Ashelin was pacing back and forth in the palace with Torn, Sig and Jak in
front of her.
"What're we supposed to do now?" she said to no one in particular. "Our scouts estimate the army is at least 500,000 strong."
"500,000!" said Torn. "How is that possible?"
"Easy," said Jak. "We leave the Wastelands alone for a year they're bound to mount a resistance."
"But Kor's gone," said Torn. "They can't organize anything sensible. They won't have the brains to run for it when we star shooting."
"But with Gol and Maia," Jak shot. "They'll be the smartest army we've ever seen."
"But you took Gol before didn't you?" asked Sig. "You can waste him again."
"It's not that easy," said Jak turning to the window and watching the sea of gold now plainly visible over the Wastelands. "Last time I had Light Eco" he said quietly.
"Uh Jak," said Ashelin. "I know eco was more easily usable back before but Light Eco didn't exist, it's a myth."
"How many times," asked Jak. "Ashelin to you have to screw up before you believe me?"
Ashelin continued. "Jak," she said. "We've looked for Light Eco, we haven't found any evidence of it anywhere. In all the books on Precursor lore there are not once has Light Eco been mentioned except in children's tales."
"Light Eco exists." said Jak brimming with anger. "I've seen it, I've used it."
"You've used it?" she said skeptically.
"Yeah," said Jak. "Yeah, I've used it."
"Is that how you defeated them the first time?" she said.
"Yeah," said Jak simply.
"Okay, Jak," she said. "I'll talk to Samos and see if there's anything we can do, but in the meantime we've got to figure out how to repel half a million Metal-Heads."
"It's futile Ashelin." said Torn. "There's nothing we can do to stop them, they'll overwhelm us in a few hours." "Well what can we do then?" asked Sig. He had been silent the whole meeting. "I don't know about you but those bastards aren't touching this city without going through me first."
"I'll tell you what to do." said Jak turning around. "Torn, you get as many men as you can patrolling the walls at all hours, double shifts. Sig, you and the Wastelanders go with them and I want your guns warm at all times. I'll go to the Weapons Factory and get some heavy guns." Jak scanned the room looking at everyone. "MOVE!" he yelled. "NOW!"
The two ran out of the room and Jak followed leaving Ashelin a bit shocked that he had just gone over her head like that.
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Jak went out side and jogged down to the Naughty Ottsel and got his Zoomer. He tore off across the water and went to the Air Train.
"Where to?" the driver said.
"Weapons Factory, step on it." Jak sat down as the cruiser shot up towards the factory.
The ride was short and Jak flipped the guy a couple of credits for his trouble. He walked up the hills and slid his pass into the door. The doors hissed opened and Jak walked in.
The Weapon Factory was no longer crawling with Krimson Guard and was actually a weapon factory. KG guns and armor were being churned out at an amazing rate, tons of new chemical and biological weapons were being made but Jak wasn't looking for things like that. He was going for the heavy weapons, the artillery weapons being tested and produced. Jak walked down a few hallways and finally to a red door with two Krimson Elite in front of it.
"Boys." said Jak nodding and patiently waited for them to open the door. Those two guards were the only two people who had passkeys that would open that door, a rule that Jak had implemented himself. Nothing was happening; Jak cleared his throat, still nothing. "Look," he said. "Open the doors now."
"Sorry, sir" said one. "Nev has asked that no one disturb him, sir."
Jak sighed. Nev was more of a paranoid than Vin was. Nev was chosen to replace Vin but Jak had soon noticed that his skills would be better used here.
"Look guys." said Jak. "Nev would want me to disturb him now open the doors."
The door came open and Nev stood in the doorway. "What's all the—Jak?" asked Nev
"Hello Nev," Jak said. "I was trying to come in to see you but your boys were being difficult."
"Sorry boss." said one. "But you said you didn't want no visiotors.."
"Never mind." said Nev. "Just don't let it happen again."
Jak walked into the room with Nev. There were computer screens everywhere and dozens of consoles and other techno junk Jak didn't even want to know what was in them.
"I'm sure you've heard the reports?" asked Jak.
"Yeah," said Nev. "I know. They shouldn't hit here though, plenty of higher priority areas around right, RIGHT!" he was getting worked up.
"Calm down, Nev." said Jak. He was typing away at one of the computers he actually understood. "I need a lot of whatever can do the most damage in the shortest amount of time." He stopped at an impressive looking machine gun. It had ten barrels like a gattling gun and looked like a severely oversized Vulcan Fury.
"What's this?" asked Jak pointing to the screen. Nev smiled and Jak could almost see him swell up with pride.
