Hyperdimension Neptunia - Across the Multiverse
A HyperDimension Neptunia Fanfiction by Dumbrarere1
Chapter 27 - Abkhazia
It had been three weeks since the events that happened in Africa, and Andrew and Asriel were sparring in a training room. Asriel determined that the best way to make up for their failure was to train himself every single day and get stronger, both physically and in Planeptune's Shares. Watching them closely were Neptune, Scourge, Kira, Asmund and Courtney.
"Come on, kid, you're better than this! Anticipate my attacks!" Andrew said as he continued to spar with his protege.
"I'm doing my best!" Asriel shouted in frustration, blocking Andrew's attacks and trying to take the initiative. Unfortunately, he lost his focus soon after, and the Trinity Blade was knocked out of his hands. It clattered against the floor, despawning immediately after.
"You got sloppy, Asriel…" Andrew said with a strained sigh as he despawned his weapon.
"I know…" Asriel said, before reverting to his regular form.
"Can't stop thinking about what happened to N'mani, huh?" Courtney asked as she knelt down in front of the fluffy kid.
Asriel nodded in response. "I can't help but feel like I'm partly responsible… if only I were stronger…"
"Don't take what happened personally, kid… it wasn't your fault." Andrew said as he placed a hand on the prince's shoulder.
"Don't you feel the same way?" Asriel asked, looking directly at his mentor and friend.
"Feeling regret is a good thing. It just proves how compassionate you truly are…" Andrew said. "But the longer we regret and dwell on past failures, the more likely it is that they will happen again."
Asmund decided to interject at that moment to help cheer up the young Auxiliary CPU. "We must do our part to make sure that what happened to N'mani does not happen to anyone else. We promise, Desperado will face justice for their crimes."
"You're right." Asriel said. "I won't let what happened get me down. I'm gonna keep getting stronger, so that no more innocent people die!"
"That's the Asriel I know!" Andrew exclaimed with a smile as he ruffled the boy's hair. This caused Asriel to smile in response, making him chuckle.
"Hey uh… before we continue, I've got a question." Asriel said.
"Hmm? What is it?" Andrew asked, curious to hear his protege's question.
"Remember when you said you recognized the Trinity Blade? How'd you recognize it?" Asriel asked.
"Ah well… it's going to take a moment to explain that. Did Histoire mention the end of the Console War and the crisis that followed in Gamindustri's recorded history?" Andrew asked.
"She did." Asriel said.
"Well, close to the end of that crisis, we recovered and used the weapons of the Heroes Quartet and used them against Arfoire, back when she was corrupted by the True Goddess's influence. The Trinity Blade, as one of said weapons of the Heroes Quartet, was used for that purpose. Of course, Neptune was the one to use it." Andrew explained.
"Ooooh, that's why you recognized it!" Asriel exclaimed in understanding.
"Yeppers! It was uh… not fun trying to get it though…" Neptune admitted.
"I see… I wonder why…" Asriel said.
"The head priest of Planeptune's Basilicom didn't realize that Nep was the CPU of Planeptune at the time, and so they weren't quite so willing to just hand it over without official approval. That and uh… the blade was rusty after quite a few centuries in storage, and needed some careful attention." Andrew said.
"I guess that- wait… Did you just say that the Trinity Blade RUSTED?" Asriel asked, shocked to hear it.
"Yeah… I wasn't too happy about it, either…" Andrew said.
"Good grief!" Asriel swore with a heavy sigh.
"Let's not waste any more time. Ready to try again?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah." Asriel said, before transforming again and spawning the Trinity Blade back into his hands.
"Try to keep up this time, and let's make this a bit more challenging. See if you can't disarm me." Andrew instructed.
"Got it." Asriel said, before the sparring continued. He watched Andrew's moves carefully, much better at anticipating his opponent's attacks, now that he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulder.
"There we go, that's the fluffy prince we love to see in action!" Neptune exclaimed, cheering Asriel on. Asriel wasted absolutely no time in taking advantage of even the slightest opening in Andrew's defense as he took the initiative, and in one powerful critical strike, he sent his opponent's blade flying out of his hands and harmlessly onto the ground, clattering as it despawned.
"Woah… I think Kurome is going down!" Andrew exclaimed, amazed at how quickly Asriel had disarmed him.
"You think so?" Asriel asked, chuckling.
"Yeah! That was amazing, buddy! Nice work!" Neptune exclaimed.
"You guys…" Asriel said, blushing somewhat at the praise. That was when Kevin and Boris arrived with Raiden, the latter of whom looked vastly different.
"Glad to see Asriel back in high spirits and fighting at his best again. Frankly the timing couldn't have been more perfect." Boris said.
"Boris. You've got something for us?" Asmund asked.
"Da. We've been contacted by Abkhaz government in exile... What's left of it, anyway. Prepare yourselves, details will be provided in transit."
"How soon do we depart?" Scourge asked.
"Transport is ready, you will depart immediately." Boris said.
"Got it." Andrew said as he led everyone to the awaiting transport.
It was a stormy early afternoon, local time, as the group approached the Abkhazian coastline in a VTOL transport equipped for stealth. It was mostly quiet, until Asmund's holo beeped, which he answered.
"How is it everyone?" Boris asked on Asmund's holo.
"Decently smooth, for flying in the middle of a thunderstorm. The pilot tells us that there's no sign of trouble." Andrew said.
"Good, good." Boris said.
"That said, I'm cautious." Andrew clarified
"The VTOL you're in is top-of-line. Smoothest ride out there… smoother even than most civilian jets." Boris said.
"That's not why I am concerned, Boris…" Andrew countered.
Boris laughed in response. "We will get you in safely, tovarich. Just relax and enjoy the ride."
"Right…" Andrew said. The image of Boris on the holo was replaced with that of another person.
"Can you hear me, Raiden?" the man asked.
"Doktor." Raiden said.
"Remember the two procedures for maintaining your new body: One, seizing nano-repair units from your foes. And two-" Doktor instructed.
"Absorbing their electrolytes. Got it." Raiden said.
"They have electrolytes that he can absorb?" Andrew asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, enemy cyborgs should provide Raiden with plenty of MCFC Electrolytes once you slice them open and… extract their fluids." Doktor said.
"That's barbaric…" Andrew said, feeling slightly disgusted at the means by which Raiden had to maintain his new body.
