Slices of War: Arthuria vs Pirates
by DreamersLTD
If you can dream, then anything is possible. – DreamersLTD Motto
Disclaimer: As with my other fics, I don't own anything except my original characters.
Note: Play MechQuest on the PC for a slightly better understanding of certain events. Some facts/terms have been altered, but follow the facts revealed in the game.
"Let's make a promise: When we grow up, I'll marry you, and then we'll always be together! Okay?"
Love can keep one going. Love can keep one loyal. Love can even make two individuals separated by time and distance come together again. Love is a strange thing; it works in so many different ways. Love can be found almost anywhere, even on the battlefield. But only if the love felt is true and pure, if the individuals are loyal and faithful, and the will to overcome all obstacles real; will love truly succeed.
"This isn't right… keeping a Princess hostage…" thought Teal as she and her squad guarded the entrance to the island prison holding the daughter of the current Arthurian Royal bloodline.
It was nearing midnight, and the surprise attacks carried out by a powerful adversary in the employ of Arthuria was worrying to the Pirates, who had initially thought that having an Arthurian Princess in their custody would've made Arthuria think twice. Defenses were doubled, more mechs patrolled the land and sea, and the pirates as a whole were getting jumpy.
Teal warily scanned the area with her Navigator's advanced sensors. Still nothing. However, she was feeling anything but calm. "Check in time. Status?" she queried her squad.
"Sniper 5 here; nothing out of the ordinary."
"Blader 3 here; no unusual movement detected."
"Anchorman 4 here; nothing but dirt, jungle, and water."
"Admiral 2 here; I have nothing to report."
"Keep up your guard; there's a high possibility that a surprise attack is eminent," replied Teal as her team finished checking in.
"Ma'am, if I may ask, why so jumpy? It's impossible for anyone to get past 20 patrolling ships and explore all the surrounding islands," questioned her second-in-command.
"That's what we thought when we stole one of Arthuria's new Arthurian Wolf battle units. Then one of the mercenaries they hired managed to scour 15 islands, both large and small, defeat all our troops sent to delay them, and recovered Arthuria's new mech. Now tell me that wasn't supposed to be possible," replied Teal as she began to make her way to another section under her watch.
"Was it really just one mercenary? It seems more believable for at least several."
"True, however, all recovered black boxes revealed that it was the exact same unit; a modified Delta Star unit that supposedly is only used by Elite SDF warriors loyal to the current ruling power of Soluna."
"Do you think that Arthuria contacted Soluna and requested a joint operation against us?" questioned the Sniper pilot.
"I doubt it. Arthuria's either too proud to ask for direct aid, or doesn't consider us as much of a problem." Teal sighed. The situation wasn't looking good. Arthuria responded a lot faster and more aggressively than they had imagined upon the kidnapping of their Princess. She had argued against it with Barbarossa, but lost the debate 3-to-1.
"Blader 3 here; I've got an incoming contact! Wait one… It's the mercenary!"
"Can you hold him off until we can get there!?" immediately questioned Teal as she began making her way towards Blader 3's position.
"I'm… sorry… Ejecting!"
"Damn!" muttered Teal. "The mercenary defeated one of us in less than a minute!? How!?"
"Anchorman 4 has reached the area. I'm engaging the enemy!"
"Be careful!" warned Teal as she pushed her Navigator to its fastest running speed. "Sniper 5! Admiral 2! Form up on me and we'll attempt to ambush him from three sides!"
"Understood lead!"
"Roger that!"
Two more black and dull gold units joined Teal as they continued to race towards the site of battle, which was not too much further.
"Sorry Commander… he's too tough…! Ejecting!" stated the pilot of the Anchorman at the same moment that Teal and her remaining two team members broke through the jungle line and saw the mercenary unit pull out its customized Purity Blade from the disabled Anchorman.
Teal immediately opened her comm. "You there! Stop your activities at once! You are outnumbered and alone! Attempt anything, and we'll destroy you!"
The dark blue and gold Delta Star unit turned and looked at them. "…Do you think you three can actually stop me?"
"What!? We'll tear you into pieces and–!"
Teal silenced her second with a warning hand back. She refused to let anger and surprise get to her. "Why do you fight for Arthuria?"
"They pay well enough. They have the technological capability to repair and maintain my unit as well as my physical life. They also have impressive weaponry, and also sell whatever weapons you'd sell, but at a cheaper price. All this combined is far more than what you pirates could afford."
"Forgive us for having to resort to less-than-honorable ways of making a living and surviving. Don't you have any mercy? Any morals that would've made you doubt Arthuria's way?"
The pilot of the Delta Star laughed. "You're the first person to attempt negotiation ever since I've begun fighting you people. I think you're smart enough to realize that as a mercenary, I go where the money and the best benefits are at. My personal feelings and morals don't matter, unless it's clearly a suicidal deal."
Teal continued to press the conversation; she had radioed in additional support, and she was attempting to stall for time. "Isn't it suicidal enough attempting a one-man army against us?"
"Not when you pirates keep jockeying and jostling amongst each other to fight one opponent instead of actually teaming up and surprising me. Honestly, you're the first to actually attempt to gang up against me."
"'Attempt'? What do you mean?"
"I've faced worse odds than just three enemy units. I've taken on an army of 50 with minimal healing. I've been surprised by five units and still managed to make it out alive. This will be a cakewalk."
"Don't underestimate us."
"Oh? You say that, yet you have to stall for reinforcements?" the Delta Star unit activated its Purity Blade to its maximum form, and took an aggressive stance. "I commend you for your intelligence and quick thinking. But now, I have a mission to complete. If you three stand aside peacefully, and let me take the Princess back, I promise not to harm you."
"Regretfully, I too, have a mission: to prevent that from happening."
"Then let's begin!" the Delta Star charged the pirates faster than anticipated, and forced them to split up. He chose to go after the Admiral unit first, dodging and evading the other attacks from the Navigator and Sniper units.
"He's fast! I can't hit him!" exclaimed the Sniper pilot as he attempted to get a lock.
"Use the bomblets! Set up a trap! We'll lure him there!"
"Understood!" The Sniper unit then began to use both shoulder bomblet dispensers and managed to erect a wall of hovering mines in one part of the jungle. "Wall set! Lead him here!"
"He's very good…" muttered the Admiral's pilot as he barely managed to dodge yet another blade swipe. He had already lost his right arm's sword and was now relying solely on his ranged weaponry to hold off the unit; not that it did much good.
Teal gritted her teeth as she herself was easily fended off despite hopping right in front of the enemy unit and attempting to deliver a flurry of punches. "How can such a tall unit move so fast!?" she muttered to herself as it dodge most of the hits and went along with the ones that connected, minimizing the damage.
Soon, they had lured the mercenary to the wall of floating mines. The Admiral leaped and managed to land a kick to the Delta Star, knocking it back into the wall of mines.
--
The resulting explosion was bright enough to momentarily blind the three pirates. Nothing should've survived that.
"Game over." Before the three could react, a pair of Purity Blades at max power pierced the Sniper unit, which was the closest one to the blast. Fortunately for Teal, the pilot managed to eject.
"What!? How!? How did you survive!?" exclaimed Teal as she and her second warily circled the blackened Delta Star.
