Hey everybody, sorry for the long ass wait. Life and college have taken up a lot of my time and this story had to take a back seat. I was going to finish this chapter a month ago but circumstances Cough* overwatch Cough* took up my time. Here it is a new chapter in United Under Two Skies Redux.
Artemis unwrapped the towel from her head examining her newly restored hair color. Fiery red locks had replaced the false brown and after a few hours intense scrubbing and combing she had coaxed back her original red. She examined her features now scrubbed clean and pink, a spitting image of her dead mother if Savant was to be believed, and sighed as a wet lock of hair came loose and obscured her face. With a slide of her hand she pushed the hair behind her ear. Though she was expected at Savant's dinner with the doppelganger, Artemis took her time drying off.
As she dried the water off her skin her hand touched the long white scar crossing vertically on her abdomen. A flash of bright light, a baby's cry, and the smell of blood assaulted her for an instant and she staggered back dropping the towel to the floor. She pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead and crumbled to the floor her eyes shut tight. A tremor of cold energy traveled up her spin and for just a moment she felt phantom hands around her neck cutting off the oxygen. She opened her eyes and slammed her fist into the concrete of the sink the pain dispelling the phantom sensations and took a deep breath.
Standing, Artemis grabbed the small green bottle from a shelf next to the mirror and undid the top. She chewed three pink pills. In a moment the medicine went to work and the cold trembling energy dissipated leaving the familiar layer of ice at her center. If Persephone was to be believed the doppelganger showed signs of schizophrenia, apparently fits of delusions and vivid hallucination ran in the family.
She left the small bathroom and entered her small concrete pillbox of a room. The walls were lined with hand drawn maps beneath mounted weapon racks containing everything from rifles to blades. Above her small dresser reverently placed on a rack was a heavily modified .44 pistol, it gleamed in the sterile light of the ceiling lamp. Still nude Artemis took the gun off the wall and loaded it with bullets from the top shelf of her dresser before placing it in a holster hanging on the wall. Artemis found some strange comfort from handling her old mentor's weapon, she had fished it off the old bastard's corpse after a freshly unfrozen crone offed him.
A red dress was strewn across her bed and a pair of black stilettoes. She sighed and dressed wrapping a six slot knife holster around her right thigh and placed six silver knives in it. She strapped the shoes onto her feet and the holster around her hip and examined herself in the mirrior. Her legs were still beet red and she could still see faint burn marks wrapping around them, but she felt no pain when she walked and that was good enough for her. Artemis grabbed a small black box from her dresser and opened it. Inside lay a small silver locket its surface covered in scratches and scuffs. Artemis picked the locket up and clasped its chain around her neck before leaving the room. The lights automatically switched off as she left the room and as she walked down the concrete hallway she passed the multitude of service synths dressed in standard Legion slave wear.
It actually made her feel sorry for a moment as she watched the synths go about their duties. They had once been decent combat units, but Savant's retrofit of most of the small army of synths they had brought with them had neutered their combat abilities and replaced them with service programming. It served to fit the illusion of the "Mystic" Savant's inner sanctum where Octavian worked out the machinations of the universe. She rolled her eyes at the thought remembering when the synth now known as Octavian had been a soft spoken cook. The unwashed savages that comprised most of the New Legion's forces were forbidden from entering the inner sanctum save for their commanders and generals. Of course even the select elite were forbidden to look upon Savant's face lest they be destroyed by his wrath or whatever bullshit her brother fed them to keep his true identity a secret. Sharing a face with the Courier was a health hazard after all.
The courier, Rex Craster still used the name Savant had abandoned years ago for the handle given to him on the Brahmin runs. Her own name had been changed when they were taken in by the institute, at Savant's insistence she took up the name of the goddess of the hunt, fitting considering what the institute would turn her into. Soon she arrived at the elevator to Savant's quarters and after being waved through by the guards she entered the elevator. She gazed into her own eyes as they were reflected back in the metal of the elevator door, a seemingly normal human face gazed back at her, but she knew better than to believe that.
When the doors opened she looked forward and saw Mirada standing behind the small counter preparing what looked to be a salad of some kind while the brat Persephone set plates at the table. Artemis stepped out of the elevator onto the lush carpet with a quick scan of the combined living room dining room she saw that neither the doppelganger nor Savant were in the room.
"Where's Savant?" She asked Mirada.
Mirada stopped chopping carrots for a moment and looked at Artemis before smiling and said "In the workshop but he doesn't want to be disturbed until he's gotten a chance to talk to this world's version of him."
