Become Legend Ch. 2
2100 Hour, October 21, 2716
The cloudless sky was beginning to darken as Pietr reached the Air Corps base. Several aircraft still sat on the tarmac with fuel hoses sprouting from their rusted shells. The steel chain link fence all but disintegrated as he press his formidable bulk against it.
"I feel like I've been here before," Pietr said offhandedly.
"You most likely have," Ghost said. "An Old Earth Military uniform was rotting around you when I found you."
"That explains the familiarity with this rifle," Pietr said as he walked past the rusted hull of an unrecognizable jet.
"Jump ship would most likely be in the hangar," Ghost offered.
"Good call," Pietr agreed. He walked to the nearest hangar.
The gray half-circle prism was largely unaffected by rust or other corrosion. The door swung open silently and Pietr's presumed military instincts took over as he swept side-to-side with his rifle. He quick stepped in and his helmet's night vision kicked on, painted everything a grainy green. He peered around the area but the limited capabilities of the tech didn't give away much.
"Looks like we'll need to move in," Ghost said.
"Yeah, looks like it. Let's hurry, this place feels dangerous," Pietr said. He walked in measured steps to the middle of the room.
"Probably all of the highly explosive aircraft fuel," Ghost said.
"Jokes, good. I was beginning to wonder what you were good for," Pietr replied, scanning the decrepit equipment strewn throughout the hangar.
"Ouch," Ghost said.
Suddenly, a loud clang caught their attention.
"What was that?" Ghost asked.
"Probably just a piece of titanium," Pietr answered. Suddenly, a a subtle glare of light caught his eye and brought his attention to the dust covered floor.
"What's that?" Pietr wondered aloud as he slowly crept towards it.
"Looks like a Hand Cannon," Ghost said. "Grab it, we might need it. Magnetizing back sling."
Pietr attached his rifle to his back and pick up the hefty magnum. He couldn't make out the colors but he did see a presumably metal symbol on the grip. It was an eagle, wingspread over a shield. On the left wing was a 'P' while the right had a 'S'. Although it was most definitely unbelievably heavy in felt like a feather. Cooling ports lined the top of the barrel and a set of fluorescent aiming sights begin them. He flipped open the cylinder to find a full compliment of massive pistol rounds.
"That's an Old Earth Commando handgun. A Eodard Mk. 2 .750, otherwise known as Revenant', caliber double-action magnum," Ghost said. "Those things are extremely rare. This one held up nicely."
"Looks good," Pietr said, while closing the cylinder and pulling back the hammer. Suddenly, he was thrown across the room, stopping after slamming into a stack of unarmed missiles. Pietr groaned and got to his feet as quickly as he could before being thrown again. He hit his back and rolled to feet and raised the hand cannon. He scanned left to right to left and saw nothing.
"Ghost, I need more light," Pietr said. Instantly, Ghost separated from Pietr's armor subsystems and created and orb of light. It was just in time, thankfully, as a giant Vandal lanced a clawed left hand towards him. He rolled to the left, and rose to a crouching position and began squeezing the trigger of the magnum. After five if the seven rounds it dropped, bleeding out and unable to call for help. Ghost floated down to rest on front of Pietr's visor.
"Are you okay, Guardian?" the floating orb of tech asked.
"I'll have a small bruise or two, but otherwise I'm fine," Pietr answered. "Run a scan for ammo throughout this hangar."
"Running scan now," Ghost droned, blue lights washing over the entire hangar. "Scan complete, there isn't any usable ammunition here."
"Well, it isn't like we'll be here much longer," Pietr said. "Get back in here, we need to move." Ghost merged with the tech of the armor, and the night vision came up again.
Pietr had searched nearly all of the hangars and had only recovered another clip of rifle ammo, two explosive grenades, and four more handgun rounds. He approached the last of the hangars hoping to find the Jumpship Ghost had told him about. Upon closer inspection it seemed like the large bay doors had been opened recently. He pulled his rifle from his back and readied it. He threw open the door and stormed in. Lowlight illuminated the room from the dull glow of electric generators. The Air Corps equipment had been removed only leaving Fallen cables snaking across the floor. Hanging from cords was a decrepit jumpship. On the far wall, a throne held a Fallen Captain. In each of it's clawed hands was a burnblade. Each of it's red eyes glowered at Pietr. It roared gutturally and several Dregs and Vandals stepped into view. They didn't attack, but just stared at Pietr fixedly.
"Intel of what the Vanguard has on the Fallen language suggests that the Captain has issued you a duel. If you win you go free," Ghost chimed.
"Well, tell him I accept," Pietr said. Suddenly, a barking could be heard from Pietr's suit and the Captain rose to his clawed feet. Pietr brought his rifle to bare as the Captain rushed towards him. He squeezed and held the trigger, barely taking down the creature's shields. The rifle clicked just as the Captain reached Pietr and swung his large blade at him. Pietr barely ducked the blow, feeling the scorching heat blistering his neck and back through his suit. He dropped his rifle and yanked a grenade from it's place on his left hip. Priming it he rolled it under the Captain's large frame and dove away from imminent result. He rolled to his feet just as a explosion rocked the hangar and the Captain was thrown from his feet and into a wall. Pietr sprinted to the slumped form of the Fallen, Revenant in hand. He jumped on to the Captain's chest with a crack and blew a chunk of it's helmet, skull, and any important organs away in the process, painting Pietr's silver visor translucent grey.
Pietr looked around to see the rest of the House of Giants kneeling. He stepped off of the caved in chest of the Captain, his boots now wet from the gore. He remained vigilant as Ghost reemerged from his armor and teleported over the ship.
"It hasn't made a jump in centuries. We're lucky the Fallen haven't picked it clean," Ghost said as he scanned the hull of the craft.
"Will it fly?" Pietr asked.
"Well, it's not breaking orbit any time soon, but it might gets us to the Tower," Ghost eluded. "Bringing you in." Suddenly, Pietr was looking at a cracked display that detailed the hangar. He noticed that the remaining Fallen were opening the bay doors. Ghost detached the cords and they drifted out of the hangar and into the open sky.
"We'll be back for the rest," Pietr said more to himself than to Ghost.
"I thought you'd say that," Ghost replied. Soon, the ship rose higher and bolted towards the East horizon.