"Your trap would've worked… had you set it up with a couple of trees on the other side to stop my rearward progress. However, when your team member kicked me back into the field, I flew right through the mines, only taking minor damage while triggering the rest to go up all at once. You've basically made a large flashbomb against yourselves, which I took advantage of."
"Damn it!" Both Teal and her second charged the mercenary; both pushed well past their patience. "We'll see if you like this!" They both opened fire as they boosted towards the mercenary.
Instead of dodging, as both the pirates had hoped, the mercenary took the shots while boosting towards them, and at the very last minute, sliced both of them down. Both the Navigator and the Admiral unceremoniously crashed into the ground in a heap of useless metal.
"I commend you and your team's fighting prowess. Maybe if we were on the same side, I would've enjoyed tactics sparring with you." The mercenary then looked up as several pirate mecha began to fly in. "Commencing orbital bombardment."
--
"Orbital bombardment requested… Weapons control systems activated… Coordinates obtained… Passwords accepted… Bombardment level: Light… Beginning orbital bombardment… " chirped an onboard computer in an emotionless tone.
High above the planet, a customized SDF Battlecruiser-class vessel, the Eisensturm, belonging to the mercenary, aimed all lower hull weaponry at the designated target zone… and fired.
After delivering five minutes of sustained fire, the weapons went silent, cooled, and retracted into their housings. "Orbital bombardment complete. Reverting to Guard Mode."
--
Teal was stunned silent as hellfire poured from the sky and decimated their reinforcements. Once the night sky cleared, there wasn't a single trace of the support she called. She began to cry. "You… you had such power at your disposal… Just who are you…?"
The mercenary didn't turn to look at the downed Navigator and its pilot. "I am a mercenary. I fight by my own code of conduct, but even I have limits."
"All those people… I caused their deaths summoning them here to help…"
"You did what any intelligent Commander would do in the situation you were in. However, you didn't realize the full extent of your adversary, and thus lost more than what would've been gained. I spared you and your teammates' lives, since it wasn't my mission to kill. If I was at full strength, I could've fought your reinforcements with no trouble. However…" the mercenary turned his unit to face the disabled Navigator.
To Teal's surprise, she had managed to land her clawed rocket-fist into the left torso of his unit. Thinking back, it must've been the split second he was vulnerable as he raised his dual Purity Blades to cut them down.
"Without repair and due to the short amount of time before your reinforcements arrived, I would've lost if even one of them were able to capitalize on this near-fatal strike to my cockpit. I have one of the claws entering the very edge of my cockpit area. A lucky shot or strike to the claw from the left will wedge it in enough to kill me. Even with it removed, there's not enough armor to protect the cockpit from a single hit."
Teal still cried for the lives she had inadvertently lead to a wasted death, but she took some comfort in knowing she had scored a painful blow to the mercenary.
The Delta Star unit then dropped something it was carrying on the right side of its back, which quickly deployed into an Emergency Repair Pad. Standing on it, a flood of nanomachines swarmed the mech and began to repair it back to pristine condition. They disassembled the wedged fist and used the constituent elements to reassemble it as armor over the damaged torso. Soon, all damage was gone, and the paint restored.
The mercenary then turned and headed for the entrance to the prison center holding the Princess.
Teal didn't bother to warn those patrolling the inside of the prison of the incoming intruder. At this point, she didn't care. It was Barbarossa's fault for kidnapping the Princess in the first place that led to the situation she was currently in.
--
Unfortunately for her, it wasn't the same belief held by Barbarossa as he harshly reprimanded her and had her placed under temporary suspension. Teal didn't care about that either. She had some loyal subordinates, friends on the Pirate council, and was also one of the best pirate fighters.
So in the meantime, while in suspension and alone in the padded cell, she began to sing. Through the song, she summoned tiny water fairies, who began to join her in singing while also performing random flips, turns, and loops through the air, leaving a momentary water trail that evaporated almost as fast as it came.
As she predicted, her momentary suspension ended within a week. The war with Arthuria had begun while she was away, and to her surprise, the leader of the pirates, Rhubarb, had returned.
"I'm sorry for you being confined unjustly. Barbarossa will be punished for his crimes against both Arthuria and against fellow pirates who have done nothing wrong. But right now, we need his aggressive fighting style to hold off the Arthurians as long as possible. The war's only started, and Arthuria's been gaining a major foothold on islands close to us. If it continues, we'll be overrun. Please lend me your strength, and help us fight!" stated Rhubarb as he released Teal.
Teal nodded. "I shall aid you as best as I can."
"Thank you. Now go."
Teal didn't need to be told twice. She sprinted down the hall and towards the changing rooms. Donning her trademark blue and turquoise piloting jumpsuit and grabbing her helmet, she then made for the mech bay.
"There you are! Hurry! We've gotten your mech ready to roll!" stated a pirate tech as he saw Teal run up. "And by the way, welcome back!"
"Thanks! It's good to be back!" stated Teal as she hopped into her mech's cockpit, closed the hatch, and began to start up the system.
"Fusion reactor… All Green."
"Energy control… All Green."
"Servomotor controls… All Green."
"Weapon systems… All Green."
"Emergency systems… All Green."
"All systems green, Teal Revstatz to launch control! I'm heading out!" stated Teal as she made her way out of the mech hangar.
"Teal Revstatz, you have clearance. Watch yourself out there."
Teal then boosted her unit forward and up, then engaged the one-time use megabooster to take her towards the nearest battlezone. All she could do now was hope that her entrance into the battlefield would make some difference.
A squad of Arthurian Bull and War Ram mecha spotted her, and began to lay down Anti-Air fire from their shoulder cannons or missiles. Teal managed to dodge the shots as she neared the battle, but couldn't return any fire.
As her computer warned her of her final approach, she then separated from the megabooster, letting it burn out and kamikaze into an unsuspecting Bull mech. Both went out in an impressive explosion. Teal on the other hand, used the momentum to skid through the shallows, sending up a good wave of water that momentarily hid her from two nearby Arthurian Wolf mechs, both of which she downed with two well-placed cannon shots.
Taking in a quick scan, she realized that Arthuria wasn't only fighting with their warriors; they had an impressive number of mercenaries fighting for them. She spotted a variety of mecha that weren't used by Arthuria; mainly units from Soluna and Zargon… and a few from Thoh, Mortis, and Westion.
The pirates on the other hand, only had a few mercenary units that were slugging it out with Arthuria.
"Most of these mercenary units are members of GEARS University… What kind of outreach/foreign exchange program do they have!?" she wondered as she locked on to a nearby Raven and fired, disabling it with the destruction of its right leg.
"Who's in charge of this battle!?" demanded Teal over the pirate comm.
"Aye! Commander Key West! I'm a fightin' as best as I can! But them rich bastards have too many mercenaries on their side! We is losin' our land and troops!"
"Hold out as long as you can! I'll head your way!" stated Teal as she boosted straight into battle. A turret suddenly popped out in front of her, turned at her, and fired. "Holy–!" she exclaimed as she narrowly dodged the shot and the next. She then charged the turret, and delivered a vicious number of strikes with her Navigator's fists, and jumped back as it exploded.
"That was a Wolfblade weapon!" Scanning quickly, she found the now damaged Wolfblade unit not too far from her. It spotted her as well, and suddenly released a wave of energy that momentarily caused Teal to lose balance. Upon regaining balance, she found the unit charging her, firing whatever it had regardless of who was in its way. "Crap! It went Berserk!" she exclaimed as she began boosting backwards while attempting to blind it with fire or slow it with her cannon.
