Radec wasn't kidding about his collection. Skrem called a friend, got access to an empty field, he bought plenty of weaponry, and so did the arrival of Gers, owner and curator of the Imperial Armory Museum. The field? The museum's property: attached to a warehouse full of Imperial armaments, probably the last of its kind anywhere, that was attached to the museum itself which held the display pieces. Gers had a tendency to use the field as his own private range…much to the annoyance of some neighbors and the fascination of many others.
Gers was clad in his old Scout Sniper gear with a targeting visor, Radec had the perfect excuse to break out his Irken Elite equipment, Skrem was dressed as an Invader for the Orenkian campaign and Vaukt was in his SpecOps uniform with his helmet, his old gear prior to his power armor's introduction. Ord was dressed as a member of SpecOps under Vaukt while Siph and Yerd were dressed as Elites similar to Radec. They helped the museum with a living history and battle reenactment and their reward was some time out back with the equipment.
Among them, a fresh face, one of Radec's daughters in Elite gear of her own. Ord was immediately interested visually. Siph also seemed to oggle her. Siph, on the other hand, was the first to seem slightly disappointed.
"Man, Radec's gotta ruin boys' time by bringing a girl here? Where's the fun in that?"
"Spoken like a sore loser." Ord smirked, "What? Afraid she's gonna show you up and see what your range scores are or something?"
"N-no!" Siph defended with a huff. "I can shoot just fine."
"One point above failing cutoff is "fine"?" Digits teased with a smirk.
"Hey, passing is passing. Some of us are meant for the fronts. Some of us aren't. I ain't one of them."
"Not with that attitude you won't be." Radec commented, overhearing their jibbing. "What's the matter? One of ya got a spoochache or somethin'? Whole lot of whinin' is all I'm hearin'."
"Joker's afraid of a girl outshootin' him is all." Ord smirked. "Bound for the Honor Guard and can barely hit the broadside of a cruise ship."
Skrem laughed. "Maybe you should've dressed him as an Imperial Pooper instead of an Elite huh, Gers?"
"Yeah, maybe." The sniper laughed.
"Am not!"
Radec rested a hand on the young man's shoulder with emphasis, giving him a small, friendly jostle by the pauldron of his reproduction uniform.
"Well…ya should be. Taught her everything she knows so clever little shits like you three don't get cute ideas with my sweetest little angel. Hey, pumpkin!"
"Yeah, daddy?"
"C'mere. Introduce yourself." Radec's head gestured, releasing the young man's shoulder. "Skrem's boy an' his friends want to say hello."
Still wearing similar garb to her father, bearing the rank of Private for authenticity being shorter than he, the resemblance was uncanny. The same bright, berry-red eyes of her father backed by her mother's beauty and long, sweeping antenna ending in upturned curls mid-back.
"Don't be shy now, smeetie."
"Daaaddy…" She groaned, plastering a wistful smile to mask her embarrassment. "...name's Ro-zay…Ro-say? Whatever, it's some weird Earth thing they got creative with. Funny-lookin' "e" at the end of my name. R-o-s-weird "e"."
"Your mother's idea, I assure you."
"Uh-huh." She sounded unconvinced, looking back to the three young men before her. "You nerds got names? First time a girl's ever talked to you before?"
"No!"
"Besides your mom?"
Radec snickered…like father, like daughter.
Ord held a hand out to her with a grin on his face, "Glad to meet ya. Clearly see where you get your good looks from. I'm Skrem's kid, Ord, future SpecOps officer."
"Right, dad's not-boyfriend…Invaders are the ones that never shut up about how amazing they are, right?"
"Yeah, that's them, pumpkin."
"Hey, I'll have you know your dad can easily pass for one." Skrem quipped, "Never shut up about how great he was on Vort."
"Oh come on, dad, Radec ain't so bad."
"Yeah, yeah I know. We wouldn't be part of what became the…what the fuck was it Kazak called us, Grug Squad or something?"
"I'm just surprised Corr has his sanity and Zurrak didn't blow his brains out." Gers shook his head.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Radec smirked at them with pride. "Red Team were the scalpels. We were the sledgehammers."
"Ugh, enough with the old people and old stories already." Rose scoffed, looking to Ord's friends. "Seriously though, you two got names or slorrbeast got your tongues?"
"Siph. I…uh…I'm in the Honor Guard-"
"Nice try, boot, I know better." She grinned at him, Radec cackling. "What 'bout you? You gonna tell me the same thing?"
"N-no!"
"Yes you were." Ord looked at Digits with a deadpan.