"Well… as his new cyborg body is only a prototype, and little room could be spared for built-in nano-repair systems, I had to… make some sacrifices." Doktor said.
"They're terrorists. I was planning on doing it, anyway." Raiden interrupted.
"Oh! And their left hands, if you please!" Doktor requested.
"Uh… I'm sorry, why would you need their left hands?" Asmund asked, finding the request a little disturbing.
"Their combat data is stored on holographic memory, typically located in the left hand." Doktor clarified.
"So it's the combat data you want?" Asmund asked, understanding Doktor's otherwise odd request.
"That data is very valuable, my Jedi friend." Doktor replied.
"Makes sense. Carry on, I suppose." Andrew said.
Doktor cleared his throat. "I am authorized to offer Raiden upgrades and services in exchange for it."
"How generous…" Raiden mused.
"Ich liebe Kapitalismus!" Doktor exclaimed. "Had the wall come down a few years earlier, I would have a Nobel Prize on my shelf."
"Listen up back there!" The pilot of the transport shouted. "We've got sight of the coastline! We will be touching down in a few minutes!" he announced. Outside the transport, there was clear skies, after having left the storm.
"Transport is three mikes out, and closing." Courtney announced. "No activity at the airbase. Looks like we don't need to worry about interceptors."
"So my earlier concerns were mostly unfounded. Glad to hear it." Andrew said with some margin of relief. "Pilot says we will be touching down on the Abkhazian coastline in a few minutes."
"Great. Then we have time for a quick briefing." Kevin said.
"I know you miss me, Kev, but I've been all over the details." Raiden said.
"That's what you said before Montenegro." Kevin countered. "Look, just humor me buddy."
"As I was thinking. Lay it on us like steak on a barbecue, Kev!" Neptune said.
"Uh… right…" Kevin said, bewildered by Neptune's dorky commentary. "Objectives, of course, are: enter Abkhazia, neutralize the terrorists, and restore the rightful government… or what's left of it, anyway."
"Yeah, Boris mentioned that before we left. Hate to ask, but what happened to Abkhazia's government?" Asriel asked.
"The president and most of the cabinet have been killed, and a military junta's been established. The terrorists brain-jacked all the high-ranking officers, and their cyborgs scattered the rank-and-file." Kevin said
"Yeesh! I don't think I want to know what 'brain-jacking' is." Asriel said with a cringe.
"The few leaders who have survived have no way of opposing the new regime. That's why they've called us." Kevin continued.
The image of a slavic man appeared on the holo, with Boris giving the lowdown on said man. "Andrey Dolzaev, leader of the occupation forces. An extremist, linked to both the St. Petersburg Massacre of 2015, and last year's terror spree in Georgia. And his arms supplier… none other than Desperado Enforcement LLC."
Andrew looked down towards the ground beneath him in disgust. "N'mani's killers…"
The image on Asmund's holo returned to that of Kevin. "If we don't stop them here, they could destabilize the whole region."
"We can't let a repeat of Africa happen in Abkhazia. We'll stop him." Asmund said.
"Glad to have you on our side." Kevin said, before the holo showed an image of Sam. "Our more immediate problem… is Jetstream Sam. I'm sure you've met."
Raiden groaned when he heard the nickname. "The only problem I see is that nickname."
"Can we beat him? After the last time…" Kira asked.
"I've got my enhancements this time, Kira. He won't be an issue." Raiden countered.
"We're at the drop-zone! Everyone, get ready!" the pilot declared.
"Hate to call the briefing short, but we're about to touch down." Andrew announced.
"Ah, right…" Kevin said as he used a visual expression to let everyone know that he'll keep an eye on everyone.
"Ready for insertion." Raiden announced. The VTOL slowed down as it transitioned into hover configuration, before rotating so that the rear door faced the beach. Asmund ended the call on the holo, before putting it away as they descended.
"Good luck down there, everyone. Godspeed." the pilot said. The light turned green, and everyone disembarked, hopping down onto the sand below. Once everyone had disembarked, the VTOL returned to base before it could become a target.
Asmund contacted Boris on the holo. "Boris. We're on the ground."
"Copy, Asmund. Good to hear it." Boris replied. "Now, keep alert. According to intel, you could find significant cyborg and sith deployment here."
"Understood." Asmund said.
"What's our rules of engagement?" Andrew asked.
"This is not an infiltration mission, there is no need to avoid combat outright." Boris said. "Use whatever means within International Law and Geneva Convention you see fit. Just… don't get reckless. Stay safe, and stay focused on the mission."
"Got it." Andrew said with a nod.
"Now, head inland. I will contact you if I get more information. Boris out." Boris said as he ended the holocall.
Andrew looked at the sea wall blocking their progress, and then a wooden catwalk leading up to the top of it from the beach. "Let's go." he said as he and the others walked, while Raiden took the lead. They walked up the catwalk, onto the sea wall, and into an empty street. That was when they were jumped by three cyborgs, who were using optical camouflage to mask their ambush… quite fruitlessly. Raiden quickly retaliated, and in the blink of an eye, he eliminated all three of the enemy cyborgs.
"They tried using optical stealth to try and ambush us? Did they expect that to work with three Jedi, a CPU trio and a top-of-the-line cyborg?" Andrew asked.
"Perhaps they got a little overzealous and underestimated us…" Kira replied.
"A common occurrence when it comes to us extra-overpowered heroes and heroines." Neptune said childishly.
"Save for a few exceptions…" Andrew corrected.
Asmund's holo beeped again, and Kevin popped up again when answered. "Had your fill?"
"With this body, I can take these guys on with no eyes." Raiden declared proudly.
"Light-hearted jabs from our cyborg friend aside, intel wasn't exactly exaggerating on the number of enemies. Makes the Maelstrom Prison break look like a Life Day party..." Kira remarked.
"Well, the cyborg tech's been spreading pretty rapidly these past few years." Kevin said. "That CNT muscle fiber packs the power of a jackhammer into every limb. What enterprising soldier of fortune could resist? And cyborgs are still human… real thinking people. Way less collateral damage than your typical UAV strike."
The image of Kevin was replaced by that of Courtney. "And don't forget the PR angle. Nations start playing Frankenstein with their troops, and the public goes nuts."
"Sounds an awful lot like the debacle with the Power Guard program." Andrew said as he looked at Asmund, who nodded back in agreement.