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop its rampage. It kept coming, it was slowly gaining. Just when Teal thought it bad, a War Ram burst through the treeline and attempted to sideswipe her. Thinking quickly, she managed to grab the Ram, use all of her unit's strength, and swing it around to collide with the charging Wolfblade. Both units fell to a useless heap as their pilots went unconscious from the heavy impact.
Teal was unable to even savor that small victory as she detected a massive beam fly towards her. Narrowly evading, she found a customized Runehawk equipped with a cannon on the right arm and on the right shoulder. She fired a few test shots, and realized there was a shield. "Crap! Another Star Captain!" she muttered as she charged.
The Runehawk sent ghosts, explosive crystals, and magic shots towards her. "It doesn't matter how good your defense is!" Teal exclaimed as she began to pile damage at point-blank range. "Have some of this!" the Navigator then managed to get the left arm past the energy shield, and Teal fired the fist into the generator's location. The unit instantly shut down.
Glancing at her armor levels, Teal decided to go ahead and absorb some armor from the downed Runehawk. Her unit's eye visor momentarily flashed red as it sent nanomachines to disassemble enough armor for a full repair. Within moments, she had all her armor back. After recalling the rocket fist, she turned and continued to make her way towards Commander Key.
Several fights past and managing to make it halfway, she heard what she didn't want to hear. "Commander Key to all units…! Retreat! It's too hot– AAARRRGGG–!!!" Static followed the explosion that filled the comm.
"Damn it…!" exclaimed Teal as she pounded her fist on the console. "Is there anyone else in command!?"
A hysterical voice responded. "Whatever you see on your radar is all that's left! We lost Commander Key, Commander Laken, and Commander Albu! The Arthurians are breaking through! There's no– NO STAY AWAY!!! NNNOOOOOO–!!!"
"Don't leave me behind!"
"I can't eject! I can't eject!!!"
"I don't want to die!!!"
"Help! I'm trapped in my unit!"
"Somebody! Anybody! Help me!!!"
Teal angrily looked away from her monitor and shut off the general pirate comm. Too many were falling. She had no choice. She made her way back to the beach as fast as she could. Crying, she began to chant a spell as fast as she could. "Spirits of the sea… Mother of my life… Please grant me a pillar of water with which to push back the incoming invaders!!!" she cried out as the water quickly built up and spiraled into an impressive water tornado. She then sent it towards the largest concentration of enemy forces.
Arthurian warriors and their allied mercenaries scattered as the funnel came towards them. The funnel took everything in its path; sand, trees, shrubs, fallen allies and enemies, and those that were unable to outrun or out-boost the pillar of water. Upon reaching the other end of the island and going a good distance out into the water, the tornado disappeared; causing whatever units that didn't get crushed against other objects within the spiraling vortex to fall into the deep waters.
But regardless, the battle was over. The storm Teal caused began to saturate the area with rain. It was a victory for Arthuria. Teal silently cried as she read out the tally of pirates that were MIA or KIA in the fight over this one island. It wasn't promising.
Her computer then warned her of a slowly approaching enemy. Turning, she saw the dreaded Blue and Gold Delta Star unit that she had encountered back on the prison island. She immediately assumed an aggressive stance.
However, the mercenary unit merely shook its head. It took the Arthurian sword it was carrying and firmly embedded it into the ground. It then took what was left of a Sniper arm, the rifle portion, and firmly embedded it into the ground as well. The unit then stood back and saluted the two objects.
Teal reverted her unit to a guarded stance while watching. After a full five minutes have passed, the mercenary simply turned and left.
Since more Arthurians were beginning to land supplies for another advance outpost, Teal took a moment to salute the monuments before boosting away from the island. An Arthurian Bull and an Arthurian Wolf unit appeared as she made her escape. In her rearward camera, she was surprised to see them not fire nor chase after her; instead, she saw them saluting the small memorial before simply turning back.
Maybe there was some honor left on a battlefield after all.
Despite their aggressiveness and the will to preserve their way of life, the pirates had slowly been losing ground. Within the span of a day, Arthurian forces managed to crush an overwhelming number of Pirate warriors as well as shattering what few Pirate outposts were set up.
Teal's team also suffered heavy losses. Rhubarb could no longer spare extra troops to help support Teal's efforts in taking, retaking, or destroying outposts build on the many islands scattered throughout. Eventually, Teal chose to send away what few troops she had following her to support the main defense under Rhubarb. It was now only her and her second-in-command that carried out those near-suicide missions.
--
"Mission complete. We managed to force Arthuria to retreat from this small island before they could set up another advance outpost," stated the second-in-command as he scanned the area for a potential surprise attacker.
"Good. We'll take a breather before calling in the salvage teams." Teal leaned back into her cockpit. She was tired and exhausted. The sea didn't always grant her its strength, so she had to make up for those times with extensive combat.
A bright flash of light alerted her and her second to an approaching enemy. Who beamed down a short distance away became obvious the moment the unit turned.
It was the "Blue Demon" mercenary that had always ended up her opponent, whether on purpose or not.
"Why…!? Why is it always you…!?" stated Teal through gritted teeth as she pointed her unit's claws at him. Every time she dueled the Blue Demon, it usually ended in a stalemate or in defeat. He was simply too strong, even for her.
"Unfortunately, I'm called in to deal with situations that involve powerful opponents, and you seem to be the only one other than Barbarossa and a few of the other Pirate commanders. This time, it's to retake control of this island," stated the mercenary.
Before Teal could retort, her second spoke up. "Mercenary. I will duel you to the death. Hold nothin' short of an Orbital Bombardment back. I will settle my score with you once and for all." The Admiral mech pointed its sword at the Delta Star unit. Then, the head turned to face Teal as the pilot opened a private line. "Commander. Use the time I buy you to ready yourself. As much as I'd like for you to escape, I know you won't. But stay out of this battle. This one's mine to win or lose."
Teal was stunned. "…You don't believe you'll win… Am I right…?" she questioned.
Her second smiled. "I've thought of you as the daughter I never had. I'm glad to have served at your side." He then cut the link; ignoring Teal's attempts to hail him, and walked towards the mercenary. "Are you ready?" he stated as he took an aggressive stance.
"You truly wish to duel to the death? It doesn't have to end this way, you know," stated the mercenary as he too, assumed a fighting stance.
"I've fought long an' hard. I've seen too many live an' die on the fields of combat. I'm getting old. If I can't win against you who represent the latest generation of mechwarriors, it means that I won't be winnin' my battles too much longer. At least give me the honor of duelin' someone who I believe is a worthy, honorable, and noble person at heart."
"…Very well then. To the death it is. I wish you the best regardless the outcome."
"So do I."
Both units began to warily circle each other. The battle already begun as both pilots began using their minds in an attempt to outguess each other. One small mistake would quickly end the battle.
Teal watched helplessly as both units slowly approached each other while circling. Before she could blink, her Second opened fire with his right arm triple gun and charged.
The Blue Demon immediately dodged the trio of shots before locking swords with the Admiral. Before he could activate the second Purity Blade, the Admiral kicked off him to set some distance before unleashing a swarm of missiles.
The mercenary dodged most of the micro missiles and managed to make those that hit do minimal damage by going with the blast instead of fighting it. He countered by pulling out his mech's semi-auto handgun and firing it with the intent of piercing the Admiral's cockpit.
