Chapter 11: Birds of a Feather
"You can't mean that man!" an old balding man stood up from his seat, he couldn't control it anymore "I mean what I said, nothing will change my mind" Another man, he had a bowl like hair cut, a black glove over his right hand "Look here, you can't prove that our Ravens destroyed your Nest" This time a woman, she was trying to get everyone to calm down, her soothing voice lost in the roar of others
It has been a full week, all the Nests on both Earth and Mars where holding a meeting today to discuss about the attacks, the meeting had started peacefully if a little uneasy, now it was becoming a full scale riot, each blamed the other on the destruction of the Nests, ACs of the Ravens who belonged to a different nest where found in the rubble of another, the ones who attacked. The only thing different was the 9Ball emblem on each AC but many paid little attention to it.
"Then tell me, who is responsible for the ruins that we used to call our home?" "I don't know but whoever it is, they are the ones who should be our enemies not each other" "Bah, it still doesn't explain why your Ravens where found attacking our nest" "No I can't, but you can't explain why yours are found attacking ours either" "All a ploy to look innocent, freighting an attack on your own nest as to not draw attention to yourself" "I am telling you it is not us" "It isn't ours either" "You lie, you all lie!" the man with the glove hit his fist on the table
The arguments have been going back and forth, blaming each other, the remaining Ravens who survived the onslaught began to believe their leaders of the Nest they belong to, harboring a hatred to other Nests. In a matter of hours war would erupt if this continued. Corporations supported and refused Nests, this change in the balance of power would effect everyone. Eventually the most powerful Nests and Corporations would take over, war would assume to gain more power, this was the Great Destruction all over again. The only thing different was that war would not only rage above ground, but below and on Mars. LCC (The Earth government) has no power once so ever, the only military that could speak of were Ravens, and with Ravens at the core of this war they cant do anything to prevent this appending destruction. Klein's plan was in action, all was going as planned, the spy he had planted in one of the Nest provided him with all the information he needed. In addition to the Nests the Corporations began to take part in this war, this would eventually drag the world with it. Klein smiled, at the age of 103 he lived long enough to see another Great Destruction. The original Great Destruction damaged Earth the brink of death, this new one would kill it taking Mars along with it. A ballet of events that would destroy Earth and Mars played in his mind, he would be the destroyer of worlds, the thought amused him, nothing would stop his beautifully mastered plan.
"Renee hold up!" Jean was running toward Renee, the Nests had just declared war, ACs that had survived the destruction where housed in make shift warehouses "Jean, what are you still doing here?" Renee eyed Jean coolly, she thought that Jean would have had left after the warnings had been sounded, she waited as Jean ran toward her, the noise from Jean's shoes reverberated in the empty hall "You know me, anything AC related and I'm there" "But Jean, this is dangerous" Renee tied her orange scarf down "I know its dangerous but I have something for you" Jean reached down her pack and pulled out a disk, "your gonna need this on your AC" "What is it?" "Its to let other Ravens know that your on our nest, don't want any friendly fire now do you?" "Thanks Jean" "Oh and one more thing" Jean looked into Renee's eyes, "come back alive.for him" "So you believe that Defects alive too huh?" "Yes I do." Jean turned, "because on the day the 9Balls attacked" Jean wiped the tears form her eyes unseen by Renee, "Defect called me in on his com link, he told me that he was going to live" Jean turned to Renee, mascara stained on her face, "for you" "Jean." she said, hand trembling as she held her scarf
Ravens were all lined up, the ones that survived the attack would now have to defend the rubble that they used to call home. Their orders where given, any AC that didn't belong to the nest would have to be eliminated on site. In total there had been 83 Ravens who had survived the attack, or where still willing to defend the Nest. Many Ravens left their Nests and joined others, or just plain old gave up. This battle had no money reward, it had no one opposition, anyone who wasn't fighting with you was the opposition, and this mission would continue on until there was a declared winner. The row of Ravens contained grizzled veterans and fresh faced nestlings alike, ahead of them was a woman, the leader of Claymore Faction. She was a woman of 32 years of age, an ex-Raven herself she knew the dangers that lied ahead. She was the one who had released the locks to the surface years ago, her AC Yurushi still in the housing bay, she was ready to join this fight if need be.