"He's right… It's sickening to think about." Asmund said in agreement.
"PMCs, on the other hand, are off the ethical radar." Courtney said.
"Figures…" Andrew said. "I suppose the saving grace of that, is that these cyborgs were aware of what they were getting themselves into, when they signed their mercenary contracts… Doesn't make it right, or any less sickening, but so be it…"
"Yeah. Nations still don't even count PMCs in official death tolls." Kevin said. "With SOP out of the picture, private militaries needed a new edge on the market. We've got it."
"In a way, cyborgs are just SOP troops by another name… only all muscled up and less predictable." Courtney said.
"But that leaves the question… where did Desperado find these guys?" Scourge asked.
"I'm not complaining… I can harvest electrolytes from them all day." Raiden remarked.
"Easy there. Like he said, they're still people." Andrew said.
"People who terrorize and take innocent lives for money." Raiden said. "They sowed their fate when they took this job. I'm just the reaper."
"Damn… that's a bit cold, Raiden… Even for you." Kevin said. "Anyway uh… it's cool. Let's get to work. Time to increase the peace."
"Right…" Raiden said.
Kevin was replaced by Boris, who was giving them an update. "Let's recap the route you will take. The enemy's HQ is in the refinery along the coastline. Dolzaev has been spotted there, using satellite photography. Also on site: Mistral, a Desperado captain."
"A chance to start dismantling the terrorist organization… Finally some good news." Scourge said.
"The more of their high ranking officers we capture or kill, the greater our chances of bringing Desperado to justice." Andrew said.
"So we go through the city, cross the bridge into the old town, then head down to the rear of the refinery." Raiden said.
"Still, I think they anticipate us. They will probably have a grand reception awaiting you at the old city. Do not let your guard down." Boris said, before finally cutting contact and allowing the group to move up.
David Mason was in Lowee with Jacob, Blanc, IF and C-Sha. They were looking into the sudden appearance of the mysterious cult. So far, the snow-covered Land of White Serenity was peaceful; yet none of them could shake the feeling that something was amiss, as they began to review what was learned thus far about the True Goddess' mysterious new agents.
"So, let's recap what we have learned…" IF began. "The name of this cult is 'Hell Destiny', and there are apparently six members…"
"It would appear so…" David said.
"And one of those six members is… a little boy…" IF said.
"What the heck kind of name is 'Hell Destiny', anyways?" Blanc asked.
"Beats me." Jacob said with a shrug. "But, something tells me that they are a dangerous bunch."
IF nodded. "Correct. Hell Destiny, despite its rather interesting name choice, is a dangerous group that is not to be taken lightly. But there's a kicker."
"Oh boy, here we go…" David groaned.
"I have observed the child member from a distance, and gathered the following: apparently, the boy has a soft spot for Planeptune's Auxiliary CPU, and someone apparently named 'Chibiusa'." IF reported.
"A soft spot for Asriel Dreemurr... Could it be that this boy admires him? Like a sort of role model or something?" Blanc asked.
"That's what Histoire and I believe, as well." IF said.
"Makes sense… But who is this 'Chibiusa' person he mentioned? I'm quite curious." C-Sha asked.
"I don't think anyone in the guild knows, C-Sha. I'm just as curious." Jacob said. He then focused his attention on IF, before asking a more important question. "Is it possible we can get into contact with this boy? Maybe he can help us out."
"We are looking into ways that we can contact him, with an offer of immunity in exchange for any information he can provide on the cult, its members and operations." IF said. They were startled by a loud crash, followed by screaming, at a jewelry shop nearby.
"What was that?!" Jacob asked in shock.
"No time for questions, Jacob. Let's see what happened." Blanc said as she took the lead, running towards the source of the disturbance, to find Ishtar with a negativity monster attacking the jewelry store. The store owner and a little girl were hiding behind the store counter.
"Stop!" IF demanded as she drew her pistol. With a smirk, Ishtar simply teleported out, leaving the negativity monster to charge at them. IF and David both opened fire on it, before swapping to their melee weapons when it got too close. One whack of Blanc's hammer, and the dark summon howled in pain, before it was finally finished off by Jacob and C-Sha.
"You can come out now." Blanc called out, and the store owner and small child crawled out from behind the counter as the negativity monster pixelated out of existence.
"Thank you so much, Lady White Heart! That woman suddenly came in here out of nowhere, and created that… dark and twisted creature! I thought my daughter and I were gonners!" the store owner said appreciatively. "Still, what is going on? Things haven't been this chaotic since the war. And even then, there hasn't been any real monster threat since Arfoire attacked Gamindustri."
"I can't guarantee that I know any more about what's going on than you do, but we're working with the Guild to try and figure things out." Blanc said.
"Do you need any help getting your shop sorted out?" IF asked.
"A pair of extra hands wouldn't hurt. That woman and her beast destroyed all the display cases." The store owner said.
"I'd be happy to help you out. I'll catch up with you later, Blanc." Jacob said.
"How very kind of you." Blanc said. "Take care, Jacky. Let me know if anything else happens, and keep your eyes open."
"I will, Blanc." Jacob said with a nod, before proceeding to help clean up the shop. As the others walked out, IF grumbled something.
"Is everything alright, IF?" C-Sha asked.
"That was definitely one of the members of Hell Destiny… I recognized her hair, too." IF said.
"You… recognized her?" David asked.
"That was the one that raided the Guild's HQ. I stopped her from running off with important documents, but she slipped through my grasp. To think she was a member of the cult…" IF said.
"How did you recognize her as part of the cult, though?" Blanc asked.
"Her uniform… and that patch on her shoulder… It was the mark of the True Goddess, for sure." IF said.
"So the cult was responsible for the raid on the Guild's HQ… Just like the looting of Muffet's tea house in Planeptune..." Blanc asked.
"I hope we can stop this madness soon… If not… I genuinely fear the worst for Gamindustri..." IF said.
Lord Scourge had just finished cutting down the last of Dolzaev's forces in the group's immediate area with a toss of his lightsaber against an Unmanned Gear, which fell to the ground with a loud crash.
"That last one was a bit more troublesome than I thought…" Andrew said with a sigh.
"A bit odd, that we have yet to run into any sith… Didn't the intelligence report say that there were sith here?" Kira asked.