Teal's Second managed to evade the move, jumping high into the air and using the sun as a momentary blind in order to attempt landing on the mercenary.
To both pirates' surprise, the mercenary managed to predict the exact moment the Admiral would be within range of his arms. He grabbed the mech by the leg and swung him hard into a small rock outcropping.
Recovering quickly, the Admiral rolled and managed to force back the mercenary with his shoulder laser cannon before charging in again.
The Blue Demon took the last bit of the beam in order to grab the enemy mech's hand holding the sword with his own, and then activated the Purity Blade on that arm to slice it off. At the same time, the mercenary followed through with a vicious kick that destroyed the triple guns on the Admiral's right arm.
Despite realizing that the loss of both arms effectively equaled a defeat, Teal's Second charged the mercenary, all remaining weapons blazing.
The Blue Demon took the damage, and with a swift and vicious upward stroke of the left Purity Blade, sliced though the torso of the pirate Admiral.
Moments before the pirate mech exploded due to reactor meltdown, the pilot radioed the mercenary. "Thank you. Now I can rejoin my wife and unborn daughter in peace."
Teal however, screamed. "DAMN IT!!! WHY!? Why…!?" She tearfully looked at the blue unit standing before hers.
"He wanted to die honorably in battle. He was tired, and wanted to join his deceased family in peace."
Teal couldn't say anything. After all, she also heard the last words of her Second moments before he died. He had been a good man, and a loyal friend to her. Now, he was gone. Suddenly, she charged the mercenary; her anger and sadness blinding her logic.
The blue Delta Star managed to evade the initial flurry of punches using its Purity Blades as impromptu energy shields before retaliating with a knee into the Navigator's torso, knocking it back. It then followed through with two swift swipes, one which sliced a shell from the Navigator's shoulder cannon, and the other which scarred the torso.
Teal regained the offensive, dodging and parrying blows from the blue mercenary unit while landing a few of her own. Both pilots somehow managed to prevent the other from delivering the fatal blow, but it was clear that one of them wasn't putting strategy into their fight.
"I didn't plan to fight you, but are you really going to force my hand?" questioned the mercenary as he jumped back to give himself some space.
"I've lost too many people! It's not fair! Why must everyone leave me!? Why am I destined to suffer like this!?" Teal cried as she charged once more. "The humiliation, the sadness… I can't take it anymore!!!" She activated her boosters, and launched herself at the blue unit.
"You're not thinking straight!" roared the mercenary as he crouched under the poorly-aimed claws and cleanly amputated the Navigator's right arm as it flew over him. He then kicked off the ground and aimed his other Purity Blade towards his opponent's left arm, hoping that she was too reckless to catch his attempt to disable the other arm.
Teal did catch on at the last second, and was able to save the arm at the expense of her left shoulder cannon. However, the physical impact from the larger Delta Star against her Navigator caused her unit to careen into another rock outcropping. She turned just in time to see the Delta raise its right Purity Blade. At the range it was in and in the position her unit was in, it would be the end of everything. Teal shut her eyes and screamed.
"KRRRAAATZ!!!"
Instead of feeling the heat of a blade slicing through her body, Teal was met with silence. Whimpering, she opened one eye. The Blade did pierce her cockpit, but only the very tip. Before she could do anything, the mercenary spoke.
"…Is that the name of your husband? Or your lover? Please answer."
Teal was confused, but eying the blade tip still in her cockpit, responded. "It's… the name of someone I've been engaged to…"
"How long have you been engaged?"
"Ever since I was young." Teal was really confused. "Why does it matter? Are you planning to take away everything from me, including the few but precious moments I've kept to myself for so long…!?"
"Where is your fiancé? Is he fighting with the pirates as well?"
"He left me a long time ago. He promised that when he'd return, we'd marry!" Teal was beginning to get angry again. "I can't even die cherishing my memories! Why must you antagonize me…!?"
"You mean you've been waiting for him this whole time?"
"It may have been a stupid promise to you, but to me, it was a chance at happiness! Even if it was only wishful!" Teal then lowered her head. "I was always alone. I was always made fun of."
"Because you had an unusual parentage and heritage, you were ostracized by those around you. Yet, out of them, he was the only one to befriend you," finished the mercenary, before letting out a soft laugh.
"Yes. But… how did you know?" exclaimed Teal as she looked up sharply.
"So… it's as it seems." The blue demon withdrew its blade, deactivated it, turned, and began to walk off. "My mission is complete."
"W-wait! After taking advantage of me and making me confess, you just up and leave!? You're not going to kill me!? That's… that's not fair… It's too humiliating to take!"
The mercenary stopped, seemed to think it over, turned and walked back. "Normally, the victor decides what the final terms are. But I guess an explanation is in order, and will explain what my other mission was."
Teal was drained, but was at least surprised that the mercenary would humble himself, after all he's done.
The Delta Star knelt down on one knee and partially powered down. "As you know, I'm a mercenary, hired by Prince Robert to suppress the Pirate rebels. But what you don't know is that I once lived here on Lagos."
"If you lived on Lagos, why are you fighting against all that Lagos stood for?" questioned Teal.
"Because I'm a mercenary and I do need funds to continue operating. Also, I had no real love for Lagos," replied the mercenary. "I wasn't exactly appreciated during my time here."
"So you're taking revenge now? You're just teaming with Arthuria for revenge on Lagos?" Teal snorted. "That seems petty for a powerful mercenary such as you."
The mercenary lightly laughed. "No, I didn't fight for revenge. I just chose the side that could pay more and provide better benefits. The reason I chose to come back to Lagos was to confirm the status of a once-close friend."
"What happened to him again? Did you meet him?"
"No, unfortunately. When I returned and went undercover, the home she lived in was abandoned, and the town itself was more or less a ghost town. I soon found out that the most of the island inhabitants all banded together under the Lagos Pirate banner and centralized themselves in Crow's Nook." The mercenary paused, and sighed. "I infiltrated Crow's Nook for two reasons; one was as part of my contract with Prince Robert, and the other was to find out what happened to my friend."
Teal, given her natural empathy, began to unconsciously feel for the mercenary. "Did you ever find out?"
The blue Delta Star shook its head. "No. I had hoped to find her, and find out how she was doing. She'd be about 22 now and possibly married, if she followed Lagos custom of marrying young. I simply wanted to see if she was doing well, and make sure that she wasn't involved in battle."
"What would you have done if you met up with her?"
"I never planned on ever meeting her face-to-face. I was only planning to observe, and once I found out how she was doing, leave a goodbye note and walk away."
"That sounds cowardly of you," stated Teal. "If you cared for her, wouldn't you try and talk to her, even just to wrap up any loose ends?"
"Cowardly, maybe… But that way, if she was married, engaged, or dating someone, I wouldn't force her to choose. After all, it's highly possible she wouldn't have even remembered me."
"What was your friend like, to keep your attention this whole time?"
"Well, she was young, incredibly beautiful, even at a young age, and always had an aura that made those she cared for feel warm and at peace. She was kind, innocent, and deserving of someone who would love her fully. She was also fragile. She'd cry over the lack of friends, and of continuously being made of. She wasn't much of a fighter; heck, the only time she ever stood up was when I took a heavy beating from some bullies that had attempted to stone her. I found out then and there that she had immense water magic at her disposal." The mercenary laughed. "The look on their faces as they were launched into the air was priceless. The look on my face was priceless when she healed me with the water's healing power."
