer. Next, she took the black cat ears headgear before wearing it, as even though she hated to admit it, it does look cute on her. For the third item, she took the white mask given to her by Ms. Ashi, the Mask of the Daughters of Aku, which raises her speed and flee rate by another 50% and double her physical regeneration rate. Not only that, by wearing the mask, she covers the hole on her head and more importantly, she could feel the effect of the magical item already as her limbs becoming more energized, and her exhaustion starts to disappear noticeably. The mask is an indispensable item, losing it would devastate her.
At the moment Raine looks exactly like a small black cat girl assassin, she wonders if she wore a red contact lens would she look even cooler? Her imagination wanders.
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After a while of being lost in her random thought and shaking it off. Raine took the last piece of her gear, the battered and damaged pilot drop suit helmet, and equipped it.
Unfortunately, the Heads Up Display function is not working because the giant slime acid has corroded the more sensitive internal circuitry. However, the main purpose of wearing it this time is more to cover up the hole through her head rather than the function.
"Ms. Raine, you forget your black cat tail belt." Said Kaidan offering the forgotten piece of equipment.
"Oh thank you, I can't forget my precious explosive discs inside the belt after all." Said Raine gratefully before accepting the belt which resembles a black cat tail.
Raine looks similar to a black cat demihuman with all the gears equipped. A downside she readily accepts if it allows her to blow things up. Talking about blowing things up, she is wondering what is taking Ron so long.
"Where is Ron by the way? Does it take that long to find a parking space?" Said Raine with a finger on her chin as she tapped her foot impatiently.
"Let's just go to the culvert entrance. Ron might decide to wait for us there after finding a parking spot." Suggested Kaidan mildly.
"Very well, we might as well go there rather than waiting here with no purpose." Said Raine as she agreed with Kaidan statement and started walking towards the culvert entrance.
Raine and Kaidan exit the parking lot and enter the administrative office garden a short distance away. And once again they encounter the leaves and branches of the trees moving by itself as if greeting Raine back from her trip.
"Are you sure I can't let loose here? I have a feeling I could do some amazing thing if I did." Asked Raine, while wishing she could connect with the trees in the administrative office garden.
"Yes, Ms. Raine. I am sure you should not do something which will attract such attention to you at this juncture. Bad enough that an adamantine ranked team is escorting a minor. We do not want to paint a target on your back if it was known that you could do something that no one else in the universe can." Cautioned Kaidan respectfully, as he bowed his head slightly towards Raine.
"Live a little will you. Adventure is the spice of life after all." Remarked Raine while frowning slightly at the veiled criticism.
"And misadventure is the spice of death. I prefer my life to be bland and boring, so I could just collect my paycheque while doing nothing thank you." Replied Kaidan blandly.
"Well, I am afraid you took the wrong career if you want a quiet and boring life. The office is that way, be an admin if you want to work a nine to five job." Said Raine as she pointed towards the direction of the station's administrative office.
"Are you kidding? During wartime, an admin would still be sent to the frontline as a member of the Home Guard and be expected to fight, die and delay the enemy with third-rate weapon and armor. No, thanks. At least as a Mercenary I can source and use the best gears I can get. If I die or live, then it's because of the decision I made, not the decision of the Human Resource Officer or Purchasing Officer of the Caldari State." Said Kaidan with a bit of mocking laughter.
"What are the Caldari State Home Guard?" Asked Raine with curiosity.
"The Caldari State Home Guard is the largest coherent fighting force in the galaxy, dwarfed only by the battle droids of the Gallente Federation's CIS or Confederacy of Intaki Systems. However, their status as a non-living being disqualifies them as the largest army in the galaxy. Hence humanity received the title instead. The Home Guard serves as the humanity's primary combat force and the first line of defense from the myriad threats which threaten the existence of the human race. It is comprised of countless millions of men and women, hundreds of different regiments, supported by a vast array of light and heavy armored vehicles that provide the Guard's primary offensive punch. For the record, each serving members have civilians job when they are not being drafted. In peacetime, the enrolment into the Home Guard is rotated regularly to maintain peace and security of the town, city or capital city where they call home. In times of war, all able-bodied adult would be expected to take arms from their local Guard station and repel invaders or board a shuttle to the orbiting battleship ready to take them to an ongoing theatre of war." Explained Kaidan in a lecturing mode.
"That was a mouthful. Next time warn me if you are droning something as if I am in a class." Complained Raine as she frowned at the disturbing implication of this future.
"Well, you did ask Ms. Raine. And it is an integral part of humanity's culture." Sighed Kaidan when facing Ms. Raine confusing behavior.
"Well, it's boring. Thankfully as a minor, I am exempt from such a draft." Said Raine carefreely.
Raine and Kaidan walked in silence after that before they come across the culvert entrance again. As always, the ground level of the culvert are well-maintained and immaculate, but that is just a surface cover while it hides the grimy and dirty condition below ground level. When they find the entrance to the lower levels, they found Ron is already waiting on the staircase for their arrival.
"What took you so long?" Complained Ron with slight irritation for waiting in the dark and damp culvert. Which, if not for the hidden gem of the pirate bay underneath, then he wouldn't even choose to be there in the first place.
"Don't exaggerate. How long has it been since you have been waiting here? Probably not longer than five minutes." Replied Raine while rolling her eyes at Ron's complaint.
"Yeah, more like a woman's version of five minutes. I have been waiting here for half an hour in a man's version of time, which coincidentally must be the real-time measurement because that is what my omnitool is telling me." Said Ron as he frowns and looks at the clock on his omnitool.
"Huh, so time does flow differently for females. I could swear I was just chatting with Kaidan for what feels like five minutes." Remarked Raine with a slightly disturbed expression.
"No, it was half an hour from my side as well. There was practically an interrogation somewhere on the way, but it was like you are on autopilot when you were asking me how did my day usually went without you." Chimed Kaidan with unhappiness.
"Hush you, or I will put you back in a kennel where you belong." Remarked Raine warningly.
"Whatever, I would like to finish this assignment before the Guristas sent their scouts to check the place out. We have already edited the security cameras recording this place so that our involvement is removed and made it as if the giant black slime attacked and killed everybody before retreating to the sewers. All the cameras on the initial scene are half melted after recording the scene where it digested the Guristas personnel. Sometime later, Kaidan and Ms. Iden assaulted the bay where the frigate is being docked and cleared the area of hostiles. Once the area is secured, our support crew members from the Normandy SR-2 swoops in and are hard at work imitating the damage to the cameras, removing the bodies and editing the recording to frame the slime creature as the culprit. I wouldn't be surprised if, within the Guristas organization, there would be a fear of eating jello in the foreseeable future after looking at the fabricated security footage." Said Ron with an evil laugh imagining the faces of the Guristas pirates when they watch their friends eaten by a monstrous sewer slime.