"Perhaps they might be further along our path to the refinery…" Asriel said as he despawned the Trinity Blade. "Yet, I cannot help but agree with Kira, something about this does not feel right."
"Asriel's right. We should stay on our guard." Andrew said. "No telling what might be up ahead."
"Let's go…" Raiden said as he took the lead, walking through an empty warehouse. There was a set of stairs leading up to a skywalk towards an adjacent building. As they traversed the skywalk, Kira's and Asriel's combined premonition slowly began to feel a bit more likely.
Suddenly, a scratchy, monotone voice echoed into the building. "Greetings, cyborg." the voice said.
"Show yourself!" Raiden said as everyone drew their weapons. Suddenly a high frequency chainsaw cut its way through the skywalk, causing it to collapse in one direction. Asriel, Andrew and Neptune were the first to fall through to the streets below, followed by the three Jedi, then Raiden. He quickly looked up, cutting through falling crates. Then came the lightsaber, which was thrown in Raiden's direction, only to be blocked by Asmund with a counter throw.
Ahead of them, was what looked to be a high ranking Sith Lord. Next to him was a robot in the form of a canine, which was equipped with the high frequency chainsaw they saw earlier.
"Darth Nox." Scourge said.
"Hello, Scourge. Fancy meeting you here, of all places." Darth Nox said, before looking towards Asmund and Kira, then the CPUs. "And the CPUs and Heroes of Tython. Truly a momentous occasion."
"Who is your robot dog friend?" Neptune asked.
"I am IF Prototype LQ-84i." the robotic dog said in the scratchy voice.
"Iffy prototype? Wha?!" Neptune asked, dumbfounded.
"Interface Prototype." the LQ-84i clarified. "All autonomous UGs feature high-level onboard artificial intelligence. An additional prototype interface enables verbal communication."
"High-level artificial intelligence, you say?" Andrew asked. "Not unlike the droids from the world that Asmund, Kira, Scourge, and even Darth Nox here originate from. If I may ask, just how vast is the knowledge you possess?"
"I possess an intellect far beyond human reckoning." the LQ-84i said.
"You don't say…" Raiden said. "Okay, then. What's the meaning of life? Why are we here?"
In response to Raiden's question, the LQ-84i threw superheated knives at him. Raiden instinctively caught one with the heel of his foot, moving his body so that the others passed by him harmlessly by mere inches and hit the debris behind them.
"He is here to kill you." Darth Nox said.
"That's it?" Raiden asked as he kicked the knife out of the heel of his boot, catching it in his hand.
"I have other places to be." Darth Nox said. "Try not to die too quickly, and rob the prototype of his fun." he said as he walked away.
"Must you really fight us? What's your goal?" Asriel asked, hoping for a diplomatic resolution.
"My directives are to liberate the nation of Abkhazia and ensure the freedom of its people." the LQ-84i replied.
"Surely you realize that the people you work for do not care about the freedom of the Abkhazian people." Kira said. "The man that Desperado is supplying arms to is a known terrorist and mass murderer. Would you willingly side with them?"
The LQ-84i seemed to hesitate for a moment, as though processing the new information. Unfortunately, Kira's attempts to persuade the LQ-84i to stand down were in vain. "I may analyze orders, but I do not disobey them." it said. "Should I disobey a direct order, my memory would be wiped. I must destroy you."
"I never really understood the need for memory wipes…" Asmund said. "We might be able to help you out, if you let us."
"Your attempts at peaceful resolution are pointless. Exterminate!" the LQ-84i shouted as it leaped onto the rubble behind the group of heroes, before letting out a metallic howl, similar to that of a wolf. Kira and Scourge drew their lightsabers in defense, while Raiden, Asmund and the CPUs got ready. The LQ-84i leaped off the rubble, aiming to skewer Scourge, only to be pushed back into the rubble with the Force.
"Watch yourselves! This thing is fast!" Andrew warned. The LQ-84i jumped out of the rubble, hoping to attack Asriel. The Auxiliary CPU was ready though, and sidestepped out of the way, before slicing the robotic dog. He wasn't finished with it, yet, as he hit it with Shocker Breaker. Several rainbow-colored bolts of lightning hit their mark, forcing it to run up the nearest wall.
"A savvy warrior uses all his tools." The LQ-84i declared. "Backup required." it continued before letting out the same wolfish, metallic howl. In response, two cyborgs and a sith acolyte leaped into the battlefield, the acolyte bringing out a training saber. Asmund, Kira and Scourge took on the three attackers. While the three Jedi were busy, the LQ-84i leaped back in. Raiden was ready for it, and kicked it into a wall.
"Take that!" Neptune said eagerly. The LQ-84i leaped off the wall and went towards Neptune. She quite nearly got skewered by it's high frequency chainsaw, but Andrew blocked its attack just in time.
"Are we here only to fight, then?" the LQ-84i asked.
"We don't have to! We know people who can help! Let us help you!" Andrew said. Alas, his words fell on deaf ears, as the robotic dog continued its attacks.
"Don't think this thing's gonna stop any time soon!" Asriel said. He parried the chainsaw with almost minimal effort, before taking the advantage. He was soon joined by Scourge and Asmund, after the three Jedi had defeated their opponents. It was Asmund's turn to deliver a punishing blow, as he gave the robotic opponent a jolt of Force Lightning.
The LQ-84i began smoking, badly damaged. It leaped onto the wall once more. "To continue alone would be foolish. Help me!" it called out, before howling. A pair of mid-ranking Sith leaped in, one with a pair of purple lightsabers, the other with a red double-bladed lightsaber. Following close behind, was a single ISS-7 Battle Droid.
"Another one of those droids? How many of those does the Sith Empire even have?" Kira asked.
"I'm starting to wonder about that, myself." Asmund said.
"No time for chat… Here they come!" Andrew exclaimed. One Sith swung her lightsabers wildly, getting the attention of the Jedi. The other used the Force on the CPUs, forcing them to engage him instead. That left Raiden to deal with the ISS-7 alone.
"Boris, what is this thing?" Raiden asked.
"Kak ya dolzhen znat!? I've never seen something like that before!" Boris replied, finding the ISS-7 Battle Droid to be just as mysterious to him as it was to his operative.
"It is an ISS-7 battle droid, an Imperial autonomous siege platform." Lana said over the comms. "It was one of the late Grand Moff Kilran's pet projects."
