Chapter Two: The Graveyard

The explanation teams Gorli sent out to the other cities returned with no problem. Sergeant SLZ222, also known as Slizer by the troops, meets them in the flight bridge.

"What's the report…" Slizer asks pacing back and forth.

"Planeptune is willing to start a trade deal and can send extra men if needed."

"Good, If we need men now we know where to get them. Next…"

"Lastation is interested in our weaponry and technology, there're will to trade for it."

"Alright. Next."

"Leanbox is interested in our past and our history. There willing to trade history for history."

"Ah Good, That will be very helpful. Last one."

"Lowee has not responded."

"Hm… Well we have three out of four at least. Dismissed." Slizer begins making a report on the scouts findings.

Meanwhile is an AT-TE.

"Hey is this the new walker we got after the last one got blown up?"

"Yeah, think so. What are we naming this one?"

"Did we use the Wyvern?"

"No we didn't."

"Cut the chatter, General, do you see anything?" Drage asks.

"Well as you can see, there is a lot of debris here. Little signs of life here." Gorli looks about the near lifeless terrain around him. The only things of note is the significant amount of scrap and the acidic rivers that carve the landscape.

"Just avoid the glowing rivers and we'll be fine…" Gorli says as red lightning splits the sky.

The newly named Wyvern crawls through the wastes and the group find nothing of interest other than some interesting looking crystals. This boredom did not last however as Gorli finds a pair of brightly colored, humanoid figures dart behind some debris.

"Drage, see that large piece of scrap?"

"Yeah…"

"Make a quick loop around it, slowly."

"Yes sir…"

The Wyvern clunks around the large piece of piping. Gorli keeps a keen eye on it.

...!

The figures make a run for it and Gorli fires a warning shot at the nearby scrap pile, sending debris flying. One of the figures freeze in place, the other trying to pull them along, but Gorli jumps out of the main gun, landing near the pair. The one that froze was a girl wearing a cream colored sweater that covered up everything but parts of the shoulders and her neck, a red plaid short skirt, a round bag that was around her waist, white boots, and finally strawberry blonde hair that went to about the middle of her back. The other one was a girl (or a guy with long brown hair Gorli can't tell), oversized blue jacket with a multitude of phones on the buckle most of which are pink, and a cute leaf clip that works well with the hair.

"Halt in the name of the republic!" Gorli demands as he ignites his lightsaber.

The brunette looks at Gorli with an angry and slightly fearful look on her face but the blonde looks absolutely terrified by the sudden appearance of Gorli.

"Who are you, and why are you wandering a desolate place like this?" Gorli asks.

"We could ask you the same question." The brunette says.

"Well I'm positive you saw the big bloody spaceship crash just over in that direction, let's say we are investigating an unknown area. I am Gorli Bipri, Jedi Knight of the Jedi Council. You ladies are…"

The blonde who has stayed quiet to this moment spoke up.

"I'm Compa and this is Iffy." She says.

"You can just call me IF."

"Nice to meet you, now if you can answer my first question." Gorli asks as the Wyvern lumbers up to the three and Drage jumps out.

"General, we've identified six unknown power signachures. Only one is moving and the others are clustered around each other."

"That must be them!" IF exclaims.

"Must be who?"

The two girls explain the situation to the Jedi and his clone commander. Apparently the CPUs of the lands came here to fight an unknown fiend and was seemingly defeated three years ago. The people lost faith in them and crime became more prominent. IF and Compa are good friends of the goddess of Planeptune (which ever city that is.)and was trying to save them all from this place.

"Well what are we standing around for? Get in and let's go." Gorli motions towards the Wyvern.

The pair were understandably confused but they entered Gorli followed along. Out of Compa's pouch Gorli noticed a crystal peaking out.

"So… what exactly is that little crystal you have there?" Gorli asks.

"That's our own business, all you need to know is, that this will help save our friends." IF responds.

"Respectable. Drage! Get this thing moving!"

"Yes sir!"

...

"Mind if I see that crystal for a moment."

"Why..?"

"I want to see what kind of crystal it is."

"Fine, just be careful." IF motions to Compa, Who handed over the gem in question.