"That," he said. "Is the Vulcan-Peace gun."
"What're we supposed to do now?" she said to no one in particular. "Our scouts estimate the army is at least 500,000 strong."
"500,000!" said Torn. "How is that possible?"
"Easy," said Jak. "We leave the Wastelands alone for a year they're bound to mount a resistance."
"But Kor's gone," said Torn. "They can't organize anything sensible. They won't have the brains to run for it when we star shooting."
"But with Gol and Maia," Jak shot. "They'll be the smartest army we've ever seen."
"But you took Gol before didn't you?" asked Sig. "You can waste him again."
"It's not that easy," said Jak turning to the window and watching the sea of gold now plainly visible over the Wastelands. "Last time I had Light Eco" he said quietly.
"Uh Jak," said Ashelin. "I know eco was more easily usable back before but Light Eco didn't exist, it's a myth."
"How many times," asked Jak. "Ashelin to you have to screw up before you believe me?"
Ashelin continued. "Jak," she said. "We've looked for Light Eco, we haven't found any evidence of it anywhere. In all the books on Precursor lore there are not once has Light Eco been mentioned except in children's tales."
"Light Eco exists." said Jak brimming with anger. "I've seen it, I've used it."
"You've used it?" she said skeptically.
"Yeah," said Jak. "Yeah, I've used it."
"Is that how you defeated them the first time?" she said.
"Yeah," said Jak simply.
"Okay, Jak," she said. "I'll talk to Samos and see if there's anything we can do, but in the meantime we've got to figure out how to repel half a million Metal-Heads."
"It's futile Ashelin." said Torn. "There's nothing we can do to stop them, they'll overwhelm us in a few hours." "Well what can we do then?" asked Sig. He had been silent the whole meeting. "I don't know about you but those bastards aren't touching this city without going through me first."
"I'll tell you what to do." said Jak turning around. "Torn, you get as many men as you can patrolling the walls at all hours, double shifts. Sig, you and the Wastelanders go with them and I want your guns warm at all times. I'll go to the Weapons Factory and get some heavy guns." Jak scanned the room looking at everyone. "MOVE!" he yelled. "NOW!"
The two ran out of the room and Jak followed leaving Ashelin a bit shocked that he had just gone over her head like that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------
Jak went out side and jogged down to the Naughty Ottsel and got his Zoomer. He tore off across the water and went to the Air Train.
"Where to?" the driver said.
"Weapons Factory, step on it." Jak sat down as the cruiser shot up towards the factory.
The ride was short and Jak flipped the guy a couple of credits for his trouble. He walked up the hills and slid his pass into the door. The doors hissed opened and Jak walked in.
The Weapon Factory was no longer crawling with Krimson Guard and was actually a weapon factory. KG guns and armor were being churned out at an amazing rate, tons of new chemical and biological weapons were being made but Jak wasn't looking for things like that. He was going for the heavy weapons, the artillery weapons being tested and produced. Jak walked down a few hallways and finally to a red door with two Krimson Elite in front of it.
"Boys." said Jak nodding and patiently waited for them to open the door. Those two guards were the only two people who had passkeys that would open that door, a rule that Jak had implemented himself. Nothing was happening; Jak cleared his throat, still nothing. "Look," he said. "Open the doors now."
"Sorry, sir" said one. "Nev has asked that no one disturb him, sir."
Jak sighed. Nev was more of a paranoid than Vin was. Nev was chosen to replace Vin but Jak had soon noticed that his skills would be better used here.
"Look guys." said Jak. "Nev would want me to disturb him now open the doors."
The door came open and Nev stood in the doorway. "What's all the—Jak?" asked Nev
"Hello Nev," Jak said. "I was trying to come in to see you but your boys were being difficult."
"Sorry boss." said one. "But you said you didn't want no visiotors.."
"Never mind." said Nev. "Just don't let it happen again."
Jak walked into the room with Nev. There were computer screens everywhere and dozens of consoles and other techno junk Jak didn't even want to know what was in them.
"I'm sure you've heard the reports?" asked Jak.
"Yeah," said Nev. "I know. They shouldn't hit here though, plenty of higher priority areas around right, RIGHT!" he was getting worked up.
"Calm down, Nev." said Jak. He was typing away at one of the computers he actually understood. "I need a lot of whatever can do the most damage in the shortest amount of time." He stopped at an impressive looking machine gun. It had ten barrels like a gattling gun and looked like a severely oversized Vulcan Fury.
"What's this?" asked Jak pointing to the screen. Nev smiled and Jak could almost see him swell up with pride.
"That," he said. "Is the Vulcan-Peace gun."