"He does know who he's dealing with right?" Artemis asked as she approached the counter and plucked a cucumber out of the salad before popping it into her mouth "lots of sharp tools in that work shop"
"Do you think father's stupid Artemis? Of course he wouldn't allow the Courier anywhere near a potential weapon" Persephone said placing glimmering silverware next to each plate.
"No he isn't stupid, that's the issue; Savant becomes far too cocky when he believes he's winning" Artemis said just as a wooden spoon conks her head sending a jolt of pain down her skull.
"What have I told you three about those stupid codenames? Within my home your name is Rose" Mirada shooting a look to Persephone "Got that Penelope?"
"Yes, mom" Persephone said.
"Good, I want tonight to go perfectly" Mirada said returning to her work "I don't look forward to watching a carbon copy of my husband being executed"
"I still think we should kill him and leave his corpse on his doorstep" Artemis said rubbing her head.
"The Courier is much more valuable as a potential ally" Persephone said "Fighting a war with the Mojave and the Brotherhood wouldn't turn out well for anyone. When father explains his plans the Courier will see the light and join forces with us."
"I sincerely doubt that" Artemis said. If the doppelganger was anything like her brother than it would be nigh impossible for Savant to change his mind. Then as always when her brother's diplomacy failed she'd be called for duty.
Artemis looked at her sister in law. She had plain light brown hair that rimmed her heart shaped face and small soft features that were broken by a long faded scar that started from the left side of her jaw and crossed her face to the underside of her right ear. Her hands were the hands of a cook, burnt and calloused from years of working with friars, skillets, and knives. Back in the confines of the institute she had forced a change from the usual prepackaged MRE like meals to hand prepared meals much to the pleasure of its scientists and technicians. Though no one would mistake her for a woman in her early twenties Mirada didn't look a day over thirty while in truth she was well into her late forties. Much like Savant and Artemis herself Mirada's aging had been cut in half by the Institute's preservation techniques, the same techniques that had made her mentor into the monster he had been.
Her niece, Persephone, had finished setting the table. She was skinny like her father, lacking her mother's curvy figure, but had her heart shaped face that clashed with the sharp nose and wide grey eyes of her father. The girl had the unfortunate luck to inherit facial features from both her parents that clashed horribly giving her the look of a poorly done portrait. Artemis smirked running a hand over the skin of her face sightlessly admiring her sharp features, Persephone looked up from the table and saw Artemis's sneer. She raised her hands towards her face subconsciously and blushed looking away as Artemis let out a deep chuckle. The little bitch had grown far too confident, the incident in the infirmary had proven that much, and it was good to see that Artemis could still get to her.
Artemis had inherited her mother's natural beauty just as she had her hair, and knew how powerful a weapon a pretty face was. It was a pity really, that Persephone's plain features were a water pistol compared to hers. She poured scotch into a tumbler and took a seat at the table leaning the chair back as she eyed Persephone from across the table. Persephone for her part fingered the plunger of one of the syringes in the holster on her hip. Their silent battle went on for another few seconds before a glimmer of silver flashed in front of Artemis's eyes and slammed into the wall. A tuft of Artemis hair floated down onto the bare plate and she turned her head to see a large silver knife embedded into the wall almost to the handle.
"Now Rose what have I told you about antagonizing my daughter?" Mirada said her voice dripping with sweetness when Artemis turned to look at her Mirada's features resembled a statue of some wrathful war goddess "I hate getting human blood on my cutlery ruins the taste of anything I cook for a week."
Artemis raised her hands in surrender and took a sip of her drink;
"It's going to be a fun night"
?
"Well howdy handsome" The doppelganger said standing.
Rex stood a few feet in front of the work bench his double was standing behind his mind racing with possibilities. For his part the Copy waited calmly as Rex processed the information. Clone? No Rex could see that plainly, a small scar barely visible just above his eyebrow proved that and no enemy he had hated him enough to dig up his dead wife and clone her.
"Let me guess you're from another universe" Rex asked stepping forward and placing his hands on the workbench. His guns were disassembled and their parts were neatly arranged across the table save for the firing pins.
"Well that was quick" the other Rex said folding his arms. He wore a cotton shirt and black jeans with black loafers. His hair was combed to the left and Rex saw streaks of grey in the faded rust of his hair "I had this whole reveal planned and everything; what tipped you off?"