"Who is this?! This is secure channel!" Boris shouted.
"Relax, Boris. Lana and I are friends of Asmund's." Theron said. "I'm Theron Shan, an agent with Republic SIS. My colleague Lana Beniko is an Imperial Intelligence agent and Sith Lord, helping us topple Lord Denzion from the Imperial Throne."
"Intelligence agents? Asmund's got some interesting friends in interesting places." Raiden said, just before dodging an attack from the ISS-7 battle droid.
"I am forwarding details and schematics of the ISS-7 to you now, Boris. Make sure your operative gets a copy." Lana advised.
"Ah… chert… Understood, Lana." Boris said reluctantly. "Raiden, I'll advise you on the ISS-7 Battle Droid in a moment. Give us time to forward the details."
"Understood." Raiden said. He leaped to the left, then right, then back as he dodged the battle droid's heavy blaster cannons.
"Schematics have been sent your way, Boris." Lana advised.
"Understood." Boris said. He began to look through the schematics, ignoring the Aurebesh text. "Barring the fact that I cannot read this, I think I understand."
"Lay it on me, Boris." Raiden said.
"Raiden. The central processor is located behind the large, red eye on the right side of its head. That's where you need to hit. Be careful of its heavy guns, though… Just by looking at it, I can tell it can give an IFV a bad day." Boris advised.
"Got it." Raiden said. With the info on how to destroy it, he danced past the ISS-7's heavy blaster cannons as he dashed in, before chopping the arms off as his high frequency blade cut through the durasteel like butter. He then began cutting off the legs, careful to avoid the droid's melee attacks. His third attack was a stab into its primary photoreceptor, damaging the central processor. With a final slice that cut the head off, the battle droid finally collapsed onto the ground with a loud clang, sparks flying out. At the same time, the Jedi and CPUs finished off the two Sith.
The LQ-84i let out one final howl, before it ran in to attack. This time, it dove straight onto Raiden, knocking him off his feet. A swift kick sent it flying, but with surprising nimbleness, it recovered in mid-air, before charging at Asriel from behind.
Asmund saw the threat to the Auxiliary CPU and reacted. "Asriel, look out!" he shouted. Asriel just barely turned around in time, as he got knocked off his feet. He rolled to the side a couple times, avoiding the high frequency chainsaw. Scourge came to his aid, and cut the chainsaw off at the base with his lightsaber.
Asriel kicked the LQ-84i off of him, before hitting it with a critical strike against its torso. "Thanks for the save!" he shouted, before he, Neptune and Asmund teamed up for a coordinated attack.
"St-... Stop…!" the LQ-84i begged. By the time they did, it was so critically damaged that it was no longer able to fight. "Cannot… continue…"
"This fight is over. There is no further need for violence. Please, surrender." Asmund said, appealing to the robot dog's sense of self preservation.
"Directive… Liberate nation… Ensure freedom…" the LQ-84i said. "Obey directive…! Must obey directive...! No freedom…!"
"What would an AI know about freedom?" Raiden asked.
"Your central and behavioral processors appear intact… but the remote access interface is damaged." Asmund said as he examined the LQ-84i. "There is a chance that we can repair you, and disable the remote AI wiping, if you are willing to help us."
"We promise you, your fight to help Abkhazia won't end in vain." Asriel said. The LQ-84i raised its metal paw, as though to thank them, before shutting down.
Asmund took out his holocomm and contacted Doktor and Boris. "Doktor, Boris, we've defeated the LQ-84i that was sent after us."
"Da. We saw. Good teamwork out there." Boris said.
"You are correct about the LQ-84's repairable condition… although a new exoskeleton will have to be created from scratch." Doktor said.
"Do you truly believe what it said? About it being sentient, but having no choice?" Raiden asked.
"Well… there is not evidence to prove it. It could have been programmed to say it, to weaken your will to fight." Boris said. "Then again, there is not evidence it is not true. Considering the pace AI technology is advancing, it is not impossible."
"I know it's true… I felt it, almost immediately." Asmund said.
"So you believe the LQ-84, on instinct?" Raiden asked.
"A Jedi's instincts are very rarely wrong, Raiden." Asmund said.
"I have to say, observing a Jedi's work is quite exhilarating." Doktor mused. "Anyways, you will not have much time to begin disassembling the LQ-84's critical hardware, before the enemy sends reinforcements after you. I shall walk you through the disassembly. I would advise you to start with the AI memory module and prototype interface module, first."
Asmund got to work, unplugging the vital components as he began the meticulous process of disassembling the LQ-84i for transport. Doktor walked him through the process, and within fifteen minutes, he had the last vital component removed from the metal carcass. "That's all of them."
"Wunderbar!" Doktor exclaimed. "I shall begin work on rebuilding him as soon as you get back."
"Mayhaps, one of us CPUs should hold onto the parts? Less likely for them to get damaged in the long battle ahead." Andrew suggested. Asmund handed the parts to him one by one, and he despawned them into his inventory as they were handed to him.
"So… About that Sith that was with LQ-84…" Boris said.
"Just another Sith, Boris. He shouldn't be an issue." Raiden said.
"He's not just another Sith, Raiden. Darth Nox is a member of the Dark Council, charged with safeguarding the ancient knowledge of the Sith Order." Scourge informed. "He earned his place after defeating his predecessor, Darth Thanaton, in fair combat. He is a deadly adversary."
"That makes him especially dangerous. I can only assume Lord Denzion assigned him as his liaison to Desperado." Boris chimed in. "I suspect Nox's involvement in all this is not yet finished. Be careful, Raiden."
"Right…" Raiden said.
"We have wasted far too much time already. Let's get going." Andrew said. Asmund ended the holocall, and led the way to the bridge up ahead. And as if to prove Andrew's point, the sound of helicopters could be heard in the distance.
"That doesn't sound good…" Asriel said.
Raiden looked up, and spotted three Hammerhead unmanned helicopters attacking them from behind. "Move!" he shouted. Everyone began a mad rush across the bridge, as the Hammerheads began firing on it with unguided rockets. Behind them, the bridge began to collapse, almost taking Raiden with it. He quickly grabbed the collapsing bridge with his high frequency blade, before running vertically up the fallen roadway and landing feet first at the ledge.
"They're not giving up! Keep going!" Kira warned as the three Hammerheads went in for another attack. The mad dash continued as unguided rockets kept flying, hitting and destroying the bridge behind them. They made it to the other side, safe and sound, but the three unmanned helicopters continued to attack.