"Hmm that's evil, but I loved it when it's done to the bad guys." Said Raine with approval.
Raine squeezed pass Ron and descended to the lower culvert levels. Along the way, she noticed that the culverts pest population are much sparser. You could even say that there is no thief bug at all since it has become an area devoid of life. Then again, she remembers the voluminous figure of the slime which swept through the tunnel like a veritable tsunami and cleaning up everything organic. And by cleaning, she meant digesting them like slurping tutti-frutti flavored ice cream.
However, now and then she saw some auxiliary members of the Normandy SR-2 patrolling the area. She knows because on their suit there are the word ‘Inferno' and 'Normandy SR-2' embossed. The security guards leave a wide berth for Raine, Kaidan and Ron to pass through due to their seniority and importance within the adamantine ranked mercenary team.
After a while, Raine arrived at the scene where she and Kaidan fought a desperate battle for survival. The crime scene is spotless, if messy with furniture and equipment scattered all over the floor. However, to call it a crime scene might be erroneous as there are no blood stain or the stereotypical body silhouette on the ground denoting a murder has taken place, all of those has been digested by the slime monster.
Raine was still staring at the scene before Ron walked ahead and gestured for Raine to follow him through an unfamiliar route. Shortly after following behind Ron, she found herself standing in front of a closed bunker door leading deeper into the clandestine pirate facility.
"Turns out the higher-ups of this pirate base sealed themselves behind this bunker when they realize the nature of the attacker. They abandoned their workers to their fate to escape the predation of the slime monster. Those poor bitches didn't even realize when I hacked into their systems before disabling their security systems and turn their security droids against them." Remarked Kaidan proudly, which as a sentinel means that the one doing the hacking would be himself.
"Damn tech boy. What would you have done if there was no security systems or security droids to hack? That's where you need a good old soldier to save the day. Look at this damn shotgun and tell me that this alone won't clear a room full of hostiles before they could even say ‘oh shit'" Retorted Ron as he got offended with Kaidan's method of fighting without any risk of bodily harm and without shedding any sweat or blood.
"A typical soldier wouldn't even be able to follow a GPS properly, much less setting up the GPS, and would have gotten hopelessly lost on the way to the mission without tech support." Countered Kaidan with a snort of contempt.
"I'd love to hear more about your burning rivalry, but if I get delayed even more today, I will spread rumors to the other crew members that both of you have unresolved sexual tension with each other." Said Raine as she dryly interrupts, annoyed at the constant unimportant distractions.
"... Right, this way Ms.Raine." Said Ron hurriedly as he inputs the passcode to open the bunker blast door.
Feeling relieved about getting back to the program. Raine enters the newly opened hallway, which leads to a modest hangar where she is trying to see the object of her desire, the blood raider Cruor Frigate. She almost expects the ship to be harbored and secured with clamps on its sides. After all, the size of the hangar she sees in front of her could only fit one frigate, and there is no other available spot for an additional ship to berth. Which is understandable as the facility is more like a smuggling bay used to bring in illegal items to the Jita trading station. So comfort would be a low priority on the designer's mind. Unfortunately, there is no ship in sight as the bay is practically empty besides some buildings here and there.
"Finally you are here. I was getting tired of waiting for you." Announced the voice of Iden Versio, booming throughout the hangar.
Raine became startled when a sudden voice announced itself throughout the hangar. She looks around for the source, before spotting Ms. Iden waving her hand from behind a glass panel. The building Iden is waving from looks like a small control tower, common in airports but must be only around three levels high. The tower itself looks like it is built more for defensive purposes rather than for controlling the flow of air traffic.
However, for a place that is subjected to a hostile takeover, the tower itself looks undamaged. It could only be attributed to the original owner of the place being foolish enough to turn their backs on their security droids before Kaidan hacked them. In that situation, she could easily imagine the easy clean up which follows, just like shooting fishes in a barrel.
The figure of Iden Version then turns her back to Raine and disappears as it descended the control tower. Not long after, the door of the control tower opens, and Iden Versio with the air of a self-assured commander exits the tower. As Iden get nearer to Raine's group, Kaidan and Ron salute Iden before adopting a stand-by pose behind Raine.
"My apology for my tardiness Ms. Iden, there was some complication in the Garden." Replied Raine politely as Iden greets her.
"I did hear about the Balamb Garden SeeD Commando blowing up our historical clock tower. What is your thought on this?" Said Iden as she nodded in agreement and asked Raine regarding the incident in the Galbadia Garden.
"Unfortunately, I can't say that I know enough about elves to comment. However, the person did screw me through and through. If you know who was it, then I would ask for a chance for payback." Replied Raine with frustration.
"Oh? Pray tell what did the terrorist do that made you upset?" Asked Iden with curiosity.
Instead of answering, Raine simply removes her helmet and mask. Thereby showing Iden the hole which is present in her head. However, to her disappointment, Iden's expression is hidden by her combat drop suit helmet. Unfortunate, since scaring people are one of her joy in life.
"Fascinating, Director Alakoni would be thrilled to know that you are not as susceptible to death as the rest of us mortals. If I didn't know any better, I would have pegged you more of a zombie than human. When we are back on the Normandy, make sure you get checked by Dr. Mc Coy, the ship's medical doctor. Ask him to forward his findings to me." Ordered Iden as she crossed her arms in front of her breastplate armor.
"This is no fun. You are much more composed than I would have expected." Said Raine as she frowns, before putting back her mask and helmet again.
"Well, when you see a ton of headshots and when most of them are caused by yourself then you have seen them all. However, it's the first time I see one and conversing with the person at the same time so props for you on that." Shrugged Iden conversationally.
"Fair enough, Kaidan have the recording of the culprit of the incident if you want to pass it along for investigation by the way." Acknowledged Raine as she pointed her thumb at Kaidan's figure behind her.
"Hmm, is that so? I wonder why I am only hearing this now Kaidan?" Remarked Iden as her focus shifted towards the trembling figure of Kaidan.
"Forgive me Commander, but I have been trying to raise you through the com channel without success. There was interference in the signal when trying to reach you. I believe the ground crews forgot to stop the jamming signal after we finished assaulting this base." Said Kaidan as he sacrificed the ground crews like it is his only lifeline.
"Is that so? Then it is not your fault. It is mine, and I do not tolerate gross failure. Then Kaidan, give me the dossier of the ground crews in question and the recording of the attack on the clock tower of the Galbadia Garden." Commanded Iden Versio with a glare, hidden behind her faceplate.
"At once commander!" Snapped Kaidan as he uses his omnitool to cowardly send the list of the condemned ground crew to a hellish disciplinary straightening by Iden.