Teal's heart stopped. 'It couldn't be…!' she thought. She knew that story; knew it well. All at once, she realized who the girl the mercenary was talking about; why he wanted to know about the name she cried out, and most importantly, who he was. "…Kratz…?" she carefully ventured. "Kratz Langford…?"
"I had to leave Lagos not long after. The night before I had to leave, we met up on a beach, where I told her I was going. Never had such tears broken my heart; especially when I was the cause. We shared our first and last kiss under a starlit sky. Never did I expect that the young, innocent, and fragile Teal I knew from my past would become a strong and aggressive mechwarrior and commander of a small group eight years later. Nor did I expect that I'd ever have to fight her," finished the mercenary.
"Wait… you knew…!? When did you realize it was me!?" exclaimed Teal.
"When you remembered the 'silly promise' and when you called my name as I was about to skewer you." The blue unit shook its head again and stood. "It seems that I can rest my past. The Teal I knew is now a strong girl who can fend for herself." The Delta Star then began to walk away. "Take care, Teal. I'm glad to know that you're alive and well."
"Wait! Wait damn it…!" cried Teal. "Don't go…! It's not fair!"
Kratz stopped and slightly turned. "Why don't you want me to go? I'm your enemy. I work for Arthuria. I've killed many of your comrades and humiliated you in combat. I promise not to interfere with you or your team members any further."
"I don't care about that…!" Teal exclaimed, crying. "Even if I go back, I don't have anything or anyone waiting for me… And, I feel that if I let you leave, I'll never see you again…" Teal paused. "Do you even feel anything anymore!? Was what you said permanently in the past!? Do you have someone else…!? Please… Answer me!"
Kratz didn't turn, but responded. "I don't wish to influence your decision."
"Damn you… you were always like that…! My needs before yours…! Let me know yours! I can't make my decision without knowing yours!"
"I'm still madly in love with the girl I grew up with. Sure she's changed, and doesn't need my protection anymore, but I'd still probably love what she's become, if she still felt the same way towards me."
"Idiot… stupid, stupid, idiot…! Didn't you hear me? I've been hoping to see you again, to hope that the promise we made wasn't only a childhood pipe-dream…"
The Delta Star turned and approached the Navigator. "I'm not the same as I was back then." Kratz then powered down his unit, and hopped down onto the early evening sands. He took off his helmet, and waited. His sandy-brown hair waved in the breeze, revealing a cross-shaped scar over the right side of his face.
Seeing this on her unit's damaged screens, she managed to blow the pierced cockpit door and stumble out onto the sands, uncertainty in her heart. Slowly, she took off her helmet, and shook free the long deep blue hair that had been kept up in a bun as well as revealing slightly long ear fins.
"You're definitely not the Teal I remember. For one, she would never wear form-fitting attire, much less the standard pilot suit," stated Kratz.
"And you're hardly the man I believed would be my knight in shining armor. You humiliated me more than once, and you almost killed me," replied Teal holding her heart as tears began to form. "But yet… You're here. Real. Alive." Taking the initiative, she ran straight for the man standing on the sands.
The man ran to meet her, and took most of the impact force off the both of them by immediately swinging the girl around, like he did once before. Kratz then held Teal close, gently stroking her hair. "I'm sorry."
Teal shook her head into his chest. "I forgive you…" she murmured as she let herself get lost in Kratz's strong arms before letting all her tears fall freely.
Eventually, Teal calmed down, and chatted with Kratz into the night. They laughed and cried over memories and events that each one had gone through. Teal found out that Kratz had been a member of the Shadowscythe force for awhile, before being saved by the Star League. The scars that covered his body were all that remained of what the Shadowscythe had done.
Kratz found out that Teal had been proposed to several times, and that despite a few of them having a good background, she had continued to hold out hope of meeting him again. He also found out that Teal chose to fight to protect Lagos, the only home she knew and the place she hoped Kratz would return to someday.
It was midnight when Kratz stood and stretched. Turning, he looked scanned the beach, and saw something. "Wait here. I'll be back," he said as he jogged towards his destination.
Teal did as he asked, and waited. However, she mentally debated what she was going to do now. Going back would be pointless; sure she had friends, but none of them were close. As much as she loved Crow's Nook and her old home, there wasn't anything left for her. She had only been fighting to protect the place she knew while hoping that Kratz would return. Now that Kratz had come back, there wasn't a real reason for her to stay. Kratz was a mercenary, and was in the employ of Arthuria. If she went, she'd have to serve Arthuria as well, and fight against the inhabitants of Lagos.
"Thinking about something?"
Teal was pulled out of her mental debate. "Oh, just some things… Where did you go?" she said in an attempt to change the topic.
Kratz smiled as he pulled out a few cream and blue-colored flowers. "Midnight Sea Roses. Do you remember? There were some that grew on the beach where I told you 'goodbye'." Kratz then carefully took one, and set it in Teal's hair.
"I remember. But then, I also remember that after you placed one in my hair…" she pulled Kratz close. "You gave me my first kiss."
"And it will not be the last one any longer," Kratz stated as he claimed Teal's lips. The kiss was exquisite, and caused a curious feeling of warmth to surface in the two. Eventually however, they had to break off to breathe.
"…That kiss sucked," Teal stated in an attempt to laugh off the rising blush.
Kratz however, didn't believe it. "Don't worry; I'll have plenty of time to practice and improve it. I'm going for 'Ravishing'," he stated as he scooped up Teal and spun her around again.
Teal squealed at the unexpected statement and following action. "I've decided," she began, after laughing off the momentary exhilaration; her face becoming a bit solemn. "I've decided… that I'm going to go with you."
Kratz, still holding Teal, gave her a calm but direct look. "Are you sure? What about your mother? Your friends?"
"You know my mom. She's part of the sea, and is uninterested in what goes on above it; me being an exception. But even then, she knows that I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I just have to tell her when I get the chance."
"What about your friends?"
"I'm not close to any of them. They're more like neutrally friendly acquaintances. Many of them are also hell-bent on fighting, even though they know it's futile."
"If that's what you really feel, then I don't mind having you come along. I just wanted to make sure that you wouldn't have any regrets."
Teal looked directly into Kratz's eyes. "I don't. But I will need just some time adjusting to fighting Pirates."
"You know, you can just marry me and wait for me back on my ship, or back in a nice little villa on Soluna. You don't have to fight."
Teal shook her head. "No, that'd actually be worse; the waiting part, mind you, because then I'd be worried every minute you're away."
"But if you join me in fighting, you'll have to fight your former comrades."
"I'd rather fight alongside you and know that you're safe, and that I can immediately help you should you not be; than to find out too late." Teal paused. "My comrades have something they fight for. But they fight for something that I never really intended to fight for. With you alive, real, and here, I have a reason to fight; to put my heart into."
Kratz took a moment to calm his breathing. "If that's the case, then you know that I'll try my best to place your survival above mine. It won't exactly be easy. I'll be worrying for you every moment we're in battle."
"But that's what lovers do. They care for the other." Teal then lightly flicked Kratz's forehead. "You won't have to worry too much; I can fight."
Kratz gave her a doubtful look.
Teal thumped his chest. "I know that what you've seen wasn't outstanding, but I can fight," she huffed.