"...O-okay I was."
"C'mon, don't be shy. This rate she's gonna think you and Siph are a couple of fruits."
Digits gulped. "I'm Yerd. They call me Digits."
"See? How hard was that?" She commented with a snicker, taking a moment to compose herself with pride. "You plebians should bask in my glory for I am a Sergeant in the Armada Marauders."
"Marauders, really?" Siph commented, surprised as he was impressed. "Your dad let you do that?"
"No, the little shit outsmarted both Dyb and I." He chuckled, almost proud of it as he squeezed her shoulders. "Told her absolutely not on joinin' the Republic Guard an' the Elite. Both of us figured the Armada doesn't get into too much trouble. Didn't tell me the "Marauder" part 'til after the recruitment documents were signed."
"Learned from the best." She grinned deviously, looking up at him.
Ord chuckled, "So that high speed bunch that does all the shipboarding and CQ stuff? Heard about you guys in the Elites. And you outsmarted both your parents? Pretty badass, I think you got what it takes to keep up with SpecOps. I like her already."
"Oh no, Ord's taking to her like Radec took to me with that meal I cooked for Rem." Skrem mockingly put his hands up to his cheeks. "Whatever shall I do?"
"Maybe take your boyfriend out on a date while I date this fine woman here?" Ord grinned, "If she'd do me the honor." Skrem's boldness was showing in the young man.
Rose laughed heartily at his attempt. Radec, not so much.
"Right, so…" Gers intervened with a clasp of his hands. "Promised you we'd trade the props out for the real deal as thanks for helping the museum out. Benches over yonder on the range already have everything set up. Everyone here's smart enough to not shoot themselves or each other. Any of the patrons come outside to watch, stay in character, answer their questions. You know the drill."
"So you got my old plasma rifle out like I asked?" Vakut asked.
"Serial CZV77432, you know it."
"Glad to know I left her in good hands." Vaukt lit his cigar before going over and picking up his plasma rifle, typical Empire issue but in black instead of the usual purple. "That's more like it."
Radec took the obvious hint, turning his attention back to Rose.
"Well, you heard him, Private! To the line, double-time!"
"Yes, Sir!" She snapped the crispest of salutes before about-facing for the waiting range.
As the group moved to their positions, Gers cast a knowing look to Skrem. The audacity of his boy testing the waters so boldly.
Skrem only shrugged but with the faintest of smirks on his face. The apple didn't fall too far from the tree in the case of both Ord and Rose. He leaned against a nearby wall as Ord picked up a sniper rifle.
"SpecOps SR4? That's bada-"
"Hold the fuck on there, that's my rifle." Gers was quick to go over and take his rifle out of Ord's hand and hand him another.
"Oh…what's the story of this one?"
"Used to belong to Tuu."
"Tuu? No shit. This was his?"
"Yeah…that rifle's got a lot of history to us…and not in a good way."
Much like the IIA sidearms gifted to them, both Yerd and Siph looked to the weapon with morbid curiosity and mild discomfort. Another blooded weapon from a conflict before their time that sent rippling shockwaves through those around them.
"Not to sound rude…but why bring it out if it's…not good?" Siph cautiously questioned of the curator.
"Same reason why all of us are out here now, dressed up like this. Never forget what came before us and why it must never be allowed to happen again."
"What we all fought for," Vaukt spoke, "Me, Skrem, Radec, Gers, all of us. The amount of bodies I stacked with this rifle for the Empire and against it speaks volumes in itself."
"This rifle definitely feels heavier," Ord moved it around in his hands, feeling the weight behind it. "Corr's still telling us the story but he hasn't told us Tuu's ultimate fate yet."
"Well, no spoilers here," Gers was quick to add.
"I was hoping for that." Ord went prone on the concrete floor, aiming down the scope of the rifle, reticle adjusting accordingly with various conditions. A slow, crisp pull of the trigger sent a plasma blast dead center.
"Hey! Dumb an' dumber!" Rose called down the line to Ord's friends from behind the period-correct, authentic rotary cannon emplacement. "This is a crew-served weapon! Where's my crew?!"
Radec resisted a smirk at her authoritative presence, looking to Siph and Yerd. "Well? This line ain't gonna hold itself. Looks like the first group's walkin' this way."
"Yes, Sergeant!" They both played along, saluting before making their way down to Rose hurriedly.
Gers watched the two sprint down the line, turning his attention back to Radec with a smirk.
"You're enjoying this far too much."
He shrugged, grinning.
"Hey, you said play the part, by Irk, I'm gonna play the part."