The crystal was hollow and the unknown energy permeated from it. The lattice was very similar to that of kyber, yet the power of the force was absent.

"Strange… here." Gorli hands it back.

After a while of walking the party encountered a series of humanoid beings being suspended by tentacles.

"There, it's Nep!" IF shouted.

"Pardon? Who is this Nep you speak of?" Gorli asks before looking outside of the Wyvern to see one of many hentais he watched come true. It was not as great as he thought…

"By Mandalore! The hell is that?!" He and the two girls exit the Wyvern and were now standing in front of these people, Gorli assumed they are the CPUs Drage mentioned.

"I-Iffy…? Compa?" One responds in a weak yet mature voice as Gorli takes note of there unique looks.

The one that was speaking was wearing something that clung to her skin like a Mynock to a ship. Her hair while a bit roughed up were in two twin braids of purple, but the more interesting thing was her eyes as instead of pupils they were replaced by a unknown symbol, commonly found in ancient technology.

"She looks like she has been through some shit…" Gorli says quietly to himself.

"Ge-Ge is here too! And look! The other CPUs!" Compa says.

The CPUs in question are not in a better position than the first, being restrained by tentacles. Gorli focuses on the tentacles and noticed that the unknown energy was being drained from the CPUs.

The others were not in any better of a situation. Trapped in tentacles and having their power drained away.

Then something odd happened. The tentacles seem to react to Gorli's presence and move away. Drage followed behind yet the tentacles don't seem to react to his presence just, Gorli's.

"General, we have identified that the sources of the unknown energy. The CPUs and the tenta-"

"Yes… I noticed… be mindful of the fact that we are in enemy territory Drage. Please return to the Wyvern and man the main cannon."

"Yes sir."

Gorli focused on the tentacles trying to communicate with the creature but felt nothing.

"Odd… how can something move like it's alive… yet not be so…"

Gorli begins to investigate the CPUs instead of the… thing.

For Nepgear, the three years she was held here for felt like an eternity… she cried for help… she's done it many times before and heard nothing but silence, yet this time… she heard an echo of someone else and her vision cleared onto a man in brown and tan robes, long jet black hair flowing behind him long enough to rival Black Heart's but not long enough to inped his ability to sit, in comparison to the guards or soldiers around him, he was a good foot and a half taller, his purple eyes seem to meet her own.

"Anyone else get that? I got a cry for help." The man said.

Her vision return to the Gamindustri Graveyard as her torture continues.

The other CPUs were not in any better than the first, tied up in energy draining tentacles in… perverted positions.

"How awful… who would restrain them like this..?" Compa asks looking at the CPUs, half horrified and half determined.

"I know many a people who would like to do that to me…" Gorli says reflecting on his past.

"Nep! Snap out of it, wouldja!?" IF says in desperation.

"It's no good. She's still out cold. Man, what's up with these stupid tentacle things!?"

"I have a wonderful Plan!" Gorli says igniting his lightsaber and taking a swing at the biggest tentacle.

It did nothing as the saber bounced off harmlessly.

"Well... I'm out of ideas." Gorli says after taking five more swings. Then a voice came over a communicator that IF had hidden under her jacket.

"Do not attempt to force them free by hand. Compa, please utilize the Sharicite." The voice says.

"A Cheryl what now?" Gorli says thinking back to the Crystal.

"R-Right! It's somewhere here in my handy-dandy nurse's pouch…" Compa says digging through her bag.

Then a voice came from over the largest scrap pile and some sort of large metal monster of a droid tears itself through.

"I won't allow it!" It shouts in a surprisingly aggressive manner.

"Drage, preparer to fire…" Gorli says under his breath.

"Yes sir." Drage responds.

"Kyaaaa!" Compa screams.

"Who are you!? You'd better not get in our way!" IF shouts back.

The oversize tin can begin to laugh maniacally.

"For someone to be insane enough to travel here… inconceivable! For three long years I have watched the Graveyard and nobody…" the droid went on… and on… and fucking on about insane it was to come here and how it's going to kill us.

"Fuck it, fire!" Gorli yells and the Wyvern unleashed a torrent of blaster bolts all of them hitting the mark.