"All right everyone" her voice calm and tranquil, "this is it" she calmly strolled down the row of people before her, "the last hurrah" she smiled, "to show them what we've got" She stopped and faced her Ravens, she knew every single last one of them and she knew that she would be paying her respects at their graves or vice versa. It pained her to see her flock dwindle to only a scattered few but there was no way out of this, she held back her tears for she would not be able to stop if she did "Fly off into the horizon and remember" she looked at all of her Ravens once again, "that if your wings tire or when you can fly no longer, this Nest would always be home for you all" with that she sent them off, off to fight in a hopeless war that would only end when there would be one left to fight it.
".Cla.more Fa..n t.is is De.ec., I ha.e im.o.t.nt d.ta, .laymore F..tion do .ou read .e? Claym.re .action do yo. C.py? O.e.r."
"Hey do you guys hear that?" an AC pilot had just received a strange message on his com link, he had been getting this message ever since he had his AC dropped into position to defend the Nest from any attacks "That message? Then it wasn't just me" another AC pilot "Its has too much static, I don't even understand what it's about" "I do, I heard Claymore Faction" "Our nest?" "Oh Sh*t, look there" The mans gaze went to the billowing dust cloud coming from the desert to the north, what was creating the cloud scared him to death and by what he was looking at, he might as well be dead "." "No." "Not again! What are they doing here?" "Send a message to HQ their gonna attack our Nest again!" "All right you b*stards, show me what you've got!" "Ok HQs sending back up" "Back up? We don't need back up.we're already dead"
"Renee get back here now!" Jean was screaming franticly into her com link "Jean? What is it?" Renee rubbed her ears, she knew that Jean had a loud mouth but she might as well be talking to her thru a megaphone, Renee's AC was stationed at the eastern part of the city "Renee, they're here" Jean had just received a message from the Ravens patrolling the northern sector of the empty cityscape, they had spotted a squad of ACs heading toward their direction, right to the Nest "Thanks for the heads up Jean" "Be careful"
"You can't mean that man!" an old balding man stood up from his seat, he couldn't control it anymore "I mean what I said, nothing will change my mind" Another man, he had a bowl like hair cut, a black glove over his right hand "Look here, you can't prove that our Ravens destroyed your Nest" This time a woman, she was trying to get everyone to calm down, her soothing voice lost in the roar of others
It has been a full week, all the Nests on both Earth and Mars where holding a meeting today to discuss about the attacks, the meeting had started peacefully if a little uneasy, now it was becoming a full scale riot, each blamed the other on the destruction of the Nests, ACs of the Ravens who belonged to a different nest where found in the rubble of another, the ones who attacked. The only thing different was the 9Ball emblem on each AC but many paid little attention to it.
"Then tell me, who is responsible for the ruins that we used to call our home?" "I don't know but whoever it is, they are the ones who should be our enemies not each other" "Bah, it still doesn't explain why your Ravens where found attacking our nest" "No I can't, but you can't explain why yours are found attacking ours either" "All a ploy to look innocent, freighting an attack on your own nest as to not draw attention to yourself" "I am telling you it is not us" "It isn't ours either" "You lie, you all lie!" the man with the glove hit his fist on the table
The arguments have been going back and forth, blaming each other, the remaining Ravens who survived the onslaught began to believe their leaders of the Nest they belong to, harboring a hatred to other Nests. In a matter of hours war would erupt if this continued. Corporations supported and refused Nests, this change in the balance of power would effect everyone. Eventually the most powerful Nests and Corporations would take over, war would assume to gain more power, this was the Great Destruction all over again. The only thing different was that war would not only rage above ground, but below and on Mars. LCC (The Earth government) has no power once so ever, the only military that could speak of were Ravens, and with Ravens at the core of this war they cant do anything to prevent this appending destruction. Klein's plan was in action, all was going as planned, the spy he had planted in one of the Nest provided him with all the information he needed. In addition to the Nests the Corporations began to take part in this war, this would eventually drag the world with it. Klein smiled, at the age of 103 he lived long enough to see another Great Destruction. The original Great Destruction damaged Earth the brink of death, this new one would kill it taking Mars along with it. A ballet of events that would destroy Earth and Mars played in his mind, he would be the destroyer of worlds, the thought amused him, nothing would stop his beautifully mastered plan.