"Just not me," added Kratz.
"…Just not you," admitted Teal. "But I'll eventually be able to…"
Kratz smirked. "If you'll let me train you. You fight too much like a lawless person in direct combat; too much random strikes, not enough strategy. But you do have good leadership skills from the few times I've run into you and your former team."
Teal didn't say anything. She instead snuggled in closer to Kratz.
"You know, we can't stay like this forever. We're still in a hotzone if you forgot."
"Then let's go," softly stated Teal as she gently pulled away from Kratz's embrace to look directly at him. "Together."
Kratz nodded. "Together." He then turned towards his unit. "Ride with me, or in your Navigator?"
"With you, of course."
Together, they walked towards the blue Delta Star, and boarded. "Sorry about the accommodations; I didn't expect to have passengers," teased Kratz as Teal sat in his lap and held on.
"I don't mind; it's like a modern-day fantasy," stated Teal as she gave Kratz a peck on the cheek as he started up his unit.
"Then I'm the knight who found his mage-mate and princess-bride." Kratz then moved his unit to pick up the inactive Navigator. "Well, it's time to head up. Hold on; the process can be a bit disorienting for first-timers."
Teal did as told. "Connection established… Target locked on… Beginning transfer process…" stated the unit's computer as it synchronized its location with the waiting warship. "Calculating for additional mass… Final checks complete… Transfer is a go."
Teal couldn't help but let out a small yelp of surprise as she was turned into a stream of atoms and reformed a minute later. The only thing that gave her any sign of the transfer was the quickly dimming light and the new view on the monitors.
Kratz didn't laugh; instead, he just gave Teal a quick hug to comfort her. "We're inside." After I set your Navigator down and dock, I'll show you to your room."
Teal gave Kratz a hard stare. "I'm spending the night next to you. It's been a long while since we last did that."
Kratz faintly smirked. "Hopefully I'll be able to sleep with such a fair maiden in the same bed."
"Shut up, and hurry up." Teal refused to take the bait.
"Yes, my lady." He carefully set the inactive Navigator in a spare mech bay before backing his current unit into one right next to it and powering it down. As soon as the docking clamps locked into place and the walkway positioned itself before the entrance, Kratz opened the cockpit and helped Teal out. Bowing, he said, "Welcome aboard the Eisensturm. It's a customized SDF Battlecruiser-class warship. Hopefully the accommodations will suit you."
Teal rolled her eyes but smiled. "Thank you, sir Kratz."
The man then straightened. "This way, to my rather large and admittedly lonely quarters."
"Lonely? Don't you have a crew onboard?" question Teal as she saw over 30 other mechs quietly standing in their respective gantries.
"All onboard are specialized robots for the less-friendly duties; such as cleaning both the inside and outside of the ship, repair and maintenance of the ship and units, or anti-boarding defense. An experimental and partially aware computer array takes care of most other crew duties; weapon control, communications control, piloting, power routing, et cetera. It also handles take-off and landing, and could pilot, but usually, that's what I do. I basically control this ship like an oversized mech."
"Really…? And it won't take control and turn on you?" questioned Teal with surprise and a trace of fear in her voice.
"No. There's multiple restrictions in place. Don't worry," calmed Kratz as he continued to lead Teal to his room. "I've been mainly a lone wolf, so I preferred the quiet company of machines to man. But now, I have you to keep me company. That's all I need."
Teal blushed while ducking her head. She didn't say anything until they finally made it to his room. Upon entering, she was awed at the size of it. "This… is the size of an average Lagos home's living room!"
"It is. But I've managed to make it as homely as possible. There's a small kitchen over there where I prepare my meals. The bathroom's over there, and if you were amazed with the Oriental/Contemporary Modern setting of my large room, you'll be impressed with it. There is one closet and it holds personal effects such as sidearms and other items I'm able to carry on my person," replied Kratz as he pointed out some major areas. "The rest of the space is more or less desks, pictures, art, and shelves for reading material. I've amassed a good collection of novels and periodicals from a variety of areas. And if you're wondering why everything isn't floating, it's because the living quarters are all built on a gravity deck. That way, it wouldn't require straps and tape to hold everything in place. And it allows for proper exercise."
"It's all amazing… I'm going to have to get used to all this new technology…" Teal admitted. "But, I have one question. Where do you store and clean your clothes? Don't tell me you wear your pilot suit all the time. That's gross."
Kratz laughed and led her to a curved corner. "This is an auto-dresser. It may look just like a curved, empty space, but you will soon find out that is not the case." He activated a panel, causing the small 'room' to light up along the seams. "After selecting what I feel like wearing on the panel, I then stand in the center to let the device quickly scan my body and then replace what I'm wearing with new clothing. Here, I'll show you."
Kratz selected a simple shirt and jogging pants, then stood in the center. Suddenly, two scanning bars came down and circled him, starting with his feet. Teal watched in awe as the first one removed all but his undergarments while the second bar added the shirt and jogging pants. A few seconds later, it was over.
"Impressive, to say the least…" stated Teal. She was more surprised by the number of battle scars her lover-to-be had.
Kratz turned back to her. "There's another one in the bathroom just like this, but the default setting is to remove undergarments in addition to all other clothing, since after all, a shower usually follows. Afterwards, the device can be used again to dry off and dress up, starting from undergarments, then chosen clothing, then finally footwear and other accessories such as watches or necklaces. The one here that I showed you is usually just for quick changing, which is why it's not set to remove undergarments. I'm a bit more modest than that."
Teal shook her head and laughed.
"What? It's true."
"It's been a long time… that's all."
Kratz shook his head, not knowing what to say to that. "Well, you can go ahead and use the bathroom. You may have to order clothing via the auto-dresser's panel; the design will be downloaded instantly, and you'll be able to wear it after purchase. After all, I don't have anything other than my clothes in the system. Just have whatever company you buy from charge it to my account." He then turned and headed for the kitchen. "I'll be preparing a light dinner/early breakfast for both of us. Just relax and enjoy the shower."
Teal took up the offer, and entered the bathroom. As Kratz predicted, she was truly impressed. After securing the door, she tried out the auto-dresser as Kratz showed her. She faintly blushed as she was stripped bare. She wasn't used to having a machine dress and undress her. However, she soon got over it, and was able to operate the tub's shower panel. Normally, she would've gone for a long relaxing soak, but she was too tired to bother. A hot shower would do just fine.
By the time Teal finished her shower, Kratz finished the light dinner. Turning, he was surprised. He did not expect to find Teal in one of his plain blue t-shirts. "Teal? Didn't you order yourself something to wear?"
"I did; but an oversized t-shirt is what I normally wear to sleep when I'm off duty and alone. And since you already have some t-shirts, I chose to wear one." Teal then took the offered seat. "Thanks for the meal."
Kratz shook his head. The old Teal he knew never dared to wear one of his clothing unless it was a necessity; such as forgetting to bring backup clothing while staying over at his home. And she also refused to go to sleep in only a t-shirt; especially an oversized one. However, this new habit of Teal's didn't bother him. "You're welcome."
The meal was light, and didn't take long to finish. Kratz cleared the table and went ahead to take a shower. Teal simply chose to wait on him before going to bed; so she examined the few holophotos he had. Many were of her or the both of them when they were younger. There were a few of his family, but most were clearly of her. Teal smiled as she remembered the exact event each one had come from.