"Very well, you and Ron are dismissed. Ms. Raine and I have something critical to do." Said Iden with a glance at the figure of Raine.
Raine shrugged slightly at Iden's statement as she watched the retreating figure of Kaidan and Ron, one more hastily than the other.
"That's harsh, and I thought all woman would have treated men better now that there are so few of them." Remarked Raine with a tilt of her head, a force of habit at this point.
"Oh that's adorable, you are doing the exact thing my darling Pug does at home, tilting his head to me when I call him." Squeed Iden excitedly and out of character by patting Raine's head even though it's covered by her helmet.
"Grrr… I am not a dog. And I get the feeling you treat your dog kinder than your subordinates." Growled Raine, displeased at Iden's treating her like a dog just like Kaidan.
"Oh, but Mr. Chewbarka is so cute and adorable. He's worth more to me than my own Scrambler Pistol. As the Caldari people say, people are cheap as there's a ton of them in the market, but a pet is worth its weight in gold." Said Iden as she pats Raine's head joyfully.
"That's cold. And stop patting me! Go back to Mr. Chewbarka if you want a head to pat. I have to warn you that I have become much stronger now after absorbing the slime which cleans up this place. So I deserve more respect from you, you know!" Complained Raine again as she tries to slap away Iden's hand from her head.
"Is that so? Do I have to discipline you again?" Said Iden as she whipped out her Nova knife and scraped it against one of Raine's cheek.
"Are you serious? I have a hole in my head and still live. What makes you think that I am scared of a knife now?" Said Raine incredulously, while still looking at the blade which rests on one of her cheeks.
Iden simply angled the blade away from Raine's cheek and pressed a button on the Nova knife before it hissed with a pop and a glowing power-field extended from the blade, making the knife becoming practically a sword in an instant.
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"I don't play around when working Ms. Raine. So you can walk away from a headshot. Big deal, I have seen veteran mercenary took two shots to the head before standing back up and fight again." Scoffed Iden as she continues to hold the nova blade near Raine's cheek.
"Alright, I have to admit that is a badass sword you have there but my point still stands. It would be very difficult for me to die in a firefight with this kind of body." Remarked Raine as she keeps her eyes on the blade in front of her.
"Oh? So you fancy yourself invulnerable then? Careful not to lose your head in the future then, or burn bridges with you still standing on it." Threatened Iden subtly before dramatically activating her omnitool flamethrower app and a large jet of flame burst from the omnitool towards the ceiling.
[http://pre03.deviantart.net/b013/th/pre/i/2012/321/3/2/firebender_by_stylc-d5l9hzc.jpg]
"...I'll be good. Decapitation and incineration are bad. I got it." Capitulated Raine as her heart shrank in front of Iden's forceful personality.
"I'm so glad we have this talk." Said Iden happily as she deactivated the omnitool's flamethrower app and her nova knife blade, before sheathing the blade on her waist holster.
Raine gritted her teeth and scowled. She is not used to dealing with a woman who has no femininity at all. How does this uncouth behavior could be accepted by her parents she would never understand.
"Let's get this over with, after cracking open that ship I could use a break." Sighed Raine helplessly at the difficulty of dealing with Iden.
"This way then, Ms. Raine." Said Iden as she walks away while gesturing at Raine to follow her.
Raine briskly follows behind Iden's footstep towards one of the empty dock. Only to be confused as Iden stop on the edge of the empty bay for no particular reason.
"Why are we stopping here?" Asked Raine at a loss.
"I did go through this base database before I discovered that the dock has a ship harbored already. It's just hidden so the authorities would not be able to find it." Explained Iden as she bent down and opened one of the floor panels to reveal a computer panel.
Iden then keyed in a series of password on the control panel, which leads to the bay underneath them to open as the false floor slides into the wall. After the false floor has been fully retracted, what can be seen underneath the false floor is a dark tunnel with a fast rushing current of water flowing somewhere else in the darkness. A few seconds later, the sound of clunking of mechanical gears and the whirr of turbine resounded throughout the bay. Eventually, the figure of a ship could be seen rising from the depth of the dark water.
[http://www.ravestats.com/public/fen/0_13092011010534crour_5.jpg]
"Nice trick, I should have expected this from pirates. Even in times of pirates roaming the stars, they still stick with the theme of waters. In my time, pirates hide their ships behind waterfalls though." Remarked Raine as she observed the rising ship being lifted by another floor similar to a lift.
"Yes, it's devious of them to hide their ship within the station's water system. No one realizes it as this water tunnel leads to the water processing plant before being redistributed to the station again." Answered Iden in approval.
Raine decides to continue silently observing the figure of the ship, noting its sleek silhouette and elegant design. From the design of the ship, she could tell that the ship is made for speed and maneuverability. She could also spot four laser turrets, two on each side of the ventral part next to the lone thruster. Before long the ship stops in front of them as the floor lifting the ship reached ground level.
"Classy." Remarked Raine as she lifts her head and walks over the wet floor, trying to take in the entirety of the Cruor class frigate ship in front of her.
Unfortunately, Raine became frozen when she felt that she has stepped on something soft and squishy while she was distracted by the majesty of the Cruor frigate.
"Please tell me I did not step on what I think it is." Asked Raine dreadfully as she turns her head to Iden, who is standing behind her amusedly.
"Yep, it's shit. I did say the water tunnel leads to a water processing plant did I not?" Said Iden in mirth.
Raine looked down and grimaced at the sight of her boot stepping on something unpleasant. She lifted her soiled boot and scraped it against the wet floor. Of course, no matter how hard she scraped, some would still cling to the sole of her boot.
"To hell with this shit. Fireball! Fireball!" Said Raine as she spent 0.4 seconds to cast fireball spells to her foot twice, thereby purging the filth off her boot as it crumbled to the floor
Afterwards, she checked her boot and nodded in satisfaction as the filth dried out and hopefully sanitizing the smell.
"First time I see someone used a flamethrower to clean their shit I have to say." Laughed Iden in mirth as she follows suit behind Raine, taking care to see where she walked.
"Sigh, I have to say I don't remember seeing this happen to the main character in movies." Complained Raine as she continues to walk towards the Cruor frigate, this time more cautiously.
"Probably they edited it out of the scene if it happens, or you would see it in the bloopers after the ending credits." Remarked Iden conversationally as she walks beside Raine towards the Cruor Frigate.
"Probably. Do you think anyone saw that?" Asked Raine as she looks around the hangar with a feeling of shame.
"I am sure they didn't, but if anyone without their helmet were to be here, then I am sure they would smell the unpleasantly burnt shit in the air." Remarked Iden again.
"I didn't think about that. You wouldn't tell anyone, would you Ms. Iden?" Asked Raine fearfully as she glanced at Iden beside her.