"Sorry to disappoint" Rex said stepped forward and tapped an eyebrow "we have the same scar very few people know about it. So you're not a clone, and then there's Mirada"
"What about Mirada?" the other Rex asked raising an eyebrow.
"She has the scar on the small of her back from a big horn" Rex answered as he looked around the room. In the darkened corners of the workshop he noted the slightly glowing eyes of guards silently observing him "I doubt anyone knows me enough to be privy to that detail."
"Ah that takes me back, three days we held up in a scrap yard as that wild herd beat at the fence" The doppelganger said as he rose chuckling "I still remember Shaun's fist colliding with my nose."
Considering that Rex was the only person alive who would know that for now he would take it at face value.
"She tried to kill the lead's mate for dinner if I recall" Rex said.
"Yep, a little brash when her stomach's involved" the other Rex said walking around the table and offering Rex a pack of cigarette. Rex accepted and let the doppelganger light it with a match, and after a few puffs his head cleared.
"So, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume the assassin you sent after me is Rose?" Rex asked playing a hunch.
"They told me you were perceptive" The doppelganger said chopping the end of a cigar before lighting it "Although she goes by Artemis now, ever since Mom and Dad died she's hated her given name, if you ask me it's a coping mechanism, but what do I know."
Both my wife and little sister brought back from the dead Rex thought depleting the cigarette and flicking it at one of the shaded guards, it bounced off and the guard silently stamped it out It seems some Rexs get all the luck.
"I left her behind that day and she was caught up in the attack" Rex said.
"I'm sorry to hear that; is she buried next to Mom and Dad?" The doppelganger asked as if he were a kindly older brother offering condolences.
"They weren't kind enough to kill her" Rex said his grey eyes locked with the doppelgangers "She disappeared with whoever attacked us and I didn't see her for almost ten years"
"One day I hope you'll tell me all about that" the doppelganger said, he kept his distance from Rex and as expected was watching Rex's every expression "in fact I hope that one day you and I will be like brothers. I want you to know you have a family now Rex; I know you've been alone for so long I've been to the old trading post and I've seen the graves. I know you weren't as lucky as I was and I know what you lost"
"NO YOU FUCKING DON'T!" Rex screamed anger flooding his veins. He rushed forward and grabbed the other Rex's collar and pulled him close "You have Mirada, Rose, and you got to see the birth of your child. That what was taken from me, so do not for a moment even begin to think you know who I am or what I've lost."
The anger left him then, and he released his grip. Rex breathed out and felt the last of his anger leave before looking up again and asked:
"How did you avoid the plague?"
The doppelganger moved backward a few steps and raised a hand setting the guards around the room back to their resting positions and said:
"A synth belonging to the Institute came through the area; another synth Athena was tasked with capturing it and noticed the work I was doing at the trading post and recruited me. The institute is a group…"
"I've heard about the institute" Rex said interrupting, he lit another cigarette "boogeymen north of D.C if I recall."
"We're much more than boogeymen" The doppelganger said a vicious smile on his face "The things we were capable would astound even someone like you Rex; once I helped them get a nuclear reactor going the institute hit its stride, save for a small incident involving a prewar lawyer, and for twenty years I worked alongside the greatest minds humanity had left."
"You look young for a man pushing forty" Rex said taking a drag form the cigarette "for me Mirada died ten years ago, but you have twenty years with her."
"The institute had many technologies dedicated to keeping its researchers young" The doppelganger explained "Myself, Mirada, and even Rose have been altered age at half the normal. A quarter in Rose's case."
"You keep referring to the institute in past tense" Rex said "I'm assuming that's not a job you can just be fired from."
"My superiors and I had distinct differences in thought regarding treatment of synths that could be considered advanced enough for sentience" The doppelganger explained "At that point I saw what needed to be done to create the world worthy of my knowledge and attempted a coup de tat. Ironically my efforts to advance science were now ensuring that I would never hold power over the institute, and in an attempt to stop me once and for all the Director decided to send me and my army of freed synths across the trans dimensional divide. She also decided to attempt to kill me by dropping in the middle of a desert, many of my synths did not survive the effects of the travel, and thus when I finally found this very convenient prewar military base I had a skeleton crew at my disposal."
"Enter the remnants of the legion" Rex said.