Eventually, Kratz finished, and in shorts and tank, hopped into bed. Teal joined him, and let him hold her close. "Rest well, Teal."
"You too."
It was a new day on Lagos, and the war continued unabated. However, Prince Robert's forces had managed to overtake a major island from Pirate control. Of course, it couldn't have been done without the help of the mercenary groups he managed to hire.
At the main Arthurian camp, two units beamed down onto the mercenary landing zone.
Four Arthurian units blocked their path. "Halt. Please identify yourselves."
The blue Delta Star unit stepped forward. "Star Captain and Mercenary Kratz Sothem Langford."
"We recognize and accept your identification; but the last time, you were alone. Your current MercNet profile also has you as a soloist. Who's the newcomer?"
Before the one-armed Navigator could step forward, the Delta Star held an arm out. "She's my fiancée. She's a Pirate defector, and wishes to fight alongside me. Teal Cerulea Revstatz is her name."
"…You're well known as an honest person and as a valuable ally. We won't doubt you, but please update your MercNet Profile to include her as soon as possible so that her contact information as well as her unit designation is readily available; and also so that your payments will be adjusted to include her," stated one of the guard units.
"I will do so as soon as I can. I'm just bringing her to Prince Robert to ask him to formally recognize her as a Mercenary as per MercNet requirements."
"Very well, you two are free to enter the premises." The Arthurian unit then turned towards the battle-damaged Navigator. "Welcome to Base Camp Alpha. Once you've been registered and recognized, you may use any and all facilities here as well as purchase weapons and equipment."
"Thank you," stated Teal as she passed the Arthurian guards. She was admittedly nervous. She was now in the heart of the Arthurian camp. Looking around, she was impressed by the massive number of units and vessels that were organized about the base. Mercenary and neutral starships were continuously landing and taking off; often unloading supplies, GEARS University students who were participating in the war for extra credit or for completion of certain classes, or independent fighting groups currently allied with Arthuria. On the Arthurian side of the take-off and landing zone were organized rows of Arthurian starships and fighter craft. Looming not too far away and in a circle were many of Arthuria's Class IV Castle Fortresses; the smallest and atmospherically-capable versions of Arthuria's Class IX and X Megalith Fortresses.
Kratz led her over to the command center, and powered his unit down. Teal followed, and joined him on-foot. Together, they passed through seven checkpoints before they finally reached Prince Robert.
Kratz bowed, with Teal following. "A pleasure to see you alive and well."
"And a pleasure to see you as well. I was notified of your arrival," stated Robert as he bowed in return. He then turned to Teal. "You must be the girl that Mr. Kratz always carried a picture of. A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Teal Revstatz."
Teal was slightly awed. She was in the presence of Royalty. "Please, just call me Teal."
"Very well then, Ms. Teal." Robert then addressed Kratz. "So when's the wedding?"
Kratz smiled. "As soon as I can get her registered and recognized as my teammate and as a citizen of Lagos, Arthuria, or Soluna and once I get her a ring. It would help avoid some of the legal junk if we go ahead and get that done as soon as possible. I'd rather marry her now, but then the amount of stuff that'll have to be filled out on MercNet would be a pain for the both of us."
Robert laughed. "I see. Well, as there's no centralized agency through which we can officially confirm her residency in Lagos, I'll grant her status as a Lagos-born citizen of Arthuria. I'll also fill out and sign the required documents to legalize her as well as acknowledge her as an official and capable Mercenary, so that she won't have to travel all the way to Mercer and take the licensing test." Robert then turned to Teal, his face becoming serious. "The only requirement to me giving you the acknowledgement papers is that you must prove yourself in battle against Pirates. I know that you were once one, and that it may be hard. But if you plan to be a Mercenary, and part of Mr. Kratz's team no less, you have to prove yourself reliable."
Teal nodded. "If I was to hand over data concerning certain weakpoints in the Pirate defense, would that be enough?"
"You'd still have to be willing enough to take down some Pirates unless Kratz chooses to amend his contract with us. His current contract is that he'll fight with us as long as he deems the situation favorable to himself, in return, we pay him for every fight won and for whatever extra mission we ask of him, and grant him access to all available facilities in Arthurian lines until he chooses to leave."
"I'll fight. I'll fight to watch over Kratz," stated Teal.
"And how about the data?" questioned Robert. "Should you decide to turn it over, I'll respect your decision on that, we'll have to also confirm if it's still accurate."
"I understand." Teal then pointed at the battlefield blotter. "May I use it for a moment?"
Robert nodded, stepping to the side. Teal went up, took a moment to familiarize herself with the controls. Afterwards, she began to bring up Pirate formations and locations.
"These are the standard patrol routes for Pirates, and the standard force composition, and here are the major bases." Teal then brought up another map and overlaid it with the first. "These are underground tunnel systems. This isn't complete; as each commander such as myself are given sections to work with. But my section included three underground bases and two supply depots. If you can take control over this underground section, you'll have access to these islands." Teal brought up a third map, which displayed all the islands that were directly serviced by the tunnels. "Eight islands, with two of them being within striking range of Crow's Nook."
Several soldiers and commanders gasped in surprise. Robert spoke. "But it won't be easy, correct?"
Teal nodded. "No sir. The latest Pirate mecha, the Navigator series and the Raider series are the primary defenders of the passageways, supported by either Blader or Admiral units, as they all have the advantage of close combat. The bases and supply depots have two checkpoints if entering from the tunnel; and each checkpoint has either Snipers or Anchorman units added to the defense roster."
"As I thought. But we will collaborate the data with our field agents. If the information and unit strength is accurate, we'll form a new plan with this." Robert then patted her on the shoulder. "It probably was hard for you to turn this information over. I'm sorry. I wouldn't have asked if we weren't at war."
Teal shook her head. "It was a bit hard; but there's nothing left for me with the Pirates. If I stayed, I'd eventually fall to the overwhelming might of the Arthurian force. The only person that matters to me is here, at my side. I chose love over duty."
Robert smiled. "If that's your final decision, then I wish you and Mr. Kratz a successful marriage and long life."
"Thank you, your Highness."
"No, thank you. If we can take Crow's Nook fast, the war should hopefully end faster. I shall send you the first part of the needed paperwork later this evening. For now, go ahead and rest up. I'm pretty sure that Mr. Kratz will help you orient yourself to what this base has to offer."
"Thank you," Teal stated, bowing before turning and joining hands with Kratz.
Kratz bowed himself before turning with Teal and walking out. Once outside, Kratz looked up at Teal's damaged Navigator. "I'm sorry for forgetting to program my repair drones to repair your mech."
Teal lightly smiled. "We were both tired. It's okay. Since we're here, you can lead me to the repair and equipment shop."
"Very well." After boarding both units, the pair then carefully made their way to the repair and maintenance depot, and then powered down their units and disembarked.
A stout but muscular mechanic walked up to Kratz, and patted him hard on the back. "Hey there, mah boy! What can I do for ya? Ya didn't get careless and lose an arm to them Snipah units, did ya?"
"Mr. Murdoch. Good to see you as well," stated Kratz. "Actually, I came here with my fiancée to repair her unit."
"Fiancée!? Is it the pretty lass standin' next ta ya?" exclaimed Murdoch.
"Hi, I'm Teal. Teal Revstatz," Teal stated as she put a hand out.