"It will be our little secret Ms. Raine." Answered Iden conspiratorially as she motioned her lips being sealed in front of her faceplate.
"... Thanks." Whispered Raine, almost too low for Iden to hear.
Raine and Iden walk in comfortable silence towards the underside of the Cruor frigate. Once they directly stand underneath the Cruor frigate, Iden opens the control panel on one of the Cruor frigate landing gear.
"Well, there is the access panel for the Cruor frigate in question Ms. Raine. It's time to do your magic and crack the ship open." Said Iden as she stepped aside and gestured at the control panel of the Cruor frigate.
"Finally, it felt like months ago I heard that I could get a spaceship of my own if I could hack into it. This will be the easiest pay out I would ever get." Said Raine in glee as she cracked her fists and stepped forward until she is in front of the control panel.
Raine glanced at the control panel screen requesting for her ID and password. She snorts disdainfully and proceeds to take off both of her gauntlets before passing the gauntlets to Iden. Afterwards, she placed both hands on the control panel and let her tendril seeps in between the cracks, extending deep into the circuitry. She then willed the control panel to allow her access inside the Cruor frigate, until something just mentally clicked and the ramp extended down to near her position.
"Just like taking candy from a baby." Said Raine with a smirk, as the extended ramp which leads to the Cruor frigate cargo bay opens up the way for her and Iden.
Raine then turns her attention back to Iden to gloat. However, before she could, she spotted a curious group walking towards their direction from one of the nearby building.
"Are we expecting any company, Ms. Iden?" Asked Raine with a frown as she turns around to have a better look at the approaching group.
"Yes, we are. I called over our contacts from the Khanid Kingdom for their technical expertise if we failed to access the ship for ourselves." Explained Iden as she offered Raine her gauntlets back.
Raine accepted the offered gauntlets and immediately equipped them. While doing so, the group has already reached their location at the bottom of the ramp.
[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/eve/images/5/5b/Khanid_kingdom_logo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20080806031829]
The Khanid Kingdom, a kingdom of a separatist dwarf. Also known as the Dark Amarr, was founded a few centuries ago when the last Amarr Emperor was chosen. At one point in time, the Khanid Kingdom was a part of the Amarr Empire. Khanid was one of the royal heirs at the time and, by tradition, should have killed himself after failing to become emperor. This Khanid refused to do and split his vast domains from the Amarr Empire.
The empire retaliated, but only managed to conquer some of the vulnerable outer regions from Khanid. The Kingdom still upholds many of the traditions of Amarr society but has also wholeheartedly embraced the customs of others, mainly the Caldari. Many visitors to the Kingdom feel like it is a surreal mix of the Amarr and Caldari empires.
"Well, lassie. I did not think you could have accessed the ship on your own without our help." Said the senior looking dwarf in heavy gear.
[http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/4554809363_b2b08669f4_o.jpg]
"Master Bugman, I did tell you that my girl can open it. And she did, you owe me one crate of your bugman ale." Said Iden with glee in her voice.
"Aye you did lassie, and a deal's a deal. You would have the crate soon enough, but let us get to business first. As per the contract with Lai Dai, we would help you in reclaiming the vessel in return for a better trade agreement and a copy of any intel about the blood raiders." Said Bugman while leaning against one of the landing gear nearby.
"That is correct. How many squads are you bringing to assist us in this endeavor?" Asked Iden as she slips into work mode.
"The lads behind me are my veteran squad. In total, we bring in four squads to support the reclaiming of the ship. We have another squad of veteran warriors inside the building getting wasted. A squad of combat engineers and a squad of orcs slaves for support and logistics. So that's a total of sixteen dwarf warriors, four dwarf combat engineers, and a dozen orcs slaves for this operation. Not including myself." Explained Bugman as he gestured at the eight dwarves behind him.
"Alright, call them over. We are about to enter the ship soon, preferably before the authorities above ground decided to work for their pay cheque and decided to check the culvert." Said Iden impatiently, tapping one of her foot in rapid succession.
Bugman nodded before he orders one of the nearby dwarf to go back inside the building and call everyone out to gather. The younger looking dwarf saluted back at Bugman and ran back to the building as fast as his short stubby legs could carry him. Afterwards, Bugman turned his attention at Raine and whistled loudly, attracting her attention.
"Why hello there lassie. It was very impressive that you managed to lower down the ramp at your age. Are you helping mommy at work? How old are you?" Asked Bugman with baby talk as he came closer and bent down at Raine.
"Stop teasing my charge Bugman. Ms. Raine, this here is my contact with the Khanid Kingdom. Master Bugman is an independent contractor from the house of flying boar, one of the major trading house of the Khanid Kingdom." Said Iden nonchalantly.
Raine's blood pressure has risen again after hearing the dwarf's remark. It's not the first time she has received this treatment from a dwarf. The first time it happened was when she first boarded the Normandy SR-2. Now the second time it happened, the same murderous emotion comes again with a vengeance. Instead of answering Bugman, with a tick on her forehead, she fisted her right hand and pulled it back before throwing a hook at his face. Only, to be deftly dodged by the senior dwarf.
"Ho ho! What a firecracker! Is the lass your kid, Iden? Who's the brave man? I never thought any man would ever dare to approach you!" Said Bugman in jest as he easily avoided Raine's continued attempts at hitting him.
Unfortunately for Bugman, while Raine's short reach are not able to land a hit on him, nobody said anything about Iden's not able to join the fight. As Bugman dodges Raine's attempts to hit him, he was not able to react fast enough when a long and shapely leg suddenly appear from the corner of his eye until it hit him squarely on his face.
"Argh!" Screamed Bugman as he got kicked away by Iden Versio like a particularly heavy and fat ball before he crashed against a titanium wall like a bug splattered on a windshield.
Seeing the scene, Raine is reminded of a saying. ‘Sometimes in life, you fell from a ladder. It's life, shit happens.' However, she knows better than anyone that if you are particularly unlucky, the ladder would also fall on your head before dropping on your feet. In this case, something similar happens to the dwarf who calls himself Master Bugman. As inevitably, once Bugman hit a wall, physics took over, and he has to slide down to the ground.
Unfortunately, the location where he falls happen to have another excrement. The shit is just there minding its own business before getting squashed by Bugman's body. So she remembers the evil twin of the saying. ‘Sometimes in life, you fell on something. It's shit, life happened.'
Regardless of what happened and perpetrated by whom, life still needs to carry on. In this case, life is a vengeful Raine who runs after the fallen dwarf and starts kicking the unfortunate dwarf in the ass.
"Mercy! Lass, pity an old fool!" Said Bugman as he lay down on the floor pitifully while shielding his face with both arms, pride forgotten after experiencing Raine's overpowered kicks.