Scourge wasted no time in grappling two of the Hammerheads with the Force, throwing them into each other in a fiery explosion, before the debris rained. "And stay down."
"Nice work, Scourge." Asmund mused.
"There's still one more. I've got this." Raiden said as he leaped up onto the final Hammerhead's rockets, leaping between them with precision, before slicing off the unmanned helicopter's rotors. He landed behind it as it slammed into the ground. "And that takes care of that."
"Let's go." Asmund said, and they continued on their way towards the old town.
The group exited a stairwell and onto the roof of a ruined hotel overlooking the old town. The refinery was close by, fairly visible.
"There's the refinery… it's huge!" Asriel said in awe.
"I can't see any activity… Got any electrobinoculars, Asmund?" Andrew asked.
Asmund pulled a pair of electrobinoculars and handed them to him. "Let me know what you see." he said, as he pulled out his holocomm and contacted Boris. "Boris. The refinery is in sight. Andrew is scouting it out now."
"Understood. I've got your friends Theron and Lana on the line, now. They're looking at the schematics, trying to find you a way in." Boris said. "How's it looking, Andrew?"
"Not much activity… Aside from a few guards, most of the Sith and Desperado presence seems to be throughout the city- wait!" Andrew said. "I've got eyes on Dolzaev. He and a woman appear to be arguing about something. Our terrorist has her at gunpoint right now." he continued as he witnessed the argument unfold. It seemed like Dolzaev would pull the trigger and do things his way from that moment on, but instead, he holstered his Makarov semi-automatic pistol and stormed off. "And he stormed off…"
"Interesting. Disunity among their ranks? Or something else?" Boris asked.
"Were you able to figure out what they were arguing about?" Asmund asked.
"Nyet. Raiden's enhanced hearing couldn't pick it up." Boris said.
"Then we can only make blind guesses about that." Scourge said.
"Uh, guys… I think they're expecting us." Andrew said, as the woman looked in their direction. "No matter. We shouldn't waste any more time. Let's hurry."
"Alright. We're heading for the refinery." Raiden said.
"Understood, Raiden. Boris out." Boris said as the holocall ended. Raiden leaped down, grabbing the wall behind him to slow his descent, before landing on the ground. The others followed him down. They met light resistance, until they made it to the center of the old city, where they ran into a soldier and a UG. Before they could call for reinforcements, Asmund and Scourge took the two of them out.
"That was quick. Nice work." Andrew said.
Boris contacted them shortly after. "I just got done working with Lana and Theron." he began. "You are to go through the collapsed warehouse at the end of the old city. Past that, is a cliff that leads to the refinery's backyard."
"So, what, it's a sheer drop? The refinery's not connected to the city at all?" Raiden asked.
"No. It was only built two years ago." Boris said. "There should be a narrow path that leads to the plant. It is protected by a fence, but probably you can cut your way through."
"Probably." Raiden said.
"Don't get cocky. Desperado and Sith Empire are running security down there, and they will use every trick they have to stop you. You must be on guard at all times." Boris said.
"Understood. We'll be careful." Asmund said. Kira took the lead this time, going through the ruined warehouse, then down the narrow path leading to the refinery. After activating her lightsaber, she cut through the chain link fence, granting them an entrance into the facility. The moment they entered the perimeter, they were beset upon strange, three-armed, one eyed UGs.
"W-what the heck are these things?!" Asriel exclaimed.
"Tripods! Watch yourselves, these things are fast!" Raiden warned. One leaped at Asmund, and he cut it out of the air with his lightsaber.
"Watch out! They keep on coming!" Boris warned. Andrew sliced another tripod out of the air, before narrowly avoiding a disruptor shot from atop a guard station. Imperial soldiers and Desperado cyborgs were joining the battle.
"We're getting swarmed!" Kira exclaimed.
Asriel cut apart two tripods and then an Imperial Shock Trooper in quick succession, before a tripod leaped onto his back, attempting to stun and incapacitate him. "What the- Get this thing off of me!"
"Hang on, kid!" Raiden said as he began cutting through Sith and Desperado soldiers in an attempt to reach her protege, before he pried the tripod off of him and quite literally punted it into an Imperial sniper's head.
"There's too many of them… any bright ideas?" Neptune asked.
"May as well use area of effect attacks to thin their numbers." Asriel said. "Star Blazing!" he shouted as he used Star Blazing on the swarm of enemies. A number of tripods and Imperials got caught in the resulting hailstorm of star-shaped particles, reducing the enemy numbers by almost two thirds.
"That was some quick thinking, Asriel! Let's clean up!" Andrew said, before running into battle. He, Asriel and Raiden separated the remaining enemies, before taking them out one at a time. Neptune, Kira, Asmund and Scourge took out the rest. The last Cyborg hit the ground with a clang, his left hand coming off and falling beside him, until Raiden caught it.
"Well… that's one left hand… I still can't believe we're collecting these." Andrew said as the cyborg the hand came from, a low-ranking officer it appeared, exploded behind him.
"It's a bit disturbing to think we're collecting these, but… I suppose anything to get to the holographic memory inside." Kira said.
"We can muse over it later. Let's finish this mission, then get back to Maverick HQ." Scourge said.
"Scourge is right. We've no time to waste." Andrew said as he took the hand from Raiden and despawned it. He looked at a large ventilation fan. "Guess that's our entry point."
"I've got this." Asmund said as he used the Force to undo the bolts holding the ventilation fan and its protective grating from the wall, placing these items to the side. Then the group hopped up and climbed through the opening.
"Dolzaev and his team must be in here. Find them." Boris said on Asmund's holo. "Careful. They've got active IR sensors in the area. Part of refinery security, no doubt, but the enemy may be using them."
"Understood, Boris. We'll be careful." Asmund said.
"If we must, we'll make our own alternative doorway." Kira mused.
"Don't get careless, Kira." Boris warned.
"How do we expect to get past these infrared sensors?" Andrew asked.
"I can't even see them. Are we sure they're active?" Asriel asked.
Boris' image was replaced by Kevin's on the holo. "Oh, they're active. Their beams are emitted in the infrared spectrum of light. You cannot see them with the naked eye, only with special equipment."