"Yes, a little reprogramming to one of my more basic synths and suddenly I had an army of fanatics under my control; though when I realized who their most hated foe was I quickly slipped into the shadows"
"Yeah they kind of hate me" Rex said "You lob a couple of Nukes and suddenly your enemy numero uno"
"I'm sure; I wondered what kind of man my counterpart in this universe was to elicit such hatred and fear amongst these hardened men, and I have to say Rex you live up to the rumors" the doppelganger said leaning against the work bench "With one hand you lift the masses up from the dust and with the other fell any who stand in the way of progress."
"Enough flattery get to the fucking point" Rex said stamping out the cigarette.
"Alright, Rex I want to join forces with you" The doppelganger said, he gestured for Rex to follow and began walking towards the back of the workshop where a thick metal door stood "You in the span of two years have created a nation that given time could rise to even greater heights than our pre-war ancestors. The NCR to the east would never attack directly because they rely too much on the Mojave's production of consumer goods, so they resort to letting my Legion do the dirty work. The technologies you've brought back from the ashes of the old world rival what I and my former colleagues at the Institute developed, and in doing so have created the greatest defensive border the post war world has ever seen. You command an army of killing machines, and your militias are surprisingly effective considering most were drifters or farmers two years ago. This is your weakness, your people believe they are completely safe, and you let that lie fester and consume them."
"They are safe" Rex said as the doppelganger punched a code into a keypad and opened the door "I have spent every day for the last two years ensuring that."
"Yes you have, but is it truly enough? Can you keep them safe?" The doppelganger says leading him through a blank stonewalled hallway "I have struck the heart of the Mojave three times, once to ascertain your identity, the second attack was to test your response time, and the third I simply walked into your office and took you. You talk a big game, but we both know there is no way to protect everyone, not without making certain concession that is."
"Let me guess turn over the keys to the executive bathroom right?" Rex replied as they reached a small blast door which whirred as it slid upwards into the ceiling. They stepped outside onto a balcony, and Rex found a sky full of stars above him and off in every direction were the blood red tents of the Legion. As far as the eye could see were soldiers and vehicles by the thousands some patrolling, some sleeping, while others worked on massive mechanical monstrosities that resembled praying mantises. Rex walked forward and laced his hand on the railing of the balcony and felt the doppelganger slid in next to him.
"How many men?" he asked.
"Sixty thousand fighting men, five thousand battle mechs, and enough vehicles and ammo to overrun your little wall" The doppelganger said smirking as he chewed his cigar "Statistically we'd overrun your defenses and consume your militias in a matter of weeks. Those xenophobes you call the boomers will find their arsenal rather ineffective against my cloaked infantry, won't even know that there in their compound until they feel the edge of a knife cutting their throats. Without your artillery New Vegas falls by the seventh week maybe sooner depending how many communities decide to join our cause."
Rex sighed and bent back his head and looked straight up into the sky looking longingly at the stars "Why? Why are you willing to murder thousands of innocent people?" HE asked "Although I can probably guess; you think you can run it better, make the world a better place but first you have to take all the dirty savages and force your enlightenment on them. I've known men like you, hell maybe your right, maybe this word needs to be taken back from the corrupt and unjust maybe its people need to be dragged kicking and screaming into utopia. But I believe in free will for the most part, but I don't like the idea of jack booted ideologues raping and plundering across my Mojave. How about this I give you three days to go over your plan and convince me."
"Well that's a start" The doppelganger said clapping his hands "The first step on the road to piece is compromise. Come on Mirada's making her famous Milurk chowder; trust me on this Rex it's to die for"
"So what do I call you anyway, we both can't go by Rex"
"How about I use our full name; Reximus" He said from the doorway.
"Alright" Rex said taking one last look at the stars before following Reximus back into the hall. Silently praying that the tesla coils in his head were firing correctly.
?
Miles away in the heart of the big empty's Think Tank, Rex's brain Tyrone floated in the glowing green liquid of his new tank. Wires had been connected to his grey matter and led directly into a computer system and a bank of holographic displays. Standing around him was Mordin, Veronica, Arcade, Shepard, and Jack. The screens displayed live imaging from Rex's perspective and speakers strewn around the room projected what he heard.
"You have got to be shitting me his full name is Reximus?" Jack said stifling a laugh.
"Kindly shut your gullet you insufferable boor" Tyrone said "Our father was not only a man of Medicine but a more than competent linguist; we are named Reximus because it is the plural conjunction of the Latin word rego which means to govern."
"Yeah I bet that kept you from getting your ass kicked as a kid" jack said tapping the glass.
"Can you please stop antagonizing the talking brain" Shepard ordered as she overlooked the still image of the stars taken from Rex's memory "we need to find where he is and where that army is located; any luck with the stars?"