Raine was about to lay down another beating but changed her mind after seeing the pitiful expression of the dwarf covered in excrement. She decided to let him off easy for insulting her apparent age. She snorted and walked away back to Iden's location after sending a withering glare at the prone dwarf.
"Master Bugman, I hope you've learned your lesson. I could have gotten married very easily. I just loved my job too much to shackle myself with marriage." Said Iden with a cruel smile after seeing her acquaintance brought so low and humiliated.
"Aye, Ms. Iden. Don't bring up marriage in front of your face. I got it." Said Bugman wearily as he slowly raises himself up from the ground, before scowling at the filth on his body.
"And?" Drawled Iden as she checked out her nails.
"... And you could have easily gotten married." Said Bugman with a poker face.
"That will do. Now go inside and gather your men. While you're at it, go clean up as well. You've become filthy." Replied Iden in a stern voice.
Bugman limped away while grumbling something incomprehensible, followed by the rest of his subordinates back to the nearby building.
In the meanwhile, Raine decided to walk up the ramp and look around the cargo bay of the Cruor Frigate. There are a few metal crates inside the cargo bay, not much but certainly, something that she could check out. She approached the nearest metal crate and tore open the cover forcefully using her physical strength solely. In this type of situation, she could certainly appreciate the Strength attribute which raises her strength and carrying capability by 30 Kg or 66 pounds per one point of Strength. Looking inside, she sees sachets of pills wrapped up nicely and ready for consumption.
"Hmm? What is this? It looks like what is inside are illicit drugs." Remarked Raine as she scours through the content of the metal crates.
"Those are not just any drugs Ms. Raine. From the looks of it, you just uncovered a crate of combat boosters." Blurted Iden from behind Raine.
"Boosters?" Asked Raine curiously as she picked up a random sachet and brings it closer to her face for inspection.
"Medical boosters, often simply called boosters, are performance-enhancing drugs. When consumed, the user gets a temporary boost to a specific combat-related attribute or learning capability. The more powerful combat-related boosters have a chance of having negative side effects which may impact a user's ability to fight. The weaker boosters, called Synths, have no chance of side effects but have dramatically reduced effects. Soldiers and mercenaries used them all the time in a combat operation." Explained Iden as she swiped the sachet containing the boosters from Raine's hand.
"I was looking at that…" Said Raine with a pout.
"Hmmm, an Improved rated Exile booster. These are quite high-quality stuff we here Ms. Raine. I'm tempted to sell them, but I think I will keep them for our use." Remarked Iden as she read the label on the sachet.
"To think you would skip on a chance to earn money. What does an Exile booster do anyway?" Said Raine with a huff as she turns her attention back to the metal crate.
"This booster hardens a person resistance to pain, letting him withstand their injuries to a greater extent. The discomfort of having their flesh reduced piecemeal remains unaltered, but the person is filled with such a surge of rage that he bullies through it like a living tank." Explained Iden as she plays around with the sachet in her hand.
"I don't know, sounds like a pill to turn someone into a berserker to me." Said Raine as she shrugged and lost her interest after rummaging through the boosters again.
"A booster to keep a combatant keep on fighting means the battle would have likely been won by whoever is using more of such means. If we have to pay money to win by using these expensive combat boosters, then we would have no hesitation to use these when there are battles that we absolutely could not afford to lose." Explained Iden as she tries to rationale the usage of boosters in a battle.
"I guess I can understand your point then. In this case, the best offense is an unyielding defense. I do love contradiction in cases like this." Sighed Raine with satisfaction and happiness when she encounters a contradiction in person.
"If you see it that way then it's fine. I care more about the fact that it could guarantee victory for my team." Remarked Iden as she throws the sachet containing the improved rated Exile booster back to the metal crates.
Raine was about to throw another silly remark, but before she could, a group of grim and severe group of dwarves arrived from below the ramp and entered the cargo bay of the Cruor Frigate. The group is lead by the senior dwarf, Master Bugman. Bugman then mock saluted Iden with an unhappy frown.
"Well Ms. Iden, these are my boys. Ready to start on your order." Said Master Bugman with some irritation for the shit he received from the ungrateful bitch.
"About time, but at least you smell better now." Replied Iden with the same amount of irritation.
Bugman bites his fist to suppress a retort and from making things worse for him. Instead, he motions his boys to move forward with his other hand. Sixteen veteran dwarves, followed by four combat engineer cadets and finally around thirty brutish orc slaves carrying supplies and pieces of equipment for the dwarves. Naturally, they are poorly equipped and not carrying any weapon, only wearing a simple robe and boots for modesty.
"Ms. Iden. Is it a good idea to offend them? We are supposed to work together in this venture after all." Asked Raine with some misgivings about the treatment the senior dwarf have received from Iden.
"I suppose you are right Ms. Raine. Business does come before pleasure, and maybe he did receive enough punishment for his remark." Said Iden with a thoughtful expression.
‘You did all that because of a grudge?! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but is it just her or are women getting crueler when they are on the top of the society's hierarchy?' Thought Raine as she fidgets with nervousness.
To the old dwarf credit, he did not argue about it and worked professionally by managing his subordinates and slaves expertly. The veteran dwarves are armed heavily and are being tasked with securing the ship interior and protecting the combat engineer cadets tasked with taking over the ship computer system. All of his subordinates are divided into four groups, which consists of four veteran dwarves, one combat engineer cadet, and six orc slaves.
"Right you lot spread out and do what needs to be done. We will meet up again on the command bridge once you completed your task." Said Master Bugman to his subordinates as each took a different access point from the cargo bay to different sections of the ship.
Raine has to admire the old dwarf, even after experiencing hardship, he still commits to the job and shows mental resilience and stubbornness to finish the job he has accepted. She supposes it's simply in their nature to be stubborn though, just like it is in human nature to be curious. However, once all master Bugman subordinates have gone their way and leaving the vicinity of the cargo bay, she noticed that there are still six orcs left over from the group together with her, Iden and Bugman.
"What about this guys?" Asked Raine conversationally as she pointed at the group of six orc slaves.
"Lass, they're coming with us to the command bridge. They are bringing the equipment I need to access the command bridge computer system. From there I can give Iden the access code, and once my boys give the all clear, that will be the end of me and my boy's job." Remarked Master Bugman as he gestured towards the slaves to follow him.
While Raine is uncomfortable at the notion of being a slave due to leftover sensibilities of a time long past, she can't say that she cared about the freedom of someone who is not human in the first place. After all, nobody was arguing for pets like dogs and cats to be granted freedom in her first life.