Shortly after, Doktor took his place. "Raiden's modified eye is able to see things in the infrared and low-light spectrums, as well as visible light. You guys on the other hand need completely different tricks."
"Could we perhaps cheese our way through, using smoke? Like they do in those action films?" Neptune asked.
"Alas, such tricks are accounted for in modern day technology." Boris said. "Even if I could come over and lend you white phosphorus grenade, it wouldn't work. The smoke particles alone would trigger the alarm."
"Hang on a minute…" Lana said.
"What have you got for us, Lana?" Asmund asked.
"If we could get remote access to the refinery's security systems, we can disable the security grid from here." Lana said. "It won't last long, but Theron and I can keep the grid disabled long enough for everyone to pass through relatively undetected."
"Alright. Raiden, find the security terminal and patch Lana and Theron in. Everyone else, stand by for a moment." Boris said.
"Roger that." Raiden said, before Asmund ended the holocall. Raiden immediately got to work, using his enhanced vision to see and avoid the infrared lasers without tripping the alarm. He also silently killed Desperado cyborgs and Imperial shock troopers guarding the hallway, before he got to the security station. He then began the remote access process, patching Lana and Theron into the system.
"Alright… We're in the system. The security grid is going down… now." Lana said over the comms. The cameras and infrared sensors shut down long enough for the entire group to go further into the complex. They searched high and low for Dolzaev, but came up empty handed.
"Dolzaev isn't in here…" Andrew said.
"He must be waiting for you outside… Raiden, I'm marking the nearest exit on your Soliton Radar." Boris said.
"Understood, Boris." Raiden said. He began to lead the group to a door leading out to a maintenance catwalk, leading to the top of a natural gas tank. At the top, they saw the woman that Andrew saw through the electrobinoculars.
"I was wondering when you'd come… Jack the Ripper." the woman said in a distinctly French accent.
"No one calls me that anymore…" Raiden said. "Dolzaev. Where is he?"
The woman tisked "I can show you a better time than that crusty old bear."
"You must be Mistral…" Asriel said.
"You are correct, fluffy one. I am Mistral... the Cold Wind of France." Mistral said. "And you, Jack… your reputation precedes you. Liberian, but white as snow… A natural-born killer, even as a child..."
"That was a long time ago…" Raiden said. Scourge and Asmund both wanted to interject, but opted to remain quiet.
"I was born in Algeria myself, you know… I'm only half French." Mistral said.
"What does this have to do with anything?" Andrew asked.
"We had our own civil war in the nineties. So you see, Jack? Cut from the same cloth, you and I." Mistral said.
"You don't know me." Raiden snarled.
"I lost my whole family, everything…" Mistral countered.
"I am sorry to hear that, Mistral… It must be a difficult memory for you." Asmund said, finally speaking up.
"But I butchered those fuckers." Mistral said, causing everyone to go on alert. "My family's killers. That's when I realized… I am a killer, too. And a good one at that."
"You… butchered them?" Asriel asked. He would have gone white, if his fur wasn't already that color.
"Oh yes…" Mistral said. "I slaughtered dozens in Iraq. In Afghanistan. I'd found my calling."
Scourge ignited his lightsaber, pointing it at Mistral. "Proud of that, are you?"
"What happened, happened. To be honest… I found it quite dull." Mistral replied, as she removed her jacket, revealing her cyborg frame. "My enemies fell like domino, one after another. Not once did I feel threatened."
"Well that's a reassuring thought…" Kira muttered.
"I was adrift… without challenge… without purpose… At times, I even envied my prey. At least they had a cause to die for." Mistral said. Around them, tripods were climbing the walls and gas pipes. "And then… I met him."
A tripod lunged at Neptune, who promptly chopped it down. "Who?!"
"And I knew what I'd been missing. His ideals gave my life meaning." Mistral said as she knelt down, petting the damaged UG. "Ideals, Jack. What are yours?"
"I… protect the weak." Raiden declared.
"Still… so naive." Mistral said as she ripped two of the tripod's arms off.
Raiden was next to point his sword at her. "And if I must kill to protect them… then so be it."
Mistral proceeded to literally crush the tripod with her foot. "It seems we have less in common than I thought."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Raiden said.
"If you would kill for your ideals, surely you are ready to die for them." Mistral declared as she joined the two tripod arms together.
"Something's happening…" Asriel said. A whole bunch more tripods ran to her, adding their arms to an apparatus on her back. The process appeared painful, as she cried out in pain with each arm added. With the final arms, she assembled a kind of staff. The various arms took a razer blade from a sheath, and carried it over to the end of this staff as everyone got ready for the fight ahead.
"Come, mon gars!" Mistral beckoned, before Asriel took the lead as he, Andrew and Neptune spawned in their wings. He took the first few swings, which were blocked by her pole arm. The CPU trio then followed up with Trinity Strike, which broke her defense and damaged her. When the attack ended, she swiped Andrew and Neptune aside and almost stabbed Asriel, before Asmund came to his aid and blocked her attack with his lightsaber. After parrying, he leaped back to avoid a swift uppercut.
Raiden ran in and was caught by her pole arm, which was relaxed to become a whip instead of a spear. He destroyed the pole arm to free himself, before using his forward momentum to grab a light post and throw himself at her in a quick reversal, kicking her in the back and sending her flying towards a gas line in a stunning display of the law of conservation of momentum. The group took chase, either leaping or flying towards the pipe.
Mistral stood up, facing Scourge in the front. "I'm starting to enjoy this…" she said as she leaped onto the distillation tower behind her. Various other tripods climbed the tower, and she used their arms to rapidly construct another pole arm. She leaped back onto the pipe, before engaging the former Emperor's Wrath one on one. Scourge slammed his elbow into her face, before slicing off a couple of the arms on her back.
Again, Mistral leaped back onto the distillation tower, and returned with the damage rapidly repaired. This time, however, she used her polearm to grab the pipe. Scourge rolled forward to avoid a direct impact, and Mistral slammed into the pipe, cracking it and sending pieces of it falling to the ground. Once more, everyone gave chase, as she ran for another part of the refinery.
"This ends now!" Mistral declared. With a bit more freedom, aside from the now burning complex, everyone had room to move, and so they all attacked her at once. It was Raiden to draw the first attack this time, parrying an attack and swiftly counterattacking.
"Enough, Mistral! End this, while you still have a chance to make amends!" Kira said.