"Plus how often does that good lookin' beast get to be back in his old gear and element?" Skrem couldn't help but throw in some ribbing.
"You two can make out later," Gers threw in, stepping towards the range controls to select the appropriate program. "Little late now, but I figured nobody here was gonna have an episode over this."
Slamming his fist to start the simulation, down-range, holo-emitters rapidly rendered realistic, three-dimensional models of Vortian Federation troops and vehicles of the time period.
"Harmless light show on their end. Ours? Not so much."
Vaukt grinned. "Well, we got VDF incoming. Come on, Larb, help me man this AT gun!"
"Larb?! Oh come on!" Skrem groaned as he and Vaukt rushed to a Deathwave Cannon set up on the range.
"What, jealous you got an icy tomb world instead of the universe's most comfortable sofa?"
"Shut up…sir." Skrem went to work as both a spotter and loader for the cannon as Vaukt worked the aiming and firing, the two of them focusing on Vortian armor.
Ord was falling into a groove, firing away with Tuu's old sniper rifle, kept in peak condition under Gers' care. The accuracy of these rifles couldn't be understated but just as important was the shooter behind it. Gers himself soon came up and joined him with his own rifle, the older sniper impressed with the younger man's marksmanship, clearly something drilled into him by Skrem.
The virtual battle raged to the delight of the museum's patrons behind the firing line. The simulated VDF were harmless, but accurately represented as their programmed virtual intelligence reacted to incoming fire. Taking cover in terrain depressions and behind their armored vehicles advancing forward. The crew-served weapons provided spectacles of visceral teamworks as Rose kept the infantry pinned and suppressed with bursts of automatic plasma fire in a near-continuous stream. Siph and Yerd provided targeting solutions and ensured the weapon never went cold between coolant management and power cell exchanges.
By far, the star of the show was the Deathwave Cannon. One of the last surviving examples in the universe and likely the most meticulously cared for, each plasma artillery round fired shook the very ground beneath their feet, trembling with authority. Down range, great plumes of dirt, stone, and molten slag jettisoned into the air with the occasional virtual explosion of a direct hit on enemy armor. Eventually, after the short display of combined arms firepower, the virtual VDF saw it fit to issue a full retreat into the treeline well beyond the range of the weapons behind the cover of billowing smoke.
Vaukt laughed, "Now that is why artillery support is nice to have when you're in my line of work!"
Gers slung his rifle and made his way back to the range controls, checking the status of the simulation.
"Yup, the AI issued a full retreat. Nice work, our small eclectic group stopped a VDF assault."
Radec turned to the enamored group of patrons, young and old alike.
"Yeah, this is the part where we'd start boasting and saying things like "Long live the Empire" and "Glory to the Tallest" and all that crap…my heart ain't in it. Sorry, kids."
"Why not, mister?"
"Well…when you did this stuff for real way back when…it ain't as much fun playin' pretend with it."
Gers nodded, "It's true. He's a veteran of Impending Doom, both of them. As am I. So is the General but he goes without saying. We three were on Vort. Reprising our old roles hits us different."
Rose, never one to shy away from the attention, rejoined her father before the group with the most prideful of poses she could muster in melodramatic fashion. Standing tall, hands to her hips, and chin held high.
"The cowards tremble before us! The Irken Elite know no equals!"
Siph mimicked her. "Glory to the Empire!"
Yerd followed suit. "Glory to the Tallest!"
Gers leaned over, muttering to Radec as they played the crowd. "Y'know, your kid wasn't in the military, she could probably get into theater no problem."
Skrem shook his head as he walked over, speaking quietly to Radec, "Clearly she gets that from me with the theatrics."
Vaukt took off his helmet and made his way over to the gathering of patrons.
"Anyone ever wanted to ask questions of a former Imperial Chief of Staff, now's your chance. I can tell you most anything you want to know about SpecOps in the Empire."
Before any questions could be fielded or formulated, a pair of officers emerged from the front of the crowd, a man and a woman. Republic Internal Affairs officers, badges displayed on their armored chests with equipment belts laden with utility tools and threat escalation items.
"Apologies, folks. Need to ask these gentlemen a few questions. Move the tour along." One of them addressed as his partner stepped forth, thumbs tucked into her belt as she surveyed each of the "reenactors" present.
"...so…guys…who we invading today?"
"Vort." Radec smirked at her facetiously. "You guys here to fill in for IIA?"
She chuckled, shaking her head.
"No, thankfully…but we are here on business." The officer answered.
"Hey Valo," Gers raised a hand.