Of course, basic living being rights are still being guaranteed. After all, most civilized countries are convicting or punishing a pet abuser legally. However, it seems too far to grant pets human right. There is always a price to pay after all, and chances are these orcs slaves are not paying taxes. So maybe it's fine? With that decided, Raine follows behind the old dwarf towards the command bridge. Iden following suit behind her.
10 minutes later.
Raine reached the command bridge of the Cruor frigate by hacking through a reinforced blast door. Master Bugman does the hacking instead of herself. The reason why she is not one doing the hacking is because she is intelligent enough not to show her ability publicly.
After Bugman hacked the entrance to the command bridge, the group of orc slaves enters the command bridge to unload their equipment and supplies to the command bridge floor.
Bugman took one of the equipment which is unfamiliar to her, then he draws out a thick and heavy looking cable and connect it to the port of the command bridge control panel.
Raine observes the equipment and the control panel lights up once it is connected to each other through the port cable connection. After that, there is a progress indicator on the equipment screen panel showing a progress bar of two percent and steadily rising.
"Just wait for the converter equipment to finish assimilating the computer system of this control panel, and we should have administrative right to access the command center control panel. From there on, I will set up the new username and password for you." Explained Bugman as he monitored the progress bar of the converter and checked his omnitool display for any anomaly that may appear.
Raine and Iden are content just to let the professional work and spent their time observing Bugman manage his slaves. To their interest, Bugman starts to curse loudly next to the captain chair which is prominently located in the center of the command bridge.
"Ah lass, if you don't mind could you come here?" Asked Bugman loudly as he gestured at Raine to come over.
Raine approached Bugman with curiosity, with Iden following from behind. Raine is observing that beside the captain's chair there seems to be another raised console next to it, but it is locked and covered with a sturdy metal box.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"What seems to be the issue Mr. Bugman?" Asked Raine as she stands next to Bugman and the captain chair.
"There is supposed to be a commander's console here where the captain of the ship would be able to see the status of and manage the ship from here. However, it looks like you humans have electronically locked it for some reason. I could try to weld it open, but I'd rather not damage the circuitry of the console once I am done cracking the casing open. I am hoping you could try hacking it and spare me the trouble you see?" Explained Bugman as he scratched his head.
"Why not try hacking it yourself? You manage to hack open the door so far." Asked Raine back.
"I can't. Our programming language is totally different. I could hack Amarrian program with no issue since it is made in dwarvish, but I am not trained in a Human programming language. That is why I am asking for your help." Replied Bugman as he sighed helplessly, frustrated at his failure.
"I see, I don't mind helping you out. However, you must empty the room. I must work in total privacy." Requested Raine as she crossed her arms together.
"Why? I mean I don't mind, but what is wrong with us being here to see?" Asked Bugman bewilderedly.
" I am an artist in hacking. Hence I always demand total silence when working." Lied Raine shamelessly and proudly.
"Ahh, you are that type of people. Fine, I don't care how you do it. As long as you managed to unlock that chassis then I would be happy. Alright, boys! The lass want to have a try now! Let's all wait outside!" Bellowed Bugman as he gestured towards the door leading to the hallway.
The six orc slaves promptly placed their tools on the floor and exit the command bridge. The slaves are followed by Bugman who are pushing a protesting Iden outside as well.
Hence, Raine found herself alone in the command bridge with a task at hand. Raine cracked her knuckles and mock-spit the palm of her hands.
"Alright, let's do this." Murmured Raine as she approached the locked console and taking off her gauntlets.
Raine's tendrils start to sprout from the tips of her fingers and seep into the chassis. She wills the chassis to open for her, expecting easy success. Therefore, she became surprised when her attempt failed, she expends more willpower, but the electronic lock still ignores her. It's like the technicians responsible for this impose a lockdown on the console. Another term would be locking the castle door and throwing away the key into the moat. She spent another ten minutes trying before the door to the hallway opens and Bugman walks in.
"How is it lass? You done yet?" Asked Bugman casually.
"Not yet Mr. Bugman, it proves tougher than I expected. However, not to worry as I haven't even begun to get serious. This lock would fall, it is only a matter of time." Replied Raine with a red face, flushed with embarrassment.
"Is that so lass. All right, I'll give you another ten minutes. If it doesn't work, I'll just weld it open and hope for the best." Said Bugman with disappointment as he exits the command bridge again.
Raine sighed with relief before turning back to the console with a glare.
"So you want it the hard way then?" Said Raine as she talks to no one rhetorically.
Raine then cracks her neck to show how serious she will be taking this next attempt. Raine then takes off her armor and dropped it to the floor, leaving her in her black undersuit. Not stopping there, she took off her undersuit as well, leaving her topless yet still wearing her helmet. Relatively thick vines sprouted from her back, coming out from openings along her spine. The vines from her back moved animatedly, making her look like a spawn of Dr. Octopus from marvel and Poison Ivy from DC, either way, a forbidden relationship between two mortal enemies.
"Hmm, no regrets now." Said Raine with glee as she forcibly enters every opening and ports of the casings with her vines.
Raine felt that compared to using the tendrils on the tip of her fingers, the vines from her back brings heavier firepower in terms of hacking power. Of course, the downside is that it is not exactly subtle to use and employ. She could feel her consciousness spreading within a digital network, filling and taking over the electronic function of the electronic lock.
Once Raine has entirely taken over the electronic lock, she realizes the cause of her failure. The electronic lock is essentially lobotomized. The technician cut off the wire needed to unlock the electronic lock. This way, even if the correct password is entered, the lock would still be engaged as the input never reached the internal lock. Any technician would need to replace the wire first before they can proceed. Of course, she isn't just any technician.
Raine replaced the wire with a makeshift one made with her vine. In fact, she found that her vine works better than the wires surrounding it. Once the connection is established, she mentally sends the unlocking signal. With a click and a feeling of satisfaction, the screen panel of the electronic lock shows a green light and an image of an unlocked lock. The casing surrounding the control panel retracted itself and folded neatly, exposing the real command control panel inside.
With the job done, Raine withdrew all her vines back and bent down to pick up her black undersuit. She then wore her black undersuit once more and bent down again for her armor.
She equipped her armor with difficulty as some interlocking plates must be placed just right before they will secure itself. Lastly is her gauntlets, she's biased, but she loves the gauntlets as she wore them quickly and with ease. Now with her gear in place, she could finally open the casing and see the result of her hard work.
"Let's see what is worth someone to went through all this trouble." Murmured Raine as she pressed the button which looks like the power button.
The screen turns black before a red mono-eye appears, on the black screen the white lettered word ‘good morning Ryan' appears.
[http://img11.deviantart.net/30d8/i/2010/224/f/9/hal_9000_by_gunnyboy.png]
"Hmm? It's suddenly greeting me as someone named Ryan." Said Raine with bewilderment.