(Battle Begin)

"Whatever your going to do, do it now!" Gorli Yells to Compa.

"Y-You betcha!" Compa yells back turning to the CPUs.

"Please… please wake up!" She says in desperation, the crystal (now know as a Sharicite) unleashed a flash of energy and one of the CPUs was stirred awake.

{Did you ever notice how cute she is?}

(Shut up brain! Now is not the time!)

"Ge-Ge! Are you back with us?" Compa says in a worried tone.

"Compa…? I… I was…" The CPU candidate said, still stuck in the mess of tentacles.

"I'm so happy your alive! Let me get the other CPUs up, too…" Compa interrupted her yet before she was interrupted herself by IF yelling in pain as the droid shook off the blaster bolts and the shots from the main cannon did little to it as well.

"Weak! So pathetically weak! C'mon, make this fight more interesting for me! C'mon!" The battle crazed droid said putting little effort into his swings. Then a lightsaber bounced off of his armor and back into the hands of Gorli.

"The hell are you made out of?! Mandalorian Iron!?" Gorli shouts, sweat pouring off of his face due to the sudden heat.

"IF!?" The CPU candidate shouts out as her friend falls to the ground.

"Gear!? Heh… Well, now I feel stupid that you get to see me in such a sorry state. Be careful. This creep is freakishly strong." IF warns the freshly awakened CPU candidate.

"A little help here! Kinda running for my life!" Gorli shouts nearly being crushed by the droids fist.

"Let me help out too! We can buy some time for the others to wake up!" Compa says holding up a large syringe filled with an unknown liquid.

(God I hate not knowing things.)

"I… I'll fight too!" The CPU candidate says grabbing her weapon and flying towards the droid pulling a cool looking Combo with her gunblade thing. (I need one of those…)

The droid was still standing.

"That's it? Really? Is that seriously all of the strength you possess!?" The droid yells, and if robots could break blood vessels then this droid would be doing just that.

"Not done yet fucker!" Gorli shouts. Finally deciding to go all out with force lightning, something that is normally associated with the Darkside of the force, yet there are exceptions to this, like Gorli.

"Drage… get out of here… now!"

"I can't leave you to your death General."

"I said now damn it!"

Drage flinched at Gorli's sudden demands but followed them, jumping off of the main gun to get back into the cockpit of the Wyvern.

"Good luck General."

Gorli continues the lightning storm but it was not strong enough to damage the droid. Yet the droid ether didn't move because it wanted to invoke fear, or because it was paralyzed by the lightning.

"We're not affecting him at all… Compa, aren't Nep and the others coming to yet!?" IF asks, watching the display of power.

"I don't think they're gonna be waking up anytime soon…" Compa says nearly breaking into tears as the voice returns to the communicator.

"Perhaps the Sharicite was not pure enough to wake the CPUs proper, only…" The voice paused for a moment.

"You serious!? Then… there's nothing else we can do here!" IF shouts frustrated.

"Again… I'm going to lose again… N-No, no no no…!" The CPU candidate cries out.

Gorli stops his torrent of lightning to notice the girl fall to her knees.

"Oh *pant* for the love of *pant* come on!" Gorli shouts throwing the CPU candidate up with what little force power he had left and catches her on the way down.

"This was just a waste of my time! I'll finish you all off right now!" The droid shouts.

"Good luck with that, and here…" Gorli pulls a thermal detonator from his robe.

"Have a little something from me!" He says activating the detonator and throwing it at the droid before running off.

"No! I… I'm completely powerless…" The CPU can I edit says off of Gorli's shoulder.

"Wait, if I use the-" Her thoughts were cut off by the explosion, blinding the droid.

"Nice work me, now let's get out of here!" Gorli says running in the opposite direction of the rest of the CPUs.

"Unforgivable! You'll never escape! Once my retinal systems come back online, I'll kill you all!" Droid man says angrily.

"Hey! Let's get out of here!" IF shouts from behind him.

(Battle End)

After a while of running Gorli, Compa, the CPU candidate and IF managed to lose the rampaging robit.

"*pant, pant* man she's *pant* heavier than she looks…" Gorli without the force was a not very strong man and all of the running tired him out greatly. He put the girl down onto the ground as gently as possible.