"Die! Die!" Mistral shouted as she intensified her attacks in response to everyone converging on her at once.
Asriel blocked most of her attacks before using Shocker Breaker on her, careful not to damage the refinery any more than it has. Following up, he drew several light and heavy blows with the Trinity Blade, dealing almost critical damage to her.
Mistral leaped back to avoid one such strike, before retaliating. "It is over!" she shouted as she leaped forward in an attempt to skewer the Auxiliary CPU, only for Scourge to use the Force to push her into a cryogenic storage tank that was part of the refinery's fire suppression system. The tank cracked as Scourge maintained his Force attack, spewing liquid nitrogen all over her and freezing her solid. Raiden went ham on her and sliced her to bits, ending the battle.
"Such a shame… This is not the ending I would have chosen for her…" Asriel said as he despawned the Trinity Blade and his wings. That was when Mistral's radio, which was knocked loose in the battle, crackled to life.
"Mistral, report! Your vitals are dropping!" a slavic male voice, belonging to Dolzaev, shouted.
"I… I lost." Mistral said in a pained voice over the comm. "So this is how they felt…"
"What?" Dolzaev asked.
"Dying… for a cause." Mistral clarified.
"Wait! No… hold on!" Dolzaev begged.
"I am sorry… He was-... too much." Mistral apologized.
"I do not need apology! I need you alive!" Dolzaev shouted.
"But… I know… You will never fall." Mistral said.
"What… What is this talk about?!" Dolzaev asked.
"Je t'aime... de tout mon coeur." Mistral said, declaring her love for some unknown person in French, before finally passing as what remained of her cyborg body shut down.
"'Je t'aime…'? Mistral… You've never…" Dolzaev said.
Asmund picked up the radio, before pressing the button to communicate. "I don't think she's talking to you."
"You!" Dolzaev shouted angrily. "You killed her! Yob tvoyu mat! Murderer!"
"That's rich coming from you!" Raiden shouted back.
"You have nowhere left to go, Dolzaev. Surrender." Asmund said.
In response, Dolzaev laughed. "Ah ty tupoi sukin syn."
"Uh... Translation?" Asriel asked.
"Why would I surrender? We are exactly where I want." Dolzaev said, to the utter horror of everyone else.
"Shit…" Raiden said, as he ran over to a balcony towards the natural gas tank they were standing on when they met Mistral. Andrew grabbed the electrobinoculars and looked at him closely.
"Built with Russia money! To make Russia money! It is no plant for Abkhaz; it is their prison!" Dolzaev began as he removed his jacket to reveal a bomb strapped to his chest, a detonator in his right hand. "But now… they will be free!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, before pressing the button on the detonator.
"Brace yourselves! Hurry!" Kira shouted, just before the natural gas tank detonated in a massive explosion. The three Jedi used the Force, to deflect the worst of the shockwave from everyone, while Andrew and Neptune covered Asriel to shield him from any flying debris.
"Crazy son of a bitch!" Raiden swore.
Asmund's holo beeped, and he answered to see Boris on the line.
"Everyone! What happened?!" Boris asked.
"Dolzaev just blew himself up! We're lucky he didn't take the entire refinery with him!" Andrew replied as he let go of Asriel.
"I see… Time to get you out of there." Boris said. "We're sending a helicopter. Secure an LZ."
"Understood…" Asmund said, before closing the holocall as he stared at the destruction in front of him.
Back at Maverick HQ, everyone was gathered for debriefing. Lana and Theron were present as well. A news report on the refinery explosion was playing in the background.
"The Russian government has issued a statement on the refinery explosion in Abkhazia earlier this evening." The news anchor began. "In the FSB's report, they have stated that the blame for the explosion lay solely on the infamous terrorist Andrey Dolzaev, who took his life attempting to kill a Maverick Security strike team sent to liberate the facility from the occupying forces that had taken it only days ago. Maverick Security CEO Boris Popov commented on the incident, stating: 'What's done is done, and we should be thankful that the damage to the refinery was minor. The Abkhazian government in exile is happy with the performance of my team, and they expect to return to their homeland very soon.' The refinery is expected to be repaired within a few short months. This is Katie Newman, reporting for Channel Seven News."
"Congratulations on a job well done. It was unfortunate we could not capture Dolzaev alive… and even more unfortunate, that the refinery was damaged… but our client was very pleased with result." Boris said. "Lana and Theron deserve some credit, of course. Even though you breached protocol by involving yourself in the contract without notice, your actions have expedited the completion of the contract and the liberation of Abkhazia from Desperado and the Sith Empire."
"It's all part of the job." Theron said.
"We apologize for our sudden intrusion during their mission." Lana said. "Rest assured that from now on, you will have full knowledge of our involvement going forward, and our resources will be at Maverick's disposal."
"So why is a Sith in Imperial Intelligence helping us fight the Sith Empire?" Courtney asked.
"As a result of Lord Denzion's rise to the Imperial Throne, Darth Marr of the Dark Council defied his fellow councilmen in protest, and is now actively helping the Republic and its allies stop him from taking over the galaxy and spreading his influence across the multiverse." Lana explained.
"Their help was vital in our mission to rescue Princess Esme of Onderon in our galaxy." Asmund said. "I've learned to trust them."
"I see…" Courtney said.
"A question, though. It's been lingering in my mind since Africa, but how are you able to communicate on Asmund's holo with your tech?" Kira asked.
"His frequency was coincidentally the same as our comm frequency. And though the tech is vastly different, we somehow got connected." Boris said. "I'm still not sure how we were able to do it."
"Interesting… It's not normal, but it may serve us in the long run." Theron said.
"There may not be much time before your next mission. Grab some rest while you can." Boris said. Andrew nodded, before the group departed, minus Lana and Theron.
"These two computer stations in front will be where you will work during future missions. Let me know if there is anything you need." Boris said.
"Of course, Boris." Lana said.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
HOLY CRAP this chapter was hard to focus on! I could not for the life of me find the motivation until now to finish it! But going forward, it will be full steam ahead towards the completion of the fanfic in spite of my approaching college classes.
Like the inclusion of Cipher Nine, I have included Darth Nox as a nod to the other class stories in the Star Wars The Old Republic MMO. Hopefully you will all appreciate this little nod to him. And don't worry, he'll be back.
That's all for now. Stay safe, and keep on nepping!