Instead, Murdoch bear-hugged her. "I'm so proud! I was worried that Kratz would be a lone wolf his whole life! Thank ya for marryin' him!"
"Um… You're welcome…" muttered Teal as Murdoch set her back down and glared at Kratz, who wisely didn't laugh nor say anything.
"So, what unit are ya usin' that needs ma technical support?"
Teal pointed to her Navigator. "I'm still missing an arm and lost my shoulder weapon, and the cockpit still has puncture holes from when I was nearly killed."
"A Navigator, eh? It wouldn't be much of a problem to fix; for some reason, them units are similar in design to our Arthurian Wolf units. We're currently out of spare Navigator equipment however, since most have already been used for other Navigator units that either the Mercs or the other Pirate defectors brought with 'em. But I'll gladly attach a compatible Arthurian Wolf arm if you don't mind."
"That would be great. I just need it repaired to best possible operational status."
Murdoch then gestured for them to follow him. "This comp has a full list of currently available equipment and full specs over each one. Just choose what you can work with, and Kratz here would pay for it. I'll go ahead and bring in your Navigator and begin repairing it. Just go place your order, and I'll have your unit as close to new as possible."
Teal looked at Kratz, who simply nodded. "Thanks again."
"Heh, it's ma job. I love workin'!"
Teal was admittedly impressed with the available weapons, but simply chose to use the same solid blade that some Arthurian Wolf units carried. However, she added a Starcross beam crossbow to be carried in the lower back of her Navigator, in the event she needed extra ranged firepower. She also chose a powerful new shoulder weapon made up of eight guns. Afterwards, Kratz placed his palm on the pad that popped out to confirm the transaction, then led Teal to the mess hall, where they ate and relaxed until her unit was ready. Once everything worked out as well as Teal liked, she and Kratz would eventually return to the Eisensturm to rest.
Before going to sleep, Kratz made sure that he updated his MercNet profile to include Teal as his teammate, and sent data copies of the required paperwork. Thanks to Robert's kindness, Teal was now an official Mercenary. Now all he had to do was find a proper ring, and change Teal's marital status.
--
The wedding wasn't fancy; just a nice civil ceremony in the camp's chapel. But it was more than enough for the two newlyweds. Teal's mother was there to congratulate her daughter and to give her blessing to Kratz (before returning to the sea), Murdoch was in tears, and Robert guaranteed that the marriage was legitimate and witnessed. Arthurians and Mercenaries alike offered their congrats, as it was a welcome positive in a time where the toll of war brought in many negatives.
Three days later, Kratz would return to the battlefield, this time accompanied by his new wife, Teal.
"Here is your mission. Pirate forces are attacking one of our Class IV Castle Fortresses. Team up with Sir Tambor and Sir Gillard and their teams to repel the Pirate force. That is all," stated the Arthurian liaison to the two Mercenaries.
"Understood. We'll rendezvous with Sir Tambor and Sir Gillard and push back the invading Pirates."
"Take care of yourselves." The liaison then cut the link.
Kratz turned to the Navigator. "Well, let's go meet up with them, shall we?"
"Okay. Lead the way." She engaged her unit's thrusters, and followed her husband to the rendezvous point.
Upon arrival, Teal saw several mechs that showed up on her IFF System as Arthurian Military forces. Some of them were piloting captured or salvaged Pirate mecha, but with the Arthurian military insignia painted over the Pirate insignias. She landed behind her husband, slightly nervous.
One of the units turned. It had a distinct profile; a Zeus head on a customized Arthurian Bull mech chassis. "Ah, so Robert chose to send one of the top Mercenaries to aid us, yes?" stated the deep, but calm voice of the pilot.
"Maybe; then again, I was one of the few Mercenaries that was available."
Teal listened in on the conversation, then meekly asked Kratz, "Umm… I don't believe I've met the man?"
"Sorry, Teal." Kratz then linked Teal to his visual communications with the customized unit's pilot. "Teal, this is Sir Gillard Reynston, pilot of the Zeus Knight." Kratz then addressed Gillard. "Sir Gillard, this is my wife, Teal Revstatz Langford. She used to be a Pirate, but has since chosen to join me instead."
The Zeus Knight bowed. "As you know, I am Sir Gillard Reynston. I am serving Arthuria on behalf of Duke William Graybell, who is unable to continue active service. It is a pleasure to meet the new wife of Mr. Kratz. We may have once been enemies, but now, I hope we can be friends."
Teal returned the bow. "Pleasure to meet you as well, Sir Gillard, and thank you. I hope to not have to become your enemy."
"Nor I."
Just then, other units classified as Arthurians entered the clearing. They were the ones that Teal spotted on her way down. She immediately identified the lead unit by the unique insignia. "You!" she exclaimed.
The lead unit, a customized Sniper unit, recognized her unit's insignia as well. "So… we meet again, but now as allies. What a strange way fate has with things. Regardless, I'll admit you're a worthy tactician to pit my tactics against; you managed to avoid the traps I had laid out for you and your team not too long ago."
"It was well done. I nearly fell for it. It's indeed a surprise to see you here."
Kratz then interrupted. "Teal, this is Sir Tambor. He and his team are an Elite Hunter-Killer group, and are extremely loyal to Arthuria. He dislikes the Pirates for their lack of finesse in combat, but he outright hates traitors, and will mercilessly hunt them down. He's a good ally, and will watch your back if he trusts you." Kratz then addressed Tambor. "Sir Tambor, this is my wife, Teal Revstatz Langford. She's officially a Mercenary in my team, and no longer a Pirate."
Tambor bowed. "Despite the initial beginnings we may have had, I am willing to begin anew as long as you don't purposely pick a fight with Arthuria. As you know, I'm Tambor, and I pilot this customized and improved Sniper, the Endurance. My team and I are well-versed in Hunting down enemies of Arthuria. As I found you a worthy opponent during your tenure as a Pirate, I hope to find you as a worthy ally during your tenure as a Mercenary."
Teal returned the bow (again). "We indeed were enemies, but now hopefully, allies. It'll be interesting working alongside you, Sir Tambor."
"Indeed," responded the young man.
Gillard spoke up. "Well, now that we're all gathered and ready to go, let's go bash some Pirates." He then turned to Teal. "It may be hard for you to engage your former allies, and we'll understand. You don't have to fight them until you're ready."
Teal's Navigator shook its head. "I fight to help and watch over Kratz. The Pirates no longer have anything I desire. I will fight."
"The power of love. Such a powerful thing," stated Gillard, more to himself than anyone. "I can see that you and Kratz will no doubt have a bright and happy future together."
"Gill, will you please stop the poetry? We have a fortress to defend," stated Tambor.
Gillard laughed. "Very well then! To battle we go!"
Author's Notes: My first attempt at a long self-contained vignette. Sorry if it was a bit choppy at the beginning.
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Characters:
Name: Kratz Langford
Age: 28
Call Sign: Azure Knight
Characteristics: Moderately long, silvery-white hair, gold-eyed, and hides his emotions well.
Unit: Customized dark blue and gold Delta Star Leader.
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Name: Teal Revstatz
Age: 22
Call Sign: Blue Angel
Characteristics: Long, blue hair, misty-blue eyes, seemingly distant yet alluring, and daughter of a human and a sea nymph; the reason she has fin-like ears similar to the merfolk. Skilled in strategy and combat.
Unit: Navigator; Customized Navigator.