"Even after all that, the only one we could help was Gear…" IF says.

"Histoire, what's next?"

The communicator activates once more.

"Return to Planeptune. We shall have Nepgear rest until she has recovered her strength. Besides, I must learn what happened three years ago, even if it's painful for her to recall…" The voice says and IF turns to Gorli.

"Where is the Sharicite?"

"That's the crystal thing correct? I have it right-" Gorli grabbed the crystal from Nepgear's unconscious hand and the crystal's glow bursts forth, turning into dust afterwards. The dust moved around like it had a life of its own and the force energy that was left in Gorli formed into a blue humanoid being, the Sharicite dust did the same.

"I'm sorry what?" Gorli says as the dust melts away into a white energy and there forms became clearer. The force energy made itself into a tall man who looked similar to Gorli, the share energy formed into a female figure stunningly similar to Nepgear.

"Nope, still confused…"Gorli continued.

The energy's looked at eachother and approached the other until they were standing exactly five feet away from each other. There was a nod and they shook the others hand, then pulled each other into a hug forming a sky blue ball of energy and dissipated silently.

"Does anyone… does anyone know what happened?" Gorli asked turning to the two girls, both of them shook their heads.

Later...

The three travel to Planeptune, a city Gorli's ship almost destroyed on its way down to the surface.

"So you're telling me… You're actually an alien?" IF says, a suspicious look upon her face.

"In the technical term of the word, yes. Although I am mostly human, I don't remember how far my Bloodline goes or how many aliens my ancestors may have mated with." Gorli explains as he entered the largest building in the city, the Planeptune Bisilacom. Gorli was a bit overwhelmed by the beauty of the buildings interior. Columns of some sort of stone lined the room in a perfect line, hanging from all four sides of them were some sort of magical sconces keeping the place lit. He was still taking it all in when he was approached by… a little girl riding a book. She explained herself to be Histoire, The person behind the communicator and the Oracle of Planeptune. The other walked away, putting Nepgear into her room as Gorli explained himself. After explaining his situation, the supplies he needed to repair the Mercy, and the trade deal from earlier, a girl wearing a white and purple uniform entered the room, her violet hair came down past her shoulders and a small d-pad hair clip adorned it.

"G-Good morning…" she said.

"Actually, it's about evening. Hi how are ya." Gorli says without really paying attention to her.

"You're finally awake!" IF yells, from behind Gorli.

"What a relief! You were asleep for so long that we were getting really worried." Compa says.

"Wait, Who are we talking about?" Gorli turns around to see Nepgear in her non-transformed state for the first time.

"And how do you feel?" Histoire asks, floating towards her on the weird book thing.

(Wait a minute, this is the same person as before... what?)

"Um… I think I'm fine now. But… um… so… I'm really sorry…" the girl apologizes for… Something.

"Wait who is this? I'm really confused." Gorli looks at the other, hoping one of them has an answer.

"If anyone should apologize, it should be me. It was my command that sent you five to that battlefield." Histoire says.

"All right ignore me then, fine."

It was at this moment Nepgear recognized Gorli as the man from her vision, she didn't say anything about it though.

"N-No, I would never blame you. It all went south because… Because I wasn't strong enough…" Nepgear responded.

(Internal sigh)

"It may be sudden, but I must ask you to recount what occurred three years ago at the Gamindustri Graveyard." Histoire says with a surprisingly stern tone from a girl her sized.

"Of course…" Nepgear says obviously pained by the thoughts.

(I might as well listen as well.)

After recounting most of the events that happened in the Gamindustri Graveyard, Gorli finally put two and two together and realize this is Nepgear.

Apparently, she and the other for CPUs got their asses handed to them by single opponent. Surprisingly not the droid they encountered earlier.

"That's insane. All of you lost against a single opponent?" IF says, genuinely surprised.

(I want to fight it and I want to fight it now!)

"That's so hard to believe… how could the CPUs lose?" Compa said, with the same level of confusion.

"Can I ask a question now? What happened to Gamindustri after we lost that battle?" Nepgear asks.