Veronica and Arcade were looking through old almanacs and star charts and Veronica said "We'd make more progress if the image wasn't so grainy."
"Brain computer interface unstable" Mordin said as he checked the wires and tanks chemical levels "Would do better without nagging." He adjusted a wire and the image went from slightly grainy to crystal clear.
"That's better thank you Mordin" Veronica said as she cross referenced placement of the North Star "If only he had a sextant."
"I can't imagine what he's going through" Shepard said thoughts of a certain space marine flitted through her mind "I don't know what I'd do if someone I loved suddenly came back to life"
"It is not pleasant" Tyrone said "Even I, the intellect of our duo, am experiencing distress over this development. Both Mirada and Rose have long been dead in our timeline, and we have come to accept their passing. But the girl is different; if this alternate Mirada survived then the girl known as Persephone is most likely the child lost so many years ago. She is the most dangerous person in the room; whatever affection Rex still holds for Rose or Mirada pales in comparison to the latent paternal instinct he has for the girl."
"If anyone can persuade him to join with the Legion it's her" Veronica said looking up from her maps "regardless we have three days to find the Legion base, and if we can't do that we need to start preparing for full scale war."
Jack was silently staring at the screens watching through Rex's perspective as he walked through the halls behind his double. Though she hated to admit it she felt for him; though she certainly wasn't in love with him Jack had in the few weeks of dating come to accept Rex and had even begun to like him. Like the crew of the Normandy Rex had somehow wormed his way into her heart and she actually worried for his safety. The last thing she needed was another person to weigh her down, to care about, but even Jack admitted it felt nice to have someone like Rex to talk to.
"We'll get him out" Shepard said coming to stand next to her.
"I know, isn't that what you do girl scout? Save the day" Jack asked straightening.
"Yeah, but you looked worried" Shepard said grinning "Not going soft on me now are you Jack?"
Jack punched her in the arm "Fuck off, I'm only I'll have to pay for my own booze if he goes and dies"
She returns the smirk for a moment before deflating slightly "They took his guns, and his arm what does he have left?"
"Us" Shepard said "and he's pretty god damned smart"
"Not as smart as he likes us to think" Jack said going back to watching the screens.
/?
Rex and Reximus walked back down the hall and through the workshop. They entered back into Reximus's quarters where they waited. He saw Rose, her red hair vibrant as they day he lost her, and she was the spitting image of their mother. She drank from a metal tumbler and when she saw them enter she placed the tumbler on the table and glared at Rex. Out of the empty air next to her a smaller Rose stepped into being; she was bone thin with ragged streams of red hair falling to her ankles and a bullet hole adorned her forehead above her dead eyes. This Rose didn't glare at Rex, but instead smiled bringing life to her dead eyes. Though she was a teenager the ghost Rose began to skip around the table like a she had when she was a five year old. A pressure built in the back of Rex's head and his pulse quickened.
Reximus said something, but it was drowned out by someone singing. Rex turned and wasn't surprised to see Mirada, his Mirada, sitting in one of the comfortable looking armchairs in the small living room. This wasn't the usual version of her that tortured him, but Mirada as she was days before her death; extremely pregnant and draped in a maternity dress. She ran her hands down her stomach singing a lullaby to baby inside her, and when she noticed him watching her she smiled and gestured for Rex to join her. Rex's muscles began to ache and slacken and his legs failed him; as he fell to the ground one last ghost appeared blurry and formless. It was her, the child he lost. As blackness devoured the room Rex uttered two words "I'm Sorry".
When he woke Rex was in a bed and buried under several comforters. He sat up and was overjoyed to see that no ghost greeted him. His arm had been returned to him and he flexed his black metal fingers testing the weight; it calibrated itself as he stretched. Rex examined the room around him; it was decadent and elegant not unlike a room at the Ultra Luxe. Standing up Rex noticed he was once again stripped to his underwear and rummaged through a dresser for a pair of shorts and a tank top. A pair of leather sandals were by the door and after putting them on he opened the faux wood door and went out into the hall. Unsurprisingly it was identical to the other halls he had passed through in the facility and identical sets of guards lined the walls.
