The Vault Hunters and their new comrades marched out to the wreckage that was once the Opportunity Bridge. Gaige was left back the headquarters to maintain ECHO communications and listen for any response from Brick and Salvador. The odds of them getting any help from the two even if they did arrive was slim but at least Gaige would have backup in case something on their end goes wrong.
The group stood vigilant at the meet up point while Zer0 and Mordecai acted as lookouts from atop the ridges. Lilith stepped over next to Axton and leaned in next to him.
"How long have we been waiting?" She whispered under her breath
Axton looked down at his wrist watch. He peered through the cracks and stains on the glass.
"Coming up on an hour now..." he replied in an equally quiet whisper
"I don't like this." Said Lilith
Lilith was beginning to feel uneasy. She didn't like the fact that they were first to show up and not to mention that this "Commander Jailer" was late to his own proposed meeting. If it hadn't been for their two snipers watching the horizons for anything suspicious she would've had everyone return to Sanctuary already. Lilith could only hope that Sanctuary itself was safe. Gaige is good but if anything serious went down over there it would be near impossible for anyone from their group to help.
"Boris, are you sure about having Ericka here? If things get hairy she could end up in danger." Maya asked
"Boris does not go ANYWHERE without Ericka!" He snarled
"I know but we could have her at least sit tight up on the ridge with Zer0 and Mordecai. At least she'd be away from any immediate danger." Maya said trying to reason with Boris.
He looked up over at the ridge at the two snipers laying side by side far off in the distance. They were mere specks in his eyes but he could still see Mordecai waving to them like a goofball.
"Alright! But if anything happens you should know SHE is my priority!" Said Boris
"Fair enough." Maya said with a smile
Maya and Ericka walked over to the ridge. Ericka joyfully stopping every so often to wave to Boris who never took his eyes off her. Just as they were approaching Mordecai and Zer0, Ericka stopped and tugged on Maya's hand.
"Blue hair, can you make sure nothing happens to Boris?" She asked in the sweetest voice Maya had ever heard.
"Of course! What makes you think I wouldnt?" Maya asked puzzled
"Boris is my best friend and I don't want him to get hurt." She kicked at the dirt with her head tilted down.
Maya, sympathetic and wishing she could promise Ericka to put her mind at ease noticed a faint glow from Ericka's leg. Maya looked down and thought she saw what looked like shimmering light around her leg. Upon closer inspection it looked like Ericka was enveloped in it. Maya reached out and touched Ericka's shoulder. She felt a slight force pushing against her hand.
Before Maya could ask her anything she heard Lilith call out to her from across the plain. She turned back around to see Lilith waving frantically.
"Hey! We got a plane heading our way!" She yelled
Maya turned back to Ericka. She grasped Maya's hand and gave it a soft shake.
"Promise me you won't let Boris get hurt." She pleaded, staring at Maya with her big eyes.
"I...promise Ericka" Maya said still concerned over what she had felt. Ericka quickly smiled and ran toward Zer0 and Mordecai. The shimmering faded and Maya put the incident aside for the moment.
Joining the group just as the ship was about to land, Maya murmured into Axton's ear
"We need to make sure Boris makes it out of this."
Axton still fixated on the mid sized air shuttle only retorted with one of his smarmy remarks.
"Let's hope we all make it out of this.."
"NO that's not what I mea-"
The ship kicked up all the loose dirt around and silenced Maya before she could explain what she meant. Through the dust cloud could be heard the sound of a ramp being lowered. A dark skinny figure strolled out from behind the lingering particles. Only after settling could the person be recognized.
"Treydr?" Axton asked in astonishment
Archer and Jessup immediately recognized the man. It had been the same one they were interrogating before the attack on Opportunity. The one that slipped away. He bore the same image minus the fact that he traded out that get up he had on before for a more formal military styled outfit. His hair was still slicked back and looked as if he styled it with tar. It's jet black sleek look made you think there was a darker shade than black and his pale skin only added to the effect.
"You know this guy Axton?" Archer asked desperate for an answer.
"Yeah I served under him before: Liam A. Treydr. We were both only just starting out our military careers back the but he had a way with blackmailing superiors..." Axton replied glaring.
"Yes and while I ascended the ranks you quit to chase fairy tales and even allied yourself with this motley band of misfits." Treydr said cutting off Axton
"I FORCE FEED MY PET SHOE THANKSGIVING MEATCAKES!" Krieg howled
"My point exactly..." Treydr gestured towards Krieg
He stepped off the ramp and walked towards Lilith. He stared at her dead in the eyes as he came closer and closer. Everyone's grip tightened on their weapons, ready to fire at any moment.
"Ah Lilith. The siren whose cause quite a stir in and around these parts. Funny; for someone who ought to keep her high-priced head down you sure do love to broadcast your presence to every gun toting maniac in the galaxy eh?" Treydr leaned in with a devilish smirk and an eyebrow raised.
"The firehawk... How unoriginal." Treydr teased
He then stepped towards Jessup and Archer.
"Im so sorry I had to cut our time last together short but I do hope you enjoyed my little addition to your fiesta." Treydr glanced around at the group before him.
"I don't see the short one. I do hope she didn't, as they say: kick the bucket." He grinned
"She's fine. Now enough of your games Liam, what do you want and where is Jailer?" Archer stepped forward to the front of the group
"Oh well that's simple! He's not coming. He has much more important things to worry about. As far as what we want that too is simple. We want you all..." Treydr's expression immediately shifted from a smile to a scowl
"A very good lot of you have been a deep pain in the ass and it's about time you all paid the price for knoxx's early retirement along with the death of Commandant Steele!" Treydr paced side to side
"That happened years ago!" Lilith protested
"We had issues receiving approval from our commander Admiral Mikey. Luckily the sod is no longer with us and we received a new new Admiral who is far beyond the age scope of puberty!" Liam cheered
The Vault Hunters looked at each other bewildered by Liam's joy over Mikey's death.
"Now that I've said all that I've needed you have 2 choices: die, or come with us to be executed!" Liam clapped his hands together with a wry smile stretching across his face. Drop pods roared as they came crashing through the clouds. Lancemen hopped out of the landed pods and joined with their leader.
"I take no chances with my prisoners..."
Liam glared coldly at each of the Hunters. Sweat dripping down their faces and their eyes twitching from one Lanceman to the next. They all had a feeling this would be a trap but not such a large scale ambush. This was truly one of those hopeless situations that would take a miracle to get out of.
Maya couldn't take her focus off of Boris...