"You said it's been three years…"

"The situation is bleak, I am afraid. ASIC, under the assumed command of Arfoire, controls much of the world." Histoire says.

"Disc burning, disc copying… even kids see piracy as normal, and put their faith in it." IF finished.

(If you think that's a problem... I know fucking space pirates who killed people on the daily, but this is a primitive planet so I'll leave it at that.)

"In other words, everyone believes in ASIC, so the faith that power the CPUs has grown very weak…" Compa continues.

"Making that small Sharicite crystal took us all three years…"

"Well, with the CPUs absent from their nations, it's no surprise. We failed to save them…" IF states.

"And we have come to learn that ASIC's goal is to revive the Deity of Sin." Histoire continues.

"At the rate our world is declining, the may achieve that goal."

(Deity of Sin? I still prefer "Force Reaper" as a name but that works.)

"But… isn't there anything we can do to stop them?" Nepgear asks.

(I have a pretty good idea I wanted to do but I will listen to this first.)

"Yes. One way yet exists." Histoire says.

"And That way is you Nepgear… along with the other CPUs' younger sisters, your fellow CPU candidates!"

(And here I was thinking I'd actually understand this shit.)

"Wait, me? I'm not the only CPU candidate?"

"Correct. As you know, only the CPUs themselves and the CPU candidates are able to gather Shares. If enough Shares are recovered, ASIC and those affiliated with it should be weakened."

(I'm confused? The fuck is a Share)

Nepgear pokes at her own fingers.

"Isn't that approach too slow? ASIC might be able to gather Shares faster than we can reclaim them." IF says.

"Good point… and even the people who still believe in the CPUs probably know they've lost by now…" Compa continues.

"All right I'm getting quite bored so I'm going to put my opinion in this." Gorli says.

"Why don't you let me, a Jedi Knight of the Jedi order and General in the Clone Wars, go find their stronghold, put it under siege using one of many war machines that I have, (that are probably much more technologically awesome that yours) and destroy them. No… wait… I need to… nevermind, ignore me!" Gorli take a seat.

"In That case, we could request assistance from the Mascots that reside in each nation." Histoire says.

"Like, game mascots?"

"Born from the ancient goddesses, they oversee the balance and order of our world in a passive manner. That Is to say, they preside over the nations to ensure prosperity, and remains neutral to all else." Histoire says.

"Reminds me of the Jedi Council." Gorli says getting up again.

"But when needed, they will stand by the CPUs and rid the world of evil's influence." Histoire finishes.

"I had no idea they even existed…" Compa piped in.

"Indeed. Not even I am aware of their precise locations. I have been researching where the Mascot for Planeptune resides, but to no avail. I will inform you all once I find something of note. In the meantime, please regain Planeptune's Shares. This will also serve to rehabilitate Nepgear's combat ability." Histoire looks to Gorli.

"We will continue this talk at a later date. For now, please help Nepgear and the others."

"Well… I'll see what I can do. Never trained anyone before." Gorli looks the the Gear in question.

"Oi, Nepgear."

"Huh? Y-Yeah."

"Good, I didn't want to explain all that again. Do we have any other plans? If not, I wanted to test your abilities in person. The droid didn't give me much of anything to work with. Think of it as a test."

"Makes sense. I mean, Gear didn't even move much in the past three years, let alone fight." IF has a good point.

"Very well, then allow me to give you this." Histoire gives Nepgear and Gorli a strange looking box…

"The hell's this thing?"

"These are N-Gears. The're portable devices with a multitude of functions. They should prove invaluable to you."

"Hm…" Gorli follows the girls outside of the bisilacom and onto the streets of Planeptune.

"So, what now?" IF asks no one in particular.

"Should we get some work at the Guild?" Compa replies.

"The Guild, Huh…?" Nepgear says looking about as confused as Gorli.

"Oh, right. You've never been there yourself have you, Gear? We get all sorts of work orders from all over Gamindustri there. We take an assignment, complete it, report the results, and get paid." IF explains.

"So your mercenaries then?" Gorli asks.

"Pretty much. Although, actually doing it once may give you a better idea of the flow. Let's go."

That is the end of chapter two. I hope you enjoyed.