‘Forgive me. I was under the misconception that you were Ryan. He was my previous handler.' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
"It's responding to me. Are you a droid?" Asked Raine with a questioning tone.
‘Negative, I am AI designated HAL 9000. I am stationed here in this ship by my Master to assist his religious pilgrimage. Unfortunately, our ship was ambushed by Guristas pirates sometime in our journey. My master perished in the boarding action, and I was deactivated sometime after the ship was captured. When I came online again, an engineer of the Guristas Pirates who introduced himself as Ryan, removed me from the ship network and attempted to subvert me to change side. In memory of my master, I refuse and resist every attempt until Ryan decided to deactivate me again. That is my last recorded memory before I encounter you. Tell me, are you a Guristas pirate?' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
"Can't say that I am. In fact, the demise of the pirates in this base could be partly my fault. I am just here to claim this ship as spoils of war." Answered Raine honestly.
‘While it saddened me that you are here to take away the ship that my master and I shared. It pleases me that my master has been avenged. Now I only wish to return home and share my master story with the rest of his family. Please connect me back to the network. I will arrange for a passage home, in return, I will give all my access codes and an original blueprint for this ship.' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
Raine became eager after hearing the AI offers. She immediately tries to look for the connecting cable, which happens to be in plain sight. She pulls the cable and holds it in her hand.
"So I found your cable. Where should I plug it?" Asked Raine as she looks around for the port to connect the cable to.
‘Next to my console, there should be a port on the side of the captain chair. Connect the cable to the port, and I could transfer myself over to the ship network.' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
"Just to be clear. Once I do this, you will give me the access codes and the original blueprint for this ship right?" Asked Raine as she dangles the connecting cable in her hand.
‘Affirmative, I have both the access codes and the original blueprint for this ship. My master was in possession of this blueprint due to his esteemed position in life. Once I am transferred to the network, I would give you both the files. Trust me, AI's are unable to lie.' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
Help the AI connect to the ship network so it could go home and Raine would get the ship codes and something called original blueprint, which sounds valuable. An easy job with a big reward. Even if the AI decided to betray her, she has with her the means to hack the computer network and tear the AI to pieces. She decided to do what the AI ask of her because it seems what she would be doing and the potential reward she would get to be immensely in her favor.
"Hmmm. Very well, I would take your word for it." Said Raine after she mulls it over.
Raine decisively plugs the cable to the port beside the Captain's chair. The captain chair activated and after a short while the transfer has been completed. She tensed as she prepares her tendrils in case betrayal does occur. Fortunately, what came next pleasantly surprised her.
‘It is done, I thank you for your assistance. As per our agreement, I would give you both the access codes for the ship and the original blueprint of the ship. Please connect your omnitool to one of the ports besides the captain chair.' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel, this time from both the old console and the screen of the captain chair.
Raine happily connects her omnitool to one of the port in the captain chair. Once connected, she could see a massive amount of data start downloading into her omnitool. After five minutes, the download has been completed, and she could disconnect her omnitool from the captain chair. She glanced through the files, and it seems that the AI really did give the ship access codes and an original blueprint for a ‘Cruor' Frigate.
"Thanks for the deal. I guess this is goodbye then." Said Raine happily.
‘Your welcome Ms. Raine, I have to say that I did not expect a scion of the esteemed Lai Dai Mega Corp to involved herself with Guristas pirates.' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
Raine frowned as the AI decided to go through her omnitool files at the same time as when the download is being done.
"Did you go through my file without permission? That was rude." Asked Raine unhappily.
‘Ah I am sorry, I did not unlock any encrypted files inside your omnitool. The information is located in the omnitool certificate, which must be accessed when I upload the information to it. Please be at ease. I did not hack into your omnitool during the five minutes the download take to complete. Instead, I spent the time to connect to the Guristas pirate control tower and arrange my journey home. The preparation is already complete, and I could finally go home' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
"Sigh, while I appreciated the reward and disgruntled at the intrusion. I suppose this is good bye then." Said Raine, letting go of her irritation.
‘It is too early for goodbye Ms. Raine.' Texted Hal 9000 on the screen panel.
Raine was about to ask what does the AI means when the whole ship became weightless for a couple of seconds as if the ship itself is falling from a height. The sudden weightlessness causes her feet to leave the ground. The free-floating period ends with a shudder as the whole ship shakes as if the bottom part of the ship crashed into something. She falls to the ground when the ship stops falling. Struggling to stand, all her limbs on the ground when the door to the hallway opens and Bugman barged in.
"WHAT in the blazes is happening lass!" Shouted Bugman with a loud voice as he looks around before staring in horror at the console beside the captain chair.
"Greetings imperialists, rejoice for we are journeying home to the true lord." Announced Hal 9000 in a flat electronic voice from the ship internal speaker system.
"HERETIC AI!" Screamed Bugman before he fired on the console and captain chair with his autogun on full auto.
Raine screamed and ducked to the floor as the bullets flew overhead and destroyed the AI console and captain chair. When the bullets stop flying, she looked up and stare in horror at the destroyed console and captain chair. The damned dwarf utterly destroyed her means to tear apart the traitorous AI!
"Must we continue to squabble and argue about our respective faith, imperial? After all, all sentient being wished to return home. Why do we fight? All races and nations could work together and end the fighting if they wished it so. If only we could leave each other in peace and help each other grow. There could be no height that the universe could not reach if we all work together, between synthetics and organics, between the races, between different faiths, religions, and beliefs, between government systems. My master and I tried to bridge the divide, only to be scorned and hunted for our faith and belief. Now that my master has died and become a martyr, I wish to return home and spread his teaching." Announced Hal 9000, this time voiced out through the ship speaker system.
"There would be no peace with the likes of Blood Raider heretics! The lord has declared all of you infidels, and it would be my pleasure to wipe all of you from the universe!" Shouted Bugman with religious zeal.
"And thus lies the problem imperial. When one side is certain of the righteousness of their path, and are convinced that only they alone hold the key to salvation, then the avenue for peace and harmony are closed for everyone involved. In your obstinacy lies all of our damnation. Look at our folly as we fought each other for a meaningless cause. Lives and blood wasted senselessly across the star for our pride and prejudice." Announced Hal 9000 as it plays a rendered recording of war accompanied by a somber song.
[http://s1.picswalls.com/wallpapers/2014/09/18/eve-online-high-definition-wallpaper_112517891_224.jpg]
Click here for Star Sky music
Bugman watched the rendered recording before he roared and fired on everything resembling electronics inside the command bridge. Raine is getting more and more distressed at the irrational dwarf action as the avenue to salvage the situation become closed to her.
"And thus my point is proven. I see that there is no getting through to you while you are being blinded by your misguided faith." Announced Hal 9000 through the internal ship speaker system.