He began walking down the hall but a guard grabbed his shoulder, and Rex tensed clenching his fists for a fight. The soldier let go of his shoulder and handed him a small slip of paper:
Do not speak; there is a bug in your arm
The soldier looked at him purposely and when Rex nodded the soldier motioned for him to follow. HE led Rex through the labyrinth of hallways deeper into the facility; they would often move to avoid the patrols of guards wearing armor a deeper shade of red than the other guards. When they apparently reached their destination the soldier opened a hidden door built into the stone of the hall. He gestured for Rex to enter the dark interior. Hesitant Rex looked at the soldier questioning the whole endeavor, but the soldier made a gesture that said time was of the essence. With no other options Rex stepped into the dark room and the door closed shut behind him bathing him in darkness.
A sterile fluorescent bulb lit up and bathed the room in white light. Rex found himself staring at an old man who despite his obvious age was built like a tank. He sat behind a table and behind him stood two people; a boy no older than fourteen and a woman who looked to be in her early thirties. The man did not speak but instead brought out a small half sphere shaped crystal with a long silver tuning fork jutting out of its top. With a flick the man sent the fork undulating and he said:
"Hello courier six it is an honor to meet you"
"I'm sure" Rex said "let me guess harmonic resonator?"
"Yes, this will keep the bug in your arm from transmitting for the duration of our meeting"
"So you want to hide this conversation from your glorious leader, why?"
"I have an offer, but first I must introduce myself" the old man said "I am legate Vein, I command half of the tribes that make up Reximus's fighters, and I am willing, as are my men, to swear loyalty to you and Mojave. That is roughly thirty thousand hardened fighters along with the civilian populations of our tribes numbering roughly fifteen thousand."
"Oh well that doesn't sound like a trap at all" Rex said placing his hands on the table "Why would you and your forces turn against the legion?"
"After you destroyed the Legion and killed Caesar the legion splintered into a thousand pieces and a power vacuum formed. I alongside many of the other leaders united under one cause; to learn from the mistakes of the Legion and build our own empire. But when the false heir Octavian rose and summoned his forces we knew we would lose too much if we resisted, and now we see a way out."
"But why join me? What could I offer you and your people?"
"What your counterpart won't; seeds, timber, water, and electricity. Reximus has given us only war machines and bullets. Can my grandchildren eat bullets? Who will plow my fields if the men are fighting some stupid war? Is it better for a boy to learn how to add before he learns to kill? Your doppelganger offers us only war and violence; he believes us to be savages only useful to wage war and covets the nation you have built." Vein explained strumming the tuning fork again "when he has your production facilities he will replace us with an army of synths and throw us away, but we will not go so willingly into death."
"Let's for a moment consider you're genuine what assurances do I have you'll keep your word?" Rex asked.
"Hera, Fin" Vein said and the pair behind him stepped forward "Hera is my daughter and this is her son Fin. In addition to joining your military force with ours every tribal leader will give their eldest child as a hostage to be housed wherever you see fit. This will be so for the next three generations, in exchange for our cooperation you will educate them and ensure their safety and wellbeing. This is of course in addition to integrating us into your society."
"Most of your people will be laborers and farmers" Rex said "to accommodate that many people we'll have to expand our agriculture and building programs"
"My people are tired of fighting Courier" Vein said "All we wish for is to grow not militarily but in wisdom. Many of us still die from preventable diseases that modern medical technology can cure, and it is time we became something more than savages."
"If I agree I'll need something now to ensure your trustworthiness"
"Of course" Vein said taking three items from his pocket "This is your emergency contact device correct" he held up a small black rectangle with a red button on one end "Small radio bursts in Morse code clever" and beside the transmitter were the firing pins to his pistols "I will give you the exact coordinates to this facility, and tomorrow I will mobilize my forces to the northeast feinting an attack on the Midwest brotherhood. In actuality we will double back and flank the remaining forces providing an opportunity for your forces to assist us; your people have three days to mobilize. I trust you will find an opportunity to contact your people."
Rex took the firing pins and slid them into a metal compartment of his arm alongside the transmitter "You don't need to worry about that they'll hear from me one way or another"
"Mal will take you back to the room; we can only stall so long before they realize you're gone" Vein said placing a hand on the tuning fork and stopping its reverberation.
Rex silently saluted and for the first time since his capture grinned a genuine grin. He had an ace up his sleeve, he hoped at least. All he had to do now was wait for his people to mobilize, hopefully his brain was receiving everything clearly. In the end whether Vein was sincere or not he would see the New Legion destroyed he owed them that much. He owed boon and Rex that much; he owed the dead from the legion's attacks vengeance. As he walked back through the hall Rex's ghosts silently appeared around him and this time they stood with him determination on their spectral faces. The Legion will fall he knew that, but the question was would he?