"...Gers? Almost didn't recognize you."
"Yeah, I guess you've never seen me in my Scout Sniper gear have you? Lemme guess, the usual?"
"Now, you know I can't, in confidentiality, tell you that your neighbors who have a history of filing noise complaints during these sorts of events has in fact done much of the same this very moment." Valo cheekily answered. "It's routine and protocol, you know how it is."
"Yeah, yeah, you'd think at this point you'd be able to cite the guy with wasting emergency resources." Gers made his way back to the control booth and pulled out a folder before coming back over. "Here ya go, the usual range card, insurance, and all that nonsense."
"Normally, we'd be able to." She admitted, pretending to inspect Gers' credentials. They were in order and she had seen them many times. All the permissions, permits, and the sort for his museum and the legal discharge of ordnance on his property. "...but…whenever you have powerful friends in high places but are stupid enough to move in next door to a live-fire range to a military museum, well…what can you do? Wish Dispatch would screen his calls, but when you rant and rave like a madman about "Imperial sympathizers", we have to take it seriously."
"He has friends in high places and I got friends in equally high places…or ones who used to be. Next thing you know we're in a dick waving contest." The sniper rolled his eyes as he gestured to Vaukt. "Ever get to meet the Generalissimo himself?"
"Vaukt?" Valo confirmed, looking to the man. "Yeah, we've met. In passing, mostly. Busy man back then. How's retirement treating you, General?" She queried, making conversation as he continued pretending to do his job.
"I hate it." Vaukt honestly answered, "I miss my job and breaking people out of IIA prisons."
"Real high point of your career, huh?" Gers asked of him.
"Oh, the big one? Yeah, probably my craziest decision and most daring operation, but we pulled it off."
"Wouldn't be here if you hadn't." Valo added, closing up the folder to hand back to Gers. "As always, nothing's out of place or missing and everything you're doing on your property is legal and your neighbor is a jerkoff. Not that I am encouraging illegal activity but these old guns are faulty sometimes. A stray Deathwave round through his roof may shut him up…but I would never suggest such a thing."
"Oh absolutely not." Gers put his hands up innocently. "Just by sheer coinkydink, feel like sending a Deathwave round?"
Valo noted the confused, concerned expressions about the younger generations' faces.
"That was a joke, kids. Annoying as he is, I'm sure Gers doesn't want to commit murder."
"Oh not at all." The sniper chuckled, "Plus I meant downrange at that rotten Megadoomer hulk I got down there."
Ord got up, Tuu's SR4 at low ready as he walked over. "Wait a second, Valo, was it?"
"Officer Valo, kid."
"Oh, lighten up. Can't you tell that's Skrem's crotchspawn?" Radec chided.
"...huh…guess it is. Looks just like him." Valo admitted. "...Ord, right?"
"Yeah, it's Ord. I was wondering, did you mean being here as a result of that prison break at T'daali?"
The Internal Affairs officer didn't immediately answer, her eyes searching the older men present among them. Was this a strange test of oath? She may not have been as closely associated, but she knew enough. Enough to keep her mouth shut.
"These three?" Radec gestured to the boys. "They know."
"How much?"
"Enough."
Valo's attention returned to Ord.
"...yeah, I was there. Shared a cell with Radec's old lady. Lucky me."
"Lucky you is right." Radec teased with a grin before putting on a mocking voice of terror. "Oh, we can't do that! They're traitors!"
"Oh, fuck off." Valo chuckled, taking it in stride.
"So I know Dyb was in there for pointless uniform violations. What did they throw you in there for?" Ord began, "I mean from what it sounds like from Vaukt's retelling of it, your entire block was minor offenses."
She huffed, shaking her head in recollection.
"...I had a tendency to lose gear. Lose enough equipment in the field for various reasons between the constant fighting and lack of resupplies or rest and they saw fit to punish me for it. Jokes on them though. I'm still here, my gear never found, and they're all dead."
Ord shook his head, "Sounds similar to one of Gers' unit I've been hearing about. She was found using a Vortian weapon after she ran out of ammunition and they wanted to deactivate her for it…instead of using an Empire issued knife and dying in the process."
"Bunch of fuckin' idiots." Skrem spoke up. "Fuckin' Imperial Standard shit. Why I was glad to be SpecOps before becoming an Invader."
"Not all of us were so lucky as you." Valo pointed out.
"Sucks to suck, don't it?" Radec chuckled at his expense. "Now, you gonna come up here an' shoot these guns or what?"
"I'm serious about that Deathwave shot too." Gers added, "When's the last time you got to fire one of these things?"