"Renee hold up!" Jean was running toward Renee, the Nests had just declared war, ACs that had survived the destruction where housed in make shift warehouses "Jean, what are you still doing here?" Renee eyed Jean coolly, she thought that Jean would have had left after the warnings had been sounded, she waited as Jean ran toward her, the noise from Jean's shoes reverberated in the empty hall "You know me, anything AC related and I'm there" "But Jean, this is dangerous" Renee tied her orange scarf down "I know its dangerous but I have something for you" Jean reached down her pack and pulled out a disk, "your gonna need this on your AC" "What is it?" "Its to let other Ravens know that your on our nest, don't want any friendly fire now do you?" "Thanks Jean" "Oh and one more thing" Jean looked into Renee's eyes, "come back alive.for him" "So you believe that Defects alive too huh?" "Yes I do." Jean turned, "because on the day the 9Balls attacked" Jean wiped the tears form her eyes unseen by Renee, "Defect called me in on his com link, he told me that he was going to live" Jean turned to Renee, mascara stained on her face, "for you" "Jean." she said, hand trembling as she held her scarf
Ravens were all lined up, the ones that survived the attack would now have to defend the rubble that they used to call home. Their orders where given, any AC that didn't belong to the nest would have to be eliminated on site. In total there had been 83 Ravens who had survived the attack, or where still willing to defend the Nest. Many Ravens left their Nests and joined others, or just plain old gave up. This battle had no money reward, it had no one opposition, anyone who wasn't fighting with you was the opposition, and this mission would continue on until there was a declared winner. The row of Ravens contained grizzled veterans and fresh faced nestlings alike, ahead of them was a woman, the leader of Claymore Faction. She was a woman of 32 years of age, an ex-Raven herself she knew the dangers that lied ahead. She was the one who had released the locks to the surface years ago, her AC Yurushi still in the housing bay, she was ready to join this fight if need be.
"All right everyone" her voice calm and tranquil, "this is it" she calmly strolled down the row of people before her, "the last hurrah" she smiled, "to show them what we've got" She stopped and faced her Ravens, she knew every single last one of them and she knew that she would be paying her respects at their graves or vice versa. It pained her to see her flock dwindle to only a scattered few but there was no way out of this, she held back her tears for she would not be able to stop if she did "Fly off into the horizon and remember" she looked at all of her Ravens once again, "that if your wings tire or when you can fly no longer, this Nest would always be home for you all" with that she sent them off, off to fight in a hopeless war that would only end when there would be one left to fight it.
".Cla.more Fa..n t.is is De.ec., I ha.e im.o.t.nt d.ta, .laymore F..tion do .ou read .e? Claym.re .action do yo. C.py? O.e.r."
"Hey do you guys hear that?" an AC pilot had just received a strange message on his com link, he had been getting this message ever since he had his AC dropped into position to defend the Nest from any attacks "That message? Then it wasn't just me" another AC pilot "Its has too much static, I don't even understand what it's about" "I do, I heard Claymore Faction" "Our nest?" "Oh Sh*t, look there" The mans gaze went to the billowing dust cloud coming from the desert to the north, what was creating the cloud scared him to death and by what he was looking at, he might as well be dead "." "No." "Not again! What are they doing here?" "Send a message to HQ their gonna attack our Nest again!" "All right you b*stards, show me what you've got!" "Ok HQs sending back up" "Back up? We don't need back up.we're already dead"
"Renee get back here now!" Jean was screaming franticly into her com link "Jean? What is it?" Renee rubbed her ears, she knew that Jean had a loud mouth but she might as well be talking to her thru a megaphone, Renee's AC was stationed at the eastern part of the city "Renee, they're here" Jean had just received a message from the Ravens patrolling the northern sector of the empty cityscape, they had spotted a squad of ACs heading toward their direction, right to the Nest "Thanks for the heads up Jean" "Be careful"