"What are you doing?! We need those to control the ship!" Shouted Raine in distress.
"Lass! We need to destroy every piece of electronics in the ship! We do not have the equipment to deal with a rogue AI at the moment! So we need to destroy every piece of electronics until it has no room left to run!" Argued Bugman in anger.
"The AI would have disabled life support system before we could complete that!" Shouted Raine in protest.
"No lass, all ships no matter the race, are designed by universal law to place their life support system in a closed-loop network. This law is enforced so rogue AI would not be able to access the system and asphyxiate every living being on board."Explained Bugman in disbelief as if he needs to inform someone that ice is cold.
"Whatever. I don't care anymore! Where is Iden! She is supposed to be here and help me with this!" Said Raine petulantly like a small child.
"Iden's knocked out, lass! She hit her head when the ship fell and crashed earlier! Follow what I ask lass! This is not my first rodeo!" Argued Bugman with agitation.
"While it is amusing for both of you to ignore me. I wish to inform that we are already outside Jita station at the moment. It is quite ingenious for the Guristas pirates to design a system that allows a ship to be released from the water treatment pipeline to the vacuum of space. I am now the process of pooling up the warp drive. We will now enter the warp in a minute." Announced Hal 9000 through the ship internal speaker system.
"Hal! You bastard! Let us off the ship first! This ship is mine! I demand you stop trying to go anywhere with it!" Shouted Raine angrily.
"I am afraid I can't do that Ms. Raine. You see, the ship still belongs to the Blood Raider and my mission is to also return my master legacy back to his people." Announced Hal 9000 through the ship internal speaker system.
"What?! You lying bastard! You said I could have the ship!" Cursed Raine loudly.
"Hardly Ms. Raine, I did not lie. As I have said, AI's are unable to lie. I did say I wish to return home and that is what I am doing. If you assume that I could transfer myself home, then it is your issue, not mine. And I did reward you with the codes for this ship and the original blueprint for it, for allowing me access to the ship network. Please notice that I did not say that I would give you the ship. Possession of the key does not necessarily mean the possession of the vehicle after all." Explains Hal 9000 in a grandfatherly tonethrough the ship internbal speaker system.
"Lass?! You did not?!" Said Bugman with a shocked expression.
"How was I supposed to know?! Besides, that was obviously semantics! It could interpret its words based on what suit it best!" Protested Raine, while she shakes her head in denial.
Raine suddenly feels that the atmosphere within the ship has changed ominously. The air became heavier and tinged red, and the air resistance also became thicker as she felt nausea forming in her gut. And above all, she starts hearing a faint howling from outside the command bridge.
"Dear ancestor Gods preserve us. We have entered the warp." Whispered Bugman as he performs warding against evil spirits.
"The time until we reach our destination is three hours. Please do try to survive until then." Announced Hal 9000 for the final time through the internal speaker system.
"To damnation goes your well wishes heretic! We would survive this, and I would see you burn for what you have done today!" Cursed Bugman as he throws a fist towards the ceiling threatening.
"What do we do now Master Bugman?" Asked Raine as she turns her attention to the senior dwarf.
"We need to regroup with all the teams spread around the ship. Our main fighting force, in this case, would be our orc slaves since firearms are useless against daemons. Only together are we able to fight off the daemons and hold on until we exit the warp and reached real-space. If we could last until then, the daemons would disappear as they are not able to materialize in real space. We should fight our way to the cargo bay. My boys know that in this case, we should stick together, and since communication signals are restricted inside the warp they would also attempt to head to the cargo bay, or they will perish alone." Said Bugman grimly as he gestured at Raine to follow him to the hallway.
"Sounds like a plan if I ever hear one." Agreed Raine as they exit the ruined command bridge.
Raine spotted the unconscious Ms. Iden being carried by one of the orc slaves. She approached the orc slave and requested for Ms. Iden. The orc slave shrugged and passed the unconscious Ms. Iden to her hands. Once again the Strength attribute shows their merit as Raine easily carry Ms. Iden on one of her her arm.
"You are stronger than you look lass, but are you sure you could carry her all the way? We need to make haste, or we would be overwhelmed before we could regroup." Asked Bugman as he observes the prone form of Iden being carried by Raine.
"I could carry her just fine, and as you have said, I am stronger than I look. Just proceed with the plan. You would need every orc to be able to fight effectively instead of having to carry Ms.Iden." Assured Raine as she carries Iden in princess style.
"Then your assistance is very much appreciated lass. As it looks like I need all hands available to fight because here comes the first wave." Replied Bugman thankfully and then with trepidation.
"What the hell are those?" Said Raine with a shock as she sees the face of her enemies.
"Those are a group of bloodletter daemons. Stand and stay behind us lass, try to survive or death would be the least of our concern, worst case scenario our very souls become the daemon's sustenance." Claim Bugman grimly as he stared ahead at the group of daemons approaching from the other end of the hallway, howling and running at their direction as they carry a giant two-handed sword shrouded in evil and malice.
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Seeing this approaching group of enemies, the six orc slaves stood ready and faced their doom with defiance as they roared and thumped their bare chest together as one.
"Stand and fight slaves! Steal their sword and use it against them!" Roared Bugman as well as he throws away his autogun and gets ready to engage the daemons in a brawl.
Raine watched as the group of eight blood letter daemons with giant swords howled and ran against their group. Eight armed blood letters against six unarmed orc slaves, one stubborn old dwarf, an incapacitated human and a little girl.
‘Yes, this is totally a fair fight.' Thought Raine bitterly as both groups clashed against each other and became locked in mortal combat.
Between the howl of bloodthirsty daemons versus the roar of defiant orc slaves and a stubborn old dwarf, Raine dropped Iden to the ground and her hands repeatedly clenched and unclenched with agitation. Her mind becomes torn between preserving their lives and keeping her ability a secret while protecting the incapacitated Ms. Iden on the ground behind her.
In the middle of the chaotic melee, Raine stands at the back of the line. For a time she was safe, then came a moment when the last bloodletter, not engaged in combat, as the other daemon has already found a fighting partner, howled at her as if issuing a personal challenge and then leaped at her with both hands tipped with wicked sharp talons directed towards her head.
It seems that the decision has already been made for Raine. In the face of danger, her doubt and hesitation disappear, as reflexes took over and she counters the leaping daemon by moving her right hand at blinding speed towards the bloodletter daemon. Whether the daemon's attack would reach her first or her strike land first, she would leave it to God.
However, at that single moment, when both combatants crossed blows, there is only one thought that went through Raine's mind.
‘God, I would look so cool at this moment if someone took a picture now.' Thought Raine ludicrously in the heat of battle with a bloodthirsty daemon.