"Probably the last time there were more than a dozen of them left in the universe." She commented, turning to his partner. "Hey, Xelo?
"Yeah?"
"...wanna pretend to be IIA for a few minutes?"
"Only if it's pretending, sure."
Valo turned back to the group.
"Well, then…it appears the Imperial Standard is in order. Carry on, soldier."
Gers grinned, putting his documents away and spawning a dozen antique Vortian tanks not unlike the ones used in the final battle of Tallum. Something he programmed in as a homage to the squad's old service. Vaukt took over as the gun commander, Skrem returning to being the loader as Valo manned the trigger and Xelo spotted and aimed the gun.
One by one the virtual tanks detonated in brilliant fashion, as well as a shower of dirt from the impact of plasma artillery down range. Then modern tanks would have stood little chance against direct impacts, such antiques stood no chance at all. A half dozen shots saw the remaining two tanks attempting to retreat before they two met the same grizzly fate. The burning hulks of some and scattered remains of others evident down range.
As the gun fired away, Ord made his way over to Rose and gave her a tap on the shoulder.
Radec's daughter, much like Siph and Yerd, had all taken the opportunity to step back once the law enforcement officers were offered their turn at playing with Imperial hardware from yesteryear. The touch to her shoulder garnered her attention, looking to the hand before snapping to Ord's face.
"So I was going to say earlier…" he began with a smirk, "if you'd do me the honor, why don't we go see a movie and grab some dinner after this? My treat."
A snrk and incredulous expression followed.
"Man, you must got a deathwish or something."
"No, he's just dumb. Like his dad." Siph snuck in.
"He who dares wins I think is what he lives by," Digits added.
"It's something, that's for sure." Rose concluded, turning to face Ord properly. "Gotta admit though…you're gutsy talking the way you did in front of my dad."
"Again, dumb."
"Maybe a little dumb…but I've heard fortune favors the brave, too."
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Ord shrugged. "And yeah, I do have some guts to do that, why I'm serious about trying to score a date."
"Or desperate…" Yerd muttered with a snicker to Siph.
Rose arched a single, questioning brow.
"Rate you're going, my dad's gonna show you those guts."
"Willin' to take that risk." Ord grinned. "Don't mind those two, they wouldn't know courage if it came up and bit 'em in the ass. Rather have a safe bet with their hands and a computer screen egirl or some shit."
"Hey! Not true!" Siph defended. "You're just acting full of yourself because of your dad!"
"Just a bit." Yerd added with a pinching gesture of his hand.
"I'm the one who went active duty in the Elites before going to the academy, it's not my dad's doing." Ord rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, and you fought in exactly zero wars and every simulated engagement and training exercise with the Federation, you got your butts kicked!" Siph scoffed.
"My unit succeeded even if we lost overall. I can't help if the rest suck." He sighed and returned his attention to Rose, "Really, my intention was a nice movie and a nice steak dinner. Maybe even some drinks between the two of us if you'd like."
The momentary display of entertainment ran its course. What started as amusing quickly soured in a handful of words from Ord. Her arms folded across her bust as she favored her weight to one leg.
"First place loser. Like father, like son." She observed, somewhat unkindly. "You, you, and you. All three of you. Boots. I'm non-com. I'm deployed. I've got time in. Leaders don't blame anyone but themselves. Learn a little humility, Ord."
With that, she gave a wave before turning about to take her leave.
"...So much for being a Corporal."
"That just means you're a Senior Boot." Digits chided him.
Ord simply sighed and shook his head. "I'm gonna go change."
"You're leaving because you got rejected? You really are a loser." Siph teased, only to be shoved to the ground. "Hey!"
"You really should learn when to shut up. Besides, without this date I can go follow up on a lead nearby."
"Lead? What are you, a detective?" Yerd questioned, confused as he helped Siph up. "You going alone on a solo op because we'll just slow you down?"
"Unless you two feel like playing around with this stuff more. I found out there's a very interesting flower shop up the street with a very interesting individual I want to talk to." Ord set Tuu's sniper rifle on a weapon rack and headed off to change back into his regular clothes. No date, more figuring out parts to the story it is.
Siph, dusting himself off, looked to Yerd in confusion.
"Did he say flower shop?"
"Yeah…not sure what it has to do with anything."
"Maybe he thinks flowers will fix his fuck up."
"Hah, maybe…so are we going with?"
Siph turned his head to see Ord's departing back with a sneer.
"...nah. Mr. Spec Ops is too good for us now. Let him. I'm sure he'll give us the condensed version later."